Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

A song of Ningishzida (Ningishzida D)

~1800 BCE·Old Babylonian

Written in modern English

Ningishzida is addressed directly — a lordly figure enthroned on a lofty dais, exalted before holy An and the Anunna gods, the gods of the earth. An has granted power to him, this princely son, and the lines repeat and reinforce that gift of divine authority. Several phrases are too damaged to read, and after the Anunna gods are invoked a final time, an unknown number of lines are completely lost.

A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.

Translation — scholar edition

ETCSL
High confidence
Holding ...... high, lordly one of holy An, holding ...... high on the lofty throne-dais, ......, lord Ninjiczida, lord ......! ...... the Anuna gods, gods of the earth ....... Ninjiczida, the Anuna gods, gods of the earth ....... An has given power to you, princely son, ....... An has given power to you, Ninjiczida, ....... ...... the Anuna gods ...... unknown no. of lines missing

Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).

Scholarly note

Composition c.4.19.4 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.4.19.4: A song of Ningishzida (Ningishzida D). 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.4.19.4.

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