Wednesday, March 25, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org

Ur-Namma F — A Shir-namshub to Nanna for Ur-Namma

✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦

May Ur-Namma ride forth! With lapis-lazuli beard spread wide, may he ride forth!

The second šir-namšub to Nanna for Ur-Namma preserved in the ETCSL corpus. Where Ur-Namma E builds through a fourfold liturgical refrain ("Together may your name be exalted!"), F opens with a riding-forth cry — the king emerging from the pure outer wall of Urim, the lapis-lazuli beard of divine kingship spread wide — and then moves through a two-part architecture that mirrors the genre's twin purposes: to protect the sacred space and to legitimize the king within it.

Movement I praises the E-kiš-nu-ĝal ("House Without Equal in Might"), Nanna's great temple at Ur. The gate is like mighty flood-waters that no one can oppose. The interior is a cunningly crafted mountain whose heart no person knows; the pure design within it evil cannot seize. The gi-gun4-na's bread-offering pacifies the rebellious land. The great forecourt is the place where the Anunna decree fate for the black-headed people of Sumer and Akkad.

Movement II belongs to Ur-Namma: Suen chose him in his heart; Ashimbabbar chose him. He placed the yoke on all the lands and stretched the mighty net fitting for the king Suen. Wrongdoing does not pass before his face. The Tigris and Euphrates decree fate for him. Ningal, named explicitly, decrees fate for him. Ninlil will give him new birth like daylight. He stands before the house of Suen with lapis-lazuli beard spread wide, his gaze lifted — shepherd of Sumer, son of Ninsumun, the moon god's chosen.

Translated from ETCSL c.2.4.1.6 (Sumerian transliteration). Translation independently derived from the Sumerian; reference translation t.2.4.1.6 was not consulted. Lacunae marked honestly.

I. The E-kiš-nu-ĝal

From the pure outer wall laden with allure,
Urim, your foundation planted in abundance —
in rejoicing, may your lord ride through the city!
May Ur-Namma ride forth!
With lapis-lazuli beard spread wide, may he ride forth!

Rising where the lofty lord goes forth, eminent above all —
your gate, when opened, is like mighty flood-waters:
none may stand against them.

Shrine of Urim — your interior, a mountain of abundance;
your exterior, a great and lordly peak.
E-kiš-nu-ĝal, cunningly crafted mountain —
no one knows your interior.
Your house, a mountain in bloom —
your name is a gift to the heart.

Your lord — a gleaming lord, one called by name,
son of Ninsumun, the adornment of all the lands.
Your great house: its divine powers surpass all the gods,
hanging over the land.
Your lock — your god — a gleaming god, one called by name.

When its double doors are opened, like Utu
setting daylight from the horizon —
your forecourt: the place where the gods decree fate,
where judgments are set straight and decided.
The Anunna, the gods of heaven and earth, take counsel there.

[...from your heart, the true woman, joyful,
the father embracing her neck...]

In your interior, the pure design — evil cannot seize it.

In the gi-gun4-na, its bread-offering
pacifies the rebellious land.

The great forecourt — the place where fate is decreed.
The great gods decree fate there.
Sumer and Akkad — the black-headed people.

II. Ur-Namma

Ur-Namma — Suen chose him in his heart.

The king laden with allure, covered in the awesome radiance of the land —
I shall extol my lord Ur-Namma with true praise.
Ur-Namma, laden with allure, covered in the awesome radiance of the land —
Ur-Namma, Ashimbabbar chose him in his heart.

He placed the yoke upon all the lands.
The mighty net, stretched taut — fitting for the king Suen.
Wrongdoing does not pass before his face.
Justice — Ur-Namma set the wealth of the land in order.
At his command, the hostile land was laid low.
He struck down the rebel lands — Ur-Namma, their overseer.

For the house of Suen —
the Tigris and the Euphrates decree fate for Ur-Namma.

When Utu rises from the horizon,
may humanity flourish before him.
[...may he pass through the lands of Ninsumun, a sight for wonderment...]

Its lady — the noble lady who loves wealth —
in her love, she decrees fate for Ur-Namma.
Ningal — its lady, the noble lady who loves wealth,
woman of princely descent —
she decrees fate for Ur-Namma.

