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ZA 49, 168–169

SEAL no. 1615 · Si 57 · Love Literature · Hammurabi: to Nanaya · Sippar (mod. Tell Abu Ḥabbah) · 108 lines · 576 words · 1240 signs · 116 Sumerograms

Transliteration

Hover or tap a word for its lemma and meaning.

Obv.
col. i
i 1[]u-úr-pí tu-ur-ki ez-bi
i 2la ma-ga-al da-ba-bu-um
i 3qá-bé-e qá-bu-ú-um-ma
i 4ú-ul e-ni-a-ak-ki-im
i 5at-wa-a-am ma-li ṣa-ab-ta-a-ku
i 6ša a-na sí-in-ni-iš-tim ip-pa-ra-qá-du
i 7sà-ma-an du-ri-im
i 8šum-ma la it-KU-ud ú-ul a-wi-lum mi-i-ir-šu
----
i 9li-iz-zi-iz ki-it-ti
i 10i-na ma-ṣa-ar 8-tár šar-ra-tim
i 11li-i-pí-it ra-mi li-ba-aš
i 12ka-ar-ri-iš-ti
i 13k[a-t]i? pa-la-a-am ku-uz-zu-ba-am
i 14i-ta-ás-u-ur ma-ri-im
i 15i-na qá-bé-e dNa-na-a-a ub!-lam! da-ri-iš
i 16a-li me-i-ir-ti
----
i 17e-li-ki a-as-sà-a-ku
i 18a-na ši-ib-qì-ki ša pa-na-nu-um
i 19mu-ug-ri a-ta-al-ki
i 20a-na ma-li-ik-ti-ki šu-un-ni-i
i 21ki-ma e-re-nu
----
i 22ú-a-ab-ba-at-ka-ma UD-ma-am
i 23ra-am-ka ù ra-mi uš-ta-ma-ga-ar
i 24us-sé-ne-el-le-ma a-na dNa-na-a-a
i 25sa-li-im-ka be-lí da-ri-a-am e-le-eq-qé
i 26na-ad-nam
----
i 27a-la-wi-ki ni-tam i-na e-ri-ki
i 28ur-pí-a a-ka-a-a-ar
i 29mu-ta-ak-ki-il-ta-ki li-il-qé-e
i 30ru-ʾà-am-<ki?> ti-ki-a-ti-ki u-ul-li-q[í]
i 31li-qé-e ki-na-tim
----
i 32(traces)
(gap of c. 5–6 lines)
col. ii
ii 1[...]-i ig-gi-[il?-tu?]
ii 2ú-ul i-ba-aš-ši-i-[ma]
ii 3mi-im-ma ú-ul i-na li-ib-bi-ia [x]
ii 4iš-ša-aq-qá-al-ši-im [x]-x-el-[x]
ii 5ú-za-am-ma [ra]-mi
----
ii 6e-li la ra-im-ti-ka mi-ši-tam li-[it-bu-uk]
ii 7šar-ra-tum 8-tár
ii 8ki-ma ia-ti la a-la-lum [lu e-mi-is-si]
ii 9ka-li mu-ši-im li-ku-úr [li-id-li-ip]
----
ii 10e-ze-er la mu-se-ep-p[í-(it)-tam]
ii 11ú-ul a-a-aš-še-e la [mu-ka-zi-ib-tam]
ii 12ú-ul a-na-ad-di-iš-ši-im [i-ri-mi]
ii 13da-ba-bu-um a-na la [ma-ga-ri-im]
ii 14mi-nam i-[ba-aš-ši]
ii 15ú-ša-ak-la da-bi-ba-[ti-ša/ia]
ii 16ú-ul e-še-em-me(-)ša [...]
ii 17a-ša-ar li?-[ib-bi ek-le-tim]
ii 18ra-mi [x] at-ta-di
ii 19mi-nam tu-sa-an-na-qá-ni-i[n-ni]
----
ii 20it-ta-tu?-ia ú-la-ap-<pa>-ta-ni-[in-ni]
ii 21ša-a[p]-ti e-li-tum i-la-[ab-bi-ik]
