CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 (P346130)

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 5.09.01 Home of Fish (witness) Home of the Fish)

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

Witness

Text

tablet
obverse
column 1
beginning broken
1'. [...] nu2#-a ma-ra-ab#?-[...]
en: My fish, so that the one(s) who sleep (there) are not(!?) woken up
2'. [...] tusz#-a du17 ma-ra-ab#?-[...]
en: So that the one(s) who dwell (there) do not(!?) quarrel
3'. ku4#-ra-ma-ni dumu ki! ag2-a-gu10#
en: Enter for me, my beloved child
4'. ku4-ra-ma-ni dumu sa6-ga-gu10
en: Enter for me, my beautiful child
5'. i7 mun3-na-gin7 pa5!? na-an-zu-zu
en: Like a brackish waterway, do not discover the irrigation ditch(?)
6'. sahar-gar i7-da-gin7 zi-zi na-an-zu-zu-u3
en: Like river silt, do not learn how to rise (i.e., be excavated(?))
7'. a zal-le-gin7 sze21-zu na-an-ba-la2-e
en: Like flowing water, do not diminish(!?) your recumbency(?)
8'. iti6 e2-ba? nam-bi2-ni-ib2#-ku4-ku4 sze21-zu#?
en: Do not bring moonlight into the(?) house when you lie down(?)
9'. na#-an-ga-ba-e-da-du3-e igi-zu ki!-gu10-usz-sze3!
en: May you also not be able to go away from(?) me, (set) your face to where I am
10'. [...]-gin7# ki si-im-si-im ak-zu-sze3 na-an-ga-ba-e#-da#!?-du3-e igi-zu ki-gu10-usz-sze3!
en: May you also not be able to go (away) like a dog sniffing the ground, (set) your face to where I am
11'. [...]-gin7#? mur-gu7-zu-sze3! na-an-ga#-ba#-e-da-du3-e igi-zu ki#-[gu10]-usz-sze3
en: May you also not be able to go away like a ... towards your fodder, (set) your face to where I am
12'. [...]-x-gin7 ki esz3-dam DU-zu#-sze3!
en: In your manner of going like a prostitute towards the tavern
13'. [na]-an#-ga-ba-e-da-du3-e igi-zu# ki#-gu10-usz-sze3
en: May you not be able to go away from(?) me, (set) your face to where I am
14'. gu4#?-gin7 tur3-ra ku4-ra-zu-sze3
en: In your manner of entering like a bull into the cattlepen
15'. ku6-gu10 {d}dil-im2-babbar-re he2-da-hul2
en: My fish, may Dilimbabbar rejoice with you
16'. udu-gin7 amasz-a ku4-ra-zu-sze3
en: In your manner of entering like a sheep into the sheepfold
17'. ku6#-gu10 {d}dumu-zi {lu2}sipa-da he2-da-hul2
en: My fish, may Dumuzi, the shepherd, rejoice with you
column 2
beginning broken
1'. ku6#-[gu10 ...]
en: My fish, my ... fish, may it too enter with you
2'. x [...]
en: ...
3'. ku6#-gu10 esztub#{ku6#}-gu10 he2#-[...]
en: My fish, my eštub carp, may it too enter with you
4'. gi-musz giggi a-sza3-ga [...]
en: A black boat pole cast into the field
5'. ku6-gu10 kunx(MASZ2)-bi2{ku6}-gu10 he2-en#-[...]
6'. emeda tu gu2 i7-tak4 nig2-silag#-ga2# [...]
en: Nursemaid giving birth(?), taking away(?) dough (from) the riverbank
7'. ku6-gu10 kun!-bi2{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my gubi eel, may it too enter with you
8'. kunx(MASZ2) si gam3 si ku6 u5-<<ta?>>-ta#!? lah5
en: (Possessing) a spiked tail, a spiked dorsal fin(?), plundering from the u land(?)
9'. ku6-gu10 ubi gal-gu10 he2!-en-<ga-mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my great ubi fish, may it too enter with you
10'. ku6 nundum-ba dumu pa3-da-gin7
en: A fish which within its lips is like a crying child
11'. ku6-gu10 ubi sal-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my thin? ubi fish, may it too enter with you
12'. sag-du {gesz}al-e zu2 {gesz}ga-rig2
en: (Its) head is a hoe, (its) teeth are a comb
13'. giri3-pad-ra2-bi {gesz}u3-suh5 an-na
en: Its skeleton is the top of a conifer tree
14'. zu-EDIN-du5-bi {kusz}ummu3 {d}dumu-zi
en: Its air bladder(!?) is the waterskin of Dumuzi
15'. kun sal-la-bi {kusz}a2-si szu-ku6-e-ne
en: Its thin tail is the whip of (i.e., that threatens?) fishermen
16'. kusz nig2-gu7-a kin2 szu nu-ga2-ga2
en: (Its) skin is dehaired (i.e., scaled?) and does not need to be worked by hand(?)
17'. ku6-gu10 mur{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my mur fish, may it too enter with you
18'. giri3 ku6 a# lu3-lu3 gur4-gur4-ra
