CDLI Literary 000396, ex. 012 (P346166)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
Open in the reader & map →See it among all tablets
| Designation | CDLI Literary 000396, ex. 012 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346166 |
| 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 1 | As (i.e., like) my brother and friend Utu |
| obverse 2 | Of my ones standing (with) shoulders like a pirig creature |
| obverse 3 | Of my dust covered(?) equids screaming like ug creatures, I am their good groom |
| obverse 4 | Like a male donkey, my strength never wavers as a runner |
| obverse 5 | I come out (ahead) from the (other) runners |
| obverse 6 | I bear no sin, I jump around continually in mirth(?) |
| obverse 7 | My word is something never to be abandoned by the mouth |
| obverse 8 | My praise(?) is present in the mouth on my behalf (manifested) in legal decisions of truth |
| obverse 9 | I am a ritually pure diviner |
| obverse 10 | I am the Nintur (mother goddess) of the procedures of omens |
| obverse 11 | In order to perfect the lustration rites of the išib priesthood |
| obverse 12 | In order to praise the en priestess and install (her) on behalf of the gipar building |
| obverse 13 | In order to choose the lumah priest and erešdigir priestess in the holy heart |
| obverse 14 | To advance towards the lowland and inflict defeat against the highland |
| obverse 15 | To open the “house of the emblem” |
| obverse 16 | To wash the lance with the “water of battle” |
| obverse 17 | To enact clever plans in the rebel land |
| obverse 18 | The words of the gods is(?) a most precious thing (for these matters) |
| obverse 19 | After I(?) establish an oracular utterance with/in the white lamb, the sheep suitable for extispicy |
| obverse 20 | After I(?) pour water and eša flour in the place where the name is uttered/the oath is taken |
| obverse 21 | I will prepare the sheep with/according to(?) the words of the siskur ritual |
| obverse 22 | My diviner ... there(?) like a barbarian |
| obverse 23 | The prepared sheep “passes into my hand"(?) |
| obverse 24 | I do not “hold” good (omens) with bad (omens) |
| obverse 25 | A brilliant mind is mine, I go by my (own) eyes |
| obverse 26 | I am the king, the entrails of a single sheep |
| obverse 27 | I see the orders of the whole world |
| obverse 28 | I shall boast about my deeds |
| obverse 29 | I have made the reputation of my might spread wide |
| obverse 30 | My intellect is full of cleverness |
| obverse 31 | What of mine does not surpass description? |
| obverse 32 | I am Shulgi, the king of Urim |
| reverse 1 | And therefore I am devoted to the art of the musician |
| reverse 2 | Nothing about it is blocked to me(?) |
| reverse 3 | (I) have learned the depth and width of tigi and adab songs (or instruments?), perfected by/equipped for the musician's craft(?) |
| reverse 4 | The (playing of) the šukar instrument was grasped in the mind(?) |
| reverse 5 | In order to adjust the frets(?), I did not cause the arm to break(?) |
| reverse 6 | I made plans for/drew its “raising” and “lowering"(?) |
| reverse 7 | I have known how to tune(?) the three ... gu instrument and the lyre well |
| reverse 8 | I have known the “three stringed” instrument and the “heart of the art of the musician (soundbox?), and the “howling heart” |
| reverse 9 | I have known the fingering technique/plectrum(?) of the algar and sabitum instruments, which the king created(?) |
| reverse 10 | (I) accepted(?) the “Mari” instrument, that which silences the temple(?) |
| reverse 11 | The “(king) Urzababa” instrument, the harhar instrument, the harhar instrument |
| reverse 12 | The “lion” instrument, the “post of the boatman” instrument, and zanaru instrument, I brought out (their) noises ... |
| reverse 13 | Like a pure-handed/skilled(?) member of the musicians |
| reverse 14 | (If) someone brings(?) a gudi instument never heard before to where I am (my place) |
| reverse 15 | When I “make it speak"(?), its essence(?) is made known |
| reverse 16 | I can make it like something at its (appropriate) time |
| reverse 17 | Finding the sound (by?) tightening(?), slackening, and correcting has not escaped my hand |
