CDLI Literary 000778, ex. 015 (P464127)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000778, ex. 015 |
|---|---|
| ID | P464127 |
| 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 | The lord also made manifest an ancient thing |
| obverse col 1 2 | The lord, in order to never change his decreed fate |
| obverse col 1 3 | The lord, in order to bring out the seed of the land from the earth |
| obverse col 1 4 | He also moved forward to make heaven far apart from earth |
| obverse col 1 5 | He also moved forward to make heaven far apart from earth |
| obverse col 1 6 | In order to make heads grow in (the place where) flesh comes out |
| obverse col 1 7 | He set the axis in place at the bond of heaven and earth |
| obverse col 1 8 | The hoe! He put it in place(?) and sunlight came forth |
| obverse col 1 9 | He created work assignments, (he was) decreeing fate |
| obverse col 1 10 | He was setting in order the labor (of/for) the hoe and the earth-carrying basket |
| obverse col 1 11 | Enlil praised his hoe |
| obverse col 1 12 | His hoe was gold, its head was lapis |
| obverse col 1 13 | His (properly) bound hoe was kumea and gold |
| obverse col 1 14 | His hoe, at the side of its “chisel/needle"(?), its side is of lapis lazuli |
| obverse col 1 15 | Its blade was a battering ram that is to bring down great fortifications |
| obverse col 1 16 | The lord chose(?) the hoe, he was decreeing a fate (for it) |
| obverse col 1 17 | He set the earth/a cone/a passage(?), the holy crown, on (its) head |
| obverse col 1 18 | At (the place where) flesh comes out he dug (with?) the hoe |
| obverse col 1 19 | He placed the head of humanity into the brick-mold |
| obverse col 1 20 | Towards/on behalf of Enlil, his land was splitting its earth(?) |
| obverse col 1 21 | He looked faithfully towards his black-headed people |
| obverse col 1 22 | The Anuna served him |
| obverse col 1 23 | Their hands were on their noses (in submission) |
| obverse col 1 24 | They were pacifying Enlil with what was an arazu prayer |
| obverse col 1 25 | On behalf of the black-headed people(?) they made a request “with him” |
| obverse col 1 26 | The lady who gave birth(!?) to the lord and gave birth(!?) to the king |
| obverse col 1 27 | Ninmena was establishing childbirth |
| obverse col 1 28 | The leader of the universe, lord Nunamnir |
| obverse col 1 29 | He was the one naming the “true head,” the “precious head” |
| obverse col 1 30 | He brought out the head/the first, it was (on?) a single thread |
| obverse col 2 1 | For the gods ... was acquiring(?) food rations |
| obverse col 2 2 | Enki praised his (Enlil's) hoe |
| obverse col 2 3 | Young lady Nisaba ... in the decision |
| obverse col 2 4 | The hand was upon(?) the shining hoe, the pure hoe for ...(?) |
| obverse col 2 5 | The hoe was the one establishing the Ekur temple, the temple of Enlil |
| obverse col 2 6 | In the day it was building, (at?) night it was growing(?) |
