The Exaltation of Inana: Annotated translation

𒂇 𒍣 𒉈 𒆠 𒉘 𒉆 𒂗 𒈾 𒁺 𒈠

aga zi-de₃ ki-aĝ₂ nam-en-na tum₂-ma
crown righteous loves en-ship suitable_for-that
aga zide kiaĝ namena tuma

4  –  she who loves the righteous crown, who is suitable for en-ship,

The en-ship can refer to the position of either a political ruler or a high priestess—en can mean both. The second part of the line is here taken to describe Inana, but it could also describe the crown, as in: “She who loves the righteous crown that befits the high priestess.” The ambiguity may be intentional, again implying a connection between Inana and Enheduana herself, who was the en of Nanna.

𒈨 𒅓 𒁉 𒋗 𒁲 𒅗 𒂵

me imin-bi šu_sa₂_du₁₁-ga
me seven-its take-that
me iminbi šu sa duga

5  –  who has taken hold of its seven me!

“Its” may refer back to en–ship; alternatively, it can be read as “their” (of the gods) or just “these.” The number “seven” is not necessarily to be taken literally: it hints at Inana’s many me (which, as noted in l. 1, are innumerable), but also signposts the poetic structure of the following section, which consists of stanzas of seven lines, introduced by the phrase nin-ĝu₁₀, “my lady.” Note that the emphasis of the line is on Inana taking her divine powers herself—the agency is clearly hers—perhaps recalling the story Inana and Enki, which tells of how she tricked Enki into giving her the me.

𒊩𒌆 𒈬 𒈨 𒃲 𒃲 𒆷 𒊕 𒆟 𒁉 𒍝 𒂊 𒈨 𒂗

nin-ĝu₁₀ me gal-gal-la saĝ-keše₂-bi za-e-me-en
lady-my me great-of guardian-their you-are
ninĝu me galgala saĝkešebi zaemen

6  –  My lady! Of the great me, you are their guardian:

This is the first appearance of the phrase nin-ĝu₁₀, “my lady,” which in this section introduces a new stanza.

𒈨 𒈬 𒂊 𒅍 𒈨 𒋗 𒍪 𒂠 𒈬 𒂊 𒇲

me mu-e-il₂ me šu-zu-še₃ mu-e-la₂
me lift me hand-your-to hang
me mueil me šuzuše me muela

7  –  You have lifted the me, you have hung the me from your hand,

Here as elsewhere, the me are depicted as physical objects, hanging from Inana’s hand perhaps like beads on a string.

𒈨 𒈬 𒂊 𒌴 𒈨 𒃮 𒍝 𒉈 𒋰

me mu-e-ur₄ me gaba-za bi₂-tab
me gather me breast-your-at clutch
me mueur me gabaza me bitab

8  –  You have gathered the me, you have clutched the me to your breast.

This heavily patterned couplet (me–verb–me–body part–verb) is also structured by a heavy alliteration on m-, with all but the last verb beginning with mu-.

𒃲𒁔 𒁶 𒆳 𒊏 𒅜 𒁀 𒂊 𒋧

ušumgal-gin₇ kur-ra uš₁₁ ba-e-šum₂
ušumgal–like mountain-upon venom give
ušumgalgin kura uš baešum

9  –  Like an ušumgal, you have deposited venom on the foreign land,

The ušumgal, often translated “basilisk” or “dragon,” is a giant horned serpent with fangs and (evidently) a venomous spit. A relief depicting a similar creature, the mušhuššu, gives us an idea of what they were thought to look like. Note also that the word kur can mean “mountain,” “foreign land,” “enemy,” and just “land.” These multiple meanings are in play throughout the poem.

𒀭 𒅎 𒁶 𒆠 𒅲 𒄄 𒀀 𒍝 𒀭 𒊺𒊺𒉪 𒆷 𒁀 𒂊 𒅆 𒅅

^diškur-gin₇ ki še₂₇_gi₄-a-za ^dašnan la-ba-e-ši-ĝal₂
Ishkur-like place shout-that-your-in Ashnan not-exist
Iškurgin ki še giaza Ašnan labašiĝal

10  –  like Ishkur, where you shout, Ashnan disappears before you.

Ishkur is the god of storms and Ashnan the goddess of grain. The line thus compares Inana’s howl to a storm that flattens the farmland, by either bending the grain stalks or wrenching them from the ground.

𒉈 𒉈 𒉈 𒊏 𒌦 𒂊 𒀀𒀭 𒂷

izi bar₇-bar₇-ra kalam-e šeĝ₃-ĝa₂
fire blaze-that land-upon rain-that
izi barbara kalame šeĝa

13  –  Blazing fire raining on the land!

In this section, every seventh line begins with nin-ĝu₁₀, “my lady,” except this line, where the expected phrase is replaced by another kind of repetition: the threefold repetition of the cuneiform sign ne.

𒀭 𒉌 𒈨 𒋧 𒈠 𒊩𒌆 𒌨 𒊏 𒄷𒋛 𒀀

an-ne₂ me šum₂-ma nin ur-ra u₅-a
An me give-that lady beast-on ride-that
Ane me šuma nin ura ua

14  –  She to whom An gave the me, lady riding on lions,

Here, in l. 128 below, and in l. 23 of the Hymn, the word ur, which generally means “beast” or “dog,” seems to refer to lions, which is the animal most often associated with Inana. Note also the play on sounds at the end of the line: ura ua.

𒅗 𒆬 𒀭 𒈾 𒋫 𒅗 𒅗 𒅗

inim ku₃ an-na-ta inim du₁₁-du₁₁
word pure An-of-from word speak
inim ku Anata inim dudu

15  –  who, by the holy order of An, gives orders.

The syntactical structure of the line is difficult—see the discussion in Attinger—but however one understands the grammar, it must refer to An empowering Inana to give orders. As in l. 13, the same cuneiform sign, here ka, is used three times in a row, representing different sounds.

𒉺𒀭 𒃲 𒃲 𒆷 𒃻 𒍪 𒀀 𒁀 𒀀 𒈬 𒌦 𒍪

biluda gal-gal-la niĝ₂-zu a-ba-a mu-un-zu
rites great-of thing-your who know
biluda galgala niĝzu aba munzu

16  –  Who can understand the great rites that are your possession?

Much as with the me, the “rites” mentioned in this line are best understood as activities that must be performed over and over again to keep the cosmos aright: other possible translations of biluda include “duties” and “ordinances.” The line thus makes the point that Inana plays a crucial, but unfathomable role in maintaining the world order—including the destruction of enemy lands. Note also the play on the syllable zu, which means first “your” and then “to know” (another play on the same syllable comes in l. 27).

𒆳 𒄢 𒄢 𒌓 𒉈 𒀉 𒁀 𒂊 𒋧

kur gul-gul u₄-de₃ a₂ ba-e-šum₂
mountain destroy storm-to strength give
kur gulgul ude a baešum

17  –  Destroyer of mountains, you give force to the storm.

This couplet is tightly constructed. In the previous line, the second word was gal-gal, “great”; here, it is gul-gul, “to destroy.” In the previous line, the second-to-last word was aba,“who”; here, that same sound is split into two words, a₂, “force,” and the prefix ba– in “you give.” Note that the description of Inana as “destroyer of mountains” alludes to the myth of Inana and Ebih.

𒄯 𒊕 𒆠 𒍝 𒁀 𒂊 𒉈 𒁍 𒉈 𒀭 𒊺𒊺𒉪 𒃻 𒈪𒉭 𒁉

hur-saĝ ki-za ba-e-de₃-gid₂-de₃ ^dašnan niĝ₂-gig-bi
mountain place-your extend Ashnan prohibition-its
hursaĝ kiza baedegiden Ašnan niĝgigbi

43  –  You extended^? your dominion over the mountain: Ashnan cannot be found there,

As in l. 17, the destruction of the mountain recalls the myth of Inana and Ebih, which Enheduana also recounts in the Hymn, l. 110–12. As in l. 10, the goddess Ashnan is used to refer metonymically to grain and the harvest: the line literally means “Ashnan became its prohibition,” meaning that harvests became impossible. The first part of the line can be understood in multiple ways. Zgoll takes Inana as the subject, extending her dominion over the mountain and thus invading it. Attinger takes the mountain as the subject, extending into Inana’s dominion: her destruction would thus be punishment for its attempted invasion. Both are possible, and either way, one should note the contrast to the rebellious city described in the next section: an external enemy (whether invader or invaded) v. an internal enemy (the rebel). Inana crushes both, thus cementing her unquestionable power.

𒆍𒃲 𒀀 𒁀 𒉈 𒈬 𒂊 𒊑 𒊑

abul-a-ba izi mu-e-ri-ri
city_gate-its-on fire put
abulaba izi mueriri

44  –  its city gates were set on fire.

Literally, “fire was put on its city gates.”

𒀀𒇉 𒁀 𒌀 𒈠 𒊏 𒀭 𒌤 𒌦 𒁉 𒈠 𒊏 𒅘 𒅘

i₇-ba uš₂ ma-ra-an-de₂ uĝ₃-bi ma-ra-na₈-na₈
canal-its-in blood pour people-its drink
iba uš marande uĝbi maranana

45  –  Because of you, blood flows in its canals; because of you, its people drink it.

Two manuscripts have instead “the people cannot drink,” drawing a different but equally painful consequence from the water having turned to blood.

𒆠 𒋢 𒇻 𒂠 𒃻 𒁉 𒉎 𒁉 𒀀 𒈠 𒊏 𒀊 𒁺𒁺 𒂊

uĝnim-bi ni₂-bi-a ma-ra-ab-lah₅-e
army-its together bring
uĝnimbi nibia marablahe

46  –  Its army, all together, is brought to you,

This and the next two lines repeat the exact same structure. Zgoll notes that ni₂-bi-a, normally “together,” can also be read “in their fear” (both here and in the following lines); the ambiguity could easily be intentional.