| reverse 18 | (I) do not play the reed flute like (a mere) reed (pipe) of the shepherd |
| reverse 19 | Intoning a šumunša song, wailing in lament |
| reverse 20 | In the heart(?) (I) have known how to do this, like (one who does it) regular(ly) |
| reverse 21 | I am one who causes rejoicing, I am one who makes things sweet |
| reverse 22 | I am one who spends the day in joy and princeliness |
| reverse 23 | If a man pays attention to his fear |
| reverse 24 | The matter(?), that which the eye surveys |
| reverse 25 | The circumscribed limits of life |
| reverse 26 | The bile/poison of the “land/netherworld of oppression,” a man cannot cast aside(?) |
| reverse 27 | He is(!?) one who trusts in his own might |
| reverse 28 | And thus one who trusts his great name |
| reverse 29 | Makes (everything) the best, why would he diminish them? |
| reverse 30 | (Total) 61 lines, |
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 | ||
| 1 | szesz# gu5-li-gu10 sul {d}utu-am3 | |
| 2 | za3-sze pirig-gin7 su8-su8-ge-ga2 | |
| 3 | ansze sahar# la2 ug-gin7 szeg10 gi4-a-ga2 szusz3 sa6-ga-bi-me-en | |
| 4 | dur3-gin7 kasz4-a ne-gu10 nu-silig-ge | |
| 5 | kasz4-ta e3-a-me-en dub3 nu-kusz2-u3-me-en | |
| 6 | nam-tag nu-gal2-me-en izi-sa gu4-gu4#-u4-me-en | |
| 7 | inim-gu10 nig2 ka-ta nu-szub-bu-dam | |
| 8 | mi2-gu10 di nig2-gin6-na-ka ka-ga14 mu-e-szi-gal2 | |
| 9 | masz2-szu-gid2-gid2 dadag-ga-me-en | |
| 10 | giri3-gen-na-ka uzu-ga-ka {d}nin-tur5-bi ga2-me-en | |
| 11 | szu-luh nam-iszib-a szu du7-de3 | |
| 12 | en-ra za3# mi2#-de3# ge6-par4-sze3 hun-e | |
| 13 | lu2-mah eresz-dingir sza3 ku3-ge pa3-da | |
| 14 | sig-sze3 sag ga2-ga2 nim-sze3 aga-kar2 si-ge | |
| 15 | e2 szu-nir-ra-ke4 gal2 tak4-tak4 | |
| 16 | {gesz}gid2-da a me3 tu5-tu5 | |
| 17 | ki-bala-a sa2 galam-ma ga2-ga2 | |
| 18 | inim dingir-re-e-ne nig2# kal#-kal# x | |
| 19 | sila4 babbar udu kin2-gi4-a-ka i5-gar u3-bi2#?-[...] | |
| 20 | ki mu pa3#-da-ba a esza u3-ba#-[...] | |
| 21 | inim# siskur2-ra-ka udu sa-a mi-ni-ib2-gi4#-[...] | |
| 22 | masz2-szu-gid2-gid2-gu10 na-ga2-ah-gin7 mu-ni#-[...] | |
| 23 | udu sa gi4-a szu-ga2 ba-an-[...] | |
| 24 | sa6-ga hul-da# la-ba-an-ta-ha-[...] | |
| 25 | sza3 zalag ni2-ga2-me-en igi-gu10-ta i3-du-un# | |
| 26 | lugal-me-en sza3 udu disz-a-[...] | |
| 27 | a2 ag2-ga2 nig2-ki-szar2-ra-ka igi mu-na-ni-[...] | |
| 28 | nig2-ak-ga2 ni2-bi ga-bulug5#-[...] | |
| 29 | kal-ga-ga2 mu-bi a2 bi2-su3-u4 | |
| 30 | gesztux(|GISZ.TUG2|)-gu10 nig2-galam-ma su3-ga-am3 | |
| 31 | a-na-gu10 nig2 ka-ge dab-ba nu | |
| 32 | {d}szul#-gi# lugal uri2{ki}-ma-me-en | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | u3 nam-nar-a gu2#?-gu10 ha-ba-szum2 | |
| 2 | nig2-na-me-bi# la-ba-an-da-gib-e | |
| 3 | tigi a-da-ab nam-nar szu du7-a buru3 dagal-bi mu#?-zu | |
| 4 | {gesz}szu-kar2-ke4 sza3-bi dab5-x-[...] | |
| 5 | si ke3-de3 [...]-mu-e-szi-ib-gaz-e#-[...] | |
| 6 | zi-zi szu2#-[...]-ba# gesz mu-e-hur-hur# | |
| 7 | gu2 esz {gesz}za3-mi2-a kam-ma sa6-ga mi-ni-[...] | |
| 8 | {gesz}sa-esz u3 sza3 nam-nar-ra-ka sza3-du-gu#?-[...] | |
| 9 | {gesz}al-gar {gesz}sa-bi2#-tum# in#-dim2# lugal-la# [...] | |
| 10 | {gesz}mi-ri2-tum nig2 [...] szu#? mu#?-[...] | |
| 11 | {gesz}ur-za#-ba-bi#-[tum {gesz}]har#-har# [...] | |
| 12 | {gesz#}ur#-gu#-la# {gesz}dim3#-lu2#-ma2-gur8#-[...] NE-gin7 gu3 mi-ni-[...] | |
| 13 | dumu nar-ra szu tam-tam-ma#-[...] | |
| 14 | {gesz}gu3-di {gesz#}a-ba-ra-ab-tuku-a ki-gu10#-[...] | |
| 15 | u6-ne-en sza3-bi ba#-[...] | |
| 16 | nig2 u4-bi-sze3 szu gal2-gal2-la-gin7 ba-x-[...] | |
| 17 | ad pa3-da gid2-i tu-lu gin6-x [...] | |
| 18 | gi-di gi sipa-gin7 nu-um#?-[...] | |
| 19 | szumun-sza4 murum sza4#-a#? i-si-isz ga2#-[...] | |
| 20 | sza3-ge sag#-us2#-bi-gin7 mu#-[...] | |
| 21 | hul2-hul2-le-me-en du10-du10#-ge [...] | |
| 22 | giri17-zal nam-nun-na# u4# zal-zal-le# [...] | |
| 23 | lu2#-lu7 ni2 te-ni-sze3 gesztu2 he2-[...] | |
| 24 | [...] nig2 igi nigin2-na-ka#? | |
| 25 | [...]-ti#-la sag im-gi4-a# | |
| 26 | [...] nam-gu2-ga-ka lu2 la-ba-an-szub-szub#-[...] | |
| 27 | kal#-ga ne-ni-ta nir gal2-la am3#? | |
| 28 | mu mah-a-ni-ta nir gal2-e | |
| 29 | nig2 he2-em-gu-ul-gu-ul-e a-na-asz ba-ni-ib-la2-e | |
| 30 | 1(gesz2) 1(disz) | |
| 31 | ra#-x-mi | |
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.