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
© The Trustees of the British Museum
(CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0)
Transliteration
tablet
obverse
1. u4#? ri#?-a he2-gal2-la-ta {d}en-ki-ke4 UN x ki gar-ra? x x-da
en: In distant times, so that Enki founded/demarcated ...(!?) by means of abundance
2. {d}en#-lil2!-bi? ki-tusz mah-a tusz!-u3-de3 unu#-bi sikil-e-de3
en: So that “its Enlil"(?) resided in a supreme dwelling, in order to purify its inner sanctum/banquet hall
3. dingir gal-gal-e-ne-er kur6 hal-ha szum2-mu-de3 ki-szu-pesz11-bi u6#? di#?
en: In order to give distributed rations to the great gods, to behold(?) their shrines
4. {d}a-nun-na-ke4-ne-er siskurx(AMAR) du10? ga2-ga2-de3 du6-ku3-ta#? x x x
en: In order to establish good siskur rituals/prayers for the Anuna, in order to ... from/at? the Dukug
5. {d}nanna an-pa e3 mu2-mu2-de3 si mah-bi mul!-sig7 zalag-ge-de3
en: So that Nanna, who comes out in the zenith of heaven, shines(?), so that the supreme horns illuminate the darkness
6. {d}utu an-ur2-ra ni2 gal gur3-ru-de3 KA? x x KA x x x-de3#
en: So that Utu fills the horizon with great awe, so that ...
7. gesz-hur-ne sar-sar-de3 kalam ki-bi-sze3 gi4-gi4-de3
en: In order to incise designs, in order to return the land to its place
8. {i7}idigna {i7}buranun{ki}-bi-ta!? idim-ta!? gur?-gur?-de3 sza3-bi-a a-u5-ba tum4-de3
en: So that both the Tigris and Euphrates return(?) from/by means of the spring (i.e., Abzu?), in order to bring the high flood in their midst
9. a-ab!-ba gu2 ab?-ke4? <<ke4?>> si? sa2?-de3 en {d}dil-imx(DU)-babbar-re e2-kur-sze3 du-de3
en: In order to set the sea and the seashore(?) in order, so that lord Dilimbabbar goes to the Ekur
10. {gesz}henbur zi-de3 sze mu2-mu2-de3 iti za3 mu-ta en {d}dil-imx(DU)-babbar-re# e2-kur-sze3 du-de3
en: So that the offshoot rises, so that barley grows, so that lord Dilimbabbar goes to the Ekur at the month at the beginning of the year
11. ambar-ra ku6 muszen# lu-lu-de3 sa <...>
en: So that fishes and birds teem in the marshland, so that the net ...