CDLI Literary 000374 (Sargon and Ur-Zababa) composite (P469678)
Literary, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000374 (Sargon and Ur-Zababa) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P469678 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
English translation
By etcsl · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| surface a 1 | To ...... the sanctuary like a cargo ship; |
| surface a 2 | to ...... its great furnaces; |
| surface a 3 | to see that its canals ...... waters of joy for eternity, |
| surface a 4 | to see that the hoes till the arable tracts and that ...... the fields; |
| surface a 5 | to turn the house of Kiš, which was like a haunted town, into a living settlement again, |
| surface a 6 | its king, shepherd Ur-Zababa, |
| surface a 7 | rose like Utu over the house of Kiš. |
| surface a 8 | However, to alter his term of reigning and to remove the prosperity of the palace |
| surface a 9 | An and Enlil authoritatively (?) decided (?) by their holy command. |
| surface a 10 | Then Sargon - his city was the city of ......, |
| surface a 11 | his father was La’ibum, his mother ...... |
| surface a 12 | Sargon ...... with happy heart. |
| surface a 13 | Since he was born ... |
| surface a 1 | One day, after the evening had arrived, |
| surface a 2 | and Sargon had brought the regular deliveries to the palace, |
| surface a 3 | He Ur-Zababa was sleeping (and dreaming) in the holy bed-chamber, his holy residence. |
| surface a 4 | He realised what the dream was about, but did not put into words, did not discuss it with anyone. |
| surface a 5 | After Sargon had received the regular deliveries for the palace, |
| surface a 6 | Ur-Zababa appointed him cupbearer, putting him in charge of the drinks cupboard. |
| surface a 7 | Holy inanna did not cease to stand by him. |
| surface a 8 | After five or 10 days had passed, |
| surface a 9 | King Ur-Zababa ...... and became frightened in his residence. |
| surface a 10 | Like a lion he urinated, sprinkling his legs, and the urine contained blood and pus. |
| surface a 11 | He was troubled, he was disturbed like a fish living in brackish water. |
| surface a 12 | It was then that the cupbearer of Ezina's wine-house, |
| surface a 13 | Sargon, lay down not to sleep, but lay down to dream. |
| surface a 14 | In the dream, holy inanna drowned Ur-Zababa in a river of blood. |
| surface a 15 | The sleeping Sargon groaned and gnawed the ground. |
| surface a 16 | When King Ur-Zababa heard about this groaning, |
| surface a 17 | he was brought into the king's holy presence, |
| surface a 18 | Sargon was brought into the presence of Ur-Zababa (who said:) |
| surface a 19 | "Cupbearer, was a dream revealed to you in the night?" |
| surface a 20 | Sargon answered his king: |
| surface a 21 | My king, this is my dream, which I will tell you about: |
| surface a 22 | There was a young woman who was as high as the heavens and as broad as the earth. |
| surface a 23 | She was firmly set as the base of a wall. |
| surface a 24 | For me, she drowned you in a great river, a river of blood." |
