CDLI Literary 000754 (Edubba A) composite (P464238)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000754 (Edubba A) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P464238 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
English translation
By Edzard, Dietz Otto · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| surface a 1 | Schoolboy, where have you been going so long? |
| surface a 2 | To the school I have been going. |
| surface a 3 | In school, what were you doing? |
| surface a 4 | My tablet I recited, my lunch I ate; |
| surface a 5 | my tablet I prepared, wrote, finished, |
| surface a 6 | my ‘standing’ lines they set out for me, |
| surface a 7 | during afternoon meal my hand-tablet they prepared for me, |
| surface a 8 | when school was released, home I used to go, |
| surface a 9 | home I entered, my father was sitting there; |
| surface a 10 | to my father about my hand-tablet I spoke, |
| surface a 11 | my tablet I recited to him, my father was happy. |
| surface a 12 | In the presence of my father I stood, indeed, |
| surface a 13 | being thirsty, “Water let me drink!” |
| surface a 14 | being hungry, “Bread give me!” |
| surface a 15 | “My feet wash, my bed set up, I would lie down!” saying. |
| surface a 16 | “In the morning wake me up, |
| surface a 17 | that the morning not pass, my teacher will hit me. |
| surface a 18 | In the morning at my rising, |
| surface a 19 | (on) my mother my eye I placed, and |
| surface a 20 | “My lunch give me, to school I wish to go” I said to her; |
| surface a 21 | my mother two breads ... gave me, from her presence eating I left, |
| surface a 22 | “My lunch give me, to school I am going.” |
| surface a 23 | In school the man on term: “Why did the morning pass?” asked me, with fear my gut was torn; |
| surface a 24 | into the presence of my teacher I enter, a place I took, |
| surface a 25 | my school-father my tablet to me recited, |
| surface a 26 | “... they cut it of” saying, beats me; |
| surface a 27 | lunch ...; lunch ...; |
| surface a 28 | the teacher, the instructions of the school checking, |
| surface a 29 | the beater in the house and the street looked: “Your breast garment you do not tie?” saying, beating me. |
| surface a 30 | My school-father my tablet brought me. |
| surface a 31 | The man of the courtyard “Write!” said, ...; |
| surface a 32 | my tablet I received, ...; |
| surface a 33 | my tablet I write ...; |
| surface a 34 | its unchecked places to words of mine I do not understand. |
| surface a 35 | The man of ...: “Why, in my absence, do you talk?” asking, beats me. |
| surface a 36 | The man of the switch: “Why, in my absence, the ‘true-neck’ did you not raise?” asking, beats me. |
| surface a 37 | The man of the floorplan: “Why, in my absence, do you ...?” asking, beats me. |
| surface a 38 | The man of the gate: “Why, in my absence, do you go out?” asking, beats me. |
| surface a 39 | The man of the whip: “Why, in my absence, do you ... receive?” asking, beats me. |
| surface a 40 | The man of Sumerian: “Sumerian you call that?” asking, beats me. |
