Position in chronology
A hymn to Shul-pa-ed (Shul-pa-ed A)
Written in modern English
Shul-pa-ed blazes over the upper city like moonlight — eminent, famous, clothed in glory and great divine powers. He is a lord of battle, a war-club that smashes every enemy, and at the same time the force that makes vegetation shoot up tall across the land. He lifts his great arms in the thick of fighting, and father Enlil himself has spoken his august name, naming him the foremost brother-in-law of the gods. The text breaks off mid-phrase as Shul-pa-ed is called owner of something — the surface ends there.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLHero, who shines forth like moonlight over the upper city! Hero Cul-pa-ed, who shines forth like moonlight over the upper city! Eminent and famous Cul-pa-ed, who shines forth like moonlight over the upper city! Lord of great divine powers, god who appears in glory, Cul-pa-ed, of great divine powers, god who appears in glory, lordly in battle, who makes vegetation grow tall in the Land! Lord who raises his great arms, battle-club that smashes all enemies! Pre-eminent brother-in-law of father Enlil, good youth! Enlil has named your august name. Lordly with weapons in the thick of battle! Owner…
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.4.31.1 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.4.31.1: A hymn to Shul-pa-ed (Shul-pa-ed 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.4.31.1.
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