en: The fins (of) that fish turned back roiled water (i.e., it leaves a wake)
19'. ku6#-gu10 kin{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my kin fish, may it too enter with you
reverse
column 1
1. sag-du {na4}kin2 szu szu sag ur-gir15-ra#?
en: (Its) head is millstone (with) its pounding stone, (with the) paws and head of a dog(?)
2. murgu2 HUB2?-HUB2?-de3 bar dim du3-du3-de3
en: Its shoulder is to smite/it is to make its shoulder leap(?), its back(?) is to plant a (mooring) post (i.e., it is difficult to remove from the water?)
3. ku6-gu10 pesz11-gid2-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my pešgid fish, may it too enter with you
4. sza3-nigin! za-pa-ag2-bi gu2-bala-bi
en: The cry of its intestines(?), the base of its neck (are ...?)
5. ku6-gu10 pesz11-gu10 he2-en-ga-mu-e-<...>
en: My fish, my peš fish, may it too enter with you
6. x KU-na? si-ga ku6 sze-er-tab-ba e3 zu-zu
en: ... placing/preparing ..., a fish who has discovered(?) how to escape a “reed fence” (i.e., fish trap?)
7. ku6 du10-ga i3-gal2 nig2-gig-ga
en: A fish (to whom?) fighting is taboo(?)
8. ku6-gu10 ab-suhur?-gu10 he2-en-ga-mu-e-<...>
en: My fish, my absuhur carp, may it too enter with you
9. ku6 a-tar du3 ze2 me-ze2-bi gar-ra
en: The fish who sets up(?) derision/derides (like a clown?), placing bile in(?) its jaw
10. ku6-gu10 a-gar6-gar6{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-mu-e-<...>
en: My fish, my agargara fish, may it too enter with you
11. dumu dam-gar3-ra i3 gar9 su3-a-gu10
en: My child of the merchant, sprinkling(?) dairy products(?)
12. ku6-gu10 ka-mar{ku6}-gu10 he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my kamar fish, may it too enter with you
13. dumu mar-tu bar-ta? DU-DU-MU
en: The child of the Martu nomads, ... by(?) back/from the outside(?)
14. ku6-gu10 nun-bar-husz#{ku6} he2-en-ga-<mu-e-...>
en: My fish, my nunbarhuš fish, may it too enter with you
15. ku6 u2 gu7 nu-gu7-a a TUL2 x [...]
en: A fish that does not eat edible plants(?), ... water ...
16. ku6-gu10 a-za3-gur11{ku6#?}-[gu10 ...]
en: My fish, my azaggur fish, may it too enter with you
17. SU dugud gar3? RU HU x [...]
en: (Possessing) heavy skin(?), ...
18. ku6-gu10 musz#?[{ku6} ...]
en: My fish, my “snake” fish(?) ...
19. du5 x x [...]
en: ...
rest broken
column 2
1. sug i7-da-ka gu3 hul-bi de3-de3
en: The one shouting(?) malevolently in the marshes of the river
2. ku6-gu10 akan-ni{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e-la2-e
en: My fish, my akanni bird would bind you to (its) claws
3. a#? sa-par4 la2 sa-par4-ra ma-ra-nigin
en: When(?) the sabar net is stretched out in the water(?), prowling around(?) the sapar net
4. ku6-gu10 ubur-ri{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e-la2-e
en: My fish, my uburri bird would bind you to (its) claws
5. giri3 nig2-zi-zi zu2 bir9-bir9-ra
en: (Possessing) feet that raise, laughing
6. a-bar-bar-ta kasz4 im-sar-sar-re
en: Darting from the shallows
7. ku6#-gu10# kiszi6#-bar{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e-la2-e
en: My fish, my kišibar bird would bind you to (its) claws
8. x-a szu nu-tag-tag-ge
en: Not adorning ...
9. [...] x muszen-a PIRIG ku6-a
en: ... of a bird, ... of a fish
10. [ku6]-gu10# ki-ib{muszen}-gu10 szu-sze3 ba-e#-la2-e
en: My fish, my kib bird would bind you to (its) claws
11. [nig2]-ur2-limmu2 sug gir5-gir5#
en: A quadruped that dives and dwells in/passes through(?) the marshes
12. ku6#-gu10 ku5-da-gu10 szu-sze3# ba-e-la2-e
en: My fish, my kuda animal (otter?) would bind you to (its) paw
13. [szu]-sze3 nu-mu-e-la2-e giri3-sze3 mu-mu-e-la2-e
en: They(?) will not bind you to (their) claws/front paws, they will not bind you to (their) claws/rear paws
14. [ku6]-gu10 u4 zal-zal za-e ugu#-gu10-usz# ga2-nu
en: My fish, time elapses, come before me
15. [u4] zal#-zal za-e ugu-gu10-<usz> ga2-nu
en: Time elapses, come before me
16. [...] ga#-sza-an {lu2}szu-ku6-da za-ra he2-en-da-hul2
en: May Nanše?, the lady of the fisherman, rejoice for you
blank space
rest broken

