CDLI-Archival View

Publication
Primary publication:	CDLI Literary 000379, ex. 025
Author:	CDLI
Publication date:	2014ff.
Secondary publication(s):	Gadd, Cyril J. & Shaffer, Aaron, UET 6 (1963, 1966, 2006) 0139b
Citation:
Author remarks:
Published collation:
CDLI no.:	P464308
UCLA Library ARK	21198/z1ff4z5r
CDLI comments:

Source of original electronic files
Catalogue:	20140423 cdliadmin
Transliteration:	Peterson, Jeremiah
Translation:	Peterson, Jeremiah
Photo:	If not otherwise indicated, digital images were prepared in their current form by CDLI staff, in some cases with the kind assistance of collection staff. For terms of use, click here.
Line Art:	If not otherwise indicated, line art drawings prepared in their digital form by CDLI staff are to be credited to primary publication author(s).

Collection Information
Owner:	British Museum, London, UK
Museum no.:	BM —
Accession no.:
Acquisition history:

Text Content:
Genre:	Literary
Sub-genre:	ETCSL 2.02.02 Lament for Ur (witness)
Sub-genre remarks:
Composite no.:	Q000379
Language:	Sumerian

Physical Information
Object type:	tablet
Material:	clay
Object remarks:
Measurements (mm):	x x
Object preservation:
Surface preservation:
Condition description:
Join information:
Seal no.:
Seal information:

Provenience:
Provenience:	Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
Provenience remarks:
Excavation no.:	U 16900n
Findspot square:
Elevation:
Stratigraphic level:
Findspot remarks:

Chronology:
Period:	Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Period remarks:
Date of Origin:
Dates referenced:
Date remarks:
Alternative years:
Accounting period:

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Tablet

obverse
1. [...]-x er2-ra# ba#-[...]
#tr.en: Urim has initiated lamentation to her detriment(?)
2. [...] ba#-an#-da-gul-la me-ni ba-[...]
#tr.en: Her city is destroyed to her detriment, her cosmic powers are changed to her detriment
3. gesz-gi4-gal2-bi-[im]
#tr.en: It is its gešgigal “response”
4. u4#-ba u4 ne#-en ba-si-si-ga#-[...]
#tr.en: At that time, this time after (the city) was flattened
5. nin-da uru17#{ki}-ni ba-an-da#-[...]
#tr.en: To the detriment of the lady, her city is destroyed
6. iri{ki}-ni ba-an-da-gul# me-ni ba-[...]
#tr.en: Her city is destroyed to her detriment, her me are changed to her detriment
7. u4-ba u4 ne-en ba-dim2-dim2#-[...]
#tr.en: At that time, this time after (the city) was created
8. uru17-gu10 gul-gul-da im-ma#-[...]
#tr.en: When they have spoken (the order for)/ordered(!?) my city to be destroyed
9. uri2{ki} gul-gul-da im-ma#-[...]
#tr.en: When they have spoken (the order for)/ordered(!?) Urim to be destroyed
10. ug3-bi ug5-ge-de3 im-ma#-[...]
#tr.en: When they have ordered(!?) its people to be killed
11. u4-ba me-e uru17-ga2 ga2-la# [...]
#tr.en: At that time I will not be indifferent to my city
12. ka-na-ag2-ga2 IM szub-be2 ba-ra#-[...]
#tr.en: (I) will not neglect my land
13. an-ra i-bi2-ga2 me-e# [...]
#tr.en: For An, I shall pour (the tears!) of my eyes
14. {d}mu-ul-lil2-la2 ni2-gu10 sza3-ne-sza4 he2#-[...]
#tr.en: I shall supplicate myself to Enlil(?)
15. uru17-gu10 nam-ma-gul [...]
#tr.en: I shall say to him “My city must not be destroyed”
16. uri2{ki} nam-ma-gul [...]
#tr.en: I shall say to him “Urim must not be destroyed”
17. ug3-bi nam-usz2-a [...]
#tr.en: I shall say to him “Its people must not be killed(!?)”
18. an-ne2 e-ne-eg3-bi [...]
#tr.en: Despite this An did not rescind his word
19. {d}mu-ul-lil2-la2 i3-sa6-ga he2-a-bi [...]
#tr.en: Despite this (the statement) “It is good, so be it” of Enlil was not soothing my heart
20. uru17-gu10 gul-gul-de3 [...]
#tr.en: Therefore when they have ordered(!) my city to be destroyed
21. uri2{ki} gul-gul-de3 [...]
#tr.en: When they have ordered(!) Urim to be destroyed
22. ug3-bi ug5#-ge#-de3 [...]
#tr.en: When they have ordered(!) its people to be killed
23. 2(disz@t)-kam#-ma#-[...]-uh2#-ru-um ki-sag-ki a#-x-x-[...]-le#?-[...]
#tr.en: For a 2nd time, after they convened an assembly, a “solemn place”
24. {d#}a-nun-na#-ke4#-e#-ne e-ne-eg3# [...] kesz2-da#?-bi# ba#-an-da-dur2-ru-ne#-esz
#tr.en: The Anuna rested on the “organized” (i.e., finalized?) word?
25. ur2# he2-em-ma-BU-BU siki he2-em-ma#-sur5-sur5
#tr.en: Therefore (I?) shall extend(?) (my) limbs/lap and tie up(?) (my) hair
26. an-ra i-bi2-ga2 me-e he2-em-ma-na-de2
#tr.en: For An, I shall pour the tears of my eyes
27. {d}mu-ul#-lil2-la2 ni2-gu10 sza3-ne-sza4 he2-em-ma-ni-in-ne2
#tr.en: I shall supplicate myself to Enlil(?)
28. iri{ki}-gu10# nam-ma-gul he2-em-mi-in-ne-du11
#tr.en: I shall say to them(?) “My city must not be destroyed”
29. uri2{ki#} nam-ma-gul he2-em-mi-in-ne-du11
#tr.en: I shall say to them(?) “Urim must not be destroyed”
30. ug3-bi nam-usz2-a he2-em-mi-in-ne-du11
#tr.en: I shall say to them(?) “Its people must not be killed(!?)”
31. an-e e-ne-eg3-bi ba-ra-ba-ra-gi4
#tr.en: Despite this An did not rescind his word
32. {d}mu-ul-lil2-la2 i3-sa6 he2-a-bi sza3-gu10 ba-ra-ab-sed4-de3
#tr.en: Despite this (the statement) “It is good, so be it” of Enlil was not soothing my heart
33. uru17#{ki}-gu10 gul-gul-de3 he2-em-ma-ag2-esz-a-ba
#tr.en: Therefore when they have ordered(!) my city to be destroyed
34. uri2{ki} gul-gul-de3 he2-em-ma-ag2-esz-a-ba
#tr.en: When they have ordered(!) Urim to be destroyed
35. ug3-bi ug5-ge-de3 he2-em-ma-ag2-esz-a-ba
#tr.en: When they have ordered its people to be killed
36. me-e nig2-KA-gu10 mu-e-de3-szum2-ma-gin7
#tr.en: I, as one who gave my advice(?) to my detriment(?)
37. me-e uru17-gu10#-ta#? he2-en-ga-ba-e-da-ab-la2-e
#tr.en: ... therefore shall also bind me with my city
38. uri2{ki} ga2-da he2-en-ga-ba-e-da-ab-la2-e
#tr.en: ... therefore shall also bind Urim with me
39. an-ne2 e-ne-eg3-bi hur nu-kur2-ru-da
#tr.en: An is never again to change this word
40. mu-ul-lil2-la2-e ka-ta e3-a-ni szu nu-bala-e-de3
#tr.en: That which issues from the mouth of Enlil is not to be changed/Enlil will not change that which issues from his mouth(?)
41. ki-ru-gu2 4(disz)-kam-ma
#tr.en: It is the 4th kirugu

