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CDLI Literary 000387 (Ur-Namma B) composite (P469689)

Literary, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE

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DesignationCDLI Literary 000387 (Ur-Namma B) composite
IDP469689
LanguageSumerian
PeriodOld Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
GenreLiterary

English translation

By etcsl · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)

LineEnglish
surface a 1Exalted Enlil, ... fame ...
surface a 2lord who ... his great princedom,
surface a 3Nunamnir, king of heaven and earth ...,
surface a 4looked around among the people. Ur-Namma the good shepherd,
surface a 5The Great Mountain Enlil chose him from the multitude of people:
surface a 6“Let him be the shepherd of Nunamnir!” He made him emanate (?) fierce awesomeness.
surface a 7The divine plans of brick-built E-kur were drawn up.
surface a 8The Great Mountain Enlil, to make them shine like the sun in the E-kur, his august shrine,
surface a 9made up his mind, filled with pure and useful thoughts.
surface a 10He instructed the shepherd Ur-Namma to make the E-kur rise high;
surface a 11the king made him the mightiest in the Land, he made him the first among the people.
surface a 12The good shepherd Ur-Namma, ... whose trust in Nunamnir is enduring,
surface a 13the knowledgeable judge, the lord of great wisdom, prepared the brick mould.
surface a 14Enlil brought order in his rebellious and hostile lands for the shepherd Ur-Namma,
surface a 15and made Sumer flourish in joy,
surface a 16in days filled with prosperity.
surface a 17The foundations were laid down firmly and the holy foundation pegs were driven in.
surface a 18The enkum and ninkum priests praised it duly
surface a 19and Enki made the temple rejoice with his artful incantations.
surface a 20The shepherd Ur-Namma made the lofty E-kur grow high in Dur-an-ki.
surface a 21He made it to be wondered by the multitude of people.
surface a 22The Lofty Gate, the Great Gate, the Gate of Peace, the Ḫursag-galama and the Gate of Perpetual Grain Supplies,
surface a 23he made their glittering the eyebrow-shaped arches of by covering them with refined silver.
surface a 24The Anzud bird runs there
surface a 25and an eagle seizes enemies in its claws (?).
surface a 26Its doors are lofty; he filled them with joy.
surface a 27The temple is lofty, it is surrounded with fearsome radiance.
surface a 28It is spread wide, it awakes great awesomeness.
surface a 29The Ḫursag-galama, the raised temple (?), the holy dwelling for the Great Mountain
surface a 30he made it stand like a great tower (?).
surface a 31In the Gagiššua of the great palace, where she renders verdicts with grandeur,
surface a 32he made the great mother Ninlil glad.
surface a 33Enlil and Ninlil relished it there.
surface a 34bIn its great dining hall, the trustworthy hero chosen by Nunamnir
surface a 35made them enjoy a magnificent meal: the E-kur was rejoicing.
surface a 36They looked with approval at the shepherd Ur-Namma,
surface a 37and the Great Mountain decreed a great destiny for Ur-Namma for all time,
surface a 38making him the mightiest among his black-headed people.
surface a 39The sa-gida.
surface a 40“I am Nunamnir, whose firm commands and decisions are immutable!
surface a 41You have made my lofty E-kur shine gloriously,
surface a 42you have raised it high with a brilliant crenellation.
surface a 43Trustworthy hero, you have made it shine gloriously in the Land.
surface a 44Ur-Namma, mighty lord, may your (?) kingship be unparalleled,
surface a 45may your fame spread to heaven's borders, as far as the foot of the mountains!"
surface a 46“I am the Great Mountain, Father Enlil, whose firm commands and decisions are immutable!
surface a 47You have made my lofty E-kur shine gloriously,
surface a 48you have raised it high with a brilliant crenellation.
surface a 49Trustworthy hero, you have made it shine gloriously in the Land.
surface a 50Ur-Namma, mighty lord, may your (?) kingship be unparalleled,
surface a 51may your fame spread to heaven's borders, as far as the foot of the mountains!"
surface a 52To my king the lofty mace which heaps up human heads like piles of dust in the hostile foreign countries and smashes the rebellious lands;
surface a 53to the shepherd Ur-Namma the lofty mace which heaps up human heads like piles of dust in the hostile foreign countries and smashes the rebellious lands,
surface a 54lord Nunamnir gave it to my king.
surface a 55so now he beats down the foreign lands and tramples them underfoot.
surface a 56Lord Nunamnir gave it to the shepherd Ur-Namma,
surface a 57so now he beats down the foreign lands and tramples them underfoot.
surface a 58He destroys the cities of the wicked,
surface a 59and with heavy oppression he turns (?) them into haunted places.
surface a 60The shepherd Ur-Namma destroys the cities of the wicked,
surface a 61and with heavy oppression he turns (?) them into haunted places.
surface a 62He has a terrible fame in the houses of the rebellious lands,
surface a 63his storming ... the wicked.
surface a 64The shepherd Ur-Namma has a terrible fame in the houses of the rebellious lands,
surface a 65his storming ... the wicked.
surface a 66He has made the royal dais stand firmly,
surface a 67he has made Ur resplendent.
surface a 68The shepherd Ur-Namma has made it exude awesomeness, and he, as king of the Land, has lifted his head high there.
surface a 69All this was granted to him in the place of his king, Enlil:
surface a 70a fate was decreed and then it was duly fulfilled.
surface a 71There is now joy and abundance in Ur because (?) of Ur-Namma.
surface a 72The sa-gara.
surface a 73A tigi of Enlil.

