BM 73907+ (RT 6)
It is not clear what is the obverse and what is the reverse. The hand is somewhat inconsistent and recalls that of vs 24, 102. BM 73907+ BM 78163 shares some sections—in a different order—with K 6082+1881-07-27, 241: K 6082+ iii′ 3′ // BM 73907+ r. i 19′; K 6082+ iii′ 13′ // BM 73907+ r. i 10′; K 6082+ iv′ 1′–2′ // BM 73907+ r. i 1′–2′. The tablet belongs to the 1882-09-18 collection of the BM, which contains many tablets from Sippar (Reade 1986, xxxiii).
Transliteration
Obv.?
col. i
i 1' [. . .] x x [. . .]
i 2' [. . . ana ka-šá-a-ma] x šá kaspi(kù.babbar) ⌈i?-pu?-uš?⌉
i 3' [. . .] x pelû(nunuz)-ka ana šarri(lugal)
i 4' [ú?-qar?-ra]b? ⌈li-da-nu⌉-ka ana dmarduk(amar.utu?)
i 5' [a-de-ek-ki-k]a a-šak-kan qibīt(dug4.ga!?)-ka
i 6' [. . .ḫ]u?-ṣu-batmeš a-mán(MÍ)-ḫar-am-ma
i 7' [. . .] x ultu(ta) il-lat-ia ḫu-ṣu?-batmeš
----
i 8' [. . .] x-⌈mu?-u?⌉-ka be-lu
i 9' ⌈ina⌉? [. . .] ⌈x-ak?-ka?⌉
i 10' akalu(nindaḫi.a) [. . .] ⌈x⌉ ud ⌈ina? x di?⌉ ni libittu(sig4)
i 11' su-⌈uḫ⌉?-s[u? x] ⌈x bi?⌉ šá iš-qí!(Text: DI) gugallū(gú?.gálmeš)
i 12' tu-te-⌈x x⌉-e-tú ma-la šum-ka
i 13' šamnu(ì.giš) šá zumri(SU) kiṣrū(kéšmeš) iš-kil-ti šitta(min)
i 14' bābu(ká) ti ⌈x x⌉ [. . .] ⌈x⌉-ru u sa tú
i 15' ⌈x x x x x⌉ ⌈du?⌉-⌈ni?⌉-ik-ka
i 16' [x] ⌈x ka? x⌉ [. . .] ⌈an? x tú?⌉-šá
i 17' [. . .] ⌈x⌉ [. . .] ⌈x še⌉ PI/UD? [. . .]
i 18' [. . .] ⌈x⌉
i 19' [. . .]- ⌈x⌉-la?
i 20' [. . .H]I-mi-ka
i 21' [. . .] ⌈šu⌉? BU-ù
----
i 22' [yâši mārī ú-pa]-làḫ-an-ni
i 23' [yâši mārī up-ta-na-al-làḫ-a]n?-n[i?]
col. ii
ii 1 [. . .bē]lu?([e]n?) banû(dù-ú) a-ma-la-k[a?. . .]
ii 2 [x] ⌈x⌉ ⌈šá?⌉ an-na-ka šitta(2) iṣṣūri(mušen?)-ia ṭābâ(dùg?.g[a?]) […]
ii 3 išippu(išib) ú-šar-rap-šá mê(ameš) ṭābâte(dùg.gameš) māti(ku[r) ⌈x ḫar?⌉-bi?
ii 4 išippu(išib!(ras.)) ki-ma lu-ri-in-du! ana išippi(išib) iz-zu-zu
ii 5 ka-sú?-su-ú-⌈a?⌉ min (= ana išippi iz-zu-zu) ki-ma ḫašḫūru(gišḫašḫur)(ras.)
ii 6 ana išippi(išib) iz-zu-zu si-par-{x(ras.)}-⌈ru?⌉-a
ii 7 ana išippi(išib) qí-pu lá ra-an-gu ana sú!?-ni?-šú? is-sip?-an-ni?
