CT 42, 16 BM 085198 (P283771)
Literary, Neo-Babylonian, unclear · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE
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| Designation | CT 42, 16 BM 085198 |
|---|---|
| ID | P283771 |
| Museum no. | BM 085198 |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Neo-Babylonian · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | unclear |
English translation
By Figulla, Hugo H. · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [1:2] o 1212–o 1212 | [One who gave birth to] a child, [you are not] my child. |
| Obverse [2:3] o 1313–o 1313 | ... you are not its mother ... |
| Obverse [3:4] o 1414–o 1414 | ... consuming milk ... |
| Obverse [4:5] o 1515–o 1515 | [Like a ewe, I take] care of a strange lamb. |
| Obverse [5:6] o 1616–o 1616 | [Like a goat [I take] care of a strange kid. |
| Obverse [7:8] o 1818–o 1818 | ... of the steppe, I want to drink milk [...] |
| Obverse [10:11] o 2121–o 2121 | [I will bring him into] the house where fates are to be decided [...] |
| Obverse [11:12] o 2222–o 2222 | [I will bring] Mullil into the house where fates are to decided. |
| Obverse [12:13] o 2323–o 2323 | [I will bring him] into the house of lawsuits, into the house of decision making. |
| Obverse [13:14] o 2424–o 2424 | [I will bring him into the flesh] of humanity. |
| Obverse [14:15] o 2525–o 2525 | I put my hand on the door for him: ["Fate, open the house!"] |
| Obverse [15:16] o 2626–o 2626 | To my own father [I said]: "Fate, open the house!" |
| Obverse [16:17] o 2727–o 2727 | My father, who decides all fates, [I sit down for him.] |
| Obverse [17:18] o 2828–o 2828 | Mullil, who decides all fates, [I sit down for him.] |
| Obverse [18:19] o 2929–o 2929 | My face is cut out, put away - [I sit down for him] |
| Obverse [19:20] o 3030–o 3030 | My body is cut, put away - I sit down for him. |
| Obverse [20:21] o 3131–o 3131 | To the one who (has) a spouse - you are the one who gave him that spouse - I sit down for him. |
| Obverse [21:22] o 3232–o 3232 | To the one who (has) a child - you are the one who gave him that child - I sit down for him. |
| Obverse [22:23] o 3333–o 3333 | After he took care of the fates, he looked at me. |
| Obverse [23:24] o 3434–o 3434 | After he closed the house of fates, he spoke to me: |
| Obverse [24:25] o 3535–o 3535 | "The ever new place of fate is on my side." |
| Obverse [25:26] o 3636–o 3636 | "Its new places, its ... places are on my side." |
| Obverse [26:27] o 3737–o 3737 | "That what eludes a man is on my side." |
| Obverse [27:28] o 3838–o 3838 | "It is here with me, it is here with me, it leaves from within." |
