A reading, published with its checks still open. A Vigslist translation.
Balaĝ 41 — “The Princess in Wailing” (four witnesses combined). Built from four witnesses; K.10195 names the mugib-priestess, and two lines stand whole: “The Etur was destroyed. The Ekur was destroyed.” One qualifier stands on the record: Langdon (1913) printed a four-line English gloss on one witness — a gloss, not a translation.
Published as a reading. No first-translation claim is made for this piece. The checks that would settle such a claim are named in the notes below and are still open; the wording on this page claims nothing they have not settled.
Composition: a bilingual Emesal balaĝ to a goddess — Langdon called its Nineveh witness "a fragment of an Ishtar liturgy" — built on two refrains: the cast-down litany ("like a ewe, like a lamb cast down…") and the city refrain, "The princess in wailing — when will she rejoice?", sung to the lady city by city: Uruk, Zabalam, Ḫursagkalama, Eturkalama — Inanna's cities. eISL (Gabbay's Emesal catalogue) Balaĝ 41, Q009516, provenance Ur in the catalogue tradition. The composition is named from the refrain the ancient catalogue (4 R² 53+) preserves: egi₂-re a-še-er-ra, "the princess, in wailing." Witnesses (all served by eBL, fetched live, Wave C6; JSONs in this folder): - CBS 36 (University of Pennsylvania, Joseph Shemtob collection) — Neo-Babylonian, 32 units; the fullest witness. Copy: Lutz, Selected Sumerian and Babylonian Texts (1927), pl. 125. No edition on its record. - K.5653 + K.17347 (Nineveh) — Neo-Assyrian, 13 units. Copy: Langdon, Babylonian Liturgies (1913), no. 204 — a copy with a one-line catalogue gloss (see the check below), not an edition. No edition on its record. - Rm-II.547 (Nineveh) — Neo-Assyrian, 13 units, parallel to both, per the records' own parallel notes. No edition, no copy on its record. - K.10195 (Nineveh) — Neo-Assyrian, 8 units; parallel at lines 3–4 to CBS 36 12′–13′ (the records state the parallel), its other lines its own. Copy: Langdon, BL no. 87. No edition on its record. scoped to the witnesses. No published edition or translation of the composition was located anywhere reachable. Counting rule: a line counts part if a complete verb form or a glossed phrase survives; fragment if only isolated words or traces survive; whole only if a complete clause survives intact. Counts (all four witnesses): 66 units — 2 whole / 37 part / 27 fragment / 0 invented. The two whole lines are K.10195's, and they are two words each: "The Etur was destroyed. The Ekur was destroyed."
Publication check (C6, Oct 22): none of the four eBL records carries an EDITION reference — the desk pattern all night has been that eBL cites CLAM/HES editions reliably wherever they exist; here there are only copies (Langdon 1913; Lutz 1927) and parallel notes. Langdon's own catalogue entry for the K.5653 copy (BL, additional texts, no. 204 — read in the program's own copy of BL) reads in full: "Fragment of an Ishtar liturgy. Note lines 3–6… 'Because of the rejected kid, the rejected son, the rejected husband, the desolated house'. K. 5653." That is a description with a four-line gloss, not a translation of the text — and it is the only English ever printed on any part of this composition that this desk can find. Gabbay's catalogue (eISL) lists the composition with no edition pointer. Doors left on the face: (1) Delnero's catalogue of the Emesal compositions (SANER 26) — the standing door for Emesal material, held in the print-check wave. (2) The CLAM composition-catalogue eyeball (print-check wave) — to confirm Cohen neither edited the composition nor listed an edition of it. (3) CTN 4, no. 175 — a Nimrud fragment both Nineveh records cite as "cf."; CTN 4 is a copy volume, but its surface has not been eyeballed from this desk. (4) The witnesses' CDLI records are unread — CDLI is still down. (5) The eISL text page (Q009516) has never served (both ORACC routes refused all night); the composition's score is the decider for how the sections served here order themselves in the full balaĝ.