----
ii 8 ana ki.min šitta(min-ta) aḫ-ḫa-⌈az ú?-kán?-ni?-ki?⌉
ii 9 šá ú-šat-ḫu-ka al-kám-ma min
ii 10 a-na! muḫḫi(ugu) šitta(⌈min-ta⌉) am-me-ni la erbe(limmu.bi)
ii 11 ana muḫḫi(ugu) erbe(4) am-me-ni la šamānû(8)
ii 12 at-ta lu-ú rēʾû(sipa)-šú-nu ⌈ana⌉-⌈ku⌉ ⌈lu⌉-⌈u?⌉ ⌈ta/ša?⌉ ⌈si/kil?-ma⌉
ii 13 at-ta gišḫaṭṭu(gidru) lu na-šá-ta ana-ku ḫu-ṭa-⸢ru⸣
ii 14 lu-ú na-šá-ka at-ta ana tarbaṣu(⸢tùr⌉) [. . .]
ii 15 ana-ku ana maš-qí-tu4 lu?-qar-r[a?-/r[ab?-…]
ii 16 ki-i ṣe-e-nu tarba[ṣu(tù[r?) . . .]
ii 17 ki-i ta-bi-in-nu x [. . .]
ii 18 ina bi-ri-ši-ni me-⸢e⸣ […]
----
ii 19 ik-⸢tal?⸣-da-an-ni x […]
ii 20 ⌈ma? di?/ki?⌉ ⌈x x⌉ [. . .]
ii 21 te-ba-a(ras.)-[ku allak?…]
ii 22 šu-UZ [. . .]
ii 23 sa-a-ri x [. . .]
ii 24 ⸢ta?⸣-⸢pa?⸣-á[š?-šá-áš]
Rev.?
r. col. i
r. i 1' ⌈ana⌉ amti(géme)-[ia? . . .]
r. i 2' ana amti(géme)-i[a …]
r. i 3' aq-ru la ⌈tu?-x⌉ [. . .]
----
r. i 4' al-ki-nim-ma? lu? [. . .]
r. i 5' šá muti(dam) nam-ru [. . .]
r. i 6' ina kāsi(gú.zi) man-nu x [. . .]
r. i 7' ⌈ù/x lu? x x⌉ [. . .]
r. i 8' [. . .]
r. i 9' ⌈lu?⌉ ⌈bi?⌉ x ⌈ma?⌉ PI ⌈x⌉ [. . .]
----
r. i 10' ina né!-be-ri ina kār(kar)-bēl(de[n)-mātāti (kur.kur)]
r. i 11' tap-pa-tu4 a-mu-ru ḫa-ma-k[u dan-niš]
r. i 12' pe-ṣa-ti-ma k[i?-m]a? ⌈pi⌉-ṣal-[lu-ur-ti]
r. i 13' ⌈maš-ku nam-rat⌉ k[i-m]a ⌈di!⌉-qa-⌈ri⌉ [(x)]
r. i 14' tuḫ-<ta>-ni-⌈ba⌉ u ⌈tuḫ⌉-[t]a-šaš ki-ma x [(…)]
r. i 15' ana gu-ra-ru ⌈sa?/is?/x⌉-ra-qa? ma-ri ⌈du?/bi?⌉ [(…)]
r. i 16' ki-ma ṣu-ra-ru ana pi-ti4(DI)-ir ugāri(a.gàr)
r. i 17' a-na!-ku-ma qí!-ni-ti-ia áš-ši-ma
r. i 18' na-ma-ru pa-ni-ia a-mur min min min
----
r. i 19' in-du ana ur-ru lu-ul-lu ⌈bi?⌉⌈meš?⌉
r. i 20' šá tal-la-ku-ši ul-tu ul-li-ia!
