AOAT 034, 059 + K.13919[via caspo]

1Restorations follow Mayer 1976: 529-531 unless otherwise noted. At the end of this first line, Mayer suggests reading ⸢LU ḪI IM⸣ (likewise, Hätinen 2021: 498).

2Mayer restores [ina DU₁₁?], ina qibīt, "according to the command of," at the head of the line (1976: 529). There is, however, a faint hint of a trace of the right-most vertical wedge of the sign preserved on the tablet (see the copy in AOAT 34 59). I suggest we read KA (the same sign as DU₁₁), "mouth," though it makes no real difference in meaning.

3Aino Hätinen's new join with K.13919 begins here (eBL) and fills in some signs at the ends of the lines from here through obv. 11ˊ.

4In addition to the new join of K.13919, for the restoration in this and the following line, see Hätinen 2021: 498, 503, who draws on (then unpublished) BM 46590: 14-15.

5I take "his heart" to refer to Sin, who was previously displeased with the supplicant.

6For an explanation of the imagery here, see Lambert 1974: 296-297 and Jaques 2015: 236. Lambert suggests this version of the line is the original; compare below, rev. 9ˊ (likewise, Jaques 2015: 99).

7I assume the scribe has committed an internal aural or graphic mistake in writing ŠI for EŠ. Either the scribe made another mistake on the verb (RA for RU) or we should assume the singular verb understands the plural subject as a collective. My translation of this line follows Jaques 2015: 234, 235 and CAD Š/3, 388 (cited by Jaques); compare Lambert 1974: 297, who thinks the (m.pl.) adjective refers to water, which has dropped out of the text. He supposes the LA is a corruption for NAR, nār (ešrēti). Most others follow his idea that this line describes the waters of the river (e.g., Hätinen 2021: 501 and Abusch and Schwemer 2016: 295). The same applies to the more extensive description in rev. 10ˊ-12ˊ below.

8It is unclear to me what ŠU.TAG.GA stands for. Mayer 1976: 530 gives no explanation or translation. Hätinen (2021: 502) translates the term with "undertaking," perhaps reflecting Akkadian liptu, though this word is typically written logographically with (NIG₂).TAG (see CAD L, 200). Since liptu can also refer to an afflication or disease, I wonder if we should take ŠU TAG.GA as "the power (lit. hand) of the affliction."

9The tablet shows barely a hint of the tops of the heads of a sign or two (see the copy in AOAT 34 59).

10The restoration of the half broken signs follows Hätinen, who draws on the (recently discovered) parallel in CBS 1695 (2021: 499).

11SIK₂.GA.RIG₂.AK.A = pušikku, "carded wool."

12The sense of the line requires a negative particle at its head (see obv. 11ˊ above). Either the LA has fallen out or, more speculatively, we have NIŠ rather than EŠ (see Lambert's reading, 1974: 295), which may preserve a vocalization of and Sandhi writing of NU eš-ru-tu. Signficant textual variation exists in the manuscripts attesting this particular prayer, and thus a corruption of some kind is likely.

13This is the catchline to Nergal 2.