A šir-gida to Martu (Martu A)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 4 - Hymns and cult songs · 60 sections

1
ur-saĝ šul maḫ kur idim-ma zag-bi-še3 til-la
Hero, august youth, who completely controls the distant mountains as far as their borders! Martu, august youth, who completely controls the distant mountains as far as their borders, who possesses the strength of a savage lion, who occupies a holy dais in the mountains, the pure place! Martu, who possesses the strength of a savage lion, who occupies a holy dais in the mountains, the pure place, who is imbued with great fearsomeness, whom holy An engendered, who appears gloriously with numerous divine powers! His own mother Ninḫursaĝa made his form excel Medim-ša's so that no one should threaten him. The Anuna, the great gods, enhanced his strength with warrior qualities, and spoke favourably to him. They invested (?) him with authority that accompanies him in battle like a coat of armour, …… to him mace, divine weapon, a great bow, arrows and quiver in his august hands, made his divinity magnificently perfect, and let him …… no adversaries.
2
{d}mar-tu šul maḫ kur idim-ma zag-bi-še3 til-la
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usu piriĝ ḫuš ḫur-saĝ ki sikil-la barag kug-ge si-a
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{d}mar-tu usu piriĝ ḫuš ḫur-saĝ ki sikil-la barag kug-ge si-a
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ni2 gal gur3-ru an kug-ge tud-da me šar2-ra dalla e3
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ama ugu-ni {d}nin-ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2-ke4
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alan-na-ni me-dim2-ša im-mi-in-dirig na-me saĝ nu-mu-e-šum2
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{d}a-nun-na diĝir gal-gal-e-ne
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nam-ur-saĝ-ĝa2 a2 mu-ni-in-maḫ-e-eš gu3 zid ⌈mu⌉-[na]-⌈de2⌉-eš
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nam-nir-ĝal2 me3-a gaba-ni-še3 du da-da-ra-še3 mi-ni-[…-dug4]
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{ĝiš}tukul {ĝiš}mitum pan!(nu) gal ti mar-uru5 šu maḫ-a-ni […]
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nam-diĝir-ra šu gal mi-ni-in-du7-uš zag ša4 nu-mu-[…]
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gaba mu-un-zig3 šag4-tum2-šag4-tum2-ma [X] X X [X X]
He rears up, he …… the fields. He is greatly august, possessing the strength of a lion, ……. He is endowed with fearsomeness like a raging lion. Like a rampant wild bull, ……. He grasps the seven winds, makes fire ……, subduing all in battle and fight, …… like lightning. Acute fear of him seizes all the wicked, …… a southerly storm. The strength ebbs away from the city that he has cursed.
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maḫ gal-la-am3 a2 piriĝ ĝal2-la […]
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piriĝ ban3-da-gin7 ni2 mu-un-da-[ri]
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am a2 gur-ra-gin7 […]
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tum9 7-na zag mu-ni-in-⌈keše2⌉ izi ⌈mu⌉-[…]
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me3 šen-šen aga3-kar2 sig10-sig10-ga nim-gin7 […]
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ni2 maḫ-a-ni ḫul-ĝal2 dab5-dab5-be2 u18-lu […]
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iri nam ku5-ra2-a-ni a2-bi ki-bi nu-⌈gi4⌉-[gi4]
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lugal-ra kur nu-še-ga-ni mu-na-gul-gul-[le]
For the king, he annihilates all enemy lands that are not compliant to him. Martu, the son of An, extends a hand to the good shepherd whom he has chosen in his holy heart. His name is an august and ineffable name. No one ……. The god with hands pure from purification rites, whose divine powers are resplendent divine powers, annihilates evil and violence, and sets justice in their place. His father who inspired him, his own father, the lord of the gods, the prince who decides destinies, handed the distant sky and the broad earth to this savage god who gives just verdicts, who is knowledgeable in decision-making, an adviser; and he let him have no rivals. He presented to him the pure hills, the lapis-lazuli mountains; he presented to him the Martu lands, the lapis-lazuli mountains.