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)

Collections

British Museum, London, UK

Physical Information

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

Text Information

Genre(s): Literary (ETCSL 5.09.01 Home of Fish (witness) Home of the Fish)
Language(s): Sumerian

Related publications

history: UET 6, 0045

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

Identifiers

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

Provenience

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

Chronology

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Dates Referenced:
Alternative Years:
Date Comments:
Accounting Period: 0

Revisions and credits

Created	Creator	Type	Authors	Project	Reviewer	Status
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30	Rattenborg, Rune	Artifact	Rattenborg, Rune	Geomapping Landscapes of Writing	Rattenborg, Rune	approved
2019-11-29 at 10:36:54	Englund, Robert K.	Atf	Englund, Robert K.		CDLI	approved
2019-06-12 at 10:02:41	Englund, Robert K.	Atf	Englund, Robert K.		CDLI	approved
2019-06-01 at 14:34:08	Englund, Robert K.	Atf	Englund, Robert K.		CDLI	approved
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58	Englund, Robert K.	Atf	Englund, Robert K.		CDLI	approved
2006-11-02 at 00:00:00	CDLI	Artifact	Foxvog, Daniel A.; Guerra, Dylan; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Wolfe, Jared N.		CDLI	approved

External Resources

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

Composites

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

Composite	Score
CDLI Literary 000793 (Home of Fish) composite (P478976)	View the score

Notes

General Notes: -

CDLI Notes: -

Cite this Artifact

Chicago APA Harvard BibTeX RIS

“CDLI Literary 000793, Ex. 005 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346130.

CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 artifact entry (No. P346130). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346130 (Original work published 2006)

CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346130 (Accessed: May 23, 2025).

@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2025-05-23]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000793, ex. 005 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346130},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346130},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346130
LB  - CDLI:P346130
M1  - 2025/5/23/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346130
ER  -

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CDLI Literary 000793, ex. 005 (P346130)

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