A reading, published with its checks still open. A Vigslist translation.
A Heart Calmed Like Heaven — an Emesal litany fragment. A heart-calming litany in the lament register.
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.
the tablet as a "Sumerian incantation"; Geller's review on the same record corrects it — "Emesal, not an incantation" — and both descriptions are printed here, the correction standing. The record's own notes tie the reverse to the balaĝ a-ab-ba hu-luh-ha ("The sea is terrified") at c+210ff., a composition in Cohen's CLAM (1988, English): until that passage is eyeballed, this witness may be a stray leaf of a composition already in English, and no first-English claim is made. The witness reading stands on its own either way.**
Built 2026-10-22 from Wave A1's live eBL fetch (saved in ).
One fragment: BM.75991, Sippar collection, British Museum, Old Babylonian script. CDLI number on the record: P274268. The text is Emesal Sumerian (S below). No photograph on the record.
Three lines carry the whole fragment, and they are a litany of the heart in three weathers: a heart calmed like heaven; a heart shaken like the earth; a heart terrified like the sea. Around them, the singer's refrain — "I lay down for you, I rose for you" — and on the reverse the complaint that gives the litany its cause: the lord's word, which heaven itself does not lift up. This is the stilling-liturgy's raw material: the god's heart named in image after image until it settles.
Transliteration exactly as the record serves it; S = Emesal Sumerian. Counts: 19 line-units — 0 whole, 7 part, 12 fragments, 0 invented (obverse col. 1′: 8; col. 2′: 6; reverse col. 4′: 4; plus the record's closing "10?" line).
Dragon scan (standing order): no ušumgal, muš-serpent, mušḫuššu or bašmu stands on this witness. The sea in line col. 2′ 3 is a-ab-ba, open water — no serpent word stands near it.
1–2. [... g]a?-ra mu-un-nu₂ ga-ra mu-un-zi · [... g]a? ni₂-gu₁₀-ra šu-ni me-ri-gu₁₀-še₃
"I lay down for you, I rose for you [...] — for myself, his hand to my foot [...]" (Parts/fragments — the refrain's frame stands; its joints are broken.)
3–8. [(...)] nam ši en₃ me-e gar₃-ra · [u₃?-mu?-un? k]ur-kur-ra ga₂-e šu ga-ra mu-un-nu₂ · ($___$) [(...)] ga-ra mu-un-zi · [... ni₂]-gu₁₀-ra šu-ni me-ri-<gu₁₀>-še₃ · [(...) na]m? ši en₃ me-e gar₃-ra# · [... ku]r? ba?# x x [x (x)]
The refrain said again — "the lord(?) of the lands — I myself — his hand — I lay down for you, I rose for you" — dissolving into traces. (Fragments.)
1. ša₃ an-g[in₇ dub₂-ba ...]
"A heart calmed like heaven [...]" (Part.)
2. ša₃ ki-gin₇ sig₃#-[ga ...]
"A heart shaken like the earth [...]" (Part.)
3. ša₃ a-ab-ba-gin₇ h[u-luh-ha ...]
"A heart terrified like the sea [...]" (Part — the line the record's note ties to the balaĝ a-ab-ba hu-luh-ha; see the header.)
4–6. id₂ mah kar-ra# [gal₂-la ...] · u₃-su₃-su₃ na x [...] · u₃-mu#-un#-m[u-zi-da ...]
"The great river lying at the quay [...]" and traces — a name in -muzida form glints in line 6. (Fragments.)
1′. [u₃-mu-un-(na)] e#-ne#-eg₃#-ga₂#-ni [an-ne₂ nu-il₂-e]
"The lord — his word: heaven does not lift it up." (Part — heavily queried on the record; printed with its flags.)
2′. "Mullil (Enlil) — his word: earth(?) does not lift it up." (Part.)
3′–4′. [u₃-mu-un-(na) š]u? dili-ni an-ne₂# n[u-il₂-e] · [{d}mu-ul-lil₂ me?-ri? dili]-ni ki-ne₂! nu-il₂#-e#
"The lord — his single hand: heaven does not lift it; Mullil — his single foot(?): earth does not lift it." (Parts/fragments — dili, "single/alone," is the standing word.)
5′. [...] 10?
A number trace closes the column. (Fragment.)
Door on the face as stated in the header (balaĝ a-ab-ba hu-luh-ha, CLAM c+210ff.). Release holds behind the triple-check and Richard's read. Branding on any future publication: a Vigslist translation.
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