BMS 04 K 08105 (P397492)
Prayer, Neo-Assyrian, Nineveh · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
Open in the reader & map →See it among all tablets
| Designation | BMS 04 K 08105 |
|---|---|
| ID | P397492 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Prayer |
| Find spot | Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) |
| Coordinates | 36.3582, 43.1621 |
English translation
By King, Leonard W. · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [2:3] o 3'3'–o 3'3' | The prince and governor [. . .] |
| Obverse [3:4] o 4'4'–o 4'4' | . . . the one who sees me [. . .] |
| Obverse [4:5] o 5'5'–o 5'5' | May [praise] be placed in the mouth of the people. |
| Obverse [5:6] o 6'6'–o 6'6' | [P]ut consent, attention, and peace in [my] mouth. |
| Obverse [6:7] o 7'7'–o 7'7' | O Ea, decree(?) favor for me in your heart. |
| Obverse [7:8] o 8'8'–o 8'8' | It is the wording of a lifted-hand prayer to Ea. |
| Obverse [8:9] o 9'9'–o 9'9' | Incantation: Damkina, queen of all the gods, most high, |
| Obverse [9:10] o 10'10'–o 10'10' | Wife of Ea, you (are) valliant! |
| Obverse [10:11] o 11'11'–o 11'11' | Irnina, queen of all the gods, most high; wife of Ea, you (are) valliant! |
| Obverse [11:12] o 12'12'–o 12'12' | You are greatest among the gods; [your] cultic rites are most high. |
| Obverse [12:13] o 13'13'–o 13'13' | You are the sage of the Anunnaki, who comprehends the I[gigi], |
| Obverse [13:14] o 14'14'–o 14'14' | The [la]dy of the E-engur, the cherished one of the temple sanctuary, |
| Obverse [14:15] o 15'15'–o 15'15' | [. . .] of expert Ea, who dwells in the Apsu, lady of heaven and [earth]. |
| Obverse [15:16] o 16'16'–o 16'16' | [I, so-and-so], son of so-and-so, [your] weak (and) exhausted servant, |
| Obverse [16:17] o 17'17'–o 17'17' | [On account of the evil] of a lunar [eclipse], which [occurred] in the month so-and-so (and) day [so-and-so], |
| Obverse [17:18] o 18'18'–o 18'18' | [On account of the evil of portents] (and) omens, [unpleasant] (and) unfavorable, |
| Obverse [18:19] o 19'19'–o 19'19' | [Which] are present [in my palace and] my [land], a severe illness [. . .] |
| Obverse [19:20] o 20'20'–o 20'20' | [. . .] tongue [. . .] |
| Obverse [21:22] o 22'22'–o 22'22' | [. . .] my arms are bound. |
| Obverse [22:23] o 23'23'–o 23'23' | [. . .] turn your neck, which is angry with [me]. |
| Obverse [23:24] o 24'24'–o 24'24' | [. . . re]vive your servant. |
| Obverse [24:25] o 25'25'–o 25'25' | [. . .]; accept my prayer. |
| Obverse [25:26] o 26'26'–o 26'26' | [. . .]; may the one who does not fear his (personal) god and (personal) goddess lea[rn] from my experience (lit. see by my hand). |