| surface a 25 | Ur-Zababa chewed his lips, he became seriously afraid. |
| surface a 26 | He spoke to ......, his chancellor: |
| surface a 27 | "My royal sister, holy inanna, |
| surface a 28 | is going to change (?) my finger into a ...... of blood; |
| surface a 29 | she will drown Sargon, the cupbearer, in the great river. |
| surface a 30 | Beliš-tikal, chief smith, man of my choosing, who can write tablets, |
| surface a 31 | I will give you orders, let my orders be carried out! |
| surface a 32 | Let my advice be followed! |
| surface a 33 | Now then, when the cupbearer has delivered my bronze hand-mirror (?) to you |
| surface a 34 | in the E-sikil, the fated house, throw them (the mirror and Sargon) into the mould like statues." |
| surface a 35 | Beliš-tikal heeded his king's words |
| surface a 36 | and prepared the moulds in the E-sikil, the fated house. |
| surface a 37 | The king spoke to Sargon: |
| surface a 38 | "Go and deliver my bronze hand-mirror (?) to the chief smith!" |
| surface a 38A | Sargon left the palace of Ur-Zababa. |
| surface a 39 | Holy inanna, however, did not cease to stand at his right hand side, |
| surface a 40 | and before he had come within five or 10 ninda of the E-sikil, the fated house, |
| surface a 41 | holy inanna turned around toward him and blocked his way, (saying:) |
| surface a 42 | "The E-sikil is a holy house! No one polluted with blood should enter it!" |
| surface a 43 | Thus he met the chief smith of the king only at the gate of the fated house. |
| surface a 44 | After he delivered the king's bronze hand-mirror (?) to the chief smith, |
| surface a 45 | Beliš-tikal, the chief smith, ...... and threw it into the mould like statues. |
| surface a 46 | After five or 10 days had passed, Sargon |
| surface a 47 | came into the presence of Ur-Zababa, his king; |
| surface a 48 | he came into the palace, firmly founded like a great mountain. |
| surface a 49 | King Ur-Zababa ...... and became frightened in his residence. |
| surface a 50 | He realised what was it about, but did not put into words, did not discuss it with anyone. |
| surface a 51 | Ur-Zababa became frightened in the bed-chamber, his holy residence. |
| surface a 52 | He realised what was it about, but did not put into words, did not discuss it with anyone. |
| surface a 53 | In those days, although writing words on tablets existed, putting tablets into envelopes did not yet exist. |
| surface a 54 | King Ur-Zababa despatched Sargon, the creature of the gods, |
| surface a 55 | with a message written on clay, which was about murdering Sargon |
| surface a 56 | to Lugal-zage-si in Uruk. |
| surface a 1 | With the wife of Lugal-zage-si ... |
| surface a 2 | She gave(?) her feminity as a shelter ... |
| surface a 3 | Lugal-zage-si did not ... the envoy. |
| surface a 4 | "Come! He directed his steps to brick-built E-ana!" |
| surface a 5 | Lugal-zage-si did not grasp it, he did not talk to the envoy. |
| surface a 6 | But as soon as he did talk to the envoy ... |
| surface a 7 | "Alas!" and sat in the dust. |
| surface a 8 | Lugal-zage-si replied to the envoy: |
