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The fragment Ni. 7080 carries the right half of one of the largest literary tablets in the Museum. Broken evenly at the center from top to bottom the right half of this tablet preserves part of Col. III and all of Cols. IV, V of the obverse. The reverse correspondingly contains Cols. I, II and half of Col. III. Like so many similar liturgical compositions of the period of Ur this lamentation is divided into a series of kišubs or songs, here of unusually great length. The third song ends at Obv. III 38; [pg 280] its first line stood in Obv. II, which has been lost. The fourth song began at Obv. III 42 and ends at Obv. IV 23, containing thirty-four lines. The fifth song begins at Obv. IV 27 and ends at Obv. V 7, containing forty-seven lines. In the following pages will be found a translation of twenty-three lines of the end of the fourth song which describes the wrathful word of the gods Anu and Enlil. The fifth song, a remarkable ode to the wrathful word of Enlil, has been translated so far as the text permits.

The sixth song begins at Obv. V 11, and probably terminated in the broken passage at the top of Rev. I. Its length was also unusual, having at least forty-five lines. This song was edited on a small tablet Ni. 4584 on which the beginning and the end of the section are preserved. It has been published as No. 10 in Sumerian Liturgical Texts, Vol. X of the Publications of the Babylonian Section. Only a few lines at the commencement of this song have been translated here. From this point onward the language of the liturgy presents such difficulty that the writer has been unable to offer a translation.

Section seven probably ended at the top of Rev. II and refers throughout to the mother goddess who weeps over the ruins of Ur. The eighth song probably began at the top of Rev. II and ended perhaps at the top of Rev. III. It is another doleful ode to the weeping mother and many of its lines are clear and translatable. The entire song is marked by sorrowful refrains: me-li-e-a uru-mu nu-me-a, Oh woe is me, my city is no more.242 a-uru-mu im-me, How long? oh my city I cry.243 me-li-e-a uru-ta è-a-mèn, Oh woe is me, from the city I depart.244 dingir ga-ša-an-gal-mèn é-ta è-a-mèn, Great divine queen am I, [pg 281] from the temple I depart.245 er-gig ni-šéš-šéš, She weeps bitterly.246

Only the ends of lines of a large part of the ninth song are preserved in Rev. III. The tenth song probably occupied most of the space in Rev. IV. Speculation concerning the number of songs in the entire liturgy is limited to the number of about 11–13. The liturgy was, therefore, extremely long, attaining to a content of about 500 lines. We know from the single tablet variant of the sixth song that another edition of this series existed in which small tablets carried each a single kišub. A similar condition of editorial redaction is revealed by Zimmern, KL. 200, a small tablet which contains the twelfth song of a liturgy to the deified king of Isin, Išme-Dagan.

The historical event referred to in this liturgy is undoubtedly the destruction of Ur in the time of Ibi-Sin, last of the kings of the Ur dynasty. This calamity left many traces in the temple songs of Sumer, and the Sumerian prayer books of Nippur contain other lamentations on the fall of Ur, written perhaps during the Isin period. The writer has already published a single column tablet which rehearses the same catastrophe, mentioning Ibi-Sin himself and naming the Elamites as his captors.247

Obverse IV

1. an-ni e-ne-em-bi ba-ra-mu-un-gur

1. Anu may prevent his word.

2. d.Mu-ul-lil-e ni248-šág ģe-ám-bi

2. Enlil may order kindness.

3. … šag-mu ba-ra-be-in-šed-di

3. And may my heart be at peace from sorrow.

[pg 282]

4. [ … -]su-ud arad-na sag ki-ba-da-ab-gál-la

4.

5. [ ]-nae-ne-em-súr-ragur-da-bi

5. [ ] the angry word be prevented.

6. [ ] ba-da-an-dúr-ru-ne-eš-a

6.

7. ùr-ģe-im-ma-gid-gid-da ģe-im-ma-lal-lá

7. The foundations it has annihilated, and reduced to the misery of silence.

8. an-ra a-i-ne-mà me-e ģe-im-ma-na-dúg

8. Unto Anu I will cry my “how long?”

9. d.Mu-ul-lil-ra ní-mu šag-ne-du ģe-im-ma-ag

9. Unto Enlil I myself will pray.

10. uru-mu nam-ma-gul-lu ģe-im-me-ne-dúg

10. “My city has been destroyed” will I tell them.

11. Uri-(ki) nam-ma-gul-lu ģe-im-me-ne-dúg

11. “Ur has been destroyed” will I tell them.

12. uku-bi nam-ma-bir(?)-e ģe-im-me-ne-dúg249

12. “Its people have been scattered” will I tell them.

