CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 018 (P346214)

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

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Text / annotations

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Chemical Data

Seal Chemistry

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Museum Collection(s)

British Museum, London, UK

Museum Number

BM —

Period

Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience

Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Literary (ETCSL 2.02.03 Lament for Sumer and Ur (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. eridu#{ki} a gal#-e# u5#?-[...]
 en: (In?) Eridu, which had been riding(?) on a flood, drinking water ceased(?)
2. bar-ba {d}en-lil2-e du3-x-[...]
 en: In its outskirts, which had been made into a windblown plain ...
3. lu2 zi ki-lul#-la# x [...]
 en: The true person ... in an ambush ...
4. {d}KA-x-x [...]
 en: KAhegal? and Igihegal? ...
5. gurusz-me-en u4# [...] x x x [...]
 en: You(?) are a young man, the day/storm ...
6. u4# nu-gul-la hi#-li nu-til-la-me-en [...]
 en: Day/storm that does not destroy/is not restrained, you(?) are one whose allure is not exhausted ...
7. [...] TUG2-gin7 su2 sa6#-ga-me-esz i3-[...]
 en: They (the two gatekeepers?)) who are beautiful of body(?) like ..., we will ...
8. alim#?-gin7 igi gun3-gun3-me-esz i3-[...]
 en: They who are speckled of face like an alim creature(?), we will ...
9. alan#-gin7 kusz3-kusz3-a de2-a-me-esz i3-[...]
 en: They who are poured like a statue into molds, we will ...
10. gu#-ti-um{ki} lu2 ha-lam-ma-ne me-ze-er#?-[...]
 en: Gutium, the people who destroy(?), will break them
11. [... {d}]en#-ki-ra abzu eridu{ki}-sze3 szu-a ba-e-de3-en#-[...]
 en: We sent by hand to father? Enki in the Abzu of Eridu
12. [...] a#-na im-me-en-da-na a-na bi2-in-tah-en#-[...]
 en: ... what is it that will we say, what is it that we will add?
13. [...] x a#-na# im-me-en-da-na a-na bi2-in-tah#-[...]
 en: ... what is it that will we say, what is it that we will add?
14. [...]-ga-ta he2#-en#-x-[...]
 en: If(?) it is (the case that) we go out from(?) Eridu
15. [...]-ba#?-gub-bu-da-nam gissu#? [...]
 en: If we stand ... in the day? shade will not ...
16. [...]-gub#-bu#-un-da-nam u4-de3 [...]
 en: If we stand ... at night, the day/storm would not acquire ...
17. [...] a-na szu ba-e-de3-ti#-[...]
 en: (While) standing in the day(?) with(?) our distress, what will we take from you(?)?
18. [...] u2-gu me-de2-en-de3#-[...]
 en: (While) standing in the night(?) with(?) our sleeplessness, what will we forget (i.e., leave behind)?
19. [...]-ba-e-de3-ku5 ki!-erim2-e [...]
 en: Enki, if your city is cursed, it will be given to(?) the enemy land
20. [...] gal2-la-a-da a-na-asz ba-[...]
 en: Why do they diminish us in the status of(!?) being apart from Eridu?
21. [...]-ga-me a-na-asz me-gul-gul-lu#-[...]
 en: Why do they destroy us(?) (in our state of) not being touched (with care?) like a date palm?
22. [...] nu#-ak!-me a-na-asz me-ze-er-ze#-[...]
 en: Why do they break us(?) (in our state of) not being coated (in bitumen) like a new boat?
23. [...] kur2#-ra im-ma-da#-[...]
 en: It is the case that Enki has set his gaze at a different place
24. [...]-x gesz hul-lu mu-e-ni#-[...]
 en: The storm(?) ... of grievous sin gave/placed an evil tree/weapon(?) for him
25. [...]-ga#?-me-esz ildum2-ba# [...]
 en: They are arisen ... who lie down in their packs
26. [...] giri3# kur2 ba-ra-an-[dab5]
 en: Enki took to a different path away from Eridu
27. [...]-x er2 gig mu#-[...]
 en: Damgalnuna, the mother of the Emah temple, wept bitterly
28. [... gul]-la#-gu10# [...]
 en: She was saying “Alas, my destroyed city, alas, my destroyed temple” bitterly
  rest broken
reverse
  beginning broken
1'. [...] x [...]
 en: ...
2'. [...] x x [...]
 en: ...
3'. [...] x x [...]
 en: ...
4'. [...] x ba x [...]
 en: ...
5'. [...] x x [...]
 en: ...
  n lines broken
6'. x [...]
 en: ...
  blank space

Consult previous versions and their differences
Consult sign list of Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Consult word list of Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

  • Artifact type: Tablet
  • Material: Clay
  • Measurements (mm):
  • Weight:
  • Artifact Preservation:
  • Condition Description:
  • Join Information:
  • Seal no.:
  • Seal information:
  • Artifact comments:

  • Genre(s): Literary (ETCSL 2.02.03 Lament for Sumer and Ur (witness))
  • Language(s): Sumerian


  • history: UET 6, 0129

    [Gadd1963] Gadd, Cyril J., and Aaron Shaffer. 1963, 1966.

  • history: Michalowski Lamentation over Sumer and Ur p.32,

    [sec87747] N.d.

  • Composite No.:
  • Museum No.: BM —
  • Accession No.:

  • Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No: U —
  • Findspot Square:
  • Findspot Comments:

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune approved View
2019-06-11 at 10:23:13 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:09 Englund, Robert K. Atf Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2006-11-02 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact Foxvog, Daniel A.; Guerra, Dylan; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Wolfe, Jared N. CDLI approved View

This artifact is a witness to the following composite(s):

Composite Score
CDLI Literary 000380 (Lament for Sumer and Ur) composite (P469682) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000380, Ex. 018 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346214.
CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 018 artifact entry (No. P346214). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346214 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 018 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346214 (Accessed: March 29, 2024).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2024-03-29]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000380, ex. 018 artifact entry},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346214},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346214
LB  - CDLI:P346214
M1  - 2024/3/29/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000380, ex. 018 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346214
ER  - 
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