Unread Atlas

Home › Tablets › P346222

CDLI Literary 000379, ex. 022 (P346222)

Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE

Open in the reader & map →See it among all tablets

DesignationCDLI Literary 000379, ex. 022
IDP346222
Museum no.BM —
CollectionBritish Museum, London, UK
LanguageSumerian
PeriodOld Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
GenreLiterary
Find spotUr (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
Coordinates30.9607, 46.1063

English translation

By Peterson, Jeremiah · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)

LineEnglish
obverse 1My temple which was established by the just man
obverse 2Therefore (the storm) has beaten it at its outside
obverse 3In(?) my Ekišnugal, the temple of kingship
obverse 4My true temple that initiates lamentation there along with her (i.e., me?)
obverse 5After being built falsely and destroyed truthfully ... must not establish as its allocated share for me
obverse 6Therefore like a tent, a building torn out at the harvest site, like a building torn out at the harvest site, it was subjected to(?) wind and rain
obverse 7Urim, my grain storage filled with food(!?)
obverse 8Therefore the empty wind howls in the silent city
obverse 9Like the sheepfold of the shepherd, it was torn out
obverse 10The possessions which the city acquired for me are eradicated(!)
obverse 11It is the 3rd kirugu refrain
obverse 12Urim has initiated lamentation to her detriment(?)
obverse 13Her city is destroyed to her detriment, her cosmic powers are changed to her detriment
obverse 14It is the gešgigal “response”
obverse 15At that time, this time after (the city) was flattened
obverse 16To the detriment of the lady, her city is destroyed
obverse 17Her city is destroyed to her detriment, her cosmic powers are changed to her detriment
obverse 18At that time, this time after (the city) was created
obverse 19When they have ordered(!) my city to be destroyed
obverse 20When they have ordered(?!) Urim to be destroyed
obverse 21When they have ordered(?!) its people to be killed
obverse 22At that time (I) will not be indifferent to my city
obverse 23(I) will not neglect my land
obverse 24For An, (I) shall pour the tears of my eyes
obverse 25I shall supplicate myself to Enlil(?)
obverse 26I shall say to him/them(?) “My city must not be destroyed”
obverse 27I shall say to him/them(?) “Urim must not be destroyed”
obverse 28I shall say to him/them(?) “Its people must not be killed(!?)”
obverse 29Despite this An did not rescind his word
obverse 30Despite this (the statement) “It is good, so be it” of Enlil was not soothing my heart
obverse 31Therefore when they have ordered(!) my city to be destroyed
obverse 32When they have ordered(!) Urim to be destroyed
obverse 33When they have ordered(!) its people to be killed
obverse 34For a 2nd time, after they convened an assembly, a “solemn place”
obverse 35The Anuna rested on the “organized” (i.e., finalized?) word
obverse 36Therefore (I?) shall extend(?) (my) limbs/lap and tie up(?) (my) hair
obverse 37For An, I shall pour the tears of my eyes
obverse 38I shall supplicate myself to Enlil(?)
obverse 39I shall say to him/them(?) “My city must not be destroyed”
obverse 40I shall say to him/them(?) “Urim must not be destroyed”
obverse 41I shall say to him/them(?) “Its people must not be killed(!?)”
obverse 42Despite this An did not rescind his word
obverse 43Despite this (the statement) “It is good, so be it” of Enlil was not soothing my heart
obverse 44Therefore when they have ordered(!) my city to be destroyed
obverse 45When they have ordered(!) Urim to be destroyed
obverse 46When they have ordered(!) its people to be killed
obverse 47I, as one who gave my advice(?) to my detriment(?)
obverse 48... therefore shall also bind me with my city
obverse 49... therefore shall also bind Urim with me
obverse 50An is never to change this word
obverse 51That which issues from the mouth of Enlil is not to be changed
obverse 52It is the 4th kirugu
obverse 53To the detriment of the lady, her city is destroyed
obverse 54Her city is destroyed to her detriment, her cosmic powers are changed to her detriment
obverse 55It is the gešgigal “response”
obverse 56Enlil spoke to the storm, and the people wailed
reverse 1He deprived the land of(?) days of abundance, and the people wailed
reverse 2He deprived Sumer of good days, and the people wailed
reverse 3He commanded the malevolent storm, and the people wailed