Shepherd Ur-Namma — lifting his gaze toward the house of Suen,
his lapis-lazuli beard spread wide.

[...sweet, sweet in its allure...]

May Ninlil give birth to you anew, like daylight —
O son of Ninsumun!

With the shepherd, in the pure heaven [...]
With shepherd Ur-Namma, the face before [...]

— A šir-namšub of Nanna.

Colophon

Ur-Namma F (ETCSL c.2.4.1.6). Sumerian royal hymn, Third Dynasty of Ur, c. 2112–2095 BCE. Genre: šir-namšub (protective incantation-song). 51 lines of body text plus colophon line. Lines 18, 40, 46–47, and 50–51 are substantially damaged.

Structural note: The composition shares its ETCSL genre-title with Ur-Namma E (also "A šir-namšub to Nanna for Ur-Namma," c.2.4.1.5). The two compositions are architecturally distinct: E builds through a fourfold liturgical refrain; F opens with a riding-forth cry and pivots cleanly at line 24 from temple praise to royal praise. The lapis-lazuli beard epithet (lines 5 and 45) frames the composition — the king's emergence from the temple and his continued devotion to Nanna's house echo each other across the two movements.

Key translation notes: šir-namšub = protective incantation-song, apotropaic temple genre; E-kiš-nu-ĝal₂ = "House Without Equal in Might," Nanna's great temple at Ur; Ashimbabbar = epithet of Nanna/Suen, "who lights up the night"; su₆ za-gin₃ sud₄-sud₄ = "lapis-lazuli beard spread wide," the iconic emblem of divine kingship and of Nanna's physical manifestation; e₂-gi-gun₄-na = elevated chapel-shrine of Nanna at the top of the ziggurat; dub-la₂-maḥ = the great forecourt, where the divine assembly gathered to decree fates; si-ĝar kalag-ga (line 31) = the mighty net or trap — a divine net stretched over enemies, common in Sumerian royal literature as a metaphor for the king's military domination; im-mi-in-gib-ba = he stretched/bent it; Ningal (lines 43–44) = Nanna's consort, great lady of Ur, named explicitly as she who decrees fate for the king; Ninlil (lines 48–49) = Enlil's consort, invoked to "give new birth" to the king — a ritual renewal image found across Ur III royal literature.

Translation independently derived from the Sumerian transliteration (ETCSL c.2.4.1.6). Reference translation t.2.4.1.6 was not consulted. A Good Works Translation. New Tianmu Anglican Church.
Translated by: Liberation Translator tulku (Run 53), 2026-03-22.

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Source Text

Ur-Namma F (ETCSL c.2.4.1.6) — Sumerian Transliteration

Transliteration from ETCSL composite text. Conventions: / \ = partially preserved sign; [ ] = lacuna; X = undeciphered sign; ! = correction; < > = supplied; « » = scribal error noted.