reverse
1. nin-da uru17{ki}-ni ba-an-da-gul-la2
#tr.en: To the detriment of the lady, her city is destroyed
2. uru17{ki}-ni ba-an-da-gul-la me-ni ba-an-da-kur2-ra
#tr.en: Her city is destroyed to her detriment, her cosmic powers are changed to her detriment
3. gesz-gi4-gal2-bi-im
#tr.en: It is the gešgigal “response”
4. {d}en-lil2-le u4-de3 gu3 ba-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: Enlil spoke to the storm, and the people wailed
5. u4 he2-gal2-la kalam-e ba-da-an-kar ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: He deprived the land of(?) days of abundance, and the people wailed
6. u4 du10 ki-en-gi-ra ba-da-an-kar ug3-bi sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: He deprived Sumer of good days, and the people wailed
7. u4 hul gal2 a2 ba-da-ag2 ug3-bi sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: He commanded the malevolent storm, and the people wailed
8. kin2-gal u4-da u4-da gub-ba-ni szu-ni im-ma-an-szum-mu-usz
#tr.en: He gave them to(?) the kiggal official(?) of the storm, his attendant storm/who stood within the storm(?)
9. u4 kalam til-til gu3 ba-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: He spoke to the storm annihilating the land, and the people wailed
10. u4 gal-e an-na-ke4 gu3 ba-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: He spoke to the great storm, the one of An, and the people wailed
11. {d}en-lil2-le {d}gibil6 a2#?-tah-a-ni-a mu-un-na-ni-in-ku4-re
#tr.en: Enlil was making Gibil (fire) into his helper
12. u4 gal an-na-ke4 gu3 ba-an-de2 ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: He spoke to the great storm of An, and the people wailed
13. u4 gal an-ta gu3 im-me ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: The great storm was shouting from above, and the people wailed
14. u4 gal kalam til-til-e ki-a murum mi#-ni-ib2-sza4
#tr.en: The storm annihilating the land roared upon the earth
15. tu15# hul# a mah# [...]-gin7 a2!?-bi nu-ga2-ga2
#tr.en: An evil wind, overflowing like a great flood does not set down its power/wing(?)
16. uru17{ki}-a [...]-gaz#? x-ke3-e tesz2-bi i3-gu7-e
#tr.en: In the city the weapon was murdering and devouring (as if) in a pack
17. an-na ur2-ba tukur2#? [...]-x-DU? ug3-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: At the base of heaven (the storm?) gnawed(?), and the people wailed
18. u4-de3 igi-bi izi mu#-[...]-re# ug3#-e sze am3-sza4
#tr.en: The storm was burning with fire at its front
19. u4 mir-mir-re izi-[...]-mu#-un-BI
#tr.en: And therefore the raging storm(?), like a “fire-shade"... at its back/... fire like deep shade(?) at its back
20. an-bar7 im szeg3 il2-[...]-bar7#-re
#tr.en: Noon, (which usually) raises the “rainy wind” (fog?) burned fire
21. an-bar7-GAN2 u4 babbar2 e3#-[...]-an-ku4
#tr.en: Mid-day, (which usually) brings out bright sunlight, brought darkness along with it(!?)
22. kalam-ma u4 zalag# la-ba-ra#-[...]
#tr.en: The shining sun did not come out in the land, it dissipated like the evening
23. ge6 giri17-zal a sed4-de3 x [...]
#tr.en: The southern wind blocked/combined with (to negate) the joyful night which initiates the cooling of water(?)
24. szika bar-bar-ra sahar im-da-x-[...]
#tr.en: Burning(?) sherds combined with the soil, and the people wailed
25. sag-gig2-ga tu15 im-ma#?-[...]
#tr.en: (The storm) blew a wind upon the black-headed people, and the people wailed
26. ki-en-gi gesz-bur2-gin7 i3-[...]
#tr.en: Sumer was tripping(?) as if (in) a snare, and the people wailed
27. ug3-e sag e2-gar8 du3 i3-ak#?-[...]
#tr.en: The people(?) were erecting a wall of heads(?), (the storm) devouring (as if) in a pack
28. u4 gig-ga er2-re na-ag2-bi# [...]
#tr.en: The bitter storm, for which weeping was not decreed as its fate(?), (because of this) the people wailed
29. u4 szu ur4-ur4-re [...]
#tr.en: The eradicating/gathering(?) storm was sweeping the land/making the land tremble
30. u4 a-ma-ru-gin7 [...]
#tr.en: The storm utterly destroyed the city like a flood
31. u4 kalam til-til [...]
#tr.en: The storm that was finishing the land established silence in the city
32. u4 izi-gin7 bar7-a [...]
#tr.en: The storm burning like fire was enraged with/corporeally burned(?) the people(?)
33. u4# [...] u2#-gu# de2-de3 hul gal2#-e#? bi2#-[...]
#tr.en: The storm that is to cause (everything) to be forgotten stood among the malevolent (ones?)
34. [...] du11-ga {d}en-lil2-la2 x [...]
#tr.en: The hateful storm, ordered by Enlil, the storm that ... the land
35. [...]-gin7# im-dul gada-gin7# [...]
#tr.en: It covered Ur like a garment, spread over it like linen
36. [ki]-ru#-gu2 5(disz)-kam#-[ma]
#tr.en: It is the 5th kirugu
37. [...]-ru# [ug3]-e# sze am3-[sza4]
#tr.en: The storm is a lion(?), thrashing(?), and the people wail
38. [gesz-gi4]-gal2-bi-im
#tr.en: It is its gešgigal “response”
39. [...] x du6-du6-da
#tr.en: At that time(!) the storm was placed together with the city, the city was ruin heaps

Archival view of P464308