Dragon/serpent flag: none. No ušum, no muš, no serpent word stands in any of the four witnesses. What the text carries instead is a ewe, a goat, a mother, and a destroyed house — flagged as what they are, nothing more.
The tablet opens in loss (only traces), then finds its first person: a singer weeping over himself, over the goddess's destroyed city and defiled house — then the litany, then the refrain.
1′. […] x x […] (traces)
2′. […] u₂-ta-… qa? AN x x […] (traces)
3′. […] ki zabalam{ki} x […] "[…] the place of Zabalam […]" (the goddess's city, named inside the break)
4′. […] a-bit […] (Akkadian gloss, traces)
5′. […] šu pe-el-la₂ ba-ab-… […] "[…] the hand … defiled …" (traces of the defilement section)
6′. […] a-še-er! en₃-še₃ i₃-kuš₂-[u₃] "[…] in wailing — how long will you rest?"
7′. [ina bi-ki-tu mi-in-su ta-dul-li a-di m]a-ti [ta-tan-na-hi?] "(Akkadian:) [In weeping, why do you wander? How long] will you [keep resting?]" (the gloss of line 6′, mostly restored)
8′. […] en₃-še₃ […] "[…] how long […]"
9′. […] ina ta-ne₂-hi min₃-su ta-ta-na-ba-li […] "(Akkadian:) […] in lamentation, why do you keep wandering? […]"
10′. [balag-di ni₂-gu₁₀ e]r₂-ta ni₂-gu₁₀ er₂-ta u₄ mu-ni-ib₂-zal-[…] "The balaĝ-singer — over myself in tears, over myself in tears, the day has passed me by […]"
11′. [ina ṣi-ri-ih ra-ma-ni]-ia a-bak-ki ina ra-ma-ni-ia u₄-me u₂-uš-t[a-…] "(Akkadian:) [In my own wailing] I weep; over myself my days […]"
12′. [ni₂-zu šir₃-ra] ra-man-ki ina ṣi-ri-ih uru₂ hul-a-za-ke₄ x […] "You yourself — in song, yourself — in wailing, because of your destroyed city […]" (the line mixes its languages on the clay, Sumerian framing Akkadian, exactly as served)
13′. [ni₂-zu šir₃-ra] ra-man-ki ina ṣi-ri-ih e₂ pe-el-la₂-a-za-ke₄ […] "You yourself — in song, yourself — in wailing, because of your defiled house […]"
14′. [erim₃-ma zi/gu₁₀ hul-a-še₃ …] ana i-šit-ti-ia erim₃-ma zi#? […] (the fold/storehouse line, broken between its languages — traces)
15′. [u₈ zi-gin₇ sila₄ šub-ba-še₃] ki-ma lah₃-ri kit-tu₄ ša₂ pu-hat-sa šu-ud-da-at erim₃-m[a …] "Like a ewe, like a lamb cast down — (Akkadian:) like a ewe of the fold whose lamb is cast down — in the fold […]" (the litany opens; the Sumerian head is restored from Witness B, the Akkadian gloss survives here)
16′. [uz₃ zi-gin₇ maš₂ šub-b]a-še₃ erim₃-<(ma …)> "Like a goat, like a kid cast down — in the fold […]"
17′. [ama-gan zi-gin₇ dumu šu]b-ba-še₃ erim₃-<(ma …)> "Like a mother, like a son cast down — in the fold […]"
18′. [ki-sikil-gin₇ mu-ud-na šu]b-ba-še₃ erim₃-<(ma …)> "Like a young woman, like a husband cast down — in the fold […]"
19′. [dumu ban₃-da-gin₇ e₂ hu]l-a-še₃ erim₃-<(ma …)> "Like a little child — to the desolated house […]" (Langdon, glossing these lines in 1913, wrote "rejected" where this reading writes "cast down" — his four-line gloss is credited in the check above; the litany's sense is the same in either word: each pair is one who should have been kept, cast down.)