reverse 4He gave them to(?) the kiggal official(?) of the storm, his attendant storm/who stood within the storm(?)
reverse 5He spoke to the storm annihilating the land, and the people wailed
reverse 6He spoke to the great storm, the one of An, and the people wailed
reverse 7Enlil was making Gibil (fire) into his helper
reverse 8He spoke to the great storm of An, and the people wailed
reverse 9The great storm was shouting from above, and the people wailed
reverse 10The storm annihilating the land roared upon the earth
reverse 11An evil wind, overflowing like a great flood, which does set down its power/wing(?)
reverse 12In the city the weapon was murdering and consuming (as if) in a pack
reverse 13At the base of heaven (the storm?) gnawed(?), and the people wailed
reverse 14The storm was burning with fire at its front, and the people wailed
reverse 15And therefore(?) the raging storm, like a “fire-shade,” ... at its back
reverse 16Noon, (which usually) raises the “rainy wind” (fog?) was burning with fire (instead)
reverse 17Mid-day, (which usually) brings out bright sunlight, brought darkness along with it(!?)
reverse 18The shining sun did not come out in the land, it dissipated like the evening
reverse 19The southern wind seized(?) the joyful night which initiates the cooling of water(?)
reverse 20Burning(?) sherds combined with the soil, and the people wailed
reverse 21(The storm) blew a wind upon the black-headed people, and the people wailed
reverse 22Sumer was tripping(?) as if (in) a {geš}bur snare, and the people wailed
reverse 23The people(?) (were erecting) a wall of heads(?), (the storm) devouring (as if) in a pack
reverse 24The bitter storm, for which weeping was not decreed as its fate(?), (because of this) the people wailed
reverse 25The eradicating/gathering(?) storm was sweeping the land/making the land tremble
reverse 26The storm utterly destroyed the city like a flood
reverse 27The storm that was finishing the land established silence in the city
reverse 28The storm burning like fire was enraged with/corporeally burned(?) the people/land(?)
reverse 29The storm that is to cause (everything) to be forgotten stood among the malevolent (ones?)
reverse 30The hateful storm, ordered by Enlil, the storm that ... the land
reverse 31It covered Ur like a garment, spread over it like linen
reverse 32It is the 5th kirugu
reverse 33The storm is a lion(?), thrashing(?), and the people wail
reverse 34It is the gešgigal “response”
reverse 35At that time(!) the storm was placed together with the city, the city was ruin heaps
reverse 36Father Nanna, the city has been placed into ruins, and the people wailed
reverse 37The storm deprived the land of ..., and the people wailed
reverse 38The land was devastated (until) there was not even a broken sherd, and the people wailed
reverse 39(The storm) made a breach in the wall, and the people wailed
reverse 40At the great gate where there was a path, it was piling up corpses
reverse 41In the broad lane prepared as if for a festival, head(s) were placed as seeds
reverse 42In the streets, where there were paths, it was piling up corpses
reverse 43In the playground, where there was a festival, it spread out people (as) sheaves
reverse 44Ditches/burial pits were put down (for) the blood of land like (it would be done for?) the drainpipe of heaven(?)
reverse 45(That of) the corpses, (like) sheep fat in sunlight, dissolved by themselves
reverse 46Like a man ended by a hazin axe, one was not (bothering to) “clothe his head"/wear a turban (as a bandage?)
reverse 47Like a goat buck caught by a snare, (one) lodged his mouth in the dirt
reverse 48And therefore(?) like a man ended by the mitum weapon, one did not (bother to) wear bandages
reverse 49As if lying in the birthing place of their mother, one laid in his(!) blood
reverse 50Those who had not drunk wine nonetheless hung their necks down (lit. on the shoulder)
reverse 51Those who served with weaponry(?) were slaughtered by weaponry
reverse 52The storm took away(?) fugitive men and gazelles (alike?), and the people wailed
reverse 53In Urim the weak and strong alike came to an end out of hunger
reverse 54The elder women and men who did not leave the house were set on fire
reverse 55Water brought away(?) the tiny ones ... (from) the lap of the mother like(!) fish
reverse 56The strong grasp of the wetnurse, (this) grasp was loosened
reverse 57Allegiance/sense was forgotten, and the people wailed
reverse 58The treasury <of the land was eradicated, and the people wailed>

