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The song of the ploughing oxen: an ululumama to Ninurta (Q000779)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | The song of the ploughing oxen: an ululumama to Ninurta |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000779 |
| 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e-el-lu ma-al-lu | ellu, lilu! |
| 2 | gud ŋen-a ŋen-a {ŋiš}šudul-a gu₂ ŋar-i₃ | The oxen of the lord, the šudula fish, the neck of the bari fish |
| 3 | gud x ŋen-a ŋen-a {ŋiš}šudul-a gu₂ ŋar-i₃ | ... oxen, ..., šudula-fish, lambs |
| 4 | x ma-da-me-en | I am ... of the land. |
| 5 | x {d}en-lil₂-la₂-me-en | I am the ... of Enlil |
| 6 | x kalam-ma-me-en | I am the ... of the land |
| 7 | e-el-lu ma-a-lu | Ellu, alu! |
| 8 | x saŋ mu-da-ŋal₂ | ... carried off. |
| 9 | x saŋ mu-da-ŋal₂ | ... carried off. |
| 13 | X X x | |
| 14 | a₂-še ama hu-mu-da-X | May the arms of the mother ... |
| 15 | a₂-še {d}nanše hu-mu-da-an-šub-bu | may Nanše's arms be placed with him |
| 16 | ninda {kuš}lu-ub₂ ha-ma-ni-in-ŋar-ra-am₃ | I have set out a loaf of leather for him. |
| 17 | a {kuš}ummud-da ha-ma-ni-in-de₂-am₃ | “May he pour water with a mud cloth for me. |
| 18 | saŋ us₂ x ha-ma-da-an-gub-ba | May he stand with me on the ... road. |
| 19 | engar ninda gu₇-a ha-ma-an-dug₄-ga-am₃ | May the farmer who eats bread be satisfied. |
| 20 | engar a naŋ-a ha-ma-an-dug₄-ga-am₃ | farmer, may he be satisfied with the water of the river. |
| 21 | e-el-lu ma-a-lu | Ellu, alu! |
| 22 | {d}nanše e₂ ma-mu-de₃ ba-nu₂ | Nanše laid down in my house for me |
| 23 | {d}nanše-ra inim ŋi₆ im-ma-na-ab-DU | To Nanše he spoke a word |
| 24 | ninda {kuš}lu-ub₂-a im-ma-ni-in-ŋar | he spread bread in a leather bag. |
| 25 | a {kuš}ummud-da im-ma-ni-in-de₂ | he was pouring water with a sandal. |
| 26 | saŋ us₂ X-gub | (a kind of container) |
| 27 | {lu₂}engar igi X X im-ma-ši-in-bar | The farmer looked at ... |
| 28 | gud-ab₂ X X eme ba-an-ŋar | The gudab-fish ... the tongue ... |
| 29 | X x ŋiri₃ bi₂-in-la₂ | he carried ... in a net. |
| 30 | {lu₂}engar ama-a-ni gu₃ mu-na-de₂-e | The farmer said to his mother: |
| 31 | ninda {kuš}lu-ub₂-a ma-an-ŋar | bread made with luba leather |
| 32 | a {kuš}ummud-da ma-an-de₂ | he brought me water in the sandals. |
| 33 | saŋ us₂ x ma-an-gub | ... he set up for me. |
| 38 | e-el-lu ma-al-lu | ellu, lilu! |
| 39 | a-na-am₃ x | What ...? |
| 40 | a-na-am₃ x | What ...? |
| 41 | a-ba-am₃ x | Who ...? |
| 42 | a-ba-am₃ x | Who ...? |
| 43 | a-ba-am₃ lag x | Who is ...? |
| 44 | a-ba-am₃ mušen x | Who is it that ... the snake? |
| 45 | a₂ zid-da x | the right side ... |
| 46 | a₂ gab₂-bu x | labor, total: ; |
| 47 | igi il₂-la x | before ... |
| 48 | umbin gal-ŋu₁₀ x | a large nail |
| 49 | mul-an-na X x | Anu ... |
| 50 | gala-bi x si im-sa₂-e x | Its gala-priest ... |
| 51 | gud x saŋ-dili gur₄ mu-un-ta-šub | ... single ox he set up. |
| 52 | x inim mu-na-ni-ib-gi₄-gi₄ | ... replied to him. |
| 53 | gud-me-en gud tur-me-en | I am an ox, I am a small oxx, |
| 54 | siki giri₁₇-ŋu₁₀ nu-lum-ma-me-en | I am the one who does not care for the hair. |
| 55 | gu₂-tar-ŋa₂ sahar nu-šub-ba-bi | Its gutar-vessels that do not collect dust |