| obverse col 2 7 | Founded in(?) Nibru it is the women's quarters of Tummal |
| obverse col 2 8 | Tummal, which is the food basket of mother Ninlil |
| obverse col 2 9 | (Into) the Emi temple of Tummal with food of the regular offering(?) |
| obverse col 2 10 | Hero Ninurta was entering for Enlil |
| obverse col 2 11 | With a black kid and the nesag offering of the lord(?) |
| obverse col 2 12 | Holy Ninisina was entering for Enlil |
| obverse col 2 13 | The Abzu, with the face of a pirig creature, (whose) cosmic powers are not to be requested |
| obverse col 2 14 | (The hoe) was building the Abzu, Eridu was the work assignment(?) |
| obverse col 2 15 | The mother of the gods, Ninhursaga |
| obverse col 2 16 | Made her Udaltar (a name of Šulpa'e/Jupiter) dwell with her (in) Keš |
| obverse col 2 17 | It was indeed Šulpa'e, who served in the work assignment(?) with her |
| obverse col 2 18 | In shrine Eanna, the hoe is pure/a purifier(?) |
| obverse col 2 19 | NinEana, the true wild cow(!) |
| obverse col 2 20 | The hoe is among the ruin heaps, the hoe is among the hirim weeds |
| obverse col 2 21 | At the site of Zabalam, the hoe, the one of Inanna |
| obverse col 2 22 | She(?) was determining a fate (for) the hoe(!?)/was making a work assignment(!?). The one wearing (lit. bringing out) a lapis beard |
| obverse col 2 23 | Utu served in her work assignment |
| obverse col 2 24 | The work assignment and praise/proverb(?) was of(?) the youth Utu |
| obverse col 2 25 | The lady of broad wisdom, she who is Nisaba |
| obverse col 2 26 | She made(!?) a work assignment(?) in the assembly of the Eanna temple(?) |
| obverse col 2 27 | It is indeed the Ehamun temple (where) she had(?) a work assigment (for)(?) |
| obverse col 2 28 | The ... king who is spending his time breaking up(!?) and trampling/following(?) (with the hoe?) |
| obverse col 2 29 | Hero Ninurta, he served(?) in the work assignment in the rebel land(?) |
| obverse col 2 30 | He was setting the city that was not obedient to its lord “at the hand” |
| reverse col 1 1 | Heavenwards he is a storm, screaming |
| reverse col 1 2 | Towards earth he is an ušumgal creature, ... |
| reverse col 1 3 | Šara sat(?) on the knee of Enlil |
| reverse col 1 4 | They(!) were able to give what he desired to him |
| reverse col 1 5 | He had desired the udug/šita weapon, the tukul weapon, and barbed(?) arrows for the quiver |
| reverse col 1 6 | Dumuzi is the one who makes flourish of the highland(!) |
| reverse col 1 7 | Gibil raised the head of his hoe towards heaven |
| reverse col 1 8 | The hoe, which was pure, suspended fire (there, i.e., acted like a torch) |
| reverse col 1 9 | The Anunua were rejoicing |
| reverse col 1 10 | In(!?) the temple of Geštinanna, the algarsur instrument is (there?) |
| reverse col 1 11 | It belongs to mother Geštinanna, the algarsur instrument is “that of a good noise” |