Transliteration (ATF)

From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)

LineATFMachine English (draft)
obverse
1e2 lu2 zi-de3 ba-ab-gar-ra-gu10
2gi-sig {gesz}kiri6#-gin7# bar-ba hu-mu-un-dub2
3e2-kisz-nu-gal2 e2 nam-lugal-la-ga2#
4e2 zi# e2 er2-re# ba-an-di-ni-ib-gar-re-[...]
5lul#-[...]-esz du3-a-ba zi#-de3-esz gul-a-ba ha-la ba#-bi# na-ma#-[...]-gar#-[...]
6za-lam-gar e2 ki-buru14 bur12-ra-gin7 e2 ki-buru14 bur12-ra-gin7 tu15 szeg3 ha-ba-[...]
7uri2{ki}-ma esag2 ninda si-gu10
8lil2 iri# si-ga hu-mu-un-bu-bu-bu
9amasz {lu2}sipa-da#-gin7# ha-ba-an-bur12-bur12
10nig2-gur11 uru2 ma-ma#-al#-ma-al#-la sug-ge4 hu-mu-un-ab-SI
11[ki]-ru#-gu2# 3(disz)-kam-ma
12uri2{ki}-ma er2-ra ba-an-di-ni-ib-gar
13uru2-ni ba-an-da-gul-la [me]-ni# ba-an-da-kur2-ra
14gesz-gi4-gal2#-[bi]-im
15u4-ba u4 ne-en ba-si#-[si]-ga-ba
16nin-da uru2{ki}-ni ba-an#-da#-gul
17uru2{ki}-ni ba-an-da-gul me-ni ba-an-da-kur2-ra
18u4-ba u4 ne ba-dim2-dim2-a-ba
19uru2-gu10 gul-gul-da im#-ma-an-ag2-esz-a-ba
20uri2{ki} gul-gul-da im#-ma-an-ag2-esz-a-ba
21ug3-bi# ug5#-ge#-de3# im#-ma-an-ag2-esz-a-ba
22u4#-[...] uru2#?-[...] ga2#-la# ba#-ra#-ba#-dag#-ge#
23[...] IM szub#-be2 ba-ra#-ba#-ra#-ab#-ak
24[...]-ga2 me-e he2-[em]-ma#-na#-de2
25[...]-la2# ni2#-gu10 sza3-ne-sza4 he2-em#-ma#-[...]-in-ni-ak
26iri#-gu10# nam-ma#-gul [he2-em]-mi#-in#-ne-du11
27uri2#{ki#} nam#-ma#-gul [he2-em]-mi#-in#-ne-du11
28ug3-bi [...]-usz2#-a he2#-[em]-mi#-in#-ne#-du11
29an-ne2 e#-ne#-[...] ba#?-[...]-x-da#?-ab#-gi4
30{d}mu-ul#-lil2-la2 i3#-sa6#-ga he2-a#-bi# [...] ba#-ra#-ab-sed4-de2#?
31uru2-gu10 gul-gul-de3# he2-em#-ma#-an#-ag2#-esz-a-ba
32uri2{ki} gul-gul#-de3# he2#-em-ma#-an#-ag2#-[esz]-a#-ba
33ug3-bi ug5-ge-de3# he2-em-ma-an-[ag2]-esz-a-ba
342(disz)-kam-ma-sze3# pu-uh2-ru-um ki-sag-ki a-ba-an-da-an-gal2#-le#-esz
35{d}a-nun-na-ke4-e-ne e-ne-eg3# zu2 kesz2-da-bi ba-an-[...]-ru-ne-esz
36ur2 he2-em#-ma-BU-BU siki he2-em-ma-sur5-sur5
37an-ra i-bi2#-ga2 me-e he2-em-ma-na#-de2
38{d}mu-ul-lil2-la2 ni2#-gu10 sza3-ne-sza4 he2-em-ma-ni#-in-ak#
39uru2-gu10! nam#-ma-gul he2-em-mi-in-ne-du11