| 56 | a-na-aš-am₃ lugal-ŋu₁₀ ŋe₂₆-e mu-un-kal-me-en | Why do you hold back the kingship? |
| 57 | amar ban₃-da-ŋu₁₀ inim 1-am₃ a-ra-ab-be₂-en | You will say one word to a young calf. |
| 58 | ŋizzal he₂-em-ši-ak | I made into a mound. |
| 59 | {ŋiš}KU ad-da-zu 4-am₃ | It is the fourth KU of your father |
| 60 | {ŋiš}KU ama-zu 8-am₃ | Your mother is 8 (shekels). |
| 61 | {d}utu ŋiš sag₉-zu si he₂-ri-ib-sa₂ | Šamaš, may your beautiful horns be arranged. |
| 62 | e-el-lu ma-a-lu | Ellu, alu! |
| 63 | engar šu-nim-ma sipad tur₃ kug-ga | farmer of Šunima, shepherd of the holy cowshed |
| 64 | ŋuruš-e ud tur-ra-ni-ta dam an-tuku-am₃ | The young woman, in her youth, has a spouse. |
| 65 | dumu an-tuku-am₃ dili-ni nu-mu-un-x | The son who has a father does not ... alone. |
| 66 | e-el-lu ma-a-lu | Ellu, alu! |
| 67 | mul-an-na ŋe₂₆-e x | The Anzu star ... |
| 68 | gun₃ an-na ŋe₂₆-e x | The radiance of heaven ... |
| 69 | {tug₂}niŋ₂-barag₂ ur₃-ra ŋe₂₆-e x | The nibarag garment ... in the lap |
| 70 | x x ŋe₂₆-e x | ... ; |
| 91 | {ŋiš}X x | ... , |
| 92 | e-el-lu ma-a-lu | Ellu, alu! |
| 93 | {d}en-ki-im-du lu₂ eg₂ pa₅-ra-ke₄ | Enkimdu, the man of the ditches, |
| 94 | en {d}x gu₃ mu-na-de₂-e | Lord ... spoke to him. |
| 95 | lugal-ŋu₁₀ x X ga-mu-ra-ab-ak-e | I want to make ... for you. |
| 96 | gana₂ zid-de₃ x a ga-ra-ab-dug₄ | I want to say "Woe!" to you in the fertile field. |
| 97 | im saŋ x im-ma-ab-be₂ | ... he says. |
| 98 | ud še x X gana₂ NE | day ..., ... field |
| 99 | AN-AN x mu-da-an-X x ma-ab-ak | ... he made it. |
| 100 | X x X NE | [......] V |
| 119 | e-el-lu ma-al-lu | ellu, lilu! |
| 120 | {ŋiš}gana₂-ur₃ {ŋiš}ga-rig₂ a-šag₄-ŋa₂ | a field, a threshing floor, an irrigation ditch |
| 121 | {ŋiš}zu₂ gal-gal ha-ra-ab-si gana₂ kug ri-ri-de₃ | May your great limbs be bound for you, so that the gold fields are torn out. |
| 122 | {ŋiš}al gu₂ ki he₂-re-la₂ mud sa₂-bi₂-ib | “May the hoe be at the side of the earth, may the earth be covered with blood! |
| 123 | {ŋiš}al gu₂ ki he₂-re-la₂ | “May the hoe be seated on the ground! |
| 124 | {ŋiš}apin kug-zu {ŋiš}dal-a la₂-a-ba {ŋiš}dal-ta um-ta-si-ig | The plowman, your silver, the floated floated, he smashed it with floated metal. |
| 125 | nagar gal-zu gu hu-mu-ra-ab-tag-ge | May your great carpenter bless you. |
| 126 | a₂ {ŋiš}le-um-ma-bi x | the labor of Lulumma |
| 139 | x mu₇-mu₇ x | ... singing ... |
| 140 | x šu zid-da-na gi-1(diš)-nindan he₂-x | ... his right hand shall ... a reed mat |
| 141 | x {d}en-ki-im-du lu₂ eg₂ pa₄-ra-ke₄ | ... Enkimdu, the man of the ditch, |
| 142 | x-a-ka hu-mu-ra-x | May he ... for you |
| 143 | e-el-lu ma-al-lu gud ŋen-a ŋen-a {ŋiš}šudul-a gu₂ ŋar-i₃ | ellu, alallu, oxen, lords, šudula-garments, lambs, |
| 144 | gud x ŋen-a ŋen-a {ŋiš}šudul-a gu₂ ŋar-i₃ | ... oxen, ..., šudula-fish, lambs |
| 145 | ab-sin₂ gana₂ zid-da ŋiri₃ gub-gub-i₃ us₂ si sa₂ he₂-e-dib | “May the furrows of the righteous field and the lowland that stand at your right side pass by! |
| 146 | x e₂ kaš-a-ka ul ti-a x | ... in the house of beer ... |
| 147 | x {d}inana-ka ki-bur₂-re x | The ... of Inana in the Kibur |
| 148 | x ki-bi i₃-gi₄-gi₄ x | ... restored ... |
| 149 | u₂-lu-lu-ma-ma {d}nin-urta-kam | It is a lulluma of Ninurta |
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.