Praise-Songs of the Gods and Cities of Sumer
The Zame Hymns are the oldest known hymn collection in world literature. They were found inscribed on twenty-four clay tablets in Room 31 at Tell Abu Salabikh in southern Iraq, dating to the Early Dynastic IIIa period — approximately 2600 BCE, a thousand years before the Hebrew Bible, five hundred years before even the earliest Akkadian literature.
The collection consists of sixty-eight short hymns plus a prologue and closing hymn. Each hymn names a Sumerian city, describes it in compressed, luminous images, then names the deity of that city and ends with the word za-me — "Praise." The effect is a sacred geography of southern Mesopotamia in miniature: a litany of every god and every holy place, sung in praise of Enlil, the Great Mountain, who allotted each city to its god.
The script is archaic Sumerian cuneiform from before the standardization of written language. Many readings remain uncertain even to specialists — signs within a single case were not yet arranged to reflect grammar or word order. Where the tablets are damaged or the meaning unclear, this translation marks the uncertainty honestly. What survives is still extraordinary: a world praising itself into being, city by city, god by god, five thousand years ago.
This is a Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated from the Sumerian transliteration of R. D. Biggs, Inscriptions from Tell Abu Salabikh, OIP 99 (University of Chicago, 1974), with reference to the score edition and translation of M. Krebernik and J. J. W. Lisman, The Sumerian Zame Hymns from Tell Abu Salabikh (Zaphon, 2020). Gospel register.
Prologue — Enlil at Nippur
The city grown together with heaven,
embracing heaven —
Nippur,
the Bond of Heaven and Earth:
Enlil, the Great Mountain,
Enlil, the princely lord,
authority itself,
the lord who shelters,
who does not turn back,
whose word is not overturned —
Enlil of the Anunna
established the places.
The great gods
spoke praise.
Hymn 1 — Ninunug of Kullaba
Uruk of the twin standard,
Kullaba —
the place where the lord is born:
Ninunug — Praise.
Hymn 2 — Inanna of Kullaba
The wall of brick-born Kullaba,
the watch-place,
Inanna of the blazing fire,
the coming and going —
Inanna of the flame:
completed,
the courtyard of heaven,
the courtyard of heaven and earth —
Kullaba, like heaven
whose hand none can stay:
Inanna — Praise.
Hymn 3 — Lord Nudimmud of the Abzu
The Abzu, place of the great mountain,
the crown of heaven and earth:
Lord Nudimmud — Praise.
Hymn 4 — Asalluhi of Kuara
Kuara, the princely gleam:
Asalluhi — Praise.
Hymn 5 — Nanna of Ur
Ur, fragrance of the mountain:
King Nanna — Praise.
Hymn 6 — Utu
The house of Utu, the offering-place of the great altar:
King Utu — Praise.
Hymn 7 — Ningal of Ur
The place where the noble are born and reborn:
Mother Ningal — Praise.
Hymn 8 — An
The great lambs of the shining reed,
the wide pasture, the udder of heaven:
An — Praise.
Hymn 9 — Damgalnuna of Eridu
Behind the wind, heaven and earth, Eridu:
Damgalnuna — Praise.
Hymn 10 — Ninum of Zabalam
Inanna of the mountain,
mountain of the pure maiden,
Inanna of Uruk, the great storehouse,
the heaped granary-treasure of Zabalam,
abundance, light:
Ninum — Praise.
Hymn 11
The length of the land,
the storm and the light:
The-Great-Wild-Bull-of-the-Nobles — Praise.
Hymn 12
The water-house, the offering-place of light:
The-Shining-One — Praise.
Hymn 13
The corner of the standard, light:
The-Storehouse-Keeper — Praise.
Hymn 14 — Ninbilulu
The canal, the stars, the meadow,
Ninmar of delight, of the mountain —
the Euphrates, the noble road, the edge,
the Tigris and the Euphrates,
flowing and flowing:
Ninbilulu — Praise.
Hymn 15 — Lord of the Underworld
The city of the Underworld,
the great courtyard of heaven and earth,
shade falling low —
Enki and Ninki:
Lord of the Underworld — Praise.
Hymn 16 — Zababa of Kish
Kish, the perfect bull:
Zababa — Praise.
