The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
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A prayer for Samsu-iluna (Samsu-iluna C): translation

1-10Lord, may you confirm your royal position by taking your seat on the throne, the lofty dais! Samsu-iluna, may you confirm your royal position by taking your seat on the throne, the lofty dais! May you strengthen the foundations of your throne by grasping the shepherd's crook of lordship! May you bring to perfect completion the princely divine powers by inspiring awe in the holy place, the pure place! When you ...... on the holy royal dais, may you lift your head high in a lordly manner!

11-17When you are embued with the terrifying splendour of royalty, ...... shining like the sun! When you perfectly wield the august divine powers, the great divine powers, may you be cloaked as if with a mantle in the great awesomeness of royalty! When you come forth in brilliance like the shining day, may An and Enlil determine a great destiny for you! When you appear like Nanna over the Land, may the great prince Enki pray on your behalf in his overflowing heart!

18-24May your headdress sparkle over the Land like Utu! May your sceptre correctly guide the numerous people! May Suen let you control the living beings! With your shepherd's crook may you lead Sumer and Akkad as if you were their mother and father! May the widespread people, the people whom you have united, pray to you as you shine like the Barge of Heaven! May you be the god of the foreign lands that are settled together!

25-40When you come forth like Utu, joy ......, and their gaze is fixed as if on their own parents. When you feed them lavishly, may their lives ......! When you generously give them drink, ......! May the black-headed people ...... cool themselves in your shade! Your shepherdship .......
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May ...... be praised! May your royal ...... be forever stable! May you be ......! May you be ......! May you shine ......! O Samsu-iluna, my king!


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Revision history

26.iii.1999-27.iv.1999 : JAB : adapting translation
15.ix.1999 : GZ : minor corrections
15.ix.1999 : GZ : proofreading
30.ix.1999 : GC : tagging
15.x.1999 : ER : proofreading SGML
15.x.1999 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed