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CDLI Literary 000347, ex. 009 (P346104)

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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Metadata history Transliteration history

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 1.04.03 Dumuzi’s Dream (witness) Dumuzi's Dream)

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. [gu5]-li#-gu10 sag u2-a he2-en-szub ki#-ni# ba-ra-an#-[...]
 en: If my friend dropped his head in the plants then no one can know his place
2. {d#}dumu#-zi#-de3 sag u2-a mu-ni-in-kinx(UR4)#?-kinx(UR4)#?-ne#? nu-mu-un#-pa3-de3-esz#?
 en: Dumuzi! They were seeking his head in the plants, no one found him
3. sag u2-a di4-di4-la2 he2-en-szub# ki-ni ba#?-ra#-[...]
 en: If he dropped his head in the tiny plants then no one can know his place
4. {d#}dumu#-zi#-de3# sag# u2-a di4-di4-la2 mu-ni-in#-kinx(UR4)#-[...] nu-mu-un-pa3#-de3#?-[...]
 en: Dumuzi! They were seeking his head in the tiny plants, no one found him
5. sag# u2#-a# [gal]-gal#-la he2#-en#-[...]
 en: If he dropped his head in the large plants then no one can know his place
6. {d#}dumu#-zi#-de3# sag# u2#-[...]
 en: Dumuzi! They were seeking his head in the large plants, no one found him
7. e# a-ra-li#-ka#? [...]
 en: If he dropped (his) head in the dikes of Arali then no one can know his place
8. {d}dumu-zi-de3# [...]
 en: Dumuzi! They were catching him in the dikes of Arali
9. {d}dumu-zi-de3# [...]
 en: Dumuzi wept and made sobbing noises
10. iri{ki}-a nin9-gu10# x-[...] MU#? [...]
 en: My sister sustained me in the city, my friend killed me in the city
11. dumu nin9-gu10 sila#!?-a# [...]
 en: May my sister station (her) son in the street, and may he be kissed
12. dumu gu5-li sila#?-[...]
 en: May (my) friend station (his) son in the street, and may he not be kissed
13. lu2# ba-nigin#-ne#-[...]
 en: They surrounded the man, they ... the reservoir
14. gu mu-un-na#-x-[...]
 en: They were braiding a cord for him, they were knotting a net for him
15. gu zi-ip-pa#?-tum#? [...]
 en: They were braiding the zippatum cord for him
16. {gesz}ma-nu mu-<...>
 en: They were “scratching"(?) sticks of manu wood for him
17. lu2# igi#-na#-ke4 [...]
 en: The man before him was pelting him
18. lu2 murgu2#?-<<GIM#?>>-na-ke4 disz#? kusz3#?-gin7#? x-x-[...]
 en: The man behind him was pulling him out (from his hiding place) as (if he was merely?) one cubit (tall?)
19.a. szu-ni szu-du8-a ba#!-e-dab5#
 en: His hands were seized in handcuffs,
19.b. a2#?-ni#? [...]
 en: his arms were bound in manacles
20. gurusz-e {d}utu-ra an-sze3 szu-ni# [...]
 en: The young man raised his hands heavenward for Utu
21. {d}utu uru8-gu10-me-en mi2#?-us2-sa2?-[...]
 en: Utu, you are my brother in law, I am your in-law
22. e2#-an-na-sze3# u2 gur3#-ru-gu10-[...]
 en: You are my food carrier to the Eanna temple
reverse
1. [unu]{ki}-ga nig2-mi2-us2-sa2# ak#-[...]
 en: I am the one who made a betrothal gift in Uruk
2. nundum# ku3-ga ne-e KU-ub#-[...]
 en: I am the one who kissed the holy lips
3. dub3# ku3-ga dub3 {d}inanna-ke4 e-ne#-[...]
 en: I am the one who played on the holy knees, the knees of Inanna
4. szu-gu10 szu masz-da3 [...]
 en: After you have prepared my hands as the hands of a gazelle
5. giri3 MASZ? giri3 masz-da3 [...]
 en: After you have prepared my feet as the feet of a gazelle
6. KU-bi-ri-la2-a-KU#-ri-a2-ri-esz# [...]
 en: I want to run for my life towards ...
7. {d}utu er2-na kadra-gin7 szu#? [...]
 en: Utu accepted his tears as a kadra gift
8. lu2 arhusz-a-gin7 arhusz ba#?-[...]
 en: Like a compassionate person he ... mercy
9. szu-ni szu masz-da3 u3-mu-[...]
 en: After he prepared his hands as the hands of a gazelle
10. giri3-ni giri3 masz-da3 u3-mu-[...]
 en: After he prepared his feet as the feet of a gazelle
11. KU-bi-ri-la2-a-KU-ri-a2-ri#-[esz ...]
 en: He ran for his life towards ...
12. galla-ne-ne# mu-ni-in#-[...] nu#-mu#-[...]
 en: The galla demons were seeking him, no one was finding him
13. ga2-nam-ma-an#-ze2#-en#? [...] ga#-an#?-szi-re7#-x-[...]
 en: Come, let us go to ...
14. {d}dumu-zi-de3 KU-bi-ri#-la2#-a-KU-asz?-a2-ri-esz# mu-ni#-in-dab5-be2-ne
 en: Dumuzi! They seized him at ...
15. lu2 ba!-nigin-ne-esz a-nigin2#? ba#-ni-in-duh?-x
 en: They encircled the man and ... the reservoir
16. gu mu-un-na-sur-ru-ne sa mu-un-na-kesz2#?-x-[...]
 en: They were braiding a cord for him, they were knotting a net for him
17. gu zi-ip-pa#-tum mu-un-na-sur-ru#-ne#?
 en: They were braiding the zippatum cord for him
18. {gesz}ma-nu-<<mu#>> mu-un-na-bur2-re
 en: They were “scratching"(!?) sticks of manu wood for him
19. lu2 igi-na-ke4# nig2 mu-un-ra-ra
 en: The man before him was pelting him
20. lu2 murgu2#?-[...]-ke4#? disz kusz3!-gin7 mu-un-bur2-re
 en: The man behind him was pulling him out (from his hiding place) as (if he was merely?) one cuibit (tall?)
21.a. szu#-ni# szu-du8#-a# ba#?-e!?-dab5#?
 en: His hands were seized in handcuffs,
21.b. a2-ni a2-la2-a ba!?-x
 en: his arms were bound in manacles
22. [...]-e {d}utu-ra#! an-sze3 szu-ni mu-na-an-zi
 en: The young man raised his hands heavenward for Utu
23. [...] uru8#-gu10-me-en mi2-us2-sa2-gu10#-me-en
 en: Utu, you are my brother in law, I am your in-law
24. [...]-na-sze3 u2 gur3-ru-gu10-me-en
 en: You are my food carrier to the Eanna temple
25. [unu]{ki#}-ga nig2-<<MU>>-mi2-us2-sa2 x x [...]
 en: I am the one who made a betrothal gift in Uruk