| surface a 41 | My teacher: “Your hand is not at all pretty” saying, beats me. |
| surface a 42 | Scribal art I neglected, scribal art I let fall. |
| surface a 43 | My teacher his words has not .... with you |
| surface a 44 | in scribal art his strength he ... me; |
| surface a 45 | the ‘edge’ of your words of scribal art ..., |
| surface a 46 | the ‘edge’ of brotherhood, school ...; |
| surface a 47 | his gift give, that he many times over give, |
| surface a 48 | that he from the account-recitation release me; |
| surface a 49 | of all the words that are in the school, |
| surface a 50 | all the schoolboys counting, may he count me. |
| surface a 51 | In what the schoolboy(s) had said, his father responded; |
| surface a 52 | the teacher from school was brought round; |
| surface a 53 | after the house he entered, in the “zamula” he sat; |
| surface a 54 | the schoolboy bowed down, before him standing, |
| surface a 55 | of scribal art what he had learned |
| surface a 56 | into his father’s hand he gave. |
| surface a 57 | His father from the joy of his gut |
| surface a 58 | to the school-fathers friendly words speaks: |
| surface a 59 | “My little one, his hand opening, into silver-knowledge you let him enter, |
| surface a 60 | of scribal art, all its tricks, you reveal for him; |
| surface a 61 | the gut of the tablet, the calculation of accounts, to its solutions you fill his eyes. |
| surface a 62 | Of writing the covered places he lights up for him; |
| surface a 63 | like good beer, oil and fragrances for him pour, the table set out for him; |
| surface a 64 | good oil on his back and his gut like water offering, |
| surface a 65 | “With a garment I will clad, a gift I will give him, a ring on his hand I will put!” |
| surface a 66 | Like good beer, oil and fragrances for him he pours, the table he puts out for him, |
| surface a 67 | good oil on his back and his gut like water he offers, |
| surface a 68 | with a garment he clad, a gift he gave him, a ring on his hand he put. |
| surface a 69 | The teacher in joy of gut a blessing spoke to him: |
| surface a 70 | “The little one my words not having neglected, did not do let fall; |
| surface a 71 | of the art of writing its head, to the very edge of its side, completed, |
| surface a 72 | nothing shall be an obstacle for you, who into my hands gave, |
| surface a 73 | to a gift that, in additional effort placed, heft you added, |
| surface a 74 | may Nisaba, the lady of the protective deities, be your protective deity! |
| surface a 75 | A pretty stylus may she place for you! |
| surface a 76 | and if they of your tablet sing, “Bad!,” |
| surface a 77 | of your ‘brothers’ may you their leader be! |
| surface a 78 | Of your friends may you their hero be! |
| surface a 79 | Exalted-schoolboy may you be! |
| surface a 80 | passing by the house of the king, gut ...; |
| surface a 81 | little one, father knows best; I am the one following him. |
| surface a 82 | The blessing brought to you, your fate having been decided, |
| surface a 83 | your god and father, with their words true hand may they set for you. |
