CDLI Literary 000395, ex. 016 (P346163)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000395, ex. 016 |
|---|---|
| ID | P346163 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar) |
| Coordinates | 30.9607, 46.1063 |
English translation
By Peterson, Jeremiah · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| obverse col 1 1 | I am the king, from the womb I was a hero |
| obverse col 1 2 | I am Shulgi, after I was born, I was a mighty male |
| obverse col 1 3 | I am a pirig creature with a furious face that was given birth to by an ušumgal creature |
| obverse col 1 4 | I am the king of the 4 quarters |
| obverse col 1 5 | I am the herder and shepherd of the black-headed |
| obverse col 1 6 | I am the authoritative one, the god of the lands |
| obverse col 1 7 | I am the child born of Ninsumun |
| obverse col 1 8 | I am the one chosen in the heart by An |
| obverse col 1 9 | I am the man decreed by Enlil |
| obverse col 1 10 | I am Shulgi, loved by Ninlil |
| obverse col 1 11 | I am the one taken care of by Nintur |
| obverse col 1 12 | I am one given wisdom by Enki |
| obverse col 1 13 | I am the mighty king of(?) Nanna |
| obverse col 1 14 | I am the open-mouthed pirig creature (of) Utu |
| obverse col 1 15 | I am Shulgi, whose allure was chosen/discovered (by) Inanna |
| obverse col 1 16 | I am a girnun equid, suitable for the road |
| obverse col 1 17 | I am a horse swishing its tail on the road |
| obverse col 1 18 | I am a male donkey of Sumuqan, seeking to run |
| obverse col 1 19 | I am the knowledgable scribe of Nisaba |
| obverse col 1 20 | Like my heroism and my strength |
| obverse col 1 21 | Intelligence is therefore perfected(?) |
| obverse col 1 22 | The true word is therefore made compatible with me(?) |
| obverse col 1 23 | Therefore justice is loved(?) |
| obverse col 1 24 | Therefore(?) evil is not loved(?) |
| obverse col 1 25 | Therefore(?) the speaking of evil words is hated(?) |
| obverse col 1 26 | I am Shulgi, the mighty king who goes out towards the front |
| obverse col 1 27 | Because I am rejoicing at my might and shoulder (=strength)(?) |
| obverse col 1 29 | I establish the (length of) the double-hour and had palace(s) built (there at that interval)(?) |
| obverse col 2 1 | Therefore shall relax towards its “cool side” |
| obverse col 2 2 | The male going on the road who (otherwise) spends the night on the road |
| obverse col 2 3 | Therefore has taken refuge there as if it was his built city |
| obverse col 2 4 | So that my name is established to distant time, so that it is not dropped by/from the mouth |
| obverse col 2 5 | So that my praise is performed in the land |
| obverse col 2 6 | I am possessed of speed, I muster up my strength, I am ... running |
| obverse col 2 7 | From Nibru to the brickwork of Urim |
| obverse col 2 8 | My heart therefore spoke to me in order to make a round trip as if (it was only) one double-hour |
| obverse col 2 9 | A pirig creature not tiring by means of its youth, I am one who stands in its strength |
| obverse col 2 10 | My little niglam garment was suitable on my hips(?) |
| obverse col 2 11 | Therefore, like a ... wild dove flying furiously, I pumped my arms |