| Obverse [28:29] o 3939–o 3939 | "Fate is here with me at my side, it comes from within." |
| Obverse [29:30] o 4040–o 4040 | "Destruction is here with me, at my side, it comes from within." |
| Obverse [30:31] o 4141–o 4141 | "Adversity is here with me, it comes from within." |
| Obverse [31:32] o 4242–o 4242 | "One should not look, one should not speak, it comes from within." |
| Obverse [32:33] o 4343–o 4343 | It is there for me, a slave, for me, a slave - one looks at me. |
| Obverse [33:34] o 4444–o 4444 | Cruel fate is is there for me, a slave - one looks at me. |
| Obverse [34:35] o 4545–o 4545 | As if there were a silver ring on my hand, me, a slave - one looks at me. |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1r 1–r 1r 1 | [As if there were a lapis jewel on my neck, me], a slave - one looks at me. |
| Reverse [1:2] r 22–r 22 | ... I want to go to the steppe! |
| Reverse [2:3] r 33–r 33 | ... my head ... I want to go to the steppe! |
| Reverse [3:4] r 44–r 44 | I want to drink [water from a river that I do not know], I want to go to the desert! |
| Reverse [4:5] r 55–r 55 | I want to eat [barley from a field that I do not know], I want to go to the desert! |
| Reverse [5:6] r 66–r 66 | [I want to take a road that I do not know]. I want to go to the desert! |
| Reverse [6:7] r 77–r 77 | ... fate ... |
| Reverse [7:8] r 88–r 88 | ... fate ... |
| Reverse [8:9] r 99–r 99 | [I, since my fate] has become bitter to me, I want to say: "Mother, lad!". |
| Reverse [9:10] r 1010–r 1010 | I, since my troubles have become bitter to me, I want to say "Mother, lad!". |
| Reverse [10:11] r 1111–r 1111 | ... the Asag demon is here! |
| Reverse [11:12] r 1212–r 1212 | ... the Asag demon is here! |
| Reverse [12:13] r 1313–r 1313 | ... the Asag demon is here! |
| Reverse [13:14] r 1414–r 1414 | ... the Asag demon is here! |
| Reverse [14:15] r 1515–r 1515 | ... what are those tears to me? |
| Reverse [15:16] r 1616–r 1616 | ... what are those tears to me? |
| Reverse [16:17] r 1717–r 1717 | ... what are those tears to me? |
| Reverse [17:18] r 1818–r 1818 | ... what are those tears to me? |
| Reverse [18:19] r 1919–r 1919 | ... my heart, what do you know? |
| Reverse [19:20] r 2020–r 2020 | ... my heart, what do you know? |
| Reverse [20:21] r 2121–r 2121 | ... my heart, what do you know? |
| Reverse [21:22] r 2222–r 2222 | ... my heart, what do you know? |
| Reverse [22:23] r 2323–r 2323 | ... I sit down - the harp song of my heart has changed. |
| Reverse [23:24] r 2424–r 2424 | ... - the harp song of my heart has changed. |
| Reverse [24:25] r 2525–r 2525 | I am ... - the harp song of my heart has changed. |