𒅗 𒆟 𒁉 𒉎 𒁉 𒀀 𒈠 𒊏 𒀊 𒋛 𒅋 𒇷

zu₂-keše₂-bi ni₂-bi-a ma-ra-ab-si-il-le
elite_troops-its together split
zukešebi nibia marabsile

47  –  its elite troops, all together, are disbanded for you,

The word translated as “elite troops” literally means “the bound ones” (perhaps indicating professional soldiers as opposed to conscripts), which makes for an ironic fate: the bound are unbound.

𒄨 𒀉 𒌇 𒁉 𒉎 𒁉 𒀀 𒈠 𒊏 𒀊 𒁻 𒄀 𒌍

ĝuruš a₂-tuku-bi ni₂-bi-a ma-ra-ab-su₈-ge-eš
men strength-have-its together stand
ĝuruš atukubi nibia marabsugeš

48  –  its strong men, all together, are presented to you.

The word ĝuruš specifically means “able-bodied man,” primarily meaning young men.

𒌷 𒁀 𒆠 𒂊 𒉈 𒁲 𒁀 𒂇 𒄿 𒌈 𒋛

iri-ba ki-e-ne-di-ba mir i-ib₂-si
city-its-of place-merriment-of-in storm fill
iriba kienediba mir ibsi

49  –  Its city’s place of play is filled up by the storm,

The ki-e-ne-di or “place of merriment” was presumably a locale for dancing and drinking. As always, the words could also be plural: “the cities’ places of merriment.”

𒄨 𒊮 𒃶 𒁉 𒈂 𒂠 𒈠 𒊏 𒀊 𒊬 𒊑 𒌍

ĝuruš ša₃-gan-bi heše₅-eš₂^? ma-ra-ab-sar-re-eš
men best-its bound chase
ĝuruš šaganbi hešeš^? marabsareš

50  –  its best men, captive, are driven before you.

It is uncertain how to transliterate the word rendered here as heše₅-eš₂—other possibilities include ^lu2še₃ and heše₅^še3, as well as LU₂xGANA₂-eš₂ or LU₂xKAR₂-še₃ (the capital letters indicate that we are unsure how to transliterate the signs). But either way, the meaning is clear enough: “prisoner,” “chained,” or the like. Note that if it can be read heše₅-eš₂, that would yield three of four words in the line ending in -š.

𒌷 𒆳 𒍝 𒊏 𒇷 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒂵 𒀀𒀭

iri kur za-ra li-bi₂-in-du₁₁-ga-am₃
city country you-to not-say-that-is
iri kur zara libindugam

51  –  To the city that did not say, “The country belongs to you,”

The second part of the chiastic section begins here, as the text turns from the mountain to the city. Some ancient manuscripts display a different understanding of this line: “the enemy (kur₂) city that did not say, ‘(we belong) to you.’”

𒀀 𒀀 𒌋𒅗 𒍝 𒇷 𒉈 𒅔 𒌍 𒀀𒀭

a-a ugu-za li-bi₂-in-eš-am₃
father bear-your-to not-say-that-is
aya uguza libinešam

52  –  that did not say, “To your father,”

The line literally reads, “your birth father.” While unusual in English, the specification of Nanna as Inana’s birth father, or “your father who bore you,” is conventional in Sumerian. Most manuscripts simply write “your father,” leaving the rest of the sentence implied. I take the implication to be, “(The country belongs to) your father,” Zgoll has instead “(The city god is) your father.”

𒅗 𒆬 𒍪 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒆠 𒄊 𒍪 𒃶 𒅁 𒄄

inim ku₃-zu bi₂-in-du₁₁ ki ĝiri₃-zu he₂-eb-gi₄
word holy-your speak place foot-your return
inim kuzu bindu ki ĝirizu hebgi

53  –  your holy order was spoken: the place returned to your feet.

This line concludes a fourfold repetition of the structure noun–noun–“your” (zu and za), a structure that opens the previous two lines (iri kur za-ra and a-a ugu-za) and is found twice here (inim ku₃-zu and ki ĝiri₃-zu).

𒊮 𒉣𒇬 𒁉 𒋫 𒄊 𒃶 𒅁 𒋫 𒀭 𒍢 𒅕

ša₃-tur₃-bi-ta ĝiri₃_he₂-eb-ta-an-ze₂-er
womb-its-from slip
šaturbita ĝiri hebtanzer

54  –  Its womb is disturbed,^?

I take this reading from Attinger (6), but the line can also be read differently, parsing the signs ša₃-tur₃, “womb,” instead as ša₃ tur₃, “inside the cattle plen.” Karahashi (93), for example, translates the line as, “Your (?) slipped from its cattle pen,” implying that Inana has withdrawn her protection from the animals and thus, by extension, from the city as a whole. Following Hallo and van Dijk, Foster takes the latter option and translates: “No one, indeed, had set foot in its sheepfolds.” Zgoll understands ĝiri₃, “foot,” to be an idiomatic expression for “responsible care”; following this logic, Black et al. translate “Responsible care is removed from its sheepfolds.” Here,I side with Attinger in understanding the signs ša₃-tur₃ as “womb,” since it makes better sense with the following passage, which speaks of the city’s inhabitants becoming unable to procreate. Attinger takes ĝiri₃_ze₂-er as an idiomatic expression meaning “to slip,” and so more generally to become displaced, out of order. Zgoll’s latest translation also adopts the reading “womb,” and translates the line by explicating the metaphor: “in its wombs, no new life can flourish.” Either way, it is highly likely that the ambiguity is deliberate, and that the reader can parse the signs as forming either one or two words, yielding different interpretations: whether one chooses to read womb or stall, the other sense lingers in the background, interweaving the welfare of the city and the citizens, food and procreation.

𒊩 𒁉 𒁮 𒀀 𒉌 𒋫 𒊷 𒂵 𒈾 𒀭 𒁕 𒀊 𒁉

munus-bi dam-a-ni-ta sa₆-ga na-an-da-ab-be₂
woman-its spouse-her-with sweet not-speak
munusbi damanita saga nandabe

55  –  its woman does not speak sweet words with her spouse,

Note the implicit connection between eloquence and eroticism: to speak words that are sa₆, “sweet,” but also “beautiful,” is a none-too subtle metonym for sex, as the next line also makes clear.

𒈪 𒅇 𒈾 𒀜 𒈾 𒀭 𒁕 𒀊 𒄄 𒄄

ĝi₆-u₃-na ad_na-an-da-ab-gi₄-gi₄
nighttime-in not-consult
ĝiuna ad nandabgigi

56  –  at nighttime she does not consult with him,

This line will be echoed later in the text, in l. 140, where Enheduana does consult with Inana at “night-time,” ĝi₆-u₃-na.

𒃻 𒆬 𒊮 𒂵 𒈾 𒉆 𒈬 𒁕 𒀭 𒁔 𒊑

niĝ₂ ku₃ ša₃-ga-na nam-mu-da-an-bur₂-re
thing pure heart-her-in not-reveal
niĝ ku šagana nammudanbure

57  –  she does not show him the pure things within her.

Note again the ambiguity of the word ša₃, which as discussed under l. 54 means “heart,” but also “inside” and “womb.” Likewise, the word ku₃ can mean “pure,” “shining,” or “holy”—in this translation, I primarily use the latter meaning, but all three apply to most contexts: things that were sacred were also thought to be resplendent and pure. In the context of the woman’s interior, however, the meanings “pure” and “shining” seem more prominent.

𒅇 𒄢 𒍣 𒍣 𒄿 𒌉 𒃲 𒀭 𒂗𒍪 𒈾

u₃-sun₂ zi-zi-i dumu gal ^dsuen-na
aurochs rear-that child great Suen-of
usun zizi dumu gal Suena

58  –   Rearing aurochs, great daughter of Suen.

The following couplet repeats l. 41–42 and so closes the chiastic structure. The aurochs is a now extinct breed of wild oxen (the name literally means ur-ox). They were larger than domesticated cattle, and they must have been a fearsome sight.

𒊩𒌆 𒀭 𒊏 𒋛𒀀 𒂵 𒀀 𒁀 𒀀 𒆠 𒍝 𒁀 𒀭 𒉐

nin an-ra diri-ga a-ba-a ki-za ba-an-tum₃
lady heaven-to exceed-that who place-your-from take
nin anra diriga aba kiza bantum

59  –  Lady, greater than heaven, who can take away from your dominion?

In the first appearance of this line, l. 42, Inana was said to exceed the earth, kur—here, symmetrically, she exceeds the skies, an. Note that some manuscripts mix up the two words, writing “heaven” for “earth” and “earth” for “heaven.”

𒈨 𒍣 𒉈 𒊩𒌆 𒃲 𒊩𒌆 𒂊 𒉈

me zi-de₃ nin gal nin-e-ne
me righteous-for lady great ladies-of
me zide nin gal ninene

60  –  Great lady of ladies, who, for the righteous me,

The next section—an autobiographical passage in which Enheduana introduces herself—is again introduced by two of the keywords of the poem, nin and me (see the note to l. 1). As noted by Attinger, the text could also mean that Inana was born according to, not for, the “righteous me,” since the me were also seen as the underlying patterns that regulate events.

𒊮 𒆬 𒋫 𒌓𒁺 𒀀 𒂼 𒌋𒅗 𒉌 𒅕 𒋛𒀀 𒂵

ša₃ ku₃-ta e₃-a ama ugu-ni-ir diri-ga
heart holy-from come_forth mother bear-her-to exceed-that
ša kuta ea ama ugunir diriga

61  –  was born from a holy womb, who surpasses her own mother!

