CDLI Literary 000764, ex. 005 (P346124)
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, UKMetadata / catalogue
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As TTL As JSON-LD As RDF/JSON As RDF/XMLMuseum Collection(s)
British Museum, London, UKMuseum Number
BM —Provenience
Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)Artifact Type
TabletMaterial(s)
ClayGenre / Subgenre(s)
Literary (ETCSL 5.03.05 Debate between Bird and Fish (witness))Language(s)
SumerianMeasurements
-Witness
tablet
obverse
1. engar-ra dumu engar-ra-ke4-ne# [...]
en: In the furrow(!?), the members of the ranks of farmers should not (cease?) ... a net(?) for you
2. nu-{gesz}kiri6-ke4 pu2 {gesz}kiri6-sze3#? x [...]
en: The gardener should not (cease!?) setting up a net towards(?) the irrigated orchard for you
3. {kusz}da-lu-usz2-da DA-ni nu-ga2-ga2# [...]
en: His arm is not set apart (to rest) from(?) the sling, he does not bend his knee (to sit) because of you
4. sar-sar-ra nig2 mu-ni-ib-hul-hul [...]
en: (You are) one who is destroying things/food in the garden, (you are) one who cannot sweeten the flesh (of the land?)
5. a-sza3 ki duru5 gal2-gal2-la-ba giri3#-zu# nu-[...]
en: Your feet are not good (for) fields that have wet patches
6. muszen# tesz2# nu-zu kisal#-e szed6 su3#-[...]
en: Bird, shameless one who sprinkle feces in the courtyard
7. kisal-luh tur e2#-a# sa# lax(ME)-e-de3 esz3 mu-ni#?-x-sar#-re#
en: The young sweeper who is sweeping in the temple is braiding(?) a rope there (for you)
8. [za]-pa-ag2#-zu#-ta e2-x im-suh3-suh3 KA x x [...]
en: The palace(?) is confused by your scream, ...
9. e2 kuruszda-ka# mu#-[...]-ku4#-ku4#-[...]
en: (They) bring one (of your kind) into the fattener's shed
10. gu4 udu-gin7-nam# mi-[...]
en: They make one (of your kind) babble like livestock
11. a sed4 {dug?}epig-a [...]
12. za-e sa2 du11#-sze3#? [...]
en: You can then be accepted(?) as a regular offering
13. muszen-du3-e a2#? [...]
en: The fowler delivers one (of your kind) with bound wings
14. pa-za [...]
en: They(?) ... your wings/feathers(?) and face/eyes
15. gu3 de2#-de2# [...]-zu a-na#-[...]
en: Your shouting has no limit, what (worth) is your flying?
16. gu3 hul-a-[...] hu#!?-luh u3#?-[...]-mu#-un#?-ku#?-[...]
en: You frighten the night, one does not sleep well
17. muszen sug-ta e3-ba#-ra# [za]-pa#-ag2-zu ugu-gu10-ta#?
en: Bird, leave the marsh, (remove) your scream from above me
18. pu2-sag isz dub-ba-ka e3-ni# ur5-ra me-te-zu-gin7
en: Bring out a pit in the sand dunes(?), thus(?) is your appropriate (role)
19. u4-bi-a ku6-e muszen-ra# in#-sze3 mu-ni-in-dub2
en: At that time the fish insulted the bird
20. muszen bar gun3-gun3 igi gun3-gun3 sa6#-ga-ni mu#-un-zu
en: Because of it beauty, the bird knew about (its) multicolored back and multicolored face
21. in ku6-e a-na mu-ni-in-dub2-ba
en: Whatever insults fish had assailed it with, (it did not ponder them)
22. i-gi-in-zu emeda{+da} u5-a-asz mu-ni-in-du11
en: It was as if a nursemaid sang a lullaby
23. inim#-sze3! gu2-ni nu-mu-na-ab#-szum2-mu zu2 hul mu-da-x-[...]
en: It was not devoting itself to words(?), laughing malevolently (instead)(?)
24. u4-bi-a muszen-e ku6-ra mu#-na#-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
en: At that time, the birds was replying to the fish
25. [a]-gin7 sza3-zu sza3 gur4-ra [...]-DU ni2-zu sun5#-sun5#
en: Thus your heart, produces exuberance(?), you are (actually) humiliating yourself
26. [...] x-dam ib2#-ta#-[...] igi-zu-sze3 igi nu-bar-re
en: Your mouth is a hole(?) which ... surrounded with teeth(?), (you cannot) see before yourself(?)
reverse
beginning broken
blank space
obverse
1. engar-ra dumu engar-ra-ke4-ne# [...]
en: In the furrow(!?), the members of the ranks of farmers should not (cease?) ... a net(?) for you
2. nu-{gesz}kiri6-ke4 pu2 {gesz}kiri6-sze3#? x [...]
en: The gardener should not (cease!?) setting up a net towards(?) the irrigated orchard for you
3. {kusz}da-lu-usz2-da DA-ni nu-ga2-ga2# [...]
en: His arm is not set apart (to rest) from(?) the sling, he does not bend his knee (to sit) because of you
4. sar-sar-ra nig2 mu-ni-ib-hul-hul [...]
en: (You are) one who is destroying things/food in the garden, (you are) one who cannot sweeten the flesh (of the land?)
