UET 6, 0161 + 0164 + 0619 (P346246)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | UET 6, 0161 + 0164 + 0619 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346246 |
| 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' | When you are to cross the street, do not look around. If you are humble |
| obverse col 1 2' | And (you) fear your overseer |
| obverse col 1 3' | Your overseer will love you |
| obverse col 1 4' | If the objective is to be achieved, when you speak to(?) your companion |
| obverse col 1 5' | Do not turn behind for him |
| obverse col 1 6' | Do not denigrate your colleagues |
| obverse col 1 7' | If (you?) are going because the day is about to arrive(?) |
| obverse col 1 8' | How long shall I stay? |
| obverse col 1 9' | I know(?)--(until) my master has left |
| obverse col 2 2' | Because of what I am, I did not send (you?) as one charged with the task(?) to carry reeds (from) the reed bed |
| obverse col 2 3' | The old/dead reeds which (even) the tiny and little (children) carry |
| obverse col 2 4' | Because of what you are, you have not carried them |
| obverse col 2 5' | In no way/at no time(?) have I said “Stand(?) at the rear of an ox” |
| obverse col 2 6' | Regarding my ox, I did not send (you?) as one charged with the task(?) to follow it |
| obverse col 2 7' | Regarding my field, I did not send (you?) as one charged with the task(?) to hoe it |
| obverse col 2 8' | Regarding my field, I did not send (you?) as one charged with the task(?) to sow/cultivate it |
| obverse col 2 9' | I did not send (you?) as a messenger (charged with a task?) to do a task(?) (or?) to hoe |
| obverse col 2 10' | Come! After you do the work, eat food |
| obverse col 2 11' | Because of who I am, (I) have not spoken to you (about this) |
| obverse col 2 12' | Because of who you are, you have not done the task (but) you did eat the food(?) |
| obverse col 2 13' | When a person like you does(?) a task |
| obverse col 2 14' | His father and mother will eat food |
| obverse col 2 15' | If you observe the ... of my colleagues |
| obverse col 2 16' | Like (i.e., each one of?) them, ten gur of barley apiece |
| obverse col 2 17' | They place(?) at the head (i.e., provide) |
| obverse col 2 18' | (Even) the tiny ones, the “slave of their(!?) fathers,” ten gur of barley apiece they place(?) at the head (i.e., provide) |
| obverse col 2 19' | The one(s) who increase (the amount of) grain (for) their fathers |
| reverse col 1 1 | They have given/brought(?) barley, oil/butter, and sheep wool(?) |
| reverse col 1 2 | As a man, I(!) exceed you |
| reverse col 1 3 | You are not a man like (each one of) them |
| reverse col 1 4 | My son, their fathers |
| reverse col 1 5 | Dispatched their children/juniors charged with a task(?) |
| reverse col 1 6 | My(!?) inferior(?), like them |
| reverse col 1 7 | They do not compare with you in (the performance of) assigned tasks(?) |
| reverse col 1 8 | Excessive (is) my exertion for you |
| reverse col 1 9 | Who is it that has exerted himself for his son more that I? |
| reverse col 1 10 | My words which I recite to you (are as follows?) |
| reverse col 1 11 | It has not (previously been the case?)! Have fear! It has not (previously been the case?)! Have shame! |
| reverse col 1 12 | Your companion, with whom you are standing in the same yoke |
| reverse col 1 13 | ... your comrade, your friend, you do not observe them |
| reverse col 1 14 | Why do you not assimilate with them? |
| reverse col 1 15 | It has not (previously been the case?)! (Now) assimilate with (your) “big brothers” |
| reverse col 1 16 | It has not (previously been the case?)! (Now) assimilate with (your) “little brothers” |
| reverse col 1 17 | From the (ranks of) skilled humanity that resides in the land(?) |
