CDLI Literary 000769, ex. 003 (P346235)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000769, ex. 003 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346235 |
| 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 | Son of the scribal school, if (we reach) the end of our tablet (assignment), what should we write? |
| obverse 2 | If we do not write our various texts/text sections ten times |
| obverse 3 | It will indeed also be (that when) the master finds out, we will be on guard with you(?) |
| obverse 4 | What should we reply to him with there? |
| obverse 5 | Come! I shall write what I please, I will give you orders |
| obverse 6 | If he(!) has ordered me, (he has to admit?) I am not your “big brother” |
| obverse 7 | What if(?) I enter into my status as “big brother” |
| obverse 8 | After (I) surpass over the scribal art and an appropriate for status as “big brother” |
| obverse 9 | (I will say to you) ..., (possessor of) cumbersome intelligence, backwards facing towards (i.e., inferior one of) the scribal school |
| obverse 10 | Deaf one of the scribal art, deaf one(?) of the Sumerian language |
| obverse 11 | (Possessor of a) ... hand, a hand that is not suitable for the stylus |
| obverse 11 | Attinger NABU 2018 no. 43, who translates “main déficient.” |
| obverse 12 | One who is not suitable for clay/tablet, with a hand that does not align with the mouth (i.e., dictated content or rate of speech?) |
| obverse 13 | You are (really) a scribe like me? |
| obverse 14 | Why are you not a scribe like me? |
| obverse 15 | And why(?) do you not say thus: |
| obverse 16 | Converse, I am suitable for conversation |
| obverse 17 | I did not gnaw at sourdough, I(?) enter as the one standing(?) |
| obverse 18 | Looking two, 5 times (at a text) and being one of reciting(?) 5 texts/text sections, you say “I am a scribe” |
| obverse 19 | You write a tablet and then you(!) cannot bring (its contents) into the intellect |
| obverse 20 | You write a letter, and that is the extent of it for you (i.e., no comprehension) |
| obverse 21 | Go to divide up an estate! You cannot divide it |
| obverse 22 | Go to “fill"(? i.e., map out?) a field! You cannot hold the measuring line and rod |
| obverse 23 | You cannot drive a stake into the ground, you cannot bring it into (your) intellect (i.e., comprehend it?) |
| obverse 24 | You do not calm down arguing people |
| obverse 25 | You will make brother seize brother |
| obverse 26 | Unsuitable idiot among scribes |
| obverse 27 | What are you suitable for? Where should someone bring (employ?) you(?)? |
| obverse 28 | Why am I not suitable for anything? |
| obverse 29 | If I go to divide up an estate, I can divide it |
| obverse 30 | If I go to “fill"(?! i.e., map out?) a field, “filling out” the space ... |
| obverse 31 | I(!) pacify the hearts of the arguing people, I can calm them down |
| obverse 32 | I(!) sweeten brother together with brother, I can cool their hearts |
| reverse 1 | You are a scoundrel among scribes, a ground dweller among people |
| reverse 2 | If you count up//recite a multiplication table, the calculation(?) is labored |
| reverse 3 | If you solve the inverted numbers, you cannot return them to one side (invert them again?) |
| reverse 4 | Volume calculations, “length to front eating each other” (calculation of the volume of a triangle?) |
