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A hymn to Enki (?) for Išme-Dagan (Išme-Dagan X)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 2 - Royal praise poetry and compositions with a historical background · 42 sections

1. 1

   en eš-bar galam diĝir-re-e-ne ⌈sig⌉ nim-ma u18-ru-⌈bi⌉

   Lord who among the gods makes the clever decisions, most prominent among them from the south to the uplands; who holding a staff in his hand determines their destinies as the Anuna gods come to him; who possessing all the divine powers is alone surpassing; a great lord who …… the living things; who alone is proclaimed as their god -- you are their ……. You, whose utterances make justice flourish, strengthen the divine powers of heaven and earth. You, who examine the ordinances and carry them out correctly, are proclaimed as their great prince.

2. 2

   ! šu du8 nam-bi tar-tar {d}a-nun-na sub2-su8-ub [(X)]

3. 3

   me niĝ2-nam-ma dili-ni zag dib en ⌈gal⌉ zi-ĝal2 ba-X

4. 4

   [nam]-diĝir-bi-še3 1(AŠ)-a-ni pa e3 NIĜIN-NIĜIN-bi-še3 X-[me]-⌈en⌉

5. 5

   ⌈dug4⌉-ga-dug4-ga-ni niĝ2-zid mu2-mu2 me an ki gen6-⌈?-me⌉-en

6. 6

   ĝiš-ḫur bar tam-! si sa2-e nun gal-bi zu-zu-me-⌈en⌉

7. 7

   en numun i nam dug3-bi ⌈tud⌉-tud us2 dab5-bi pad3-pad3

   Lord who has made the seed of mankind come forth, who creates good destiny for them, who teaches them the proper practices! He makes august and dignified rites proliferate truly like grass. He assigns the sceptres, he distributes the loyal crowns, and announces their exalted names. He …… their divinity until far and distant times in (?) heaven and earth. Everlasting prince ……. Lord who gives clever counsel, and who is endowed with prudence, outstanding intelligence and profound understanding! Trustworthy god, whose …… wholly surpasses description. Adviser, lord who deliberates only with himself, ……. Deep-hearted prince, whose words are unalterable (?), who disseminates his wisdom widely. Clever and competent, wise lord, ……, who knows everything.

8. 8

   ĝarza maḫ saĝ-gu2-ĝal2-?-bi u2-gin7 zid-de3-eš mu2

9. 9

   ĝidru šum2-šum2 aga3 zid ḫal-ḫa mu maḫ-bi sa4-sa4

10. 10

    nam-diĝir-bi ud ul su3-⌈ra2-še3 an⌉ ki-da ĝa2-ĝa2

11. 11

    nun da-ri2 mu2-mu2 A X X X ? za X igi i3-ĝal2

12. 12

    en umuš galam dim2-ma ĝalga sud ĝeštug2 bad-e du7

13. 13

    diĝir zid A RI X SIG7-SIG7 niĝ2-nam-ma-ni ka-ge-e ⌈dib2⌉

14. 14

    ad gi4-gi4 en a-⌈ga-na⌉ šag4 kuš2-u3 šim-gin7 ta-ta-ḫab2

15. 15

    nun šag4 su3-ra2 inim-ma nu-[kam3]-me nam-zu-ni daĝal bur2

16. 16

    kug-zu gal-an-zu en igi-⌈? X⌉ šag4 ⌈daĝal⌉ niĝ2-nam-ma zu

17. 17

    diĝir-re-e-ne-er šu-mu-un-ne-maḫ-en

    You are the most supreme among the gods! You are the highest ranking among the Anuna gods! Your divine powers …… surpassing theirs, are specially favoured. With your precious and ingenious divine powers, you (?) are the guardian of their true divine powers. Your prominence imposes itself on them like awesome stillness, covers them like a storm, takes their breath away, wraps them like ……. The description (?) of your loftiness …… like a remote and far-away mountain.

18. 18

    {d}a-nun-na-ke4-ne ⌈za⌉-e šu-mu-un-ne-il2-en

19. 19

    me-zu me-bi-ta X X dirig suḫ-a-am3

20. 20

    me kal-kal me [niĝ2] ⌈galam⌉-ma-zu saĝ keše2 me zid-bi-im

21. 21

    u18-ru-zu li-ib-gin7 šu-mu-ne-us2 u18-lu-gin7 šu-mu-ne-dul

22. 22

    niĝ2-me-ĝar-gin7 mu-ne-e-ĝar AŠ+MAŠ-gin7 šu-mu-ne-šu2

23. 23

    nam-maḫ-za ḫur-saĝ su3-ud bad-gin7 umuš-bi ša-ra-ni-ib-gi4

24. 24

    uĝ3 ĝar-ĝar-ra-bi en a-a-bi-me-en

    For the settled people, you are their lord and father. For the ……, you are their shepherd who seeks out food for them. You speak to them as if you were their father and mother; you satiate the people with food and drink. You give advice, you set your mind to work, …… skilful labour. You have opened up your house of instructions and surpassing wisdom. Everything you have created ……. …… full of great awesomeness, a place clad in fearsome radiance. …… mound ……, where the primeval lords dwell. (1 line unclear) …… Father Enlil ……. …… wisdom ……. (1 line fragmentary) …… your most precious divine plans ……. (1 line fragmentary) …… ingenuity ……. …… destiny ……. (2 lines fragmentary) (approx. 21 lines missing)

25. 25

    nu-DI-DI-a sipad u2 kiĝ2-kiĝ2-bi-me-en

26. 26

    ama a-a-bi-gin7 mu-ne-dug4 uĝ3 gu7 naĝ sug4-sug4-bi-[me-en]

27. 27

    sa2 mu-e-ĝar ĝeštug2 mu-e-gub-gub ⌈kiĝ2⌉ galam-ma ak-[X (X)]

28. 28

    e2 umuš ĝar ĝeštug2 dirig-zu ĝal2 bi2-taka4

29. 29

    niĝ2-nam u3-tud-zu šu ta-ḫab2 dug4-ga-bi

30. 30

    X X X X X ni2 gal guru3 ki su zig3 ri-a

31. 31

    X du6 X [X X]-ga du3-a ki en ul dur2-ru-na-?

32. 32

    za-e X X-bi mu-ni-BUR2-BUR2 ŠID gal-bi X X (X)

33. 33

    a-a {d}en-lil2 X [X X (X)]-ni sa2 bi2-dug4

34. 34

    ĝeštug2 […] X-la-bi ši-im-mi-X

35. 35

    […] taka4 a su3-bi

36. 36

    me […]-a ĝiš-ḫur kal-kal-za

37. 37

    X X […] X X X AŠ mu-ni-in-X

38. 38

    niĝ2 galam […] X im-mi-⌈in⌉-e3

39. 39

    nam-tar […] X šag4-ba mu-ni-ĝar

40. 40

    eš3 ? X […] im-mi-sa4-[X]

41. 41

    TUG2-? […] X a-ĝa2-ri-in dib X X

42. gap

    (approx. 21 lines missing)

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.