An adab to Enlil for Šulgi (Šulgi G)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 2 - Royal praise poetry and compositions with a historical background · 70 sections

1
{d}en-lil2 gal-di en me-te-na niĝ2-dug4-ga-ni zid
Enlil, the eminent one, the sovereign lord, whose utterance is trustworthy; Nunamnir, the eternal shepherd of the Land, who hails from the great mountain; the great counsellor, the first and foremost in heaven and on earth, who is in control of all the divine powers; lord, who is imbued with great fearsomeness in accordance with his nobility, a perfected heavenly star, who takes good care of the primeval and choice divine powers, who alone is the lofty god; lord, life-giving light, who leads the people all over the world along one track; huge net spread over heaven and earth, rope stretched over all the lands! Who ever instructed Enlil, who ever rivalled him?
2
{d}nu-nam-nir sipad da-ri2 kalam-ma kur gal-ta e3-a
3
sa2 gal pad3-de3 gu2-gal an ki me ša-ra u5-a
4
en nam-nun-na-ni-še3 ni2 gal im-guru3 mul-an šu du7-a
5
me ul me saĝ5-e gal kiĝ2-ĝa2 dili-ni diĝir maḫ
6
en ud til3 kur-zag til-la-še3 uĝ3 dub3-us2 dili-a tum2
7
sa-par3 maḫ an ki šu2-a eš2 kur-kur-ra la2-a
8
{d}en-lil2-da a-ba a2 mu-da-an-aĝ2 a-ba-ga-an-da-sa2
9
gal bi2-dug4 šag4-ga-ni id2 maḫ a-na-am3 de6-a-bi
He thought up something of great importance and he made public what his heart, a mighty river, carried: the hidden secrets (?) of his holy thought. The matter is a holy and pure one, it concerns the divine powers of the E-kur, the fated good brick embedded (?) in the bottom of the abzu, it is something most important: a trustworthy man will rebuild the E-kur, thereby acquiring a lasting name. The son of this trustworthy man will long hold the sceptre, and their throne will never be overthrown.
10
inim kug-ga-na LIL2 lal3-ĝar-ra-bi e2-ta nam-ta-e3
11
niĝ2-bi niĝ2 kug-ga-am3 niĝ2 šen-nam me e2-kur-ra-kam
12
šeg12 zid nam tar-ra abzu sa-dur2-ra niĝ2 kal-kal-la-am3
13
e2-kur lu2 zid-de3 i3-du3-e mu da-ri2-kam
14
dumu lu2 zid-da-ke4 ĝidru mi-<ni>-ib2-su3-ra2 {ĝiš}gu-za-bi nu-kur2
15
nam-bi-še3 e2-kur-ra sig7 mi-ni-ĝar {d}!-im2-babbar-re
To that end, Ašimbabbar appeared shining in the E-kur, pleaded to his father Enlil and made him bring a childbearing mother (?); in the E-duga, Nanna, the princely son, asked for the thing to happen. The en priestess gave birth to the trustworthy man from his semen placed in the womb. Enlil, the powerful shepherd, caused a young man to emerge: a royal child, one who is perfectly fitted for the throne-dais, Šulgi the king.
16
a-a-ni {d}en-lil2 inim-ma bi2-sig10 ama di-da mi-ni-in-de6
17
e2-dug3-ga {d}nanna dumu nun-ne2 niĝ2 al ba-ni-dug4
18
en-ne2 <a> šag4-tur-še3 ĝal2-la-na lu2 zid mi-ni-u3-tud
19
{d}en-lil2 sipad a2 kalag-ga-ke4 meš3-e pa bi2-e3
20
dumu nam-lugal barag-ge4 ḫe2-du7 šul-gi lugal-am3
21
a piriĝ-ĝa2 <e2>-kur šu daĝal-la dug4-dug4 ki aĝ2 [{d}nin]-lil2-la2
Enlil gave him a good name: 'A lion's seed, who provides the E-kur generously, the beloved one of Ninlil; the one granted authority in the E-kur; the king of Urim, the one with shining heart, the shepherd, the protective genius of the Land'. Enlil chose Šulgi in his pure heart and entrusted the Land to him. As the shepherd of all the countries, Enlil leant the crook and the staff against his arm, and placed the immutable sceptre of Nanna in his hand; he made him raise his head high, sitting on an unshakeable royal seat.
22
e2-kur-ta nam-nir-ĝal2 šum2-ma lugal ⌈urim5⌉[{ki}]-ma
23
šag4 zalag-zalag sipad {d}lamma kalam-ma mu-ni ⌈bi2-?⌉-dug3
24
šul-gi {d}en-lil2-le šag4 kug-ge bi2-pad3 kalam šu-ni bi2-si
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šibir ešgiri2 a2-na mu-ni-la2 sipad kur-kur-ra-kam
26
ĝidru {d}nanna šu nu-bal-e šu-ni-še3 mu-ĝar
27
dur2 nam-lugal sag2 nu-di-da gu2 an-še3 mi-ni-zig3
28
ud šudu3-dam ĝi6 nam-šita-am3 kalam u2-sal-la-am3
The day was for prayers, the night was for supplications; the Land rested in peace. The shepherd of prosperity, Šulgi, he with a lasting name, the king of jubilation, the mighty one, the semen engendered by the faithful man, praised Enlil.
29
sipad ḫe2-ĝal2-la šul-gi mu gi16-sa lugal asilx(EZEN)-le2
30
kalag-ga a lu2 zid-de3 ri-a {d}en-lil2 mu-i-i
31
sa-gid2-da-am3
This is the sa-gida.