| Obverse [26:27] o 27'27'–o 27'27' | [. . .] I have experienced (lit. seen) [your] punishment. |
| Obverse [27:28] o 28'28'–o 28'28' | [. . .]; may the heavens rejoice over you (and) the Apsu be glad on account of you. |
| Obverse [28:29] o 29'29'–o 29'29' | [May the great gods of the totality bless] you; may the great gods plea[se] your heart. |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1'r 1'–r 1'r 1' | [. . .] hear [. . .] |
| Reverse [1:2] r 2'2'–r 2'2' | [. . .]. May my speech please [you]. |
| Reverse [2:3] r 3'3'–r 3'3' | [. . .] the one who fears [you]. |
| Reverse [3:4] r 4'4'–r 4'4' | I have seen [. . .]. May I indeed prosper. |
| Reverse [4:5] r 5'5'–r 5'5' | [. . .] me. Remove my guilt; for[give] (my) offence. |
| Reverse [5:6] r 6'6'–r 6'6' | [. . .]; absolve my negli[gence]. |
| Reverse [6:7] r 7'7'–r 7'7' | [. . . may they respect] me; may they intercede (for me), |
| Reverse [7:8] r 8'8'–r 8'8' | that I may [. . .] (and) reso[und] your praises. |
| Reverse [8:9] r 9'9'–r 9'9' | [It is the wording of] a lifted-hand prayer to Ninurta. |
| Reverse [9:10] r 10'10'–r 10'10' | [Incantation: O Gu]la, most exalted lady, who dwells in the heavens [of Anu], |
| Reverse [10:11] r 11'11'–r 11'11' | Merciful [god]dess, who gives li[fe], |
| Reverse [11:12] r 12'12'–r 12'12' | [Whose gl]ancing (is) acceptance; her utterance pea[ce]. |
| Reverse [12:13] r 13'13'–r 13'13' | [I c]all out to you, O lady. Stand and hear [my] speaking. |
| Reverse [13:14] r 14'14'–r 14'14' | Pass (my) verdict; decide (my) case; make right (my) wrongdoing. |
| Reverse [14:15] r 15'15'–r 15'15' | [I turn] to you; I seek you; I lay hold of your hem, like the hem of my (personal) god and [my] (personal) goddess. |
| Reverse [15:16] r 16'16'–r 16'16' | Pass my [ver]dict; decide my case; take no[tice] of my way, |
| Reverse [16:17] r 17'17'–r 17'17' | [Bec]ause you kno[w] (how) to save, to spare, and to rescue, |
| Reverse [17:18] r 18'18'–r 18'18' | [Because] restoring (and) maintaining well-being are within [your] power (lit. with [you]). |
| Reverse [18:19] r 19'19'–r 19'19' | [O lady, in] you I indeed trust. I inv[oke] your name. |
| Reverse [19:20] r 20'20'–r 20'20' | My attention [is on] you. Save me that I may reso[und] your divinity. |
| Reverse [20:21] r 21'21'–r 21'21' | Receive [the lifting of] my hand; accept [my] prayer. |
| Reverse [21:22] r 22'22'–r 22'22' | [Let me s]end you to my angry (personal) god (and) my ang[ry] (personal) goddess, |
| Reverse [22:23] r 23'23'–r 23'23' | [to the god of] my city, who is irrate, whose heart is furious with [me]. |
| Reverse [23:24] r 24'24'–r 24'24' | [On account of] a dream and oracle which has been set for me, [and] |
