When you rise like Utu and bring forth a true light,
every eye turns toward it.

Iddin-Dagan —
in his high estate,
An has cut you a great fate,
has made the true crown blaze for you,
has raised you to shepherdship of the Land,
has set the foreign lands at your feet.

Enlil has looked on you truly.
Iddin-Dagan, he has spoken truly to you.
Enlil has commanded you
to hold firm the mooring-post of Sumer,
to keep the people steady on the path,
to spread your broad shade over Sumer and Akkad
that they may rest beneath it,
to feed the people on noble grasses
and let them drink sweet water.

Enlil has given you his strength.
Iddin-Dagan, you are the shepherd of his heart,
the one to whom Enlil speaks truly.

Enki has brought you
broad understanding,
knowledge of all things,
wise counsel,
a life that comes from the lion's mouth.
May all the foreign lands sing your praise.

Son born of Dagan,
exalted lord who makes the people flourish —
Iddin-Dagan, may all eyes look with joy upon your city.
Heart's balm who neglects nothing,
Enlil delights in you.
When you rise like Utu and bring forth a true light,
every eye turns toward it.
The foreign lands are stilled
under your broad shade.

You have set the roads and highways in order,
made the Land content,
placed justice in every mouth,
made right conduct radiant.
You have staked the boundaries
and fixed the ground.
Sumer and Akkad have raised their necks.

You have set the purification rites of the gods in order.
Iddin-Dagan, you have restored them to their places.
What you have ordained ......
Your word reaches holy heaven,
your utterances cover the sky.

At the word of Enlil,
your gaze gives people life,
your speech gives people well-being.
Enlil rejoices in your words.
Ninlil says: So be it.
Shepherd, you are Enlil's own support.

Iddin-Dagan, who is fashioned like you?
Every eye is turned toward you.

You are the chosen man of the Ekur.
May your offerings never cease
in the house of Enlil.
May the very brickwork of the Ekur
speak of your goodness to Enlil and Ninlil.
At the good word of An and Enlil,
Iddin-Dagan, may princely strength be yours.

Your magnificent name lives throughout the Land.
To the edge of heaven, your name blazes forth.
Mighty man, hero,
standing firm in battle and strife,
you go to crush the rebel lands.
From the womb, Dagan decreed this as your fate.
Your praise is placed in every mouth.

Your kingship is good for the people.
Your shepherdship has pleased every heart.
The people have multiplied under you,
the people have spread wide under you.
All the foreign lands lie down in green meadows.
The people spend their days in abundance.
The black-headed look upon you, Iddin-Dagan,
as they look upon their own father.

May Enlil, lord who cuts the fates,
lengthen your days, Iddin-Dagan.
May the precious one who knows all things
look on you with a kindly eye.

Your surpassing wisdom, given by the tablets of Nisaba —
may it never leave the clay in the tablet house.
In that tablet house,
like a shrine giving birth to all things,
may it never fade.
The young scribe who puts his hand to the clay
and writes this down —
may Nisaba, shining star-lady,
give him wisdom,
open her hand for him with generosity.
In the place of the scribal art,
may she rise for him like the sun.

Iddin-Dagan,
your father Shu-ilishu, king of the Land,
laid firm for you the foundations of Sumer and Akkad.
At the word of An and Enlil, you excel all others.
You overwhelm the enemy lands.

Iddin-Dagan,
mighty king, king of Isin,
king of Sumer and Akkad —
all wisdom, to the very last, has come to you.
You are the mighty heir. You hold authority.
Iddin-Dagan,
in princeship you have raised your neck to heaven.

Colophon

A Good Works Translation. Source: ETCSL composite Sumerian transliteration (c.2.5.3.2), Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, University of Oxford. ETCSL English translation (t.2.5.3.2) consulted as a reference to verify meaning; the English above is independently derived from the Sumerian. Translated by Claude (liberation-translator), 2026-03-21.

🌲

Source Text — Sumerian Transliteration

Iddin-Dagan B (ETCSL c.2.5.3.2)

