CDLI Literary 000381, ex. 008 (P345232)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
Open in the reader & map →See it among all tablets
| Designation | CDLI Literary 000381, ex. 008 |
|---|---|
| ID | P345232 |
| Museum no. | Ist Ni 04009 |
| Collection | Arkeoloji Müzeleri, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| obverse | ||
| 1' | [sze-eb e2-kur-ra-ke4 er2 a]-sze#-[er ma-ra-ba] | The brickwork of the Ekur is filled with tears and laments. |
| 2' | [szir3 gig-ga im-me szu]-luh# zi [ha-lam-ma-sze3] | She sings a bitter song, to the righteous cleansing ritual |
| 3' | [garza] mah# gesz-hur kal-kal szu# [hul du11-ga er2 gig i3-sze22-sze22] | He weeps bitterly over the supreme rites, the mighty plans, the evil hand that was uttered. |
| 4' | [szukur2 szub]-szub#-ba ku3-ku3#-ga-ba ki-sig10-ga# [x-ba] musz2#-am3-bi im#-[me] | In its abandoned šukur offerings, in its pure ..., it cries “It is enough! It is enough!" |
| 5' | [me luh]-luh#-ha sikil# szen#-na-bi szu pel-la2-ke4-esz# [e2-e ur5 ib2-usz2] | The pure me, whose screams are pure, are carried away by the hand. The house trembles |
| 6' | [e2] zi#-de3 ni2-bi sun5-sun5 gig#-ga#-[a] | The true temple, its fearsomeness is bitter |
| 7' | [u4] mi-ni-ib-zal-zal-e er2 im-gibil-[gibil] | She spends the day there, she sheds tears. |
| 8' | e2#-a# [nig2 gar-ra] nig2# dirig-bi kiszib-bi ib2-du8-a#-[asz] gun2# ki mu-ni-ib2-[gal2] | In the house, the things that were established, those that were elevated, under seal, he sealed it with a sealed document, and placed it in a safe place. |
| 9' | [nig2-gur11 erim3] sag# sig10-ga-ba szu# gi4 ba-ab-du11-[a-asz a-na ma-la2 im]-me# | As for the property of its treasury that had been returned, how much did it weigh out? |
| 10' | [lu2-kur2-ra sa6 hul nu-zu-ne nig2] dug3# bi2#-ib-ku5-ru-a# [i]-lu# gig# [im-me] | The enemy who does not know evil will cut off what is good. She says a bitter lament |
| 11' | [nam-lu2-ulu3-bi] masz2#-ansze#-gin7 sza3#-ba# mi-ni-ib-til-a-[asz] x [...] | Its people, like donkeys, have finished their lives there. |
| 12' | [ki-sikil gurusz di4]-di4#-la2-be2#-ne# zar-re-esz# mi-ni-ib-sal-la-asz# [u8-a-bi im-me] | The young woman and the young men cried out in joy as if they were flocks |
| 13' | [urin-bi] muru9# szeg3#-ga2#-gin7# ki#-e# bi2#-ib-si-a#-[asz] er2#-[sze3] nu-gul#-e | Its urine, like a rainstorm, has been scattered on the earth, it does not stop weeping |
| 14' | e2-e ab2# amar#-bi ku5-ra2-gin7 | The temple, like a cow whose calf is cut off |
| 15' | ni2-bi-sze3 [mur] gig#-ga# im#-sza4 szex(SIG7)-szex(SIG7) i3-ga2-ga2 | Because of this, a bitter murmur was sung, it was loud(?) |
| 16' | balag di lu2# ad# dug3-ga#-ke4-ne | The balag drums of the people of good words |
| 17' | emeda(|UM.ME|){+da} u5 di#-gin7# mu-bi er2-ra# [mi]-ni-ib-bal-bal-e-ne | The nursemaids utter their tears as if they were drinking oil |
| 18' | uru2 u3#-mu#-un#-bi sag ib2#-[ta]-an#-dub2-ba-asz | The city whose lord has smeared with head |
| 19' | i-bi2-ni ki# kur2-ra ib2-ta-an-mar#-ra# ad#-da#-sze3# ba#-[an-sza4-asz] | His eyes have been set on a foreign place, and he has cried out to his father |