| reverse col 1 18 | Come!(!?) Enki (himself) has discovered that(?) nothing that has a name (among them) |
| reverse col 1 19 | Is as painstaking as the assigned task(?) of the place of(?) scribal art |
| reverse col 1 20 | Nothing that could be named(?), except for the art of the musician |
| reverse col 1 21 | Like the shores of the sea, where one shore is separated far away from the other |
| reverse col 1 22 | Thus the content of the art of the musician is esoteric |
| reverse col 2 1 | You can be idle(?) for eternity |
| reverse col 2 2 | Greatly your “that which is released” has been enlarged(?) |
| reverse col 2 3 | Because your ... reputation has not been smitten(?) |
| reverse col 2 4 | Because (your?) reputation has not been beaten into the dust(?) |
| reverse col 2 5 | Because of what has been destroyed(?) I will recite to you (the following(?)) for my benefit(?) |
| reverse col 2 7 | What now to do?(!?) |
| reverse col 2 8 | That which I did was not ... |
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' | [...]-x-da#?-ne# igi nam-bar-bar-en he2-sun5-ne-en# | |
| 2' | [...] ni2 he2-em-te-ge26# | |
| 3' | [...] ugula#-zu ki ha-ra-an-ag2 | |
| 4' | [...] {lu2}tab-ba-zu di-da-ne# | |
| 5' | [...] nam-ba-an-na#-gi4-gi4-[de3] | |
| 6' | [...] x x [...]-de3# | |
| 7' | [...]-de3-esz2 | |
| 8' | [...]-en | |
| 9' | [...]-e3# | |
| obverse col 2 | ||
| 1' | [...] x [...] | |
| 2' | [...]-en-na-ta gesz-gi gi# [...] kin2-gi4#-a ba-ra#-[szi-...] | |
| 3' | [...] di4-di4-la2 tur-tur-ra-ke4-ne i-im-[...] | |
| 4' | [...]-en#-na-ta nu-mu-e-il2 | |
| 5' | [...] egir# gu4-da-ka gub-ba? ba-ra#?-[...] | |
| 6' | [...] us2#?-de3#? kin2-gi4-a ba-ra-szi-[...] | |
| 7' | [...]-gu10#-usz al ke3-de3 kinx(UR4)-gi4-a ba-ra-[szi-...] | |
| 8' | a#-sza3#-gu10-usz uru4{+ru}-de3# kinx(UR4)-gi4-[a ba-ra-szi-...] | |
| 9' | kin2# sza4#! al ak-de3 kinx(UR4)#-gi4-[a ba-ra-szi-...] | |
| 10' | gen-na kin2 sza4 u3-mu-e-ak ninda gu7#?-[...] | |
| 11' | ga2-e al-me-en-na-ta ba-ra-ra-du11# | |
| 12' | za-e al-me-en-na-ta kinx(UR4) sza4 nu-mu-e-ak ninda [...] | |
| 13' | lu2 za-gin7-na-ke4 kin2 sza4 u3-mu-e#-[ak] | |
| 14' | ad-da-ni u3 ama-ni ninda i3-ib-gu7#?-[...] | |
| 15' | tukumbi nig2-szu gi4-me-asz-gu10-ne-ka igi bi2#?-[...] | |
| 16' | [e]-ne-ne-gin7-nam u sze gur-ta-am3# | |
| 17' | [...]-ga2#? ib2-si-ge-esz | |
| 18' | [...] sag# ad-da#-GISZGAL#?-ne-ke4 u sze gur-ta-a sag-ga2 ib2-si-ge-esz | |
| 19' | [...]-ne#-ne sze bi2-in-tah-a | |
| reverse col 1 | ||
| 1 | sze i3 siki# udu#!? [...]-x-x-[...] | |
| 2 | diri-zu lu2-lu7# i3-me-en | |
| 3 | e-ne-ne-gin7-nam lu2-lu7 nu-me-en | |
| 4 | dumu-gu10 ad#-da-ad-da-ne-ne# | |
| 5 | lu2-tur-ne#-ne kin2-gi4-a in-gi4-[...] | |
| 6 | a-ga-x e-ne-e-ne-gin7#-[nam] | |
| 7 | kin2#-gi4#-[a] gi4-gi4-bi nu-mu-e-x-[...] | |
| 8 | [...]-kusz2-a#-[...] | |
| 9 | [...]-x dumu-ni#?-[...] | |
| 10 | [...]-ab-x-[...] | |
| 11 | [...] in-nu tesz2# [...] | |
| 12 | [...] {gesz#}szudul4 dili-a i3-su8-ge-za#?-[...] | |
| 13 | [...] x-GI gu5!-li du10-us2-sa-zu igi nu-mu#-[...] | |
| 14 | [...] nu-mu-un-na-ab-si-ge#-[...] | |
| 15 | [...]-ne# si-ge2-na#-ab# | |
| 16 | [...]-ne si-ge2-na#!?-ab# | |
| 17 | [...] gaszam#?-ta ma-da ab-tusz-a# | |
| 18 | [...] nig2-nam mu sze21-a | |
| 19 | [... nam-dub]-sar#-gin7 al#-gig ga-na mu-ni#?-[...] | |
| 20 | [...] tukumbi# nam-nar [...] | |
| 21 | [...]-x bad#?-bad-ra2# | |
| 22 | [...] al#?-[...] | |
| reverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | [...] e?-NE-dag? | |
| 2 | [...]-ra#-zux(SU) ba-ab-gu-ul# | |
| 3 | [...] x-x-sag3-sag3-ge-esz | |
| 4 | [...]-ub#?-dub2#?-dub2#?-da-ke4-esz | |
| 5 | [...] x NI# ma-ab-szid-de3-en | |
| 6 | [...]-ge-esz | |
| 7 | [...] x ri i ak | |
| 8 | [...]-x-ak#-gu10 nu-SZE3# | |
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.