ii 22lu ša-ap-li-tum-ma i-ru-ub-[ba-am]
ii 23e-di-ir-šu a-na-aš-ši-iq-[šu]
ii 24at-ta-na-ap-la-ás el-[šu]
ii 25a-ka-aš-ša-ad er-ni-it-ti [x x]
ii 26e-li da-[bi-ba-ti-ia]
ii 27ù dam-qí-iš ar-r[a-i-mi-ia x x x]
ii 28i-nu-ma ši-it-ta-n[i x x x x x]
ii 29ni-ka-aš-ša-a[d ernittam?]
----
ii 30(traces)
(gap of c. 14 lines)
Obv.
col. iii
iii 1[...]
iii 2i-na [...]
iii 3ar-wi-[ia? x x x x]
iii 4a-la-súm ú-ul e-li-i k[a-ša-sú]
iii 5a-na 8-tár id-di-na-aš-šu a-na q[í-iš-tim]
----
iii 6a-na ša iq-ta-na-ab-bi-a-ni-ik-[ki-im]
iii 7ú-la-mi et-tum a[t-ti]
iii 8ki-le-e at-ba-al ra-mi ú-ul [x x]
iii 9ut-te-es-sí i-na zu-um-ri-k[i]
iii 10ki-ma ša-ar bi-ri in-bi-ia ur?-ti?-iq?
----
iii 11a-sa-a-u-ur in-bi-[ka]
iii 12be-lí zu-um-ma-a-ku ra-am-[ka]
iii 13iq-qá-at í-a-tu-ka šu-[x (x)]
iii 14lu pa-a!(Text: I)-ma an-sú-ur-ri ú-ul [x x x]
iii 15ur-ri ù mu-ši a-da-ab-bu-ub [it-ti-ka]
----
iii 16lu-tu-úr ù lu-tu-ur-ma lu-uš-[lu-uš]
iii 17a-na pí-ia à-ba-am la ú-še-eb?-b[u? x x]
iii 18a-na ú-pa (-) a-ap-tim ti-i-ba-ti x x
iii 19ku-uš-di ga-na ra-mi
----
iii 20an-a?(Text: N[A]) i-na-ia da-an-ni-iš {IŠ}
iii 21da-al-pa-a-ku i-na i-ta-ap-lu-si-šu
iii 22tu-ša i-ba-a ba-ab-[t]i
iii 23UD-mu-um it-ta-la-ak a-li [ma-ri or: be-lí]
(gap of c. 15 lines)
col. iv
iv 1[a-n]a ka-[ša?-di?-šu? x x x x x]
iv 2iš-té-na[m x x x x x]
iv 3mi-nam [x x x x]
iv 4ga-na lu-u-ba-at bi-[ir?-ke?-šu?]
iv 5lu-ši-ib lu-te-eq-qí šum-ma ša gir-ri-ia
---
iv 6at-ma-ki-im dNa-na-a-a ù a-am-mu-ra-pí šarram(LUGAL)
iv 7ša ki-na-ti-ia lu a-qá-ab-bi-ki-im
iv 8ra-am-ki e-li di-li-ip-tim
iv 9ù a-šu-uš-tim la wa-at-ru i-na e-ri-ia
----
iv 10e-ra-da-nim° aš-šum qí-pa-a-ku ra-i-mi
iv 11da-bi-ba-tu-ia
iv 12e-li ka-ka-ab ša-me-e ma-da
iv 13li-ir-[q]í-a li-ta-aq-ra
iv 14ša-ar i-na-an-na-ma li-it-ta-<ar>-qí-a
iv 15a-na-ku uš-ba-am-ma
iv 16-i be-lí-ia eš-te-ne-em-me
----
iv 17et-ti la ma-ás-ku
iv 18[š]a pa-na zi-mu-ki
iv 19[az]-zi-iz-ki-im-ma
iv 20[pu-d]i-ki te-te-en-di {DI}
iv 21[ma-g]i-ir-tum šum-ki
iv 22[be-l]e-et mi-il-ki-i na-ba-ki
iv 23ša-ni-tum-ma!(Text: MI) lu le-mu-ut-ta-ni
iv 24[ma]-a-ar 8-tár
----
iv 25[dam?-?-i]š? ta-ap-pa-al

