Position in chronology
An adab (?) to Suen for Shu-Suen (Shu-Suen F)
Written in modern English
The hymn opens with damaged lines invoking Suen from a place of distant radiance somewhere in heaven — the surface is too broken to read them fully. Nanna has elevated Shu-Suen; the moon god, described as the beauty of heaven, prince of earth, the youthful and immense light of heaven and earth, is the one who makes years of prosperity last and who, born anew each month, fathered Shu-Suen. Nanna's judgments are called ingenious decisions, and together with Nunamnir he shapes great destinies — while his beloved youth Ashimbabbar decides destiny specifically for Shu-Suen. A second section hails Nanna as the light that sweetens the night and orders the year, the crown of the holy heavens, before two more fragmentary lines trail off around the name of Shu-Suen.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSL...... from the distant radiance, ...... in heaven, 1 line fragmentary Suen, ......, ...... Cu-Suen. Nanna has elevated ....... Barsud. The beauty of heaven, the prince of earth, youthful Suen, the immense, the light of heaven and earth, who makes years of prosperity and good ...... last permanently, Nanna, the lord who is born each month, sired my Cu-Suen. Cagbatuku. Mighty one, great power among the great gods, father Nanna, your judgments are ingenious decisions -- deciding great destinies with Nunamnir, his beloved youth Acimbabbar decides destiny for my Cu-Suen. 2nd barsud. The light which sweetens the night and structures the year, Nanna, the crown of the holy heavens, ...... my Cu-Suen, 2 lines fragmentary
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.2.4.4.6 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.2.4.4.6: An adab (?) to Suen for Shu-Suen (Shu-Suen F). 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.2.4.4.6.
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