Note the repetition of the words ša₃ and ku₃, which were also juxtaposed in l. 57. Again, ša₃ is used to connote the womb, harkening back to l. 54. It is interesting that the self-referential announcement of the song which comes in l. 63–65 is immediately precede by the theme of birth, especially given that Enheduana will (arguably) later describe herself as “giving birth” to the poem. On the specification of Ningal as Inana’s “birth mother,” ama ugu-ni, see the notes to l. 52. Zgoll notes that there is a pun in this couplet: the text first refers to Inana as nin gal, “great lady”; then turns to Inana’s mother, Ningal, without naming her directly.

𒃲 𒍪 𒅆 𒅅 𒊩𒌆 𒆳 𒆳 𒊏

gal-zu igi-ĝal₂ nin kur-kur-ra
clever wise lady lands-of
galzu igiĝal nin kurkura

62  –  Clever and prescient lady of the lands,

The translation of igi-ĝal₂ as “prescient,” specifically (as opposed to the more general “wise”) follows Zgoll.

𒍣 𒅅 𒌦 𒇻 𒀀 𒂡 𒆬 𒍪 𒂵 𒀀𒀭 𒅗

zi-ĝal₂ uĝ₃ lu-a šir₃ ku₃-zu ga-am₃-du₁₁
living people numerous-of song holy-your speak
ziĝal uĝ lua šir kuzu gamdu

63  –  of living beings and countless people—I will sing your holy song!

Here, the “I” of the poem first appears as an active subject (as opposed to the passive role in the construction nin-ĝu₁₀, “my lady”). It is also the first time that the text refers to itself, as the narrator announces that she will sing a hymn to Inana—which is what she is doing. Here and in the following, I translate the word du₁₁ as “sing” when it occurs in connections with hymns and songs, but in fact, it is just the default word for “speak.” Note that the first part of the line can also be read differently, as by Zgoll: “who lets there be life for the countless people.”

𒀭 𒍣 𒈨 𒀀 𒁺 𒈠 𒃲 𒁉 𒅗 𒂵 𒍪 𒈤 𒀀𒀭

diĝir zi me-a tum₂-ma gal-bi du₁₁-ga-zu mah-am₃
god righteous me-in bring-that greatly speak-that-your mighty-is
diĝir zi mea tuma galbi dugazu maham

64  –  Righteous goddess, to whom the me are brought, it is overwhelming to exalt you.

As in l. 39, Enheduana refers to the task she has set herself—praising and soothing Inana—as mah, “mighty” or “overwhelming.” The phrase literally means, “your greatly speaking is mighty.” Zgoll interprets this differently, taking it as a description of Inana’s words: “your great speech is mighty.” While I consider this less likely, it would make for an interesting interweaving of Enheduana’s speech (in l. 63 and 65) and Inana’s (in this line); for a similar interweaving, see l. 153. Attinger interprets the phrase “to whom the meare brought” instead as “who was made for the me” (reading tum₂ instead as du, for du₃).

𒊮 𒋤 𒁺 𒊩 𒍣 𒊮 𒌓𒌓 𒂵 𒈨 𒍪 𒂵 𒈬 𒊏 𒀊 𒅗

ša₃ su₃-ra₂ munus zi ša₃ dadag-ga me-zu ga-mu-ra-ab-du₁₁
heart distant woman righteous heart shining me-your speak
ša sura munus zi ša dadaga mezu gamurabdu

65  –  Distant heart, righteous woman, shining heart! I will sing of your me.

Again, this is a clear instance of self-reference, since this poem is nothing if not a song about the me—as shown by its opening words. To have a “distant heart” means to be inscrutable, and this was a common description of the gods’ minds in Sumerian and Akkadian literature. Instead of me-zu, “your me,” some manuscripts have me zi, “righteous me,” or me ku₃, “sacred me.” But note that me-zu would fit well with the pattern of the previous two lines, which also have zu as as the last syllable before the last word.

𒈪 𒁖 𒆬 𒂷 𒄷 𒈬 𒅆 𒅔 𒆭 𒊑 𒂗

ĝi₆-par₃ ku₃-ĝa₂ hu-mu-ši-in-ku₄-re-en
ĝipar holy enter
ĝipar kuĝa humušinkuren

66  –  For you, I entered the holy ĝipar.

For the ĝipar, the home of the high priestesses in the temple complex, see this page. Together with the next line, this is a turning point in the poem, in which the “I” that has been implicit so far—the narrator of the text—announces herself.

𒂗 𒈨 𒂗 𒂗 𒃶 𒌌 𒀭 𒈾 𒈨 𒂗

en-me-en en-he₂-du₇-an-na-me-en
high_priestess-am Enheduana-am
enmen enheduanamen

67  –  I am the high priestess, I am Enheduana.

Note that in this striking line, Enheduana allows her name (which literally means “high priestess, ornament of heaven”) to emerge from her title: the words en-men, “I am the high priestess,” are unpacked into the longer phrase, en-heduana-men, “I am Enheduana,” as if one statement follows necessarily from the other. Enheduana—the implication goes—is naturally suited for her office (he₂-du₇ can also mean “may she be suitable”).

𒄀 𒈠 𒁲 𒀊 𒉌 𒅍 𒊒 𒂰 𒇲 𒉌 𒅗

^gima-sa₂-ab i₃-gur₃-ru asilal-la₂ i₃-du₁₁
carry-that joyful_hymns speak-that
masab iguru asilala idu

68  –  As I carried the basket, as I sang the hymns of joy,

The line refers to a ritual basket, containing offerings for the god. Note the vowel symmetry between the two half-lines: a-a-i-u.

𒆠 𒋧 𒂵 𒉈 𒅁 𒃻 𒂷 𒂊 𒉡 𒈬 𒌦 𒋾 𒂗

ki-si₃-ga bi₂-ib-ĝar ĝa₂-e nu-mu-un-ti-en
funeral_offering stand I not-live
kisiga bibĝar ĝae numuntien

69  –  funeral offerings were presented—did I no longer live there?

The ki-si₃-ga, Akkadian kispu, were offerings regularly presented to the souls of the dead, to keep them fed and happy in the afterlife. The word clearly caused confusion in antiquity, and several manuscripts replace it with different, similar-sounding words (such as kin-sig-ga, “afternoon meal”). Some manuscripts have instead: “(as if) I were dead.”

𒌓 𒉈 𒁀 𒋼 𒌓 𒈬 𒁕 𒉋

u₄-de₃ ba-te u₄ mu-da-bil₂
light-to approach light burn
ude baten u mudabil

70  –  I came toward the light—the light burned me.

The word u₄, here translated “light,” can also mean “tempest,” hinting at the next line, where the shade becomes a storm. Note the tight construction of this line: two half-lines of four syllables each, both beginning with u. The line introduces two symmetrical couplets, where each line consists of first a positive half-line, then a negative one (matching the previous couplet, where a positive line was followed by a negative one).

𒄑𒈪 𒉈 𒁀 𒋼 𒍇 𒇻 𒁕 𒅎 𒈠 𒌋𒌆

ĝissu-ne ba-te u₁₈-lu-da im-ma-dul
shadow-to approach storm-with cover
ĝissune baten uluda imandul

71  –  I came toward the shade—it was covered in a storm.

On the u₁₈-lu, see l. 21. Most manuscripts have not “it was covered,” but “I covered it”: Attinger takes this to mean that Enheduana, not intentionally but by her presence, transformed the shade into a storm.

𒅗 𒋭 𒈬 𒋗 𒆵 𒀀 𒁀 𒀊 𒅗

ka lal₃-ĝu₁₀ šu uh₃-a ba-ab-du₁₁
mouth honey-my hand spittle^?-in speak
ka lalĝu šu uha babdu

72  –  My honey mouth became froth,^?

This crucial but difficult line describes Enheduana’s loss of eloquence. The main problem is that the phrase šu uh₃-a is unclear; the translation therefore relies on two manuscripts that replace it with šu uh₂-a. Since uh₂(possibly to be read ah_x) means “spit, saliva, mucus,” the phrase is taken to mean that Enheduana’s poetic skills somehow degenerated into drool. However, this remains a tentative reconstruction.

𒃻 𒄯 𒊷 𒊷 𒈬 𒅖 𒋫 𒁀 𒁕 𒄄

niĝ₂ ur₅ sa₆-sa₆-ĝu₁₀ sahar-ta ba-da-gi₄
thing liver sweeten-that-my dust-toward turn
niĝ ur sasaĝu saharta badagi

73  –  My ability to sweeten moods is turned to dust.

The word “thing,” niĝ₂, is generally used to mean “possession,” as in l. 16. But here, it seems to refer to something that Enheduana is able to do, not something she owns, leading to the translation “ability”: a thing she has, but she also exercises. For ur₅, “liver,” in the meaning of “mood,” see l. 40, where it also juxtaposed with sa₆, “to sweeten.” The English word “turn” captures an ambiguity in the Sumerian. The primary sense of the text is that Enheduana’s words are turned to dust, in the sense that it is directed at it. As noted by Attinger, this is a pun on the phrase an-ta gi₄, “to turn towards heaven,” meaning “to pray to a god”—that is exactly what Enheduana seems unable to do, since Nanna ignores her. But just as clearly, the line suggests that Enheduana’s words have turned to dust, in the sense that they have become dust. This would normally be written sahar-ra, not sahar-ta, but the connotation is undeniably present.

𒉆 𒈬 𒀭 𒂗𒍪 𒈗 𒀭 𒉌

nam-ĝu₁₀ ^dsuen lugal-an-ne₂
fate-my Suen Lugal-Ane
namĝu Suen Lugal-Ane

74  –  My fate, Suen, this Lugal-Ane:^?