| obverse col 2 12 | Therefore, like the Anzud bird raising its eye towards its mountain, I spread my knees apart (in stride) |
| obverse col 2 13 | Therefore the cities of the land that I founded served me |
| obverse col 2 14 | Therefore my black-headed people, teeming like ewes, look to me sweetly |
| obverse col 2 15 | (Like) a goat of the mountain range that is to run to its dwelling(?) |
| obverse col 2 16 | (As?) Utu, broadening the daylight upon the settlements |
| obverse col 2 17 | Therefore I(?) was entering the Ekišnugal temple |
| obverse col 2 18 | Therefore the temple/courtyard!? of Suen, the cattlepen (of) great amounts of butter(?) was heaped up with abundance |
| obverse col 2 19 | Therefore bulls were slaughtered there, sheep were slaughtered there |
| obverse col 2 20 | Therefore the šem and ala drums resounded |
| obverse col 2 21 | Therefore the tigi drum, the good thing, was played properly there |
| obverse col 2 22 | I am Shulgi, the one who makes anything/food(?) numerous and therefore food (offerings) were offered there |
| obverse col 2 23 | When I roused myself from the ... cultic area like a pirig creature |
| reverse col 1 1' | Therefore the howling(?) storm shook the ground |
| reverse col 1 2' | Iškur shouted in the broad heavens |
| reverse col 1 3' | Therefore the rain of heaven mingled with (lit. embraced) the water below |
| reverse col 1 4' | Its small and large (hail)stones |
| reverse col 1 5' | Therefore made a thud on my back |
| reverse col 1 6' | I am a king who therefore could not be frightened or have gooseflesh |
| reverse col 1 7' | Like a fierce pirig creature (I) therefore snarled(?) |
| reverse col 1 8' | Therefore (as) an equid of the plain (I) galloped |
| reverse col 1 9' | Therefore (with) my heart with happiness inside of it (I) was running |
| reverse col 1 10' | When I ran (as) a perfect male donkey |
| reverse col 1 11' | Utu was to look towards his house (at sunset) |
| reverse col 1 12' | And thus (I) had made the round trip, the journey being 15 double-hours |
| reverse col 1 13' | My sagursag performers saw (the feat?) |
| reverse col 1 14' | It was one day, I(!?) performed(!?) the ešeš festival in (both) Nibru and Urim |
| reverse col 1 15' | My brother and friend, who is the youth Utu |
| reverse col 1 16' | It was the palace founded by An, therefore I drank beer there with him |
| reverse col 1 17' | Therefore my singer performed my song(?) at the seven tigi drums |
| reverse col 1 18' | My spouse, the young maiden Inanna, the lady (who is) the allure of the universe |
| reverse col 1 19' | She sits with (me) in eating and drinking |
| reverse col 1 20' | Thus I myself have not been praised(i.e., I have not boasted?) |
| reverse col 1 21' | Thus my raised eye goes (where it wishes)(?) |
| reverse col 1 22' | Thus my “free will” confronts(?) (what it wishes) |
| reverse col 1 23' | My fixed sayings/affairs(?) that were written |
| reverse col 1 24' | By the life of my father, holy lugalbanda(!) |
| reverse col 1 25' | (And) Nanna, the king of the universe |
| reverse col 2 2' | ... to distant days |
| reverse col 2 4' | Thus there has not been a king ... like me among the people |