| surface a 84 | To Nisaba, your lady, as if your own god, blessings, offerings, prayers you will set, |
| surface a 85 | your teacher, as if your own father, will bless you; |
| surface a 86 | suchlike, the art of teaching, at the forehead of ‘big brothers,’ |
| surface a 87 | good hand your having placed, |
| surface a 88 | when your ... may they set; |
| surface a 89 | to the instructions of the school light went out, making a man of wisdom; |
| surface a 90 | Nisaba, lady of the place of wisdom, his greatness proclaimed; |
| surface a 91 | Nisaba, praise! |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| surface a | ||
| 1 | dumu e2-dub-ba-a u4-ul-la-a me-sze3 i3-du-de3-en | |
| 2 | e2-dub-ba-a-sze3 i3-du-de3-en | |
| 3 | e2-dub-ba-a a-na-am3 i3-ak | |
| 4 | dub-mu i3-szid ninda-ka-gub-mu i3-gu7 | |
| 5 | dub-mu i3-dim2 i3-sar i3-til-ma | |
| 6 | mu-gub-ba-mu ma-an-gub-bu-usz | |
| 7 | kin-sig im-szu-mu ma-an-gub-bu-usz | |
| 8 | u4 e2-dub-ba-a du8-u-de3? e2-sze3 i3-du-de3-en | |
| 9 | e2-e i3-ku4-re-en ad-da-mu al-tusz | |
| 10 | ad-da-mu im-szu-mu inim i3-na-ra-du11-ma | |
| 11 | dub-mu in-na-an-szid ad-da-mu mu-un-sa6 | |
| 12 | igi ad-da-mu-sze3 i3-gub-bu-nam | |
| 13 | enmen2 tuku a nag-mu-ub-ze2-en | |
| 14 | szagar tuku ninda szum2-ma-ab-ze2-en | |
| 15 | giri3-mu luh-ha-ab-ze2-en {gesz}na2 gub-ba-ab-ze2-en ga-ba-nu2-e-sze | |
| 16 | a2-gu2-zi-ga-ta zi-mu-ub-ze2-en | |
| 17 | u4 na-ab-zal-en um-mi-a-mu mu-un-tud2-de3-en | |
| 18 | a2-gu2-zi-ga-ta zi-zi-da-mu-ne | |
| 19 | ama-mu igi-mu in-na-an-gar-ma | |
| 20 | ninda-ka-gub-mu szum2-ma-ab e2-dub-ba-a-sze3 ga-DU-DU in-na-an-du11 | |
| 21 | ama-mu ninda min-am3 x-ta ma-an-szum2-ma igi-ni-ta gu7-mu ib2-ta-e3 | |
| 22 | ninda-ka-gub-mu szum2-ma-ab e2-dub-ba-a-sze3 i3-du-de3-en | |
| 23 | e2-dub-ba-a lu2-bala-ke4 a-na-asz-am3 u4 mu-zal ma-an-du11 ni2-ba-te sza3-mu ba-dar | |
| 24 | igi um-mi-a-ga2 i-in-ku4-re-ma ki ib2-za | |
| 25 | ad-da e2-dub-ba-a-mu dub-mu ma-an-szid | |
| 26 | x im-ta-ku5-da-asz-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 27 | ninda-ka-gub PA U2-NE-NE?-LIL2 NIG2-LIL2 ninda-ka-gub in-na-an-za? | |
| 28 | um-mi-a a2-ag2-ga2 e2-dub-ba en3 tar-re-da-ni | |
| 29 | lu2 tag-tag-ge-da e2? sila-a igi i-ni-in-bar tug2-gaba-zu nu-ub-sir2-re-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 30 | ad-da e2-dub-ba-mu dub-mu ma-an-de6 | |
| 31 | lu2 kisal-la2-ke4 sar-ra-ab-ze2-en? bi-du11 ki hun-ga2 [...] | |
| 32 | dub-mu szu ba-e-ti [...] | |
| 33 | dub-mu ab-sar-re nig2-DU-un-bi | |
| 34 | en3 nu-tar-ra-bi inim-sze3 inim-ga2 nu-zu-e | |
| 35 | lu2 x x a-na-sze-am3 ge26-da nu-me-a inim ib2-ba-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 36 | lu2 pa-x-ke4 a-na-sze-am3 ge26-da nu-me-a gu2-zi nu-mu-un-zi-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 37 | lu2 gesz-hur-ra-ke4 a-na-asz-am3 ge26-da nu-me-a i-zi-he-en-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 38 | lu2 ka2-na-ke4 a-na-asz-am3 ge26-da nu-me-a ib2-ta-e3-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 39 | lu2 usan3-na-ke4 a-na-asz-am3 ge26-da nu-me-a x szu ba-ti-e-sze in-tud2-de-en | |
