CDLI Literary 000359, ex. 001 (P355681)
Literary, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000359, ex. 001 |
|---|---|
| ID | P355681 |
| Museum no. | BM 120011 |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | uncertain (mod. uncertain) |
English translation
By CDLI · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:1] o 1o 1–o 1o 1 | Old man gave advice - old man gave advice: |
| Obverse [1:2] o 22–o 22 | When the rain had fallen and the wall was destroyed, |
| Obverse [2:3] o 33–o 33 | when fiery shards were raining down, |
| Obverse [3:4] o 44–o 44 | when one man confronted another, turning against him, |
| Obverse [4:5] o 55–o 55 | when there was copulating - he also copulated. |
| Obverse [5:6] o 66–o 66 | When there was kissing - he also kissed. |
| Obverse [6:7] o 77–o 77 | When the rain said: I want to rain! |
| Obverse [7:8] o 88–o 88 | When the wall said: I want to rain! |
| Obverse [8:9] o 99–o 99 | When the flood said: I want to sweep over! |
| Obverse [9:10] o 1010–o 1010 | Heaven talked and earth gave birth. |
| Obverse [10:11] o 1111–o 1111 | She also gave birth to the šumunda grass. |
| Obverse [11:12] o 1212–o 1212 | Earth gave birth and heaven talked, |
| Obverse [12:13] o 1313–o 1313 | she also gave birth to the šumunda grass |
| Obverse [13:14] o 1414–o 1414 | His luxurious reeds were set on fire. |
| Obverse [15:16] o 1616–o 1616 | The old woman who had survived that day, |
| Obverse [16:17] o 1717–o 1717 | The old man who had survived that day, |
| Obverse [17:18] o 1818–o 1818 | the chief gala singer who had survived that day, |
| Obverse [18:19] o 1919–o 1919 | whoever had survived the flood |
| Obverse [19:20] o 2020–o 2020 | the šumunda grass killed their labor, |
| Obverse [20:21] o 2121–o 2121 | it killed their labor, made them sit in the dust. |
| Obverse [21:22] o 2222–o 2222 | The sumunda grass was on fire, it is not made into bundles. |
| Obverse [22:23] o 2323–o 2323 | The grass cannot be shaken, the grass cannot be loosened. |
| Obverse [23:24] o 2424–o 2424 | The grass cannot be loosened, he planted it for me! |
| Obverse [24:25] o 2525–o 2525 | Now it stands, now it lies down. |
| Obverse [25:26] o 2626–o 2626 | Once he sets fire, he spreads it wide. |
| Obverse [26:27] o 2727–o 2727 | The sumunda grass' place is in the brackish waters. |
| Obverse [27:28] o 2828–o 2828 | He butts about: "I will start, I will start a fire." |
| Obverse [28:29] o 2929–o 2929 | He set fire to the base of the Eana. |
| Obverse [29:30] o 3030–o 3030 | He was held, he was bound. |
| Obverse [30:31] o 3131–o 3131 | After he had (this speech) in his mouth, |
| Obverse [31:32] o 3232–o 3232 | Gašanana fetched a raven and put it on top of him. |
| Obverse [32:33] o 3333–o 3333 | The shepherd abandoned his sheep in their stall. |
| Obverse [33:34] o 3434–o 3434 | He fetched a raven for Gašanana. |
| Obverse [34:35] o 3535–o 3535 | When the rain had fallen and the wall was destroyed, |
| Obverse [35:36] o 3636–o 3636 | when fiery shards were raining down, |