| reverse 5 | Squares, triangles, circles, semi-circles |
| reverse 6 | Trapezoids, “field of a bow,” “field of a boat” |
| reverse 7 | (If) someone posits them to you, you cannot(!?) produce them, you are blocked in your mouth |
| reverse 8 | You do not know the solutions of texts/text sections and the contents of Sumerian tablets |
| reverse 9 | After approach a stela, shining light darkens for you |
| reverse 10 | In order to erase extraneous secrets(?), spit(?) is not ... for you, you are blocked in your mouth |
| reverse 11 | (Possessor of) a ... tongue, (possessor) of an evil tongue, abuser, arguer |
| reverse 12 | And you are among the students of the scribal school? |
| reverse 13 | Why am I not among the students of the scribal school? |
| reverse 14 | My tablet of the scribal art supplants your tablet of the scribal art |
| reverse 15 | ..., your humanity has been set with my humanity |
| reverse 16 | I want to roll up/wipe clean ..., I want to speak to you |
| reverse 17 | Among the work of the scribal art, you are not above me in your ... |
| reverse 18 | Among the work of the “son of a man” as a “son of a man” you are not above me |
| reverse 19 | I want to say, I want to repeat “you are not the son of an established man” |
| reverse 20 | I want to say “peace,” I am the son of a (famous?) family/clan |
| reverse 21 | The clay/tablet is(?) good ..., my hand compares with the mouth (in dictation speed, content?) |
| reverse 22 | When(?) I bring my hand somewhere(?), I bring ... there for myself(?) |
| reverse 23 | The design(?), the measuring rod, the waterclock and its(?) weight |
| reverse 24 | Hanging from it(?), fully equipped tools(?) that are not to be checked(?), I shall find with my finger(?) |
| reverse 25 | ... on behalf of a friend/companion(?) |
| reverse 26 | In order to bring on behalf of their labor/wage(?) the merchant's silver (for) buying wool, a total of four gin stone weights' worth(?) |
| reverse 27 | To initiate and conclude/to raise and set (the warp and weft?) the daily labor of the servile female weaver |
| reverse 28 | The completed task of the metalworker, the member of the experts, I(?) also have known its particulars |
| reverse 29 | My engenderer is Sumerian, I am the son of a scribe |
| reverse 30 | You are a “defiled child,” stupid |
| reverse 31 | You cannot form a tablet, you cannot pat out a ligin extract tablet |
| reverse 32 | You cannot write your own name, the tablet is not suited to your hand |
| reverse 33 | Get up to do hoeing work, so that the šub hoe is with you |
| reverse 34 | Childish fool, cover your ears(?), cover your ears! Are you Sumeran like me? |
| reverse 36 | Why do you recite(?) “cover your ears(?), cover your ears"? for me(?) |
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 e2-dub-ba-a u4-da egir dub-me-ka a-na-am3 ga-ab-sar#-[...] | |
| 2 | u4-da u-ta KA-inim-ma didli-me nu-sar-en-de3-en | |
| 3 | na-an-ga-ma um-mi-a ba-zu-zu-ma mu-e-da-urin-en-de3-en | |
| 4 | a-na an-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4-en-de3-en | |
| 5 | gen ga2-e nig2 sza3-ga2 ga-ab-sar a2 mu-da-ag2-en | |
| 6 | tukumbi a2 ba-e-da-an-ag2 szesz-gal-zu nu-me-en | |
| 7 | a-na-ta-am3 nam-szesz-gal-ga2 i-ni-in-ku4-re | |
| 8 | nam-dub-sar-ra-ta mu-diri-ge-ma nam-szesz-gal# mu-ub-du7-du7 | |