Hymn 17 — Ashgi of Adab
Adab, the princely authority,
heaven's awesome splendour:
Ashgi — Praise.
Hymn 18 — Nintu of Kesh
Kesh of the born bricks,
the little birth-mound:
Mother Nintu — Praise.
Hymn 19 — Mes-sanga-Unug
The reed, the lord, the place, the pure place:
Mes-sanga-Unug — Praise.
Hymn 20 — Men
Heaven's anointed priest, the noble child,
the courtyard of the lord, grown with heaven:
Men — Praise.
Hymn 21 — Ninsun
The reed, the lord, the shining place:
Guardian-spirit Ninsun — Praise.
Hymn 22 — Lugalbanda
The young calf of the mountain, the noble corner:
Lugalbanda — Praise.
Hymn 23 — Ishkur
The storm, the arrow, the barley, the roar:
Ishkur — Praise.
Hymn 24 — Nisaba of Eresh
The noble grain of Eresh,
Nisaba, noble, possessing, touched, deceitful:
Nisaba — Praise.
Hymn 25 — Nin-ildumma
The carpenter-house, the noble carpenter,
measured and weighed,
measured and equal,
the price of silver,
the casting in the mould:
Nin-ildumma — Praise.
Hymn 26 — Ab-gid-gid
The quay of offerings poured:
Ab-gid-gid — Praise.
Hymn 27 — Ki-ki-hu
The deep waters, the pool:
Ki-ki-hu — Praise.
Hymn 28 — Ashnan
The storehouse of grain,
the place of Ashnan:
Ashnan — Praise.
Hymn 29 — Ninur of Umma
Umma, the harvest-field:
Ninur — Praise.
Hymn 30 — Shara
Heaven and earth, the bull, the broken crown:
Shara — Praise.
Hymn 31 — Gatumdug of Lagash
Lagash, the sweet rain:
Gatumdug — Praise.
Hymn 32 — Nanshe
Nanshe, the carpenter of heaven, of the Sea,
Nanshe touched,
the great standards,
heaven's lady-of-the-city, the powers,
the offering-place, the carpenter,
the lady of the Sea, the powers, abundance:
Nanshe — Praise.
Hymn 33 — Ningirsu
Girsu,
the house of the noble storehouse:
Ningirsu — Praise.
Hymn 34 — Ningublaga
The festival offering-place, multicoloured:
Ningublaga — Praise.
Hymn 35
The noble dust-mound,
the dust, the wood, the clay, the hide,
the dust, the wood, the skin, the reed, the leather,
the marsh, the animal-pens,
sweet water flowing:
The-King-of-Heaven-and-Earth — Praise.
Hymn 36 — Ninazu of Enegi
The reed, the lord, the place,
the Sea, the donkey,
the rope and the staff,
the wild bull and the ox,
the rope and the staff,
the wild bull returning,
barley, the offering, the cutting,
the wind,
the animal and the dam of the barley-field —
Ninazu:
the Sea, the poplar, the poplar:
Ninazu — Praise.
Hymn 37 — Engur
The reeds of the south, the barley, the arrow, the roar:
Engur — Praise.
Hymn 38 — Nin-ab-gid
The far-shore,
Inanna:
Nin-ab-gid — Praise.
Hymn 39 — Namnir
The field, the garden, the noble dust:
Namnir — Praise.
Hymn 40 — Gan-nun-gal
The great garden, the side and the marker:
Gan-nun-gal — Praise.
Hymn 41 — Lamma-saga
The guardian-spirit of heaven and earth,
the mother of Uruk, abundance, the blessed:
Lamma-saga — Praise.
Hymn 42 — Bilgi
Bilgi of Eridu,
Dilmun the great,
beyond Bilgi — wonder,
wonder and fear:
The place of Bilgi — Praise.
Hymn 43 — En-gal-te-ti
Heaven's cattle-pen, the bull, the offering-place, abundance,
the great perfection of the Sea:
En-gal-te-ti — Praise.
Hymn 44 — Ningirim
The place of the serpent-spell,
the iridescent, the rainbow, the harp:
Ningirim — Praise.
Hymn 45 — Nin-E-ki
The shining Sea:
Nin-E-ki — Praise.
Hymn 46 — Ninmar
The changed place, the distant heaven:
Ninmar — Praise.