Transliteration (ATF)

From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)

LineATFMachine English (draft)
surface a
1{d}en-lil2 mah [...] ar2? [...]
2en nam-nun gal-la-ni ...
3{d}nu-nam-nir an ki lugal-bi ...
4ug3-ga2 igi mi-ni-in-il2 sipa zi ur-{d}namma
5kur gal {d}en-lil2-le ug3 szar2-ra-ni-a im-ma-ni-in-pa3? x
6sipa he2-a {d}nu-nam-nir-ra-ka ni2 husz mu-un-da-ri
7szeg12 e2-kur-ra-ke4 me am3-hur
8kur gal {d}en-lil2-le e2-kur esz3 mah-a-na u4-gin7 kar2-kar2-da
9sza3 inim-gal2 ku3 zi-de3 si-a-ni nam-de6
10sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-da e2-kur-ra sag an-sze3 il2-i-de3 a2-bi mu-u8-da-ag2
11lugal-e kalam-ma a2 he2-ni-in-mah ug3-ga2 sag he2-ni-in-il2
12sipa zi ur-{d}namma [...] {d}nu-nam-nir-da u4 su3-ra2-sze3 nir-gal2-la
13di zu en gesztu2 dagal-la-kam {gesz}u3-szub-ba si am3-mi-in-sa2
14{d}en-lil2-le sipa dur-{d}namma-ra ki-bala erim2-gal2-la-ni
15ki-en-gi-re u4 nam-he2-a ak
16asila(|EZENxLAL2|) gu2 mu-un-di-ni-ib-mar-re
17usz8 mu-un-du10-esz temen ku3 mi-ni-in-si-esz usz8
18enkum ninkum-e me-tesz2 am3-i-i-ne
19nam-szub galam-ma-na {d}en-ki-ke4 e2-e ul ba-ni-in-sig7-ga
20sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ke4 e2-kur mah {d}ur-an-ki-a-ka an-sze3 mi-ni-in-mu2
21u6 di-bi-sze3 ug3 szar2-ra-ba szi-im-ma-gub
22ka2 mah ka2 gal ka2 silim-ma hur-sag-galam-ma ka2 sze nu-ku5-da
23su3-ra2-ag2 ku3-me-a sig7-igi-ba sze-er-ka-an mu-ni-in-du11
24anzu2{muszen}-de3 du10 am3-ma-ni-in-bad
25hu-ri2-in umbin-ba lu2-erim2 dili mu-un-dab5
26{gesz}ig-bi mah-am3 ul-la mi-ni-in-si
27e2 mah-am3 su zi am3-da-gal2
28dagal am3-tag ni2-bi gal szi-ri
29hur-sag-galam-ma gi-gun4-na ki-tusz ku3 kur gal-la-ra
30u18-ru mah-gin7 sza3-bi-a ki am3-ma-ni-in-us2
31ga2-gesz-szu2-a e2-gal mah-di gal ku5-ru-da-ni
32ama gal {d}nin-lil2-ra ul mu-na-ni-in-de6
33{d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-bi du10 mi-ni-in-gal2-le-esz
34aunu2 gal-ba szul zi mu pa3-da {d}nu-nam-nir-ra-ka
34bzi-kir szu-mi
35ninda mah am3-mi-ni-du10 e2-kur hul2-la-am3