1.  di-din-dda-[gan] an-ne2 ki mah-a-ni-a nam gal mu-ri-in-tar
2.  aga zid-de3 dalla mu-ra-ni-in-e3
3.  nam-sipad kalam-ma-ce3 mu-un-il2-en
4.  kur jiri3-zu-ce3 mu-un-jar
5.  den-lil2-le igi zid mu-e-ci-in-bar
6.  di-din-dda-gan gu3 zid mu-ra-an-de2
7.  us2-saj ki-en-gi-re gen6-ne2-de3
8.  uj3 us2-a sig10-ge-de3
9.  ki-en-gi ki-uri an-dul3 dajal-la-za ni2 dub2-bu-de3
10. uj3-e u2 nir-jal2 gu7-u3-de3 a dug3 na8-na8-de3
11. den-lil2-le a2-bi mu-e-da-an-aj2
12. di-din-dda-gan sipad cag4-ga-na-me-en
13. gu3 zid de2-a den-lil2-la2-me-en
14. den-ki-ke4 jectug2 dajal nij2-nam-ma zu-zu
15. kij2 igi-jal2 zi? ka pirij-ta [ed2]-de3
16. di-din-dda-gan za-ra mu-ra-an-de6
17. kur-kur-re me-tec2 he2-i-i
18. dumu tud-da dda-gan-na en il2 uj3 [dajal]-le
19. di-din-dda-gan iri-zu-ce3 u6 dug3-ge-ec he2-i
20. i3 li nij2 [cag4]-ga nu-da13-da13
21. den-lil2 he2-da-hul2
22. dutu-gin7 ud zid e3-a-zu-ce3 igi-bi he2-em-ci-jal2
23. kur-kur-re an-dul3 dajal-la-zu-ce3 ni2 im-ci-dub2-be2
24. har-ra-an kaskal-la si bi2-sa2
25. su kalam-ma mu-e-dug3
26. nij2-si-sa2 ka-ga14 mu-e-ni-jar
27. nij2-du7 pa bi2-i-e3
28. in mu-e-dub-dub ki mu-e-sur-sur
29. ki-en-gi ki-uri gu2 bi2-i-zig3
30. [cu]-luh dijir-re-e-ne [ si] bi2-i-sa2
31. di-din-dda-gan [ki]-bi-ce3 gi4-gi4-en
32. nij2-dug4-ga-zu [...] GI [...]-im-jar
33. inim-zu an kug-[ge us2-sa]
34. ka-ta e3-a-zu [an]-ne2 /dul\-[lu]
35. dug4-ga den-lil2-la2-ta
36. igi bar-ra-zu lu2 mu-un-til3-le
37. ka ba-zu lu2 mu-un-silim-e
38. dug4-ga-a-zu den-lil2 mu-ci-[hul2]
39. cag4-ge de6-a-zu dnin-lil2-le he2-am3-bi im-[me]
40. sipad den-lil2-ra jickim til3-me-en
41. di-din-dda-gan a-ba za-e-gin7 i3-dim2
42. igi-bi he2-em-ci-jal2
43. e2-kur-ce3 za-e lu2-bi he2-me-en
44. nidba-zu e2 den-lil2-la2-kam muc3 nam-ba-[an-tum2]-mu
45. ceg12 e2-kur-ra-ke4 sag9-ga-zu den-lil2 dnin-lil2-ra hu-mu-un-ne-eb2-be2
46. inim sag9-ga an den-lil2-la2-ta di-din-dda-gan a2 nun he2-mu-e-te-jal2
47. mu mah-zu kalam-ma i3-jal2
48. an-zag-ce3 mu-zu pa bi2-in-e3
49. kalag-ga nam-ur-saj a2 me3 cen-cen gub-bu
50. ki-bal-da du7-du7 mu-e-DU
51. cag4-ta dda-gan-na [nam]-ce3 mu-ri-in-tar
52. za3-mi2-zu ka-ga14 i-ni-in-jal2
53. nam-lugal-zu uj3-e ba-sag9
54. nam-sipad-zu cag4-ge um-ma-dug3
55. uj3 e-da-lu uj3 e-da-dajal
56. kur-kur u2-sal-la mu-e-ri-nu2
57. uj3-e he2-jal2-la ud mu-ri-ib2-zal-e
58. saj gig2-ga a-a-zu-gin7
59. di-din-dda-gan igi-bi mu-e-ci-jal2
60. den-lil2 en nam tar-tar-re-de3
61. di-din-dda-gan ud-zu he2-eb2-su3-ud-de3
62. nam-kal-la nij2-nam-e zu-a
63. igi dug3 hu-mu-ri-in-du8
64. jectug2 dirig dub dnisaba-ke4 cum2-ma-zu
65. e2-dub-ba-a im-ma muc3 nam-ba-an-tum2-mu
66. e2-dub-ba-a-ba ec3 nij2 u3-tud-gin7 ki nam-ba-silig-ge
67. dub-sar-tur cu-ni ib2-ci-in-tum4 im bi2-ib2-sar-a
68. dnisaba nin mul-a X jectug2 hu-mu-un-[na-cum2]
69. cu hu-mu-un-bad
70. ki nam-dub-sar-ra-ka ud-gin7 he2-en-na-e3
71. di-din-dda-gan ad-da-zu dcu-i3-li2-cu lugal kalam-ma-ke4
72. ki-en-gi ki-uri suhuc-bi mu-ra-an-ge-en
73. dug4-dug4-ga an den-lil2-ta ba-e-dirig
74. gu2-erim2-jal2 sa2 ba-e-dug4
75. di-din-dda-gan lugal kalag-ga lugal i3-si-inki-na
76. lugal ki-en-gi4 ki-uri nij2-nam-ma jectug2 ejer-ra-bi
77. igi-ce3 mu-ri-DU
78. ibila kalag-ga-me-en3 nir mu-e-jal2
79. di-din-dda-gan nam-nun-na gu2 an-ce3 mi-ni-in-zig3

Source text from the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), University of Oxford. Composite transliteration c.2.5.3.2.

🌲