r. i 21' šá ṣi-in-di-it gul-gu-za-nu ina ⸢pa⸣-⸢ni⸣-⌈šú⌉
r. i 22' a-ra-bi-i la-as-mu ina ku-tal-li-šú
r. i 23' ⌈ḫa⌉-m[a]-ṣi-ru sis-sik-timeš-šú i-bi-iḫ?!(Text: ḪIR.U)
r. i 24' [šu-ú ḫu-lu]-⌈ú mār(dumu)⌉ <ḫa>-⌈ma⌉-ṣir tap-pat-tu!?(tu₄ diš)
r. i 25' [urukār(kar)-bēl(en)-mātāti(kur.kur) aš-pur]-⸢ka⸣ ⸢am⸣-mi-ni-i
r. i 26' [ta-aṣ-ru-ti-ma ta-b]a-ši
Lower edge
r. i 27' [gišsaparru(kak.liš.lá) ša bēl(en) {šá} a]m-[me-ni]
r. i 28' [taš-ku-ni ni-piš z]e-e
r. col. ii
r. ii 1' [. . .] ⌈x ú?⌉
r. ii 2' [. . .] ⌈x x⌉ -ú
r. ii 3' [. . .] ⌈x⌉-uk-tú
r. ii 4' [. . .] x ⌈man?⌉ ta ḫu?
r. ii 5' [. . .] ⌈ti?⌉ ⌈šá?⌉ ⌈erbe(limmu)?x⌉
r. ii 6' [. . .]
r. ii 7' [. . .]
r. ii 8' [. . .] ⌈x⌉ IS tu x [x x x]
r. ii 9' ⌈x⌉ ⌈x⌉ ⌈x⌉ IG-ti ka(ras.) ⌈x⌉ [x x] ⌈x⌉
r. ii 10' pi-rik šamê(an-e) ka-lu {ru-⌈ud⌉-du}
r. ii 11' ru-ud-du barbaru(ur.bar.ra) ⌈pi⌉-⌈il⌉-ku?
r. ii 12' ti-ik nēši(ur.maḫ) š[á? . . .] ṣab-tu
r. ii 13' d+bēl(en?!) mu-ra-x [x x x]-tú?
r. ii 14' ti-ik ⌈làḫ⌉-⌈ḫa⌉-⌈ma⌉ ḫi-ṣi-ni-tú
r. ii 15' x x [. . .] ri?-da? šap-tu-šú
r. ii 16' [ina qišti(gišt]ir)-šá né-šú áš-bi re-di-ma
r. ii 17' [. . .] ⌈ti?⌉ pi a-mur-din-nu ina bābi(ká)
r. ii 18' [ina/ana ḫur-r]i-šá mušḫušši(muš.ḫuš) ri-du
r. ii 19' [. . . s]ú? a-di na-ma-ru
r. ii 20' [ina bābi(ká) ḫur-r]i-šá ṣerru(muš) áš-bi su?-kil-⌈lu?⌉
r. ii 21' [. . .] x-šú ina ṣēri(edin?) tu/te?-ru-šá
r. ii 22' [. . .] x e? su?-li-i
r. ii 23' [. . .] x
----
r. ii 24' [. . .]-x/⌈šá⌉
Left edge
le. ed. 1 [. . .] ⌈d?⌉bēltu(gašan) šá é-tur-kalam-ma š[u? . . .]
le. ed. 2 [. . . tu-ṣ]í {ana?} ina bīti(é) tu-ṣí ina bīti(é) x [. . .]
le. ed. 3 [. . .] x ⌈ti?⌉-ra-a-tú am?-x/k[a?/d[u?. . .]
le. ed. 4 [. . .] mu?-tú? : šarru(lugal-ú) bēlu(en) x [. . .]
Translation
Obv.?
col. i
i 1' . . .
i 2' [. . . For you] Isic will pre[pare] ‘that-of-silver’
i 3' [. . .] your eggs – to the king,
i 4' [I will offer] your chicks – to Marduk.
i 5' [I will wake y]ou up, I will place at your command.
i 6' [. . .] I will present pottery bowels.
i 7' [. . .] . . . from my clan – pottery bowels.
----
i 8' [. . .] . . .your . . . – oh lord.
i 9' . . . [. . .] your . . . . . .
i 10' Food [. . .] . . . brick(work)
i 11' A bed . . which the canal inspectors have irrigated.
i 12' You . . . fitting your reputation.
i 13' Oil for the body, knots, pebbles, ditto.
i 14' The gate . . . [. . .] . . . help
i 15' . . . your . . .
i 16' . . . [. . .] . . .
i 17' [. . .] . . . [. . .] . . . [. . .]
i 18' [. . .] . . .
i 19' [. . .] . . .
i 20' [. . .] your . . .
i 21' [. . .] . . .