Hymn 47 — Nin-kar-gal-na-du
The established place —
Nin-kar-gal-na-du:
from the noble storehouse, going forth — Praise.
Hymn 48 — Nin-kash-si-din
The beer-offering, the darkness:
Nin-kash-si-din — Praise.
Hymn 49 — Inanna-kur
The Sea,
the Sea-quay:
The crown, Inanna of the mountains — Praise.
Hymn 50 — Nin-zadim
The stone-cutter's offering:
Nin-zadim — Praise.
Hymn 51 — Ninsar
The carpenter-Sea,
the carpenter of heaven and earth:
Ninsar — Praise.
Hymn 52 — Sud of Shuruppak
Shuruppak, the noble storehouse of the mountain:
Sud, the noble — Praise.
Hymn 53 — Nin-...
The coffer of the bull, the noble powers:
Nin-... — Praise.
Hymn 54 — Nin-A-NE
The water and the fire, the knowing lord:
Nin-A-NE — Praise.
Hymn 55 — Nin-in
The carpenter of heaven and earth, the dwelling:
Nin-in — Praise.
Hymn 56
(Damaged — text largely lost across all tablets)
... Nin-...-ki — Praise.
Hymn 57 — Me-dim-tuim
The wood, the ..., the water,
the sweet lord:
Me-dim-tuim — Praise.
Hymn 58 — Lugal-...
The saddled donkey, the light:
Lugal-... — Praise.
Hymn 59 — Nu-NUNUZ-du
Kisig:
Nu-NUNUZ-du — Praise.
Hymn 60 — Lugal-kud-da
The noble lord of the storehouse,
the herald indeed:
Lugal-kud-da — Praise.
Hymn 61 — Dam-mi
The festival of the fat-tailed sheep, born:
Dam-mi — Praise.
Hymn 62
The lord, the noble of the wild-land:
The-Shepherd-Lord — Praise.
Hymn 63 — Nin-al-shul
The festival of heaven:
Nin-al-shul — Praise.
Hymn 64 — Amar-engur-na
The long field,
the noble crown:
Amar-engur-na — Praise.
(The water-place of heaven and reed.)
Hymn 65 — Tu-da
Heaven and earth, the lord born:
Tu-da — Praise.
Hymn 66 — Ama-ushum-gal
The ... garden, the water, the horn,
the gleaming city,
the wide lane of Kullaba,
the crown, hand and life:
the ...
Ama-ushum-gal — Praise.
Hymn 67 — Nin-NAGAR
The house from the beginning,
Inanna of the crown,
the light of the Judge,
Ninmes,
the storehouse of the light,
cast in the mould:
Nin-NAGAR — Praise.
Hymn 68 — Lisin of the Reedbed
The reedbed, the sweet place.
... the name ...
Mother Lisin.
The reedbed, the sweet place,
... the name ...
The praises have been spoken
to the great gods.
Mother Lisin — Praise.
Colophon
The Zame Hymns are the oldest known collection of hymns in world literature. They were inscribed on twenty-four clay tablets and fragments — at least seven distinct copies — excavated from Room 31 at Tell Abu Salabikh in southern Iraq, dating to the Early Dynastic IIIa period, approximately 2600 BCE. The room was likely a temple scriptorium associated with the goddess Lisin, whose hymn closes the collection and whose cult centre appears to have been Abu Salabikh itself, referred to in the text as the "reedbed" (GES.GI).
The collection comprises a prologue describing Enlil of Nippur allotting cult-places to the gods, sixty-seven hymns praising individual deities and their cities across southern Mesopotamia, and a closing hymn returning to Lisin at the place of composition. Each hymn ends with the Sumerian word za-me (later za-mi) — "Praise." The text is a sacred geography: a litany of every god and every holy city in the Sumerian world, from Nippur and Uruk to Eridu and Ur, from Kish and Lagash to obscure shrines whose names survive nowhere else.
The script is archaic Sumerian cuneiform from before the standardization of written language. In Early Dynastic cuneiform, signs within a single case (a square or rectangular unit on the tablet) were not necessarily arranged in the order they were meant to be read — a fundamental difficulty that makes translation genuinely uncertain. Many deity names and city descriptions remain ambiguous. The specialists who produced the first integral translation in 2020 called their own edition "not definitive."