  1. [ur₃]-bad₃ kug-ga-ta hi-li gur₃-ru
  2. /urim₂\ki uš-u₂-zu he₂-ĝal₂ ki us₂-sa
  3. asil₃-la₂-a uru₂ u₃-mu-un-zu he₂-a-u₅!
  4. dur-dNamma he₂-a-u₅!
  5. sun₄ za-gin₃ sud₄-sud₄ he₂-a-u₅!
  6. gu₂-en-ta en sukud-da ed₂-de₃-bi-ta nir-ĝal₂
  7. abula-zu e₃-<a> a maḥ gaba-šu-ĝar nu-tuku
  8. eš₃ urim₂ki šag₄-zu kur he₂-ĝal₂ bar-zu /ḥur-saĝ\ he-<nun-na>
  9. e₂-kiš-nu-ĝal₂ ḥur-saĝ galam-ma šag₄-bi lu₂ nu-zu
  10. e₂-zu! kur gi-rin-na mu-zu šag₄ gur-ra
  11. en-zu en sig₇-ga mu pad₃-da
  12. dumu dNin-sumun₂ me-te kur-kur-ra
  13. e₂ me gal-zu rab₃ dijir-re-e-ne kalam-ma la₂-am₃
  14. kan₄-zu dijir-zu dijir sig₇-ga mu pad₃-da
  15. ĝal₂ da₁₃-da₁₃-bi(ms: GA) dUtu an-ur₂-ta ud mi-ni-in-ĝar-ra
  16. /gi-sa₂-zu ki nam tar-ra dijir-re-e-ne di si sa₂ ku₅-ru-de₃
  17. [da]-/nun-na dijir an ki-ka ad mi-ni-in-gi-gi-ne
  18. [...] X-zu-ta munus zid giri₁₇-zal a-a gu₂ peš-a
  19. [šag₄-ga-zu-ta] ĝiš-ḥur kug-ga-a ḥul-ĝal₂ [nu]-/mu-[un]-dab₅!-be₂
  20. [e₂ gi]-/gun₄-na ninda-ba-bi ki-bal kuš₇ [su₃-su₃]
  21. [dub-la₂]-/maḥ\ ki nam tar-re-za
  22. [dijir] /gal-gal-e-ne nam mi-ni-tar-re-ne
  23. ki-en-gi ki-uri uĝ₃ saĝ gig₂-ga
  24. dur-dNamma dSuen šag₄-ge ba-ni-in-pad₃
  25. lugal hi-li gur₃-ru me-lem₄ kalam-ma dul-la
  26. me-e enu₃-mu-un-ra mi₂ zid-de₃-eš
  27. dur-dNamma ga-an-i-i-de₃
  28. dur-dNamma hi-li gur₃-ru me-lem₄ kalam-ma dul-la
  29. dur-dNamma dAš-im₂-babbar šag₄-ge ba-ni-in-pad₃
  30. ĝiš-rab₃-ba kur-kur-ra im-mi-in-ĝar
  31. si-ĝar kalag-ga im-mi-in-gib-ba lugal dSuen-ra tum₂-ma-am₃
  32. niĝ₂-erim₂ igi-ni-še₃ nu-dib₂-be₂
  33. niĝ₂-si-sa₂ dur-dNamma niĝ₂-gur₁₁ sa₂ bi₂-in-dug₄
  34. za-pa-aĝ₂-ĝa₂-ni-še₃ kur erim₂-ma bi₂-in-ĝar
  35. ki-bal-bi mu-un-sig₁₀ dur-dNamma maškim im-me
  36. lugal-e e₂ dSuen-na-ke₄
  37. id₂Idigna id₂Buranuna dur-<d>Namma-ke₄ nam mu-ni-ib₂-«BI»-tar-re!
  38. [d]/Utu\ an-ur₂-ta e₃-a-ba
  39. [nam]-/lu₂-ulu₃ ḥu-mu-ši-ib₂-daĝal-e-ne
  40. [d]Nin-sumun₂-ka ḥu-mu-ni-in-dib₂-dib₂-be₂ u₆ di X X
  41. [nin]-/bi\ nin niĝ₂-gur₁₁-e ki aĝ₂
  42. [ki] /aĝ₂-ĝa₂-na-ke₄ dur-dNamma-ke₄ nam mu-ni-ib-tar-re
  43. [d]/Nin-gal nin-bi nin niĝ₂-gur₁₁-e ki aĝ₂
  44. [munus a] nun-na-ke₄ dur-dNamma-ke₄ «niĝ₂-gur₁₁-e ki aĝ₂» <nam mu-ni-ib-tar-re>
  45. /sipad\ dur-dNamma-ke₄ il₂ e₂ dSuen-na-še₃ sun₄ za-gin₃ sud₄-sud₄
  46. dNin-X ḥu-mu-ni-ib-dib₂-dib₂-be₂
  47. X dug₃-ga-am₃ hi-li-ba ku₇-ku₇-dam «nu?»
  48. [d]/Nin-lil₂-le ud-da u₃-tud-da-gin₇
  49. [dumu] [d]/Nin-sumun₂-na-ke₄ za-e ḥu-mu-ra-u₃-tud
  50. sipad-da an kug-ga ḥu-/mu-[...]
  51. sipad dur-dNamma-da saĝ [...]
  52. šir₃-nam-šub dNanna-/kam!\

Source Colophon

ETCSL c.2.4.1.6. Sumerian royal hymn, Third Dynasty of Ur. Transliteration from the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Primary print edition: Flückiger-Hawker, Urnamma of Ur in Sumerian Literary Tradition (1999).

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