5. a-sza3 ki duru5 gal2-gal2-la-ba giri3#-zu# nu-[...]
en: Your feet are not good (for) fields that have wet patches
6. muszen# tesz2# nu-zu kisal#-e szed6 su3#-[...]
en: Bird, shameless one who sprinkle feces in the courtyard
7. kisal-luh tur e2#-a# sa# lax(ME)-e-de3 esz3 mu-ni#?-x-sar#-re#
en: The young sweeper who is sweeping in the temple is braiding(?) a rope there (for you)
8. [za]-pa-ag2#-zu#-ta e2-x im-suh3-suh3 KA x x [...]
en: The palace(?) is confused by your scream, ...
9. e2 kuruszda-ka# mu#-[...]-ku4#-ku4#-[...]
en: (They) bring one (of your kind) into the fattener's shed
10. gu4 udu-gin7-nam# mi-[...]
en: They make one (of your kind) babble like livestock
11. a sed4 {dug?}epig-a [...]
12. za-e sa2 du11#-sze3#? [...]
en: You can then be accepted(?) as a regular offering
13. muszen-du3-e a2#? [...]
en: The fowler delivers one (of your kind) with bound wings
14. pa-za [...]
en: They(?) ... your wings/feathers(?) and face/eyes
15. gu3 de2#-de2# [...]-zu a-na#-[...]
en: Your shouting has no limit, what (worth) is your flying?
16. gu3 hul-a-[...] hu#!?-luh u3#?-[...]-mu#-un#?-ku#?-[...]
en: You frighten the night, one does not sleep well
17. muszen sug-ta e3-ba#-ra# [za]-pa#-ag2-zu ugu-gu10-ta#?
en: Bird, leave the marsh, (remove) your scream from above me
18. pu2-sag isz dub-ba-ka e3-ni# ur5-ra me-te-zu-gin7
en: Bring out a pit in the sand dunes(?), thus(?) is your appropriate (role)
19. u4-bi-a ku6-e muszen-ra# in#-sze3 mu-ni-in-dub2
en: At that time the fish insulted the bird
20. muszen bar gun3-gun3 igi gun3-gun3 sa6#-ga-ni mu#-un-zu
en: Because of it beauty, the bird knew about (its) multicolored back and multicolored face
21. in ku6-e a-na mu-ni-in-dub2-ba
en: Whatever insults fish had assailed it with, (it did not ponder them)
22. i-gi-in-zu emeda{+da} u5-a-asz mu-ni-in-du11
en: It was as if a nursemaid sang a lullaby
23. inim#-sze3! gu2-ni nu-mu-na-ab#-szum2-mu zu2 hul mu-da-x-[...]
en: It was not devoting itself to words(?), laughing malevolently (instead)(?)
24. u4-bi-a muszen-e ku6-ra mu#-na#-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
en: At that time, the birds was replying to the fish
25. [a]-gin7 sza3-zu sza3 gur4-ra [...]-DU ni2-zu sun5#-sun5#
en: Thus your heart, produces exuberance(?), you are (actually) humiliating yourself
26. [...] x-dam ib2#-ta#-[...] igi-zu-sze3 igi nu-bar-re
en: Your mouth is a hole(?) which ... surrounded with teeth(?), (you cannot) see before yourself(?)
reverse
beginning broken
blank space
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:
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history: UET 6, 0039
[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 16879D
- Findspot Square:
- Findspot Comments:
- Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
- Dates Referenced:
- Alternative Years:
- Date Comments:
- Accounting Period: 0
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 | |
2019-06-11 at 22:01:42 | Englund, Robert K. | Atf | Englund, Robert K. | CDLI | approved | ||
2019-06-01 at 14:34:09 | Englund, Robert K. | Atf | Peterson, Jeremiah | 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 |
Consult this artifact as presented on the website of collections and projects:
This artifact is a witness to the following composite(s):
Composite | Score |
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CDLI Literary 000764 (Debate between Bird and Fish) composite (P478958) | View the score |
General Notes:
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CDLI Notes:
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