A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi E)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 2 - Royal praise poetry and compositions with a historical background · 225 sections

1
{d}en-lil2 temen an ki-bi-da
Enlil, foundation platform of heaven and earth, who holds the crook that makes the Land firm, whose beard flows over the mountains, who reveres his own divine powers -- Enlil, the everlasting shepherd of the Land, has addressed me, Šulgi, king of Urim, favourably, looking at me with wide-open eyes. In the overflowing of his heart, the lord bestowed the sceptre on me.
2
šibir kalam ge-en-gen6-ne2 šu du8
3
su4-un-su4-un-na-ni kur-ra dib-dib-be2
4
me ni2-te-na-ke4 giri17 šu ĝal2
5
{d}en-lil2 sipad da-ri2 kalam-ma-ke4
6
{d}šul-gi lugal urim2{ki}-ma-me-en
7
igi du8-a bar-ra-na gu3 zid ma-ni-in-de2
8
en-e šag4 gu2-bi gi4-a-na ĝidru ma-ni-in-šum2
9
šeg12 eridug{ki}-ga-ta aga zid ak-me-en
Everywhere the word of Enlil has brought benefits to me, who was specially crowned in brick-built Eridug; to me, who was invested with the lapis-lazuli diadem in Unug; to me, the beloved shepherd of Nanna, fit for the throne. When I bring firewood (?), he looks at me and speaks gladly to me.
10
unug{ki}-ta suḫsu-uḫ za-gin3 keše2-ra2-me-en
11
sipad ki aĝ2 {d}nanna-me-en barag-ga tum2-ma-me-en
12
inim {d}en-lil2-la2-ke4 niĝ2 sag9-ga ki-šar2-ra ma-ab-de6
13
u2 il2-la-ĝa2 igi im-ma-ni-in-du8 gu3 ḫul2-la ma-an-de2
14
lugal mu šir3-ra ḫe2-du7-me-en
I, Šulgi, the king whose name is very suitable for songs, intend to be praised in my prayers and hymns. At the command of my sister Ĝeštin-ana, my scholars and composers of …… have composed adab, tigi and malgatum hymns about my being the Nintur of all that is, about how wise I am in attending upon the gods, about how the god of intercession has given me favourable signs that years of abundance will elapse for me in due course.
15
{d}šul-gi-me-en šudu3 za3-mi2-ĝa2 silim-eš2 ga-dug4
16
{d}nin-tur5 niĝ2-nam-ma i3-me-en-na-ĝa2
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diĝir-re-ne-er gub-bu gal-zu-ĝa2
18
diĝir šag4-ne-ša4-a inim ma-ab-ĝar-ra
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mu ḫe2-ĝal2-la ki-bi-še3 ma-zal-le-da
20
um-mi-a gur4-! ĝar-ĝar-ĝu10-ne
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inim nin-ĝu10 {d}ĝeštin-an-na-ka-ta
22
a-da-ab tigi ma-al-ga-tum-bi mu-ši-in-ĝar-ĝar-re-eš
23
sig-! {ĝiš}tukul ab-e bal-e-ĝa2
They have composed šir-gida songs, royal praise poetry, šumunša, kunĝar and balbale compositions about how I carried warfare across the sea to the south, how I jerked up the hostile land of Elam as if it were grass by a gateway, how in the uplands I …… the people like grain, how I trekked the length of the mountains in battle, how I travel about indefatigably in the mountain uplands like an old donkey on the road, and about my expeditions …….
24
kur elam{ki} u2 abula-gin7 dab5-be2 ma-gid2-da
25
igi-nim-ta uĝ3 še-gin7 dul-le-ĝa2
26
kur-zag til-la-aš me3-a DU-ĝa2
27
anše šu-gi4 kaskal X nu-kuš2 ? nim-ta ?-ĝa2
28
šu tuku4-a ki-ĝiri3-ĝen-na-ĝa2
29
šir3-gid2-da ar2 nam-lugal-la
30
šumun-ša4 kun-ĝar bal-bal-e-bi mu-ši-in-ĝar-ĝar-re-eš
31
nam-dub-sar-ra niĝ2 galam-galam-ma-ba šu tam-tam-ma-ĝa2
They composed for me gigid and zamzam songs about my manual skill, ever reliable for the finest task of the scribal art; about my ability to unravel the calculating and reckoning of the waxing of the new moon; about my causing joy and happiness; about how I know exactly at what point to raise and lower the tigi and zamzam instruments, and how I have complete control of the plectra of the great stringed instruments; how I cannot be stopped by anything insurmountable, about my being a runner tireless when emerging from the race.
