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A drinking song

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 5 - Other literature · 32 sections

1. 1

   {gi}gakkul-e {gi}gakkul-e

   The gakkul vat, the gakkul vat! The gakkul vat, the lamsare vat! The gakkul vat, which puts us in a happy mood! The lamsare vat, which makes the heart rejoice! The ugurbal jar, glory of the house! The šaggub jar, filled with beer! The amam jar, which carries the beer from the lamsare vat! The troughs made with bur grass and the pails for kneading the dough! All the beautiful vessels are ready on their pot stands!

2. 2

   {gi}gakkul-e {dug}lam-sa2-ri

3. 3

   {gi}gakkul-e niĝ2 ur5 sag9-sag9-ge

4. 4

   {dug}lam-sa2-ri niĝ2 šag4 ḫul2-ḫul2-e

5. 5

   {dug}u-gur-bal niĝ2 e2-a me-te-bi

6. 6

   {dug}šag4-gub-be2 niĝ2 kaš sig9-sig9-ge

7. 7

   {dug}am-am DU.DU {dug}lam-sa2-ra-ke4

8. 8

   {gi}buniĝ(SUG) {u2}bur2 {gi}ba-an-du8 silaĝ-ĝa2-ke4

9. 9

   dug sag9 dag-dug-e sa gi4-a

10. 10

    šag4 diĝir-za ḫu-mu-ra-ab-ḫuĝ-e

    May the heart of your god be well disposed towards you! Let the eye of the gakkul vat be our eye, and let the heart of the gakkul vat be our heart! What makes your heart feel wonderful in itself also makes our hearts feel wonderful in themselves! We are in a happy mood, our hearts are joyful! You have poured a libation over the fated brick, and you have laid the foundations in peace and prosperity -- now may Ninkasi dwell with you! She should pour beer and wine for you! Let the pouring of the sweet liquor resound pleasantly for you!

11. 11

    igi {gi}gakkul-am3 igi-me na-nam

12. 12

    šag4 {gi}gakkul-am3 šag4-me na-nam

13. 13

    aĝ2 šag4-zu gur4-gur4-ru ni2-bi-a

14. 14

    šag4-me-a gur4-gur4-ru ni2-bi-a

15. 15

    ur5-me bi2-sag9 šag4-me bi2-ḫul2

16. 16

    šeg12 nam tar-ra a de2-zu

17. 17

    silim-ma ḫe2-ĝal2-e ki us2-sa-zu

18. 18

    {d}nin-ka-si za-da ḫu-mu-u8-da-an-til3

19. 19

    kaš ĝeštin ḫu-mu-ra-an-bal-bal-e

20. 20

    kurun2 lal3-e gu3 nun ḫa-ra-ni-ib-be2

21. 21

    {gi}buniĝ(SUG) {u2}bur2-a kaš ku7-ku7-dam

    In the troughs made with bur grass, there is sweet beer. I will have the cupbearers, the boys and the brewers stand by. As I spin around the lake of beer, while feeling wonderful, feeling wonderful, while drinking beer, in a blissful mood, while drinking alcohol and feeling exhilarated, with joy in the heart and a contented liver -- my heart is a heart filled with joy! I clothe my contented liver in a garment fit for a queen! The heart of Inana is happy once again; the heart of Inana is happy once again!

22. 22

    sagi lu2-tur-ra lunga3 bi2-in-gub-en

23. 23

    a-niĝin2-e niĝin-na-ĝu10-ne

24. 24

    gur4-gur4-re-ĝa2 gur4-gur4-re-ĝa2-ĝu10-ne

25. 25

    kaš naĝ-e me-e sig10-ga-ĝu10-ne

26. 26

    kurun2 naĝ-a ul ti-a-ĝu10-ne

27. 27

    šag4 ḫul2-la ur5 sag9-ga-ĝu10-ne

28. 28

    šag4-ĝa2 šag4 ḫul2-la ĝal2-la-bi

29. 29

    ur5 sag9 {tug2}pala3-a ša-mur10-ra-ĝu10-ne

30. 30

    šag4 {d}inana ki-bi ba-ab-gi4

31. 31

    šag4 ga-ša-an-an-na-ke4 ki-bi ba-ab-gi4

32. 32

    […] [{d}nin]-ka-si-kam

    A …… to Ninkasi.

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.