Literary tablet excavated in Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in British Museum, London, UK
Image
© [see publications]
Transliteration
tablet
obverse
1. nam-lu2-lux(URU) mu#?-da-ab-dim2-dim2-esz
en: They created humanity
tr: İnsanlığı yarattılar
2. [nig2]-ki#? gu3#? tesz2-a ki?-ta# lu-lu-a-ba
en: After(?) the animals in unison proliferated below(?)
tr: Hayvanlar birlikte dünyada çoğaldığında
3. masz2#-ansze nig2#-ur2#-limmu2# [edin-na] me-te-asz bi2-ib2-gal2-esz
en: They put the domestic herds and quadrupeds appropriately in the plain (?)
tr: Hayvanları ve dört ayaklıları kırda uygunca var ettiler
4. an-edin-na? [u2]-szim# giri17-zal-la dagal-bi ba-ni!-ib2-[...]
en: In the upper steppe ... joy, the birth mother(?) ....
tr: Üst kırda neşe otlarını genişçe ...
5. u4-ba i7# nu-dun-dun# [...] x x x x [...] x
en: At that time, the canal was not dug ...
tr: O zaman, nehirler kazılmamıştı ...
6. e pa5-re#! [...] x
en: The dike and ditch were not dredged ...
tr: Bentler ve kanallar ...
7. gu4 apin x x NAM# [...] x
en: The plow(!?) ...
tr: Öküz ve saban ...
8. kur-kur-re us2# dil-am3#? [... dab5 ...]
en: The lands followed a single track(?)
tr: Tüm ülkeler ... bir yol ...
9. nam-lu2-lux(URU) igi#-bi# [...]
en: Humanity ... their eyes/faces
tr: İnsanlık ... suratları ...
10. {d}szakkan bar-rim4-ma#? [...]
en: Sumuqan did not go out? in the desert ...
tr: Şakkan ... karaya ...
11. tug2-sag-szu tuku5 x [...]
en: Weaving the cap/headcloth(?) ...
tr: Sarığı dokurken ...
12. nam-lu2-lux(URU) [...]
en: Humanity ...
tr: İnsanlık ...
13. u4-ba musz nu-[gal2-la-(am3) gir2 nu-gal2-la?]
en: At that time, the snake was not present, the scorpion was not present ...
tr: O zaman, yılan yoktu, akrep yoktu
14. ur-mah nu-gal2-[la-(am3) kiri3? nu-gal2-la?]
en: The lion was not present, ...
tr: Aslan yoktu, sırtlan yoktu
15. ur-gir15 ur-[bar-ra nu-gal2-la]
en: The dog and the wolf was not present ... #tr.tr: Köpek ve kurt yoktu
16. nam-lu2-lux(URU) [gaba-szu-gar nu-gal2]-la#?
en: Humanity had no opponent ...
tr: İnsanlığın rakibi yoktu
17. ni2 ti-ga2 su# [zi-zi nu-gal2]-la?
en: Fear and gooseflesh(!?) were not present ...
tr: Korku ve ürkü yoktu
18. lu2 ki? [...]-e
en: The man ...
tr: İnsan ...
19. lugal x [...]-TU
en: The king ...
tr: Kral ...
20. x [...]-NE
en: ...
tr: ...
21. [...]-NIG2
en: ...
tr: ...
22. [...]-la
en: ...
23. [...]-tuku
en: ...
tr: ...
24. [...] x [...] x
en: ...
tr: ...
rest broken
reverse
beginning broken
1'. [1(disz@t)-kam-ma-sze3? ... {d}]asal#-lu2-hi-sze3 [mu-na-ni-ib]-szum2#-mu
en: For the 1st (time), ... were giving Eridu or Ku'ara? to Asalluhi
tr: İlkinde, ... Asalluhi'ye verdi
2'. [2(disz@t)-kam-ma-sze3 ...]-ki [mu-na-ni-ib]-szum2#-mu
en: For the 2nd time ... were giving ...
tr: İkincisinde, ... verdi
3'. 3(disz@t)-kam-ma-[sze3 la-ra-ak{ki} {d}pa-bil2]-sag-ga2-ra [mu-na-ni-ib]-szum2-mu
en: For the 3rd (time) ... were giving Larak to Pabilsag
tr: Üçüncüsünde, Larak'ı Pabilsag'a verdi
4'. 4(disz@t)-kam-ma-sze3 [... mu]-na-ni-ib-szum2-mu-ne
en: For the 4th (time) ... were giving ...
tr: Dördüncüsünde, ... verdi
5'. 5(disz@t)-kam-ma-sze3 szuruppak#[{ki} ... mu-na-ni]-ib-szum2-mu
en: For the 5th (time) ... were giving Shuruppak? to Sud?
tr: Beşincisinde, Şuruppak'ı ... verdi
6'. iri{ki}-bi-ne [...] x a2-dam-bi [...]-a
en: Those cities ... their settlements ...
tr: Bu şehirler ... bu köyler ...
7'. an {d}en-lil2 [{d}en-ki? {d}nin-hur]-sag#-ga2-ke4
en: An, Enlil, Enki? and Ninhursag
tr: An, Enlil, Enki ve Ninhursaga
8'. sza3!? iri-bi-ne eridu{ki} [...] sag#?-bi-sze3 / [...]-x-gar-esz
en: Among(?) those cities, Eridu ... they established at the front/as the leader(?)
tr: Bu şehirlerin içinde Eridu'yu başa ...
9'. lu2-lux(URU) ug3 dagal# szar2#-ra ba-nu2#? [...]-da-ab-ak-esz
en: They led(?) a man who was lying(?) among its vast and many people ...
tr: ... geniş ve çoğul halkın içinde yatan bir insanı ...
10'. an {d}en-lil2 {d}en-ki a-a dingir-[re]-e-ne
en: An, Enlil, and Enki, the father(s) of the gods(?)
tr: An, Enlil ve Enki, tanrıların babaları,
11'. nam-sipa kilib3? ug3 szar2-ra-ba a-lulimx(GIR3)? [...]-an-pa3-de3-[...]
en: They chose Alulim for the shepherdship of the entirety of the many people
tr: Alulim'i çoğul halkın tamamının çobanlığı için seçtiler.
12'. a!-lulimx(GIR3)? mu#-bi ba-ab-sze21-esz x x [...].
en: They named him(!) Alulim
tr: Adını Alulim koydular
13'. HAR kab2 du11#?-ga a2 ag2-e mu-un-sug2-esz-a-[ba?]
en: After they served according to the command to check thusly/for ever after(?)
tr: kabduga kaplarının HARını emre göre yerleştirdiklerinde
14'. nam-lu2-lux(URU)#? nig2 a-na mu sze21-a-ba giri3-ni dab5-be2-[...]
en: Humanity, whoever possessed a name, grasping his feet (in submission?)/following his path (i.e., his instruction?) ...
tr: Bir isme sahip olan insanlık ayaklarını kavrarken (?)
15'. szer7-[da? sze?]-bi-da szu-na ba-da-an-gar-re-[...]
en: They put both (capital) offense and negligence(?) in his hand
tr: Ceza ile günahı eline koydular
16'. [...] x e-ne-ra mu-na-ab-szum2#-[...]
en: .... gave(?) ... to him
tr: ... ona verdiler
17'. [...] x mu#-[...]
en: ...
tr: ...
18'. [...] x [...] x mu-na-ab-x-[...]
en: ...
tr: ...
19'. usz-x x x-mu-u2
en: ...
tr: ...