LAOS 4 No. 11 (Moussaieff Love Song)
Transliteration
Obv.
1 ⌈i⌉-⌈na⌉⌈a⌉-⌈la⌉-ki-⌈šu iš⌉-ša-ka-an na-wa-ar-tum ki lu-di-ir-ka ki lu-ú-ra-am-ki
2 [ḫa]-(⌈ab?⌉)-bi-li-iš da-di-ka lu-um-šu-úḫ i-na ma-ti ap-pi la-le-ki lu-ú-⌈sú⌉-⌈ḫa⌉-[a]m?
3 [x x e]p?-te9-ki ta-⌈am?⌉-ṣi-a-tim ù mi-iṣ-ra-tim ša-la-lam ⌈ra-ma⌉-ka šu-ul-li-⌈il?⌉ aš-ši
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4 ⌈a-ku-ud⌉ a-ru-ur-tu-ú-a ri-bu-ú!-um na-ši ši-it-ti a-⌈we⌉-er bi-tam a-du-ul as-ḫu-ur
5 mi-im-ma ú-ul ⌈ú⌉-ta-ḫa!-di te-e-er-ma ur-ri ⌈im⌉-⌈ta⌉-⌈ḫar⌉ ⌈ša⌉ a-qú-ul-la-ku-ú-um
6 pi-ia a-na-aṣ-ṣa-ar ka-at-ma ⌈i⌉-⌈na⌉-⌈ia?⌉ li-ib-bi e-er ṣa-al-la-⌈ku⌉⌈i?⌉-na <bu>-sú-ur-ra-tim / i[ḫ]-[d]u-ú li-ib-bi
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7 pi ú-ṣi-ia ra-⌈ab⌉-bu?-tim-ma ⌈an?⌉-⌈nu?⌉⌈li?⌉-⌈bu⌉-uk ⌈da⌉-⌈di⌉ ú-ma-al-li-i
8 ⌈a?⌉-na pa-ru-uš-ši-im e-er-⌈x?⌉ ú-te-er-ra-am al-ki-im-mi ši-it-tum ⌈la-ḫi?-iš⌉ṣi-a-am? ši-it-tum
9 ⌈a-la⌉-lu-ú pa-as-pa-sí-im ú-úr-ri-iš mu-ši-⌈tum⌉⌈il?⌉-li-ik-ma a-na-ku er-de-e-ši
10 ⌈úr?⌉-ši ki-i-ma ṣa-ab-[ra?]-a-tim ka-ba-at-ti im-ḫi-i
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11 [ti?-i?]-⌈bi⌉ et-pe-er ti-⌈i-bi⌉ et-pe-er ṣi-ḫa-ti-ia sú-ú-ni ki-i-ma ul-⌈ša?⌉-[ni-i]m
12 [ú/ù]-ra-ab-ba-kum in-ba-am eš-ša-a[m]
Lo. Ed.
13 [ṭa? or: in]-bu rēʾûm(SIPA) il-lu-ru-um na-as-qum ša ša-di-šu ša-ru-ú-ru li-ib-bi-ni ša ⌈x⌉-[x x x]
14 ⌈sú?⌉-ma-ti NI id-ra-an-ni i-ma-lu-ú ta-⌈wa-tum?⌉ ša ṣú-uḫ-ra-ti-⌈im?⌉ [x x]
15 ga-a-na lu-ú-ša-li-a-am lu-ú-ud-bu-u[b x x x (x)]-nu?
Rev.
1 [qà?]-⌈ab?⌉-li-tam mi-nam tu-ú-ub-ba-lam ia-ši-im šu-um-ṣi mi-iḫ-ḫu-ri ù ki x […]
2 [du?]-mi-iq ma-di-iš šu-um-mi-ḫa-an-ni ⌈ḫu-di?⌉-a-an-ni lu-mu-ur kirî(gišKIRI6) lam!-mi ⌈x⌉-[…]
3 [li-i]b-bi li-wi-ir ṣú-ur-ri lu-ri-iš lu-uḫ-du lu-ú-ba-a-ma ṣú-ú-ḫi-⌈iš⌉ ri-bi-⌈it⌉ ⌈x?⌉⌈a⌉-lim
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4 ⌈ú/ù?⌉-la a-ma-ni-šu lu-ub-lam li-ib-ba-ki lu-ú-ḫa-ad-di na-ši-ap-pa ru-um-mi lu-mi-id-ki
5 ⌈pi?⌉ šu-ul-mi ba-AZ-ki pa-as-pa-sí kirûm(gišKIRI6) i-ni-ib-šu eqlum(A.ŠÀ-lum) šeʾ(ŠE)-a-šu ù-ša-ar-ba-ni (x?)
