Tablet Tattoo

[anunnaki]

In the near future, I will be getting a new tattoo. The design I have been drafting up is a tablet with a custom phrase on it. I have some assumptions about constructing this tablet and I was hoping some, several or all of you could assist me in this endeavor.

Here are my assumptions:
Characters are written horizontally from right to left.
--- Mi Abzu. Enlil zig imhul. == Hul.Im Zig Lil.En. Zu.Ab Mi
Sentences are separated by a line across the tablet.
--- Zu.Ab Mi
------------------------
--- Hul.Im Zig Lil.En

Am I right or wholly off the mark?

[sheshki]

do u have something like a drawing at hand...

[us4-he2-gal2]

Annunaki:

The above is the 'line art' for an Ur III incantation tablet, for a picture of the same tablet you can refer to this cdli entry.


The first list of this tablet reads "én é-nu-ru" . On the first line from left to right, sign 1 is én, sign 2 is é, sign 3 is nu, and sign 4 is ru (mostly broken on this tablet.)
While I am not a sumerologist and don't for the most part sit around reading directly from tablets, those I have seen are read left to right such as the tabet we are referring to. On many tablets such as those incantations tablets from Nippur, lines are seperated by a horzantal rule, a line, as you mention. For some good looking tablets you can refer to the links and information on my incantation catalogues (see mesopotamian magic board.)

So, "Mi Abzu. Enlil zig imhul" would be the right order. Also, I'm not sure your source for the text you have there, may want to confirm the authenticity of this material before tattooing it?



The transliteration reads (Geller 2003):

én é-nu-ru
é lú-ke₄ gig-dè / ab ba-an-dib mu-ni-tag
é šu-gíd-da-ke₄
igi-bar-zu bí-ib-ša₆
igi-gig ša₆-da-kum
zú-muš


The Translation (Geller 2003):

Incantation.
In order to infest the man's house, (the snake) passed by the window and attacked (him).
In the house (where) it is dragged away,
your sight improved.
(The incantation is intended) to improve a sick eye.
(Colophon:) Snakebite.

[madness]

Here are my assumptions:
Characters are written horizontally from right to left.

Sumerian and Akkadian are written left to right.

custom phrase on it

How good is your Sumerian, perhaps it is a good idea to consult some of the grammar books out there before committing to anything.

[anunnaki]

Thank you very, very much.

There is no source for the text, really. That line was just an example, but the text I will use will be constructed by my self.

I've put some phrases together before and there will be a lot of trial and error.

I'll be sure to keep this thread updated as I progress.

[amarsin]

Sumerian grammar is tough, but if you want to give me the English phrase(s) I can try to convert them into Sumerian.