The transliteration was first published by Robert D. Biggs in Inscriptions from Tell Abu Salabikh, Oriental Institute Publications 99 (University of Chicago, 1974). The first complete score edition and integral English translation was produced by Manfred Krebernik and Jan J. W. Lisman in The Sumerian Zame Hymns from Tell Abu Salabikh (DUBSAR 12, Zaphon Verlag, 2020). This Good Works Translation follows the Biggs transliteration with reference to the Krebernik-Lisman edition.
This is a Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Gospel register.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text
Sumerian (Composite Transliteration)
Source: R. D. Biggs, Inscriptions from Tell Abu Salabikh, Oriental Institute Publications 99 (University of Chicago, 1974), pp. 45–56. Tablets IAS Nos. 257–277. Source sigla (e.g., ACDGH) before each line indicate which of the twenty tablets preserve that line. Letters in brackets indicate damaged or uncertain readings. The text is Early Dynastic Sumerian cuneiform (c. 2600 BCE) — signs within one case were not necessarily arranged in reading order.
PROLOGUE — Enlil at Nippur (lines 1-14)
AE 1 uru an-da mu
AE 2 an-da gi-la
AE 3 dingir EN.LIL.KI
AEQ 4 dur-an-ki
AEQ 5 dEn-lil kur-gal
AEQ 6 dEn-lil nu en
ACE 7 nam-nir
ACE 8 en dul-ga
ACE 9 nu gi4-gi4
ACH 10 LAK 809 nu LAK 809
AH 11 dEn-lil a-nun
ADH 12 ki mu-gar-gar
ADGH 13 dingir-gal-gal
ACDGH 14 za-mi mu-du11
Hymn 1 — Ninunug of Kullaba (lines 15-18)
ACDGH 15 unug LAK 31 mas
ACDGH 16 Kul-aba(UNUG)
ADGH 17 an ki en tu
ADG 18 dNin-unug za-mi
Hymn 2 — Inanna of Kullaba (lines 19-29)
ADG 19 sa-e sig4-Kul-aba(UNUG)
A 20 en-nun tu-tu
A 21 IN[ANNA] gis [b]il
22 [x x] tu-[tu]
23 dInanna bil
ACEGQ 24 x til
ACEGQ 25 an-kisal
ACEGQ 26 an-ki-kisal
ACEG 27 Kul-aba(UNUG) an-gim
ACEG 28 su nu ti
ACEG 29 dInanna za-mi
Hymn 3 — En-te-hu-nu-du of the Abzu (lines 30-32)
ACEH 30 abzu ki-kur-gal
ABCEH 31 men-nun an-ki
BCEH 32 dEn te hu nu du10 za-mi
Hymn 4 — Asalluhi of Kuara (lines 33-34)
ABCH 33 HA.A nun-ir
ABCH 34 dAsal-lu-KAL za-mi
Hymn 5 — Nanna of Ur (lines 35-36)
ABCDH 35 Uri(SES.UNUG) sim-kur
ABCDGHP 36 lugal dNanna za-mi
Hymn 6 — Utu (lines 37-38)
ADG 37 e dUtu NINDA2 X GUD gisgal
ADG 38 lugal dUtu za-mi
Hymn 7 — Ningal of Ur (lines 39-40)
ACDG 39 ki-sar-nun-tu-tu
ACDG 40 ama dNin-gal za-mi
Hymn 8 — An (lines 41-43)
ACDG 41 IGI+SILA4(?) gal-gal gi nim
ACE 42 dag u1kal an ga
CE 43 An za-mi
Hymn 9 — Damgalnun(na) of Eridu(?) (lines 44-45)
ACE 44 egir hu an-ki NUN.KI
ACEH 45 dDam-gal-nun za-mi
Hymn 10 — Ninum/Inanna of Zabalam (lines 46-51)
