CDLI Literary 000335, ex. 047 (P346204)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000335, ex. 047 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346204 |
| 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 | In those distant days when fate was determined |
| obverse col 1 2 | The year (of?) abundance engendered by An/The year in which abundance and heaven (alike) were born(?) |
| obverse col 1 3 | When the people split (through) the earth like vegetation |
| obverse col 1 4 | The lord of the Abzu, king Enki |
| obverse col 1 5 | ...(?) Enki, the lord who is to determine fate |
| obverse col 1 6 | Built his temple (with) the combination of(?) silver and lapis |
| obverse col 1 7 | The silver and lapis was something that (lit. of) glowing sunlight |
| obverse col 1 8 | He made(?) rosette/star decorations(?) in shrine Abzu |
| obverse col 1 9 | In the pure cultic space/crown(?) that was artfully crafted/furnished with stairs(?), coming out from the Abzu |
| obverse col 1 10 | ... stood for/served lord Nudimmud |
| obverse col 1 11 | It was silver that he built the temple with |
| obverse col 1 12 | It was lapis that he made it colorful with |
| obverse col 1 13 | He adorned it(!?) greatly in gold |
| obverse col 1 14 | In Eridu he built the temple on the riverbank |
| obverse col 1 15 | Its brickwork speaks words and gives advice |
| obverse col 1 16 | Its reed layers within the brick bellowed like a bull |
| obverse col 1 17 | The temple of Enki is to shout nobly |
| obverse col 1 18 | The temple brought praise at(?) night for the king while presenting it sweetly/bending its knee (to him)(?) |
| obverse col 1 19 | For Enki, the vizier Isimud was speaking(?) |
| obverse col 1 20 | He stood in the temple and was speaking |
| obverse col 1 21 | He stood in the brickwork and was giving voice/explicating |
| obverse col 1 22 | House that was founded in silver and lapis, its foundation set in the Abzu |
| obverse col 1 23 | Cared for by the prince in the Abzu |
| obverse col 1 24 | Who accepted (its) supreme me(?) and aura in/from(?) the Tigris and Euphrates |
| obverse col 1 25 | Your door lock has no rival |
| obverse col 1 26 | Your bolt is a lion bearing an aura |
| obverse col 1 27 | Your roof beam is the bull of heaven, a pure cultic space/crown(?) that was artfully crafted/furnished with stairs(?) |
| obverse col 1 28 | (Your) reed mat sparkles in lapis/blue? towards the roof beams(?) |
| obverse col 1 29 | Your vault is a wild bull raising its horns |
| obverse col 1 30 | Your gate is a lion seizing a man |
| obverse col 1 31 | Your threshold is an ug creature going out towards a man |
| obverse col 1 32 | The Abzu, a pure place, fitting |
| obverse col 2 1 | E'engura temple, your king has set foot (there) for you |
| obverse col 2 2 | Enki, the king of the Abzu |
| obverse col 2 3 | He has set(?) carnelian along(?) your foundation |
| obverse col 2 4 | With incantations/noise(?) he has taken care of (your) lapis(?) |
| obverse col 2 5 | Temple whose pure wax design(?) has been inspected by Enki |
| obverse col 2 6 | A bull that is set on track for its master |
| obverse col 2 7 | Roaring on behalf of its aura(?) and advising (on behalf of) its dignity(?) |