40uri2{ki} nam-ma-gul he2-em-mi-in-ne-du11
41ug3-bi nam-usz2-a he2-em-mi-in-ne-du11
42an-e en-ne-eg3-bi ba-ra-ba-ra-ab-gi4
43{d}mu-ul-lil2-la2 i3-sa6-ga he2-a-bi sza3-gu10 ba-ra-ab-sed4-de3
44uru2-gu10 gul#-gul-de3 he2-em-ma-an-ag2-esz-a-ba
45uri2#{ki#} gul#-gul-de3 he2-em-ma-an-ag2-esz-a-ba
46[ug3]-bi# ug5-ge-de3 he2-em-ma-an-ag2-esz-a-ba
47[...]-KA#-gu10 ba#-e#-da#-szum2-ma-gin7
48[...]-gu10-da he2-en-ga-ba-e-da-ab-la2-e
49uri2#{ki#} ga2-da he2-en-ga-ba-e-da-ab-la2-e
50an-ne2 e-ne#-eg3-bi hur nu-<kur2>-ru#-da
51{d}mu-ul-lil2-la2 ka#-ta e3-a-ni szu [...]-bala#-e-de3
52ki-ru#-<gu2> 4(disz)-kam-ma
53nin-da uru2{ki}-ni ba-an-da-gul-la2
54uru2{ki} ba-an-da-gul#-la me-ni ba-an-da-kur2-ru
55gesz-gi4-gal2-bi-im
56{d}en-lil2-le u4-de3 gu3 ba-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
reverse
1u4 he2-gal2-la# kalam-e ba-da-an-kar ug3-e sze am3-sza4
2u4 du10 ki-en-gi#-ra# ba-da-an-kar ug3-e sze am3-sza4
3u4# hul a2 ba-da#-ag2# ug3-e sze am3-sza4
4kin2-gal u4-da u4-da gub#-ba#-ni szu-ni im-ma-an-szum2-mu-usz
5u4 kalam til-til-e gu3 ba-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
6u4 gal-e# an-na-ke4 gu3# ba#-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
7{d#}en#-lil2#-le# {d#}gibil6# a2-tah-a#-ni#-a mu-un-na-ni-in-ku4#-re
8[...] gu3 ba-an-de2# ug3-e sze am3-sza4!
9[...] gu3 im-me ug3#-e sze am3-sza4
10u4# [...]-e# ki-a murum mi-ni-ib2#-sza4
11tu15 hul a mah e3-a-gin7 a2-bi nu-ga2-ga2
12uru2{ki}-a {gesz}tukul-e sag-gaz i3-ak-e# tesz2-bi i3-gu7-e
13an-na ur2-ba tukur2 mu-ni-in-du11 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
14u4-de igi-bi izi mu-un-bar7-bar7-re ug3-e sze am3-sza4
15u4 mir-mir-re izi-ge6-edin-na-gin7 bar-ba hu-mu-un-x
16an-bar7 tu15 szeg3 il2-il2-i izi mu-un-bar7-bar7-re
17an-bar7#-GAN2 u4 zalag e3-a u4-mud-e ba-da-an-ku4
18kalam-ma u4 zalag# la-ba-ra-e3# {d}usanx(DUR)-gin7 ba-zal
19ge6 giri17-zal# a# sed4-de3 gar#-ra {tu15}ulu3{+lu} ba-ab-dab
20szika bar-bar-ra sahar im-da#-tab-tab ug3-e sze am3-sza4
21sag-gig2-ga tu15 im-ma#-da-ri ug3-e sze am3-sza4
