CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 (P346130)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346130 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar) |
| Coordinates | 30.9607, 46.1063 |
English translation
By Peterson, Jeremiah · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| obverse col 1 1' | My fish, so that the one(s) who sleep (there) are not(!?) woken up |
| obverse col 1 2' | So that the one(s) who dwell (there) do not(!?) quarrel |
| obverse col 1 3' | Enter for me, my beloved child |
| obverse col 1 4' | Enter for me, my beautiful child |
| obverse col 1 5' | Like a brackish waterway, do not discover the irrigation ditch(?) |
| obverse col 1 6' | Like river silt, do not learn how to rise (i.e., be excavated(?)) |
| obverse col 1 7' | Like flowing water, do not diminish(!?) your recumbency(?) |
| obverse col 1 8' | Do not bring moonlight into the(?) house when you lie down(?) |
| obverse col 1 9' | May you also not be able to go away from(?) me, (set) your face to where I am |
| obverse col 1 10' | May you also not be able to go (away) like a dog sniffing the ground, (set) your face to where I am |
| obverse col 1 11' | May you also not be able to go away like a ... towards your fodder, (set) your face to where I am |
| obverse col 1 12' | In your manner of going like a prostitute towards the tavern |
| obverse col 1 13' | May you not be able to go away from(?) me, (set) your face to where I am |
| obverse col 1 14' | In your manner of entering like a bull into the cattlepen |
| obverse col 1 15' | My fish, may Dilimbabbar rejoice with you |
| obverse col 1 16' | In your manner of entering like a sheep into the sheepfold |
| obverse col 1 17' | My fish, may Dumuzi, the shepherd, rejoice with you |
| obverse col 2 1' | My fish, my ... fish, may it too enter with you |
| obverse col 2 3' | My fish, my eštub carp, may it too enter with you |
| obverse col 2 4' | A black boat pole cast into the field |
| obverse col 2 6' | Nursemaid giving birth(?), taking away(?) dough (from) the riverbank |
| obverse col 2 7' | My fish, my gubi eel, may it too enter with you |
| obverse col 2 8' | (Possessing) a spiked tail, a spiked dorsal fin(?), plundering from the u land(?) |
| obverse col 2 9' | My fish, my great ubi fish, may it too enter with you |
| obverse col 2 10' | A fish which within its lips is like a crying child |
| obverse col 2 11' | My fish, my thin? ubi fish, may it too enter with you |
| obverse col 2 12' | (Its) head is a hoe, (its) teeth are a comb |
| obverse col 2 13' | Its skeleton is the top of a conifer tree |
| obverse col 2 14' | Its air bladder(!?) is the waterskin of Dumuzi |
| obverse col 2 15' | Its thin tail is the whip of (i.e., that threatens?) fishermen |
| obverse col 2 16' | (Its) skin is dehaired (i.e., scaled?) and does not need to be worked by hand(?) |
| obverse col 2 17' | My fish, my mur fish, may it too enter with you |
| obverse col 2 18' | The fins (of) that fish turned back roiled water (i.e., it leaves a wake) |
| obverse col 2 19' | My fish, my kin fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 1 | (Its) head is millstone (with) its pounding stone, (with the) paws and head of a dog(?) |
| reverse col 1 2 | Its shoulder is to smite/it is to make its shoulder leap(?), its back(?) is to plant a (mooring) post (i.e., it is difficult to remove from the water?) |