| Reverse [25:26] r 2626–r 2626 | I am a split ... - the harp song of my heart has changed. |
| Reverse [26:27] r 2727–r 2727 | [The one] who looked [at my face] should not say "Enough!" |
| Reverse [27:28] r 2828–r 2828 | [The god] who looked [at my face] should not say "Enough!" |
| Reverse [28:29] r 2929–r 2929 | My false, defiled ... should not say "Enough!" |
| Reverse [29:30] r 3030–r 3030 | ... should not say "Enough!" |
| Reverse [30:31] r 3131–r 3131 | ... one of a bitter fate - I want to sit down and I am going to sit down. |
| Reverse [31:32] r 3232–r 3232 | ... yells at him - I want to sit down and I am going to sit down! |
| Reverse [32:33] r 3333–r 3333 | [Nugig priestess], one of a bitter fate - oh my treasure, she has died! |
| Reverse [33:34] r 3434–r 3434 | [Princess], great princess of the lord - oh my treasure, she has died! |
| Reverse [34:35] r 3535–r 3535 | The one who bore lord Gilgameš - oh my treasure, she has died! |
| Reverse [35:36] r 3636–r 3636 | It is an Eršemma of Inana. |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| o | ||
| 11 | [...]-tuku i-bi₂ [...] | |
| 12 | [dumu an-u₃]-tu dumu-ŋu₁₀ [...] | |
| 13 | [...]-x ama-bi nu-me-⸢en⸣ [...] | |
| 14 | [...]-⸢i⸣ ga gu₇-a-[...] | |
| 15 | [u₈-gin₇] ⸢sila₄⸣ kur₂-ra mi₂ ba-[...] | |
| 16 | [ud₅-gin₇] ⸢maš₂⸣ kur₂-ra mi₂ ba-[...] | |
| 17 | [...] TUR in-tag-⸢ga⸣ [...] | |
| 18 | [... eden]-na-ke₄ ga ga-naŋ [...] | |
| 19 | [...] KA mu-da-KU-a [...] | |
| 20 | [...] KA mu-da-KU-a [...] | |
| 21 | [...] e₂ na-aŋ₂ tar-re-da [...] | |
| 22 | {[d}mu-ul]-lil₂-da e₂ na-aŋ₂ ⸢tar⸣-[re-da ...] | |
| 23 | [e₂ di-da]-ka e₂ kaš-a-ka [...] | |
| 24 | [...] na-aŋ₂-lu₂-ulu₃-ka [...] | |
| 25 | {[ŋeš}ig]-e šu-ŋa₂ mu-un-na-us₂ [...] | |
| 26 | [a-a] ⸢ugu⸣-ŋu₁₀ na-aŋ₂-tar e₂ ŋal₂-⸢lu⸣ [...] | |
| 27 | [a-a]-ŋu₁₀ na-aŋ₂ e-tar-tar-re [...] | |
| 28 | {[d}mu]-ul-lil₂-la₂ na-aŋ₂ e-tar-tar-⸢re⸣ [...] | |
| 29 | [i]-bi₂-ŋu₁₀ al-tar-re al-ma-ma mu-[e mu-un-na-tuš-en] | |
| 30 | [bar]-ŋu₁₀ al-tar-re al-ma-ma ⸢mu-e mu-un-na⸣-tuš-en | |
| 31 | [mu]-lu dam-ra dam mu-un-na-an-ze₂-eŋ₃ ŋen mu-e mu-un-na-tuš-en | |
| 32 | [mu]-lu dumu-ra dumu mu-un-na-an-ze₂-eŋ₃ ŋen mu-e mu-un-na-tuš-en | |
| 33 | [na]-aŋ₂-tar šu im-ta-ŋar-ra-ta i-bi₂-ni mu-e(UN-)ši-in-bar | |
| 34 | ⸢e₂⸣ na-aŋ₂-tar-ra mu-un-keš₂-da-ta ma-ra gu₃ mu-un-de | |
| 35 | na-aŋ₂-tar-ra ki bil₂-bil₂-bi da-ŋa₂ ma-ni-ma-al | |
| 36 | ki bil₂-la-bi ki ur₅-ra-bi da-ŋa₂ ma-ni-ma-al | |
| 37 | ki mu-lu-da ba-an-da-šub-ba-bi da-ŋa₂ ma-ni-ma-al | |
| 38 | ma-da-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ ma-da-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ šag₄ im-ta-ab-e₃-de₃ | |
