A Balbale to Suen — An Old Babylonian balbale — a liturgical devotional poem — to Suen (Nanna), the Sumerian moon god, celebrated as divine herdsman of the lunar herd, beloved of Enlil, and lord of Ur. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
A Hymn to Enlil (Enlil A) — The great Sumerian hymn to Enlil, lord of Nippur, celebrating his speech, his city, and the E-kur temple. ETCSL 4.05.1, 171 lines.
A Hymn to Ninsina for Iddin-Dagan — A royal hymn praising Ninsina, warrior goddess of Isin, on behalf of Iddin-Dagan, king of Isin (c. 1953–1935 BCE). The hymn moves from fierce praise of the goddess as storm and lion to a fourfold protective prayer invoking An, Enlil, and Ninlil against the king's enemies.
A Hymn to Nisaba — The great Sumerian hymn to Nisaba, goddess of grain and the scribal arts — celebrating her cosmic splendor, her celestial knowledge, her gifts of wisdom and writing to humankind, and her deep bond with Enki of the Abzu. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
A Hymn to Utu — A fragmentary Sumerian hymn to Utu, the sun god and divine judge — celebrating his movement across the sky, his shaking of the heavens, the multicolored aura of his rising, and his role as the father of justice for all the dark-haired people of the land. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
An Adab to Ningublaga for Iddin-Dagan — A royal hymn of the adab genre addressed to Ningublaga, moon deity and son of Nanna, praising him as warrior-champion and divine intercessor for Iddin-Dagan, king of Isin (c. 1953–1935 BCE).
Iddin-Dagan A — A Sacred Marriage Hymn to Inana — A ten-strophe sir-namursaj (heroic praise hymn) celebrating the Sacred Marriage between Inana and king Iddin-Dagan of Isin (c. 1974–1954 BCE), tracing Inana's divine attributes, a ceremonial procession, her evening-star appearance, the preparation of the marriage bed, and the royal union.
Iddin-Dagan B — A Praise Poem of Iddin-Dagan — A royal praise hymn celebrating the divine election, just rule, and military might of Iddin-Dagan, king of Isin, c. 1953–1935 BCE.
Ishme-Dagan A — A Praise Poem of Ishme-Dagan — A royal self-praise poem by Ishme-Dagan, king of Isin (c. 1953–1935 BCE). One of the longest surviving royal hymns in Sumerian. Segment A complete: cosmic hymn to Enlil, divine gifts at birth, justice mandate, sacred marriage petition, Ekur service, scribal and musical arts, and closing doxology. Segments B–D (fragmentary): temple installations, musical acclamations, and closing doxology.
Ishme-Dagan B — An Adab to Bau for Ishme-Dagan — An adab to the healing and nurturing goddess Bau on behalf of Ishme-Dagan, king of Isin (c. 1953–1935 BCE), praising her cosmic offices in the Ekur, her marriage to Ningirsu and governance of Lagash, and concluding with Enlil's lavish decree of agricultural abundance and exalted kingship for the king.
Ishme-Dagan C — A Hymn to Nibru and Išme-Dagan — A short Sumerian city-praise hymn addressed to the sacred shrine of Nibru (Nippur), celebrating its divine residents — Enlil, Ninlil, Ninurta, and the great minister Nuska — and presenting Išme-Dagan as the city's devoted provider, who casts himself at its feet.
Ishme-Dagan D — An Adab to Enki for Išme-Dagan — A fragmentary adab (genre uncertain) to Enki on behalf of Išme-Dagan, king of Isin (c. 1953–1935 BCE), praising Enki as supreme judge among the gods, distributor of divine powers, and lord of the abzu at Eridug, then petitioning through his consort Damgalnuna for the king's radiant authority and a full agricultural blessing.
Ishme-Dagan E — A Balbale to Enki for Išme-Dagan — A heavily damaged balbale (lyric hymn) to Enki for Išme-Dagan, king of Isin (c. 1953–1935 BCE), preserving a series of Enki epithets praising him as counsellor of An, foremost of the gods, and great bull of Eridug, with a closing petition for the king's longevity.
Lipit-Ishtar A — A Praise Poem of Lipit-Ishtar — A royal self-praise composition in which Lipit-Ishtar, king of Isin (c. 1934–1924 BCE), proclaims his divine election, military might, agricultural abundance, temple devotion, and just rule over Sumer and Akkad.
Lipit-Ishtar B — A Praise Poem of Lipit-Ishtar — A royal praise hymn for Lipit-Ishtar, king of Isin (c. 1934–1924 BCE), celebrating his divine election, the gifts of wisdom and writing bestowed by Nisaba, his establishment of justice in Sumer and Akkad, and his priestly identity across the great temples.
Lipit-Ishtar C — An Adab to An for Lipit-Ishtar — A royal adab (liturgical hymn) for Lipit-Ishtar, king of Isin (c. 1934–1924 BCE), composed for the sky god An. An bestows long life, lasting kingship, and a good destiny upon Lipit-Ishtar, with blessings from Enlil, Suen, Enki, and Inanna.