| reverse col 1 12 | The lord bellows at his hoe like a bull(?) |
| reverse col 1 13 | It is the netherworld/grave, the hoe is the one that buries a person (lit. head) (there) |
| reverse col 1 14 | The hoe is the one that exhumes the corpse(?) from the ground |
| reverse col 1 15 | The youth, the important one(?) of heaven/An, he is the younger brother of Nergal |
| reverse col 1 16 | Hero Gilgamesh, (for him?) the hoe is a sabar net |
| reverse col 1 17 | He who is the son of Ninsumun, (for him?) the oar is first(?) |
| reverse col 1 18 | The hoe is the outer(?) kingal official on/in the river |
| reverse col 1 19 | At the door(?) of the agrun chamber, the hoe is the vizier |
| reverse col 1 20 | Evildoers are children of the hoe during the waning moon(?) |
| reverse col 1 21 | By means of/in(?) the regular day(?) they are born apart from heaven(?) |
| reverse col 1 22 | Towards heaven the altirigu bird is the bird of a god |
| reverse col 1 23 | Towards the earth it is the hoe, (in) the reedbed it is a dog, in the thicket it is an ušumgal creature |
| reverse col 1 24 | At the site of battle it is a durallu ax |
| reverse col 1 25 | At the site of the fortification, it is an alluhab net(?) |
| reverse col 1 26 | At the place of the table, it is a bowl |
| reverse col 1 27 | At the site of a chariot, it is a mayaltum wagon |
| reverse col 1 28 | In the donkey stable, it is an argibil structure |
| reverse col 1 29 | It is the hoe, its good name is present in the mountain range |
| reverse col 1 30 | The tree of the mountain range is the oak tree |
| reverse col 1 31 | The aromatic of the mountain range is (of the) arganum tree |
| reverse col 2 1 | The stone of the mountain range is algameš stone |
| reverse col 2 2 | The hoe makes ... fructify, the hoe make ... flourish |
| reverse col 2 3 | The hoe makes barley good(?), the hoe is (used with?) the sabar net |
| reverse col 2 4 | The hoe is (used with?) the brick-mold, the hoe set the head (in it)(?) |
| reverse col 2 5 | The hoe is the strength of youth |
| reverse col 2 6 | The hoe and the earth-carrying basket are those that are to build the city |
| reverse col 2 7 | The true temple is being built, the true temple is being established/maintained |
| reverse col 2 8 | It is the one that broadens it the fertile field |
| reverse col 2 9 | The field that is revolting against its master |
| reverse col 2 10 | The field that does not submit to its master |
| reverse col 2 11 | The hoe makes it submit to its master |
| reverse col 2 12 | The smiter of the evil rushes” |
| reverse col 2 13 | It tears it out at its roots, it cuts off at(?) its branches |
| reverse col 2 14 | The hoe was setting the hirim grass at the hand |
| reverse col 2 15 | The hoe, the wood(en implement) decreed a destiny by father Enlil |
| reverse col 2 16 | Hoe, praise! |
| reverse col 2 17 | Nisaba, praise |
| reverse col 2 18 | (Total:) 108? lines |