The meaning of the line is unclear, which is especially problematic, because it has consequences for how one understands the entire stanza (l. 74–80). I follow Foster and Black et al. in taking Nanna as the addressee of the entire stanza, meaning that Enheduana here turns from Inana to her father (before turning back to Inana in l. 81), which would explain why Inana is referred to in the third person in l. 77–80. The word “fate,” nam, is often used as a euphemism for death: one can thus take the identification of Lugal-Ane with Enheduana’s fate as suggesting that he will be the death of her. Black et al., however, take them as two separate objects (“Suen, tell An about Lugal-Ane and my fate!”), while Foster sees the line as a rhetorical question (“is this Lugalanne my destiny?”). But Zgoll and Attinger understand the line entirely differently. They see these words as still directed to Inana, meaning that both Suen and Lugal-Ane are described as Enheduana’s fate: “Tell An about my fate (which concerns) Suen and Lugal-Ane.” Such a reading is certainly possible, and it makes for a less awkward grammatical parsing of this line. But I would note that the word nam, “fate,” and Lugal-Ane are also juxtaposed in l. 77, where there is no mention of Nanna.

𒀭 𒊏 𒅗 𒈬 𒈾 𒀊 𒀭 𒉌 𒄩 𒈠 𒃮 𒂊

an-ra du₁₁-mu-na-ab an-ne₂ ha-ma-du₈-e
An-to speak An loosen
Anra dumunab Ane hamadue

75  –  tell An about it! May An resolve it for me!

Note the play between the two verbs of this line, du₁₁ “say,” and du₈, “unknot”: Enheduana uses this aural link to emphasize that one would lead directly to the other. The metaphor of “unknotting” a problem is a common metaphor, both in cuneiform sources and beyond (the English word “solution” comes from Latin solvere, “to unfasten”).

𒀀 𒁕 𒇴 𒀭 𒊏 𒁀 𒀭 𒈾 𒀊 𒁉 𒀭 𒂊 𒈬 𒂊 𒃮 𒂊

a-da-lam an-ra ba-an-na-ab-be₂ an-e mu-e-du₈-e
now An-to speak An loosen
adalam Anra banaben Ane medue

76  –  Tell An about it now, he will resolve it for us.

In cuneiform sources, An holds a position of supreme moral authority in the pantheon. It was common in prayers and invocations to ask one god—typically a minor god with whom one had a personal connection—to intercede on one’s behalf with the most powerful gods. Note the heavy emphasis on the vowel a in the first half of the line.

𒉆 𒈗 𒀭 𒉌 𒊩 𒂊 𒁀 𒀊 𒋼𒀀 𒊑

nam lugal-an-ne₂ munus-e ba-ab-kar-re
fate Lugal-Ane woman tear_away
nam Lugal-Ane munuse babkare

77  –  The woman will tear off this fate, Lugal-Ane.^?

The “woman” refers to Inana. I understand this line analogously to l. 74: Lugal-Ane would again be equated with Enheduana’s fate, and Enheduana would be petitioning for Inana to remove this fate from her, taking away Lugal-Ane’s threat to her life. Zgoll, Foster and Black et al. see the line as asking Inana to remove Lugal-Ane’s fate from him, taking away his victories; while Attinger takes it to mean that Inana is Lugal-Ane’s fate, that is, that she will be his death: “Lugala-Ane’s fate is a woman who will tear him away from himself.” Note that, for both Zgoll and Attinger, this line marks the beginning of An’s order to Inana, explaining why she is referred to in the third person (see notes to l. 74).

𒆳 𒀀 𒈠 𒊒 𒄊 𒉌 𒂠 𒉌 𒈿

kur a-ma-ru ĝiri₃-ni-še₃ i₃-na₂
land flood foot-her-at lie
kur amaru ĝiriniše ina

78  –  Mountains and floods lie at her feet.

The two words kur, “mountain” (or “land”) and amaru, “flood,” are also juxtaposed in l. 11.

𒊩 𒁉 𒅔 𒂵 𒈤 𒌷 𒈬 𒁕 𒀊 𒇧 𒂊

munus-bi in-ga-mah iri mu-da-ab-tuku₄-e
woman-this also^?-mighty city shake
munusbi ingamah iri mundabtukue

79  –  The woman is mighty, she makes cities tremble before her.

Attinger takes the word iri, “city,” to refer to Ur specifically, but most commentators see it as a more general description.

𒁺 𒁀 𒊮 𒂵 𒈾 𒄩 𒈠 𒈻 𒉈

gub-ba ša₃-ga-na ha-ma-se₉-de₃
stand heart-her-in calm
guba šagana hamasede

80  –  Stand by me! May her heart’s contents be reconciled with me.

This rather convoluted English translation reflects a much more straightforward Sumerian expression, literally: “may that which is in her heart be becalmed towards me.” I take the imperative “stand” as referring to Nanna, as do Black et al.; Foster sees it as a description of Inana (“She stands paramount”). Both Zgoll and Attinger read it as An’s order to Inana (“Step forward!”); they also take this to be the last line of An’s speech.

𒂗 𒃶 𒌌 𒀭 𒈾 𒈨 𒂗 𒀀 𒊏 𒍪 𒂵 𒈬 𒊏 𒀊 𒅗

en-he₂-du₇-an-na-me-en a-ra-zu ga-mu-ra-ab-du₁₁
Enheduana-am prayer say
Enheduanamen arazu gamurabdu

81  –  I am Enheduana. I will recite a prayer to you!

As noted in l. 63, the word du₁₁, “speak,” must often be translated with different verbs in English, such as “sing,” “intone,” or, as here, “recite.” However one interprets the previous stanza, here Enheduana is clearly addressing Inana again.

𒀀𒅆 𒂷 𒁉 𒄭 𒂵 𒁶

er₂-ĝa₂ kaš du₁₀-ga-gen₇
tears-my beer sweet-like
erĝa kaš dugagen

82  –  My tears, which are like sweet beer,

For the description of tears as “sweet,” and more generally for why expressions of grief were thought to please the gods, see the discussion of ritual laments.

𒆬 𒀭 𒈹 𒊏 𒋗 𒂵 𒈬 𒉌 𒊑 𒁇 𒁲 𒍪 𒂵 𒈬 𒊏 𒀊 𒅗

ku₃ ^dinana-ra šu_ga-mu-ni-re-bar di-zu ga-mu-ra-ab-du₁₁
holy Inana-to release judgment-your speak
ku Inanara šu gamunirebar dizu gamurabdu

83  –  I will let flow free for you, holy Inana. I will say to you: “The decision is yours!”

This line introduces a metaphor that will become crucial to the poem as a whole: Enheduana describes her own situation as an unresolved court case, which Nanna has not settled, and which Enheduana therefore asks Inana to decide in his stead (Zgoll’s edition contains a thorough study of the legal metaphors in the poem). The word “di-zu,” “(It is) your decision,” is replaced in other manuscripts by “Judge!” (di ku₅), “Greetings!” (silim-ma), and “Rise!” (zi-zi-i). Note also the echo of l. 24, which also describes the flow of tears as being “opened.”

𒀭 𒀸 𒁽 𒌓 𒈾 𒀭 𒊨 𒅇 𒉈 𒂗

^ddil-im₂-babbar na-an-kuš₂-u₃-de₃-en
Dilimbabbar not-trouble
Dilimbabbar nankušuden

84  –  I cannot make Dilimbabbar care.^?

Dilimbabbar is another of Nanna’s name; it can also be read Ashimbabbar. This is a difficult line. The word kuš₂-u₃can mean “to exert oneself, to worry about, to trouble, to be troubled.” Foster seems to parse the verb as “I do not trouble him for me” (with an indicative negative nu- assimilating to a dative -a-); Foster renders it as “I cannot make him .  .  . exert himself for me.” Attinger takes the verb to be subjunctive, leading to the translation, “I do not want to bother Dilimbabbar,” which, while grammatically sound, appears somewhat pat. He notes that this as a polite indication to Inana that an appeal to Nanna would be useless, since he has proved to be uninterested in the case, but such niceties seem to me at odds with the drama of the situation. Zgoll and Black et al. take a different approach, seeing the line as a reassurance to Inana: “Do not be anxious about Dilimbabbar.”

𒋗 𒈛 𒀭 𒆬 𒂵 𒆤 𒃻 𒉆 𒈠 𒉌 𒉌 𒉽

šu-luh an ku₃-ga-ke₄ niĝ₂-nam-ma-ni i₃-kur₂
ritual An holy-of anything-his transform
šuluh An kugake niĝ namani ikur

85  –  The rituals of holy An, all that belongs to him, have been disturbed,

The rituals in question, the šuluh, are specifically rituals of purification, which were used to cleanse priests and objects of all impurities. The word translated as “disturbed,” kur₂, means more generally “to be or to make something different, strange, or hostile.”

𒀭 𒁕 𒂍 𒀭 𒈾 𒄩 𒁀 𒁕 𒀭 𒋼𒀀

an-da e₂-an-na ha-ba-da-an-kar
An-from Eana tear_away
Anda Eana habadankar

86  –  he has wrested the Eana from An:

The implicit subject must be Lugal-Ane. The Eana temple stood in the city of Uruk, which lay close to Ur (c. 35 miles), so this line implies that Lugal-Ane has conquered both cities. Since the Eana was the shared temple of An and Inana (see the Hymn, l. 106–7), Lugal-Ane’s defilement of this temple should obviously concern Inana was as well. Note the heavy emphasis on the vowel a.

