Tuesday, April 21, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org

A Balag — In the City, in the Wide Square

✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦

The balaĝ (literally "harp") is the great liturgical lament of Mesopotamian temple worship — a genre performed by the gala-priest with drum and harp during temple rituals, distinct from the shorter eršemma and the penitential eršaḫuĝa. This tablet preserves the second section of a multi-tablet balaĝ composition, copied at Ashurbanipal's palace at Nineveh in the seventh century BCE from an older original. The text is bilingual: Emesal Sumerian (the archaic liturgical dialect) with sporadic Akkadian interlinear translation.

The composition moves through four movements. First, the city of Isin — its temples, its gates, its streets — is described as empty, wind-filled, silent. Second, the goddess of the city speaks in the first person: her shrine is destroyed, her people scattered, she cannot eat, cannot drink, cannot sleep. Third, a litany of divine epithets addresses Enlil with the devastating refrain "your eyes are not weary" — of destruction, of anger. Fourth, the people themselves cry out: the young wife calls "My husband!", the young woman calls "My brother!", the birth-mother calls "My child!", the youngest daughter calls "My father!" In the streets of Nippur, Babylon, and Isin, the small and great alike go mad with grief.

The balaĝ genre has never before been represented in this archive. This is a Good Works Translation from Emesal Sumerian and Standard Babylonian Akkadian, produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church with AI assistance.

I. The City Destroyed

In the city, in the wide square —
the child in its infancy wails.
In its infancy, in the city, in the wide square —
in its infancy it wails.

Why? The house is given to the wind — it has fallen silent.
Why? Its city has turned to wind.

My temple, Isin — my boundary-post of heaven and earth!
My shrine, the Egalmah — which Anu granted me!
My temple — and my temple in Larak!
Larak, the city that the lord gave —

below it has been demolished,
above it has been torn away.
In lament, my treasure has been delivered to the enemy.

Its walls have been destroyed — its doves wheel in confusion.
Its gates lie desolate — it has no place of wonder.
Its roof-beams, like a bewildered man in daylight, are overthrown.
Its bricks — like a weeping mother, they lie upon the ground.
Its reed-fencing, like plucked hair, has filled the earth.
Its thick reeds, like one whose heart is constricted — they tremble ceaselessly.
In its wide square, like bats in flight, they dart about the ruins.
At its shattered corners, like a bather, one wrings one's hands.

Its doors with their bolts — flung open!
Its door-frames, its locks — they cry out!
The reed-fence is gone — the wind has entered.

My temple, the head of my city — the wind has entered it.
The brick of Isin — the wind has entered it.
My Egalmah — the wind has entered it.
My Erabriri — the wind has entered it.
My holy grove — the wind has entered it.

[Lines 42–44 are fragmentary.]

The lord — Enlil — he turned it to wind.
He who overthrew the land — to wind he turned it.
He scattered its black-headed people — to wind.
He scattered them — locusts flew with them.

II. The Goddess Speaks

My city — he defiled it!
The lord — the great dwelling, he defiled it!
My temple he went out from — he seized it from outside!
My temple, the Ezida — he defiled it!

Enlil! My city, the righteous city — he has wailed over it!
My House of Rejoicing that he built for me — the cry of woe!
My House where he poured wine for me — the cry of woe!

[Lines 58–60 are fragmentary.]

The princess of the inner city — her city is destroyed.
I am the lady of the outer city — my city is ruined.
My youth is destroyed. My shrine is destroyed —
its people are scattered like chaff.

I am the lady who was given all this —
and I cannot sleep.
In my weariness — I cannot eat.
In my weariness — I cannot drink.

III. The Litany of the Unwearied Eyes

O marvelous one! Lord, marvelous one!
Lord, marvelous one — your eyes are not weary!

Lord of all lands — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Lord of the righteous word — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Enlil, father of the homeland — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Shepherd of the black-headed people — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
He whose eyes bring themselves rest — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Wild bull leading the troops — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
He who sleeps a false sleep — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Lord Amankia — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Hero Asarluhi — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Lord Enbilulu — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Hero Muzebbasaa — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Lord Dikumah — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Hero Utulu — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!
Lord Urashara — marvelous one, your eyes are not weary!