Lipit-Ishtar D — An Adab to Ninurta for Lipit-Ishtar — An adab to Ninurta on behalf of Lipit-Eshtar, king of Isin (c. 1934–1924 BCE), in which Nintur and Nunamnir fashion the war-god for battle, Enlil decrees his fate as Uta-ulu the great storm, and the king is entreated to receive Ninurta's military protection and justice in Sumer and Akkad.
Lipit-Ishtar E — A Shirnamgala to Ninisina for Lipit-Ishtar — A shirnamgala to the healing goddess Ninisina on behalf of Lipit-Eshtar, king of Isin (c. 1934–1924 BCE), in which Enlil appoints Ninisina as the king's divine patron, she intercedes on his behalf, and Enlil decrees an unchangeable good fate of long life and exaltation among the peoples.
Shulgi A — A Self-Praise Poem — King Shulgi of Ur praises himself in 102 lines — his divine mandate, his legendary run from Nippur to Ur and back through a raging storm in a single day, his worship at both temples, and his claim to eternal fame. Ur III period, ca. 2094–2047 BCE.
Shulgi B — A Self-Praise Hymn of Shulgi — The great Sumerian royal self-praise hymn of Shulgi, second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2094–2046 BCE), in which the king proclaims his mastery of scribal arts, hunting, warfare, music, language, divination, and statecraft.
Shulgi C — A Self-Praise Poem of Shulgi — The third major self-praise hymn of Shulgi, king of Ur (c. 2094–2047 BCE). Three segments: the hero's opening epithets; the scribe's wisdom and justice; the warrior's campaign and musical mastery. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
Shulgi D — A Praise Poem of Shulgi — The fourth major self-praise hymn of Shulgi, king of Ur (c. 2094–2047 BCE). Military campaign narrative, divine companionship, and Enlil's cosmic decree of eternal kingship. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
Shulgi E — A Praise Poem of Shulgi — The fifth major self-praise hymn of Shulgi, king of Ur (c. 2094–2047 BCE). Shulgi celebrates his musical mastery — the adab, tigi, and malgatum compositions he created for the gods — alongside his military campaigns against Elam and Gutium. He swears oaths by An, Enlil, Suen, and Utu that his songs will not be corrupted, and closes with a plea that they be written on lapis lazuli tablets and performed in temples for eternity. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
The Keš Temple Hymn — The ancient Sumerian hymn to the temple of Keš, sacred house of Nintur and Ašgi — one of the oldest literary compositions preserved from Mesopotamia, celebrating the temple's cosmic dimensions, divine inhabitants, and surpassing glory. Translated from Sumerian by the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
The Song of the Hoe — A 109-line Sumerian cosmogonic hymn in which Enlil separates heaven from earth, fashions the sacred hoe, and uses it to bring forth the first humans; the hoe then builds the great temples and goes forth into every domain of life.
The Temple Hymns — Forty-two hymns to the temples of Sumer by Enheduanna, the world's first named author — translated from Sumerian.
The Zame Hymns — The oldest known collection of hymns in world literature — sixty-eight praise-songs to the gods and cities of Sumer, carved on clay tablets at Abu Salabikh around 2600 BCE. Each hymn ends with the refrain za-me: Praise.
Ur-Namma B — A Tigi to Enlil for Ur-Namma — A Sumerian tigi hymn celebrating Ur-Namma's construction of the Ekur temple at Nippur, the gates and carvings of the great shrine, and the military power bestowed on him by Enlil.
Ur-Namma C — A Praise Poem of Ur-Namma — A Sumerian royal self-praise hymn in which Ur-Namma, founder of the Ur III dynasty, speaks in his own voice — recounting divine favor, justice, canals, military victories, temple-building, and closing with the stunning declaration that he is the elder brother of Gilgamesh.
Ur-Namma D — A Canal Hymn of Ur-Namma — A Sumerian royal hymn celebrating Ur-Namma's excavation of the canals of Ur — structured as a rhetorical question and answer, followed by lush images of water, fish, birds, honey-plant, and carp, ending in temple-praise and doxology.
Ur-Namma E — A Shir-Namshub to Nanna for Ur-Namma — A Sumerian protective incantation-song (c. 2100 BCE) praising the E-kiš-nu-ĝal at Ur and celebrating Ur-Namma's selection by Ashimbabbar — with a fourfold liturgical refrain and an antiphonal body declaring the king's cosmic legitimacy.
Ur-Namma F — A Shir-namshub to Nanna for Ur-Namma — A Sumerian protective incantation-song (c. 2100 BCE) for Ur-Namma — a riding-forth refrain opens onto temple praise of the E-kiš-nu-ĝal, then pivots to royal praise: Suen and Ashimbabbar chose him in their hearts, Ningal decrees his fate, Ninlil gives him new birth like daylight.
Ur-Namma G — A Balbale to Enlil for Ur-Namma — A Sumerian agricultural balbale (c. 2100 BCE) praising Ur-Namma as the true farmer who plows Enlil's field, channels irrigation waters, and brings sweet grain to the people — the most agrarian composition in the Ur-Namma corpus.