𒀭 𒇽 𒄖 𒆷 𒋫 𒉎 𒁀 𒊏 𒁀 𒁕 𒋼

diĝir lu₂ gu-la-ta ni₂_ba-ra-ba-da-te
gods one great not-hold_in_awe
diĝir lu gulata ni barabadate

87  –  the greatest of the gods he does not fear.

Note the symmetry of the half-lines, which have six syllables each, and the half-rhyme of their endings, -ata and -ate.

𒂍 𒁉 𒆷 𒆷 𒁉 𒁀 𒊏 𒈬 𒌦 𒄄 𒄭 𒇷 𒁉 𒁀 𒊏 𒈬 𒌦 𒌀

e₂-bi la-la-bi ba-ra-mu-un-gi₄ hi-li-bi ba-ra-mu-un-til
house-this charm-its not-satisfy delight-its not-complete
ebi lalabi baramungi hilibi baramuntil

88  –  This temple, with whose charm he was not sated, whose delights he had not exhausted:

The word here translated as “temple,” e₂, literally means “house.” The implicit subject of this line must be An, even though it is Lugal-Ane in both the preceding and the following line. Note the neatness of the line’s construction, with lalabi echoing hilibi, and baramungi echoing baramuntil.

𒂍 𒁉 𒅆𒌨 𒀀 𒄷 𒈬 𒌦 𒁲 𒉌 𒅔 𒆭

e₂-bi hul-a hu-mu-un-di-ni-in-ku₄
house-this evil-into made-enter
ebi hula humundininku

89  –  this house he transformed into a house of evil.

The verb includes a particle meaning “against him,” that is, “to An’s detriment.”

𒋰 𒈬 𒅆 𒅔 𒆭 𒊏 𒈾 𒊲 𒈠 𒉌 𒄷 𒈬 𒋼

tab mu-ši-in-ku₄-ra-na ninim-ma-ni hu-mu-te
equal enter-that-his-in envy-his approach
tab mušinkurana ninimani humunte

90  –  As he became equal to me, envy followed him.^?

Note that the word ku₄, “to enter” or “to make into,” appears in two lines in a row. I understand the line to mean, literally, “in the (moment) he became equal to me, his envy approached (him).” That is, in usurping Enheduana’s position, Lugal-Ane was motivated by envy (inim), which continues to follow or “draw near” to him even as he makes himself her equal by forcefully taking over her role. But other translators interpret it differently. Zgoll and Black et al. see it as referring to a kind of deception: “While he entered before me as if he was a partner (tab), really he approached out of envy.” Attinger sees Enheduana as the object of the second verb, that is, the person to whom the envy “draws near”: “When he entered at my side (tab), I fell victim to his jealousy.” Foster has a very different and in my view untenable interpretation, taking inim to mean “lust,” and the line as a reference to sexual violence (“he dared approach me in his lust”). But there is no suggestion elsewhere in Sumerian sources that the (admittedly rare) word inim can mean sexual desire.

𒀭 𒄢 𒍣 𒈬 𒇽 𒃶 𒅎 𒊬 𒊑 𒇽 𒃶 𒅎 𒈪 𒆪 𒁉

^dsun₂ zi-ĝu₁₀ lu₂ he₂-em-sar-re lu₂ he₂-em-mi-dab₅-be₂
aurochs righteous-my man chase man seize
sun ziĝulu hemsare lu hemidabe

91  –  My righteous Aurochs! May you chase this man, may you seize him!

The use of the divine determinative (the superscript ^d before the first word) makes clear that sun₂ is here used as an epithet of the goddess: “(Divine) Aurochs.”

𒆠 𒍣 𒊮 𒅅 𒆷 𒅗 𒂷 𒂊 𒀀 𒈾 𒈨 𒂗

ki zi-ša₃-ĝal₂-la-ka ĝe₂₆-e a-na-me-en
place life_giving-of-in I what-am
ki zišaĝalaka ĝe anamen

92  –  In this life-giving land—what am I?

In her desperate situation, Enheduana asks where there is a place for her in the land of living—and if so, what that place is.

𒆠 𒁄 𒅆𒌨 𒈪𒉭 𒀭 𒋀𒆠 𒍝 𒆤 𒌍 𒀭 𒉌 𒄩 𒁀 𒀊 𒋧 𒈬

ki-bal hul-gig ^dnanna-za-ke₄-eš an-ne₂ ha-ba-ab-šum₂-mu
rebel_land hateful Nanna-your-of-like An give
kibal hulgig Nannazakeš Ane hababšumu

93  –  Like a rebel land hated by your Nanna: may An deliver it.

The word translated as “deliver,” šum₂, here refers to passing something over to others. In this context, it would mean that An delivers it to destruction, giving it over so that it is no longer under divine protection.

𒌷 𒁉 𒀭 𒉌 𒄩 𒁀 𒊏 𒋛 𒅋 𒇷

iri-bi an-ne₂ ha-ba-ra-si-il-le
city-this An split
iribi Ane habarasile

94  –  This city—may An tear it to pieces,

Note the balance of the half-lines, which have five syllables each and a symmetrical sequence of vowels: i-i-i-a-e / a-a-a-i-e.

𒀭 𒂗 𒆤 𒇷 𒉆 𒄩 𒁀 𒁕 𒀭 𒋻 𒉈

^den-lil₂-le nam_ha-ba-da-an-ku₅-de₃
Enlil curse
Enlile nam habadankude

95  –  may Enlil curse it.

As in l. 18–19, Enlil appears alongside An, as the two main gods of the pantheon.

𒌉 𒀀𒅆 𒅆𒊒 𒁕 𒁉 𒂼 𒉌 𒈾 𒀭 𒈹𒁲 𒂊

dumu er₂_pad₃-da-bi ama-ni na-an-se₂₅-e
child cry-that-its mother-their not-calm
dumu er padabi amani nansede

96  –  Its crying children—may their mother not comfort them.

The expression er₂ pad₃ may refer, not exactly to crying, but to the welling up on tears in one’s eyes.

𒊩𒌆 𒀀 𒉪 𒆠 𒃻 𒊏

nin A-NIR ki_ĝar-ra
lady sighs set_up-that
nin anir^? ki ĝara

97  –  Lady! When their grief has been set up,

That is, when the city establishes the rituals of lamentation, in response to the destruction wrought upon by the gods.

𒄑 𒈣 𒀀 𒉪 𒊏 𒍪 𒆠 𒉽 𒊏 𒃶 𒉈 𒅁 𒋺

^ĝišma₂ A-NIR-ra-zu ki kur₂-ra he₂-bi₂-ib-taka₄
boat sigh-of-your place other-in abandon
ma anirazu^? ki kura hebibtaka

98  –  your boat of grief should be left in a foreign land.

With l. 97, this couplet explicates the logic of ritual laments, for which see this page: when humans acknowledged the power of the gods through ostentatious grieving, the gods were expected to turn their destruction elsewhere. Note the parallel between anir ki ĝara and anirazu ki kura.

𒂡 𒆬 𒂷 𒆤 𒌍 𒉌 𒂦 𒄀 𒉈 𒂗

šir₃ ku₃-ĝa₂-ke₄-eš i₃-ug₅-ge-de₃-en
song holy-my-for die
šir kuĝakeš iugeden

99  –  Will I die because of my holy song?

It is unclear what precisely this line refers to, but perhaps it means that Enheduana fears that she will be put to death because of her previous service as high priestess.

𒂷 𒂊 𒀭 𒋀𒆠 𒈬 𒇷 𒈬 𒁀 𒊏 𒀭 𒋻

ĝa₂-e^dnanna-ĝu₁₀ en₃-ĝu₁₀_ba-ra-an-tar
I Nanna-my not-examine
ĝae Nannaĝu enĝu barantar

100  –  Me! My Nanna has not enquired about me.

In other words, Nanna has not shown interest in her case. Instead of “has not enquired,” one manuscript writes “has not made a decision.”

𒆠 𒈜 𒆷 𒃶 𒅁 𒄢 𒄢 𒂊

ki lul-la he₂-eb-gul-gul-e
place false destroy
ki lula hebgulgulen

101  –  This false land has completely destroyed me.

The word translated here as “false,” lul, can also mean “criminal” or “renegade.” The expression recalls the earlier phrase ki zi-ša₃-ĝal₂-la, “life-giving land.”

𒀭 𒀸 𒁽 𒌓 𒂊 𒁲 𒈬 𒁀 𒊏 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗

^ddil-im₂-babbar-e di-ĝu₁₀ ba-ra-bi₂-in-du₁₁
Dilimbabbar verdict-my not-speak
Dilimbabbare diĝu barabindu

102  –  Dilimbabbar has not pronounced my verdict.

For the name Dilimbabbar, see l. 84 above.

𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒉆 𒈬 𒇷 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒉆 𒈬

bi₂-in-du₁₁ nam-mu li-bi₂-in-du₁₁ nam-mu
speak what_then not-speak what_then
bindu nammu libindu nammu

103  –  If he pronounced it—what then? If he did not pronounce it—what then?

Dilimbabbar’s verdict in the figurative court case no longer matters to Enheduana, either because it is too late (she is already on the verge of death), or because she has turned for support to Inana instead.

𒅇 𒈠 𒁺 𒁺 𒁀 𒂍 𒋫 𒁀 𒊏 𒌓𒁺

u₃-ma gub-gub-ba e₂-ta ba-ra-e₃
victorious stand house-from come_out
uma gubguba eta barane

104  –  Standing victorious, he stepped out of the temple.

The implicit subject of the line must again be Lugal-Ane. The word translated here as “victorious” means more precisely “having achieved one’s desires.” As observed by Attinger, the traditional reading of the line as “he forced me out of the temple,” is complicated (if not, in my view, made entirely impossible) by the way most manuscripts write the final verb. This is another well-balanced line, with half-lines of five syllables each and a symmetrical vowel sequence: u-a u-u-a / e-a a-a-e.