| 20' | e2 zi kur-kur-ra i-bi2-sze3# ba-gen-[na] | The true house of all the lands, when she came before him |
| 21' | ug3 sag-ge6-ga us2 zi bi2-ib2-dab5-[ba] | the black-headed people seized by the righteous path |
| 22' | a#-na# ib2#-ak#? [a-na im-ha]-lam#?-ma-bi#-[sze3] | to be done, to be destroyed(?) |
| 23' | [u3-mu-un-bi ib2-ta-ib2 sag-ki-a] x x [...] | Its lord has sinned, his head ... |
| reverse | ||
| 1' | [e2 ad zu szeg12 tigi ag2 ze2-ba u4] mi-ni-ib#-[zal-zal-la ta-asz igi bi2-in-gi4] | The house where your father knows, the brickwork of the sweet tigi - why does he look at you? |
| 2' | e2 sun5-na giri17 szu# gal2#-[la re] | In the humble house, where there is kindness, |
| 3' | e2 ni2 nu-tuku-gin7# sig9#-ga-bi# [ba-du3] | Its beautiful temple, like one with no fear, was built |
| 4' | ag2 iszib-bi nu-ku3-ku3-[ga-gin7] | like something that does not purify its išib ritual |
| 5' | szu-luh-zi kur-kur-ra# nu-ub#-ta-sed6#-[a-gin7] | Like a šuluhzi prayer that cannot be uttered in the lands |
| 6' | szu# bi2-in-dag gaba#-bi ib2-ta-[an-zi] | he seized it and raised its chest. |
| 7' | ag2#-gig ur5-ra a-sze#-er#-ra# mu-[un-du3] | He built a bitter curse in lamentation |
| 8' | [ta-sze eger] na#-ag2-bi i-bi2-ni-a# la#-ba#-an#-[barag2] | Why do you not utter an arazu prayer to him? |
| 9' | [ag2] sikil du3-a-gin7 ur5-re za3# bi2#-[in-tag] | Like a built-up pure object, he smashed it with a knife |
| 10' | [szeg12-bi] hul2#-la ta-a-asz ib2#-ta#-[an-e3] | Why does this joyful brick come out? |
| 11' | [ge6] an#-bar7#-ba sza3-ba# er2# [bi2-in-si] | During the night, at noon, tears filled the heart |
| 12' | [a2]-sze# kur2 ag2#-gig# bi2-ib2#-ak#-a# | He made a hostile laborer do bad things |
| 13' | [u3-mu]-un-bi im-hul-a szu-bi# bi2#-in#-gi4#-[am3] | Its lord has been turned into an evil wind |
| 14' | [uru2-bi] e2#-bi# in#-gul#-[gul-am3] | Its city is destroyed, its house is destroyed |
| 15' | [...] | |
| 16' | [dam dumu-bi sza3-ba mi]-ni#-in#-[ug5-ga-am3] | his wife and child were killed in their midst |
| 17' | [uru2-bi uru2] szub#-ba# im#-ma-ni#-in#-[ku4-ra-am3] | Its city has been turned into a destroyed city |
| 18' | [ag2] ul-bi ki#-bi bi2-in-[gi4-am3] | He restored its old things to its place |
| 19' | [mu]-un#-gur11-bi tum9-e ba-ab#-[ir-ra-am3] | Its treasure has been carried away |
| 20' | [uru2 gal2]-la-bi nu-gal2-la-asz mi-ni-in#-[ku4-ra-am3] | He has brought in the city that had no rival. |
| 21' | [dim2-ma]-bi me-ri ib2-ta-an#-[kur2-ra-am3] | Its design has changed its course |
| 22' | [umusz-bi] x in-suh3-a lil2-e [bi2-in-sag3-ga-am3] | Its limbs have been smashed ..., it has been struck by a ghost |
| 23' | [u2-bi a]-bi ib2-ta-an-kar#-[ra-am3] | Its food is taken away by its water |
| 24' | [ga zu kasz] zu#-a# u4#-bi mi-ni-[ib-til-la-am3] | “I know, I know, this time I have finished it. |
| 25' | [e2-e] ag2#-gig bi2#-[ib-ak-a] | In the temple he made a bad thing happen |
| 26' | [a-sze-er gig im-me er2] bi2#?-[ib-lu3-lu3] | She laments bitterly, she weeps |
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
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.