CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 015 (P346209)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 015 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346209 |
| 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 | In order to overturn the day, in order to destroy the plans |
| obverse 2 | The storm ravages like a stormwind |
| obverse 3 | In order to overturn the cosmic powers of Sumer |
| obverse 4 | In order to confine the good reign in its house |
| obverse 5 | In order to destroy the city, in order to destroy the temple |
| obverse 6 | In order to destroy the cattlepen, in order to flatten the sheepfold |
| obverse 7 | So that the ox does not does not stand in its cattlepen |
| obverse 8 | So that the sheep does not expand (in number?) in its sheepfold |
| obverse 9 | So that the canal irrigates with (only) brackish water |
| obverse 10 | So that hirin grass grows in the fertile field |
| obverse 11 | So that the “lamentation plant” grows in the plain |
| obverse 12 | So that the mother does not seek the whereabouts of her child |
| obverse 13 | So that the father does not say “ah, my wife” |
| obverse 14 | So that the junior spouse does not delight in (his) lap |
| obverse 15 | So that the little ones do not grow on the knee |
| obverse 16 | So that the nursemaid does not sign a lullaby |
| obverse 17 | So that the dwelling of kingship is changed |
| obverse 18 | In order to paralyze/actively diminish(?) decision making |
| obverse 19 | In order to take away the kingship of the land |
| obverse 20 | So that it (the destructive storm) sets its gaze on the entire world |
| obverse 21 | So that it ruins the plans according to the command of An and Enlil |
| obverse 22 | It was the time when An frowned upon the lands |
| obverse 23 | It was the (time) that Enlil set his gaze on another place |
| obverse 24 | It was the (time) that Nintur rejected her creations |
| obverse 25 | It was the (time) that Enki changed (the course of) the Tigris and Euphrates |
| obverse 26 | In order to destroy the me of Sumer, in order to alter its plans |
| obverse 27 | In order to obfuscate the me and the reign of kingship in Ur |
| obverse 28 | In order to defile the princely son in his Ekišnugal temple |
| obverse 29 | In order to tear apart the “mesh” of the people teeming/pastured like ewes(?) of Nanna |
| obverse 30 | In order to change the nindaba offering of Ur, the shrine of great nindaba offerings |
| obverse 31 | So that its people do no dwell in their dwelling, so that they are given into enemy territory |
| obverse 32 | So that Šimašgi and Elam, the destructive people, dwell in their dwellings |
| obverse 33 | So that the enemy seizes their shepherd in his very own palace |
| obverse 34 | So that Ibbi-Sîn is brought to the land of Elam in a {geš}bur trap/restraint |
| obverse 35 | From the sand dunes of Zabu on the shore of the sea to the border of Anšan |
| obverse 36 | Like a swallow that has flown from(!?) its house (= nest), he is not to return to his city |
| obverse 37 | So that malevolent plants grow on both banks of the Tigris and Euphrates |
| obverse 38 | So that no one sets foot on the road, so that no one seeks the path |
| reverse 1 | In order to break up the founded city and (outlying) settlements into ruin mounds |
| reverse 2 | In order to smite the teeming black-headed people with the haš weapon |
| reverse 3 | So that the hoe does not penetrate the fertile field, so that the seed is not planted |
| reverse 4 | So that the e'ellu, the song of the going oxen, is not sung in the plain |
| reverse 5 | So that butter and cheese(?) are not made in the cattlepen, so that ... is destroyed |
| reverse 6 | So that the shepherd does not circle around (herding) within the corral and the holy sheepfold |