| obverse col 2 8 | E'engura temple, (whose) pure reed fence has been hung/bound (together) by Enki |
| obverse col 2 9 | In your midst a supreme dais is founded |
| obverse col 2 10 | Your door jamb is the pure aškud bolt(?) of heaven/An |
| obverse col 2 11 | The lord of wisdom, king Enki |
| obverse col 2 12 | Nudimmud, the lord of Eridu |
| obverse col 2 13 | (In?) the “heart of the fallow deer,” into which no one can see |
| obverse col 2 14 | He has made(?) your abgal priest loosen (his) hair upon the back |
| obverse col 2 15 | When Enki loves Eridu(!?) |
| obverse col 2 16 | The midst of the E'engura temple is(?) filled with abundance |
| obverse col 2 17 | Abzu, the life of the land, beloved by Enki |
| obverse col 2 18 | Temple build on the edge, suitable for the elaborate cosmic powers |
| obverse col 2 19 | Eridu, your shade extends into the midst of the sea |
| obverse col 2 20 | Risen sea that has no rival |
| obverse col 2 21 | Supreme river possessing an aura and giving the land gooseflesh |
| obverse col 2 22 | E'engur temple, great flood(?) that touches the ground |
| obverse col 2 23 | Temple adjoining the deep water(!?), pirig creature in/of the inner Abzu |
| obverse col 2 24 | Supreme temple of Enki giving wisdom in the land |
| obverse col 2 25 | Your shout, like a risen river |
| obverse col 2 26 | Is singing for king Enki |
| obverse col 2 27 | Towards the holy temple he presents sweetly/bends (his?) knee (to it)(?) |
| obverse col 2 28 | The lyre, the algar instrument, the balag drum, and the tamborine/rattle |
| obverse col 2 29 | The harhar instrument, the sabitum instrument, and the “Mari instrument” that silences the temple(?) |
| obverse col 2 30 | (The ones with) a sweet voice and “releasing and growing" lips |
| obverse col 2 31 | May they resound because of(?) their own hearts (i.e., their distinct sounds?) |
| obverse col 2 32 | The holy algar instrument of Enki has played itself for him |
| obverse col 2 33 | May the seven musicians sing/play(?) |
| reverse col 1 1 | The utterance of Enki, which is not to be changed |
| reverse col 1 2 | ... is set towards its (proper) place |
| reverse col 1 3 | He is singing sweetly about(?) the brickwork of the E'engura temple |
| reverse col 1 4 | When/In that which he had built (the temple), in that he had built (the temple) |
| reverse col 1 5 | In that which Enki had raised in Eridu |
| reverse col 1 6 | Like/as a mountain range that is craftily knotted/equipped with stairs(?) it floats on the water |
| reverse col 1 7 | The reedbed dwells at its border(?) |
| reverse col 1 8 | In its verdant orchards that bear fruit |
| reverse col 1 9 | The bird sets foot/treads there(?) |
| reverse col 1 10 | The suhur carp plays(?) in the ulal plants(?) |
| reverse col 1 11 | The eštub carp flap their tails for him towards(!?) the tiny gizi reed grouth |
| reverse col 1 12 | When Enki rises, the fish rise as a wave |
| reverse col 1 13 | In the Abzu, he stands amid admiration |
| reverse col 1 14 | In the E'engura temple rejoicing ... |
| reverse col 1 15 | Like the sea, he can possess(?) an aura |
| reverse col 1 16 | He is a supreme river who can cast(?) a radiance |
| reverse col 1 17 | In the Euphrates river he can raise a furious southern wind |