22
sipad zid šag4 kug-ge pad3-da-ni-[ir]
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{d}mar-tu dumu an-na šu mu-na-a-de6
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mu-bi mu maḫ-am3 ka-ge dib-ba lu2 nu-mu-ni-in-[…]
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diĝir šu sikil šu-luḫ me zalag-zalag-ga me-ni
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niĝ2-erim2 niĝ2-a2-zig3 im-mi-in-gul niĝ2-gen6-na bi2-in-gub
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diĝir ḫuš-a di si sa2 kud-kud eš-bar-re gal-zu
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[šag4] kuš2-u3 a-a inim-ma i3-sig10-ga-ni
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a-a ugu-ni en diĝir-re-e-ne nun nam tar-re-de3
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an su3-ud ki daĝal-ba im-mi-in-si gaba gi4 nu-um-mi-in-tuku
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ḫur-saĝ sikil kur {na4}za-gin3-na saĝ-e-eš mu-ni-in-[rig7]
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kur mar-tu <kur {na4}za-gin3-na saĝ-e-eš mu-ni-in-rig7>
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saĝ piriĝ ur-saĝ-ĝa2-am3 me3-a a2-taḫ ⌈lugal⌉-[la …]
He is a lion-headed hero; he is the king's helper in battle ……. The just man on whom he has returned a …… verdict prays constantly to him. With the sceptre he leads …… to him, and has …… far away. He makes good …… come out of the ……. He sets calves in …… his great ……. …… in cow-pens and sheepfolds ……. He makes fish and birds ……, and makes fresh fruit grow. In the house in which the king …… silver, he ensures that it never ceases. He exceeds ……, and decides great destinies. …… he keeps guard over ……. In the river he causes …… to be available -- he drinks the fresh water that it brings. In the fields he produces …… for him -- he eats the grain that they bring. He makes …… increase in abundance for him. He is hostile to those who ……. His mind …… is reliable speech, and his exterior …… is glory.
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lu2 si sa2 di ⌈niĝ2⌉ [… mu]-un-dab5-ba e-ne-ra inim sag9-[sag9-ga]
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ĝidru X X […]-na-de6 su3-ra2-še3 im-mi-in-[…]
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niĝ2 sag9 […] X-ta DU-a-ni
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amar […] X gal-la-ni mi-ni-ib-ĝar-ĝar
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[…] šar2 nun tur3 amaš-a [X X]
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ku6 mušen X […] X-la gurun gibil mu2-am3
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e2 lugal kug […]-ka muš3 la-ba-ni-ib-tum2-mu
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X X […] ⌈dirig⌉-ga-am3 nam gal tar-ra-[am3]
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X X X […] X-ba en-nu-uĝ3-ta mu-un-⌈ak⌉
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id2-[da … mu]-⌈un⌉-da-ĝal2 dug3-bi i3-naĝ-[e]
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a-šag4-⌈ga⌉ [… mu]-na-ab-il2 še-bi i3-gu7-[e]
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ḫe2-ĝal2-⌈la⌉ […] X šu mu-un-na-da-an-[peš-e]
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šu AN [… mu]-⌈un⌉-il2 ḫul mu-ni-in-ĝal2
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⌈šag4⌉-[ga-ni …] ⌈inim⌉ niĝ2-gen6-na na-nam
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⌈bar⌉-[ra-ni …] giri17-zal na-nam
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lugal-⌈ra⌉ […] nu-kur2-ru ud [X X] su3-ud-da-ni
He does not alter …… for the king, and prolongs his …… days. He hands him the staff for his right hand, and to his side he ties the mace that guides the thousands. (1 line unclear) He sets the king's feet in a well-ordered position (?), and causes him to have no opponents (?). Mankind also address him …… in the view of his god. …… him whom in his kindly heart he has called to kingship. All day long the protective goddess of justice stands unceasingly by his right side. In holy songs musicians sing of him -- the dearly cherished one, the god, the man of the hills, renowned everywhere -- and promote his name gloriously. Martu, son of An, it is sweet to praise you!
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ešgiri2 zid-⌈da⌉-[na] ⌈tukul⌉ šar2 laḫ5-laḫ5 zag-ga-na la2-a-ni
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e2-gal lugal [X] X numun-na-ni mu-ni-in-dib-dib-be2
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ki-in-du si sa2 ĝiri3 mu-na-ab-ĝal2 zag kiĝ2 nu-mu-ni-in-tuku
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X […] X IR igi du8 diĝir-ra-na-ka
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⌈nam⌉-[lu2]-ulu3 in-ga-mu-na-ab-be2-ne
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⌈nam⌉-[lugal-še3] ⌈šag4⌉ sag9-ga ba-pad3-de3 KA ḪI
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{d}lamma niĝ2-gen6-na ud šu2-še3 zid-da-na mu-gub ĝa2-la nu-mu-ta-dag-ge
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mi2 zid dug4-ga diĝir lu2 ḫur-saĝ a-re-eš dib-ba-am3
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nar-re šir3 kug-ga im-mi-in-dug4 mu-ni pa bi2-in-e3
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{d}mar-tu dumu an-na za3-mi2-zu dug3-ga-am3
60
šir3-gid2-da {d}mar-tu-kam
A šir-gida of Martu.

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.