In my view, this sentence refers to the location where the observation happened, somewhere “away” from this town. For an exact parallel, see DAAM 1.21 obv. 4,
URUḫariyašaz=kan arḫa [ ] (CTH 581.29): since this sentence is complete as such, it shows that
arḫa cannot be understood in reference to bird movements (as previously
Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 636, “Von Ḫaitta (flog) ein
urianni-Vogel im
tar.-(Bereich) weg”, who did not have access to this fragment, more recenlty published). Such interpretation can be also excluded due to the position of the adverb, incompatible with the typical formulary, and the implausible omission of the mandatory verb
pa(i)-. For a similar use of
arḫa in reference to the location of the observation, see also KuT 49, obv. 19, lo. e. 30 (edition CTH 190.1).
According to
Hagenbuchner A. 1989a, 84 the verb
ḫuek- in context is perhaps to be interpreted as a mistaken form of
ḫuešk-, imperfective of
ḫuwai- ‘to run (after)’ (cfr. KBo 11.51, III 9), rather than
ḫuek- ‘to conjure’ (or, less likely ‘to slaughter’). Accordingly, she translated: “…werden wir beständig
[hinter]her laufen.” Parallel uses of
ḫuek- in oracular context exclude this interpretation (e.g. KUB 18.12+ obv. 13); still, the meaning of these actions in these passages is difficult to assess.
HW2 Ḫ 619 lists the form under ‘beschwören’;
Kloekhorst A. 2008a ‘to conjure, treat by incantation’.
Czyzewska I.S. 2007a, 151 suggested
[pa-it …
] but this is not possible: whether it was expressed in the gap of the following line or, more likely, omitted (see also obv. 4, 6), the verb here could only be
uet.
