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July 3, 2006

RS 25.130: A Translation of the Akkadian Portion of the Text

A couple of days ago I remarked on the parallel use of the Semitic roots *hry and *yld in RS 25.130:6. What follows is my complete translation of Akkadian of text on RS 25:130. This tablet contains a wisdom poem in both Sumerian and Akkadian. The two languages are written interlineally with the Sumerian line coming before the Akkadian line(s). It is part of a group of three tablets seemingly containing much, but not nearly all, the same text. The fragmentary RS 25.34+ has both Sumerian and Akkadian but is written in two columns with the Sumerian to the right and the Akkadian to the left of central parallel scribe lines. RS 25.424, in its current state, has only Akkadian. Nougayrol, 291, proposed a synopsis of the three texts. The horizontal lines in the translation below represent double horizontal scribe lines on the tablet which divide the text into tree sections. The last two readable lines (41' and 43') in the last section are identical to the first two lines of the second and largest section (19' - 38') of the text. Missing line numbers contained the Sumerian text. Nougayrol, 291-297, provided a translation of the Sumerian, which the Akkadian follows with fairly good fidelity. I have noted a couple of differences in the notes below the translation of the Akkadian. I have also noted a couple of philological items that may be of interests to bibliobloggers in the notes.

RS 25.130: A Translation of the Akkadian Portion of the Text

2' [       ]the wise Enki [          ]

4' Where are they, those great kings [of the past(?)]?

6' They no longer conceive; they no longer [give birth.]

8' As high as the sky, the hand [   cannot reach them(?)   ]

10' As deep as the earth, no one knows (it).

12' The whole life [    ] blindness.

14' (When compared with) a life without light, only death is worse.

16' Exchanging (a few) days of despair (for) a single day of contentment
17' may result in innumerable miserable years.
————————————————————————
19' By (with) Ea, plans are planned.

21' According to divine planning lots are allotted.

23' [         ] it i[s  ]

25' Wh[at me]n ma]ke, they do not know themselves.

27' The plans for his days and his nights are with the gods.

29' Who does not know the work of men?

31' Who does not speak insultingly of men?

33' Who does not receive(?) the scorn of the weak (person)?

35' The son of a crippled man passes the son of a runner (courier?)

37' The son of a rich man extends his hand to the son of a poor man.

39' This is lot of the contented (man)
———————————————————————
41' By (with) Ea, plans are planned.

43' According to divine planning l[ots are allotted.]

The Akkadian of line 45 is unreadable and the Sumerian of line 44' isn't all that clear either. Nougayrol, 295, translates the Sumerian ". . . se trouve . . ."

The text on this tablet has a very interesting structure, which I may comment on in a future post. This structure, when studied in association with the other two tablets may reveal something about how these kinds of texts were compiled. And, therefore may inform us as to how the wisdom texts in the Hebrew Bible may have been compiled.

Further Notes and Observations by Line Number

8' The words in parenthesis, "cannot reach them," are a pure guess. Don't take it too seriously. This line and line 10' are clearly a couplet.

14' Literally the line reads, "A life which has no light, to whom are the dead greater?" As always, my far less literal translation depends on my understanding of the line. I take this to be a rhetorical question that in English is best understood as a comparison. Nougayrol, 295f, noted the ambiguity of the word namari (nawri). It could mean "light," "brightness" or in some contexts even "joy." But in the context, such as it is, of line 12', it seems best to understand it in terms of blindness. This line and line 12' are also a couplet.

16' and 17' Line 16' is an Akkadian translation of approximately half the Sumerian in the preceding Sumerian line. Line 17' is a continuation of the translation of this line. But one should compare RS 23.34+ A:9' (Nougayrol, 297). In all other cases, a single line of Akkadian follows a single Sumerian line. Line 16' literally reads, "To give as a substitute a single day of contentment, days of despair." ešeret šâr means 10 3600 year periods or an indefinably long time. These lines end the first section of the text.

21' ţè-em, from ţēmu, here translated "planning," could also mean "forethought," "understanding," "instructions." The word written us-qé[-e(?)]-tu was no doubt intended to be understood as isqētu meaning "lots" (see Huehnergard, 121, on u where i/e would be expected). Is the us- rather than is- the result of an attempt to match the other u sounds in lines 19' and 21"? Is this forced and/or intentional alliteration or assonates?
     19' . . . uşşurama uşşuratum
     21' . . . ussuqa usqētu as opposed to ussuqa isqētu

Another item of interest is the use of the both the nominal and verbal forms the same root in a single clause. This device appears several times in this text.

31' "ţa-píl-ti a-wi-lu-ti" literally translates "insults of men."

33' I take iliqqi to be from leqû, "take" or "receive" depending on context. Nougayrol translates the Sumerian of line 32', "Qui ne vilipende le faible?"

39' The line reads "annû isēq šalmi." See line 21' above and my comment on that line. šalmu can mean "peaceful," "healthy," "in good condition," etc. Nougayrol translates the Sumerian, "Tel est le lot de l'homme de bien."

41' and 42' See lines 19' and 21' and my notes there.

References:

Posted by Duane Smith at July 3, 2006 2:31 PM | Read more on Ugarit |

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Posted by: Paolo Merlo at July 4, 2006 5:35 AM

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