| reverse col 2 5' | An has firmly placed a golden crown on my head |
| reverse col 2 6' | Thus in the shining Ekur (I) seized the scepter(?) |
| reverse col 2 7' | Thus (my) head was raised heavenwards (on) the white dais and the throne with a firm foundation |
| reverse col 2 8' | Thus (my) power was exalted in the kingship |
| reverse col 2 9' | Thus the enemy land/mountain was destroyed, the land made firm |
| reverse col 2 10' | Therefore may my name be invoked among the cared for people (of) the four regions |
| reverse col 2 11' | Therefore they shall perform(?) my pure songs |
| reverse col 2 12' | Therefore they shall discover my greatness |
| reverse col 2 13' | The one taken care of with the great might of kingship |
| reverse col 2 14' | Who Suen at the Ekišnugal temple |
| reverse col 2 15' | Gave heroism, might, and a good life |
| reverse col 2 16' | Given supreme strength by Nunamnir |
| reverse col 2 17' | Shulgi, the destroyer of the enemy land, the establisher of the land |
| reverse col 2 18' | The išib priest of the universe who has no rival |
| reverse col 2 19' | Shulgi, cared for by the noble son of An |
| reverse col 2 20' | Nisaba, praise |
| reverse col 2 21' | Total: 50 (lines). |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| obverse col 1 | ||
| 1 | [...]-ta# ur-sag#-[me]-en# | |
| 2 | [...]-me#-en ba-tu-da-na-ta# [...] | |
| 3 | [...] uszumgal#-e tu-da-x [...] | |
| 4 | lugal#? [...]-ub#-da# 4(asz)-ba-me-en | |
| 5 | na#-gada# sipa sag#-gig2-ga-me-en | |
| 6 | nir#-gal2 dingir kur-kur-ra-me-en | |
| 7 | dumu u3-tu {d}nin-sumun2-kam-me-en | |
| 8 | sza3-ge pa3-da an ku3-ga-me-en | |
| 9 | lu2 nam tar-re {d}en-lil2-la2-me-en | |
| 10 | {d}szul-gi ki ag2 {d}nin-lil2-la2-me-en | |
| 11 | mi2 zi du11-ga {d}nin-tur5-ra-me-en# | |
| 12 | gesztux(|GISZ.TUG2|)# szum2-ma {d}en-ki-kam-me-en# | |
| 13 | [...] kal-ga {d}nanna-me-en | |
| 14 | [...] duh-a {d}utu-me#-en# | |
| 15 | [...]-gi hi-li pa3-da#? {d#}inanna# [...] | |
| 16 | [...]-gir2#-nun-na# [...-me]-en# | |
| 17 | sisix(|ANSZE.KUR|)# har-ra#-an#-na# [...-me]-en# | |
| 18 | dur3{+urx(SILA4)#?} [...]-me#-en | |
| 19 | dub-sar# [...] | |
| 20 | nam#?-ur#?-[...] | |
| 21 | gesztux(|GISZ.TUG2|)#-[...] | |
| 22 | inim#? [...] | |
| 23 | nig2#?-[...] | |
| 24 | nig2#?-[...] | |
| 25 | inim#? [...] hul#? [...]-x-ga# | |
| 26 | [...] e3#-me-en | |
| 27 | [...] x x [...]-ke4#?-esz | |
| 28 | [...]-sze3? szu#? he2#-em#-x-x | |
| 29 | [...]-en# e2-gal-la he2-bi2-x | |
| 30 | [...]-x | |
| obverse col 2 | ||
| 1 | [...]-sze3#? ni2# he2-eb-szi-te-en-te-en | |
| 2 | [...] har#?-ra#?-an#?-na#? [...] kaskal#-e#? ge6 ba-da-sa2-a | |
| 3 | [...]-a-ni-gin7# zi#-ni# ha-ba-szi-in-tum3 | |
| 4 | mu#-gu10 u4 ul-li2-a-asz# ga2#-ga2#-de3# ka#-ta nu-szub-bu-de3 | |
| 5 | a-ar2-gu10 kalam-ma# ke3#-ke3#-de3# | |
| 6 | dub3-tuku-me#-en usu-gu10 im-zi-ge-en IM2 x-ga2-me-en | |
| 7 | nibru{ki}-ta#? szeg12# uri2#{ki}-ma-sze3 | |
| 8 | danna asz-gin7 szu ni10#-ni10#-x sza3#?-gu10#? ha#-ma-ab?-du11 | |
| 9 | pirig nam-sul#-bi#?-ta#? nu#-x-x ne3#-ba gub-ba-me-en | |
| 10 | {tug2#?}nig2-lam2# banda3#{+da#}-gu10# ib2#?-ga2#? ba-ab-du11 | |