| 9 | dab gesztu2 dugud a-ga-asz gi4 e2-dub-ba-a-asz | |
| 10 | u2 hub2 nam-dub-sar-ra u2-pilx(PIRIG)? eme-gir15-ra | |
| 11 | szu zu-hu-ul szu gi-dub-ba-a szu nu-du7 | |
| 12 | im-ma nu-tum2-ma szu ka-ta nu#-[...] | |
| 13 | ga2-e-gin7 nam dub-sar-me-en | |
| 14 | [...] za-e-gin7# dub-sar nu-me-en | |
| 15 | [...] x x [...]-gin7#? nu-ub-be2-en | |
| 16 | [...] bala#-a-ab# [...] bala#-e-de3 ba-ab-du7-un | |
| 17 | [...] zu2 nu-e-gaz i3#-gub#-gub#-ba ba-an-ku4-re | |
| 18 | [...] 5(disz) i3-duh KA-inim-ma 5(disz)-am3 bi2#?-szid#?-da#?-ka dub-sar-me-en bi2-du11-du11 | |
| 19 | dub i3-sar dim2-ma!(LA) nu-mu-da-an-ku4 | |
| 20 | u3-na-a-du11 i3-sar ki-szer11 a-ra-ab-tuku | |
| 21 | e2 ba!-e-de3 gen-na e2 nu-mu-da-ba-e-en | |
| 22 | a-sza3 si-ge-de3 gen-na esz2-GAN2 gi-disz-ninda nu-mu-da-ha-za | |
| 23 | {gesz}gag-a ki nu-mu-e-da-du3-e dim2-ma mu-e-da-an#?-ku4# | |
| 24 | lu2 du14 mu2-a-bi zi# li-bi2-gi4-gi4-[...] | |
| 25 | szesz szesz-da tesz2-bi bi2-ib2-dab5-be2-[...] | |
| 26 | lu2-tu15 nu-ub-tum2 dub-sar-e-ne-[...] | |
| 27 | a-na-sze3 ba-ab-du7-un me-sze3 lu2 he2-en-x-[...] | |
| 28 | a-na-asz nig2-na-me-sze3 la-ba#?-ab-du7-un#? | |
| 29 | e2 ba-e-de3 ga-gen e2 mu-da-ba-e-en#? | |
| 30 | a-sza3 si-ge-de3 ga-gen ki si-ge-x [...] | |
| 31 | lu2 du14 mu2-a-bi sza3-bi ab-hun-ge26 zi x-[...] | |
| 32 | szesz# szesz-da tesz2-bi bi2-ib2-du10-ge sza3 mu#-[...] | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | za-e gu2-zal dub#-[...] | |
| 2 | a-ra2 he2-bi2-szid#? [...] | |
| 3 | igi diri he2-bi2-[...] | |
| 4 | sahar-gar-ra x [...] | |
| 5 | ib2-si8 sag-du3 ka#-[sir3 ...] | |
| 6 | us2 us2 i3-gu7 GAN2 pana [...] | |
| 7 | lu2 a-ra-gar szu ba-e-da-e3#? [...] | |
| 8 | KA-inim-ma sza3 dub-ba eme-gir15#-[...] | |
| 9 | na-ru2-a-sze3 u3-ba-te u4 zalag [...] | |
| 10 | puzur5-puzur5 bar-ra szu ur3-ru-sze3 x [...] | |
| 11 | eme x eme hul-gal2 in dub2#-[...] | |
| 12 | u3# za#-e sza3 dumu e2-dub-ba-a-[...] | |
| 13 | [...] sza3# dumu e2#-dub-ba-a-ke4-ne nu-me-en | |
| 14 | [...]-sar#-ra#-zu dub nam-dub-sar-gu10 za3 ba-ab-tag# | |
| 15 | [...]-lu7#-zu! nam-lu2-lu7-gu10-da ba-ab-gar | |
| 16 | [...]-an-gur ga-ra-ab-du11 | |
| 17 | [... nam]-dub#-sar-ra-ka# diri-gu10-usz# x-zu#-a nu#?-me-en# | |
| 18 | [...] lu2#-ka# [...] lu2# [nu]-me#-en | |
| 19 | [...]-me-en | |
| 20 | [... im]-ri#-a#-me-en | |
| 21 | [...] ka#-ta sa2-a-me#-en | |
| 22 | [...] x-tum3-de3-en-na-gu10-gin7 ma-an-ni-ib-ku4-ku4-un | |
| 23 | x-x {gesz#}as4-lum-ma {gesz}dib-dab {gesz}ki-la2-bi | |
| 24 | im-la2 gesz szu du7 nu-kar2-kar2-da szu-si ga-pa3-da | |
| 25 | gi-ku5 gi-pa3-da du10-us2-asz | |
| 26 | ku3 dam-gar3-ra siki sa10 na4 4(disz) gin2? a2-ne-ne-sze3 tum3-da#? | |
| 27 | a2-du3-a geme2 usz-bar zi-zi ga2-ga2-de3 | |
| 28 | kin2 til-la simug dumu um-mi-a-ke4-ne sza3-bi in-ga-an-zu | |
| 29 | a ru-a-gu10 eme-gir15-ra-am3 dumu dub-sar-ra-me-en | |
| 30 | za-e tur pe-el-la2 na-ga2-ah-me-en | |
| 31 | dub nu-mu-da-dim2-en {im}li-gi4-in szu nu-e-da-ra-ra-an | |
| 32 | mu ni2-za nu-e-da-sar-re im szu-za nu-du7 | |
| 33 | al ke3-de3 gub-ba al-szub he2-da-gal2 | |
| 34 | lil hu-ru gesztu2 szu2-a-ab szu2-a-ab ga2-e-gin7-nam eme-gir15-ra-me-en | |
| 36 | a-na-asz gesztu2 szu2-a-ab szu2-a-ab-gu10 ma-ra-szid-de3-en | |
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.