| 40 | lu2 eme-gi7-ra-ke4 eme-gi7 [...] bi2-in-du11-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 41 | um-mi-a-mu szu-zu nu-sa6-sa6-e-sze in-tud2-de3-en | |
| 42 | nam-dub-sar-ra gu2 bi2-du nam-dub-sar-ra im-szub bi2-ak | |
| 43 | um-mi-a-mu inim-ni nu-mu-e-da-an-[...] | |
| 44 | nam-dub-sar-ra usu-ni ma-an-x | |
| 45 | za3 inim inim-ga2 nam-dub-sar-ra tur-ra | |
| 46 | za3 nam-szesz-esz3 e2-dub-ba-a na-me na-ma-szi-in-[...] | |
| 47 | nig2-ba-ni szum2-ma-ab a-ra2 ha-ra-szum2-mu | |
| 48 | szid nig2-szid-de3 szu he2-mi-bar-re | |
| 49 | inim-inim-ma e2-dub-ba-a gal2-la | |
| 50 | dumu e2-dub-ba-a-ke4-ne ab-szid-de3 ge26-e hu-mu-un-szid-de3 | |
| 51 | dumu e2-dub-ba-a-ke4-ne nig2 bi-in-du11-ga ad-da-ni inim-ma ba-ni-gi4 | |
| 52 | um-mi-a e2-dub-ba-a-ta lu2 im-ma-da-an-ri | |
| 53 | e2-a u3-mu-ni-in-ku4 za3-mu-la bi2-in-tusz | |
| 54 | dumu e2-dub-ba-a-ke4 szu-kin an-dab5 igi-ni-sze3 al-gub | |
| 55 | nam-dub-sar-ra a-na bi2-in-zu-na | |
| 56 | ad-da-na szu-na ba-ni-in-szum2 | |
| 57 | ad-da-ni sza3 hul2-la-ni-ta | |
| 58 | ad-da e2-dub-ba-a-ke4-ne gu2-hul2 ba-ni-de2-e | |
| 59 | lu2-tur-mu szu-ni i-ni-in-bad-du ku3-zu i-ni-in-ku4-re-en | |
| 60 | nam-dub-sar-ra nig2-galam-galam-ma-bi mu-ni-in-pa3-pa3-de2-en | |
| 61 | sza3 dub-ba-a szid nig2-ka9 ki-bur2-bur2-ra igi mu-un-na-si-ga-asz | |
| 62 | gu-szum2-ma ki-dul-dul-a-bi dalla mu-ni-ne | |
| 63 | kasz saga-gin7 i3 ir-da de2-mu-na-ni-ib banszur gub-mu-na-ab | |
| 64 | i3 du10-ga murgu2{gu2} sza3-ga-na a-gin7 mi-ni-ib-bala-bala | |
| 65 | tug2 ga-ni-mu4 nig2 ga-na-ba har szu-na ga-bi-du11 | |
| 66 | kasz saga-gin7 i3 ir-da mu-na-ni-de2-e banszur mu-na-gub | |
| 67 | i3 du10-ga murgu2{gu2} sza3-ga-na a-gin7 mi-ni-ib-bala-bala-e? | |
| 68 | tug2 mu-ni-mu2 nig2 mu-na-an-ba har szu-na bi2-in-du3 | |
| 69 | um-mi-a sza3 hul2-la-ni-ta szu12 mu-na-sa4 | |
| 70 | lu2-tur inim-mu-sze3 gu2 li-bi2-du3-a im-szub li-bi2-ak | |
| 71 | nam-dub-sar-ra sag-be2 us2-sa za3-bi-sze3 til-la | |
| 72 | nig2-na-me la-ba-gil-bi-na-za szu-mu-un-sze3 mu-e-szum2-ma | |
| 73 | nig2-ba a2-kusz-a diri mu-ni-in-gar-ra nam-dugud mu-e-dah-am3 | |
| 74 | {d}nisaba nin {d}lamma-ke4 {d}lamma-zu he2-am3 | |
| 75 | gi-du3-a-za sa6-ge hu-mu-ra-ga2-ga2 | |
| 76 | im-szu-gub-ba-zu hul he3-ri-in-du12-du12 | |
| 77 | szesz-zu-ne igi-du-bi he2-me-en | |
| 78 | du10-sa-zu-ne sag-kal-bi he2-me-en | |
| 79 | an-ta-gal2 dumu e2-dub-ba-ke4 he2-me-en | |
| 80 | e2 lugal-ta dab-dab-bi sza3 si-NI | |
| 81 | lu2-tur ad-da ba-an-zu ge26-e us2-a-ni-me-en | |
| 82 | szu12 i-ri-DU-a nam i-ri-tar-ra | |
| 83 | dingir ad-da-zu inim-bi-ta szu-zi ha-ra-ga2-ga2-ne | |
| 84 | {d}nisaba nin-za nig2 dingir-za-gin7 szu12 siskur2-ra u3-gul mu-na-ga2-ga2 | |
| 85 | um-mi-a-ba nig2 ad-da-za-gin7 sud3 x-sza4-sza4 | |
| 86 | ur5-ra-am3 nam?-um-mi-a-ka sag-ki szesz-gal-la-ka | |
| 87 | szu nam-sa6-ga mu-e-gar-ra-a-zu | |
| 88 | gi4-me-a-asz lu-szul-a-zu sag5-ge hu-mu-ra-ga2-ga2-ne | |
| 89 | a2-ag2-ga2 e2-dub-ba pa bi-e3 lu2 umun2 bi2-ak | |
| 90 | {d}nisaba nin ki-umun2-ma nam-mah-a-ni bi2-in-du11 | |
| 91 | {d}nisaba za3-mu10 | |
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
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.