| 39 | na-aŋ₂-tar da-ŋa₂ ma-da-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ šag₄ im-ta-ab-e₃-de₃ | |
| 40 | na-aŋ₂-ge₁₆-le-eŋ₃ saŋ-ŋa₂ ma-da-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ šag₄ im-ta-ab-e₃-de₃ | |
| 41 | na-aŋ₂-di-bi-dab₅-ba ma-da-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ šag₄ im-ta-ab-e₃-de₃ | |
| 42 | ⸢i⸣-bi₂ na-an-ni-bar-re na-ma-di-be₂ šag₄ im-ta-ab-e₃-de₃ | |
| 43 | ma e-re₇-da ma e-re₇-da im-ma-al i-bi₂-ni in-bar | |
| 44 | na-aŋ₂-tar aŋ₂-gig ma e-re₇-da im-ma-al i-bi₂-ni in-bar | |
| 45 | kug šu-ŋa₂-gin₇ ma e-re₇-da im-ma-al i-bi₂-ni in-bar | |
| r | ||
| 1 | [... ma] ⸢e⸣-re₇-da im-ma-al i-bi₂-ni in-bar | |
| 2 | [...] ⸢ma⸣-al eden-na ga-ba-e-da-ŋen | |
| 3 | [...]-x ⸢saŋ⸣-ŋu₁₀ a-ne ma-al eden-na ga-ba-e-da(BA-)ŋen | |
| 4 | [... ga]-naŋ eden-na ga-ba-e-da-ŋen | |
| 5 | [... ga]-gu₇ eden-na ga-ba-e-da-ŋen | |
| 6 | [...]-x eden-na ga-ba-e-da-ŋen | |
| 7 | [...]-ge na-aŋ₂ im-ma-us₂-sa | |
| 8 | [...] na-aŋ₂ i₃-sar-sar-re | |
| 9 | [...] ⸢ma⸣-ab-gig-ga-ta ama ŋuruš ga-am₃-dug₄ | |
| 10 | [...] ⸢ma⸣-ab-gig-ga-ta ama ŋuruš ga-am₃-dug₄ | |
| 11 | [...]-⸢ra⸣-ŋu₁₀ a-sag₃-ga ba-ni-im-ma-al | |
| 12 | [...]-na-gin₇ a-sag₃-ga ba-ni-im-ma-al | |
| 13 | [...]-na-gin₇ a-sag₃-ga ba-ni-im-ma-al | |
| 14 | [...]-un-DI-ge a-sag₃-ga ba-ni-im-ma-al | |
| 15 | [dumu-ŋu₁₀ he₂-sig₇-ge he₂]-⸢sag₉⸣-ge er₂-ra a-na-bi me-en | |
| 16 | [u₃ he₂-sig₇-ge u₃ he₂]-sag₉-ge er₂-ra a-na-bi me-en | |
| 17 | [...]-x-KU er₂-ra a-na-bi me-en | |
| 18 | [...]-ra-ru er₂-ra a-na-bi me-en | |
| 19 | [...] šag₄-ŋu₁₀ a-na me-e-zu | |
| 20 | [i-bi₂ šem-bi-zid ma]-al-la-mu-a šag₄-ŋu₁₀ a-na me-e-zu | |
| 21 | [...]-x šag₄-ŋu₁₀ a-na me-e-zu | |
| 22 | [...]-x šag₄-ŋu₁₀ a-na me-e-zu | |
| 23 | [...]-⸢tuš⸣-en balaŋ šag₄-ŋu₁₀ kur₂-ra | |
| 24 | [...]-⸢tuš⸣-en balaŋ šag₄-ŋu₁₀ kur₂-ra | |
| 25 | [...] me-en balaŋ šag₄-ŋu₁₀ kur₂-ra | |
| 26 | [...]-x dar-a me-en balaŋ šag₄-ŋu₁₀ kur₂-ra | |
| 27 | [... i-bi₂-ŋu₁₀ i]-⸢bi₂⸣ bi₂-in-du₈-a-re muš₃-am₃ na-ma-ab-be₂ | |
| 28 | [... i-bi₂-ŋu₁₀ i]-⸢bi₂⸣ bi₂-in-du₈-a-re muš₃-am₃ na-ma-ab-be₂ | |
| 29 | [...] ⸢lul⸣-la pel₂-pel₂-a-ŋu₁₀ muš₃-am₃ na-ma-ab-be₂ | |
| 30 | [...]-am₃ al-di-di-in muš₃-am₃ na-ma-ab-be₂ | |
| 31 | [... mu]-lu na-aŋ₂-tar gig-ga-ke₄ ga-tuš ga-am₃-ga-tuš | |
| 32 | [...]-e-ŋu₁₀ gu₃ mu-un-na-ra ga-tuš ga-am₃-ga-tuš | |
| 33 | [...]-ba mu-lu na-aŋ₂-tar gig-ga-ke₄ niŋ₂-gur₁₁-ŋu₁₀-e ba-ug₅ | |
| 34 | [...]-x egi₂ gal u₃-mu-un-na-ke₄ niŋ₂-gur₁₁-ŋu₁₀-e ba-ug₅ | |
| 35 | [u₃]-⸢tu⸣-da en {d}bil₃-ga-meš-e niŋ₂-gur₁₁-ŋu₁₀-e ba-ug₅ | |
| 36 | er₂-šem₅-ma {d}inana-kam | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.