32
ud-sakar mu2-mu2 šudum niĝ2-šid-de3 ĝal2 ba-ab-taka4-a-ĝa2
33
ḫul2-ḫul2-le-ĝa2 dug3-dug3-ge-ĝa2
34
zi-zi šu2-šu2 tigi za-am-za-am-ma-ka ki bi2-zu-zu-a
35
aga šu-si ĝiš-gu3-di gal-gal-la zag-bi-še3 ba-ab-til-la
36
niĝ2 a2 nun gi4-a la-ba-gub-bu-de3-en-na-ĝu10
37
dub3-tuku nu-kuš2-u3 kaš4-ta e3-a-ĝa2
38
gi-gid2 za-am-za-am-bi mu-ši-in-ĝar-ĝar-re-eš
39
mu an lugal saĝ-bi-še3 e3-a
In the name of An, the pre-eminent king; and of Enlil, who never changes his utterances; and in the name of Suen, the brickwork of cities cursed by whom shall rise no more, and the people cursed by whom will get leprosy; and in the name of Utu, the constable of the gods: I swear no one has ever put anything mendacious about me in my hymns; no one has embellished my prayers with achievements that I have not matched; I, Šulgi, have never allowed exaggerated praise of power to be put in a song.
40
{d}en-lil2 dug4-ga-ni šu nu-bal-e-de3
41
mu {d}suen iri nam ku5-ra2-ni šeg12-bi nu-il2-i-da
42
lu2 nam ku5-ra2-ni niĝ2-gig-saḫar-ra-ka
43
mu {d}utu maškim diĝir-re-ne-ka
44
niĝ2-lul en3-du-ĝa2 lu2 ba-ra-ma-ni-in-ĝar
45
šudu3-ĝu10 niĝ2 nu-um-sig10-sig10-ga mi2-eš2 ba-ra-ni-dug4
46
{d}šul-gi-me-en silim niĝ2 a2 dirig-ga šir3-ra ba-ra-ba-ĝal2
47
kug sag9-ga-gin7 dadag-ga-ĝu10-um
How I glisten like fine silver, how I am musical and eloquent in wisdom; how I, the shepherd, do everything to absolute perfection: may all this be commended in my kingship. Of all the lines that there are in my songs, none of them is false -- they are indeed true!
48
ĝeštug2-ga šir3 zu inim zu-ĝu10-um
49
sipad-me niĝ2 na-me zag til-til-la-ĝu10-um
50
nam-lugal-ĝa2 mi2-eš2 ḫe2-ni-dug4
51
mu niĝ2 en3-du-ĝa2 en-na <in>-ga-ba-ĝal2-la
52
lul ba-ra-na ḫe2-ge-en
53
en3-du-ĝu10 a-da-ab ḫe2-em tigi ma-al-ga-tum ḫe2-em
In the cult-places, let no one neglect the songs about me, whether they are adab, whether they are tigi or malgatum, šir-gida or praise of kingship, whether they are šumunša, kunĝar or balbale, whether they are gi-gid or zamzam -- so that they shall never pass out of memory and never lapse from people's mouths. Let them never cease to be sung in the shining E-kur! Let them be played for Enlil in his Shrine of the New Moon! When at the ešeš festival they serve the clear beer endlessly like water, may they be offered repeatedly before Enlil as he sits with Ninlil.
54
šir3-gid2-da ar2 nam-lugal-la
55
šumun-ša4 kun-ĝar bal-bal-e ḫe2-em
56
gi-gid2 za-am-za-am ḫe2-em
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ĝeštug2-ge nu-dib-be2 ka-ta nu-šub-bu-de3
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ki-šu-ke4 lu2 nam-bi2-ib2-da13-da13-a
59
e2-kur za-gin3-na muš nam-ba-an-tum2-mu
60
{d}en-lil2-ra eš3 ud-sakar-ra-ka-na ḫe2-na-du12
61
eš3-eš3 kaš gi-rin a-gin7 sud-sud-u3-da-bi
62
{d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-da tuš-a-ra ḫe2-en-ne-ĝa2-ĝa2-ĝa2
63
ud ul-le2-a-aš lu2 ĝe26-gin7 {d}en-lil2-le
In future days, a man like myself whom Enlil shall call to the shepherdship of the Land …… my songs; let him see ……. Let him call upon my name in the beloved ……. …… that man, whenever my hymns (1 line missing) …… my singer (?) ……. May he establish my name in the beloved …… temple. Whether he is a man …… Enki and Enlil ……, may …… come forth from the house which …… justice and a favourable destiny.