| Obverse [36:37] o 3737–o 3737 | Dumuzi confronted him. |
| Obverse [37:38] o 3838–o 3838 | The rain had rained and the wall was demolished. |
| Obverse [38:39] o 3939–o 3939 | The stall was destroyed and the sheepfold torn out. |
| Obverse [39:40] o 4040–o 4040 | In the river an evil flood was cast, |
| Obverse [40:41] o 4141–o 4141 | In the marches an evil wind was cast, |
| Obverse [41:42] o 4242–o 4242 | ... of the Tigris and the Euphrates |
| Obverse [42:43] o 4343–o 4343 | At the Tigris and the Euphrates long grass grew. |
| Obverse [43:44] o 4444–o 4444 | ... long grass |
| Reverse [2:3] r 77–r 77 | It cannot be bundled, one [cannot make] it tremble. |
| Reverse [3:4] r 88–r 88 | The sumunda grass which is to be set on fire ... |
| Reverse [4:5] r 99–r 99 | The sumunda grass, set on fire he planted [for me]. |
| Reverse [5:6] r 1010–r 1010 | Set on fire, he planted it for me and he asks for her. |
| Reverse [6:7] r 1111–r 1111 | The fuller who cleaned her garments (asks for) Gašanana. |
| Reverse [7:8] r 1212–r 1212 | The carpenter who gave her a spindle to hold in her hand (asks for) Gašanana. |
| Reverse [8:9] r 1313–r 1313 | The potter who pinched off (clay) for a one-liter pot (asks for) Gašanana. |
| Reverse [9:10] r 1414–r 1414 | This potter gave her a shiny bowl; the shepherd brought her his sheep. |
| Reverse [10:11] r 1515–r 1515 | The shepherd brought her his sheep and asks for her. |
| Reverse [11:12] r 1616–r 1616 | He brought her kazal plants, kazal plants as if it were harvest. |
| Reverse [12:13] r 1717–r 1717 | Her voice reached heaven, her voice reached earth. |
| Reverse [13:14] r 1818–r 1818 | Her voiced covered the entire horizon like a garment, was spread over it like a linen cloth. |
| Reverse [14:15] r 1919–r 1919 | She hurled ... at the head of the sumunda plant. |
| Reverse [15:16] r 2020–r 2020 | Sumunda your name ... |
| Reverse [16:17] r 2121–r 2121 | You are a plant ... |
| Reverse [17:18] r 2222–r 2222 | A plant of hate ... |
| Reverse [18:19] r 2323–r 2323 | My spouse ... |
Transliteration (ATF)
From 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)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| o | ||
| 1 | ab-ba na mu-un-de ab-ba na mu-⸢un⸣-[de] | |
| 2 | im ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba e₂-gar₈ ba-gul-⸢la⸣-[ba] | |
| 3 | ⸢šika⸣ bar₇-bar₇-ra ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba | |
| 4 | lu₂-ra lu₂ gi₄-ba gaba ba-ri-a-ba | |
| 5 | ⸢mu⸣ ba-dug₄-ga-ba in-ga-an-dug₄ | |
| 6 | še(MU) ba-su-ub-ba-ba in-ga-an-su-ub | |
| 7 | ud im-e ŋa₂-e ga-šeŋ₃ im-mi-in-dug₄-ga-⸢ba⸣ | |
| 8 | ud e₂-gar₈-e ŋa₂-e ⸢ga⸣-šeŋ₃ im-mi-in-dug₄-ga-⸢ba⸣ | |
| 9 | ud a-ma-ru ŋa₂-e ga-ur₃-ur₃ im-mi-in-dug₄-ga-⸢ba⸣ | |
| 10 | an in-dug₄ ki in-tu-ud | |
| 11 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} in-ga-an-tu-⸢ud⸣ | |
| 12 | ⸢ki⸣ in-tu-ud an in-dug₄ | |
| 13 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} in-ga-an-tu-ud | |
| 14 | gi lum-lum-ma-ni izi ba-an-la₂-⸢la₂⸣ | |
| 15 | ri-a-ri-a-bi(GA) gaba ba-ri-a-bi | |
