A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi O): translation

SEGMENT A

^1-12City worthy of the divine powers, according to its name: shrine Urim, raging storm of Sumer, battleground -- and well established! Origin of human seed, consolidating the foundations of the Land, abundance -- and well established! Lofty dais of An, pure place, holy place, provider of first-fruit offerings for An to refresh himself, dripping with syrup and wine -- and well established! Du-ur, celebrated place of Enlil, in whose interior are the assigned divine powers, place whose destiny was decreed by father Enlil, great dais -- and well established! Eridug, shrine expert in decreeing the fates, with princely divine powers, pure divine powers -- and well established! E-kic-nu-jal, cattle-pen of Suen, where fecund cows, breed-bulls and holy calves gambol together, producing fine cream -- and well established! Abzu, holy residence of youthful Suen, tall crook lifting its head towards heaven, a marvel -- and well established!

^13-24 Jipar, shrine built in exuberance, with the true divine powers of the rank of en priestess -- and well established! Princely (?) en priestess, your great name is pure; loosener of combs (?) of Nanna who makes the dwelling pleasant, with good words and justice -- and well established! Id-nun-kug (Holy princely river) with ample flowing waters, your reservoir abounds with fish and birds -- and well established! Its city, established within the encircling walls, is a battle-mace, a weapon -- and well established! The convened assembly of its numerous people is a shield -- and well established! Great awe of the occupied settlements of Sumer -- and well established! Its foreign lands, teeming like herds of fecund cows, fat cows, numerous ewes with their lambs in the sheepfold -- and well established! Its army, rising to battle, is an irresistible onrush of water, a fearsome sea, a raging ...... -- and well established!

^25-37Its prince, the hero of Enlil, a lion rising up in its strength, a furious lion (?) baring its teeth at the foreign lands, ...... inspects great wild bulls, eating ......, extending ....... Shepherd Culgi, son of Ninsumun, ornament of ......, ...... in their evil words, brought the hero Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba into ....... He produced an utterance for him ...... from the foreign lands, ...... of his palace. ...... of the foreign lands. ...... he looked at him as if at halhal reeds.

^38-48On the day when the destiny of the Land was determined, when the seed of all living beings was originally brought forth, when the king appeared radiantly to his comrade -- on that day, Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba, conversed with Culgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, at his shining feet. So that their praise would be sung forever, so that it be would handed down to distant days, so that it shold be not forgotten in remote years, they looked (?) at each other favourably in their mighty heroism.

^49-52Culgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, praised his brother and friend, lord Gilgamec, in his might, and declared to him in his heroism:

^53-60"Mighty in battle, destroyer of cities, smiting them in combat! Skilled with the slingstone against the holy wall of palm-fronds! You brought forth your weapons against the house of Kic. You captured dead its seven heroes. You trampled underfoot the head of the king of Kic, En-me-barage-sig ....... You brought the kingship from Kic to Unug."

^61-84Thus he eulogised him who was born ...... in Kulaba.
1 line unclear
Gilgamec, lord of Kulaba,
6 lines fragmentary or unclear
approx. 4 lines missing
(Gilgamec continues speaking:) "Like ......, falsely (?) ......, you trampled underfoot ......, ...... as if in a mighty clamp. You gathered its ...... like small birds rising into the air. You entered with them into the presence of Enlil in the shrine of Nibru. Even those ...... who escaped from the ......, wail bitterly ....... ...... a copper (?) statue fashioned (?) in Urim, ...... the seven gods, stationed beside, wielding battle-axes. Fearsome (?) hero ......, king of Sumer, you stand firm in your strength (?)."

^85-88Culgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, praised his brother and friend, the lord Gilgamec, in his might, and declared to him in his heroism:

^89-1061 line fragmentary
"In the judgments that you pronounce ....... Who else like you has gone directly on the road to the mountains and has travelled the way to ......? Valiant one, ...... the mountain cedars, ...... the tall forests, ...... the boats. ...... Huwawa. ...... his seven terrors. ...... the small ....... ...... from his well-established dwelling. ...... to Enlil, in the shrine of Nibru ....... ...... your captured hero. You allowed the mother of the sick man to fetch her son to her embrace. Your battle-mace, its mouth gaping wide, attacks the foreign lands for you. Gilgamec, noble one of Unug, violent storm, at whose oppression ....... The inimical rebel land, like ....... You have revealed your immense majesty! May you extend your protective arms over me!"

^107-108The lord Gilgamec ...... Culgi, the good shepherd of Sumer:

^109-137 12 lines fragmentary
approx. 5 lines missing
8 lines fragmentary
"The youthful ......, a god among the Anuna gods, ...... venerates ....... Fearsome (?) hero ......, king of Sumer, you stand firm in your strength (?)."

^138-141Culgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, praised his brother and friend, the lord Gilgamec, in his might, and declared to him in his heroism:

¹⁴²"Ictaran, the judge who dwells in the Land"
unknown no. of lines missing

SEGMENT B

(The sequence of Segments B, C, D and E is uncertain)

^1-81 line fragmentary
Mighty heir of kingship ......, powerful ......, stallion of Suen ......, wearing a lapis-lazuli beard....... their praise ......, their songs (?) ......, their renown ......; son ......
unknown no. of lines missing

SEGMENT C

(The sequence of Segments B, C, D and E is uncertain; Segments C and D are adjacent)

^1-14fragmentary ends of 14 lines

SEGMENT D

(The sequence of Segments B, C, D and E is uncertain; Segments C and D are adjacent)

^1-42 lines fragmentary
(Gilgamec continues speaking:) "Fearsome (?) hero ......, king of Sumer, you stand firm in your strength (?)."

^5-8Culgi, the good shepherd of Sumer, praised his brother and friend, the lord Gilgamec, in his might, and declared to him in his heroism:

^9-14"Gilgamec, the thoroughbred donkey ......, divine judge, ......
2 lines fragmentary or unclear
like a butting wild bull ......"
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing

SEGMENT E

(The sequence of Segments B, C, D and E is uncertain)

^1-3...... the rebel lands like a horned viper ......, Culgi, son of Ninsumun ...... Enki ......
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing

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Revision history

19.ii.1999-01.iii.1999 : JAB : adapting translation
28.vii.2000 : GZ : proofreading
28.vii.2000 : GC : tagging
01.ix.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
01.ix.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0