$ single ruling
20′. [egi₂-re a-še-er-ra] me-na hul₂-lu-[x] "The princess in wailing — when will she rejoice?" (the refrain the composition is named for)
21′. [ru-ba-tu₄ ina ta-ni]-hi ma-ti₃ ta-had-di-i?# "(Akkadian:) The princess in lamentation — when will you rejoice?"
22′. [… a egi₂-re a-še-e]r-ra me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "[… the princess in wail]ing — when (will she rejoice?)"
23′. [(egi₂) gašan ki unu{ki}]-ga me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "Princess, lady of Uruk — when (will she rejoice?)" (only me-na, "when?", survives on this tablet; the city is restored from Witness B, where it stands)
24′. [(egi₂) gašan ki zabalam{ki}] me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "Princess, lady of Zabalam — when …?"
25′. [(egi₂) gašan ḫur-sag-kalam-ma] me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "Princess, lady of Ḫursagkalama — when …?"
26′. [(egi₂) gašan e₂-tur₃-kalam-ma] me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "Princess, lady of Eturkalama — when …?"
27′–30′. […] me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "[…] when (will she rejoice?)" (four more city refrains, their cities lost — the frame survives, the names do not, and none is supplied)
31′. […] x AN ab₂ a da?# mu-un-[…] (traces)
32′. […] x x x x IM? x x x […] (traces; end of what is served)
The Nineveh copy opens mid-litany and runs the refrain with its cities standing — it is the witness that carries the city names Witness A restores from.
1′. [u₈ zi-gin₇ sil]a₄ šub-ba-še₃ & erim₃-ma <(…)> "Like a ewe, like a lamb cast down — in the fold […]"
2′. [ki-ma lah/lah₃-r]i kit-ti ša₂ pu-had-sa šu-ud-da-at "(Akkadian:) Like a ewe of the fold, whose lamb is cast down."
3′. [uz₃ zi-gi]n₇ maš₂ šub-ba-še₃ & erim₃-ma <(…)> "Like a goat, like a kid cast down — in the fold […]"
4′. [ama-gan zi-gi]n₇ dumu šub-ba-še₃ & erim₃-ma <(…)> "Like a mother, like a son cast down — in the fold […]"
5′. [ki-sikil-g]in₇ mu-ud-na šub-ba-še₃ & erim₃-ma <(…)> "Like a young woman, like a husband cast down — in the fold […]"
6′. [dumu ban₃-da]-gin₇ e₂-hul-a-še₃ & erim₃-ma <(…)> "Like a little child — to the desolated house […]"
$ single ruling
7′. [egi₂?-re?] a-še-er-ra & me-na hul₂-l[u bi₂-…] "The princess(?) in wailing — when will she rejoice […]?" (egi₂ is damaged in the writing itself, marked uncertain on the record)
8′. [ru-b]a?-tu₄ ina ta-ni-hi & ma-ti ta-ha[d-di-i …] "(Akkadian:) The princess in lamentation — when will you rejoice […]?" (mostly restored; graded fragment)
9′. […]-a egi₂-re a-še-er-ra & me-na <(hul₂-lu …)> "[…] the princess in wailing — when (will she rejoice?)"
10′. [… gašan k]i unu!{ki}-ga & [me-na <(hul₂-lu …)>] "[…] lady of Uruk — when …?"
11′. [… gašan ki] zabalam!{ki} & [me-na <(hul₂-lu …)>] "[…] lady of Zabalam — when …?"
12′. [… gašan ḫur]-sag-kalam-ma & [me-na <(hul₂-lu …)>] "[…] lady of Ḫursagkalama — when …?"
13′. [… gašan e₂-tu]r₃-kalam-ma & [me-na <(hul₂-lu …)>] "[…] lady of Eturkalama — when …?"
A third Nineveh fragment: the goddess's city and shrine, then the singer's first person — the same lines as Witness A's 10′–13′, from another tablet.