Translation

Obv.

col. i

i 1              (He:) Yell! Do not bother to reply!

i 2              Not so much talking!

i 3              My decision is made,

i 4–5          I will not change for you a word, anything I said.

i 6–7          He who lies on his back for a woman is a weevil from the city wall.

i 8              If he is not serious he is no match for a man.

----

i 9–10        (She:) May my righteousness appear before Ištar the queen!

i 11–12      May my love prevail, may my slanderer come to shame!

i 13–15      At Nanāya’s command I have always (taken upon me) to adore you, to charm you, to take care of (my) baby!

i 16            Where is my match?!

----

i 17–18      (He:) I remember more than you your tricks of the past.

i 19–21      Give up! Go away! Report to your counselor that we are (now) awake!

----

i 22–23      (She:) I will catch you, and this very day I shall reconcile your love with mine.

i 24            I keep on praying to Nanāya;

i 25–26      (So that) I shall accept your peace, my lord, forever, as a gift.

----

i 27            (He:) I shall lay siege upon you,

i 28            I shall gather my clouds on you.

i 29–30      May your supporter take away your seductiveness, put an end to your complaint!

i 31            Accept the truth!

i 32            …

                  (gap of c. 5–6 lines)

 

col. ii

ii 1             (He:) […] she/he was aw[ake(?)]

ii 2             and does not exist.

ii 3–4         Nothing is in my heart

ii 4             ... will be paid out to her.

ii 5             I yearn for my [lo]ve.

----

ii 6–7         (She:) May queen Ištar [pour] confusion over the one who loves you not!

ii 8             May she, like me, [be afflicted] with sleeplessness!

ii 9             May she be dazed and [restless] all night long!

----

ii 10           (He:) I despise the girl who does not wo[rship (me)].

ii 11           I do not desire for the girl who does not [fawn].

ii 12           I shall not give her [my love-charm].

ii 13           Talking in order to dis[agree]

ii 14           Why [does it exist?]

ii 15           I shall stop [her/my] slanderers,

ii 16           I shall not hear what […]

ii 17–18     To the m[idst of darkness] I have thrown away my love:

ii 19           Why do you keep bothering [me]?

----

ii 20           (She:) My (ominous) signs trouble me:

ii 21           My upper lip becomes moist,

ii 22           While my lower lip trembles!

ii 23           I shall embrace him, I shall kiss him,

ii 24           I shall gaze at [him],

ii 25–26     I shall achieve my victory […] over [my slanderers],

ii 27           And to my lover [I shall] gracefully […]

ii 28           When our sleep […]

ii 29           We shall achieve [victory]

----

ii 30           …

                  (gap of c. 14 lines)

 

Rev.

col. iii

iii 1            (She:) …

iii 2            In […]

iii 3            [My(?)] gazelle […]

iii 4            I run but I cannot [reach him],

iii 5            She gave him to Ištar as a gift.

----

iii 6            (He:) As for those (women) who keep telling you:

iii 7            “Y[ou] are not the only one!”

iii 8            Stop! I have taken my love away, and will not [return (it)].

iii 9            I have removed [it] from your body,

iii 10          I have taken my charms thousands of miles away.

----

iii 11          (She:) I seek [your] pleasures,

iii 12          My lord, I yearn for [your] love.

iii 13          Because in your delights […]

iii 14          Let them be veiled, would they never […]

iii 15          I shall talk [to you] day and night.

----

iii 16          (He:) Let me repeat it twice and thrice;

iii 17          I swear not to say anything kind to you (lit. satisfy my mouth with kindness),

iii 18          Take your place by the window orifice:

iii 19          Come on, catch my love!

----

iii 20          (She:) My eyes are very tired,

iii 21          I am sleepless from gazing at him,

iii 22          It seems that he walked across my street?

iii 23          The day has gone by, where is [my darling (or: my lord)]?

                  (gap of c. 15 lines)

 

col. iv

iv 1            (She:) To catch him […]

iv 2            The one […]

iv 3            What […]

iv 4            Come on, let me hold [his] k[nees],

iv 5            I shall sit and wait maybe he is on his way to me!

----

iv 6            (He:) I have sworn to you by Nanāya and Hammurāpi the king;

iv 7            Indeed, I am telling to you the truth;

iv 8–9        Your love is nothing more to me than agony and grief.

----

iv 10          (She:) They(f.) ... because I trust my loved one.

iv 11–12     My slanderers outnumber the stars of heaven.

iv 13          May they hide! May they be scarce!

iv 14          May they hide themselves forever right now!

iv 15–16     And as for me, I sat down, listening to the words of my lord.

----

iv 17–18     (He:) My one, not ugly are your features – (they are) as before,

iv 19          (When) I stood by you,

iv 20          And you leaned your sh[oulders] (against me).

iv 21          [Mag]irtum (“Favorable”) is your name,

iv 22          “Wise la[dy]”– your title.

iv 23          The other woman is indeed our misfortune,

iv 24          By Ištar!

 

iv 25          [...Nice]ly you reply.

Commentary

 For commentary, see Waserman 2016, 181–185.

Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman, Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL), seal.huji.ac.il. No commercial use is allowed. Published under CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives). Reproduced unmodified. Cite as SEAL no. 1615; view on seal.huji.ac.il.