Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

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READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION
10. ša ze-na-at NAM-šú tu-sal-lam it-ti-šu
11. [šá ar-n]a ? i-šú ta-pa-ṭar ar-an-šu
12. [ana-ku] NENNI A NENNI ÌR pa-liḫ-ka
13. [i]na meṣ-ḫa-ru-ti-ia ma-ši-šu-ti ú-sa-pa
person preterite, usaḫḫira.) GÚ = kišādu, “neck.” The š of the 3ms pronominal suffix (–šu)
and the final dental consonant (d) of the noun change to –ss– (–dš– becomes –ss–). To
whom does the pronominal suffix on this word refer? Nabu is the implied subject of
tusaḫḫar. The idiom suḫḫuru kišāda (or pānī), “to turn the neck (or face),” indicates the
direction of the neck’s owner’s attention, away, toward, or back to someone or something,
depending on context. See CAD S, 49–50. In this case, Nabu turns the angry personal god
back to his devotee. While the deity’s attention is directed away from his or her ward, the
individual is open to all kinds of potential evils. Thus it is important for the deity’s face (or
neck) to be turned at all times toward the devotee. For a discussion of the personal god,
see page 431.
ša ilšu isbusu tusaḫḫar kišāssu
Line 10: Zenû, “to be angry.” Zenât is a 3fs predicative form. NAM = šīmtu, “fate.”
Here, however, the term probably refers to an individual’s personal goddess (ištaru), thus
completing the parallelism started in line 9 of the angered personal god. An angry personal
god and goddess is a common motif in Mesopotamian prayers. Sullumu (D of salāmu), “to
reconcile.” Itti, “with.”
ša zenât šīmtašu tusallim ittīšu
Line 11: Mayer’s MS B adds a self-identification formula here in two lines after our
line 10. They are inserted here for sake of interest. Line 11 continues the grammatical and
semantic parallelism of lines 9–10. Arnu, “guilt.” The n of the bound form (aran–) assimilates
to the š of the pronominal suffix. Išû, “to have, to own.” Paṭāru, “to release.”
ša arna išû tapaṭṭar araššu
Line 12: NENNI A NENNI = annanna mār annanna, “so-and-so, son of so-and-so.” This is
a very common phrase in prayers. It serves as a placeholder for the name and filiation of
the person speaking the prayer (as in the phrase, “I, state your name”). Annanna sometimes
also holds the place for the names of a person’s personal god and goddess. ÌR = (w)ardu,
“servant.” The god–devotee relationship is imagined in terms of a king and his servant.
Palāḫu, “to fear.” The presence of this line, a self-presentation formula, at this point in the
prayer clearly signals a transition from hymn to petition.
anāku annanna mār annanna ardu pāliḫka
Line 13: Meṣḫarūtu (meṣḫerūtu), “youth.” How does this word influence one’s understanding
of the prayer? How does this line fit with the next? Is there a contrast between
youth and old age or does the supplicant intend to show continuity of devotion throughout
life? It is difficult to say because a key word in the line, ma-ši-šu-ti, is obscure (see Hunt,
217–19 for the following options). The text is secure (against CAD M/2, 37), but the meaning
is uncertain. Deriving the term from the root mašāšu, “to wipe,” one might understand
the word as mašišūti, an adverbial accusative of condition, and translate it with regard to