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Ninurta and the turtle (Q000352)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | Ninurta and the turtle |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000352 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
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)
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) |
|---|---|---|
| Seg.A, | ||
| 1 | X x | |
| 2 | amar anzud{mušen} x | an Anzud bird |
| 3 | {ŋiš}ilar KA x | Ištar |
| 4 | amar anzud{mušen} x | an Anzud bird |
| 5 | ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta x | hero Ninurta |
| 6 | {ŋiš}gag KA x | a type of plant |
| 7 | amar anzud{mušen} x | an Anzud bird |
| 8 | X X X x | |
| Seg.B, | ||
| 1 | dug₄-ga-ni-ta {ŋiš}tukul-zu hul-a mu-ni-in-tag | From his mouth your weapon was struck down with evil. |
| 2 | me šu-ŋa₂ šu ba-ba-ŋu₁₀-ne me-bi abzu-še₃ ba-an-gi₄ | When the divine powers were taken away, that divine power was restored to the abzu |
| 3 | ŋiš-hur šu-ŋa₂ šu ba-ba-ŋu₁₀-ne ŋiš-hur-bi abzu-še₃ ba-an-gi₄ | When they have sworn it by the hand, it has been returned to the abzu. |
| 4 | dub nam-tar-ra-bi abzu-še₃ ba-an-gi₄ me ab-la₂-e-en | You have returned the tablet of fate to the abzu, I shall lie down. |
| 5 | inim amar anzud{mušen}-še₃ {d}nin-urta lul-aš ba-an-si | The word of Anzud's calf Ninurta filled him with falsehood. |
| 6 | {d}nin-men-na-ke₄ a-nir im-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ | Ninmena uttered a lament |
| 7 | ŋe₂₆-e me-bi šu-ŋu₁₀-uš li-bi₂-kur₉ nam-en-bi nu-ak-e | The lord does not act kindly towards its divine powers |
| 8 | ŋe₂₆-e e-ne-gin₇ eš₃-e abzu-a nu-mu-un-til | Like him, he does not dwell in the shrine Abzu |
| 9 | a-a {d}en-ki inim mu-un-dug₄-dug₄-ga-a abzu-a ba-da-an-zu | Father Enki, the one who speaks words, knows it in the abzu. |
| 10 | ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta amar anzud{mušen}-de₃ šu-ni bi₂-in-ti | Ursa, Ninurta, the calf of Anzud, took his hand. |
| 11 | ki {d}en-ki-ka₃-še₃ abzu-še₃ im-ma-da-te | he approached the Abzu of Enki. |
| 12 | {d}u₄-ta-u₁₈-lu amar anzud{mušen}-de₃ abzu-še₃ ba-an-gi₄ | Utaulu, the calf of Anzudmušven, returned to the abzu. |
| 13 | en-e ur-saŋ-ra ba-ši-hul₂ | The lord rejoiced over the hero |
| 14 | a-a {d}en-ki ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta-ra ba-ši-hul₂ | For father Enki, hero Ninurta rejoiced. |
| 15 | en {d}nu-dim₂-mud-e mi₂ zid mu-un-i-i-de₃ | Lord Nudimmud treats him kindly. |
| 16 | ur-saŋ-e diŋir šeš-zu-ne-a diŋir na-me ur₅-gin₇ nu-mu-un-ak-e | (Sum) The hero, when you cross over the river, no one compares with him (Akk) No hero is able to compare with your hand |
| 17 | mušen {ŋiš}tukul kalag-ga-zu bi₂-dab₅-ba-še₃ | When the snake has seized your mighty weapon |
| 18 | ud me-da ud ul-le₂-še₃ gu₂-bi ŋiri₃-zu ba-gub-be₂-en | “Day after day, in distant days, you will set your neck on your shoulder. |
| 19 | diŋir gal-gal-e-ne a₂ nam-ur-saŋ-ŋa₂-zu me-teš₂ he₂-i-i-ne | May the great gods praise your heroism |
| 20 | a-a-zu {d}en-lil₂-le niŋ₂-dug₄-zu he₂-ak | May your father, Enlil, do your best. |
| 21 | {d}nin-men-na-ke₄ kiŋ₂-sig₁₀-ga-zu na-an-dim₂-e | Ninmena, you should not make your earth shake! |
| 22 | za-e-gin₇ ni₂ na-ab-tuku diŋir na-me igi-zu-še₃ šu si sa₂ na-an-sa₂-e | Like you one should not have fear, there is no dividing line before you, you should not set your hand in order |
| 23 | itid-da eš₃-e abzu-a igi-du₈-a e₂-zu saŋ he₂-us₂ | Month after month, may the shrine Abzu be seen, may your house be firmly founded |
| 24 | an zag gal-la mu-zu he₂-pad₃-de₃ | May An, the great border, find your name! |
| 25 | ur-saŋ nam-tar-ra-bi šag₄-bi nu-hul₂ | The hero, whose fate is unknown, does not rejoice |
| 26 | ki-gub-ba-ni a-ŋi₆ i-im-ku₁₀-ku₁₀-ge i-sig₇-sig₇-ge | His standing place is darkened, it is reddish. |
| 27 | šag₄-bi niŋ₂ gal-gal i-im-bal-bal šag₄-bi i₃-kur₂-kur₂ | Its interior is filled with great fearsomeness, its interior is changed |
