CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 020 (P346217)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 020 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346217 |
| 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 | Enlil was replying to his son Suen |
| obverse 2 | In the ... of of the windswept city(?), the reed of mourning grows in lamentation |
| obverse 3 | In the ..., the reed of mourning grows in lamentation |
| obverse 4 | In the ..., he spends time in lamentation |
| obverse 5 | My son, if you yourself are a native son, then it is you who is the one whose tears (they are) |
| obverse 6 | Nanna, if you yourself are a native son, then it is you who is the one whose tears (they are) |
| obverse 7 | There is no revocation of a final verdict, the word of the assembly |
| obverse 8 | The uttered word of An and Enlil knows no change |
| obverse 9 | If Ur was given kingship, ... did not give an eternal term of office |
| obverse 10 | From the distant day when the land was founded to the (current) limit of teeming people |
| obverse 11 | Who has seen a reign of kingship taking precedence (forever) |
| obverse 12 | In order to lengthen the term of kingship(?), in order to take counsel (to that effect?) |
| obverse 13 | My Nanna, do not become exhausted (doing this), leave your city |
| obverse 14 | At that time, my king, the native son, quit/killed his liver/lungs |
| obverse 15 | Lord Dilimbabbar “fashioned a destroyed/evil heart” |
| obverse 16 | Nanna, who loved his city, left his city |
| obverse 17 | Ningal, in order to go (as a) stranger(?) of her city to a strange place |
| obverse 18 | Hurriedly she got dressed/braided a rope (for escape?) and left the city |
| obverse 19 | The Anuna of Ur stood outside |
| obverse 20 | In Ur fire(?) that ... by itself was extinguished(?) |
| obverse 21 | In Ur its trees were sick, its reeds were sick |
| obverse 22 | A lament was competing with the wall up to its circuit (in terms of completeness) |
| obverse 23 | Daily weapons were smashing heads before it |
| obverse 24 | In Ur great hazin axes were sharpened before it |
| obverse 25 | They were setting the spears, the arms of battle, in order |
| obverse 26 | Great bows, throw sticks, and shields were consuming together |
| obverse 27 | Barbed(?) arrows filled its outside like a rainstorm |
| obverse 28 | Great stones made a thudding pudpad noise by themselves |
| obverse 29 | Daily an evil wind returns among the city |
| reverse 1 | In Ur the noble one, divested of his(?) strength, stood among the murderer(s) |
| reverse 2 | The enemy defeated the people, (those who?) stood among the weapons |
| reverse 3 | (In?) the city the ones who did not advance against the weapons dwelled/sat in hunger |
| reverse 4 | Starvation thus filled the city, it was not ceasing |
| reverse 5 | In hunger they were bowing their heads and twisting their muscles |
| reverse 6 | Its people filled the ponds, they were ... |
| reverse 7 | Its king breathed painfully in his own(?) house |
| reverse 8 | Its humanity dropped their hands, (their) weapons touched the ground |
| reverse 9 | They gathered/clasped their hands to their necks(?), they were weeping |
| reverse 10 | Together they advised, they discussed |
| reverse 11 | Alas, what is it that we will say, what is it that we will add? |