----
i 22' [As for me, my darling frigh]tens me,
i 23' [As for me, my darling keeps frightening m]e.
col. ii
ii 1 [. . .] beautiful [lor]d, I will fill (for) yo[u . . . . .]
ii 2 The. . . (made) of tin, my two good birds [. . .]
ii 3 A purification priest will burn her. Sweet water (on?) the deserted land.
ii 4 A purification priest will distribute (it) to (another) purification priest like a pomegranate.
ii 5 As for my falcons – (a purification priest will distribute (them) to another purification priest) like an apple.
ii 6 To a purification priest he will distribute my fetters(?).
ii 7 To a trustworthy, not an evil purification priest, he will gather me to his lap(?).
----
ii 8 For the two ditto, I will marry (you) and treat you kindly.
ii 9 You whom they brought near, come here, you two!
ii 10 On top of the two, why not four?
ii 11 On top of the four, why not eight?
ii 12 May you be their shepherd; May I be . . .
ii 13 You, may you raise a scepter! I, (may I raise) a staff!
ii 14 You, may you raise a . . . to the sheep pen,
ii 15 I shall lead the … near the watering place
ii 16 Like a flock (circling) the shee[p pen . . .]
ii 17 Like a shelter [. . .]
ii 18 Water will . . . amidst their(f.) . . . [. . .]
----
ii 19 He has reached me, he [. . .]
ii 20 . . . [. . .]
ii 21 I shall rise [and go . . .]
ii 22 Make . . . [. . .]
ii 23 . . . [. . .]
ii 24 you will anoi[nt . . .]
Rev.?
r. col. i
r. i 1' To my maidservant [. . .]
r. i 2' To my maidservant [. . .]
r. i 3' Oh my dear, do not . . . [. . .]
----
r. i 4' Come(f.) to me, let [me . . . . . .]
r. i 5' Which the shining spouse [. . .]
r. i 6' In the cup – the shining . . . [. . .]
r. i 7' . . . [. . .]
r. i 8' [. . .]
r. i 9' . . . [. . .]
----
r. i 10' At the river crossing of Kār-B[ēl-mātāti]
r. i 11' I saw my girlfriend, and was [truly] shocked (lit.: strongly paralyzed):
r. i 12' ‘You are pale like a gecko!
r. i 13' (Your) skin is shining like a tureen!
r. i 14' You have been made to flourish (but) you became distressed like [. . .]!”
r. i 15' My darling sprinkled [. . .] onto the glowing ashes.
r. i 16' Like a lizard (coming) into an empty plot,
r. i 17' (So) did I bring along my concubine –
r. i 18' I experienced joyfulness. ditto, ditto, ditto
----
r. i 19' Let me raise support for the roof . . .
r. i 20' (Over) which you walk once I made it high:
r. i 21' In front of it – a couple of piglets,
r. i 22' A speedy dormouse at his rear.
r. i 23' A mouse is girding his hem.
r. i 24' [He is a shrew], an offspring of a mouse, Oh (my) girlfriend,
r. i 25' [I sent to Kār-bēl-mātāti] for you! Why
r. i 26' [did you fart and felt ash]amed?
Lo. Ed.
r. i 27' [In the cart of Bēl, w]hy
r. i 28' [did you spread the smell of fec[es]?
r. col. ii
r. ii 1' [. . .] . . .
r. ii 2' [. . .] . . .
r. ii 3' [. . .] . . .
r. ii 4' [. . .] . . .
r. ii 5' [. . .] . . . four(?)
r. ii 6' [. . .]
r. ii 7' [. . .]
r. ii 8' [. . .] . . . [. . .]
r. ii 9' . . . [. . .] . . .
r. ii 10' The outskirts of the sky in its entirety . . .
r. ii 11' The head – a . . . a wolf.
r. ii 12' A neck (ornament in the form of) a lion which is [. . .] held.
r. ii 13' Bēl(?) . . . [. . .] . . .
r. ii 14' A neck (ornament in the form of) a Laḫmu – protection.
r. ii 15' . . . [. . .] – his lips.
r. ii 16' [. . .] [in] her fo[re]st a lion dwells – advance!
r. ii 17' [. . .] . . . brambles at the gate
r. ii 18' [(In)] her [hol]e the Mušḫuššu-snake – advance!
r. ii 19' [(To) h]is . . . until brightening.
r. ii 20' [In the entrance to] her [hol]e a snake dwells – . . .!
r. ii 21' His/her [. . .] in the field . . .
r. ii 22' [. . .] . . . of (my?) prayer.
r. ii 23' [. . .] . . .