| surface a 9 | "Envoy, Sargon does not yield." |
| surface a 10 | After he has submitted,Sargon ... Lugal-zage-si ... |
| surface a 11 | Sargon ... Lugal-zage-si ... |
| surface a 12 | Why .... Sargon ....? |
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 | esz3 ma2-gur8-gin7 [...] | |
| 2 | gir4 mah-bi x [...] | |
| 3 | i7-bi a hul2-la da-ri2 ... | |
| 4 | a-gar3-bi {gesz}al-e ri-e-de3 GAN2 [...] | |
| 5 | e2 kisz{ki}-a iri lil2-la-gin7 masz-kan2 gi4-gi4-de3 | |
| 6 | lugal-bi sipa ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 | |
| 7 | e2 kisz{ki}-a-ka {d}utu-gin7 am3-e3 | |
| 8 | nam-lugal-la-na bala-bi szu kur2-ru-de3 e2-gal-la LAM-bi su3-ra2-x-x | |
| 9 | an {d}en-lil2 inim ku3-ga-ne-ne-a zi-de3-esz x x x | |
| 10 | ki u4-bi szar-ru-um-ki-in iri-ni iri [...] | |
| 11 | ad-da-ni la-i-bu-um ama-ni [...] | |
| 12 | szar-ru-um-ki-in sza3 du10-ga mu-[...] | |
| 13 | mu im-ta-tu-ud-da-asz x [...] | |
| 1 | u4 ne u4 te-en-e um-ma-te-a-ta | |
| 2 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in sa2-du11 e2-gal-sze3 im-de6-a-ba | |
| 3 | |GA2xMI| ku3 ki-tusz ku3-ga-ni-a im-ma-da-an-nu2 | |
| 4 | sza3-ga-ni-sze3 mu-un-zu eme-na nu-ga2-ga2 lu2-da nu-mu-un-da-ab-be2 | |
| 5 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in sa2-du11 e2-gal-sze3 szu ba-ab-te-a-ta | |
| 6 | |MUSZ3.KA.UL| mu-un-se3-ga {gesz}gu2-ne-sag-ga2 mu-un-dab5-be2 | |
| 7 | ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 da-bi-a musz3 nu-tum2-me | |
| 8 | u4 5(disz)-am3 u4 1(u)-am3 ba-zal-la-ta | |
| 9 | lugal {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 im-da-la2 ki-tusz-bi-ta mi-ni-ib-hu-luh | |
| 10 | pirig-gin7 sza3 pap-hal-la-na |USZxA| bi-bi sza3-ba usz2 |BAD.U4| si-a-ba | |
| 11 | i3-kusz2 ku6 a mun lu-ga-gin7 zi mu-un-di-ni-ib-ir-ir | |
| 12 | u4-ba |MUSZ3.KA.UL| e2-din {d}|SZE.TIR|-ka | |
| 13 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in u3-sa2-gin7 la-ba-nu2 ma-mu2-de3 ba-nu2 | |
| 14 | ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 ma-mu2 i7 mud-sze3 mu-un-gir5-gir5 | |
| 15 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in dum-dam-ma-na zu2 ki-sze3 ba-da-ab-ra-ah | |
| 16 | dum-dum-bi lugal {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 gesz tuku-tuku-da-ni | |
| 17 | lugal-ra ki ku3-ga-ni-sze3 im-ma-da-an-sun5-ne-esz | |
| 18 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in ki {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4-sze3 im-ma-da-an-sun5-ne | |
| 19 | |MUSZ3.KA.UL| ma-mu2 ge6 u3-na x-na u3-mu-ri-du8 | |
| 20 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in lugal-a-ni im-ma-ni-ib-gi4-gi4 | |
| 21 | lugal-gu10 ma-mu2-gu10 u3-mu-ri-du11-ga | |
| 22 | {lu2}ki-sikil 1(disz)-am3 an-gin7 sukud-da-ni ki-gin7 dagal-la-ni | |
| 23 | suhusz? bad3-da-gin7 gar-gar-ra | |
| 24 | i7 mah i7 mud-sze3 ga2-ra mu-un-gir5-re-de3-en | |
| 25 | x x {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 nundum KA bi2-in-gu7 ni2 sza3-sze3 ba-gid2 | |
| 26 | [...] x NA AN x sukkal-a-ni gu3 mu-na-de2-e | |
| 27 | [...] nin9 e-gu10 ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 | |