32
⌈šul⌉-[gi] lugal uru16 […] ?-kur silim-e-eš2 dug4-ga
Šulgi, the mighty king, ……, who exults in his triumph, the …… king vanquished the rebellious land with the agakar weapon of Inana.
33
⌈lugal⌉ [(X)] aga3-kar2 {d}inana ki-bal-a bi2-sig10
34
ĝiš-gi5-ĝal2 sa-gid2-da-kam
It is the ĝišgiĝal of the sa-gida.
35
{d}en-lil2 zid-da-am3 inim-ma-ni maḫ-am3
May Enlil the trustworthy, whose words are lofty -- good fate determined by him takes precedence -- who makes sturdy flax and barley grow -- may he prolong the life of Šulgi, the provider of the E-kur -- hence its flax is indeed fine flax, its barley is indeed fine barley -- the property of Nanna, the houseborn-slave of the E-kur, him whom Ninlil named at his birth Šulgi, the shepherd of the Land, the man whom Enlil knows, the steward of the temple.
36
nam dug3 tar-ra-ni saĝ-bi-še3 e3-a-am3
37
gu niĝ2 kalag mu2-mu2 še niĝ2 kalag mu2-mu2
38
šul-gi e2-kur-ra u2-a-bi na-nam
39
gu-bi gu na-nam še-bi še na-nam
40
niĝ2-u2-rum {d}nanna ama-tud e2-kur-ra
41
šag4-ta mu ⌈pad3⌉-da {d}nin-lil2-la2 na-nam
42
šul-gi sipad kalam-ma saĝ {d}en-lil2-le zu
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e2-a lu2-bi na-nam ud ḫe2-em-ma-ab-su3-re6
44
urim5{ki} iri{ki} dug3 nun-ne2 ki ĝar-ra
So that its voluminous offering meals would bring joy to the E-kur, Enlil called upon Urim, the good city founded by the princely one, the inside of which is a holy treasure chest which, like the abzu, no eye can see -- the city of good purification rites and pure hand-washing rites; and what he says is trustworthy.
45
šag4-bi dub-šen kug abzu igi nu-bar
46
⌈nam⌉-išib dug3-ga-kam šu-luḫ dadag-ga-kam
47
nidba gal-gal-bi e2-kur ḫul2-le-de3
48
{d}⌈en⌉-lil2-le gu3 ba-an-de2 ⌈dug4⌉-ga!(BI) zid-zid-dam
49
sipad nam-lugal-la barag maḫ-ḫa tum2-ma
For his setting up the abundant sacrificial tin cups, for his having served evening meals in the dining-hall of the E-kur, Enlil determined a princely fate for the shepherd, him who is worthy of the kingship and the lofty throne-dais, Šulgi, who is adorned with the ba garment of the en priests.
50
šul-gi nam-en-na tug2-ba13 sud-sud-am3
51
⌈!⌉ naggax(AN) ḫe-nun-na sug2-?-?-ni-še3
52
unu2 e2-⌈kur⌉-ra-ka ?-? ⌈?-?-ni-še3⌉
53
{d}en-lil2 nam-nun-na [mu]-⌈?⌉-?-?-⌈e⌉
54
an-gin7 sig7-ga-ni X […]-⌈e⌉
The one beautiful like heaven, ……, Nanna, the king, the ……, gave him good …… in the Ki-ur, the great place. At the command (?) of Enlil, he ……, he roars for him (?) against the foreign land that no one dare oppose. He stabilizes the countryside, and the people lie at his feet.
55
{d}nanna lugal-am3 […]-⌈am3⌉
56
ki-ur3 ki gal-⌈?⌉ […] ⌈dug3 mu-na⌉-šum2
57
{d}en-lil2-la2 ⌈?⌉ […] ⌈mu⌉-ši-?-e
58
kur a nun gi4-a ⌈gu2-un-gu2-un⌉ mu-na-ab-za
59
ma-da mu-gen6-⌈ge-en6⌉ uĝ3 ĝiri3-ni-še3 mu-nu2
60
šul-gi sipad lu2-! nibru{ki} ki aĝ2-am3
Šulgi, the shepherd is the honey man beloved by Nibru; may the true shepherd, Šulgi, refresh himself in the pleasant shade of Enlil's brickwork!
61
šeg12 {d}en-lil2-la2 ĝissu-bi dug3-ga-am3
62
sipad zid šul-gi-re ni2 ḫe2-em-ši-ib2-ten-ten
63
sa-ĝar-ra-am3
It is the sa-ĝara.
64
šul-gi bal-za {d}en-lil2-le ud dug3 ma-ra-ni-in-e3
O Šulgi, Enlil has brought forth happy days for you in your reign!
65
ĝiš-gi5-ĝal2 sa-ĝar-ra-kam
It is the ĝišgiĝal of the sa-ĝara.
66
an-na lugal-be2-e ki-a kur gal-be2-e
Heaven's king, earth's great mountain, Father Enlil, heaven's king, earth's great mountain, thought up something great: he chose Šulgi in his heart for a good reign!
67
a-a {d}en-lil2 an-na lugal-be2-e ki-a kur gal-be2-e
68
gal bi2-dug4 šul-gi bal zid-da šag4-ge-eš i-pad3
69
u18-ru12-NI-bi-im
It is its uru.
70
a-da-ab {d}en-lil2-la2-kam
An adab of Enlil.

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.