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022
The king sailed in a boat To Uruk. At the princely divine powers Sumer and Akkad marvelled. To the quay of Kulaba he moored the boat. With a large wild bull of the mountains carried in his hands, The righteous lord, with a sheep fastened to (his) hand, With a dappled kid, a bearded kid, pressed to his breast, He entered to Inanna in the shrine of Eanna. Shulgi, the righteous shepherd, ‘the loving heart,’ dressed himself in a festive garment, (And) put a luxuriant wig on his head as a crown. Inanna looked on in wonder, Broke spontaneously into a song, Uttered it as a chant: “When for the king, for the lord, I have bathed, When for the shepherd Dumuzi I have bathed, When I have adorned my flanksa with ointment, When with balsam my mouth was coated, When with kohl my eyes were painted, When he pressed my hips With his fair hands, When the lord who lies down beside holy Inanna, The shepherd Dumuzi, Has smoothed me with milk on his lap, When he has relaxed on my shining bed, When like choice … like choice beer, He made love with me, When he ruffled my pubic hair for me, When he played with the hair of my head, When he laid his hands on my pure vulva, When he lay down in the … of my sweet womb, When he …ed me like his ‘black boat,’ When he …ed me like his ‘fine boat,’ When he spoke to me pleasant words on the bed— Then I will too speak pleasant words to my lord, I will decree a good fate for him! I will speak pleasant words in his …! The shepherdship of all the lands I will decree as his destiny!” The lady, the luminary of heaven, The delight of the black-headed (people), The valiant woman who excels her mother, Who was granted divine powers by her father, Inanna, the daughter of Sin, For Shulgi, the son of Ninsun, Decreed a fate: “In battle I will be the one who goes before you. In combat I will carry your weapon like an armor- bearer. In the assembly I will be your advocate. On campaign I will be your encouragement. You, the shepherd chosen of the holy temple, You, the generous provider of the Eanna (temple). You, the brilliant one of An’s Irigal, You are worthy of leadership. You are one worthy of holding high his head on the lofty dais. You are one who is worthy of sitting on the shining throne. You are one who is worthy to (wear) the brilliant crown on your head. According to your body, you are worthy of the long fleecy garment. You are worthy of being dressed in the royal garb. You are suited to hold the divine-mace in your arm. You are suited to run fast with the battle-mace. You are suited to hit accurately with the barbed arrows and the bow. You are suited to fasten the throwstick and the sling to your side. Your hand, is worthy of the holy scepter. Your feet, are worthy of the holy shoes. You are a fast runner suited to race on the road. You are worthy to prance on my holy knees like a tender calf. May your loving heart be long of days! An has determined this for you, and may he never alter it! Enlil, the decreer of fates, may never change it!” Thus spoke Inanna gently.
The king sailed in a boat
To Uruk. At the princely divine powers
Sumer and Akkad marvelled.
To the quay of Kulaba he moored the boat.
With a large wild bull of the mountains carried in
his hands,
The righteous lord, with a sheep fastened to (his)
hand,
With a dappled kid, a bearded kid, pressed to his
breast,
He entered to Inanna in the shrine of Eanna.
Shulgi, the righteous shepherd, ‘the loving heart,’
dressed himself in a festive garment,
(And) put a luxuriant wig on his head as a crown.
Inanna looked on in wonder,
Broke spontaneously into a song,
Uttered it as a chant:
“When for the king, for the lord,
I have bathed,
When for the shepherd Dumuzi I have bathed,
When I have adorned my flanksa with ointment,
When with balsam my mouth was coated,
When with kohl my eyes were painted,
When he pressed my hips
With his fair hands,
When the lord who lies down beside holy Inanna,
The shepherd Dumuzi,
Has smoothed me with milk on his lap,
When he has relaxed on my shining bed,
When like choice … like choice beer,
He made love with me,
When he ruffled my pubic hair for me,
When he played with the hair of my head,
When he laid his hands on my pure vulva,
When he lay down in the … of my sweet womb,
When he …ed me like his ‘black boat,’
When he …ed me like his ‘fine boat,’
When he spoke to me pleasant words on the
bed—
Then I will too speak pleasant words to my lord,
I will decree a good fate for him!
I will speak pleasant words in his …!
The shepherdship of all the lands
I will decree as his destiny!”
The lady, the luminary of heaven,
The delight of the black-headed (people),
The valiant woman who excels her mother,
Who was granted divine powers by her father,
Inanna, the daughter of Sin,
For Shulgi, the son of Ninsun,
Decreed a fate:
“In battle I will be the one who goes before you.
In combat I will carry your weapon like an armor-
bearer.
In the assembly I will be your advocate.
On campaign I will be your encouragement.
You, the shepherd chosen of the holy temple,
You, the generous provider of the Eanna (temple).
You, the brilliant one of An’s Irigal,
You are worthy of leadership.
You are one worthy of holding high his head on
the lofty dais.
You are one who is worthy of sitting on the
shining throne.
You are one who is worthy to (wear) the brilliant
crown on your head.
According to your body, you are worthy of the
long fleecy garment.
You are worthy of being dressed in the royal garb.
You are suited to hold the divine-mace in your arm.
You are suited to run fast with the battle-mace.
You are suited to hit accurately with the barbed
arrows and the bow.
You are suited to fasten the throwstick and the
sling to your side.
Your hand, is worthy of the holy scepter.
Your feet, are worthy of the holy shoes.
You are a fast runner suited to race on the road.
You are worthy to prance on my holy knees like a
tender calf.
May your loving heart be long of days!
An has determined this for you, and may he
never alter it!
Enlil, the decreer of fates, may never change it!”
Thus spoke Inanna gently.
From Three Sðulgi Hymns, trans. Jacob Klein (Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan Univ. Press, 1981), pp. 136–141.
