Position in chronology
A shir-namgala to Ninisina for Lipit-Eshtar (Lipit-Eshtar E)
Written in modern English
Enlil addressed Ninisina — great daughter of An, great daughter-in-law — and declared that Lipit-Eshtar was to be her provider; so it would be. Ninisina heard Enlil's words and answered him humbly: 'Father Enlil, god whose name is manifest — your divine powers are supreme, your instructions beyond price. For the trustworthy shepherd Lipit-Eshtar —' two lines follow but are too unclear to render — 'he has settled the people and brought contentment to the land. You have looked upon him with your life-giving gaze; now decree him a true fate.'
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLHe (probably Enlil) told her, Ninisina, the great daughter of An, the great daughter-in-law, ...... : "That Lipit-Ectar should be your provider -- so let it be!" Cagbatuku. Ninisina (?) paid attention to Enlil's utterance. She answered with humility: "Father Enlil, god whose name is manifest, ......, Enlil; lord ......, your divine powers are the most ......, your instructions are the most precious (?). For the trustworthy shepherd ......, ...... lord Lipit-Ectar 2 lines unclear He has settled the people ......, he (?) has made the Land feel content. You looked upon him with your life-giving gaze: now decree him a true fate!
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.2.5.5.5 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.2.5.5.5: A shir-namgala to Ninisina for Lipit-Eshtar (Lipit-Eshtar E). 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.2.5.5.5.
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