Chapter 05 · 2000 – 1600 BCE
Old Babylonian
Hammurabi, the Epic of Gilgamesh, mathematics.
~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi C)
In plain English
Shulgi speaks in his own voice: he is king, wild bull, lion with jaws thrown wide open. He is a great storm unleashed from the sky, casting its brilliance across the land — fine breeding stock with a brindled coat, son of a breed-bull, born from a cow and nursed on butter and milk, raised in the pen like a calf from a thick-necked white cow. Clothed in a royal robe — the exact description is damaged — and holding out a sceptre, he declares himself fit for a purpose the text no longer preserves. He is also the good shepherd who delights in justice, the whip and rod that punishes every evil.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“I am the king, a wild bull of acknowledged strength, a lion with wide-open jaws! I am Culgi, a wild bull of acknowledged strength, a lion with wide-open jaws! I am a great storm let loose from heaven, sending its splendour far and wide! I am good stock, with brindled body, engendered by a breed-bull! I am a king born from a cow, resting amid butter and milk! I am the calf of a thick-necked white cow, reared in the cow-pen! Dressed in a ...... royal robe and holding out a sceptre, I am perfect for ....... I am also the good shepherd who takes joy in justice, the scourge and stick of all evil!…”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.03: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi C). 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.2.4.2.03
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi E)
In plain English
Enlil — whose beard sweeps across the mountains, who grips the crook that holds the Land steady, who stands as the everlasting shepherd of all people — looked at Shulgi, king of Ur, with open eyes and a full heart, and spoke well of him. Out of that goodwill, the lord placed the sceptre in Shulgi's hands. Enlil's word has brought blessings everywhere to Shulgi: the king who was crowned in brick-built Eridu, who received the lapis-lazuli diadem in Uruk, who is Nanna's beloved shepherd and was born to sit on the throne. Whenever Shulgi brings firewood — the text is uncertain here — Enlil looks upon him and speaks with gladness.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Enlil, foundation platform of heaven and earth, who holds the crook that makes the Land firm, whose beard flows over the mountains, who reveres his own divine powers -- Enlil, the everlasting shepherd of the Land, has addressed me, Culgi, king of Urim, favourably, looking at me with wide-open eyes. In the overflowing of his heart, the lord bestowed the sceptre on me. Everywhere the word of Enlil has brought benefits to me, who was specially crowned in brick-built Eridug; to me, who was invested with the lapis-lazuli diadem in Unug; to me, the beloved shepherd of Nanna, fit for the throne. When I bring firewood (?), he looks at me and speaks gladly to me.”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.05: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi 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.2.4.2.05
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi L)
In plain English
Shulgi spreads terror across foreign lands and defeats his enemies in battle. He silences his opponents, crushes rebel territories, and his war-cry reaches even the most distant mountains and hills. At his roar, something — the text is too damaged to say what — is utterly devastated. An unknown number of lines are lost, and three more are too fragmentary to reconstruct, but the surviving portion ends with Shulgi's fearsomeness likened to a forest set on fire, making enemies tremble.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 line fragmentary ...... in battle and fight ....... You gave ...... to your offspring (?) ....... ...... shepherd Culgi, you spread fearsomeness over the foreign countries. ...... shepherd, your offspring (?) will praise you duly. sa-gida. You defeat ....... You impose silence on ....... You subdue the rebel lands ....... Your battle-cry ...... even the distant mountains and hills. ...... at your roaring devastate (?) ...... completely. unknown no. of lines missing 3 lines fragmentary ...... like a forest set on fire, ...... covers all the ....... ...... your fearsomeness makes ...... and the enemies tremble.”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.12: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi L). 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.2.4.2.12
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi O)
In plain English
Ur is praised as a city that lives up to its sacred name — a raging storm of Sumer, a battleground, yet firmly established. It is the origin of human seed, the place that consolidates the foundations of the land, a source of abundance — and firmly established. It stands as the lofty dais of An, a pure and holy place that provides first-fruit offerings for An, dripping with syrup and wine — and firmly established. Du-ur is celebrated as Enlil's own place, its interior holding the assigned divine powers, its destiny decreed by father Enlil himself — a great dais, firmly established. The praise then turns to Eridu, described as a shrine expert in decreeing — and here the tablet breaks off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“City worthy of the divine powers, according to its name: shrine Urim, raging storm of Sumer, battleground -- and well established! Origin of human seed, consolidating the foundations of the Land, abundance -- and well established! Lofty dais of An, pure place, holy place, provider of first-fruit offerings for An to refresh himself, dripping with syrup and wine -- and well established! Du-ur, celebrated place of Enlil, in whose interior are the assigned divine powers, place whose destiny was decreed by father Enlil, great dais -- and well established! Eridug, shrine expert in decreeing the…”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.15: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi O). 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.2.4.2.15