| 28 | inim da-bi nu-ub-tuku-a bar-bi i-im-dug₄-dug₄ | (Sum) The one who does not have a father speaks a word, his body is shattered (Akk) Its father speaks no words, its body is struck |
| 29 | ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta igi-bi ki-šar₂-ra ba-ni-in-ŋar | The hero Ninurta looked at the world |
| 30 | lu₂ na-me nu-ub-dug₄ šag₄-bi zi nu-X-X | No one compares with me, its interior is not ... |
| 31 | en gal {d}en-ki ki ni₂-te-na-ke₄ inim šag₄-bi ba-X-zu | Great lord Enki of the place of his own, your word ... |
| 32 | eš₃-e abzu-a a-ŋi₆ mud i-im-tuku₄-tuku₄-e | In the shrine Abzu he makes the water flow with blood. |
| 33 | sukkal {d}isimudₓ(|PAB.NUN.ME.EZEN|)-de₃ e₂-e ŋiri₃ mu-un-ru-gu₂ | The vizier Isimud surrounded the temple with a mound. |
| 34 | ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta ed₂-de₃ nu-mu-un-še-še | The hero Ninurta did not go out to the steppe |
| 35 | sukkal {d}isimudₓ(|PAB.NUN.ME.EZEN|)-de₃-eš₂ šu-ni ba-an-zig₃ | The vizier Isimud raised his hand |
| 36 | {d}en-ki-ke₄ im abzu-a ba-al-gu₇ ba-da-an-dim₂ | Enki fashioned clay for the Abzu. |
| 37 | ki sun₅-na kan₄ abzu-a ba-al-gu₇ ba-da-an-gub | In the cool place, in the gate of the Abzu he ate, he stood with him. |
| 38 | {d}en-ki-ke₄ ki-lul-la-ke₄ mu-un-na-ab-dug₄-dug₄ | Enki made it perfect for her in a place of falsehood. |
| 39 | ki-gub-ba ba-al-gi₄-še₃ ba-da-an-tum₃ | he brought him to the place where he was stationed. |
| 40 | ba-al-gu₇ eŋer-ra-ni sa-bi ba-da-an-dab₅ | He eats what is eaten in his cella, he is seized by his tail. |
| 41 | ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta ŋiri₃-bi ba-da-an-gi₄ | Ursa and Ninurta returned to their cities. |
| 42 | {d}en-ki nu-zu-gin₇ a-na-am₃ ne-e im-me | Enki, like one who knows no more, what does he know? |
| 43 | umbin-ŋiri₃-bi ki bi₂-in-hur habrud hul ba-da-an-dun | Its ‘cutting-of-the-throat’ was thrown into a hole, and the evil nail was dug. |
| 44 | ur-saŋ {d}nin-urta šag₄-bi ba-da-an-šub | The hero Ninurta stood before it |
| 45 | ur-saŋ-e ga-x X ed₃-de₃ nu-mu-un-zu-am₃ | The hero ... does not know the steppe. |
| 46 | ba-al-gu₇ ŋiri₃ umbin-ŋiri₃-bi ba-an-sur-sur | he eats, he spreads out the branches of its branches. |
| 47 | en gal {d}en-ki-ke₄ gu₃ mu-un-na-de₂-e | The great lord Enki spoke to him |
| 48 | me X kur-ta mu-ni-in-niŋin₂-niŋin₂ mu-pad₃-de₃ | ... chose me from the netherworld and chose me. |
| 49 | ŋe₂₆-ra saŋ ŋiš ra-ŋu₁₀-uš igi-zu mu-e-ŋar-ra-am₃ | “If you look at me with a great fearsomeness, |
| 50 | X-bil₂-ga gal-gal di ŋe₂₆-e bi₂-ib₂-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ ŋe₂₆-e bi₂-ib₂-zi-de₃ | (Sum) The great ... is to be smashed, to be cut off(?) (Akk) The big ... that was torn out, it was to be removed |
| 51 | za-e ŋe₂₆-ra a-gin₇ igi-zu mu-ŋar-ra | You, how have you yourself looked at me? |
| 52 | ki-gub-ba-zu a-na-am₃ mu-ra-an-dab₅ a-ra₂-bi a-na-gin₇-nam | What have you taken from your standing place? How is it that you have been seized? |
| 53 | nam-kalag-ga-zu me-še₃ ba-an-ŋen nam-ur-saŋ-zu me-a | Your mightyness, where is your heroism? |
| 54 | hur-saŋ gal-gal-e mu-ni-in-gul-gul e-ne-eš₂ a-na-am₃ mu-ed₃-de₃ | He destroyed the great mountains, what did he do? |
| 55 | {d}nin-men-na-ke₄ inim-bi ba-da-an-pad₃ | Ninmena chose her words |
| 56 | tug₂ bar-ra-na al-bir₇-re KAŠ₄ im-sar-sar-re | He smears the cloth on his body, he smeared the beer. |
| 57 | {u₂}ug gu₇-gu₇-ŋu₁₀-uš za-e a-ba-a mu-ra-ab-tum₂ | “If you eat frogs, who will bring them to you? |
| 58 | lu₂ saŋ-bi mu-un-bul-bul ba-X-x-un-GIL-X za-e a-ba-a mu-ra-ab-tum₂ | (Sum) The one who fills its reedbeds, who ... it for you? (Akk) You, who is bringing it to you? |
| 59 | {d}am-an-ki mu-bi nu-me-a u₄-gu₇-gu₇-nu-de₂-de₂ mu-bi-im | The name of this (object) is “Amanki is not a name, it is to be eaten day and night.' |
| 60 | nam-uš₂ šu ŋar nu-tuku-a za-e a-ba-a mu-ra-ab-tum₂ | You are the one who brings a fate that has no rival |
Sources & licences
- 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 2026-10-18.