| 28 | [...] x x mud-sze3 u-gu10 mu-un-ku4-re | |
| 29 | x x 1(disz) szar-ru-um-ki-in |MUSZ3.KA.UL| i7 mah mu-un-gir5-gir5 | |
| 30 | {disz}be-li2-isz-ti-kal2 simug gal lu2 sza3-ga de6-a-gu10 im sar-sar | |
| 31 | inim ga-ra-ab-du11 inim-gu10 he2-dab5 | |
| 32 | na de5-ga-gu10 |GESZ.TUG2.PI.SZIR@t.SILA3| he2-em-szi-ak | |
| 33 | ne-esz2 |MUSZ3.KA.UL| zabar-szu-ga2 a-ra-x-ab-de6 | |
| 34 | e2-sikil-la e2 nam tar-ra-ka alan-gin7 kusz3-kusz3-a se3-bi2-ib | |
| 35 | {disz}be-li2-isz-ti-kal2 inim lugal-la-na-sze3 sag kesz2 ba-szi-in-ak | |
| 36 | e2-sikil e2 nam tar-ra-ka kusz3-kusz3-a si mu-un-sa2 | |
| 37 | lugal-e 1(disz) szar-ru-um-ki-in gu3 mu-na-de2-e | |
| 38 | gen-na zabar-szu-ga2 simug-gal-sze3 tum2-mu-na-ni-ib | |
| 38A | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in e2-gal {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 im-ma-da-ra-ab-e3 | |
| 39 | ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 za3 zi-da-ni musz3 nu-tum2-mu | |
| 40 | e2-sikil-la e2 nam tar-ra-ka 5(disz) ninda 1(u) ninda nu-te-a-na | |
| 41 | ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 igi mu-un-na-nigin2-nigin2 giri3-ni im-da-RU | |
| 42 | e2-sikil-la e2 ku3-ga na-nam lu2 mud nu-mu-un-ku4-re | |
| 43 | ka2 e2 nam tar-ra-ka simug-gal lugal-la-ke4 gaba mu-un-da-ri | |
| 44 | zabar-szu lugal-la-ke4 simug-gal-sze3 mu-un-de6-a-ta | |
| 45 | {disz}be-li2-isz-ti-kal2 simug-gal im-da-la2 alan-gin7 kusz3-kusz3-a ba-da-ab-se3-ga-bi | |
| 46 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ki-in u4 5(disz)-am3 u4 1(u)-am3 ba-zal-la-ta | |
| 47 | ki {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 lugal-la-na-sze3 im-ma-da-an-ku4-ku4 | |
| 48 | sza3 e2-gal kur gal-gin7 ki us2-sa im-ma-da-an-ku4-ku4 | |
| 49 | lugal {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 im-da-la2 ki-tusz-bi-ta mi-ni-ib-hu-luh | |
| 50 | sza3-ga-ni-sze3 mu-un-zu eme-na nu-ga2-ga2 lu2-da nu-mu-un-da-ab-be2 | |
| 51 | |GA2xMI|-ka ki-tusz ku3-ga-ni {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 mi-ni-ib-hu-luh | |
| 52 | sza3-ga-ni-sze3 mu-un-zu eme-na nu-ga2-ga2 lu2-da nu-mu-un-da-ab-be2 | |
| 53 | u4-bi-ta inim im-ma gub-bu he2-gal2 im si-si-ge ba-ra-gal2-la-am3 | |
| 54 | lugal {d}ur-{d}za-ba4-ba4 1(disz) szar-ru-um-ki-in dingir-re-e-ne szu du11-ga-ar | |
| 55 | im-ma gub-bu nig2 ni2 ba-ug7-a-ta | |
| 56 | unu{ki}-ga lugal-za3-ge4-e-si szu ba-ni-ib-tag4-tag4 | |
| 1 | dam lugal-za3-ge4-si-da im-[...] | |
| 2 | nam-munus an-dul3-esz2 mu-ni-ba x [...] | |
| 3 | lugal-za3-ge4-si kin-gi4-a nu-[...] | |
| 4 | ga2-nam-ma sig4 e2-an-na-sze3 giri3 mu-un-gub | |
| 5 | lugal-za3-ge4-si sza3-ga-ni nu-un-zu ugu kin-gi4-a nu-mu-un-du11-du11 | |
| 6 | en-na ugu kin-gi4-a na-mu-un-du11-du11 igi dumu nun ba-an-da-bad | |
| 7 | en-e u8 bi2-in-du11 sahar-ra ba-an-da-tusz | |
| 8 | lugal-za3-ge4-si kin-gi4-a-ar im-szi-in-gi4 | |
| 9 | kin-gi4-a szar-ru-ki-in gu2 nu-mu-un-se3-se3 | |
| 10 | gam-gam-ma-ni szar-ru-ki-in lugal-za3?-ge4-si ... | |
| 11 | szar-ru-ki-in lugal-za3-ge4-si [...] | |
| 12 | a-na-asz-am3 szar-ru-ki-in [...] | |
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.