| reverse col 1 3 | My fish, my pešgid fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 4 | The cry of its intestines(?), the base of its neck (are ...?) |
| reverse col 1 5 | My fish, my peš fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 6 | ... placing/preparing ..., a fish who has discovered(?) how to escape a “reed fence” (i.e., fish trap?) |
| reverse col 1 7 | A fish (to whom?) fighting is taboo(?) |
| reverse col 1 8 | My fish, my absuhur carp, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 9 | The fish who sets up(?) derision/derides (like a clown?), placing bile in(?) its jaw |
| reverse col 1 10 | My fish, my agargara fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 11 | My child of the merchant, sprinkling(?) dairy products(?) |
| reverse col 1 12 | My fish, my kamar fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 13 | The child of the Martu nomads, ... by(?) back/from the outside(?) |
| reverse col 1 14 | My fish, my nunbarhuš fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 15 | A fish that does not eat edible plants(?), ... water ... |
| reverse col 1 16 | My fish, my azaggur fish, may it too enter with you |
| reverse col 1 17 | (Possessing) heavy skin(?), ... |
| reverse col 1 18 | My fish, my “snake” fish(?) ... |
| reverse col 2 1 | The one shouting(?) malevolently in the marshes of the river |
| reverse col 2 2 | My fish, my akanni bird would bind you to (its) claws |
| reverse col 2 3 | When(?) the sabar net is stretched out in the water(?), prowling around(?) the sapar net |
| reverse col 2 4 | My fish, my uburri bird would bind you to (its) claws |
| reverse col 2 5 | (Possessing) feet that raise, laughing |
| reverse col 2 6 | Darting from the shallows |
| reverse col 2 7 | My fish, my kišibar bird would bind you to (its) claws |
| reverse col 2 8 | Not adorning ... |
| reverse col 2 9 | ... of a bird, ... of a fish |
| reverse col 2 10 | My fish, my kib bird would bind you to (its) claws |
| reverse col 2 11 | A quadruped that dives and dwells in/passes through(?) the marshes |
| reverse col 2 12 | My fish, my kuda animal (otter?) would bind you to (its) paw |
| reverse col 2 13 | They(?) will not bind you to (their) claws/front paws, they will not bind you to (their) claws/rear paws |
| reverse col 2 14 | My fish, time elapses, come before me |
| reverse col 2 15 | Time elapses, come before me |
| reverse col 2 16 | May Nanše?, the lady of the fisherman, rejoice for you |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| obverse col 1 | ||
| 1' | [...] nu2#-a ma-ra-ab#?-[...] | |
| 2' | [...] tusz#-a du17 ma-ra-ab#?-[...] | |
| 3' | ku4#-ra-ma-ni dumu ki! ag2-a-gu10# | |
| 4' | ku4-ra-ma-ni dumu sa6-ga-gu10 | |
| 5' | i7 mun3-na-gin7 pa5!? na-an-zu-zu | |
| 6' | sahar-gar i7-da-gin7 zi-zi na-an-zu-zu-u3 | |
| 7' | a zal-le-gin7 sze21-zu na-an-ba-la2-e | |
| 8' | iti6 e2-ba? nam-bi2-ni-ib2#-ku4-ku4 sze21-zu#? | |
| 9' | na#-an-ga-ba-e-da-du3-e igi-zu ki!-gu10-usz-sze3! | |
| 10' | [...]-gin7# ki si-im-si-im ak-zu-sze3 na-an-ga-ba-e#-da#!?-du3-e igi-zu ki-gu10-usz-sze3! | |
| 11' | [...]-gin7#? mur-gu7-zu-sze3! na-an-ga#-ba#-e-da-du3-e igi-zu ki#-[gu10]-usz-sze3 | |
| 12' | [...]-x-gin7 ki esz3-dam DU-zu#-sze3! | |
| 13' | [na]-an#-ga-ba-e-da-du3-e igi-zu# ki#-gu10-usz-sze3 | |