| Reverse [24:25] r 25'25'–r 25'25' | [On account of] the evil of a lunar eclipse, which occurr[ed] in the month so-and-so (and) day so-and-so, |
| Reverse [25:26] r 26'26'–r 26'26' | (On account of) the evil of portents (and) omens, unpleasant (and) unfavorable, |
| Reverse [26:27] r 27'27'–r 27'27' | [Which] are presen[t] in my palace and my land, |
| Reverse [27:28] r 28'28'–r 28'28' | I am afraid, in fear, and constantly frightened. |
| Reverse [28:29] r 29'29'–r 29'29' | By the word of your august command which [is the g]reatest in (all of) Ekur, |
| Reverse [29:30] r 30'30'–r 30'30' | And your firm consent which cannot be changed, |
| Reverse [30:31] r 31'31'–r 31'31' | May my irrate (personal) god return; may my angry (personal) goddess [turn to me]. |
| Reverse [31:32] r 32'32'–r 32'32' | May Marduk c[alm] the god of my city, who was enraged. |
| Reverse [32:33] r 33'33'–r 33'33' | May the one who was infuriated be reconcil[ed to me]. O Gula, most exalted lady, [merciful] mother, |
| Reverse [33:34] r 34'34'–r 34'34' | [. . .] the first-born son of[Ea], |
| Reverse [34:35] r 35'35'–r 35'35' | [. . .] inter[cede] (for me). |
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' | [...] x [...] | |
| 2' | [...] šu₂ [...] | |
| 3' | ⸢NUN⸣ u GIR₃.⸢NITA₂⸣ [...] | |
| 4' | li-piš a-me-ri [...] | |
| 5' | ina KA UN-MEŠ liš-ša₂-kin [ta-nit-ta] | |
| 6' | ⸢an⸣-ni taš-me-e u sa-li-mu [šu]-⸢kun⸣ ina ⸢pi⸣-[ia] | |
| 7' | {[d]}e₂-a ina ŠA₃-bi-ka SIG₅{ti} ši-[im] | |
| 8' | ⸢KA⸣-INIM-MA ŠU-IL₂-LA₂ {d}EN-LIL₂-BAD₃-DA-KAM | |
| 9' | EN₂ {d}dam-ki-na šar-rat DU₃ DINGIR-MEŠ LAL-⸢tu₂⸣ | |
| 10' | al-ti {d}e₂-a qa-rit-tu₂ at-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 11' | {d}ir-ni-na šar-rat DU₃ DINGIR-MEŠ LAL{tu₂} al-ti {d}e₂-a qa-rit-tu₂ at-[ti] | |
| 12' | šur-ba-ti ina DINGIR-MEŠ LAL{u₂} par-ṣu-[ki] | |
| 13' | ⸢NUN⸣.ME{at} {d}GIŠ₂+U mu-da-at {d}i₂-[gi₃-gi₃] | |
| 14' | [be]-let E₂.ENGUR.RA ka-nu-ut e₂ a-[a-ki] | |
| 15' | [x]-⸢x⸣-ti it-pe-še {d}e₂-a a-ši-bat ZU.AB be-let AN u [KI] | |
| 16' | [ana-ku NENNI] A NENNI an-hu šu-ud-lu-⸢pu IR₃⸣-[ki] | |
| 17' | [ina HUL AN.GE₆] {d}3(u) ša₂ ina ITI NENNI U₄ [NENNI GAR{na]} | |
| 18' | [HUL A₂-MEŠ] GISKIM-MEŠ HUL-⸢MEŠ⸣ [NU DU₁₀.GA.MEŠ] | |
| 19' | [ša₂ ina E₂.GAL-MU u KUR]-⸢MU⸣ GAL₂{a} GIG dan-nu [...] | |
| 20' | [...] EME [...] | |
| 21' | [...] ⸢x⸣ IM [...] ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 22' | [...] ⸢ka-sa⸣-a A₂-2(DIŠ)-a-[a] | |
| 23' | [...] ter-ri ki-šad-ki ša₂ is-bu-su ⸢UGU⸣-[MU] | |
| 24' | [... bu]-⸢ul⸣-liṭ-ṭi IR₃-⸢ki⸣ | |
| 25' | [...] ⸢TI⸣{i} un-ni-ni-⸢ia₅⸣ | |
| 26' | [...] ⸢la⸣ pa-lih DINGIR-šu₂ u {d}IŠ₈.TAR₂-šu₂ ina ŠU-MU li-[mur] | |
