HYMN TO SHULGI

I, the king, a warrior from the (mothers) womb am I, I, Shulgi, a mighty man from the day I was born, A fierce-eyed lion born of a dragon am I, King of the four corners of the Uni erse am I, !erdsman, she"herd of the blackheads am I, #he trustworthy, the god of all the lands am I, #he son born of $insun am I, %alled to the heart of holy Anu am I, !e who was blessed by &nlil am I, Shulgi, the belo ed of $inlil am I, #ruly cherished by $intu am I, &ndowed with wisdom by &nki am I, #he mighty king of $anna am I, #he o"en-mouthed lion of Utu am I, Shulgi chosen for the ul a of Inanna am I, A "rincely donkey all set for the road am I, A tail-swinging horse on the highway am I, A noble donkey of Sumugan eager for the course am I, #he wise scribe of $idaba am I, 'ike my heroshi", li,e my might, I am accom"lished in wisdom, I ie with tis wisdoms true word, I lo e (ustice, I do not lo e e il, I hate the e il word, I, Shulgi, a mighty king, su"reme am I) *ecause I am a "owerful man re(oicing in his loins, I enlarged the footh"aths, straightened the highways of the land, I made tra el secure, built there big house +rest houses for tra elers, -lanted gardens alongside of them, established resting "laces there Settled there friendly folk So that who comes from below, who comes from abo e, .ight refresh themsel es at the cool of the day, #he wayfarer who tra els the highway at night, .ight find refuge there as in a well-built city) #hat my name be established unto distant days, that it lea e not this mouth, #hat my "raise be s"read wide in the land, #hat I be eulogi/ed in all the lands, I, the runner, rose in my strength, all set for the course, 0rom $i""ur to Ur, I resol ed to tra erse as if it were but a distance of one double-hour, 'ike a lion that wearies not of its irility I arose, -ut a girdle about my loins, Swung my arms like a do e fe erishly fleeing a snake, S"read wide the knees like an An/u bird with eyes lifted toward the mountains)

#he inhabitants of the cities that I had founded in the land swarmed all about me, .y blackheaded "eo"le, as numerous as ewes, mar eled at me, 'ike a mountain kid hurrying to its shelter, 1hen Utu shed his broad light on mans habitations, I entered the &kishnugal, (tem"le of $anna) 0illed with abundance the great stall, the house of Sin, Slaughtered o2en there, multi"lied shee", .ade resound there the drum and the timbrel %onducted there the tigi-music, the sweet) I, Shulgi, the multi"lier of all things, brought bread offerings there, Ins"iring fear from my royal seat like a lion, In the lofty "alace of $inegal, I scoured my knees, I bathed in fresh water, *ent the knees, ate bread, 'ike an owl and a falcon I arose, 3eturned trium"hantly to $i""ur) 4n that day, the storm howled, the tem"est swirled, #he $orth 1ind and the South 1ind roared iolently, 'ightning de oured in hea en alongside the se en winds, #he deafening storm made the earth tremble, Ishkur thundered throughout the hea enly e2"anse #he rains abo e embraced the waters below Its little stones, its big stones lashed at my back) *ut I the king was unafraid, uncoweed, 'ike a young lion I was set for the s"ring, 'ike a donkey of the ste""e I rushed forward, .y heart full of ha""iness I s"ed along the course, 3acing like a donkey folad (ourneying all alone, 'ike Utu facing homeward, I tra ersed the (ourney of 56 double hours, .y acolytes ga/ed at me in wonder, As in one day I celebrated the esbesh feast both in Ur and $i""ur) 1ith irile Utu, my brother and friend, I drank beer in the "alace founded by Anu, .y minstrels sang fro me the se en tigi-hymns, .y s"ouse, the maid Inanna, the 7ueen, the lu2uriance of hea en and earth, Seated me by her side at its "alace ban7uet I e2alted myself saying8 91heresoe er I lift my eyes, thither will you go with me, 1heresoe er my heart mo es me, there you will be welcomed9) Anu set the holy crown u"on my head, :a e me to hold the sce"ter in the la"is la/uli &kur, 3aised hea en-high my firmly founded throne on the white dais, &2alted there the "ower of my kingshi", So that I bent o er all the foreign lands, made secure the 'and of Sumer, And the four corners of the uni erse, the "eo"le with heads bowed called my name, %hant holy songs, -ronounce my e2altation saying8 9!e that is the noble "ower of kingshi", the cherished one, -resented by Sin our of the &kishnugal,

!eroshi", night and a good life, &ndowed with noble "ower by $unamnir, Shulgi, the destroyer of all the foreign lands, who makes secure the land of Sumer, 1ho in accordance with the me of the uni erse has no ri al, Shulgi, cherished by the trustworthy son of Anu ($anna)9