The Literature of Ancient Sumer

437 Pages·2005·3.11 MB·English

by  Jeremy Black

the
literature of
ancient sumer
This page intentionally left blank
THE
LITERATURE OF
ANCIENT SUMER
Translated and Introduced by
jeremy black
graham cunningham
eleanor robson
and
gábor zólyomi
3
3
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© Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Eleanor Robson, and Gábor Zólyomi 2004
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ISBN 0–19–926311–6
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This volume of translations has grown out of the Electronic Text Corpus of
Sumerian Literature (ETCSL) project. The project, directed by Jeremy
Black, is based at the Oriental Institute of the University of Oxford. It has
received funding from the following bodies: the University of Oxford (1997),
the Leverhulme Trust (1997–2000), and the Arts and Humanities Research
Board (2001–6). Graham Cunningham has worked full time for the project,
as an editor and then senior editor, since 1997. Eleanor Robson worked full
time for the ETCSL pilot project in the first nine months of 1997. She was
supported in 1997–2000 by a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship and
thereafter by a fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. During both fellow-
ships she acted as part-time technical developer for the project. Gábor
Zólyomi worked full time for the ETCSL project as an editor in 1997–2000.
Since then he has been supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research
Fund (OTKA) and by a János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences. He was supported by a Humboldt Research Fellow-
ship in 2003–4.
We are extremely grateful to all those who have contributed source
material to the project: Bendt Alster, Vera Benczik, Antoine Cavigneaux,
Miguel Civil, Andrew George, Geerd Haayer, Bram Jagersma, Joachim
Krecher, Marie-Christine Ludwig, Martha Roth, Yitschak Sefati, Steve
Tinney, Herman Vanstiphout, Niek Veldhuis, Konrad Volk, Christopher
Walker, Claus Wilcke, and Annette Zgoll.
Images of UM 55-21-327 = 3N-T 436 are reproduced with the permission
of the curators of the Babylonian Section, University of Pennsylvania
Museum, and with the kind assistance of Kevin Danti. Figures 8, 10, and 20
are reproduced from J. Boese, Altmesopotamische Weihplatten: Eine sumerische
Denkmalsgattung des 3. Jahrtausends v. Chr(Berlin, New York: De Gruyter,
1971) and Figure 19 from J. V. Canby, The Ur-nammu Stela (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology,
2001), pl. 40 (detail), with the permission of the publishers; all others were
drawn by the authors. The maps were produced by Vuk Trifkovic.
We warmly thank our colleagues on the ETCSL project who joined us
later—Esther Flückiger-Hawker (editor, 2001), Jon Taylor (editor, 2001–2),
and Jarle Ebeling (technical developer, 2003– )—as well as other colleagues
vi 
and students in Oxford and elsewhere who have contributed directly or
indirectly to its success. We owe a particular debt of thanks to Tim Potts and
Niek Veldhuis, who read the manuscript with great care and thought at very
short notice. While we did not always agree with their comments they were
always useful in helping us to clarify what we meant and how we said it.
Naturally, we take full responsibility for all errors and infelicities that
remain.
Jeremy Black died while this book was in press. The other editors would
like to dedicate it to him—our teacher, colleague, and friend.
CONTENTS
List of illustrations x
How to use this book xiii
Chronological table xvii
INTRODUCTION xix
The literature of ancient Sumer xix
The tablets of ancient Sumer xxx
The scribes of ancient Sumer xl
The study of ancient Sumer l
Further reading lxii
A. HEROES AND KINGS 1
Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana 3
Lugalbanda in the mountain cave 11
Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird 22
Gilgames, Enkidu, and the Underworld 31
Sargon and Ur-Zababa 40
The building of Ningirsu’s temple (extract) 44
Anadabto An for Lipit-Estar 52
A prayer for Samsu-iluna 54
The death of Ur-Namma 56
B. INANA AND DUMUZID 63
Inana’s descent to the Underworld 65
Dumuzid’s dream 77
Ploughing with the jewels 84
Dumuzid and Enkimdu 86
A love song for Su-Suen 88
Inana and Isme-Dagan 90
A hymn to Inana 92
C. ENLIL AND NINLIL 100
Enlil and Ninlil 102
Enlil and Sud 106
viii 
Enlil and Nam-zid-tara 112
Sulgi and Ninlil’s barge 113
The cursing of Agade 116
D. THE MOON-GOD NANNA-SUEN 126
The lament for Sumer and Urim 127
Abalbaleto Nanna 142
Asir-namgalato Nanna 144
The herds of Nanna 145
Nanna-Suen’s journey to Nibru 147
E. THE WARRIOR GODS NERGAL, NUMUSDA,
AND NINURTA 155
The dedication of an axe to Nergal 157
Anadabto Nergal for Su-ilisu 158
A hymn to Numusda for Sîn-iqisam 161
Ninurta’s exploits 163
Ninurta’s return to Nibru 181
Abalbaleto Ninurta 186
F. LOVE AND SEX 188
Lu-digira’s message to his mother 190
A lullaby for a son of Sulgi 193
Atigito Nintud-Aruru 195
Inana and Su-kale-tuda 197
A love song for Isme-Dagan 205
Abalbaleto Inana and Dumuzid 206
G. THE NATURAL ORDER 210
The Flood story 212
Enki and the world order 215
The debate between Sheep and Grain 225
The debate between Bird and Fish 230
The heron and the turtle 235
The home of the fish 240
 ix
H. THE HYMNIC GENRES 245
Anadabto Bau for Isme-Dagan 247
Abalbaleto Ningiszida 250
Akungarto Inana and Dumuzid 252
Asir-gidato Ninisina 254
Asir-namgalato Ninisina for Lipit-Estar 257
Asir-namsubto Utu 259
Asir-namursagato Inana for Iddin-Dagan 262
Asir-sag-hulato Damgalnuna 269
Atigito Enki for Ur-Ninurta 270
Anululumamato Suen for Ibbi-Suen 272
I. SCRIBES AND LEARNING 275
A supervisor’s advice to a young scribe 277
Letter from Nabi-Enlil to Ilum-puzura 281
Proverbs: collection 25 282
The instructions of Suruppag 284
A hymn to Nisaba 292
A hymn to Haia for Rim-Sîn 294
A hymn to Ninkasi 297
J. THE DECAD, A SCRIBAL CURRICULUM 299
Literary catalogue from Nibru 301
A praise poem of Sulgi 304
A praise poem of Lipit-Estar 308
The song of the hoe 311
The exaltation of Inana 315
Enlil in the E-kur 320
The Kestemple hymn 325
Enki’s journey to Nibru 330
Inana and Ebih 334
A hymn to Nungal 339
GilgamesandHuwawa 343
Other thematic groupings 353
Index of compositions by ETCSL catalogue number 358
Glossary of Sumerian names 360