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The šumunda grass (Q000359)
Literary, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | The šumunda grass |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000359 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | uncertain |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ab-ba na mu-un-de ab-ba na mu-un-de | She says “I want to go to the sea, I want to [go to] the sea. |
| 2 | im ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba e₂-ŋar₈ ba-gul-la-ba | When the clay was heaped up, when the barge was destroyed |
| 3 | šika bar₇-bar₇-ra ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba | When the šika offerings were brought in, |
| 4 | lu₂-ra lu₂ gi₄-ba gaba ba-ri-a-ba | For the man, the one who is to return, when he crosses over the chest, |
| 5 | mu ba-dug₄-ga-ba in-ga-an-dug₄ | he has sworn it by the name he swore. |
| 6 | še ba-su-ub-ba in-ga-an-su-ub | he poured out the barley. |
| 7 | ud im-e ŋe₂₆-e ga-šeŋ₃ im-mi-in-dug₄-ga-ba | When the storm blew, when it was good |
| 8 | ud e₂-ŋar₈-e ŋe₂₆-e ga-gul im-mi-in-dug₄-ga-ba | When the Ebara was destroyed, |
| 9 | ud a-ma-ru ŋe₂₆-e ga-ur₃-ur₃ im-mi-in-dug₄-ga-ba | When the flood swept over, |
| 10 | an in-dug₄ ki in-tu-ud | Heaven rejoiced, earth gave birth. |
| 11 | {u₂}šumunda in-ga-an-tu-ud | he gave birth to šumunda-plant |
| 12 | ki in-tu-ud an in-dug₄ | He gave birth to the earth, he made heaven tremble |
| 13 | {u₂}šumunda in-ga-an-tu-ud | he gave birth to šumunda-plant |
| 14 | gi lum-lum-ma-ni izi ba-an-la₂ | His bright reeds were lit with fire. |
| 15 | ri-a-ri-a-bi gaba ba-ri-a-bi | Its riārīb priests, their breasts, |
| 16 | um-ma ud-da ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | Thus (says) the storm that has not opened for you. |
| 17 | ab-ba ud-da ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | (Sum) The elders did not allow the storm to pass by (Akk) They did not let the storm pass by |
| 18 | gala-mah mu-da ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | The gala-maḫ priest who has no husband, |
| 19 | mu-lu a-ma-ru-ta ba-ra-ab-taka₄-a | (Sum) The one who did not open the flood, the one who opened it (Akk) The man who opened the flood has not opened it for you |
| 20 | {u₂}šumunda kiŋ₂-gi₄-a ba-an-gaz | The šumunda plant was destroyed in its place |
| 21 | kiŋ₂-gi₄-a ba-an-gaz sahar-tu₁₁-be₂ ba-tuš | She destroyed the place, she sat down in the dust |
| 22 | {u₂}šumunda izi la₂-la₂ am₃-me u₂-du₃-a-ni nu-ub-be₂ | The šumunda plant is burning with fire, her sheepfold does not speak. |
| 23 | u₂ nu-mu-dub₂-dub₂-be₂ u₂ nu-mu-bur₂-bur₂-re | She does not eat food, she does not spread out the food. |
| 24 | u₂ nu-mu-bur₂-bur₂-re ma-a um-ma-an-du₃ | He did not grow grass, he built it for me. |
| 25 | tukum mu-un-gub-be₃ tukum mu-un-nu₂-e | If he stands, if he lies down, |
| 26 | izi um-ma-an-šum₂ daŋal-ba ŋen-na-ni | When he fires, his lord will be angry. |
| 27 | {u₂}šumunda ki-gub-ba-ni a-a sis-na | The šumunda plant, his standing place |
| 28 | izi ga-ba-ŋar ga-ba-ŋar im-ma-ni-in-du₇-e | He made it perfect for me to sprinkle fire, to sprinkle water. |