| reverse 12 | How long until we are to be finished in the mouth of catastrophe? |
| reverse 13 | The inside of Ur is death, the outside is death |
| reverse 14 | (How long until) we are to be finished within that of starvation inside (the city)? |
| reverse 15 | (How long until) we are to be finished among the weapon(s) of Elam outside (the city)? |
| reverse 16 | The enemy stands in Ur, we must come to an end(?) |
| reverse 17 | Acting on behalf of their life and their back(?) they spoke together |
| reverse 18 | They opened the bolt of the gate, the storm was making its door stand (in the street) |
| reverse 19 | Elam set foot there like a great onrushing flood |
| reverse 20 | In Ur (they) were crushing their heads with weapons like a porous pot(?) |
| reverse 21 | (They) could not sprint away(?) as fugitives, (they) were seized(?) within the wall's limits |
| reverse 22 | Like fish living in a pond, they were seeking refuge |
| reverse 23 | The enemy dwelled in the Ekišnugal temple of Nanna |
| reverse 24 | They were breaking the holy “having heavy possessions” bird(!?) |
| reverse 25 | They cut down the statue that occupied(?) the uzga shrine |
| reverse 26 | Nine'igara, the supreme steward, abandoned the storehouse(!?) |
| reverse 27 | Its throne was covered over from the front(?), she(?) could(?) (only) sit in the dust (instead?) |
| reverse 28 | They seized the great(?) cows at/by(?) their ... horns, ... cut their horns off |
| reverse 29 | ... smote goring bulls with the weapon like (they were) grazing sheep |
| reverse 30 | ... was cut down and bound together like a date palm |
| reverse 31 | The date palm (of? like?) strong copper, the arm of heroism |
| reverse 32 | It was torn out like a rush, it was cut like a rush, it was turned sideways(?) in its roots |
| reverse 33 | Its top was lodged in the ground, a person to raise it was not available |
| reverse 34 | ... trimmed its midribs and set its top on fire |
| reverse 35 | ... its spadix with ripe dates, ... the well |
| reverse 36 | The gizi reed that grew in the holy ... were actively diminished(?) |
| reverse 37 | (Total:) Sixty+ (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 | [...] dumu-ni {d}suen-ra mu-un-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4 | |
| 2 | [...]-x x-bi a-sze-ra gi er2-ra ba-am3-mu2 | |
| 3 | [...]-bi# a-sze-ra gi er2-ra ba-am-mu2 | |
| 4 | [...]-x-bi a-sze-ra u4 mi-ni-ib-zal-zal-e | |
| 5 | [...]-gu10# dumu-gir15 ni2-za he2-me-en er2-ra-na-bi-me-en | |
| 6 | [{d}]nanna# dumu-gir15 ni2-za he2-me-en er2-ra-na-bi-me-en | |
| 7 | di#-til-la inim pu-uh2-ru-ma-ka szu gi4-gi4 nu-gal2 | |
| 8 | inim du11-ga an {d}en-lil2-la2-ka szu bala-e nu-zu | |
| 9 | uri2{ki} nam-lugal ha-ba-szum2 bala da-ri2 la-ba-an-szum2 | |
| 10 | u4 ul kalam ki gar-ra-ta za3 ug lu-a-sze3 | |
| 11 | bala nam-lugal-la sag-bi-sze3 e3 a-ba-a igi im-mi-in-duh-a | |
| 12 | nam-lugal-bi bala-bi ba-gid2-e-de3 sza3 kuszx(SAG)-u3#-de3 | |
| 13 | {d}nanna-gu10 na-an-kuszx(SAG)-kuszx(SAG)-u3-de3 iri#{ki}-zux(SU) e3-bar-ra-ab | |
| 14 | u4-ba lugal-gu10 dumu-gir15-ra UR5#-ra-ni ba-an-til | |
| 15 | en {d}dil-im2-babbar dumu-gir15-ra sza3 hul-lu im#-ma-an-dim2 | |
| 16 | {d}nanna lu2 iri{ki}-ni ki ag2#-ga2 iri#{ki}-ni ba-ra-e3 | |
| 17 | {d}nin-gal-e gir5# iri{ki}-ni-ta ki kur2-sze3 du-u3-de3 | |
| 18 | SZE3 ul4-ul4-la-bi ba-ra-an-SAR#? iri#{ki#}-ta ba-ra-e3 | |