| 14' | gu4#?-gin7 tur3-ra ku4-ra-zu-sze3 | |
| 15' | ku6-gu10 {d}dil-im2-babbar-re he2-da-hul2 | |
| 16' | udu-gin7 amasz-a ku4-ra-zu-sze3 | |
| 17' | ku6#-gu10 {d}dumu-zi {lu2}sipa-da he2-da-hul2 | |
| obverse col 2 | ||
| 1' | ku6#-[gu10 ...] | |
| 2' | x [...] | |
| 3' | ku6#-gu10 esztub#{ku6#}-gu10 he2#-[...] | |
| 4' | gi-musz giggi a-sza3-ga [...] | |
| 5' | ku6-gu10 kunx(MASZ2)-bi2{ku6}-gu10 he2-en#-[...] | |
| 6' | emeda tu gu2 i7-tak4 nig2-silag#-ga2# [...] | |
| 7' | ku6-gu10 kun!-bi2{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| 8' | kunx(MASZ2) si gam3 si ku6 u5-<<ta?>>-ta#!? lah5 | |
| 9' | ku6-gu10 ubi gal-gu10 he2!-en-<ga-mu-e-...> | |
| 10' | ku6 nundum-ba dumu pa3-da-gin7 | |
| 11' | ku6-gu10 ubi sal-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| 12' | sag-du {gesz}al-e zu2 {gesz}ga-rig2 | |
| 13' | giri3-pad-ra2-bi {gesz}u3-suh5 an-na | |
| 14' | zu-EDIN-du5-bi {kusz}ummu3 {d}dumu-zi | |
| 15' | kun sal-la-bi {kusz}a2-si szu-ku6-e-ne | |
| 16' | kusz nig2-gu7-a kin2 szu nu-ga2-ga2 | |
| 17' | ku6-gu10 mur{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| 18' | giri3 ku6 a# lu3-lu3 gur4-gur4-ra | |
| 19' | ku6#-gu10 kin{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| reverse col 1 | ||
| 1 | sag-du {na4}kin2 szu szu sag ur-gir15-ra#? | |
| 2 | murgu2 HUB2?-HUB2?-de3 bar dim du3-du3-de3 | |
| 3 | ku6-gu10 pesz11-gid2-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| 4 | sza3-nigin! za-pa-ag2-bi gu2-bala-bi | |
| 5 | ku6-gu10 pesz11-gu10 he2-en-ga-mu-e-<...> | |
| 6 | x KU-na? si-ga ku6 sze-er-tab-ba e3 zu-zu | |
| 7 | ku6 du10-ga i3-gal2 nig2-gig-ga | |
| 8 | ku6-gu10 ab-suhur?-gu10 he2-en-ga-mu-e-<...> | |
| 9 | ku6 a-tar du3 ze2 me-ze2-bi gar-ra | |
| 10 | ku6-gu10 a-gar6-gar6{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-mu-e-<...> | |
| 11 | dumu dam-gar3-ra i3 gar9 su3-a-gu10 | |
| 12 | ku6-gu10 ka-mar{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| 13 | dumu mar-tu bar-ta? DU-DU-MU | |
| 14 | ku6-gu10 nun-bar-husz#{ku6} he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...> | |
| 15 | ku6 u2 gu7 nu-gu7-a a TUL2 x [...] | |
| 16 | ku6-gu10 a-za3-gur11{ku6#?}-[gu10 ...] | |
| 17 | SU dugud gar3? RU HU x [...] | |
| 18 | ku6-gu10 musz#?[{ku6} ...] | |
| 19 | du5 x x [...] | |
| reverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | sug i7-da-ka gu3 hul-bi de3-de3 | |
| 2 | ku6-gu10 akan-ni{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e-la2-e | |
| 3 | a#? sa-par4 la2 sa-par4-ra ma-ra-nigin | |
| 4 | ku6-gu10 ubur-ri{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e-la2-e | |
| 5 | giri3 nig2-zi-zi zu2 bir9-bir9-ra | |
| 6 | a-bar-bar-ta kasz4 im-sar-sar-re | |
| 7 | ku6#-gu10# kiszi6#-bar{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e-la2-e | |
| 8 | x-a szu nu-tag-tag-ge | |
| 9 | [...] x muszen-a PIRIG ku6-a | |
| 10 | [ku6]-gu10# ki-ib{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e#-la2-e | |
| 11 | [nig2]-ur2-limmu2 sug gir5-gir5# | |
| 12 | ku6#-gu10 ku5-da-gu10 szu-sze3# ba-e-la2-e | |
| 13 | [szu]-sze3 nu-mu-e-la2-e giri3-sze3 mu-mu-e-la2-e | |
| 14 | [ku6]-gu10 u4 zal-zal za-e ugu#-gu10-usz# ga2-nu | |
| 15 | [u4] zal#-zal za-e ugu-gu10-<usz> ga2-nu | |
| 16 | [...] ga#-sza-an {lu2}szu-ku6-da za-ra he2-en-da-hul2 | |
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.