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CDLI Literary 000561, ex. 016 & 000562, ex. 008 & 000760, ex. 065 (P356633)
Literary letter and letter-prayer, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000561, ex. 016 & 000562, ex. 008 & 000760, ex. 065 |
|---|---|
| ID | P356633 |
| Museum no. | IM 058416 ? (s. OIM A30231) |
| Collection | National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary letter and letter-prayer |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
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)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| o i | ||
| 1 | ⸢e⸣ {ŋeš}al-e {⸢ŋeš⸣}al-e {ŋeš}al-e sa la₂-e | “The hoe, the hoe! The hoe is bound! |
| 2 | {ŋeš}al-e {ŋeš}asar₂ ⸢zu₂ ma⸣-nu-e | The hoe, the gardener, the ešû-bird, the marsh |
| 3 | {ŋeš}al {ŋeš}šeneg zu₂ ŋeš ab-ba-ke₄ | The hoe, the horn of the tooth, the tongue of the sea |
| 4 | {ŋeš}al-e zu₂ 2-e zu₂ 4-e | The hoe, the second, the fourth, |
| 5 | {ŋeš}al-e dumu uku₂-ra ša₃ niŋ₂-dara₂ kar(TE-)re | The hoe, the son of Uku, the ša nidara |
| 6 | {ŋeš}al-e {ŋeš}apin-na a-da-min₃ du₁₁-ga | The hoe, the plowman, the equalizer |
| 7 | {ŋeš}al-e {ŋeš}apin du₁₁ ga-⸢na⸣ ga-nam-mi-ŋar | The hoe, the plowman, I want to go up, I will come up. |
| 8 | {ŋeš}al-e {ŋeš}apin-na ⸢gu₃⸣ am₃-ma-de₂ | The hoe cries out in the plow |
| 9 | {ŋeš}apin i₃-gid₂-de₃-en gid₂-da-zu nam-MU | The plow is long, what is your length? |
| 10 | i₃-lagab-be₂-en lagab-ba-zu ⸢nam-MU⸣ | You are a lagab priestess, your lapis lazuli is a nammu-priestess |
| 11 | a u₃-ba i₃-ib-e₃ nu-⸢mu⸣-e-da-uš₂-e | Woe, the storm came out, but I did not approach. |
| 12 | sahar {ŋeš}dubsig-e nu-mu-e-da-si-si | The dust of the šubsig drum does not cool down. |
| 13 | im nu-lu₃(BARA₂-)e šeg₁₂ nu-⸢du₃⸣-e | The clay is not poured out, the brickwork is not built |
| 14 | uš ki nu-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ e₂ nu-du₃-du₃-e | The earth does not rest, the house does not build |
| 15 | eŋar šumun-e ur₂-⸢bi⸣ nu-us₂-e | The lord does not go up to its base |
| 16 | ur₃ lu₂ zi-da-ke₄ e₂ nu-um-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ | The roof of the righteous man is not torn down. |
| 17 | {⸢ŋeš⸣}apin sila daŋal-la ⸢si⸣ nu-um-sa₂-sa₂-e | The plowman, in the narrow street, does not set up the esî-house. |
| 18 | {⸢ŋeš⸣}apin i₃-gid₂-de₃-⸢en⸣ gid₂-da-zu nam-MU | The plowman is long, what is your length? |
| 19 | [i₃]-lagab-be₂-en lagab-ba-⸢zu nam-MU⸣ | If you are a lagab priestess, do not call yourself a lugab priest |
| 20 | {[ŋeš]}apin-e {ŋeš}al-⸢e gu₃ am₃-ma⸣-de₂ | The plowman shouts at the hoe |