𒋆 𒄷 𒁶 𒀊 𒋫 𒁀 𒊏 𒀭 𒊑 𒂊 𒍣 𒈬 𒅎 𒈪 𒅥

sim^mušen-gen₇ ab-ta ba-ra-an-dal-e zi-ĝu₁₀ im-mi-ku₂
swallow-like window-from make_fly life-my eat
simgen abta barandalen ziĝu immiku

105  –  Like a swallow, he made me fly through the window—my life has been devoured.

Other manuscripts have instead “he has devoured my life.”

𒄑 𒄉 𒆳 𒊏 𒆤 𒉈 𒅔 𒂄 𒂊 𒂗

^ĝiškiši₁₆ kur-ra-ke₄ bi₂-in-du₂₄-e-en
thorn land-of-to decree
kiši kurake binduen

106  –  Have you dispatched me to the thorns of foreign lands?

Again, Attinger observes that the traditional reading of this line—“He has made me walk through the thorns of foreign lands”—is rendered improbable by the way the word is written. Instead, the line seems to be a question addressed to Inana.

𒂇 𒍣 𒉆 𒂗 𒈾 𒈬 𒁕 𒀭 𒋼𒀀

aga zi nam-en-na mu-da-an-kar
crown righteous en-ship-of tear_away
aga zi namena mudankar

107  –  He wrested the righteous crown of the high priestess from me,

The phrase aga zi nam-en-na, “righteous crown of en-ship,” refers back to l. 4, where the same three words appear together. One manuscript has “garment” instead of “crown.”

𒄈 𒁀 𒁕 𒊏 𒈠 𒀭 𒋧 𒀀 𒊏 𒀊 𒌌 𒈠 𒀭 𒅗

ĝiri₂ ba-da-ra ma-an-šum₂ a-ra-ab-du₇ ma-an-du₁₁
knife dagger give suit say
ĝiri badara manšum arabdu mandu

108  –  he gave me a knife and dagger. “They suit you,” he said.

Lugal-Ane’s taunting action can be interpreted in different ways. The suggestion may be that Enheduana should commit suicide, or that she will have to defend herself while in exile. Note that the “knife and dagger,” ĝiri₂ ba-da-ra, were also the traditional attributes of the gender-bending ritual performers with whom Enheduana also compares herself in the Hymn, l. 250: perhaps Lugal-Ane is rebuking Enheduana for her “masculine” behavior? Note the neat construction of the last three words: the third word combines the prefix of the first (man-) with the ending of the second (-du).

𒊩𒌆 𒆗 𒆗 𒆷 𒀭 𒉌 𒆠 𒉘

nin kal-kal-la an-ne₂ ki_aĝ₂
lady precious An love
nin kalkala Ane kiaĝ

109  –  Precious lady, beloved by An!

Once again, the word nin serves to mark the beginning of a new section. This fifth and penultimate section is framed by the three-fold repetition of the phrase “lady, beloved by An.”

𒊮 𒆬 𒍪 𒈤 𒀀𒀭 𒆠 𒁉 𒄩 𒈠 𒄄 𒄄

ša₃ ku₃-zu mah-am₃ ki-bi_ha-ma-gi₄-gi₄
heart holy-your mighty-is return
ša kuzu maham kibi hamagigi

110  –  Your holy heart is mighty—may it return to me!

In the Sumerian idiom, the heart “returning to its place” means a restoration of affection.

𒊩𒍑𒁮 𒆠 𒉘 𒀭 𒃲𒁔 𒀭 𒈾 𒅗

nitlam ki-aĝ₂ ^dušumgal-an-na-ka
spouse beloved Ushumgal-An-of
nitlam kiaĝ Ušumgal-Anaka

111  –  Beloved wife of Ushumgal-An,

Ušumgal-An—literally “the basilisk of heaven”—is an epithet of Inana’s lover, Dumuzi.

𒀭 𒌫 𒀭 𒉺 𒊩𒌆 𒃲 𒁉 𒈨 𒂗

an-ur₂ an-pa nin gal-bi-me-en
horizon zenith lady great-of-are
anur anpa nin galbimen

112  –  you are the greatest lady from horizon to zenith.

The words translated as “horizon” and “zenith” literally mean “heaven-foundation,” an-ur₂, and “heaven-top,” an-pa.

𒀭 𒀀 𒉣 𒈾 𒆤 𒉈 𒄘 𒄑 𒈠 𒊏 𒀭 𒃻 𒊑 𒌍

^da-nun-na-ke₄-ne gu₂-ĝiš_ma-ra-an-ĝar-re-eš
Anuna submit
Anunakene guĝiš maranĝareš

113  –  The Anuna have submitted to you.

This is the first of three lines in quick succession to begin with the name of the “Anuna,” marking Inana’s superiority over the other gods of the pantheon.

𒅇 𒌅 𒁕 𒋫 𒊩𒌆 𒌉 𒁕 𒈨 𒂗

u₃-du₂-da-ta nin ban₃-da-me-en
birth-from lady-junior-are
ududata nin bandamen

114  –  From birth, you were a minor lady,

Intriguingly, the line implies that Inana was not always held to be a major figure in the pantheon—perhaps to explain why the goddess needs to be exalted.

𒀭 𒀀 𒉣 𒈾 𒀭 𒃲 𒃲 𒂊 𒉈 𒀀 𒁶 𒁀 𒂊 𒉈 𒋛𒀀 𒂵

^da-nun-na diĝir gal-gal-e-ne a-gen₇ ba-e-ne-diri-ga
Anuna gods great how exceed-that
Anuna diĝir galgalener agen baenediriga

115  –  but now—how you surpass the great Anuna gods!

The Sumerian language is very sparing with conjunctions like “and” or “but,” so the words “but now” are not there in the original, though the sentiment is clearly the same.

𒀭 𒀀 𒉣 𒈾 𒀝 𒉈 𒅻 𒅻 𒁉 𒋫 𒆠 𒋢 𒌒 𒈠 𒊏 𒀝 𒉈

^da-nun-na-ke₃-ne nundum-nundum-bi-ta ki su-ub_ma-ra-AK-ne
Anuna lips-their-with place kiss
Anunakene nundum-nundumbita ki sub marakne^?

116  –  The Anuna kiss the ground for you.

Literally, “rub the place with their lips.”

𒁲 𒉎 𒂷 𒉡 𒈬 𒌦 𒌀 𒁲 𒉽 𒁲 𒈬 𒁶 𒅆 𒂷 𒈬 𒌦 𒆸 𒆸

di ni₂-ĝa₂ nu-mu-un-til di kur₂ di-ĝu₁₀-gen₇ igi-ĝa₂ mu-un-ni₁₀-ni₁₀
case self-my not-complete case hostile case-my-like face-my encircle
di niĝa numuntil di kur diĝugen igiĝa munnini

117  –  The trial against me is not over. A hostile verdict surrounds me, as if it were my verdict.

As noted under l. 83, Enheduana interprets the ambiguity of her situation (exiled, but still alive) as an open court case: she feels a negative verdict looming toward her, but insists that the matter is not yet fully resolved, giving Inana time to intervene. Note that the word here translated as “trial” and “verdict” is the same, di.

𒄑 𒈿 𒄀 𒆸 𒈾 𒋗 𒉡 𒌝 𒈪 𒇲

^ĝišna₂ gi-rin-na šu_nu-um-mi-la₂
bed resplendent^? not-defile
na girina šu numila

118  –  I have not defiled^? the flourishing^? bed,

It is unclear what this line refers to, in part because the expressions gi-rin-na, here translated “flourishing,” and šu_la₂, here translated “defile,” are unclear. Zgoll translates that later expression literally, as “I have not stretched out my hands over the resplendent bed,” which Foster takes to be a description of prayer: “My hands are no longer clasped together on the god’s bed.” Attinger argues that the subject of the line is Lugal-Ane (“he has not defiled”). The new translation by Zgoll follows him on this point, but it seems to me unlikely. One manuscript has “my flourishing^? bed.” Note the balance of the half-lines, which have the same syllable structure: one, then three.

𒅗 𒅗 𒂵 𒀭 𒊩𒌆 𒃲 𒇽 𒊏 𒉡 𒈬 𒈾 𒁔

inim du₁₁-ga ^dnin-gal lu₂-ra nu-mu-na-bur₂
word spoken Ningal anyone-to not-reveal
inim duga Ningal lura numunabur

119  –  I have not revealed Ningal’s speech to anyone,

Again, the meaning of this line is unclear. As high priestess of Nanna, Enheduana would have had a special connection to Ningal—see this page.

𒂗 𒌓𒌓 𒂵 𒀭 𒋀𒆠 𒈨 𒂗

en dadag-ga ^dnanna-me-en
high_priestess shining Nanna-am
en dadaga Nannamen

120  –  I am the shining high priestess of Nanna.

Though the previous two lines are unclear, it is possible to see them as averring that Enheduana has not betrayed her profession, meaning that she is still Nanna’s legitimate priestess, even as she has been cast into exile.

𒊩𒌆 𒆠 𒉘 𒀭 𒈾 𒈬 𒊮 𒍪 𒄩 𒈠 𒈻 𒉈

nin ki-aĝ₂ an-na-ĝu₁₀ ša₃-zu ha-ma-se₉-de₃
lady beloved An-of-my heart-your calm
nin kiaĝ Anaĝu šazu hamasede

121  –  My lady, beloved by An, may your heart be reconciled with me!

The phrase “My lady, beloved by An,” introduces a new section: a final paean to Inana’s greatness.