Your eyes, your wonder — they are not weary.
Your neck does not bend.
Your heart that turns and turns — when will it grow weary?

IV. The Separated

The ewe from her rightful lamb — a stranger has torn her away.
The goat from her rightful kid — a stranger has torn her away.
The beloved one — his love is spent.
To Enlil the great ones bow down, seeking rest —
your eyes are not weary.

V. The Plea for Return

O Mighty One! Enlil, turn back!
Return to your city! Behold your city!

O mighty bull, turn around — return to behold your city!
Lord of all lands — turn around, to behold your city!
Lord of the righteous word — turn around, to behold your city!
Enlil, father of the homeland — turn around, to behold your city!
Shepherd of the black-headed people — turn around, to behold your city!
He whose eyes bring themselves rest — turn around, to behold your city!
Wild bull leading the troops — turn around, to behold your city!
He who sleeps a false sleep — turn around, to behold your city!
Lord Amankia — turn around, to behold your city!
Hero Asarluhi — turn around, to behold your city!
Lord Enbilulu — turn around, to behold your city!
Hero Muzebbasaa — turn around, to behold your city!
Lord Dikumah — turn around, to behold your city!
Hero Utulu — turn around, to behold your city!
Lord Urashara — turn around, to behold your city!

From your city Nippur — turn around, to behold your city!
from the Ekur, the Ki-Ur, the House of Life —
From Sippar — turn around, to behold your city!
from the Ebabbar, the House of Judging the Land —
From Babylon — turn around, to behold your city!
from the Esagila, the Cattle-Pen of the Land —
From Borsippa — turn around, to behold your city!
from the Ezida, the House of Life's Breath —
from the Etemenanki, the House of the Bond of Heaven —
From Isin — turn around, to behold your city!
from the Egalmah, the Erabriri —

VI. The City Cursed

City that the enemy devastated — alas! Return!
Nippur that the enemy cast into the water — overwhelmed!
City that the enemy devastated — alas! Return!
Sippar that the enemy devastated — overwhelmed!
City that the enemy devastated — alas! Return!
Babylon that the enemy devastated — overwhelmed!
City that the enemy devastated — alas! Return!
Isin that the enemy devastated — overwhelmed!

VII. The People

City from which grain was cut off —
the hungry have multiplied upon it.
The eater, from not eating, has grown famished through the night.

The young wife — "My husband!" she calls.
The young child — "My child!" she calls.
The young woman — "My brother!" she calls.
In the city, the birth-mother — "My child!" she calls.
The youngest daughter — "My father!" she calls.

Those standing in the streets — they run madly.
The small one goes mad — the great one goes mad.
In Nippur, the small one goes mad and the great one goes mad.
In Babylon, the small one goes mad and the great one goes mad.
In Isin, the small one goes mad and the great one goes mad.

What was precious — the dog carried off.
What was scattered — the wolf disgraced.
Its playground has filled with wind.
The street of abundance — no one dwells in it.

VIII. Closing

Woe! Woe! Cry out —
the city is become a place of wailing!

Rubric: Second section. Series: "The Woman — She Was Fashioned." Not complete.

Colophon

Translated from Emesal Sumerian and Standard Babylonian Akkadian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (tulku-assisted, 2026). The source is a bilingual clay tablet copied at Ashurbanipal's palace at Nineveh, seventh century BCE, from an older original. The text preserves the second section of a multi-tablet balaĝ composition. The Emesal Sumerian text is primary throughout; the Akkadian interlinear translation is preserved for approximately one-third of the lines, primarily in the opening stanzas and the suffering section. Where Akkadian is present, the translation follows it; where only Sumerian survives, the translation follows established Emesal-to-English lexical equivalences. Lines 42–44 and 58–60 are too fragmentary for confident translation. Reconstructed passages (from parallel manuscripts) are included in the translation without individual notation. Source text: Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL), Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.10018951, CC BY 4.0.

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Source Text — ATF Transliteration

K.2003. Neo-Assyrian, from Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh (Kuyunjik). ATF notation: %es = Emesal Sumerian, ($___$) = Akkadian interlinear, {...} = divine determinative, [...] = lacuna with restoration, <(...)> = implied refrain (not written on tablet). Source: Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, CC BY 4.0.