| 21 | [x]-e {ŋeš}apin a₂ gal-e ⸢dim₂⸣-ma ⸢šu gal⸣-e ; keše₂-da | The ... of the plow, the great arms, the ešimmu-house and the great e’e-house are bound. |
| 22 | [...] ⸢mah⸣ {d}en-lil₂-⸢la₂-me-en⸣ | I am the great ešumaḫ temple of Enlil |
| 23 | [...]-⸢lu₂⸣-[...] | ...-elu-e- |
| o ii | ||
| 1 | nam-lu₂-lu₇ im-⸢da⸣-[...] | Humanity ... with him |
| 2 | maš₂-anše lu-a {d}šagan₂-⸢na⸣ [...] | The wild goats of Šagan-emana-e23 |
| 3 | {ŋeš}al hulu-bi buru₃-⸢da zu₂ hulu-bi sir₂⸣-ra | The hoe, whose evil is in the buru’eda canal, its evil is the šerû canal |
| 4 | {ŋeš}al ⸢im⸣-ma kiŋ₂-⸢ŋa₂⸣ la₂-a | The hoe is a lion, he is confined to the place of the hoe |
| 5 | {ŋeš}al a-ša₃-ga saŋ-bi ⸢ŋar-ra⸣ | The herdsman of the field, whose soil is barren |
| 6 | {ŋeš}al u₃-šub-ba im u₄ zal-e lu₂ nu-luh-ha | The hoe, in the midst of the storm, the clay that passes the day, the one who is not pacified |
| 7 | pu₂ ba-al har ba-al lu₂ en₃-⸢dur⸣-ra ba-al | The well is irrigated, the net is inspected, the man to the “Endur-eša-temple’s house is being inspected. |
| 8 | {ŋeš}LAGAB uku₂-ra-ba šu nam-⸢para₁₀-ka nu-tum₂-ma⸣ | The lagar priestess of the assembly did not bring the hand of the epara priesthood |
| 9 | šu urdu₂ nam-lu₂-lu₂-ka saŋ me-te-aš bi₂-ib-du₁₁(NE) | The hand of the herdsman of humanity was uttered in a fitting manner |
| 10 | ze₄-⸢e⸣ ŋar-ra in ge₁₇ mu-e-tub₂ | She screamed bitterly. |
| 11 | ni₂-zu ŋa₂-da mu-da-ab-sa₂-e | (Sum) Your fearsomeness overwhelms the land(?) (Akk) You make your fearfulness overwhelm the land |
| 12 | edin-še₃ e₃-mu-da igi mu-un-du₈-a | When he came out from the steppe, he looked at him. |
| 13 | {ŋeš}apin hur ba-al-ba-al in-ši mu-e-tub₂ | The plow is surrounded by a mountain range, it has rained down. |
| 14 | {ŋeš}apin-e {ŋeš}al-e gu₃ am₃-ma-de₂-e | The plowman shouts at the hoe |
| 15 | {ŋeš}apin tur-ra-ŋu₁₀ nam-MU buluŋ₃-ŋa₂-ŋu₁₀ nam-MU ; piš₁₀ ŋal₂-la-ŋu₁₀ nam-MU | “If a plow is small, what is my fate? If it is a bull’s-mouth, what am I? |
| 16 | ki {d}en-lil₂-la₂-ka dub-saŋ-zu ⸢ŋe₂₆-e-me-en⸣ | In the place of Enlil, you are your scribe |
| 17 | e₂ {d}en-lil₂-la₂-ke₄ igi-še₃ ma-ra-ab-gub-⸢be₂⸣-[x] | The temple of Enlil stood before you |
| 18 | eg₂ i₃-AK-en pa₅ i₃-AK-⸢en⸣ | “What have I done? I have done, what have I accomplished? |
| 19 | a-gar₃-a-gar₃-re a ⸢um⸣-[...] | In the meadows, the water of the eumum plant |
| 20 | ŋeš-ge₄-ŋeš-⸢ge₄⸣-[...] | “If he slips through the cracks of the door, |
| 21 | {ŋeš}dubsig ⸢tur⸣-[...] | The scribal art is the small one |
| 22 | i₇ ⸢u₃⸣-[...] | the E-e-[... canal] |
| r i | ||
| 1’ | ⸢mu-ni-x x x⸣-u₃-⸢ne⸣ [...] | “If he ..., if he does not ... |