| reverse col 1 18 | His boat pole (is) his serpent(?), Neraḫ |
| reverse col 1 19 | His oar(s) (are) his little kib birds |
| reverse col 1 20 | When Enki sails, the year is filled with abundance |
| reverse col 1 21 | The boat released itself and seized its own ropes(?) |
| reverse col 1 22 | After(?) he “fled” towards the temple of Eridu |
| reverse col 1 23 | In(?) the river ... was advising its king |
| reverse col 1 24 | (The one whose) voice (was) the voice of a calf, the voice of a sweet cow |
| reverse col 1 25 | Enki was slaughtering bulls and slaughtering sheep |
| reverse col 1 26 | He restored the ala drum that was not present to its (proper) place |
| reverse col 1 27 | He brought out the šem drum that was not present to its (proper) place |
| reverse col 1 28 | He set out alone towards Nibru |
| reverse col 1 29 | He was entering into the giguna terrace (of) shrine Nibru |
| reverse col 1 30 | Enki approached(!) the beer, he approached(!) the kurun liquor |
| reverse col 1 31 | He poured yellow(?) kurun liquor into a bronze (bowl?) |
| reverse col 1 32 | He filtered ulušin beer that was singular (in quality, frequency, or “he alone"?) |
| reverse col 1 33 | He made kukurdu containers settle(?) in/with(?) the residue(?) of the very good/sweetened beer(?) |
| reverse col 1 34 | In its (the vessel's?) mouth he poured(?) date syrup ... |
| reverse col 1 35 | He “released"(?) the residue by cooling it(?), (making it?) into “that which is mixed(!?)” |
| reverse col 2 1 | Enki, who was in shrine Nibru |
| reverse col 2 2 | For his father, Enlil, he was “making bread be eaten” |
| reverse col 2 3 | He seated ... An in what was the supreme place |
| reverse col 2 4 | For An, he made Enlil follow there |
| reverse col 2 5 | He seated Nintur in the “seat of honor” (lit. great(er) side) |
| reverse col 2 6 | He sat the Anuna gods in their “foundations"(?) |
| reverse col 2 7 | They (lit. the people) were drinking, they were making themselves sweet(!?)with kurun liquor |
| reverse col 2 8 | They were rolling around (i.e., knocking over?) the bronze vessels (like/filled with?) apples(!?) |
| reverse col 2 9 | (They were making?) the bronze (bowls) have a contest with Uraš (i.e. the earth, by knocking them onto the ground)(?) |
| reverse col 2 10 | They were ... the bowl (shaped like?) the holy barge (i.e., the crescent moon?)(?) |
| reverse col 2 11 | After beer was drunk and kurun liquor was “enjoyed” |
| reverse col 2 12 | After they set foot away from the temple |
| reverse col 2 13 | Enlil ... rejoicing in Nibru |
| reverse col 2 14 | Enlil was speaking to the Anuna |
| reverse col 2 15 | Great gods who are present |
| reverse col 2 16 | Anuna, you who (assemble) properly in the Ubšu'ukken |
| reverse col 2 17 | My son built the temple, king Enki |
| reverse col 2 18 | He made Eridu distant(?) from the ground like a mountain range |
| reverse col 2 19 | It was a good place that he built the temple (in) |
| reverse col 2 20 | (In) Eridu, the pure place which no one is to enter |
| reverse col 2 21 | The temple built in silver and made colorful in lapis |
| reverse col 2 22 | The temple that (plays) the seven tigi drums properly and produces incantations/namšub prayers(?) |
| reverse col 2 23 | The pure and dignified(!?) šir songs that make the temple site sweet(?) |
| reverse col 2 24 | Shrine Abzu, the goodness of Enki, suitable for the elaborate me |
| reverse col 2 25 | It is the building of temple of silver of (i.e., in) Eridu |
| reverse col 2 26 | Enki, praise |
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 | [...]-a# nam ba-tar-ra#-a-ba | |
| 2 | [...]-gal2 an u3-tu-da | |
| 3 | [...]-e# u2-szim-gin7 ki in-dar-ra-a-ba | |
| 4 | [...] abzu# lugal {d}en-ki-ke4 | |
| 5 | [... {d}]en#-ki en# nam tar-tar-re-de3# | |
| 6 | [...]-a#-ni ku3 {na4}za-gin3-na tesz2-bi ba-ni-in-du3# | |
| 7 | [...] {na4#}za-gin3-bi u4 kar2-kar2-a-ka | |
| 8 | [...] abzu# ul im-ma-ni-in-du3 | |
| 9 | [...] galam# du11-ga abzu-ta e3-a | |
| 10 | [...]-dim2-mud-ra mu-un-na-su8-su8-ge-esz | |
| 11 | [...]-ga#-am3 i-ni-in-du3 | |
| 12 | [{na4}]za#-gin3-na-am3 i-ni-in-gun3 | |
| 13 | [...]-le#-esz ku3-sig17-ga szu tag ba-ni#-in-du11 | |
| 14 | [...]{ki#}-ga e2 gu2-a bi2-in-du3 | |
| 15 | [...]-bi inim du11-du11 ad gi4#-gi4 | |
| 16 | [...]-bi gu4-gin7 murum# [...]-sza4 | |
| 17 | [...]-x-[...] gu3# nun# [...]-dam# | |
| 18 | [...] im#-ma-an-DU du10-bi-esz2 mu-na#?-ga2#-ga2# | |
| 19 | [...] sukkal# {d}|PAP.SIG7.NUN.ME.BAD3.X|-de3 im#?-[...] | |
| 20 | [...] gu3# mu-un#-[...] | |
| 21 | [...] gu3# im-ma-ab-szum2#-[...] | |
| 22 | [...] x x x x [...] | |
| 23 | [...] mi2# du11#-ga | |
| 24 | [...]-NUN#-na me# mah# [...]-a | |
| 25 | [...] gaba#?-[...]-x | |
| 26 | [...] gur3#-ru# | |
| 27 | [...] du11#-ga | |
| 28 | {gi#}kid za#-gin3#-na# [{gesz}]guszur-x gun3#-a | |
| 29 | nir#-gam-ma#-zu am# si gur3#-ru | |
| 30 | ka2#?-zu# ur#-mah# lu2 szu# ti#-a | |
| 31 | [...]-x-zu ug2 lu2#-ra# e3#-de3# | |
| 32 | abzu# ki sikil me-te# gal2# | |
| obverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | e2-engur#-ra lugal-zu giri3 im-ma-ri#-gub# | |
| 2 | {d}en-ki lugal abzu-ke4 | |
| 3 | temen-zu {na4}gug im-ma-da-an-si-ig | |
| 4 | mux(|KAxSZE|)-mux(|KAxSZE|) za-gin3-na mi2 im-ma-ri-in-du11 | |
| 5 | e2 {d}en-ki-ke4 lal3-hur-ra ku3 gurum2 ak | |
| 6 | gu4 lugal#-bi-ir us2-a si-ga | |
| 7 | ni2-bi-sze3 murum sza4 tesz2-bi ad gi4-gi4 | |
| 8 | e2#-engur#-ra# {d}en-ki-ke4 {gi}dub-ba-an ku3 la2-a | |
| 9 | sza3#-zu#-ta#!? bara2 mah ki gar-ra | |
| 10 | za3#-du8#-zu# aszkud2#? ku3 an-na# | |
| 11 | en gesztu2 lugal {d}en-ki#-ke4# | |
| 12 | {d}nu-dim2-mud en eridu{ki}-ga-[ke4] | |
| 13 | sza3 szeg9-bar-ra lu2 igi# nu-bar#-[...]-de3#? | |
| 14 | abgal-zu siki# bar#-ra# bi2#-in#-duh# | |
| 15 | eridu{ki} {d}en-ki-ke4# [...] ag2#-ga2#-[...] | |
| 16 | e2-engur-ra sza3 he2#-gal2# x-[...] | |
| 17 | abzu zi kalam-ma# ki# ag2#? {d}en#?-[...] | |
| 18 | e2 za3-ga du3-a me galam#-ma tum2#?-[...] | |
| 19 | eridu{ki} gissu-zu ab sza3-ga# la2#-[...] | |
| 20 | a-ab zi-ga gaba#-[...] nu#?-[...] | |
| 21 | i7 mah ni2 gal2#-[...] | |
| 22 | e2#-engur#?-ra#? u18-ru# mah# [...] | |
| 23 | e2# da# e2#?-engur-ra pirig abzu# [...] | |
| 24 | e2# mah# {d#?}en#?-ki#-ke4#? gesztux(|GISZ.TUG2|)# [...] | |
| 25 | [...] zi#?-ga#?-gin7# | |
| 26 | [...]-x [{d}]en-ki-ra# mu-un#-na#-du12-am3 | |
| 27 | e2 ku3-ga-ni!-sze3! du10#-bi-sze3 mu-un-na-ga2-ga2 | |
| 28 | {gesz}za3-mi2 {gesz}al#-gar {kusz}balag {gesz}sur9#-za# | |
| 29 | {gesz}har-har {gesz}sa-bi2-tum {gesz}mi-rix(U18)-tum e2 si-ga-am3#? | |