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 1.04.03 Dumuzi’s Dream (witness) Dumuzi's Dream)
  • Language(s): Sumerian

  • history: Alster, Dumuzi, Dumuzi 046 o

    [Alster1972Dumuzi] Alster, Bendt. 1972. Dumuzi’s Dream. Aspects of Oral Poetry in a Sumerian Myth. Mesopotamia 1. Copenhagen : Akademisk Forlag, D.B.K.

  • history: UET 6, 0019

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

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

  • Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No: U 16879A
  • 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
2019-06-01 at 14:34:08 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:02:00 Englund, Robert K. Atf Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI approved View
2012-10-25 at 05:32:43 Wagensonner, Klaus Atf Wagensonner, Klaus CDLI approved View
2011-10-07 at 08:44:58 Wagensonner, Klaus Atf Wagensonner, Klaus 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

Consult this artifact as presented on the website of collections and projects:

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

Composite Score
CDLI Literary 000347 (Dumuzi&#039;s Dream) composite (P469528) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000347, Ex. 009 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346104.
CDLI Literary 000347, ex. 009 artifact entry (No. P346104). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346104 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000347, ex. 009 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346104 (Accessed: April 21, 2025).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2025-04-21]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000347, ex. 009 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346104},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346104},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346104
LB  - CDLI:P346104
M1  - 2025/4/21/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000347, ex. 009 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346104
ER  -
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