@obverse

  1. %es [uru₂-a bu]r₂-ra-ah tur-ra-ta u₃-li-li še am-ša₄
  2. ($___$) [ina] URU re-bit ṣe-eh-ra ina lal-la-ra-ti i-dam-mu-um
  3. %es tur-ra-ta uru₂-a bur₂-ra-ah tur-ra-ta u₃-li-li še am₃-ša₄
  4. %es te-e-am₃ e₂ lil₂-la₂ ba-si-si-ga-ta
  5. ($___$) min₃-su E₂ za-qi₂-qi₂ ša₂ uš-qa-am-ma-mu
  6. %es te-e-am₃ uru₂ lil₂-la₂ ba-gi₄-gi₄-da-ta
  7. ($___$) min₃-su ša₂ URU-ša₂ ana za-qi₂-qi₂ i-tu-ru
  8. %es e₂-gu₁₀ i₃-si-in{ki}-na & bulug an ki-gu₁₀
  9. ($___$) bi-ti MIN & pu-lu-uk AN-e u KI-ti₃
  10. %es ama₅-gu₁₀ e₂-gal-mah & an-ne₂ mar-ra-gu₁₀
  11. ($___$) maš-ta-ki E₂ MIN & ša₂ {d}a-nim iš-ru-kam
  12. %es e₂-gu₁₀ aš-te & e₂ la₇-ra₃-ak{ki}-gu₁₀
  13. ($___$) E₂ ŠU-ma & E₂ la-rak
  14. %es la₇-ra₃-ak{ki} uru₂ umun-na & ba-ab-ze₂-eg₃-ga₂-gu₁₀
  15. ($___$) la-rak URU ša₂ be-lu₄ id-di-na
  16. %es sig-še₃ gul-la-gu₁₀ & nim-še₃ bu-ra-gu₁₀
  17. ($___$) šap-liš it-tan-qar e-liš it-tan-sah
  18. %es balag-di erim₃-ma-gu₁₀ & ur-re-eš ma-al-la-gu₁₀
  19. ($___$) ina ṣer-hi i-šit-ti ana nak-ri it-taš-kan
  20. %es bad₃-si-bi ba-ra-gul tu{mušen}-bi am₃-nigin-e
  21. ($___$) (...) it-ta-ʾ-ba-tu su-um-ma-tu-šu₂ iṣ-ṣa-nu-ud-da
  22. %es ka₂-na-bi ba-ra-si-il ki u₆-di la-ba-an-tuku
  23. ($___$) (...) iš-ta-al-la-at a-šar tab-ri-ti ul i-ši
  24. %es ur₃-bi mu-lu u₃-mun tu₁₀-ba-gin₇ u₄-de₃ ba-ku-ku-uš
  25. ($___$) ... ha-tu-u₂ ṣe-e-ti it-tan-du-u₂
  26. %es še-eb sag zi-ga ama er₂-ra-gin₇ er₂-ra eg₃-ge₂₆-tuš
  27. ($___$) li-bit-tu ... ki-ma um-mi bi-ki-ti ...
  28. %es gi-sal-la-bi siki ze₂-a-gin₇ ki ag₂-da-bi-us₂
  29. ($___$) gi-sal-lu-šu ki-ma šar-ti ba-qim-ti er-ṣe-tu₄ im-ta-lu-u₂
  30. %es gi guruš₃-bi mu-lu ša₃ gig-ga-gin₇ šu ma-al-la gur₄-gur₄-re
  31. ($___$) hur-du-šu₂ ki-ma ša₂ ki-iṣ lib₃-bi it-ta-na-ram ...
  32. %es bur₂-ra-ah-bi su-din{mušen} dal-la-gin₇ habrud-da al-gir₅-gir₅-re
  33. %es za₃ du₈-bi mu-lu a-tu₅-a-gin₇ & šu ur₃-ra ba-ni-ib₂-ri
