Position in chronology
A hymn to Numushda for Sîn-iqisham (Sîn-iqisham A)
Written in modern English
Numushda is hailed as a god whose good fate was sealed while still in the womb. Ningal shaped the holy seed fathered by Suen, and Numushda was born amid abundance in the sacred mountains, eating fruit from a green garden. An and Enlil gave him a good name, and the great lady Ninlil raised him with care. He is the son of a prince, radiating awe-inspiring light, a great wild bull who batters enemy lands. The text then gives two further epithets — Cagbatuku and 'snarling lion' — before the passage breaks off.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLExalted lord, for whom a favourable destiny was determined while he was still in the good womb! Numucda, exalted lord, for whom a favourable destiny was determined while he was still in the good womb! Ningal formed ...... the holy seed ...... engendered by Suen. Born amid plenty in the holy mountains, eating fruits from a green garden, named with a good name by An and Enlil, carefully cherished by the great lady Ninlil! Numucda, son of the prince, whose appearance is full of awe-inspiring radiance! Great wild bull battering the enemy country, great lord Numucda! Cagbatuku. Snarling lion…
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.2.6.7.1 in the ETCSL catalogue. Sumerian literary text reconstructed from multiple cuneiform manuscripts, the great majority Old Babylonian (c. 1900–1600 BCE). Translation reproduced from the ETCSL edition.
Attribution
Image: .
Translation excerpted from ETCSL c.2.6.7.1: A hymn to Numushda for Sîn-iqisham (Sîn-iqisham A). Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E. & Zólyomi, G. (eds.), The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.2.6.7.1.
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