| reverse 7 | So that the ilulama song, the churning of the churn, is not sung in the sheepfold |
| reverse 8 | In order to diminish the herd, in order to finish the wild animals |
| reverse 9 | So that the dung/bedding of the quadrupeds of Sumuqan does not touch the ground |
| reverse 10 | So that in the marshes (wet land) is turned into cracked land, so that they do not acquire seeds |
| reverse 11 | So that the “evil-headed” reed grows in the wetlands, so that (the wetlands) die with a stench(?) |
| reverse 12 | So that the irrigated orchard with no new growth covers itself over |
| reverse 13 | Urim, the great wild bull standing wildly, noble in and of itself |
| reverse 14 | The city where the seed of the en-ship and kingship is planted in a pure place |
| reverse 15 | In order to fell it quickly with a tethering rope like a bull, in order to bring its neck to the ground |
| reverse 16 | An, Enlil, Enki and Ninhursag decreed its fate |
| reverse 17 | That determined fate is something that cannot be changed--who can alter it? |
| reverse 18 | It is the command of An and Enlil--who could confront it? |
| reverse 19 | An terrified within the dwelling of Sumer, the people were frightened |
| reverse 20 | Enlil made a painful day elapse, silence befell the city |
| reverse 21 | Nintur set (open?) the bolt (in the street) at the women's quarters of the land |
| reverse 22 | Enki bound up the water away from the Tigris and Euphrates |
| reverse 23 | Utu took away justice and the true word from the mouth (of anyone that would speak it) |
| reverse 24 | Inanna gave the battle and combat (to the enemy) in the rebel land |
| reverse 25 | Ningirsu poured out Sumer like milk among the dogs |
| reverse 26 | Rebellion fell upon the land, it was something no one knew |
| reverse 27 | It was something unseen (before), and (for which) there was no word, something not to be accepted(?) |
| reverse 28 | The lands were confused in their very own temples(!?) |
| reverse 29 | In the city, the gods of that city stood outside |
| reverse 30 | Humanity breathed painfully in their very own homes(?) |
| reverse 31 | The storm bound their hands, the storm will not return them |
| reverse 32 | The storm acquired blocking(?) for them(?), it did not go(?) towards their (sturdy) bottom(?) |
| reverse 33 | This is what Enlil, the shepherd of the black-headed people, did |
| reverse 34 | Enlil, in order for Enlil to destroy the true temple and diminish the true man |
| reverse 35 | In order to exert the evil eye upon the son of the true man, the eldest son |
| reverse 36 | At that time Enlil brought down Gutium from the mountain |
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 | u4# szu# bala# ke3#-de3# [...]-lam#?-e-de3 | |
| 2 | u4#-de3 mar-rux(TE)-gin7# [...] x-gu7-e | |
| 3 | me ki#-en-gi-ra# szu# bala# ke3-de3# | |
| 4 | bala# sa6-ga e2#-ba# gi4-gi4-de3 | |
| 5 | iri# gul#-gul-u3-de3 e2 gul-gul-u3-de3 | |
| 6 | tur3 gul-gul-u3-de3 amasz tab-tab-be2-de3 | |
| 7 | gu4-bi tur3-bi-a nu-gub-bu-de3 | |
| 8 | udu-bi amasz-bi-a nu-dagal-e-de3# | |
| 9 | i7-bi a mun4-na tum3-u3-de3# | |
| 10 | GAN2-ne2 zi-de3 {u2}hirim mu2-mu2-de3 | |
| 11 | edin-e u2 a-nir mu2-mu2-de3 | |
| 12 | ama dumu-ni-ir ki nu-kinx(UR4)-kinx(UR4)-de3 | |
| 13 | ad-da a dam-gu10 nu-di-de3 | |
| 14 | dam banda3 ur2-ra nu-hul2-le-de3 | |
| 15 | TUR-TUR dub3-ba nu-bulug3-ge26-e-de3 | |
| 16 | emeda{+da}-e u5-a nu-di-de3 | |
| 17 | nam-lugal-la ki#-tusz-bi kur2#-ru-de3 | |
| 18 | esz-bar# kinx(UR4)-ga2 [...]-e-de3 | |
| 19 | nam#-lugal# kalam-ma kar#?-kar#?-re#?-e#-[de3] | |
| 20 | igi#-bi ki!-szar2-ra ga2-ga2#-[de3] | |
| 21 | inim du11-ga an {d}en#-lil2-ta gesz-hur ha-lam-e-[de3] | |
