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CDLI Literary 000461 (Ishme-Dagan K) composite (P479867)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000461 (Ishme-Dagan K) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P479867 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
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) |
|---|---|---|
| surface a | ||
| 1 | ki-sikil {d}inanna dumu {d}suen-na-ka | the maiden Inanna, the son of Suen |
| 2 | me kalam-ma diri nig2-nam-e sa2 di | The divine powers of the land, surpassing in anything, |
| 3 | an-na me dab5-dab5-be2 ki-a me ur4-ur4-e | In heaven the mes are seized, on earth they are gathered. |
| 4 | il2-la dib? sag an-ne2 us2-e | raised up, the head of heaven ... |
| 5 | me-lem4-a-ni izi su3-e il2-la-gin7 ge6 u3-na bi2-gi | His radiance, like a distant fire rising in the night, returned. |
| 6 | dingir na-me gaba-ri-ni-sze3 nu-gub-bu e-ne-ra im-ma-zal | No god stands before her, he passes by. |
| 7 | {d}inanna-ra an tuk4-tuk4-e ki sag3-sag3-ge | For Inanna, who makes heaven tremble and shakes the earth, |
| 8 | ub-da 4(disz)-ba szu-ni gal2-le nam-nin gal-bi ak | In the fourth corner, his hand is open, his great ladyship is done. |
| 9 | me3 szen-szen-e ka du8-e gesz gesz-e la2-e | In battle and combat he opens the mouth, he cuts down the trees. |
| 10 | nam-ur-sag-bi am sumun2-gin7 tesz2-bi-da du7-du7 | Its heroism is perfected together like wild bulls. |
| 11 | usz2 erim2-ma a-gin7 ki-e na8-na8 ad6-bi gar-gar-e | How is the blood of the enemy poured out on the earth, it is placed as a tribute? |
| 12 | erin2 gar3 dar-ra-bi nam-ra-asz szum2-mu igi-a su8-ga-bi | Its scattered troops, given strength, its shepherd in front, |
| 13 | ug3 ki-ta an-na-sze3 e11-de3 ug3 kur2 ki szu bala-e kur2 | To bring the people out from the netherworld, to change the people in a foreign place, |
| 14 | zalag ku10-ku10-sze3 du3 ku10-ku10 zalag-sze3 dib-be2 | (Sum) The one who makes the light shine brightly, the one who passes the light brightly (Akk) The light that shines brightly towards the dark, shining brightly |
| 15 | {d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-bi ku3 {d}inanna-ra mu-na-an-szum2-mu-usz | Enlil and Ninlil gave to holy Inanna. |
| 16 | an ki-a gaba-ri nu-mu-ni-in-tuku-usz | Heaven and earth did not have a rival. |
| 17 | e2 x x ama5 ki ga2-ga2 sag-e-esz mu-ni-in-rig7-esz | They presented it as a gift at the house ..., the chamber of the land. |
| 18 | dam x [...]-sze3? szum2-mu tesz2-bi du10-ge nam-sze3 mu-ni-in-tar-re-esz | They decreed a good fate for the spouse who gave to ..., |
| 19 | ni2-tuku-na ki-tusz ki gar-ra-na sza3 zalag-ga ga2-ga2 | In his own abode, his established residence, a bright heart is set. |
| 20 | ni2 nu-tuku-na e2 du3-a-na ur5 sa6-ge nu-ga2-ga2 | He who does not have fear, when he built his temple, he does not put in good order. |
| 21 | nitah munus-a munus nitah-a-bi ku4-ku4 szu bala ba-a-ak | (Sum) The male nīḫu-priest enters the woman's house. (Akk) The female nišu-priestess enters into the house of the woman. |
| 22 | ki-sikil-e-ne nam-gurusz-e tug2 zi-da mu4-mu4 | The young men dressed in their ordinary garments. |
| 23 | gurusz-e-ne nam-ki-sikil-e-esz2 tug2 gab2-bu mu4-mu4 | The young men dressed themselves in a clean garment. |
| 24 | x zu nitah-e-ne {gesz?}bala szu-ba? ga2?-ga2 munus-e-ne-er {gesz}tukul szum2-mu | The ... of the men, the bala drum in their hands, the women gave me weapons. |
| 25 | eme bungu munus-e e-ne di | The tongue of a woman - who will argue with you? |
| 26 | eme munus-e bungu e-ne di | The woman speaks like a bungu-bird. |
| 27 | nig2 galam-ma gar-gar ga2 kur2-ra KA-ge TUM x | (Sum) I am the one who puts things in order, I am a stranger ... (Akk) The one who places things into order, ... |
| 28 | {d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-bi {d}inanna-ra szu-ni-sze3 mu-un-gar-re-esz | They placed Enlil and Ninlil in his hands. |
| 29 | e2-gal e2 nam-nin-ka-ni nu-gig an-na-ra | For the palace, her temple of ladyship, the nugig priestess of heaven, |
| 30 | mu-na-an-du3-usz su zi im-da-ri-esz | They built it for him, they adorned it with a true crown. |
| 31 | {gesz}rab3 kur-kur-ra-ka mi-ni-in-ku4-re-esz ni2 me-lem4 bi2-in-guru3-usz | They brought in the reed-beds of all the lands and made them shine with fearsomeness. |
| 32 | sag ge6 szu ri-ri-e-de3 KA-bi x MA x [...] | To make the black-headed people tremble ... |
| 33 | di ug3 szar2-ra si sa2-e-de3 zi tam-me x [...] | In order to bring justice to all the people, in order to establish justice, |
| 34 | lu2 nig2-a2-zi ka-ga14 mi-ni-in-gal2-la-ar gar-x | The one who puts justice in my mouth ... |
| 35 | kilib3-ba-bi ku3 {d}inanna-ra szu-ni im-mi-in-si-si-esz | they adorned his hand with holy Inanna's radiance. |
| 36 | {d}isz-me-{d}da-gan sag us2 musz nu-tum2-mu MU A2 x x szum2 | Išme-Dagan, whose head is a snake that cannot be seen ... |
| 37 | {d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-bi nu-pa3 dam-sze3 mu-na-an-szum2-mu-usz | Enlil and Ninlil did not find a spouse for him |
| 38 | e2 dingir-re-e-ne du3-du3-de3 szukur2-u4-bi szub-szub-bu-de3 | In order to build the temples of the gods, in order to abandon their offerings |
| 39 | gi-gun4-na-bi szen-szen-e-de3 bara2-bi ku3-ge-de3 | In order to destroy its reed screen, in order to purify its dais |
| 40 | unu2-ba kurun2 lal3 kasz kurun-bi u4 szu2-usz gi-ne2-de3 | In its dining hall sweet beer, honey and beer, its sweet beer is to be poured out daily. |
| 41 | {d}inanna {d}isz-me-{d}da-gan-bi | Inanna and Išme-Dagan |
| 42 | {d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-bi sag-e-esz mu-ni-in-rig7-esz | Enlil and Ninlil presented it to him. |
| 43 | nibru{ki} mah en nin-zu-gin7 dingir na-me nu-dib | Nippur, magnificent like your lady, no god can pass by. |
| 44 | sza3-zu-a ki-sikil {d}inanna-ra me mu-na-ni-in-szum2-mu-usz | In your heart the maiden Inanna gave him divine powers. |
| 45 | {d}isz-me-{d}da-gan-me-en du-ri2-sze3 ka-ga14 mu-ni-gar | I am Išme-Dagan, I set my mouth towards the road. |
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 2026-10-18.