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 | [... na]-an#-ga-mi-in-e3 | |
| 2 | [...] szu bala-e-de3 | |
| 3 | [...]-ta e11-de3 | |
| 4 | [...] sag# na-an-ga-ma-an-szum2 | |
| 5 | [...] sag na-an-ga-ma-an-szum2 | |
| 6 | [...] sag mu2-mu2-de3 | |
| 7 | [...] bulug2#? nam-mi-in-gar | |
| 8 | [...]-un-gar u4 al-e3 | |
| 9 | [...]-un#-du3 nam <<gesz>> al-tar-re | |
| 10 | [... {gesz}]dupsik-e a2 si ba-ab-sa2-e | |
| 11 | [...] {gesz#!?}al-a-ni za3-mi2 ba-an-du11 | |
| 12 | [...]-a-ni ku3-sig17-ga sag-bi {na4}za-gin3-na | |
| 13 | {gesz}al sa!(GISZ) la2-a-ni ku3-me-a ku3-sig17-ga | |
| 14 | {gesz}al-a-ni a2 bulug2-ba a2-bi {na4}za-gin3-na-kam | |
| 15 | zu2-bi gu4-si-ASZ bad3 gal e11-de3-de3 | |
| 16 | en-e {gesz}al mu-un-sag5? nam am3-mi-ni-ib2-tar-re | |
| 17 | ki-in-du men ku3 sag-ga2 mu-ni-in-gal2 | |
| 18 | uzu e3-a {gesz}al nam-mi-in-dun | |
| 19 | sag nam-lu2-lu7 u3-szub-ba am3-mi-ni-in-gar | |
| 20 | {d}en-lil2-sze3! kalam-ma ki mu-szi-in-dar-re | |
| 21 | sag-gig2-ga-ni-sze3 igi zi mu-szi-in-bar | |
| 22 | {d}a-nun-na mu-un-na-su8-su8-ge-esz | |
| 23 | szu-bi giri17-be2# mu-un-ne-gal2 | |
| 24 | {d}en-lil2 a-ra-zu-am3 mu-ni-in-hun-e-ne | |
| 25 | ug3 sag-gig2-ga-ni-sze3 {gesz}al mu-un-da-ab-be2-e-ne | |
| 26 | nin en ux(|IGI.SZE3xU|)-tu-da lugal ux(|IGI.SZE3xU|)-tu-da | |
| 27 | {d}nin-men-na-ke4 tu-tu al-ga2-ga2 | |
| 28 | mas-su an-ki-a en {d}nu-nam-nir-ra | |
| 29 | sag zi sag kal-la mu-ni-ib-sze21-sze21-e-a | |
| 30 | sag-bi gu dili-am3 mu-ni-e3-de3-e-a | |
| obverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | dingir-re-e#-ne-ra kur6 mu-un-dab5#-be2 | |
| 2 | {d}en-ki-ke4 {gesz}al-a-ni za3-mi2 ba-an#-du11 | |
| 3 | ki-sikil {d}nisaba esz-bar-re ba-an-DU | |
| 4 | {gesz}al mul {gesz}al ku3-ba szu mu-un-ne-gal2 | |
| 5 | e2-kur e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 {gesz}al-e gar-ra#-am3# | |
| 6 | u4-de3 al-du3-e ge6 al-mu2-mu2 | |
| 7 | nibru{ki} ki gar-ra ama5 tum-ma-al{ki}-am3# | |
| 8 | tum-ma-al{ki} {gi}pisan ninda ama {d}nin-lil2#-la2#?-kam | |
| 9 | e2-mi tum-ma-al{ki} ninda sa2 du11-ga#!?-ta#? | |
| 10 | ur-sag {d}nin-urta {d}en-lil2-ra mu-un#-[da]-ku4-ku4 | |
| 11 | masz2 giggi nesag# en-na-ta# | |
| 12 | ku3 {d}nin-{+i3}isin2{+si-na} {d}en-lil2-ra mu-un#-da#-ku4-ku4 | |
| 13 | abzu igi pirig-ga2 me al# nu-di-de3 | |
| 14 | abzu al-du3-e# eridu#{ki} al-tar-ra | |
| 15 | ama dingir-re-e-ne {d}nin-hur-sag-ga2-ke4 | |
| 16 | u4-al-tar-ra-ni kesz3{ki} mu-un-da-an-ti#! | |
| 17 | {d}szul-pa-e3 na-nam al-tar mu-un-da-an-gub | |
| 18 | esz3# e2-an-na {gesz}al-e ku3-ga-am3 | |
| 19 | {d}nin-e2-an-na im-ma-al!(TA) zi-de3 | |
| 20 | {gesz}al du6-du6-dam {gesz}al {u2}hirim-e-da | |
| 21 | ki zabala{ki}-e {gesz}al-e {d}inanna-ke4 | |
| 22 | {gesz}al# nam mi-ni-in-tar-re sum4#? za-gin3 e3-a | |
| 23 | al-tar-ra-ni-a {d}utu mu-da-an-gub | |
| 24 | al-tar ka-tar-ra sul {d}utu-kam | |
| 25 | nin gesztu2 dagal-la {d}nisaba-kam | |