𒃶 𒍪 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭 𒀭 𒋀𒆠 𒇷 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒂵 𒍝 𒀀 𒄰 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒂵

he₂-zu he₂-zu-am₃ ^dnanna li-bi₂-in-du₁₁-ga za-a-kam bi₂-in-du₁₁-ga
know know Nanna not-speak yours speak
hezu hezuam Nanna libinduga zakam binduga

122  –  May it be known, may it be known! Nanna has not spoken, so he has said: “It is yours.”

The line returns to the theme of the open court case, for which see l. 83 and 117: because Enheduana’s situation is ambiguous, Nanna must not have decided her case one way or the other, effectively leaving the matter to Inana. Attinger has an alternative, much more convoluted, and in my view unnecessary parsing of the line: “The ‘It is well known, it is well known”: I did not say, ‘(It is) about Nanna,’ I said, ‘(It is) about you.”

𒀭 𒁶 𒈤 𒀀 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

an-gen₇ mah-a-za he₂-zu-am₃
heaven-like mighty-that-your know
angen mahaza hezuam

123  –  That you are as mighty as heaven—may it be known.

The following section enumerates Inana’s majestic traits, which each line ending in he₂-zu-am₃, “may it be known” (this structure is called an epistrophe). Attinger translates this expression instead as “It is well known.”

𒆠 𒁶 𒂼 𒀀 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

ki-gen₇ daĝal-a-za he₂-zu-am₃
earth-like broad-that-your know
kigen daĝalaza hezuam

124  –  That you are as wide as the earth—may it be known.

It is a traditional trope in cuneiform literature to describe the gods as being as large as the earth and the heavens.

𒆠 𒁄 𒄢 𒄢 𒇻 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

ki-bal gul-gul-lu-za he₂-zu-am₃
rebel_land destroy-that-your know
kibal gulguluza hezuam

125  –  That you destroy the rebel land—may it be known.

From this line onward (until the end of the list, in l. 132), the ancient manuscripts order the lines differently; accordingly, Zgoll and Delnero also structure the section differently (see the overview in Delnero, 2094–96). For the sake of convenience, I follow Zgoll, whose line ordering has been most widely adopted; though it should be noted that Delnero’s ordering is based on a larger selection of manuscripts. In a more recent article, Delnero (p. 23–26) argues that the variation among the manuscripts in this section is particularly extreme: “the divergences in line sequence are so consistently extensive that it seems improbable that they were the result of scribal errors or recensional differences.” He therefore suggests that the variation may be result of a scribal exercise, in which the students, at the climax of the poem, were asked to create their own sequence for this passage.

𒆳 𒊏 𒅗 𒌤 𒂊 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

kur-ra gu₃_de₂-e-za he₂-zu-am₃
land shout-that-your know
kura gu deza hezuam

125a  –  That you roar against the enemy land—may it be known.

This line further complicates the different line orderings described above. Zgoll decided to count this line as 125a, presumably because it is placed after l. 125 in some manuscripts, but last in several others, suggesting (to her) that it was treated as an extraneous addition. Delnero (I think rightly) argues that there is not sufficient evidence for discounting the line, and in his new ordering, he gives it the number 133. However, as a result, the two editions yield different line counts from here and on to the end of the poem, which has 153 lines by Zgoll’s count and 154 by Delnero’s. Again, I follow Zgoll for the sake of convenience and ease of comparison across translations.

𒊕 𒄑 𒊏 𒊏 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

saĝ ĝiš_ra-ra-za he₂-zu-am₃
head beat-that-your know
saĝ ĝiš raraza hezuam

126  –  That you smash heads—may it be known.

The phrase saĝ ĝiš ra is also used in the more general, less graphic sense, “to kill.”

𒌨 𒁶 𒇿 𒅥 𒅇 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

ur-gen₇ ad₆ gu₇-u₃-za he₂-zu-am₃
beast-like corpse eat-that-you know
urgen ad guza hezuam

127  –  That you devour corpses like a lion—may it be known.

On the meaning of ur as “beast” or “lion,” see l. 14.

𒅆 𒄭𒄊 𒀀 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

igi huš-a-za he₂-zu-am₃
eye furious-that-your know
igi hušaza hezuam

128  –  That your eyes are furious—may it be known.

The word igi can also mean “face,” but in l. 130, it does seem to refer to eyes.

𒅆 𒄭𒄊 𒁉 𒅍 𒅍 𒄿 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

igi huš-bi il₂-il₂-i-za he₂-zu-am₃
eye furious-this lift-that-you know
igi hušbi ililiza^? hezuam

129  –  That you lift these furious eyes—may it be known.

One advantage of Zgoll’s ordering of the section is that it puts the three lines beginning with igi next to each other, in a neat crescendo.

𒅆 𒁯 𒁯 𒈾 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

igi gun₃-gun₃-na-za he₂-zu-am₃
eye iridescent-that-your know
igi gungunaza hezuam

130  –  That your eyes are iridescent—may it be known.

The word gun₃-gun₃, which is often applied to eyes, means “shining, multi-colored, dappled, beautiful.”

𒂗 𒈾 𒉡 𒊺 𒂵 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

uru₁₆-na nu-še-ga-za he₂-zu-am₃
towering-that disobedient-that-your know
uruna nušegaza hezuam

131  –  That you are obstinate and defiant—may it be known.

The word nu-še-ga, here translated as “defiant,” literally means, “one who does not obey.”

𒅇 𒈠 𒁺 𒁺 𒁍 𒍝 𒃶 𒍪 𒀀𒀭

u₃-ma gub-gub-bu-za he₂-zu-am₃
victorious stand-that-your know
uma gubgubuza hezuam

132  –  That you stand triumphant—may it be known.

Note the parallel to l. 104, where Lugal-Ane was said to stand triumphant, using the same expression: the implication is that Inana will rob him of his victory.

𒀭 𒋀𒆠 𒇷 𒉈 𒅔 𒅗 𒂵 𒍝 𒀀 𒄰 𒉈 𒅔 𒁺 𒌋 𒁹 𒂵

^dnanna li-bi₂-in-du₁₁-ga za-a-kam bi₂-in-du₁₁-ga
Nanna not-speak yours speak
Nanna libinduga zakam binduga

133  –  Nanna has not spoken, so he has said: “It is yours.”

The line repeats the second part of l. 122.

𒊩𒌆 𒈬 𒌈 𒄖 𒅋 𒂗 𒉌 𒈤 𒂗

nin-ĝu₁₀ ib₂-gu-ul-en i₃-mah-en
lady-my make_great make_mighty
ninĝu ibgulen imahen

134  –  My lady, this has made you great, this has made you mighty.

By letting Inana decide the case for him, Nanna has allowed Inana to become a ruler among gods, paving the way for her exalted position in the pantheon. One can also translate it as “he has made you, he has made you mighty.”

𒊩𒌆 𒆠 𒉘 𒀭 𒈾 𒈬 𒂇 𒂇 𒍝 𒂵 𒀀𒀭 𒅗

nin ki-aĝ₂ an-na-ĝu₁₀ mir-mir-za ga-am₃-du₁₁
lady beloved An-of-my wrath-your speak
nin kiaĝ Anaĝu mirmirza gamdu

135  –  My lady, beloved by An—I will sing of your wrath.

This is the third and final repetition of the phrase, “My lady, beloved by An,” marking the beginning of the climactic section of the poem.

𒉈 𒄯 𒈬 𒁾 𒋗 𒈛 𒋛 𒉈 𒅔 𒁲

ne-mur mu-dub šu-luh si_bi₂-in-sa₂
coal pile ritual prepare
nemur mudub šuluh si binsa

136  –  I have piled up the coals, I have performed the ritual.

On the šuluh as rituals of purification, see l. 85. In this context, si sa₂ specifically means “to perform without fault.”

𒂠 𒁮 𒆬 𒈠 𒊏 𒀭 𒅅 𒊮 𒍪 𒈾 𒈠 𒈻 𒉈

eš₂-dam-ku₃ ma-ra-an-ĝal₂ ša₃-zu na-ma-se₉-de₃
Eshdamku be_available heart-your not-calm
ešdamku maranĝal šazu namasede

137  –  The Holy Inn is ready for you. Will your heart not be reconciled with me?

The Holy Inn was a temple to Inana in the city of Girsu, but here it probably refers more generally to one of Inana’s cult centers; see George (83) and Zgoll (426–28).

𒅎 𒈠 𒋛 𒅎 𒈠 𒋛𒀀 𒂵 𒋫 𒊩𒌆 𒌦 𒃲 𒈠 𒊏 𒌅 𒌓

im-ma-si im-ma-diri-ga-ta nin UN-gal ma-ra-du₂-ud
fill exceed-that-after lady queen^? give_birth
imasi imadirigata nin ungal ^? maradu

138  –  As my heart was filled, overfilled—lady, queen—I gave birth to it for you.

Zgoll identifies the first part of the line—which literally reads “it was full for me, it was exceeding for me”—as a Sumerian idiomatic expression of overwhelming sorrow, with the heart as the implicit subject. The implicit object of the last verb refers to the poem itself, as made clear by the following lines: the narrator is here describing how she produced the text we have been reading so far. Crucially, however, the manuscripts write the last sign differently, leading to four different descriptions of Enheduana’s authorship. Four manuscripts have du₁₁, “to speak,” or “to sing” (see note to l. 63); three manuscripts have du₃, “to create”; one manuscript has du₂, “to give birth”; and one manuscript has du₈, “to release.” Since all four meanings of the sound du make sense in this context—authorship can be understood as both creation, recitation, birth, and release—the ambiguity may well be intentional. Zgoll (490) defends the reading du₂, “give birth,” in part because of the parallelism to l. 544 of the Temple Hymns, where Enheduana’s authorship is also described through the metaphor of birth.

