Position in chronology
A song of Inana and Dumuzid (Dumuzid-Inana B1)
Written in modern English
In a time of abundance and plenty, of luxuriant months and joyful years, the shepherd Dumuzid resolved in his heart to lift his own spirits and tend to his domain. He spoke to the queen of heaven and earth — Ama-ucumgal-ana addressing her directly — and told her his plans: he was going to bring water to the dry land, check on his spacious cattle-pen, inspect the condition of the holy sheepfold, feed his sheep, and find a source of fresh drinking water. The last destination is partly illegible on the tablet.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLIt was in the days of abundance, it was in the nights of plenty; it was in the months of luxuriance, it was in the years of rejoicing. In those days the shepherd, the shepherd Dumuzid decided in his holy heart to make his heart joyful, to go to the cattle-pen, to brighten its mood, to make the holy sheepfold shine like the day. He of decision and resolve spoke to the queen of heaven, the queen of earth. Ama-ucumgal-ana addressed words to her: "Wife, I am going to bring flowing water to the arid (?) place. I am going to look after my spacious cattle-pen. I am going to find out the condition of the holy sheepfold. I am going to feed my sheep. I am going to seek out the ...... of fresh water for drinking."
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.4.08.28 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.4.08.28: A song of Inana and Dumuzid (Dumuzid-Inana B1). 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.4.08.28.
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