Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

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READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION
20. da-a-a-an AN-e u KI-tim la e-nu-u qí-bi-tuš-šú
21. d UTU muš-te-šir ek-le-ti šá-kin nu-ri a-na ni-ši
22. d UTU ina e-re-bi-ka ZÁLAG ni-ši ú-ta-aṭ-ṭi d UTU ina a-ṣi-ka i-nam-mi-ra kib-ra-a-ti
23. e-ku-tum al-mat-tum ki-gul-la-tum ù ru-ut-tum
24. ṣi-it-ka uš-táḫ-ḫa-na ka-la ab-ra-a-tum
Line 20: Dayyānu, “judge.” AN = šamû, “heaven.” KI = erṣetu, “earth.” Dayyān šamê u
erṣetim is a very common and old epithet for Shamash. This epithet is particularly poignant
as part of this prayer. It is echoed in line 31, part of the petition, Šamaš dayyānu attā. In
lines 31–33 the supplicant prays for an immediate “verdict” in his case. Enû, “to change, to
shift, to revoke.” The negated infinitive describes a quality of Shamash. Qibītu, “speech,
command.” Qibītuššu includes the locative-adverbial ending –um plus the 3ms pronominal
suffix (–šu). The m assimilates to the š of the suffix. Although we may expect qibīssu here
(as a variant suggests), the locative-adverbial ending does stand sometimes in place of the
accusative (see GAG §66f).
dayyān šamê u erṣeti lā enû qibītuššu
Line 21: Muštēšir (Št lex. of ešēru), “to cause to straighten, to put in order.” Ekletu,
“darkness.” The idea here is that Shamash puts the darkness in order. See CAD N/2, 349.
Šākin from šakānu is a G participle. Nūru, “light.” Nišū, “people.”
Šamaš muštēšir ekleti šākin nūri ana nišī
Line 22: Erēbu, “to enter,” but with reference to the sun, “to set.” The pronominal suffix
becomes the subject of the infinitive’s action: “in your setting.” ZÁLAG = nūru, “light.”
Uteṭṭû (Dt of eṭû), “to be darkened.” Aṣû (waṣûm), “to go out,” but with reference to the
sun, “to rise.” Namāru (nawārum), “to be(come) bright, to shine.” Kibrātu, “the regions,”
specifically the four regions of the earth, the four edges or shores, that is, the whole world.
Šamaš ina erēbīka nūr nišī ūtaṭṭi Šamaš ina aṣîka inammirā kibrāti
Line 23: Ekû (m), ekūtu (f), “impoverished, orphaned.” Almattu, “widow.” Here and
elsewhere in this text, the mimation is archaic and almost certainly aphonemic and likely
aphonetic in which case the signs should perhaps be read tu 4 or tì, as appropriate. The
reason for reading these signs tum and tim is that elsewhere in the text the signs TU and TI
are used for tu and ti. On kigullatu, “waif(?),” see AHw, 474 and CAD K, 349–50. Ruttu
(rūtu), “female associate, companion.” This line serves to indicate that the kala abrātu in
the next line includes even the most disenfranchised elements of humanity.
ekūtu almattu kigullatu u ruttu
Line 24: Ṣītu, “exit,” but with regard to the sun, “rising.” Šutaḫḫunu (Dt of šaḫānu),
“to be warmed up.” The form is a 3fp durative. Kala, “all.” Abrātu, “humankind” appears
only in the pl. See CAD A/1, 62.
ṣētka uštaḫḫanā kala abrātu