1′. ki unug{ki} ba-[…] "The place of Uruk […]" (traces of the city section)
2′. ŠU-ma a-bit?# […] (Akkadian gloss, traces)
3′. eš₃ e₂-an-na-ta […] "From the shrine Eanna […]"
4′. [(…)] (gloss line, lost)
5′. [b]alag-di ni₂-gu₁₀ er₂-ta ni₂-gu₁₀?# [er₂-ta u₄ mu-ni-ib₂-zal-(e)] "The balaĝ-singer — over myself in tears, over myself in tears [the day has passed me by]" (= Witness A, line 10′)
6′. ina ṣi-ri-ih ra-ma-ni-ia a-b[ak-ki ina ra-ma-ni-ia u₄-me uš-ta-bar-re-(e)] "(Akkadian:) In my own wailing I weep; [over myself my days drag on]" (= Witness A, line 11′, with its verb standing here: uštabarrê, "drags on")
7′. [n]i₂-zu šir₃-ra [uru₂ hul-a-za-ke₄ …] "You yourself — in song [— because of your destroyed city …]" (= Witness A, line 12′)
8′. ra-man-ki ina ṣi-ri-ih [URU-ki …] "(Akkadian:) Yourself — in wailing [— because of your city …]" (mostly restored; graded fragment)
9′. [n]i₂-zu šir₃-ra [e₂ pe-el-la₂-a-za-ke₄ …] "You yourself — in song [— because of your defiled house …]" (= Witness A, line 13′)
10′. [(…)] (gloss line, lost)
11′. [erim₃-ma-g]u₁₀?/zi? hul-a-še₃ [erim₃-ma-gu₁₀?/zi? hul-a-še₃ (…)] "[My fold(?) …] to desolation [my fold(?) to desolation …]" (the reading of the possessive is uncertain on the record and is flagged, not forced; = Witness A, line 14′)
12′. [x] x ana i-šit-t[i-ia …] "(Akkadian:) […] to [my] storehouse […]" (traces)
13′. [u₈ zi-(da)]-gin₇ sila₄ [šub-ba-še₃ & erim₃-ma (…)] "Like a ewe, like a lamb [cast down — in the fold …]" (the litany again — this fragment preserves the composition's two sections in the same order as Witness A: the singer's tears, then the cast-down pairs)
A small fragment whose middle lines are certified parallels of Witness A's 12′–13′ by all three records — and whose own lines name the mother and the destroyed temples.
top 1. um-mu iš-ta-ri-tu₄ x […] "The Ištar-like mother […]" (a heading-like scrap above the obverse)
o 1. ama mu-gi₁₇-ib# mu-l[u ni₂-zu …] "The mother, the mugib-priestess, the one who […] — yourself […]" (mu-gi₁₇-ib — the mugib — the same rare cult word that heads Wave C3's VS 10, 167, where the singer declares in her own voice, "I am the mugib priestess." The two texts are not the same composition; the word's company is recorded, nothing more claimed.)
o 2. gašan-an-na mu-lu ni₂-zu […] "The Lady of Heaven — Inanna — the one who […] — yourself […]"
o 3. ni₂-zu šir₃-ra uru₂?# hu[l-a-za-ke₄ …] "You yourself — in song — [because of] your destroyed [city …]" (= Witness A, line 12′)
o 4. ni₂-zu šir₃#-ra e₂ pe-e[l-la₂-(a)-za-ke₄ …] "You yourself — in song — [because of] your defiled house […]" (= Witness A, line 13′)
o 5. e₂-tur₃ ba-gul "The Etur was destroyed." (complete, as served — one of the build's two whole lines)
o 6. e₂-kur ba-gul "The Ekur was destroyed." (complete, as served)
o 7. x x x […] (traces; end of what is served)
light, per program law.*
Nuvira Technologies conducts this research with AI assistance, cross-verified against the primary sources to scholarly integrity standards. Uncertain readings are marked; broken lines are left broken.
— Richard Vigslist, Founder, Nuvira Technologies
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