CDLI Literary 000451, ex. 004 (P346170)

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. nig2-du11-ga {d}en-lil2 lugal-ke4 ki-bi-sze3 mu-un#-[...]
 en: The speech of Enlil, the king(!?), I(?) set in its place
2. iri{ki} an-gin7 sza3 bar-ta sag12-[...]
 en: The city that is beautiful/verdant(?) like heaven inside and out
3. nibru{ki} dim-gal an-ki-a su-bi hu-mu-du10#-[...]
 en: Nibru, the post of the universe, therefore its flesh is sweetened
4. erin2-bi {gesz}dupsik-ta he2-em-ta-an-zi#?
 en: Therefore I(?) removed the workforce from the carrying basket
5. ugnim-bi {gesz}tukul-ta he2!-em-ta-ga2-x
 en: Therefore its army is separated from(?) the weapon
6. ku3-si2 ku3-babbar gu4 udu-bi gu2-un dumu nibru{ki}-ke4#-ne# hu-mu#-[...]
 en: Therefore its gold, silver, bulls and sheep, the tribute of the citizens of Nippur, is released
7. e2 {d}en-lil2 lugal-ga2-sze3 {d}nin-lil2-<<nin-lil2>>-sze3
 en: On behalf of the temple of Enlil, my king, and Ninlil
8. {d}nin-urta ur-sag kal-ga# {d}en-lil2-la2-ka!? erin2-bi ha-ba-ra-x-[...]
 en: The workforce of(!?) Ninurta, the mighty hero of Enlil, I(?) therefore removed (from duty)
9. NIG2 sur sze i3 siki udu za3 u ba-ab-ak szu ha-ba-ab-ak
 en: Half loaves of bread/one half (of the following?)(!?), barley, butter, and sheep's wool was therefore tithed and prepared/taken care of(?)
10. nig2-erim2 nig2-a2-zi ka-ba he2-em-gi4#?
 en: Therefore evil and violence were “returned into their mouths”
11. nig2-gin6-na ki-en-gi ki-uri he2-ni!-gar
 en: Therefore truth was established in Sumer and Akkad
12. u3-tu-da ki-en-gi dumu nibru{ki}-me-en
 en: I was born in Sumer, I am a citizen of Nibru
13. sza3 tuku giri17 szu? gal2-gal2-me-en
 en: I am a courageous one who continually stokes his nose in submission(?)
14. igi ku3-zu umusz-ta kal-la-me-en
 en: I am one with a wise eye, valued by the intellect(?)
15. ad gi4-gi4 a-ra2-da kusz2-u3-me-en
 en: I am an adviser who exhausts (himself) with (his) (unwavering?) way
16. nig2-nam zu ug3-ta suh3-a-me-en
 en: Knowing everything, I am removed from the people
17. di-ku5 u3-en3# nu-sza4-sza4-me-en
 en: I am a judge who does not release (an explanation)
18. ka-asz-bar si# nam-e sa2#-sa2#?-me-en
 en: (Via?) a decision, I am the one who sets fate (back) in order(?)
19. a2#?-tuku nig2#-[...]-x-x
 en: (Now) the powerful do not engage in excess/behave arrogantly(?)
20. kal-ga# [...]
 en: The strong do not oppress the poor
21. x [...]
 en: ...
  rest broken
reverse
  beginning broken
1'. udu a-lum [...]
 en: Therefore he sent long-fleeced sheep and ... ewes straight to me
2'. kur igi-nim-ma! ki# bad-ra2 [...]
 en: From the highland, his(!?) far away place ...
3'. {gesz}erin {gesz#}za-ba-lum {gesz}szu-ur2-me# {gesz#?}[...]
 en: Therefore he brought cedar, juniper, cypress, and boxwood to me by themselves(?)
4'. {d}en#-lil2 lugal-gu10 kur-kur!-re gu2 gesz x x x [...]
 en: Enlil, my king, who makes the lands ... submit(!?)
5'. ug3-e du10-us2 dili-ka!? ha#-ma-an!-dab5 gu3 tesz2-a ha-ma-an-si
 en: Therefore he made(?) the people take to a single path for me, he made them into a unified voice for me
6'. ga2#!?-e#-me#-en# {d#}en#-lil2-sze3 gal2-la-me-en ki!? ag2-ga2 e2-kur#-ra-me-en
 en: It is me, I am present facing(?) Enlil, I am the beloved of the Ekur
7'. u4 ki-en#-gi# [ki]-uri sag2 ba-ab-du11-ga-ta
 en: After Sumer and Akkad had been dispersed
8'. e2#?-kur#?-za#?-gin3#? [{d}]en#-lil2#-la2#!-ka# e2-ga2-gesz-szu2-a {d#!?}nin#-lil2#?-la2#!?-ka
 en: In the Ekurzagin temple of Enlil, in the Egagešua temple of Ninlil
9'. x x x {uruda#?}alan#? ba-ra-na-ni-in-ku4#
 en: Therefore no king had brought a statue inside for him/her
10'. {d#}en#-lil2#-le#? sza3#? ki#? [ag2]-ga2#?-ni#-x e2#-x-[...]-x-[...]-x [...] x [...] x [...]
 en: Thus by means of the loving heart of Enlil the Enamtila temple was opened for me
11'. e2-kur#?-ra#? [...]-sa2#?-sa2#?
 en: Thus great amounts of treasure were brought straight into the Ekur temple
12'. erim3#? [...]
 en: Thus everlasting things were piled up in the treasury(?)
13'. {gesz}[gu-za ... {d}]en#?-lil2#? [...]
 en: A throne whose limbs were limbs of exceeding quality, was thus set up for Enlil, my king(?)
14'. e2-ga2#-<gesz>-szu2#-a# [...]
 en: In the Egagešua temple of the Ki'ur, the great place
15'. {gesz}gu#-za# [...]
 en: A throne of Ninlil was thus set up
16'. {d}isz#-[me-{d}da-gan ...]
 en: I am Išme-Dagan, the son of Dagan
17'. {gesz}gu#-za# [...]-x [...]
 en: The throne of the seven ... enclosures(?), inlaid with(?) ..., nirigi, and šuba stones(?) ...
18'. x x x x x [...] x [{d}]en#-lil2 lugal-gu10-ra# hu-mu-na-gub#
 en: ... was thus set up for Enlil, my king
20'. a-ra2 3(disz)-kam!
 en: It is the 3rd time (in a series)
21'. {d}en-lil2 diri-sze3
 en: (The composition with the incipit) “Enlil exceedingly”