| 26 | ukken? e2-an!?-na!?-kam al-tar-re ba-an-DI | |
| 27 | e2-ha-mun na-nam al#-tar mu-da-an-gal2 | |
| 28 | lugal UD kid4-da us2-e u4 zal-e | |
| 29 | ur-sag {d}nin-urta ki-bala-a al-tar-re ba-an-gub | |
| 30 | uru2 en-sze3 nu-sze-ga szu-sze3! al-ga2-ga2 | |
| reverse col 1 | ||
| 1 | an-sze3 u4-da-am3 szegx(|KAxGESZ|) al-gi4-gi4 | |
| 2 | ki-sze3 uszumgal-am3 al-ga2-ga2 | |
| 3 | {d}szara2 {d}en-lil2-la2 dub3-ba nam-mi-in-gar | |
| 4 | nig2 al du11-ga-ni mu-na-da-an-szum2-mu-usz | |
| 5 | udug2 {gesz}tukul ti zu#? mar-rux(TE) al am3-ma-du11 | |
| 6 | {d}dumu-zi al-lumx(MURGU2)-lumx(MURGU2)-ma igi-na!?-ma-kam | |
| 7 | {d}gibil6 {gesz}al-a-ni sag an-sze3 mi-ni-in-il2 | |
| 8 | {gesz#}al#-e ku3-ga-am3 izi nam#-mi-in-la2 | |
| 9 | {d}a-nun-na al#-hul2#-hul2-le-ne | |
| 10 | e2 {d}gesztin#-an-na-kam {gesz}al-gar-sur9-ra-am3 | |
| 11 | ama {d}gesztin-an-na-kam {gesz}al-gar-sur9 gu3 du10#-ga-ka#?! | |
| 12 | en-e {gesz}al-a-ni gu4-gin7 murum sza4 | |
| 13 | urugal2#?{+gal#} [...] {gesz#!?}al sag ki tum2-ma-am3 | |
| 14 | addax(|BAD.LU2|) {gesz#!?}[...]-ta#? tum2-ma#-am3 | |
| 15 | sul idim an-na szesz banda3{+da} {d}nergal-ka | |
| 16 | ur-sag {d}gilgames3 {gesz}al-e sa-par4-am3 | |
| 17 | dumu {d}nin-sumun2-kam {gesz}gisal dub-sag-ga2 | |
| 18 | {gesz}al i7-da kingal bar-ra-am3 | |
| 19 | DAG agrun-na-kam {gesz}al-e sukkal-am3 | |
| 20 | hul-gal2 u4-nu2#-a dumu {gesz}al-e-me-esz | |
| 21 | u4 sa2 du11-ga-ta an-ta u3-tu-me-esz | |
| 22 | an-sze3 al-ti-ri2-gu7{muszen} muszen dingir-ra | |
| 23 | ki-sze3 {gesz}al-am3 gesz-gi ur-ra# tir-ra uszumgal-am3 | |
| 24 | ki me6-ka dur10-al-lu5-am3 | |
| 25 | ki bad3?-ka {gesz}al-lu5-hab2-am3 | |
| 26 | ki {gesz}banszur-ka ma-al-la-tum-am3 | |
| 27 | ki {gesz}gigir-ka {gesz}ma-a!-a-al-tum | |
| 28 | e2 ansze-ka {gesz}ar-gibil2-am3 | |
| 29 | {gesz}al-am3 mu-bi du10-ga hur-sag mu-un-gal2 | |
| 30 | gesz hur-sag-ga2 {gesz}al-la-nu-um-ma | |
| 31 | szim hur-sag-ga2 {gesz}ar-ga-nu-um-ma | |
| reverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | na4 hur-sag-ga2 {na4}sal!-hub2-ma | |
| 2 | {gesz}al# lumx(MURGU2)-lumx(MURGU2)-ma {gesz}al# lam-lam-ma | |
| 3 | {gesz}al sze du10-ga {gesz}al sa-par4!-am3 | |
| 4 | {gesz}al {gesz}szub-ba {gesz}al sag#? gal2-la | |
| 5 | {gesz}al a2 nam-gurusz-a-kam | |
| 6 | {gesz}al {gesz}dupsik nig2 uru2 du3-du3-dam | |
| 7 | e2 zi al-du3-e e2 zi al-ga2-ga2 | |
| 8 | GAN2-ne2 zi-de3 szu dagal-la# | |
| 9 | GAN2 lugal-bi bala-e | |
| 10 | GAN2 lugal-bi gu2 nu-x-x-am3 | |
| 11 | {gesz}al lugal-bi gu2 mu-un-na#?-ga2#-ga2# | |
| 12 | {u2}numun2-hul-{u2}numun2-hul-ba sag dub2#-dub2# | |
| 13 | ur2#-ba mu-un-bur12-re pa-bi im-zi2-zi2-e | |
| 14 | [{gesz}]al# {u2}hirimhi-rix(URU2)-in-na szu-sze3 al-ga2-ga2 | |
| 15 | [{gesz}]al-e gesz nam tar-ra a-a {d}en-lil2-la2 | |
| 16 | {gesz}al-e za3-mi2 du11-ga | |
| 17 | {d}nisaba za3-mi2 | |
| 18 | [... 1(gesz2)? 4(u@v)?] 8(disz) | |
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.