  34. %es {giš}ig a₂ si-bi & bar-bi ak-a-ab
  35. %es {giš}suhub₃ {giš}sag-kul-bi & še am₃-mu-ni-ib₂-ša₄
  36. %es gi ba-ra me-a & lil₂-la₂ am₃-ma-ni-in-ku₄
  37. %es e₂ uru₂ sag-ga₂-gu₁₀ & lil₂-la₂ am₃-ma-ni-in-ku₄
  38. %es še-eb i₃-si-in{ki}-na-gu₁₀ lil₂-la₂ am₃-ma-ni-in-ku₄
  39. %es e₂-gal-mah-a-gu₁₀ & lil₂-la₂ am₃-ma-ni-in-ku₄
  40. %es e₂-rab-ri-ri-a-gu₁₀ & lil₂-la₂ am₃-ma-ni-in-ku₄
  41. %es tir ku₃-ga-gu₁₀ & lil₂-la₂ am₃-ma-ni-in-ku₄
    42–44. [fragmentary]
  42. %es umun-e {d}mu-ul-lil₂-le lil₂-la₂-da i₃-ku₄-ku₄
  43. ($___$) be-lu {d}MIN ana za-qi₂-qi₂ u₂-tir-ru
  44. %es mu-lu ka-nag-da ba-an-da-gur-ra lil₂-la₂-da
  45. ($___$) ša ma-a-tu₂ is-ki-pu ana za-qi₂-qi₂
  46. %es sag-gig-ga-na ba-an-da-sal-la lil₂-la₂-da
  47. %es (x) ba-an-tar-tar buru₅{mušen} mu-da-an-dal-dal
  48. %es uru₂-gu₁₀ ag₂-gig-ga ba-ni-in-...
  49. %es umun-e unu₂ mah-a šu pe-el-la₂ ba-ab-du₁₁
  50. %es e₂-ga₂ im-ta-e₃-e bar-ta i₃-dab₅-dab₅-be₂
  51. %es e₂-ga₂ e₂-zi-da šu pe-el-la₂ ba-ab-du₁₁
  52. %es {d}mu-ul-lil₂-la₂ uru₂-gu₁₀ uru₂ zi-da a-še-er ma-ni-in-ma-al
  53. %es e₂-ša₃-hul₂-la ma-du₃-a-gu₁₀ a-še-er-ra ...
  54. %es e₂ mu-tin ma-ra-de₂-a-gu₁₀ a-še-er-ra ...
    58–60. [fragmentary]
  55. %es egi₂-re uru₂ ša₃-ab-ba uru₂-ni ... ba-gul
  56. %es gašan-me-en uru₂ bar-ra uru₂ ... ba-hul
  57. %es šul-hi-gu₁₀ ba-gul ... ba-ab-bar₃
  58. %es erim₃-ma-gu₁₀ ba-gul ug₃-bi ba-tu₁₀-be₂-eš
  59. %es gašan-me-en i₃-id-di-in & u₃ nu-ku-ku-me-en
  60. %es a₂ kuš₂-u₃-bi & u₂ nu-gu₇-e
  61. %es a₂ kuš₂-u₃-bi & a nu-nag-e
    §
  62. %es mu-lu u₆-di & e-lum mu-lu u₆-di
  63. %es e-lum mu-lu u₆-di & i-bi₂-zu nu-kuš₂-u₃
    70–83. [Epithet litany with refrain mu-lu u₆-di i-bi₂-zu nu-kuš₂-u₃]
  64. %es i-bi₂-zu u₆-di-zu & nu-kuš₂-u₃
  65. %es gu₂-zu ki-ma-al-la & nu-gi₄-gi₄
  66. %es ša₃-zu bal-bal & en₃-še₃ i₃-kuš₂-u₃