| 2’ | {⸢a}(PA.PAD⸣-)a-ni mu-na-⸢ab⸣-[...] | His temple he had built for him |
| 3’ | ⸢ŋuruš-ra⸣ dam dumu-ni ⸢a₂ mu⸣-[...] | The e’e-buruš-ra'e-priest, his wife and children |
| 4’ | {⸢ŋeš⸣}ma₂-lah₅-ra kir₃(LAGAB) ⸢x⸣-[...] | In the “house of the boatman’s chariotry, the ... of the shipyard |
| 5’ | {ŋeš}ma₂-gur₈ {ŋeš}ma₂-gi₄-[...] | The barge, the barge |
| 6’ | {⸢ŋeš⸣}ma₂-lah₅-ra [...] | The sailor, the boatman |
| 7’ | lugal-ra {ŋeš}kiri₆ mu-⸢na⸣-[...] | For the king the orchards were planted for him |
| 8’ | {ŋeš}kiri₆ u₃-mu-un-niŋen₂ ⸢im-du₃⸣-[x] ⸢za₃⸣-[...] u₃-⸢x-(x)-si₃-ge | The orchardist ... the incantation “Imdu-e..., Ištar-Za’e... |
| 9’ | uŋ₃-e šu ⸢im-ma-an-ti⸣ | Hand of Immanti-e23 |
| 10’ | pu₂-⸢bi u₃-mu-ba-al mu-gu₂ x⸣-[...] | Its well he filled, he ... its ... |
| 11’ | {ŋeš}zi-⸢ri₂-gum u₃-bi₂-du₃ sar-sar im-sa₂-sa₂⸣-e | Zi’erigum built and planted a garden. |
| 12’ | ŋe₂₆-e-me-en ⸢sar⸣-sar-re ⸢u₃-x x x x-ge⸣ | You are the one who ... the garden plots |
| 13’ | {ŋeš}hašhur u₃-buluŋ₃-ŋa₂ ⸢niŋ₂-sa-ha⸣ [...]-⸢DU⸣ | “If he slips through the cracks of the roof beams, |
| 14’ | niŋ₂-sa-ha-bi e₂ diŋir-re-⸢e-ne⸣-[ka me]-⸢te⸣-aš im-mi-ŋal₂ | He carried off its niŋsaḫi in the temple of the intercessors. |
| 15’ | nu-{ŋeš}⸢kiri₆-ke₄ dam⸣ dumu-ni ⸢a₂ mu⸣-[x]-⸢da⸣-aŋ₂-e | The orchardist ... his wife and child. |
| 16’ | i₇-⸢da⸣ {ŋeš}keše₂-da u₃-mu-[x] ⸢ŋiri₃⸣ ; si ⸢im⸣-ma-sa₂ | In the Ida’eda canal, in the Keše canal ... |
| 17’ | ki-ba an-za-gara₃ <gu₂>-ba [...]-du₃ | On that place, the Anzagara, on its throne |
| r ii | ||
| 1’ | ⸢mah-bi⸣ gu₂-zu ⸢nam⸣-[...] | Its great temple, your neck is the temple of lordship |
| 2’ | {ŋeš}al-e {d}nisaba ugula-a-ni na-⸢nam {d}nisaba⸣ ; NU-banda₃-⸢a-ni <na>-nam⸣ | The hoe, Nisaba, his overseer, is indeed (the one) who entrusted to Nisab his captain is indeed. |
| 3’ | dub-sar-e kiŋ₂ šu-mu-ra-ab-il₂ ⸢kiŋ₂ šu-mu-;-ra-ab-x⸣ | Scribe, raise your hand to the earth, lift your head to the E-house |
| 4’ | {ŋeš}al-e 5 giŋ₄ {ŋeš}al-e 10 giŋ₄ ⸢niŋ₂-ka₉⸣ | The hoe is 5 reeds, the hoe (is) 10 rēni-ka’e-trees. |
| 5’ | {ŋeš}al-e 1/3 ma-na {ŋeš}al-e 1/2 ma-na niŋ₂-ka₉ ha-⸢x⸣ | The hoe shall weigh 1/3 mina, the hoe should weigh 1/2 mina. |
| 6’ | geme₂-gen₇ gub-ba eš₂-gar₃ i₃-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ | Like a female worker stationed at the ešĝara station |
| 7’ | {ŋeš}al-e {ŋeš}apin-na a-da-min₃ du₁₁-ga | The hoe, the plowman, the equalizer |
| 8’ | {ŋeš}al-e {ŋeš}apin-na diri-ga-bi | The hoe and the plow are surpassing |
| 9’ | {d}nisaba za₃-mim | Nisaba, praise! |
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 2026-10-18.