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi P)
In plain English
The opening line is too damaged to read clearly. Lugalbanda then spoke tenderly to Ninsun: their son would fulfill the destiny laid out for him, and holy An would make him flourish like a cedar planted among hacur trees. Ninsun took An's word to heart, reached a fateful decision together with her husband Lugalbanda, and heeded his prayer. She went straight to An in the Ubšu-ukkinna and addressed him directly: 'Father, you are king of the gods. I have looked across the entire land and all its people — as countless as ewes — and I have raised Shulgi above them all. Let him be their trustworthy shepherd.'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 line fragmentary ...... shining ....... He (probably Lugalbanda) spoke to her (probably Ninsun) tenderly ......: "He will accomplish precisely the fate determined for him. Your father holy An will make his branches spread as if he were a sappy cedar planted among hacur trees." Then my lady stepped up (?) to the word of An, Ninsun made a fateful decision with her spouse, holy Lugalbanda; she attended to his supplication. She went straight to holy An in the Ubcu-unkena: "My father, An, you are the king among the gods! I have looked through the land in all its extent and among its black-headed people who are as numerous as ewes, and I have elevated Culgi for me high above their head. May he be their trustworthy shepherd!”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.16: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi P). 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.2.4.2.16
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi V)
In plain English
Enlil, the beaming light whose word cannot be changed and the mightiest of the Anuna gods, looked with favor on Shulgi — the fearsome dragon, the king, the work of his hands — and granted him great strength. Shulgi's roar fills heaven and earth from end to end. In the E-kur temple, and in Dur-an-ki where the eternal divine powers are lavishly upheld — though several phrases in these lines are too damaged to read — Enlil decreed a magnificent destiny for Shulgi even before his birth, calling him the long-enduring sapling of ancient, princely foundations and commanding him: 'Make the people obedient, you enduring king of the multitudes!'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Enlil, the beaming light, ......, whose utterance is immutable, the most powerful of the Anuna gods, ......, looked (?) favourably (?) at Culgi, the fearsome dragon ......, the king, the creation of his hands. He granted (?) him great stength. His roar fills (?) the whole extent (?) of heaven and earth. In the E-kur, the great snake of the deep, ......, in Dur-an-ki, which lavishly ...... the eternal divine powers, ......, Enlil determined a great fate from the womb for the long-enduring sapling of the brickwork founded by the princely one, Culgi, who was born for a prosperous reign: "Make the people obedient, you enduring king of the multitudes!"”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.22: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi V). 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.2.4.2.22
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi W)
In plain English
The opening is badly damaged — two lines are gone, then a fragment about something that does not release, then another lost line and a second such fragment, before a partial phrase about the wise of the land doing something daily. What follows is equally broken: someone was made to pay heavy tribute in full, a line is lost, then something about flour trails off. Two more lines are unreadable before a voice identifies itself as Shulgi, king of Ur, speaking of his father, invoking Lugalbanda, and declaring he will rejoice — but six further fragmentary lines and an unknown number of completely missing lines swallow the rest.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 lines fragmentary ...... does not release ....... 1 line fragmentary ...... does not release ....... ...... the wise of the Land daily. 1 line fragmentary ...... made you pay his heavy tribute in full. 1 line fragmentary ...... his flour (?) ....... 2 lines fragmentary ...... Culgi, king of Urim. I am ....... My ....... ...... for my father. ...... Lugalbanda ....... I will rejoice ....... 6 lines fragmentary unknown no. of lines missing”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.23: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi W). 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.2.4.2.23
Read the full tablet entry~1800 BCE · Multiple manuscripts across collections; see ETCSL bibliography for witnesses
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi X)
In plain English
Shulgi sailed to Uruk to claim its princely divine powers, and as he moored his boat at the quay of Kulaba, all of Sumer and Akkad watched in awe. He entered Inana's shrine at the E-ana temple bringing a great wild bull with raised horns, a sheep led at his right hand by an en priest, and two kids — one dappled, one bearded — held against his chest. There he dressed himself in the ma garment and set a hili wig on his head like a crown. Inana gazed at him with admiration and spontaneously began to sing; her words begin 'When I have…' but the text breaks off at that point.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“The king sailed to Unug towards the princely divine powers. Sumer and Akkad marvelled at him as he moored the boat at the quay of Kulaba. With a large wild bull of the mountains with uplifted horns, and with a sheep led by the hand of an en priest at his right side, with a dappled kid and a bearded kid clasped to his breast, he entered before Inana in the shrine of E-ana. Culgi, the good shepherd, a heart in love, dressed himself in the ma garment and put a hili wig on his head as a crown. Inana looked at him with admiration and spontaneously struck up a song, singing the words: "When I have…”
Source: ETCSL c.2.4.2.24: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi X). 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.2.4.2.24
Read the full tablet entry