ABCEH 46 dInanna kur
ABCEH 47 kur ki-sikil
ABCEH 48 INANNA.UNUG ban-ku-la
ABCEH 49 kar gur7-gur7-nun Zabalam(INANNA.AB)
ABCH 50 hu ud
ABCH 51 dNin-um za-mi
Hymn 11 — (lines 52-54)
ABCH 52 GID kalam
ABC 53 mar-uru5 ud
ABC 54 am-gal-nun za-mi
Hymn 12 — (lines 55-56)
ABDG 55 A.IA ur NINDA2 X GUD ud
ABDG 56 a2-DU-UD za-mi
Hymn 13 — (lines 57-58)
ACDG 57 ub LAK 31 ud
ACDG 58 ban-ku-la za-mi
Hymn 14 — Ninbilulu (lines 59-64)
ACDG 59 rad mul bur
ACD 60 dNin-mar la-la za-za kur
ACDE 61 buranun kaskal nun bar
ACDEH 62 idigna buranun
ACDEH 63 hur-hur-du
ABCDEH 64 dNin-bi-lu-lu za-mi
Hymn 15 — GIR.UNUG/Nergal(?) (lines 65-69)
ABCEH 65 GIR.UNUG
ABCEH 66 dag-gal an-ki
ABCEH 67 gissu sig
ABCEH 68 dEn-ki dNin-ki
ABCH 69 dGIR.UNUG za-mi
Hymn 16 — Zababa of Kish (lines 70-71)
ABC 70 kis gud-du7
ABC 71 dZa-ba4-ba4 za-mi
Hymn 17 — Asgi of Adab (lines 72-74)
ABC 72 UD.NUN nir BU.NUN
AB 73 an ni ab kus
AB 74 dAR x DIS-gi4 za-mi
Hymn 18 — Nintu of Kesh (lines 75-77)
AB 75 kes sig4-tu-tu
ABC 76 tumukn-gun-tur
ABC 77 ama dNin-tu za-mi
Hymn 19 — Mes-sanga-unug (lines 78-79)
ABC 78 gi en ki ki-sikil
ABCDH 79 dMes-sanga-unug za-mi
Hymn 20 — Men (lines 80-82)
CDH 80 an gudu4 dumu-nun
ACDEH 81 kisal en an-da mu
ABCDEH 82 dMen za-mi
Hymn 21 — Ninsun (lines 83-84)
ABCDEH 83 gi en ki zalag2 ki
ABCDEH 84 lamma dNin-sun za-mi
Hymn 22 — Lugalbanda (lines 85-86)
ABCDEH 85 ba4 amar kur ub nun
ABCDH 86 dLugal-ban-da za-mi
Hymn 23 — Iskur (lines 87-88)
ABCK 87 IM ti se gu
ABCK 88 dIM za-mi
Hymn 24 — Nisaba of Eresh (lines 89-91)
ABC 89 LAK 4 nun Eres2(NISABA).KI
ABC 90 NISABA nun ta tuku te lul
AB 91 dNisaba za-mi
Hymn 25 — Nin-ildumma (lines 92-97)
AB 92 nagar NAGAR.GID nun
AB 93 gin SE+GUG
AB 94 gin [gim]
BC 95 sum ku-babbar
BC 96 bulugx(NAGAR) zax(LAK 798)-gin
BCL1 97 dNin-ildumma(NAGAR.GID) za-mi
Hymn 26 — Ab-gid-gid (lines 98-99)
BCL1 98 kar LAK 159 a de-de
BCL1 99 dAb-gid-gid za-mi
Hymn 27 — Ki-ki-hu (lines 100-101)
ABCDEL1 100 ABx AS a SUG
ABCDEL1 101 dKi-ki-hu za-mi
Hymn 28 — Asnan (lines 102-103)
ABCDU 102 AB x su
ABCD 103 ki dAsnan za-mi
Hymn 29 — Ninur of Umma (lines 104-105)
ABCD 104 Umma(GIS.UH) ur4-sal
ABCDK 105 dNin-ur za-mi
Hymn 30 — Sara (lines 106-107)
ABCDK 106 an ki gud x e sag-dar
BCK 107 dSara za-mi
Hymn 31 — Gatumdug of Lagash (lines 108-109)
BC 108 Lagas im-ku7
BC 109 dGA-tim-dug za-mi
Hymn 32 — Nanse (lines 110-116)
BC 110 nanse nagar an Ab
BC 111 dNanse tag
BC 112 LAK 31 gal-gal
BC 113 an nin-urux(EN) mes
BCL1 114 NINDA2 X GUD nagar
BCL1 115 nin ab mes HU
BCL1 116 dNanse za-mi
Hymn 33 — Ningirsu (lines 117-119)
BCEJ 117 gir-su
BCJ 118 e-gir-nun