| 30 | ad du10-ga nundum bur2-re bulug5-ge26#! | |
| 31 | sza3 ni2-ba-ke4-esz ad ha-ba-ni-ib#-sza4 | |
| 32 | {gesz#}al#-gar ku3 {d}en-ki-ke4 ni2-bi-a mu-na-an-du12 | |
| 33 | nar# imin#-e ad he2-em-mi-ib-sza4 | |
| reverse col 1 | ||
| 1 | du11-ga# {d#}en-ki-ke4 szu nu-bala-e-de3 | |
| 2 | KA-x ki-bi-sze3 gal2-la-am3 | |
| 3 | szeg12# e2-engur-ra-ka szir3 du10-ge-esz im-me | |
| 4 | mu-un-du3-a-ba mu-un-du3-a-ba | |
| 5 | eridu#{ki} {d}en-ki-ke4 im-ma-ni-in-il2-a-ba# | |
| 6 | hur#-sag# galam gar3-gin7 a-e ba-diri | |
| 7 | za3-ga-ni-a gesz-gi ba-an-tusz# | |
| 8 | {gesz}kiri6 sig7-ga gurun il2-a-ba | |
| 9 | muszen-e giri3!?-bi mu-un-ga2-ga2 | |
| 10 | suhur{ku6}-e a-lal3-e e-ne mu-un-e3#-de3#? | |
| 11 | esztub#?{ku6#}-e gi-zi di4#-di4-la2-asz? kun# mu#-[...] | |
| 12 | {d#}[...] x x [...] x x x [...] | |
| 13 | abzu#-e u6#!?-e# im#-[...] | |
| 14 | e2#-engur hul2-la-am3 mu-ni-[...] | |
| 15 | a#-ab-ba-gin7 ni2# mu-un-da#-[...] | |
| 16 | i7 mah-am3 su#-zi! mu-un-da#-[...] | |
| 17 | {i7}buranun-na {tu15}ulu3{+lu} sur2 mu-da-an#?-[...] | |
| 18 | {gesz}gi-musz-a-ni musz-{d}nerah-a-ni | |
| 19 | {gesz}gisal-ni ki{muszen} tur-tur-ra-ni# | |
| 20 | {d#}en-ki u5-a-ni mu he2-gal2 sug4-ga [...] | |
| 21 | ma2# ni2#-bi nam-duh esz2! ni2#-bi nam-dab5!-x | |
| 22 | e2# eridu{ki}-ga-sze3 x-da#-kar-ra [...] | |
| 23 | i7#-da lugal-bi-ir ad# im-mi#-ib-gi4-gi4 | |
| 24 | gu3-bi gu3 amar-ra gu3 ab2 du10-ga-ke4 | |
| 25 | {d}en-ki-ke4 gu4 im-ma-ab-gaz#-e udu! im-ma-ab-szar2#-re | |
| 26 | {kusz}a2-la nu-gal2-la ki-bi-sze3 bi2-in-gi4 | |
| 27 | szem5{zabar} nu-gal2-la ki#-bi-sze3 im-mi-in-e3 | |
| 28 | nibru{ki}-sze3 giri3-ni dili mu-un-gub | |
| 29 | gi-gun4-na esz3 nibru{ki}-sze3 im-ma-da-an-ku4-ku4 | |
| 30 | {d}en-ki-ke4 kasz-kasz-e ba-de2 kurun2-kurun2-e ba-de2 | |
| 31 | kurun2# sig17 zabar ba-ni-in-de2 | |
| 32 | {kasz}|KU.AN| dili-am3 ba-ni-in-sur | |
| 33 | {dug}ku-kur-du3 kasz du10-du10-ga duh-ba bi2-in-sa2-sa2 | |
| 34 | ka-bi# lal3 zu2-lum-ma nig2-GIR3 ba-ni-in-de2? | |
| 35 | duh-bi nig2 lu-lu-a-asz sed4-e bi2#-in#?-duh# | |
| reverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | [{d}]en-ki#-ke4# esz3-e nibru#{ki#}-am3 | |
| 2 | [a]-a#-ni {d}en-lil2-ra ninda mu-un#-gu7#?-e | |
| 3 | [...] ki mah-am3# x im#-ma#-an-tusz | |
| 4 | [...]-ra# {d}en#-lil2#? im-ma-ni-in-us2 | |
| 5 | [{d}]nin#-tur5# za3#? [...]-la# im-ma-an-tusz | |
| 6 | [...]-us2-bi im-mi-in-dur2-ru-ne-esz | |
| 7 | [...]-na8#-na8-e kurun2 i-du10-du10-ge4?-esz | |
| 8 | [...] im-gur4-gur4-e-ne | |
| 9 | [... a]-da#-min3 im-di-e-ne | |
| 10 | [...]-MIR-MIR-e-ne | |
| 11 | [...]-du10#-ga-ta | |
| 12 | [...]-ra#?-gar-ra-ta | |
| 13 | [...]{ki#?}-a# mu#-ni-x-x | |
| 14 | [...]-na#-ke4-ne gu3 mu-na#-de2-e | |
| 15 | [...] i3-su8-ge-esz-za-na | |
| 16 | [...]-na#?-ka si bi2-in-sa2-NE-en | |
| 17 | [...]-du3# lugal {d}en-ki-ke4 | |
| 18 | [...] ki-ta ba-ra-an-ri | |
| 19 | [...] e2 im-ma-an-du3 | |
| 20 | [...] nu#-ku4-ku4-de3 | |
| 21 | [...] {na4}za-gin3-na gun3-a | |
| 22 | [...] sa2#-e nam-szub szum2-ma | |
| 23 | [...] e2 ki al-du10-ga | |
| 24 | [... {d}]en#-ki!-ke4 me galam-ma# tum2#-ma# | |
| 25 | [...] e2# ku3-ga du3-a#-[...] | |
| 26 | [...] za3-mi2 | |
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.