Position in chronology
A shir-namshub to Ninurta (Ninurta G)
Written in modern English
Ninurta is addressed directly: Enlil's great hero, gatherer of divine powers, whose kingship blazes in unmistakable glory. The combs holding back his neck-hair are loosened — an image repeated for his identities as Pabilsaj and Ninjirsu — and his kingship holds sway across both heaven and earth. He sits beside Enki on the sacred throne-dais. He is the devastator of mountains, the pillager of cities, the one who hammers against rebel lands — and then the tablet breaks off mid-line, just as his name is invoked a final time.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLHero, Enlil's gatherer of the numerous divine powers, great hero, consummately your kingship is gloriously manifest! Hero Ninurta, the combs of your neck-hair are loosened! Hero Pabilsaj, the combs of your neck-hair are loosened! Hero Ninjirsu, the combs of your neck-hair are loosened; your kingship is gloriously manifest! Your kingship exists in the heavens, exists on the earth. You sit with Enki upon the holy throne-dais. The hero, devastator of the mountains, pillager of cities, batters at the rebel lands. The hero Ninurta, devastator of the mountains, pillager of cities, the hero…
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.4.27.07 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.4.27.07: A shir-namshub to Ninurta (Ninurta G). 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.4.27.07.
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