Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

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READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION
38. i-ge-e-gu-un-ni-im šu-ba-at ri-ša-tim
39. mu-ut-ti-iš-šu-un i-lu-ú na-zu-iz-zu-ú
40. ip-ši-iš pí-šu-nu ba-ši-à-a uz-na-šu-un
41. šar-ru-um mi-ig-ra-šu-un na-ra-am li-ib-bi-šu-un
42. šar-ḫi-iš it-na-aq-qí-šu-nu-ut ni-qí-a-šu el-la-am
Line 38: Iggegunnîm is the result of ina plus gegu(n)nûm (gigunû), “raised temple.”
Gegunnûm is some kind of “sacred building erected on terraces” (CAD G, 67). The word
sometimes occurs in apposition to ziqqurratum, “ziggurrat, temple step-tower,” and may
refer “to the sanctuary on top of the temple tower” (CAD G, 70). Šubtum, “dwelling, seat.”
Rīštum, “joy, exultation, jubilation.” Rīšātim is a plural.
iggegunnîm šubat rīšātim
Line 39: Muttiš, “in front of, before.” Ilu, “god, deity.” Nazuzzū is a 3mp predicative
from nazzazum (N of i/uzuzzu; see GAG §107e), “to appear, to become present.” The i in
the third sign of the verb’s orthography is superfluous. This line provides another aspect of
Ishtar’s authority: the gods appear before her (and Anu) as servants.
muttiššun ilū nazuzzū
Line 40: Ipšum means “deed, action.” But bound to pûm, “mouth,” ipiš pî means
“speech, command” (see CAD I/J, 170). The form of the word here, ipšiš, is to be explained
as ipšu plus the terminative-adverbial ending, which has replaced the preposition ana.
Bašûm means “to be, to be available” but with ears and eyes, “to be fixed on, to be attentive.”
Uznāšun is the nom. dual of uznum with an apocopated 3mp pronominal suffix. The
servile status of the other gods, intimated in the previous line, is confirmed and described
here.
ipšiš pīšunu bašiā uznāšun
Line 41: This line subtly introduces Ammiditana (see line 43), the OB king who is
lauded here as the beneficiary of Ishtar’s largess. Migrum can mean “consent, approval,
agreement” but also “favored one, favorite” (see CAD M/2, 48), as is appropriate here.
Narāmum, “beloved.” Libbum, “heart.” This line only introduces the subject of the sentence,
which is completed in the next line.
šarrum migrašun narām libbīšun
Line 42: Šarḫiš, “proudly, splendidly, in a lavish manner.” Itaqqû, (Gtn of naqû), “to
offer a libation, sacrifice repeatedly.” The form of the verb is durative, though one might
expect ittanaqqi. The present form may be explained by the fact that the Gtn stem of I-n
and I-w verbs sometimes elide the –ta– (see GAG §91d and §102k). The pronominal suffix
is a 3mp accusative, though a dative, –šunūšim, is expected. As is often the case in this text,
the final short vowel has dropped off. Nīqum, “offering, sacrifice.” Ellum, “pure, holy.”
šarḫiš itnaqqīšunūt nīqašu ellam