BCJ 119 dNin-gir-su za-mi
Hymn 34 — Ningublaga (lines 120-121)
BCJM 120 gublaga(EZEN X LA) NINDA2 X GUD dar
BCJM 121 dNin-gublaga(EZEN X LA) za-mi
Hymn 35 — (obscure) (lines 122-127)
ABCJM 122 SAHAR gid nun
ABCDIJK 123 SAHAR gis mud gik
ABCDIK 124 SAHAR gis mug gi kus
ABCDIK 125 sug subur subur
ABCDI 126 ri a li du10
ABCD 127 lugal an did du za-mi
Hymn 36 — Ninazu of Enegi (lines 128-139)
ABCDK 128 gi en ki
BC 129 Ab anse x
BCKL1 130 gu astil
BCL1 131 am gud na
BCL1 132 gu as til
BC 133 am gu gi4
BCF 134 se ES.BU.NUN ka kud
BCF 135 im x
BCF 136 ur mi na dam se
BCF 137 dNin-a-zux
BCJ 138 Ab asal asal
BCJ 139 dNin-a-zux za-mi
Hymn 37 — Engur/Nammu (lines 140-141)
BCJ 140 Su ES gi ti se gu
BCJ 141 dENGUR za-mi
Hymn 38 — Nin-ab-gid (lines 142-144)
BCIJ 142 ab-gid
BCJ 143 dINANNA
BCJ 144 dNin-ab-gid za-mi
Hymn 39 — Namnir (lines 145-146)
BCDIJ 145 ge gan sahar nun
BCDIJ 146 dNam-nir za-mi
Hymn 40 — Gan-nun-gal (lines 147-148)
BCI 147 gan gal da ni gar
BCI 148 gan nun gal za-mi
Hymn 41 — Lamma-saga (lines 149-151)
BCI 149 lamma-an-ki
BC 150 ama unug(?) ga ha-nun
BC 151 dLamma-sa6-ga za-mi
Hymn 42 — BIL.GI (lines 152-156)
BF 152 BIL.GI NUN.KI
BF 153 dilmun gal
BF 154 bar BIL.GI u6-di
BF 155 u6 erim
BCF 156 ki dBIL.GI za-mi
Hymn 43 — En-gal-te-ti (lines 157-159)
BCF 157 an kurusda gud NINDA2 X GUD hu
BCF 158 x gal du7 Ab
BCF 159 dEn-gal-te ti za-mi
Hymn 44 — Ningirim (lines 160-162)
BCIJ 160 A.HA.MUS.DU
BCIJ 161 ir-ha-an MUS.DIN.DAR.BALAG
BCIJ 162 dNin-girim(A.HA.MUS.DU) za-mi
Hymn 45 — Nin-E-ki (lines 163-164)
BCIJ 163 Ab-x Ab-babbar
BCI 164 dNin-E-ki za-mi
Hymn 46 — Ninmar (lines 165-166)
BCIJ 165 ki bal mar an
BCI 166 dNin-mar za-mi
Hymn 47 — Nin-kar-gal-na-du (lines 167-169)
B 167 na-du
BCI 168 dNin-kar-gal-na-du
BCI 169 SIR(LAK 24) e-nun-ta e za-mi
Hymn 48 — Nin-kas-si-din (lines 170-171)
BCL1 170 kas din du tu si6
BL1 171 dNin-kas-si-din za-mi
Hymn 49 — Inanna kur (lines 172-174)
BF 172 ab
CF 173 ab KAR
BCF 174 KAR dMen Inanna kur kur za-mi
Hymn 50 — Nin-zadim (lines 175-176)
BCF 175 SUN dEZEN X KU
BCF 176 dNin-zadim za-mi
Hymn 51 — Ninsar (lines 177-179)
BCFR 177 ab-NAGAR
BCJR 178 NAGAR an-ki
179 dNin-sar za-mi
Hymn 52 — Sud of Shuruppak (lines 180-181)
BCJ 180 su+KUR+RU ban nun kur
BCJL1 181 dSud nun za-mi
Hymn 53 — Nin-PISAN X MUS (lines 182-183)
BCIJL1 182 PISAN x MUS gud nun me
BCILIP 183 dNin-PISAN X MUS za-mi
Hymn 54 — Nin-A-NE (lines 184-185)
CIL1P 184 a NE en zu
CI 185 dNin-A-NE za-mi
Hymn 55 — Nin-in (lines 186-187)
BCI 186 nagar an ki in
CI 187 dNin-in za-mi
Hymn 56 — (damaged) (lines 188-192)
188 ni(?) a[...