| 19 | uri2{ki}-ma {d}a-nun-na-bi bar#?-ra#? ba-su8-ge-esz | |
| 20 | uri2{ki} izi ni2-bi x x DU#? x-a ba-a-te | |
| 21 | uri2{ki}-ma gesz-bi tur5#-ra#-am3 gi#-bi# tur5#-ra-am3 | |
| 22 | bad3#-bi en-na! nigin2-na-a-bi-da a-nir ba#-da-sa2 | |
| 23 | u4#-szu2#-usz-e {gesz}tukul-e# igi-bi-sze3 sag i3-sag3-sag3-ge | |
| 24 | uri2{ki}-ma {uruda}ha-zi-in gal-gal-e igi-bi-sze3 u4-sar i3-ak-e | |
| 25 | {gesz}gid2-da a2 me3-ke4 si# bi2-ib2-sa2-sa2-e-ne | |
| 26 | {gesz}pana gal-gal {gesz}illar {kusz}gur21{+ur3}-ra tesz2 im-da-gu7-e | |
| 27 | {gesz}ti zu-ke4 muru9 szeg3-gin7 bar-ba am3-mi-ib2-si | |
| 28 | na4 gal-gal-e ni2-bi-a pu-u4-pa-ad im-mi-ib2-za | |
| 29 | u4-szu2-usz uru17{ki}-ta tu15 hul-e mu-un-da-an-gi4-gi4 | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | uri2{ki}-ma usu-bi-ta nir-gal2 gab2-gaz-e ba-a-gub | |
| 2 | ug3 lu2-erim2 a2 bi2-ib2-gar {gesz}tukul-e ba-su8-ge-esz | |
| 3 | uru17{ki} {gesz}tukul-e sag nu-szum2-ma-szum2-ma-am3 sza3-gar-e ba-e-tusz!? | |
| 4 | sza3-gar-e iri{ki} a-gin7 ba-e-si ga2-la nu-um-ta-dag-ge | |
| 5 | sza3-gar-e igi-bi im-gurum-me-e sa-bi im-lug-gu2-ne | |
| 6 | ug3-bi a-nigin2-na ba-e-si zi HAR i-ak-e | |
| 7 | lugal-bi e2 ni2-te-na-ka zi gig mu-un-pa-an-pa-an | |
| 8 | nam-lu2-lux(URU)-bi szu-bi ba-e-szub {gesz}tukul ki bi2-ib2-tag | |
| 9 | szu-bi gu2-bi-sze3 ba-szi-ib-de5-de5 er2 mu-un-szesz2-szesz2-ne | |
| 10 | tesz2-bi-a ad mi-ni-ib-gi4-gi4 inim im-szar2-szar2-e-ne | |
| 11 | me-li-e-a du11-ga-me nam-mu tah-me nam-mu | |
| 12 | en3-sze3-am3 ka garasz2-a-ka im-til-la-de3-en-de3-en | |
| 13 | uri2{ki}-ma sza3-bi nam-usz2-am3 bar-bi nam-usz2-am3 | |
| 14 | sza3-bi-a nig2 sza3-gar-ra-ka im-mi-ni-ib-til-e-de3-<en-de3-en> | |
| 15 | bar-bi-a {gesz}tukul elam{ki}-ma-ka i-im-til-e-de3-en-de3-en | |
| 16 | uri2{ki}-ma lu2-erim2-e im-ma-gub ga!?-nam-ba-til-e-de3-<en>-de3-en | |
| 17 | zi-bi murgu2-bi-sze3 i3-ak-e gu3 tesz2-a bi2-ib2-si-ge-esz | |
| 18 | abul-la-bi {gesz}si-gar bi2-in-duh-duh-usz# {gesz}ig-bi u4 bi2-gub-bu | |
| 19 | elam{ki}-e a mah e3-a-gin7 giri3 im-ma-ni-ib2-gar | |
| 20 | uri2{ki}-ma {gesz}tukul-e {dug}sahar2-gin7 sag gaz i3-ak-e | |
| 21 | lu2-kar-ra-bi dub3 nu-um-zil-e bad3 za3-ga im-tab | |
| 22 | ku6 a-nigin2-na# lug-ga-gin7 zi-bi in-tum3-tum3-mu | |
| 23 | e2-kisz-nu-gal2 {d}nanna-ka lu2-erim2-e ba-e-tusz | |
| 24 | ku3? {d}nig2-gur11?-dugud-gal2-la-a{muszen} im-zi-ir-zi-re-ne | |
| 25 | alan |AN.ZAG|-gi4 si-a-bi!? gu2-gur5-ru ba-ni-in-ak-asz | |
| 26 | {d#}nin-e2-i3-gar9 agrig mah erimx(|IRIxKAR2|)-ma szu bi2-in-dag | |
| 27 | [{gesz}]gu-za-bi igi-bi-ta ba-e-szu2 sahar-ra ba-da-tusz | |
| 28 | [...] mah-bi si-musz3-bi-ta ba-an-dab5-be2-esz si-bi ba-ra-an-ku5 | |
| 29 | [...] du7#-du7-e udu u2 gu7-gin7 {gesz}tukul-e ba-an-sag3-sag3 | |
| 30 | [{gesz}]geszimmar-gin7 gu2-gur7-ru ba-ab-du11 tesz2-bi ba-ra-an-kad4 | |
| 31 | {gesz#}geszimmar uruda kal-ga a2 nam-ur-sag-ga2 | |
| 32 | {u2#}numun2-gin7 ba-bur12 {u2}numun2 ba-zi2 ur2-ba ti mi-ni-ib-bala | |
| 33 | sag# sahar-ra ki ba-ni-ib-us2 lu2 zi-zi# la-ba-tuku | |
| 34 | {gesz#}ze2#-na-bi gu2 ba-an-[...]-gur5#-usz sag szu bi2-in-hu-hu-az!? | |
| 35 | [...]-a2#? zu2-lum-ma-bi pu2 du7-du7 ba-<<x>>-ra-an-BU-BU-de3-esz | |
| 36 | [...]-zi# x ku3#-ge mu2-a szu ba-e-lal-lal | |
| 37 | ($ blank space $) 1(disz) szu-szi n x 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.