𒃻 𒈪 𒅇 𒈾 𒈠 𒊏 𒀭 𒅗 𒂵 𒀀𒀭

niĝ₂ ĝi₆-u₃-na ma-ra-an-du₁₁-ga-am₃
thing nighttime-in speak-that-is
niĝ ĝiuna marandugam

139  –  That which I sang to you at nighttime,

The mention of the ĝi₆-u₃-na, “dead of night,” alludes back to l. 56 and the description of the rebel woman. The link between the scenes establishes the rebel woman as Enheduana’s foil: where the woman cannot speak beautiful words to her spouse and so cannot give birth, Enheduana does speak eloquently to Inana, and so gives birth to the poem.

𒍑𒆪 𒀭 𒉈 𒆤 𒋗 𒄷 𒈬 𒊏 𒀊 𒄄 𒄄

gala an-bar₇-ke₄ šu_hu-mu-ra-ab-gi₄-gi₄
gala midday repeat
gala anbarka šu humurabgigi

140  –  may a gala repeat to you at midday.

On the gala, see this page.

𒁮 𒆪 𒁀 𒍝 𒆤 𒌍 𒌉 𒆪 𒁀 𒍝 𒆤 𒌍

dam dab₅-ba-za-ke₄-eš dumu dab₅-ba-za-ke₄-eš
spouse seized-your-for child seized-your-for
dam dabazakeš dumu dabazakeš

141  –  Because of your captive spouse, because of your captive child,

It is unclear which spouse and child are meant. This line is also found in the genre of ritual lamentations, and seems to be a deliberate allusion to that genre (see Zgoll 431), indicating that the gala has taken over as the narrator of the text (see l. 144). Note the heavy alliteration on d.

𒌈 𒁀 𒍪 𒌈 𒄖 𒌌 𒊮 𒍪 𒉡 𒋼 𒂗 𒋼 𒂗

ib₂-ba-zu ib₂-gu-ul ša₃-zu nu-te-en-te-en
anger-your make_great heart-your not-cool
ibazu ibgul šazu nutenten

142  –  your anger grows, your heart is not soothed.

It is again unclear how this line fits into the narrative of the poem. If Enheduana identifies herself as Inana’s child (or spouse?) in the preceding line, it might mean that Inana goes from raging against Enheduana to raging on her behalf, but this is highly uncertain. Attinger suggests that the second part of the line is a question, paralleling l. 137: “Will your heart not be soothed?” Note the tight construction of the line: the repetition of ib- and -zu and the syllable structure 3-2//2-3.

𒊩𒌆 𒄘 𒌇 𒉪 𒅅 𒄘 𒂗 𒈾 𒆤

nin gu₂-tuku nir-ĝal₂ gu₂-en-na-ke₄
lady powerful authoritative assembly
nin gutuku nirĝal guenake

143  –  The powerful lady, who is respected in the assembly,

Once more, the word nin introduces a new section: the epilogue of the poem. Note that the two words of each half-line begin with the same syllables: ni- and gu-.

𒀬𒀬 𒊏 𒈾 𒋗 𒁀 𒀭 𒅆 𒅔 𒋾

sizkur₂-ra-na šu_ba-an-ši-in-ti
prayer-her receive
sizkurana šu banšinti

144  –  received her prayer.

Enheduana refers to herself in the third person, suggesting that the narrator is now the gala who repeated Enheduana’s hymn on the day after its composition. This is a striking moment in the text, as the grammatical structure reflects Enheduana’s transformation from character to composer, narrator to author. As noted by Zgoll, sizkur₂is specifically a prayer and an offering performed together.

𒊮 𒆬 𒀭 𒈹 𒆠 𒁉 𒁀 𒀭 𒈾 𒀊 𒄄

ša₃ ku₃ ^dinana ki-bi_ba-an-na-ab-gi₄
heart holy Inana-of return
ša ku Inana kibi banabgi

145  –  Inana’s holy heart returned to her.

For the idiomatic expression of the heart returning to its place, signaling a restoration of affection, see l. 110. Because Inana is clearly the subject of this line and l. 149, it is assumed that she is also the subject of the intervening lines, though any of these could also refer to Enheduana, since she is now likewise referred to in the third person. As noted by Hallo and van Dijk (62), “it is hard to tell whether the narrator .  .  . is speaking of one or the other,” an ambiguity that is particularly clear in l. 151.

𒌓 𒁀 𒀭 𒈾 𒄭 𒆷 𒆷 𒁀 𒀭 𒋤 𒋤 𒄭 𒇷 𒈠 𒊍 𒁀 𒀭 𒃮 𒃮

u₄ ba-an-na-du₁₀ la-la ba-an-su₃-su₃ hi-li ma-az ba-an-du₈-du₈
light be_pleasant charm spread delight lust release
u banadu lala bansusu hili maz bandudu

146  –  The light pleased her: she was spreading charm, she was exuding passionate delight.

The juxtaposition of la-la, “charm,” and hi-li, “delight,” refers back to l. 88 and the description of the Eana temple, perhaps suggesting that the damage done by Lugal-Ane has been reversed. Note also that the u₄, “light,” being pleasant in this line contrasts with its appearance in l. 70, where it turned burning hot, again indicating a resolution of the crisis. Note the aural patterning of the verbs: banadu—bansusu—bandudu.

𒌓𒀭𒋀𒆠 𒌓𒁺 𒀀 𒁶 𒆷 𒆷 𒁀 𒀭 𒅍

iti₆ e₃-a-gen₇ la-la ba-an-gur₃
moonlight come_forth-like charm carry
iti eagen lala bangur

147  –  Like the moonlight shining forth, she was laden with charm.

This line refers back to the very beginning of the poem: iti₆ e₃-a, “moonlight shining forth,” mirrors u₄ dalla e₃-a (l. 1), “resplendent daylight”; and la-la ba-an-gur₃, “she was laden with charm,” mirrors me-lam₂ gur₃-ru, “laden with a terrifying light” (l. 2). Note especially the transition from daylight at the beginning of the poem to moonlight at its end. As pointed out to me by Fumi Karahashi (personal communication), this shift from day to night also reflects the dual aspect of Inana’s planet Venus, which appears at dawn and at dusk.

𒀭 𒋀𒆠 𒅆𒂍 𒍣 𒉈 𒌍 𒈬 𒌦 𒌓𒁺

^dnanna u₆ zi-de₃-eš mu-un-e₃
Nanna admiration properly come_forth
Nanna u zideš mune

148  –  Nanna rightly expressed his admiration for her,

Note the parallel between the writing of the word iti₆, “moonlight,” at the beginning of the previous line (UD-^dŠEŠ-KI) and of the name Nanna, at the beginning of this line (^dŠEŠ-KI).

𒂼 𒉌 𒀭 𒊩𒌆 𒃲 𒆷 𒊏 𒆃 𒈬 𒈾 𒀭 𒊮 𒀸

ama-ni ^dnin-gal-la-ra šudu₃_mu-na-an-ša₃-aš
mother-her Ningal-to greet^?
amani Ningalara šudu munanšaš

149  –  she blessed her mother Ningal,

The manuscripts from Ur have instead: “Her mother Ningal blessed her.”

𒄑 𒆍 𒈾 𒆤 𒁲 𒈠 𒈬 𒈾 𒀊 𒁉

ĝiš-ka₂-na-ke₄ silim-ma mu-na-ab-be₂
doorframe greetings say
ĝiškanake silima munabe

150  –  the doorframe said to her: “Welcome!”

The mention of the doorframe at the very end of the poem is significant: the line is also a threshold of the text itself.

𒉡 𒈪𒉭 𒊏 𒅗 𒂵 𒉌 𒈤 𒀀𒀭

nu-gig-ra du₁₁-ga-ni mah-am₃
nugig-to say-that-her mighty-is
nugigra dugani maham

151  –  Her speech to the nugig was mighty.

Note that the mention of the nugig again refers back to the beginning of the text: it was mentioned in the third line of the poem and appears again here, in the third-to-last line. As noted in l. 3, it originally designated a wetnurse or midwife, but came to refer more generally to high-status women associated with the temple, and it was used as an epithet of Inana and other goddesses. Crucially, its use in this line is ambiguous: does it refer to Inana, as it does in l. 3? In that case, the line would describe Enheduana’s recitation of the poem to Inana. Or does nugig refer to Enheduana, in which case the line would describe Inana’s order that Enheduana be restored as high priestess? Different translators have taken different views, but the ambiguity seems to me deliberate (see Helle, 61), as it shows the goddess and the priestess exalting one another.

𒆳 𒄢 𒄢 𒀭 𒁕 𒈨 𒁀 𒀀

kur gul-gul an-da me ba-a
mountain destroy An-with me alloted
kur gulgul Anda me ba

152  –  Destroyer of mountains, to whom the me were allotted by An,

The phrase kur gul-gul, “destroyer of mountains,” parallels l. 17, and again alludes to Inana’s battle against Mount Ebih.

𒊩𒌆 𒈬 𒄭 𒇷 𒄘 𒌓𒁺 𒀭 𒈹 𒍠 𒊩

nin-ĝu₁₀ hi-li gu₂_e₃ ^dinana za₃-mi₂
lady-my delight covered Inana praise
ninĝu hili gu e Inana zami

153  –  My lady, wrapped in delight: Inana be praised!

The phrase nin-ĝu₁₀ isrepeated one final time to mark the end of the poem. It is conventional for Sumerian hymns to end with the name of the deity followed by za₃-mi₂, meaning “(to) the deity (let there be) praise.”