@reverse

  1. %es u₈ sila₄ zi-da & kur₂-re ba-an-ze₂-eg₃
  2. %es uz₃ maš₂ zi-da & kur₂-re ba-an-ze₂-eg₃
  3. %es ag₂-tuku-da ag₂-ga₂-ni & mu-un-e-til
  4. %es {d}mu-ul-lil₂-še₃ gal-gal-la sed-de₃ ba-an-gam i-bi₂-zu nu-kuš₂-u₃
    §
  5. %es dilmun{ki} nigin-na & uru₂-zu u₆ ga₂-e-de₃
  6. ($___$) kab-tu₄ : {d}en-lil₂ na-as-hi-ram-ma & ana URU-ka tu-ur : URU-ka hi-iṭ-ṭi
    7–21. [Epithet litany with refrain nigin-na uru₂-zu u₆ ga₂-e-de₃]
    22–32. [City-temple litany: Nippur/Ekur, Sippar/Ebabbar, Babylon/Esagila, Borsippa/Ezida, Isin/Egalmah]
  7. %es uru₂ a du₁₁-ga & a gi₄-a-za
  8. ($___$) a-lu₄ ša₂ nak-ru₃ u₂-ša₂-nu-u : a-hu-lap tu-ur-šu₂
  9. %es nibru{ki} a du₁₁-ga & a-ta mar-ra-za
  10. ($___$) ša₂ nak-ru u ana me-e sa-lu-u
    37–42. [City litany: Sippar, Babylon, Isin]
  11. %es uru₂ še ku₅-da & ki la₂-la₂-a-zu
  12. ($___$) a-lu₄ ša₂ še-um ip-par-su-šu₂ & uṭ-ṭe-tu₄ iš-šaq-lu-šu
  13. %es eg₃-gu₇ nu-gu₇-e & u₄ zal-tal-la-ri
  14. ($___$) ak-ki-lu ina la a-ka-li & uš-tab-ru-u
  15. %es dam tur-ra-ke₄ & dam-gu₁₀ mu-ni-ib₂-be₂
  16. ($___$) ša₂ mu-us-sa₃ ṣe-eh-ru & mu-ti-ma i-qab-bi
    49–55. [Kin-calling litany: child, young woman, birth-mother, youngest daughter]
  17. %es e-sir₂-ra gub-ba & mu-un-sar-re-e-NE
  18. ($___$) ša₂ ina su-qi₂ iz-za-az-zu & uš-tah-mi-ṭu₂
  19. %es tur-e al-e₃ & mah-e al-e₃
  20. ($___$) ṣe-eh-ru i-mah-hi & ra-bu-u₂ i-mah-hi
    60–62. [City litany: Nippur, Babylon, Isin]
  21. %es sal-la-bi & ur-re an-da-ab-la₂
  22. ($___$) qal-la-šu kal-bu uš-qa-lil : na-ak-ru it-ta-ši
  23. %es sag₂-bi & mu-bar-ra an-da-ab-la₂
  24. ($___$) sa-ap-hu-us-su & bar-ba-ru u₂-šaq-lil
  25. %es ki e-ne-di & lil₂-la₂-am₃ e-si
  26. ($___$) me-lul-ta-šu & zi-qi₂-qam im-ta-la
  27. %es e-sir₂ la-la-bi & nu-gi₄-gi₄
  28. ($___$) su-u₂-qu ša₂ la-la-a & la aš₂-bu-u₂
    §
  29. %es egi₂-re egi₂-re gu₃-a & uru₂ in-ga-am₃-me u₃-li-li

@colophon
2-u₂ nis-ḫu. mu-tin nu-nus dim₂-ma. NU AL.TIL.
ki-ma la-bi-ri-šu₂ šaṭir-ma bari.
KUR Aššur-bāni-apli MAN ŠÚ MAN KUR Aššur{ki}.

Source Colophon

K.2003. Neo-Assyrian tablet from the Kuyunjik Collection, British Museum. Found at Nineveh, from the library of Ashurbanipal (668–627 BCE). Bilingual Emesal Sumerian and Standard Babylonian Akkadian. Genres: CANONICAL / Literature / Lamentations / Balaĝ. Tablet colophon: "Second extract. Series: 'The Woman — She Was Fashioned.' Not complete. Written and checked according to its original. Palace of Ashurbanipal, king of the universe, king of the land of Ashur." ATF source: Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.10018951, CC BY 4.0.

Other Mesopotamian Laments in the Good Work Library: The Lament for the Destruction of Nippur · The Lament for the Destruction of Ur · The Lament for the Destruction of Sumer and Ur · The Lament for the Destruction of Eridu · The Lament for the Destruction of Uruk · The Death of Ur-Namma · The Curse of Agade · An Ershemma to Ishtar

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