6 ⌈ḫi-mé⌉-tam li-iš-dam na-šu-ki-im ma-ri um-mi-a-ni-im ta-ma-ra-tu na-šu la-le-e-ki
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7 ⌈a⌉-na!-ku i-na bi-tim lu-ú-ma-ḫi-ir-ka na-wa-ar ka-ba-at-tim ku-uz-ba-am ta-ar-ta-ma-am
8 ù-tar pa-pa-am qà-ta-tam el-ka ša ⌈ta⌉-ra-am-mu ú-ri na-di!-kum ⌈bābum⌉(⌈KÁ?⌉) ra-ap-šúm(SUM) šu-ud-du-lum
9 ú-ga-rum e-ri-iš-ki ti-i-di ma-ni-a-ti-šu ḫa-ar-pi-iš e-ri-iš-ki ta-wi-ra-ti-šu
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10 i-li-lam le-e-lam li-ib-bi it-ta-wi-ir e-re-ed-de u4-mi
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11 ni-⌈kur⌉-ru-um up-pu-la?-ka nap-pi-⌈il⌉-lum ḫa-ar-šu-ú el-la-a-ku ú-ma-⌈ša⌉-aš du-um ṣú-uḫ-ḫu-um
12 ni ib bu-nu-ú la?-lu ṣi-ip-pi-a-tim ḫa-ar-pi-iš!(Text: LUM) kasap(KÙ.BABBAR) ša-di-šu
wu-ud-di la re-ḫa-tum!(Text: TIM) uk-ku-la / šu-lu-um-mu-⌈um?⌉ ik-kí-ir
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13 [ni-(i)-ir] i-mi-it-ti-ka ù ni-i-ir šu-m[e]-⌈li⌉-⌈ka⌉ šu-ta-ta-a na-ag-bi bé-e-li ú-⌈du?⌉-ul x
14 [dal]at([gišI]G) ⌈ša?⌉ ú-li i-mi-it-tim ⌈ù šu-me-lim la⌉-ṭá-a-ma ti-i-di ši-ib-qì-ši-na-⌈ma?⌉ / sa-an-ta-ak
Translation
Obv.
1 (Chorus:) [In] his coming brightness is brought about. (She:) –
How I want to embrace you! He: – How I want to love you!
2 (She:) – Like a [robb]er I want to plunder your
attractiveness! (He:) – When may I pull out your clitoris (lit.
the nose of your desire”)!
3 (He?:) […I have ope]ned for you entrances(?) and borders.
(She?:) Take (me) captive by your love! (He?:) I carried away.
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4 (She?:) I got worried in my hunger, trembling has carried
away my sleep. I woke up, I went through the house, searched around.
5 (He?:) Do not get worried at all! (She:) Return (it to me)! My
day has arrived in which I am paying attention to you.
6 (He?:) I avoid talking, my eyes are drawn, my heart is awake
(though) I am sleeping. My heart rejoiced in the good news.
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7 (She:) My speech turned to tenderness. Indeed: I filled your
hea[rt] with attractiveness.
8 (He:) Because of(?) the goad I am (Text: he is) awake. I
repeat: ‘Oh sleep, come to me like to a baby! Go out from me, Oh sleep!’
9 (He:) By day-light – there are joyful calls of the duck. When
the night has gone I have pursued her.
10 (He?:) My bedroom (is) like twittering (birds); my mind went crazy.
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11 (She:) [Become er]ect! Feed yourself! Become erect! Feed
yourself with my lovemaking! My lap is like best of oils.
12 (She:) I will grow for you a new fruit!
13 (Chorus:) [Fru]it, shepherd, the chosen flower of the
mountain, gleaming of our heart which …
14 (She?:) My dove, ... embrace me! (Even if) the (malicious)
speeches of the young girls will fill the…
15 (He:) Come on! I want to plunge (into your love)! Let me
tal[k (sweet words to you!)]
Rev.
1 (She:) In the middle watch of the night, what do you carry for
me? (He:?) Let me attain the offering and …
2 (She:) [Ma]ke (me) beautiful! Make me greatly flourish!
Make me happy! (He?:) Let me see the orchard of the almond trees!
3 (She?:) May my [he]art be bright! May I be happy in my
inside! May I rejoice! May I walk along with laughter in the street of the city.
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4 (He:) To whom should I bring the best oil? May I make your
heart rejoice! Leave aside the reed-basket! Let me lean upon you!
5 (She:) A word of greeting (is) the squalling of the ducks. (As)
the orchard – its fruit, the field – its grain, (so) did he make me grow.
6 (He:) The craftsmen carry for you butter and ghee. Audience-
gifts – they are carrying for your pleasure.
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7 (She:) I, in the house, let me make you accept happy mood,
attractiveness, mutual love.
8 (She:) I make excessive the thin curl over you. That which
you love, my vulva, is laid down for you: wide, spacious gate.
9 (He:) The field is plowed up for you. You know its
dimensions; it is plowed early for you; (You know) its meadows.
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10 (He?:) Hurrah! At evening time my heart became pure for me,
turned bright! I will continue my day.
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11 (She?:) What was denied is paid back to you. Compensated...
I am pure, I am wiping clean. The smile is darkened.
12 (Chorus?/He?:) ... the pleasures of the orchards are pleasant in
early time. (Chorus?/He?:) Distinguish the silver of its
mountain, (even if) the slag (lit. leftovers) is not darkened.
What (formerly) was favorable has become hostile.
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13 (She:) [The yoke] of your right and the yoke of your left are
facing each other; My source, Oh my lord, is locked…
14 (She:) The u.-door of the right and (the u.-door) of the left are
curbed. You know their (= the rival women?) plans regularly.
Commentary
For commentary, see Wasserman 2016, 136–142.
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. 1638; view on seal.huji.ac.il.