| 22 | u4 an-ne2# kur-kur-ra sag-ki ba-da-an-gid2-da-a#-[ba] | |
| 23 | {d}en-lil2-le igi-ni ki kur2-ra ba-an-gar-ra-a-ba | |
| 24 | {d}nin-tur5-re nig2-dim2-dim2-ma-ni za3 bi2-in-tag-ga-a-ba | |
| 25 | {d}en-ki-ke4 {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na szu!? bi2-in-bala-a-ba | |
| 26 | ki-en-gi-ra me-bi ha-lam-e-de3 gesz-hur-bi kur2-ru-de3 | |
| 27 | uri2{ki}-ma me nam-lugal-la bala-bi su3-su3-u4-de3 | |
| 28 | dumu nun-na e2-kisz-nu-gal2-na szu pe-el-la2 di-de3 | |
| 29 | [{d}]nanna ug3 u8?-gin7 lu-a-na igi-te-en-bi si-il-le-de3 | |
| 30 | uri2{ki} esz3 nindaba gal-gal-la nindaba-bi kur2-ru-de3 | |
| 31 | ug3-bi ki-tusz-bi nu-tusz-u3-de3 ki-erim2-e szum2-mu-de3 | |
| 32 | szimaszgi?{ki} elam{ki} lu2 ha-lam-ma ki-tusz-bi tusz-u3-de3 | |
| 33 | sipa-bi e2-gal-la ni2-te-na lu2-erim2-e dab5-be2-de3 | |
| 34 | i-bi2-{d}suen kur elam{ki}-ma-sze3 gesz-bur-re tum2-u3-de3 | |
| 35 | isz za-bu gaba a-ab-ba-ka-ta za3 an-sza4-an{ki#}-sze3 | |
| 36 | sim{muszen} e2-bi-a ba-ra-an-dal-a-gin7 uru17-ni-sze3 nu-gur-re-dam#? | |
| 37 | {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na gu2 min4{min}-a-bi u2 hul mu2-mu2-de3 | |
| 38 | kaskal-e giri3 nu-ga2-ga2-de3# har-ra-an nu-kinx(UR4)-kinx(UR4)-de3 | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | uru17 a2-dam ki gar-gar-ra-ba du6-du6-ra szid-de3 | |
| 2 | ug3 sag-gig2 lu-lu-a-ba {gesz}hasz#-e ke3-de3 | |
| 3 | GAN2-ne2 zi-de3 {gesz}al nu-ru#-gu2#-de3 numun ki nu-tag-ge-de3 | |
| 4 | e-el-lu szir3 gu4 sub2-sub2-ba edin-na# nu-di-de3 | |
| 5 | e2-tur3-ra i3 ga-ar3-ra nu-ke3-de3 x szu ha-lam-e-de3 | |
| 6 | sipa-de3 {gesz}ukur-ra amasz ku3-ga szu nu-ni10-ni10-de3 | |
| 7 | i-lu-lam-ma dun5-dun5 {dug}szakir3-ra amasz-a nu-di-de3 | |
| 8 | edin-na masz2-ansze tur-re-de3 nig2-zi-gal2 til-le-de3 | |
| 9 | nig2-ur2-limmu2 {d#}szakkan-ke4 szurim ki nu-tag-ge-de3 | |
| 10 | ambar-re szu ki-in-dar di-de3 numun nu-tuku-tuku-de3 | |
| 11 | gesz-gi gi sag hul mu2-mu2-de3 hab2-ba usz-u3-de3 | |
| 12 | pu2 {gesz}kiri6 u2 gibil-la2 nu-me-a ni2-ba szu2-szu2-u3-de3 | |
| 13 | uri2{ki} am gal u3-na gub-ba ni2-bi-ta nir-gal2 | |
| 14 | iri numun nam-en nam-lugal-la ki sikil-la du3-a# | |
| 15 | gu4-gin7 saman ul4-la-bi szub-bu-de3 gu2 ki-sze3 la2#-e-de3 | |
| 16 | an {d}en#-lil2# {d}en-ki {d}nin-hur-sag-ga2-ke4 nam-bi ba-an-tar-re-esz | |
| 17 | nam-tar-[...] nu#-kur2-ru-dam a-ba szu mi-ni-ib2-bala-e | |
| 18 | inim du11-[... {d}]en-lil2-kam sag a-ba mu-un-ga2-ga2 | |
| 19 | an-ne2 ki-[...]-tusz#-ba bi2-in-hu-luh ug3-e ni2 bi2-in-te | |
| 20 | {d}en-lil2-[...] gig#-ga mu-un-zal iri#-a# me# bi2-ib-gar | |
| 21 | {d}nin-tur5-re ama5# kalam-ma-ke4 {gesz}ig-szu-ur2 im-mi-in-gub | |
| 22 | {d}en-ki-ke4 {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na a im-ma-da-an-kesz2 | |
| 23 | {d}utu nig2-si-sa2 inim gin6-na ka-ta ba-da#-an#-kar | |
| 24 | {d}inanna-ke4 me3 szen-szen-na# ki-bala-e ba#-an-szum2 | |
| 25 | {d}nin-gir2-su-ke4 ki-en-gi ga-gin7# ur-e ba#-ni-in-de2 | |
| 26 | kalam-ma ga#-ba-ra-hum im-ma-an-szub nig2 lu2 nu-zu-a | |
| 27 | nig2 igi nu-gal2-la inim nu-gal2-la nig2 szu nu-te-ge26#-dam | |
| 28 | kur-kur-re e2# ni2-ta-bi-a szu suh3-a ba-ab-du11 | |
| 29 | iri{ki}-ba dingir iri{ki}-bi-e-ne bar-ta ba-sugx(DU)-ge-esz | |
| 30 | nam-lu2-lux(URU) e2#? ni2-te-bi-a zi gig# mu#-un-pa-an-pa-an | |
| 31 | u4-de3 szu-ne-ne ba-du3-du3 u4 nu-mu-un#-szi-ib2-gur-re | |
| 32 | u4 gi4-a mu-un-na-tuku-am3 u4 dur2-bi-sze3# nu-um-DU | |
| 33 | {d}en#-lil2 sipa sag-gig2-ga-ke4 a-na bi2-in-ak-a-bi | |
| 34 | {d}en#-lil2-le e2 zi gul-gul-lu-de3 lu2 zi tur-re-de3 | |
| 35 | dumu lu2# zi#-da#?-ke4#? dumu# sag#-e igi hul#-bi dim2-me-de3 | |
| 36 | u4#-ba# {d#}[...] gu#-ti-um!{ki} kur-ta im-ta-an-e11 | |
| 37 | x x [...] | |
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.