| 29 | ur₂ e₂-an-na-ke₄ izi im-ma-ni-ri | The base of the Eana was lit with fire. |
| 30 | šu im-ma-ni-in-du₃ šu im-ma-ni-in-la₂ | He built it, he hung it for it |
| 31 | inim ka-na um-ma-da-ŋal₂-la | the word of the land he had brought to me |
| 32 | ga-ša-an-an-na-ke₄ uga{mušen} ba-e-dab₅ ugu-ni-še₃ ba-gub | Gašanana seized the ugamuš tree and set it against her. |
| 33 | sipad-de₃ e-ze₂-ni ma-a-a-ba mu-da-ab-šub | The shepherd puts his sheep with him wherever he goes. |
| 34 | ga-ša-an-an-na-ke₄ uga{mušen} ba-e-dab₅-ba | Gašanana, the ugamuš-demon, was seized |
| 35 | im ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba e₂-ŋar₈ ba-gul-la-ba | When the clay was heaped up, when the barge was destroyed |
| 36 | šika bar₇-bar₇-ra ba-šeŋ₃-ŋa₂-ba | When the šika offerings were brought in, |
| 37 | {d}dumu-zid-de₃ gaba ba-ri-a-bi | Dumuzid, whose chest is split. |
| 38 | im ba-da-šeŋ₃ e₂-ŋar₈ ba-da-gul | The clay was heaped up, the barge was destroyed |
| 39 | tur₃ ba-da-gul amaš ba-da-bur₁₂ | The cattlepen is destroyed, the sheepfold is torn down |
| 40 | id₂-da a-ŋi₆ hul ba-an-da-šub | On the river the evil flood swept away |
| 41 | ambar-ra im-hul ba-an-da-šub | He stood with him in the marshes, an evil wind |
| 42 | X na-aŋ₂ GADA {id₂}idigna {id₂}buranuna-ke₄ | ... of the Tigris and Euphrates |
| 43 | {id₂}idigna {id₂}buranuna-ke₄ u₂ gid₂-da ba-an-mu₂ | The Tigris and Euphrates grew long grass. |
| 44 | u₂ gid₂-da AN X aŋ₂ zu-a | long grass ... |
| 50 | u₂-du₃-a-ni mu-ub-be₂ u₂ mu-dub₂-dub₂-be₂ | His udug priest speaks, he screams. |
| 51 | {u₂}šumunda izi la₂ e-X x X | šumunda-plant, fire ... |
| 52 | {u₂}šumunda izi la₂ am₃-ma-an-du₃ | He built a šumunda plant with fire. |
| 53 | izi la₂ am₃-ma-an-du₃ en₃ mu-un-na-tar-re | She poured out fire and asked for answers. |
| 54 | ga-ša-an-an-na-ra {lu₂}azlag tug₂-ga-ni dan₃-dan₃-na | For Gašanana, the fuller, whose garment is clean |
| 55 | ga-ša-an-an-na nagar {ŋiš}bal-e šu bi₂-in-dab₅-ba | Gašanana, the carpenter, seized him |
| 56 | ga-ša-an-an-na bahar₂-e {dug}sila₃ am₃-kir₃-kir₃ | Gašanana, the potter, emptied the jug |
| 57 | bahar₂ {dug}utul₂ kug mu-un-na-an-šum₂ sipad-de₃ e-ze₂-ni mu-na-ab-ga | The potter brought a holy bowl for her, and the shepherd brought her her sheep. |
| 58 | sipad-de₃ e-ze₂-ni mu-na-ab-ga en₃ mu-un-na-tar-re | The shepherd approached him and inquired after him. |
| 59 | u₂ giri₁₇-zal u₂ giri₁₇-zal buru₁₄-gin₇ mu-na-ab-ga | The wild plants, the wild plants that grow for him like the harvest. |
| 60 | gu₃ an-e ba-te gu₃ ki-še₃ ba-te | He approached heaven, he approached earth. |
| 61 | gu₃ šu niŋin₂-na-ni an-ur₂-ra tug₂-gin₇ im-mi-in-dul gada-gin₇ im-mi-in-bur₂ | She covered the base of heaven like a garment, covered it like linen |
| 62 | saŋ-du {u₂}šumunda-ke₄ {tum₉}u₁₈-lu-{tum₉}u₁₈-lu bi₂-in-šub | The sadu plant of the šumunda plant was brought to an end |
| 63 | {u₂}šumunda mu-zu x X-e | The šumunda plant, your name |
| 64 | u₂ he₂-me-en x | May you be ... |
| 65 | u₂ hul gig-ga he₂-me-en x | May you be an evil plant, ... |
| 66 | mu-zu x | Your name |
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.