64
[nam]-⌈sipad⌉ kalam-ma-še3 gu3 mu-na-de2-e-a
65
[X X] X en3-du-ĝu10
66
[X X] X X X igi ḫu-mu-ni-bar-e
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[X X] ki aĝ2-ĝa2 mu-ĝu10 ḫu-mu-pad3-de3
68
[…] lu2-bi ud en3-⌈du-ĝu10⌉
gap
(1 line missing)
70
[…] ⌈?⌉-ĝu10 […] ĝal2
71
e2 […] ⌈ki⌉ aĝ2 mu-ĝu10 [X X]-ĝa2
72
lu2 [X X] {d}en-ki {d}en-lil2-le […]-⌈?⌉ ḫe2-em
73
e2 lu2 [X X] si sa2 nam-tar-ra sag9-ga [ḫa-mu]-na-ta-e3
74
tukum-bi en3-du-ĝu10
But if …… removes my name from my hymns, and …… his name, and does not call upon my name in brick-built E-kur, and if that man commits enmity and violence against the temple, then whether that man is a king or a governor, Enlil shall curse him ……. May enmity and violence come forth against him from the house of Enlil. Let him be given enmity as his companion. May an asag demon, as causer of the plague, deprive his city of contentment. Because of famine in years of hunger, may he find no favour in the eyes of the Land. May Ezina produce no grain in sheaves. May fair Nanibgal, Nisaba, make no clay covering for his grain piles. …… the troops ……. His chief merchant …… silver ……. May the hunger and the thirst of the gods …… the city during his reign …… grain.
75
mu-⌈ĝu10 um⌉-ta-ĝa2-ar mu-ni AŠ-še3 ba-ni-ib-X
76
šeg12 e2-kur-ra-ka mu-ĝu10 nu-pad3-?
77
lu2-bi […]-e niĝ2-erim2 niĝ2-a2-zig3 ak-[de3]
78
lu2-bi lugal ḫe2-em ensi2 ḫe2-em
79
{d}en-lil2-le X saĝ-?-na nam [X X]-ku5-re7
80
e2 {d}en-lil2-la2-ta niĝ2-erim2 niĝ2-a2-zig3 ḫa-mu-na-ta-[e3]
81
niĝ2-erim2 maškim-še3 ḫe-en6-šum2
82
a2-sag3 nam-uš2 dugud ĝal2-la-gin7
83
su iri-na-ke4 nam-bi2-ib-dug3-ge
84
gug-kal bar-še3 mu še-ĝar-ra-ka igi kalam-ma-ka na-ni-sag9
85
{d}ezina2-e garadinx(TAB.ĜAR.ŠE)-na-ke4 še na-ni-ib-dim2-e
86
{d}nanibgal sig7-ga {d}nisaba-ke4
87
guru7-ni im-šu na-ba-ab-sig7-ge
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ugnim-ma […]
89
dam-gara3 gal-a-ni kug ur2-[ra …]
90
še-ĝar a-naĝ diĝir-re-[e-ne-ke4]
91
iri bal-a-ni-ta še ⌈BA⌉ […]
92
niĝ2-gur11 {urud}šen zabar kug šu X […]
…… riches, or bronze and silver vessels. May the creatures of his Land reach out for what is left over and not distributed. Famine ……. May he have to pay two shekels in his city for one sila of barley. May the people wield the hoe ……. Let that man be unable to touch the drinks and foods of his palace. May …… the great sin ……. Nanna, the king of Urim, shall clamp those who look upon the balaĝ and the sim, and who touch or look at …… bread. Their lives …… death ……. (5 lines unclear or missing) …… gold ……. May a scoundrel be judge over the population of the city, and be his superior.
93
niĝ2-dim2-dim2-ma kalam-ma-na-ke4
94
tak4-ka3 nu-ba-ba šu ḫe2-eb-dag-?
95
še-ĝar niĝ2 gu2 ? ŠA ⌈TA⌉ […]
96
niĝ2 2 giĝ4 iri-na 1 sila3 še ḫe2-sam2-e
97
uĝ3-e {ĝiš}al-le ?-! šu ḫe2-di3-ni-ib2-tum2-tum2-mu
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lu2-bi-e naĝ gu7 e2-gal-⌈la⌉-[na]-⌈ka ?⌉ [X]-ni-ib2-tum2-tum2-mu
99
gag nam-tag2 gu-la ḫe2-da-?
100
{d}nanna lugal urim2{ki}-ma-ke4

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.