13. an-ni e-ne-em-bi ba-ra-mu-un-gur

13. May Anu prevent his word.

14. d.Mu-ul-lil-e ni-šág ģe-ám- bi

14. May Enlil order kindness.

15. šag-mu ba-ra-be-in-šed-di

15. And may my heart be at peace from sorrow.

16. uru-mu gul-gul-lu-ba-da-bi ģe-im-ma-an-?-eš

16. My city which has been destroyed may they …

17. Uri-(ki) gul-gul-lu-ba-da-bi ģe-im-ma-an-?-eš

17. Ur which has been destroyed may they …

18. uku-bi dìg gi-bil-šu ág-bi ģa-ba-an-ṫar-ri-eš

18. Of its slain people may they decree a new dispensation.250

19. me-e nig-dúg-mu mu-ne-sum-ma-gim251

19. I will offer my meditations unto them.

20. me-e uru-mu-da ģe-en-bi mu-un-da-lal-eš

20. I (will say to them): “In my city they have despised the splendor.”

21. Uri-(ki) mu-durun-da ģe-en-bi mu-(un)-da-lal-e-eš

21. “In Ur the city of homes they have despised the splendor.”

22. an-ni [dúg-ga-ni ģur] nu-kúr-ru-dam

22. Anu whose words in this manner change not.

[pg 283]

23. d. Mu-ul-lil-e eṇim-bi è-a-ni … e-dam

23. Enlil the going forth of whose word. …

24. ki-šub-gú 4-kam-ma-ám

24. It is the fourth song.

25. uru-ni ba-da-gul-ám me-ni ba-da-kúr-am

25. Her city has been destroyed, her ordinances have been changed.

26. giš-gí- gál-bi- im

26. This is its antiphon.

27. d. En-lil-li ud-de gù-ba-an-de

27. Enlil utters the spirit of wrath

28. uku-e še-ám-šá

28. and the people wail.

29. ud ģe-gál-la kalaṃa-da ba-da-an-ḳar

29. The spirit of wrath prosperity from the Land has destroyed

30. uku-e še-ám-šá

30. and the people wail.

31. ud dug Ki-en-gi-da ba-da-an-ḳar uku-e še-ám-šá

31. The spirit of wrath peace from Sumer has taken and the people wail.

32. ud ģul-gál-e á-ba-da-an-ág uku-e še-ám-šá

32. He has sent the evil spirit of wrath and the people wail.

33. ḳin-gal-ud-da ud-da-gub-ba šu-na im-ma-an-sĭg

33. The “Messenger of Wrath,” the “Assisting Spirit” into its hand he entrusted.252

34. ud kalam-tíl-tíl-e gù-ba-an-de uku-e še-ám-šá

34. He has uttered the spirit of wrath which exterminates the Land and the people wail.

35. d.En-lil-li d.Gi-bil á-taģ-a ki-mu-na-ni-in-[ ]

35. Enlil has sent Gibil as its helper.

36. ud-gal an-na-ge gù-ba-an-de uku-e še-ám-šá

36. The great spirit of Heaven has been uttered and the people wail.

37. ud-gal-e253 an-ta gù-ni-ib-im-me uku-e še-ám-šá

37. The mighty spirit on high he commanded forth and the people wail.

[pg 284]

38. ud kalam tíl-tíl-e azag ki …

38. The spirit that annihilates the Land …

39. im-ģul-e a-maģ-è-a-gim …

39. The evil storm like a mounting inundation …

40. giš-dúr254 uru-ge sag-gaz ni-ag …

40. The shepherd of the city it slew …

41. an-na ùr-ba? mu-un-nigin …

41. Of heaven its foundation it …

42. ud-da igi-ba-ne mu-un-ne-ne …

42.

43. bàr-bàr-ri ne-gig-edin-na tùr(?) …

43.

44. an-ne-bar-ám ne-gùr-gùr …

44.

45. an-ne é UD-UD è …

45.

46. kalam-ma lăg-lăg-ga …

46.

(Lines 47–55 mostly illegible.)

Col. V.

(Lines 1–6 mostly illegible.)

7. Uri-(ki)-ma túg-gim ba-e-gul … gim ba-e-búr

7. Ur like a garment thou hast destroyed, like a … thou hast scattered.

8. ki-šub-gú 5-kam-ma-ám

8. It is the fifth song.

9. ud ug(?)-ám al-[ ]uku-e še-am-šá

9. The spirit of wrath like a lion … and the people lament.

10. giš- gí- gál -bi- im

10. This is its antiphon.

11. ud-ba ud uru-da ba-da-an-gar uru-bi …

11. At that time the spirit of wrath upon the city was wrought and the city. … 255

12. a-a d.Nannar uru dim-dūl-dūl-da ba-da-an-[ ]uku-e še-ám-šá

12. Father Nannar upon the city of master workmen … and the people wail.

13. ud-ba ud kalama-ta ba-da-an-kár uku-e še-ám-šá

13. At that time the spirit of wrath descended upon the Land and the people wail.

[pg 285]

14. uku-bi šika-kud-da [nu-me-a bar-ba ba-e-si]

14. Her people without water jars sit without her in desolation

15. bád-ba gú [?256]-nin [kaskala im-ma-an-gar-gar uku-e še-ám-šá]

15. Within her … in the ways are placed and the people wail.

16. ká-gal-maģ gĭr-gál-la-[ba àd-a im-ma-] an [BAD]

16. The great city gate and the highways with the dead are choked up.

17. duk?-tun-sìr-gim dū-a-ba [sag-bal-e] ba-ab- gar

17. Like a leather vessel all of her the usurper cast asunder(?)

18. [ ] e-sir gĭr-gál-la-ba àd im-ma-an-gar-gar

18. In her … streets and roads corpses he heaped up(?)