189 an x [...
190 [missing]
191 x
192 dNin-x-k[i](?) za-mi
Hymn 57 — Me-dim-tuim (lines 193-195)
F 193 gis PI ax
F 194 en du10
F 195 dMe-dim-tuim za-mi
Hymn 58 — Lugal-SAHAR-EZEN X AN (lines 196-197)
BFL1 196 sumas anse ud
BFL1 197 dLugal-SAHAR-EZEN X AN za-mi
Hymn 59 — Nu-NUNUZ-du (lines 198-199)
BFJL1 198 Kisig(EZEN X SIG7).KI
BJL1 199 dNu-NUNUZ-du10 za-mi
Hymn 60 — Lugal-kud-da (lines 200-202)
ABJ 200 en ban nun
ABJ 201 nimgir na-nam
ABCJ 202 dLugal-kud-da za-mi
Hymn 61 — Dam-mi (lines 203-204)
ABJ 203 EZEN X NIMGIR(?) gukkal tu
ABCI 204 dDam-mi za-mi
Hymn 62 — (lines 205-206)
BCINO 205 SAR X DIS en KUS.A.EDIN nun
BCINO 206 nu en lu gid za-mi
Hymn 63 — Nin-al-sul (lines 207-208)
BNO 207 s ga EZEN X AN
BL2 208 gin(?) Nin-al-sul za-mi
Hymn 64 — Amar-engur-na (lines 209-212)
BCL2S 209 a-sa gid
BCL3S 210 men nun
BCL3S 211 dAmar-engur-na za-mi
BCL3 212 ki a an gi
Hymn 65 — Tu-da (lines 213-214)
BC 213 an ki en tu
BC 214 dTu-da za-mi
Hymn 66 — Ama-usum-gal (lines 215-220)
BC 215 x SAR X DIS d a si
BC 216 tiur-na
BC 217 sil-dagal Kul-aba(UNUG)
BCF 218 men su til
BCF 219 ha-GAM+GAM
BF 220 dAma-usum-gal za-mi
Hymn 67 — Nin-NAGAR (lines 221-227)
BCF 221 e sa-ta
BCF 222 INANNA men
BCF 223 ud dKA.DI
BCF 224 dNin-mes
BF 225 ban sa ud
BFN 226 LAK 489 zax(LAK 798)-gin
BF 227 dNin-NAGAR za-mi
Hymn 68 — Lisin of GES.GI (lines 228-235)
BC 228 gis-gi ki-du10
BC 229 x nam ma
BC 230 ama dLis-si4
BCJ 231 gis-gi ki-du10
BCJ 232 x nam-ma
BCJ 233 za-mi du11-ga
BCJ 234 dingir gal-gal
BCJ 235 ama dLis-si4 za-mi
UNPLACED FRAGMENT (Source R, probably lines 188-191)
R 1 e-an-ki
R 2 lugal gu si me
R 3 nun se sun(?) a lu
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END OF TRANSLITERATION
Source Colophon
The Sumerian text of the Zame Hymns is preserved on twenty-four tablets and fragments excavated from Room 31 at Tell Abu Salabikh in southern Iraq, identified as IAS (Inscriptions from Abu Salabikh) Nos. 257–277. The tablets date to the Early Dynastic IIIa period, approximately 2600 BCE, making them among the oldest literary cuneiform texts in existence. At least seven distinct copies of the composition are attested across the tablets, indicating careful scribal transmission within what was likely a temple scriptorium.
The composite transliteration above follows Robert D. Biggs, Inscriptions from Tell Abu Salabikh, Oriental Institute Publications 99 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), the original publication of the texts. The OIP 99 volume is freely available from the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) at the University of Chicago. An updated score edition with additional tablet joins and improved readings was published by Manfred Krebernik and Jan J. W. Lisman in The Sumerian Zame Hymns from Tell Abu Salabikh (DUBSAR 12, Zaphon Verlag, Munster, 2020).
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