| 27' | [...] a-ta-mar še-ret-[ki] | |
| 28' | [...] ⸢x⸣ AN{u₂} HUL₂-ki ZU.AB SU₃-[ki] | |
| 29' | [DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ ša₂ kiš-ša₂-ti lik-ru-bu]-⸢ki⸣ ⸢DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ⸣ ŠA₃-ki li-⸢ṭib⸣-[bu] | |
| r | ||
| 1' | [...] ⸢ši-ma-a⸣ [...] | |
| 2' | [...] zik-ri li-ṭib ⸢UGU⸣-[ka] | |
| 3' | [...]-u₂ pa-lih-[ka] | |
| 4' | [... a-ta]-⸢mar⸣ lu-še-ra ana-[ku] | |
| 5' | [...]-⸢an⸣-ni an-ni pu-ṭur šer₂-tim pu-[šur] | |
| 6' | [...]-⸢ma⸣ hi-ṭi-ti ru-um-[me] | |
| 7' | [... li-ša₂-qi₂]-ru-in-ni-ma liq-bu-u ⸢SIG₅⸣{[tim]} | |
| 8' | [...] ⸢da₃⸣-li₂-li₂-ka lud-[lul] | |
| 9' | [KA-INIM-MA] ŠU-IL₂-LA₂ {d}NIN-URTA-[KAM] | |
| 10' | [EN₂ {d}gu]-⸢la⸣ GAŠAN šur-bu-tu₂ a-ši-bat AN-e {d}[DIŠ] | |
| 11' | [il]-⸢tum⸣ reme-ni-tum qa-i-šat TI.[LA] | |
| 12' | [ša nap]-⸢lu⸣-us-sa taš-mu-u₂ qi₂-bit-sa ⸢šul⸣-[mu] | |
| 13' | [al]-si-ki GAŠAN i-ziz-zi-ma ši-mi₃-i qa-ba-[a-a] | |
| 14' | [a-na] ⸢di⸣-ni da-ni EŠ.BAR KUD{si} hi-biltu SILIM{[mi]} | |
| 15' | [NIGIN]-⸢ki⸣ a-še-ʾ-ki TUG₂.SIG₂-ki aṣ-bat GIM TUG₂.SIG₂ DINGIR-MU u {d}1(u) 5(diš)-[MU] | |
| 16' | [di]-⸢ni⸣ di-ni EŠ.BAR-a-a KUD{si} a-lak-ti lim-[di] | |
| 17' | [aš]-⸢šum⸣ e-ṭe-ra ga-ma-la šu-zu-ba ti-⸢de⸣-[e] | |
| 18' | [aš-šum] bul-lu-ṭu šul-lu-mu ba-šu-u₂ it-⸢ti⸣-[ki] | |
| 19' | [GAŠAN ana] ⸢ka⸣-a-ši at-kal-ki MU{ki} az₂-[kur] | |
| 20' | [ib-ša₂]-⸢a⸣-ki GEŠTU.2(DIŠ){a-a} eṭ-ri-nin{in}ni-ma DINGIR{ut}ki lud-[lul] | |
| 21' | [ILA₂] ŠU-MU muh-ri-ma TI{i} un-ni-⸢ni⸣-[i] | |
| 22' | [lu-uš]-pur-ki ana DINGIR-MU ze-ni-i {d}IŠ₈.TAR₂-MU ze-⸢ni⸣-[ti] | |
| 23' | [ana DINGIR] URU-MU ša₂ šab-su kam-lu ŠA₃-šu₂ it-⸢ti⸣-[ia] | |
| 24' | [ina] MAŠ₂.GE₆ u bi-ri GAR.GAR{⸢nam⸣}[ma] | |
| 25' | [ina] ⸢HUL⸣ AN.GE₆ {d}3(u) ša₂ ina ITI NENNI U₄ NENNI GAR{[na]} | |
| 26' | ⸢HUL⸣ A₂-MEŠ GISKIM-MEŠ HUL-MEŠ NU DU₁₀.⸢GA⸣-[MEŠ] | |
| 27' | [ša₂] ⸢ina⸣ E₂.GAL-MU u KUR-MU GAL₂{[a]} | |
| 28' | ⸢pal⸣-ha-ku ad-ra-ku u šu-ta-du-ra-[ku] | |
| 29' | ina a-mat qi₂-bi-ti-ki ṣir-ti ša₂ ina E₂.KUR ⸢šur⸣-[bat] | |
| 30' | u an-ni-ki ki-nim ša₂ NU ⸢BAL⸣{[u]} | |
| 31' | ⸢i₃⸣-li₂ šab-su GUR{ra} {d}IŠ₈.TAR₂-MU ze-ni-tu₂ [NIGIN{ra]} | |
| 32' | DINGIR URU-MU {d}AMAR.UTU ša₂ i-gu-ga ⸢li⸣-[nu-ha] | |
| 33' | ⸢ša₂ i-zi-zu BUR₂⸣{[ra]} {⸢d⸣}gu-la GAŠAN šur-bu-tu₂ ⸢AMA⸣ [reme-ni-tum] | |
| 34' | [...] ⸢DUMU⸣ reš-te₉-e ša₂ {[d}e₂-a] | |
| 35' | [...] qi₂-bi-i [SIG₅{ti]} | |
| 36' | [...] ⸢x x 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)
- electronic Babylonian Library (eBL), LMU Munich · MIT (eBL Zenodo dataset); platform terms unverified · electronic Babylonian Library (eBL), LMU Munich, https://www.ebl.lmu.de/ ; Zenodo dataset (MIT)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.