22ki-en-gi gesz-bur2-gin8 i3-bala-e ug3-e sze am3-sza4
23ug3-e sag e2-gar8 i3-ke3-e# tesz2-bi i3-gu7-e
24u4 gig-ga er2-re na-ag2-bi nu#-tar-re ug3-e sze am3-sza4
25u4# szu ur4-ur4-re# kalam i3-ur4-ur4-re
26u4# a#-ma#-ru#-gin7# uru2 i3-gul-gul-la
27u4 kalam til-til uru2-a me bi2-ib2#-gar
28u4 izi-gin7 bar7-[...] ug3-e bar bi2-ib2-tab2
29u4 nig2 u2-gu de2-de3# hul gal2-e bi2-gub
30u4 hul gig du11-ga {d}en-lil2-la2 u4 kalam-ta ba-sa2-e
31uri2{ki#}-ma tug2-gin7 im-dul gada-gin7# im-bur2
32ki-ru-gu2 5(disz)-kam#-ma
33u4 ug#-a al-du7#-ru# ug3-e sze# am3-sza4
34gesz-gi4-gal2-bi-im
35u4-UD u4 uru2 ba#-da-an#-gar uru2-bi du6-du6-da
36a-a {d}nanna uru2-bi# du6#-du6-da ba-da-an-gar ug3-e sze am-sza4
37u4# ka-na-ag2 ba-da-an#-kar ug3-e sze am3-sza4
38ka-na-ag2-e szika ku5-da# nu-me-a sug-ge4 bi2-in-gu7 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
39bad3-bi gu2-giri16 im-mi#-in-gar ug3-e sze am3-sza4
40abul# mah-ba giri3 gal2-la-ba adda im-mi-in-gar-gar-re
41sila dagal ezem-gin7 du3-a-ba sag numun-e-esz ba-ab-gar
42e#-sir2-e-sir2-ra giri3 gal2#-la-ba adda im-mi-in-gar-gar-re
43eszemen ezem gal2-la-ba ug3 zarx(SUG)-re mu-un-sal
44u3-mun kalam#-ma alal?-gin7# an-na-ke4 sur-sur ba-gar-gar
45adda-ba#? {uzu#?}[...] u4#-de3 gal2#-la#-ba ni2-bi mu-un-zal-le#-esz
46lu2# {uruda}ha#-zi-in-e in-til-la-gin7 sag TUG2 la-ba#-an-ke3-e
47masz-nita# gesz-bur2 dab5-ba-gin7 ka sahar-ra bi2-in-us2
48lu2 {gesz}mitum-e i-im-til#-la-gin7 {tug2}nig2-la2 ba-ra-bi2-in-la2
49e#-gi4-in-zu ki ha-ri#-isz-tum ama-ba nu2-a mud2-ba mu-in-sze21-sze21
50[...] gesztin# nag nu-me-esz# gu2 za3-ga bi2-ib2-la2-esz
51{gesz#}tukul-e gub#-ba {gesz}tukul-e bi2-in-gaz
52[...]-bi masz-da3 kar-ra-bi u4 im-ma-de6 ug3#-e# sze# am3#-sza4
53uri2#{ki#}-ma# si!-ga kal-ga-bi sza3-gar-re ba-til
54um#-ma# ab#-ba# e2#-ta nu-e3 izi mu-ni-in-si-ge5-esz
55di4#-di4#-la2# ur2# ama#-bi# ne#-a# ku6-sze6 a ba-ab-[...]
56emeda{da#} lirum kal#-ga-bi# lirum ba-an#-duh#
57dim2-ma# u2#-gu# ba#-an-de2# ug3#-e# sze am3#-[sza4]
58erim3

Sources & licences

Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.