----
r. ii 24' [. . .] . . .
Left edge
le. ed. 1 [. . .] the Lady of the Eturkalama . . . [. . .]
le. ed. 2 [. . .she cam]e out of the temple! she came out of the temple!
le. ed. 3 [. . .] lash(?) [. . .]
le. ed. 4 [. . .] the man is the king, the lord.
Commentary
Obv.?
i 6': [. . .ḫ]u?-ṣu-batmeš after George Folio 210 (in eBL). We take this lemma as a LB by-form of ḫaṣbattu “a pottery bowel”.
i 11': gugallū(gú?.gálmeš) after George Folio 210 (in eBL). The usual spelling is gú?.gal, but note the OAkk. kù.gál.
i 13': Or: šamnu(ì.giš) šá sepīrū(kuš-sarmeš)?
ii 3'–7': This passage, which is not paralleled by any other text in the corpus, offers ritual instructions involving purification priests (išippu) – also not found elsewhere in the corpus.
ii 7': The exact meaning of esēpu “to gather, collect” in connection with ana sūni (if read correctly) is not easy to discern, as is the first-person attached to to the verb.
ii 8: After George Folio 213 (in eBL).
ii 12–13: After George Folio 213 (in eBL).
ii 12: By the end of the line, ⌈ta/ša?⌉ ⌈si/kil?-ma⌉ is nuclear. We expect a synonym for rēʾû, such as nāqidu or kaparru.
r. i 3': aqru “dear, precious one” as a designation to the beloved male is found in other texts of the corpus, cf. BM 34138: ii 21'–23'.
r. i 13': mašku nam-rat kīma diqāri is paralleled by naq-lat in K 6082+ iii' 16'. This variant is not to be dismissed, since a diqāru could be made of copper – and then it could shine (namāru); or of pottery, in which case naqāru “to eat away, to scrape out, incise” may fit better.
r. i 14': tuḫ-<ta>-ni-⌈ba⌉: a Dt form is expected, as in the parallels (BM 34347: 6' and K 6082+ iii' 16'). – tuḫ-ta-šaš from ašāšum “to become distressed”, not from ḫašāšum “to swell, to be happy”. The context makes it clear that the man is shocked by the woman’s looks.
r. i 16': Note the spelling of the rare word pitru “vacant land” (CAD P 442) with DI. The scribe had probably piṭru “release, fissure,” in mind.
r. i 21': For ṣi-in-di-it, cf. commentary to r. ii 14'.
r. i 26': For a discussion of this passage, see de Zorzi 2019, 225, who favors the N stem of qalû “to burn” and considers it to represent a “parody of a loving description.”
r. ii 10': The end of the line has ru-⌈ud⌉-du – probably taken erroneously from the next line which begins with ru-ud-du.
r. ii 11': We understand ru-ud-du as late spelling of the rare lemma ruʾudu “a part of the head” (CAD R 440). – ⌈pi⌉-⌈il⌉-ku? remains unclear.
r. ii 12', 14': These lines (perhaps already r. ii 11' describe ornaments or talismans carried, or used, by the ritual’s performers.
r. ii 14': ḫi-ṣi-ni!-tú is an unattested f. form of ḫiṣ(i)nu (cf. r. i 21' ṣi-in-di-it, a f. form of ṣim/ndu).
r. ii 20': su?-kil-⌈lu?⌉ by the end of the line remains obscure. A verbal form, imp., is expected.
le. ed. 3: ⌈ti?⌉-ra-a-tú from dirratu “lash (of whip)”?
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. 32592; view on seal.huji.ac.il.