| 16 | um-ma ud-da ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | |
| 17 | ab-ba ud-da ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | |
| 18 | gala-mah mu-da ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | |
| 19 | mu-lu a-ma-ru-ta ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | |
| 20 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} kiŋ₂-⸢gi₄⸣-a ba-an-gaz | |
| 21 | ⸢kiŋ₂⸣-gi₄-a ba-⸢an⸣-gaz ⸢sahar⸣-tu₁₁-be₂ ba-tuš | |
| 22 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} izi la₂-la₂ am₃-me u₂-du₃-a-ni nu-ub-be₂ | |
| 23 | u₂ nu-⸢mu⸣-dub₂-dub₂-be₂ u₂ nu-mu-bur₂-bur₂-re | |
| 24 | u₂ nu-mu-bur₂-bur₂-re ma-a-ra ma-an-du₃ | |
| 25 | tukum mu-⸢un⸣-gub-be₂ tukum mu-un-nu₂-⸢e⸣ | |
| 26 | izi um-ma-an-sig₁₀ daŋal-ba ŋen-na-ni | |
| 27 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} ki gub-ba-ni a-a mun₄-na | |
| 28 | izi ga-ba-ŋar ga-ba-ŋar im-ma-ni-in-du₇-⸢e⸣ | |
| 29 | ur₂ e₂-an-na-ke₄ izi im-ma-ni-ri | |
| 30 | šu im-ma-ni-in-du₃ šu im-ma-ni-in-la₂ | |
| 31 | ka-ka-na um-ma-da-ŋal₂-la | |
| 32 | ga-ša-an-an-na uga(|U₂.NAGA|){mušen} ba-e-dab₅ ugu-ni-še₃ ba-⸢gub⸣ | |
| 33 | sipa-de₃ e-ze₂-ni ma-a-a-ba mu-da-ab-šub | |
| 34 | ga-ša-an-an-na-ra uga{mušen} ba-e-dab₅-ba | |
| 35 | im ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba e₂-gar₈ ba-gul-la-ba | |
| 36 | šika bar₇-bar₇-ra ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba | |
| 37 | {⸢d⸣}dumu-zi-de₃ gaba ba-ri-a-bi | |
| 38 | ⸢im⸣ ba-da-šeŋ₃ e₂-gar₈ ba-da-⸢gul⸣ | |
| 39 | ⸢tur₃⸣ ba-da-gul amaš ba-da-bur₁₂ | |
| 40 | ⸢id₂⸣-da a-ŋi₆ hul ba-an-da-⸢šub⸣ | |
| 41 | ⸢ambar⸣-ra ⸢tu₁₅⸣ hul ba-an-da-šub | |
| 42 | ⸢gu₂ na⸣-aŋ₂ GADA {id₂}idigna {id₂}buranun{ki}ke₄ | |
| 43 | {⸢id₂}idigna⸣ {id₂}buranun{ki}⸢ke₄⸣ u₂ gid₂-da ba-an-⸢mu₂⸣ | |
| 44 | [(x) u₂] ⸢gid₂-da⸣ diŋir-⸢e⸣ aŋ₂ zu-[a] | |
| r | ||
| 5 | [...] {⸢d}dumu⸣-[zi ...] | |
| 6 | x-⸢tuku-hul-bi⸣ [...] | |
| 7 | u₂-du₃-a-ni ⸢nu⸣-ub-be₂ ⸢u₂⸣ [nu-mu-dub₂]-⸢dub₂⸣-be₂ | |
| 8 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} izi la₂-e-⸢da⸣ [...]-x | |
| 9 | {u₂}sumunda{⸢sar⸣} izi la₂-am₃ [ma-an]-⸢du₃⸣ | |
| 10 | izi la₂-am₃ ma-an-du₃ en₃ ⸢mu-un-na⸣-tar-re | |
| 11 | ga-ša-an-⸢an⸣-na-ra {lu₂}azlag₂ tug₂-ga-ni dan₃-dan₃-na | |
| 12 | ga-ša-an-an-na nagar {ŋeš}bala-a šu bi₂-in-dab₅-ba | |
| 13 | ⸢ga⸣-ša-an-an-na bahar₂-e {⸢dug⸣}sila₃ am₃-kir₃-kir₃ | |
| 14 | ⸢bahar₂⸣-bi utul₂ kug mu-un-na-an-šum₂ sipa-de₃ e-ze₂-ni mu-na-ab-ga | |
| 15 | sipa-de₃ e-ze₂-ni mu-na-ab-ga en₃ mu-un-na-tar-re | |
| 16 | {u₂}ka-zal {u₂}ka-zal buru₁₄-gin₇ mu-na-ab-ga | |
| 17 | gu₃ an-e ba-te gu₃ ki-še₃ ba-te | |
| 18 | gu₃ šu-niŋin₂-na-ni an-ur₂-ra tug₂-gin₇ ⸢im-mi-in⸣-dul gada-gin₇ im-mi-in-bur₂ | |
| 19 | ⸢saŋ⸣-du {u₂}sumunda{sar}ke₄ ⸢IM⸣ [...] x-x bi₂-in-šub | |
| 20 | {u₂}sumunda{sar} mu-⸢zu⸣ [...]-⸢gul⸣-e | |
| 21 | u₂ he₂-me-en [...]-x | |
| 22 | u₂ ⸢hul-gig⸣-ga [...]-x | |
| 23 | ⸢mu-ud-na-ŋu₁₀⸣ x-[...] | |
| 24 | ⸢šul⸣ [...] | |
| 1' | x [...] | |
| 2' | ⸢hul⸣ [...] | |
| 3' | ⸢šag₄⸣ [...] | |
| 4' | šag₄ [...] | |
| 5' | a [...] | |
| 6' | 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.