36igi zi mu-un-szi-in-bar-re-esz sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ra
37kur gal-e sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ra nam gal u4 su3-ra2-sze3 mu-ni-in-tar
38sag-ge6-ga-na a2 mi-ni-in-mah
39sa-gid2-da-am3
40{d}nu-nam-nir du11-ga esz-bar zi nig2 nu-kur2-ru ge26-me-en
41e2-kur mah-gu10 dalla mu-e-a-e3
42suh10 kar2-kar2-ka-da an-sze3 gu2 he2-ni-in-us2
43szul zi kalam-ma dalla hu-mu-ni-in-e3
44{d}ur-{d}namma en uru16 nam-lugal-la gu2 an-ta-bi he2-em
45mu-zu an-za3-sze3 kur-ur2-sze3 he2-gal2
46kur gal a-a {d}en-lil2 du11-ga esz-bar zi nig2 nu-kur2-ru ge26-me-en
47e2-kur mah-gu10 dalla mu-e-a-e3
48suh10 kar2-kar2-ka-da an-sze3 gu2 he2-ni-in-us2
49szul zi kalam-ma dalla hu-mu-ni-in-e3
50{d}ur-{d}namma en uru16 nam-lugal-la gu2 an-ta-bi he2-em
51mu-zu an-za3-sze3 kur-ur2-sze3 he2-gal2
52lugal-gu10 udug2 mah kur erim2-gal2-la sag sahar-re-esz dub-bu ki-bala-a sza5-sza5
53sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ke4 udug2 mah erim2-gal2-la sag sahar-re-esz dub-bu ki-bala-a sza5-sza5
54e-ne-er mu-na-an-szum2 en {d}nu-nam-nir-re
55kur am3-tu11-be2 giri3 saga11 am3-me
56sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ke4 mu-na-an-szum2 en {d}nu-nam-nir-re
57kur am3-tu11-be2 giri3 saga11 am3-me
58hul-gal2-la uru2 am3-mi-in-gul-gul
59nam-gu2 mah-am3 lil2 am3-mi-ni-in-su-ub
60sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ke4 hul-gal2-la uru2 am3-mi-in-gul-gul
61nam-gu2 mah-am3 lil2 am3-mi-ni-in-su-ub
62ar2-a-ni husz-am3 e2 ki-bala
63u18-lu-ni lu2 erim2-gal2 mu-ni-ib2-DU
64sipa {d}ur-{d}namma ar2-a-ni husz-am3 e2 ki-bala
65u18-lu-ni lu2 erim2-gal2 mu-ni-ib2-DU
66bara2 nam-lugal-la-ke4 ki-a mu-ni-in-us2
67uri2{ki}-ma pa e3 hu-mu-ni-ib2-ak
68sipa {d}ur-{d}namma-ke4 ni2 bi2-in-gur3-ru sag he2-ni-in-il2 lugal kalam-ma-kam
69ki lugal-a-ni {d}en-lil2-la2-ka sag-e-esz he2-ni-rig7
70nam am3-tar-re szu zi am3-mi-in-gar
71giri17-zal uri2{ki}-ma {d}ur-{d}namma nam-he2-a? ...
72sa-gar-ra-am3
73tigi {d}en-lil2-la2-kam

Sources & licences

Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.