CDLI Literary 000581, ex. 004 (P346261)

Literary letter and letter-prayer 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 > Literary letter and letter-prayer (ETCSL 3.03.09 Letter from Lugal-nesage to Enlil-massu (witness) Letter from Lugalnisag to Enlilmassu (B 16))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. {disz}{d}en-lil2-mas-su inim du10 ad gi4 sa6 ka# lal3 inim gun3-gun3-ra u3-na-a-du11
 en: After you speak to Enlilmassu, (the provider of) sweet words and good advice, the (possessor of) a “honey mouth, who is charming
2. dumu dingir-ra-ni-ir gub-ba ama a-a-ni ni2 te-ga2-e-de3
 en: ...
3. u3-ne-de3-tah
 en: you repeat,
4. {d}alad# {d}lamma dingir kal-la-gu10 uludin2 alan zil2-zil2
 en: My alad spirit, my lamma spirit, my valued (personal) god (Akkadian, the one of the side(?)), with good features and stature
5. me-te nam-dub-sar-ra
 en: Embodiment of the scribal art
6. ur-sag sza3-tam-e-ne a2 ag2-ga2 ki-bi-sze3 gi4
 en: Hero of the šatam officials, who restores commands to their place
7. sza3 lugal-la-na du10-du10-ge-ra u3-ne-de3-pesz
 en: Who sweetens the heart of the king, after you (say) a third time to him
8. {disz}lugal-nesag-e nu-esz3 {d}en-lil2-la2 lu2 zu2 bir9 lugal-a-na
 en: Lugalnesage, the nu'eš priest of Enlil, the jester of his king
9. dumu zu-zu um-mi-a nibru{ki}-a ad-da-zu na-ab-be2-a
 en: Son of Zuzu, master (scribe) of Nibru, it is (him who) speaks (thusly)
10. u4 i3-tak4-na-gu10 ba-hu-hu-bu-usz-a
 en: When I was abandoned, (I) was “cut down"(?)
11. sza3-gu10 mu-da-szub szagar immen2-gu10 ba-tur
 en: My heart fell, my (interest in) eating and drinking diminished
12. nam-zu ib2-gu7-en i-si-isz-zu ib2-si-ge-en
 en: Your destiny(?) consumed me, your lament silenced me(?)
13. mah-zu ib2-sur-re-en
 en: Your greatness (i.e., arrogance) has twisted(?) me
14. bar-szeg3-ge26-e-zu ib2-usz2-en
 en: Your fog(?) has killed me
15. lib bar ke-gu10-ta szu ba-e-dag#?
 en: (For the time being) I have abandoned my attentiveness (to you)
16. gesztu2 sza3 tuku-tuku# lib be2-gar
 en: I was silent to(?) listening (to you) and pondering (you?)
17. en3 tar-tar-re-de3 zi ba-ir
 en: (I) have been distressed to inquire after (you)
18. ni2 te-te-ge26-de3 sza3-gu10 mud2 lugud ba-ab-si
 en: (In order) to be afraid(?), my heart has filled with blood and pus
reverse
1. ki nam tar-ra nu-ub-da-gen-na-asz
 en: (But) because(?) it (this plight?) not yet gone into the “place of fate"(?)
2. du11-ga {d}en-lil2-le musz3-me-zu igi he2-bi2-duh
 en: May the command of Enlil make me(?) see your face (again)
  double ruling
  blank space
3. im-gid2-da {d}nanna-me-sza4
 en: "Long-tablet" of Nannameša
4. na-zi-iq-ka usz-ta-mi-na-ni#?
 en: Your annoyance has killed me
5. qu2-lum i-na x-ri-ia usz-te-si-ra-an-ni
 en: The silence confines me in my place(!?)
6. uz-na-ia#? i-ba-asz-sza#?-ku-um-ma
 en: My ear is set (to hear) you
7. aq-ta-na-al
 en: And I am quiet

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:


  • history: UET 6, 0176

    [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 16894A
  • 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
2019-06-12 at 09:33:06 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2014-11-21 at 08:56:29 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2011-10-07 at 08:23:44 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

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

Composite Score
CDLI Literary 000581 (Letter from Lugal-nesage to Enlil-massu) composite (P473740) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000581, Ex. 004 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346261.
CDLI Literary 000581, ex. 004 artifact entry (No. P346261). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346261 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000581, ex. 004 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346261 (Accessed: March 29, 2024).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2024-03-29]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000581, ex. 004 artifact entry},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346261},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346261
LB  - CDLI:P346261
M1  - 2024/3/29/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000581, ex. 004 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346261
ER  - 
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