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
beginning broken
1'. [...] x x [...]
en: ...
2'. [...] ki#? siskur2 DU nu#-[...]
en: ... where the siskur prayer/offering/ritual ... is not known, where rejoicing ... is not known
3'. [...] ki sza3 hul2-la nu-tum2
en: ... a place unsuitable for a rejoicing heart
4'. [...]-gu10 a ni2-gu10 a gesz-ge-ge-na-gu10#
en: ... alas, my ..., alas, myself, alas, my limbs
5'. [...]-gu10 a nu-tu5-tux(NAGA) i3 nu-szesz4#
en: My ... not bathed, not anointed in oil
6'. [...] x-gu10 a gesz-ge-na-gu10 HI-HI#?
en: ... alas, my ..., alas, my beautiful/scratched(?) limbs
7'. [...] uludin2# sa6-ga-gu10 x [...]
en: ... my beautiful features ...
8'. [...] ga#-am3-du11 a ama ugu#-[...]-x-x
en: I want to say ..., I want to say “Alas, my birth mother”
9'. [... ga]-am3#-du11 a nin9 ama5#? [...]-na# ga-am3-du11#
en: I want to say ..., I want to say alas, sister, mother(?) Geštinanna(?)
10'. [...] til#? sza3 sag3-ga-gu10 [ga]-am3#-du11 nu-til#?
en: I want to say ... my distress, it is unceasing(?)
11'. [...] x-e-ne mu-un-x-esz-am3#?
en: It is ... that ... (pl.) decreed(?)
12'. [...]-ni#-in-tu-u4-de3#?-en
en: ... bore me/you
13'. [...]-ba#? mu-un-DU
en: Who took away from(?) my ...?
14'. [...] x x [...]
en: ...
rest broken
reverse
broken