Position in chronology
A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi A)
Written in modern English
Shulgi speaks in his own voice, naming himself as the son of Ninsun, chosen by An, fated by Enlil, beloved of Ninlil, cherished by Nintud, made wise by Enki — king of Nanna, fierce as Utu's lion, and favored by Inana for his looks. He is tireless on the road: a mule made for travel, a horse whose tail streams on the highway, a Shakkan stallion burning to run (one manuscript reads 'donkey' instead of 'stallion'). He is also a learned scribe of Nisaba, his wisdom perfected alongside his strength — one manuscript says 'distinction' rather than 'strength.' He holds himself to truth, has no patience for wickedness, and despises anyone who speaks with malice.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLI am a child born of Ninsun. I am the choice of holy An's heart. I am the man whose fate was decided by Enlil. I am Culgi, the beloved of Ninlil. I am he who is cherished by Nintud. I am he who was endowed with wisdom by Enki. I am the powerful king of Nanna. I am the growling lion of Utu. I am Culgi, who has been chosen by Inana for his attractiveness. I am a mule, most suitable for the road. I am a horse, whose tail waves on the highway. I am a stallion of Cakkan, eager to run. (1 ms.: I am a donkey of Cakkan, who loves running.) I am a knowledgeable scribe of Nisaba; I have perfected my wisdom just as my heroism and my strength(1 ms. has instead: my distinction). Reliable words can reach (?) me. I cherish righteousness but do not tolerate wickedness. I hate anyone who speaks wickedly.
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
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Scholarly note
Composition c.2.4.2.01 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.2.4.2.01: A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi A). 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.2.4.2.01.
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