| 11 | tum12{muszen} NIR#-DU# x-x dal#-a-gin7 a2-gu10# hu-mu#-un-su13-su13 | |
| 12 | {d}anzu2{muszen} kur-bi#-sze3# igi il2#-[...] dub3-gu10 hu-mu#-[...] | |
| 13 | uru2# ma-da ki gar-gar#-[...]-su8#-ge#-esz-am3 | |
| 14 | ug3 sag-gig2-ga u8#?-[...] ha#-ma-ab-du10 | |
| 15 | masz2 hur-sag-ga2 ki#-[...]-bi#-sze3# hub2# sar#?-sar-re-de3 | |
| 16 | {d}utu a2-dam#-ma# u4 dagal-la | |
| 17 | [e2]-kisz#-nu#-gal2-la ha-ba-an-ku4-re | |
| 18 | KISAL#? {d}suen-na tur3 i3 gal-gal-la he2-gal2-la he2-bi2-ib2-du3 | |
| 19 | gu4 ha-ba-ni-gaz udu! ha-ba-ni-szum | |
| 20 | szem5#? kusz# la2-la2-e x ha-ba-gi4 | |
| 21 | tigi#? nig2#-du10#-e#? [...]-sa2#? | |
| 22 | {d}szul#-gi# lu2# NIG2#? [...] | |
| 23 | pirig#?-[...] | |
| 24 | x [...] | |
| 25 | x [...] | |
| reverse col 1 | ||
| 1' | u4 te-esz# [...] | |
| 2' | {d}iszkur-re# [...] | |
| 3' | szegx(|IM.A|) an-na#-ke4#? a# ki#-ta# [...] | |
| 4' | na4 tur-tur-bi na4 gal-gal#-[...] | |
| 5' | murgu2#-ga2 dub-dab he2-em-mi-ib2-[...] | |
| 6' | lugal-me-en ni2 ba-ra-ba-da-te# su ba-ra-ba-da-zi | |
| 7' | pirig# banda3{+da}-gin7 guru5-usz hu-mu-bur2-bur2 | |
| 8' | ansze#-edin-na#-ke4 hub2-ga2 hu-mu-un-szu2-szu2 | |
| 9' | sza3# la-la gal2#-la#-gu10 kasz4 hu-mu-ni-gun3-gun3-nu | |
| 10' | du9#-urx(SILA4)#? asz#?-[...] im2#-ma-gu10-ne | |
| 11' | {d}utu e2-a-ni#-sze3# igi# i3-ga2-ga2-de3 | |
| 12' | kaskal 1(u)! 5(disz) danna-am3# szu# hu-mu-nigin2 | |
| 13' | sag-ur-sag#-gu10-ne# igi# hu#-mu-un-duh-a | |
| 14' | u4 asz-am3#? nibru{ki} uri2{ki}-ma esz3#?-esz3#?-bi hu#-mu-un-nigin2? | |
| 15' | szesz# gu5#-li#-gu10# sul {d}utu-am3 | |
| 16' | e2-gal an-ne2 ki gar-ra-am3 kasz hu-mu-di-ni-nag#? | |
| 17' | nar#-gu10 tigi imin-e szir3!-ga2 ha-ma-ab-du11 | |
| 18' | gidlam#-gu10 ki-sikil {d}inanna nin# hi#-li an-ki-a | |
| 19' | gu7# nag-bi-a ha-ma-da-an-tusz-e | |
| 20' | ni2-gu10 silim-sze3!-am3 ba-ra-ab-x | |
| 21' | igi il2-la-gu10 he2-em-mi-in-gen | |
| 22' | sza3# gur6-gur6-a-gu10 an-ta he2-ib2-gi4 | |
| 23' | inim inim-ma im-sar-ra-gu10 | |
| 24' | zi a-a-gu10 ku3 {d}lugal-TUR-USZ | |
| 25' | {d}nanna lugal an-ki-ke4 | |
| reverse col 2 | ||
| 1' | [...] x x x | |
| 2' | [...] u4# ul-li2!-a-sze3 | |
| 3' | x [...] x-e-a e11-de3 | |
| 4' | lugal# [...]-x ga2-gin7-nam ug3-e ba-ra-gal2-la! | |
| 5' | an-[...] ku3#-sig17# sag-ga2! mu-ni-ge-en | |
| 6' | e2-kur# za#-gin3-na# gidri ha-ba-ab-dab5#!-be2#? | |
| 7' | bara2 babbar {gesz}gu-za suhusz#? gin6#-na# sag#? [...] | |
| 8' | nam-lugal-la# [...]-mah# | |
| 9' | kur hu-mu-gul#-gul# [...]-ge#-en | |
| 10' | an-ub-da# limmu2 ug3 sag si-ga-a-ba mu-gu10 he2-em-mi-sze21 | |
| 11' | szir3 ku3-ga2 hu-mu-un-e3-de3 | |
| 12' | nam-mah-gu10 hu-mu#-ni-in-pa3-de3-e-a | |
| 13' | a2 mah lugal-la-ka mi2 du11-ga | |
| 14' | {d#}suen#-e e2-kisz-nu-gal2-la-ta | |
| 15' | [...]-sag# nam-kal-ga nam-ti# nig2#-du10 sag-e-esz rig7#-[...] | |
| 16' | [...] mah# szum2-ma {d}nu#-nam#-nir#-ra# | |
| 17' | [{d}]szul-gi kur gul-gul kalam# [...]-en# | |
| 18' | iszib# an-ki-a gaba-ri# nu#-tuku# | |
| 19' | {d}szul-gi dumu nir-gal2# an#?-na#?-ke4#? mi2# du11#-ga# | |
| 20' | {d}nisaba za3#-mi2 | |
| 21' | szu-nigin 5(u) | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.