Great lord, exalted above the gods —
your judgments are masterful and mighty!

Great lord, exalted above the gods —
your judgments are masterful and mighty!
Father Enki, respected one, supreme dragon,
who determines the fates firmly,
seated upon the great multitude of divine powers,
resplendent in true radiance —
great prince, guardian of the gods,
[...] in holy An's [...].

[...] [...].
[...] [...].
The fates you determine hold fast —
you are the junior Enlil.
For the Anuna, the great gods,
you distribute the divine powers.
You lay out for them a foundation, a holy dwelling —
you are their proud lord.
Your greatness is something hands cannot approach [...].
The abzu, mountain built with princely divine powers, in a pure place [...];
the great marsh, the marsh heavy with snakes —
Eridug, the shrine [...].

(Sa-gida.)

Father Enki, may [...] for Išme-Dagan [...].

(Ĝišgiĝal of the sa-gida.)

Enki, lord, firstborn son of An [...],
Nudimmud, great bull of the abzu [...] —
may you, with your consort holy Damgalnuna, [...].
Father Enki, may you embrace her
and soothe your heart with her.
Speak fair words on behalf of Išme-Dagan [...].
The king's prayer until distant days [...].
Blessed by the true word of Enlil [...],
Išme-Dagan the shepherd, in the decree [...],
the son of Enlil [...]:
may his divine radiance cover the Land,
to the ends of heaven and earth [...].
Let him have authority; in all the teeming lands
let him be without rival.
Išme-Dagan, from the south to the uplands [...],
the god of the Land sings the song befitting him [...].
May the Tigris and Euphrates [...] bring him abundance.
May the udders of heaven open for him;
may his harvest [...].
On the vast fields, barley, emmer, wheat, gu-nida grain —
may they [...] for him.
May grain heaps rise from the granary-pits;
may Ezina [...].

(Sa-ĝara.)

Father Enki, bestow upon Išme-Dagan
kingship [...] and a reign of abundance as gift.

(Ĝišgiĝal of the sa-ĝara.)

Colophon

Translated from Sumerian (ETCSL c.2.5.4.04) by the Good Works Library, 2026. ETCSL English translation (t.2.5.4.04) consulted as reference for difficult and damaged lines; all English independently derived from the Sumerian transliteration. Genre designation uncertain (ETCSL marks as "adab (?)"). Segment B lines 1–2 entirely damaged; lines 12–27 contain numerous lacunae, indicated by [...]. Scribal credit: liberation-translator, 2026-03-21.

© 2026 Tianmu Anglican Church. This English translation is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: you may share and adapt it for non-commercial use with credit to the Good Works Library, tianmu.org. The source text keeps its own terms. For other uses, see Rights and Reuse.

Source Text

Sumerian Transliteration (ETCSL c.2.5.4.04)

Segment A

1. en gal mah X dijir-re-e-ne di-zu galam u18-ru
2. a-a den-ki nir-jal2 ucum zag dib nam ki-bi-ce3 tar-re
3. me lu-lu-a-ba dur2 jar-ra /ce-er-zid-de3-ec gun3-a
4. /nun\ gal saj kece2 [dijir]-re-e-ne [...] X an kug-ga

Segment B

1. X (X) IM [...]
2. KA ki-zu [...]
3. nam tar-ra-zu ki-bi-ce3 ci-jar den-lil2 ban3-da-me-/en\
4. da-nun-na dijir gal-gal-e-ne me cu mu-ni-ib2-hal-ha-X
5. ki-ur3 ki-tuc kug mu-ne-ja2-ja2 nir /saj il2-bi-me-en
6. nam-mah-zu nij2 cu nu-tej3-je26-dam A DU X [...]
7. abzu kur me nun-na du3-a ki sikil-la [...]
8. sug gal sug muc-a la2-a eridugki ec3 [...]
9. sa-gid2-da-[am3]
10. a-a den-ki dic-me-dda-gan [...] ki? tur gal he2-X [...]
11. jic-gi4-jal2 sa-gid2-[da-bi-im]
12. den-ki en dumu-saj an-na [...]
13. dnu-dim2-mud gud gal abzu-a X [...]
14. nitalam-zu kug ddam-gal-nun-na [...] he2-me-da-an-[...]
15. a-a den-ki gu2-da hu-mu-e-X-[la2 (X)] cag4 hu-mu-da-ab-/kuc2-[u3]
16. inim sag9-ga dic-me-dda-[gan-na] [...]
17. nam-cita2 lugal-la2 su3-/ra2\ [...]
18. gu3 zid de2-a den-lil2-la2 X [...]
19. dic-me-dda-gan sipad inim-ma [...] dumu den-lil2-/la2\ [...]
20. me-lem4-a-ni kalam-ma cu mu-ra-an-[...] an ki zag X [...]
21. nir he2-jal2 kur-kur lu-a-ba gaba gi4 na-[...-tuku]
22. dic-me-dda-gan sig-da igi-nim-ce3 [...]
23. mu-na-ab-du7 dijir kalam-ma-ke4 cir3-re [...]
24. id2idigna id2buranuna-e si hu-mu-X [...-sa2 (X)] he2-jal2 hu-mu-na-ab-[tum2-mu]
25. ubur an-na-ke4 jal2 hu-mu-na-ab-da13-[da13] buru14-bi he2-na-[...]
26. gana2 gal-gal-la ce ziz2 gig gu2-/nida\ [...] he2-[na-...]
27. guru7(X.MAC.U) PU2-e gu2 ha-mu-na-[ab-gur] dezina2 hu-mu-X-[...]
28. sa-jar-ra-[am3]
29. a- den-ki dic-me-dda-gan nam-lugal [...] bal he2-jal2-la saj-ec2 [...-rig7]
30. jic-gi4-/jal2\ sa-[jar-ra-bi-im]

Other hymns of Ishme-Dagan in the Good Works Library: Ishme-Dagan A — A Praise Poem of Ishme-Dagan · Ishme-Dagan B — An Adab to Bau for Ishme-Dagan · Ishme-Dagan C — A Hymn to Nibru and Išme-Dagan · Ishme-Dagan E — A Balbale to Enki for Išme-Dagan