“The oldest in the world” is how Sumerian literature is rightly called: of all the currently known literatures, it conveyed to us the ancient written word with the greatest completeness. For more than four thousand years, there are records of Sumerian legends, stories about the exploits of heroes, hymns of praise and even proverbs, parables and sayings - a completely unique phenomenon in the history of writing. This publication, for the first time in Russian, presents the most complete anthology of Sumerian poetry, systematized into seven sections: “The Order of the World”, “Let us Praise Our Gods”, “Love of the Goddess”, “Heroes of Sumer”, “Temples of Sumer. Lords of Sumer”, “Fates” Sumer", "People of Sumer: the spirit of Eduba". The anthology reflects both texts in relation to which the words “high wisdom” and “secret knowledge” can be used, and texts revealing “worldly wisdom”, “testaments of the fathers”. We are talking about gods and their deeds, about heroes and historical figures, about ordinary people and their everyday life. The mythological prologues set out the history of the initial days of the world, talk about the primordial elements, the origin (in one version, obviously, the spontaneous generation) of deities, the separation of heaven from earth, the creation of people from clay so that they would work for the gods. The people's answer is praise to the incarnations of higher powers. This is the first time such a publication has been undertaken in Russian.

CONTENTS: V. Afanasyeva. THE ANCIENT IN THE WORLD 5Section I. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE WORLD. BETWEEN THE CITIES OF THE LIGHTY. The Tale of Enki and Ninhursag 33 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE BEGINNINGS, FROM THE DAYS OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD... The Tale of Enki and Ninmah 42K EREDUGU IN THE ABZU THE THOUGHTS OF INanna and Enki 47CONNECTION b THE CITY OF EARTH AND SKY. The Tale of Enlil and Ninlil 61 THE LADY OF THE ESSENCE OF THE RIGHTEOUS. The Marriage of Enlil 66 ON THE MOUNTAIN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. Ashnan the Grain and the Lahar Sheep 74 O, HOE, HOE, HOE! Dispute between the Hoe and the Plow 80 THE LORD IN THE GREAT SHINE! The Tale of God's Deeds Ninurta (In excerpts) 85E-GAY, ZHI-VEY! Song of the Plowing Bull 93Section II. LET'S PRAISE THE GODS OF OUR KHANLIL! EVERYWHERE...Hymn of praise to Enlil 99 IN ANCIENT TIMES...Spell of Enki-Nudimmuda (Excerpt from the legend of Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta) 104THE LORD OF THE SHARP-EYED...Hymn to the god Enki 105GOD ENKI, RULE OF THE WORLD...Letter-prayer of the scribe 1 07Mrs. ARURU WHAT'S IN THE TEMPLE OF KESHA...Praise to the goddess Aruru 110HOW MANY SHEEP, HOW MANY COWS!Hymn-song to the moon god Zuen 112NANA, THE FIRSTBORN SON OF ENLIL...Letter to the Sumerian moon god Nanna 114HERO, DRAGON, TERRIBLE, FIERCE...Praise to the god Ninurta 115LOSS - THE STAR OF THE HEAVENS WITH BRIGHTGlorification of the goddess Nisaba by the god Enki 118BORN OF LIGHTJET...Hymn to the goddess of beer Ninkasi 122Section III. LOVE GODDESS CONVERSATION. HE SPEAKS LIGHTLY TO HIS SISTER...The dispute between cattle breeding and agriculture 127IF IT WAS NOT MY MOTHER...The love song of Inanna and Dumuzi 131WHEN I, LADY...The love song of Inanna and Dumuzi 133I AM BECOMING PALER AND PALER...Brother's dialogue and sisters 135SISTER, WHY ARE YOU LOCKED IN THE HOUSE?Love dialogue 136OH MY LOUBY-LOUBY-LOVE...Dialogue of lovers 137FROM THE GREAT HEAVENS TO THE GREAT BOWELS...Inanna's descent into the underworld 139IN THE COMPLAINTS OF THE HEART...Dumuzi's Dream 153VLADS KE SUNSET - Grief !Crying for Dumuzi 160 TO THOSE WHO ARE FAR AWAY...Crying-spell 163MY WANDERER COMING Spell from the series “edin-na-u-sag-ga” 164 BELOVED SISTER DUMUZI...Geshtinanna and the singers 166Section IV. HEROES OF THE SUMMER WALLS RISE IN THE AZURE GLOW...The Tale of Enmerkar and Ensukhkeshdanna 171THE KING IN THOSE DAYS...Lugalbanda in the darkness of the mountains 181LUGALBANDA Wanders in the Distant MOUNTAINS...The Tale of Lugalbanda and the Eagle Anzud 192AMBASSADORS OF AGI... Gilgamesh and Aga 204PRIEST K " THE WORRY OF THE IMMORTAL "...Gilgamesh and Huwava 207IN THE ETERNAL DAYS, IN THE ENDLESS DAYS...Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Underworld 214Section V. TEMPLES OF SUMERIAN LORD OF SUMERAENLIL, OF ALL COUNTRIES OF THE LORD...Inscription of Enmetena 229WHEN IN THE UNIVERSE FATES WERE DECIDED... Excerpts from the building inscription of the ruler of Gudea (cylinder “A•”) 235PRINCE’S THRONE, PRINCE’S THRONE...Hymn to the temple of the city of Kesha 242I AM THE KING. FROM THE WOMN - HERO Anthem “Shulgi A” 247THE LAMP GAVE BIRTH...Loving praises of King Shu-Suen 250YOU, WHO DRUNKEN MY HEART...Love song of Shu-Suznu 251THE MIGHTY CHARIOT!Hymn about the construction of the chariot to the god Enlil 252R a z d e l VI. THE FATES OF SUMMERADABA... A TEMPLE THAT IS LIKE A BOAT...The Tale of Sargon 257WHEN THE ANGERED LOOK OF ENLIL...The Curse of Akkad 260TIME CHANGING...Introduction to the lament for the destruction of Sumer and Ur 269HE LEFT HIS STABLE...The lament for the destruction of the city Hurray 271O, THY WRATHY Dwelling...Lamentations and hymns to Enlil (Abridged) 287THE DESTRUCTION OF MY PEOPLE...Excerpts from the tale of the flood 295Section VI I I. PEOPLE OF SUMERIAN: THE SPIRIT OF HEDUBIN THE DAYS OF LONG, IN THE DAYS OF LONG...Teachings of Shuruppak 301 MY FISH...The House of the Fish 310REED BEDDS WHAT DO THEY SAY? A story about a heron and turtles 315IN THE HOUSE, WHERE IS THERE BEER...Admonition to a woman 319NAMZITARA...Enlil and Namzitara 320A LION GRABED A DEFENSE GOAT Fable 321BIRD CATCHERS, HAVING BEER WITH THEM...A scene from life 321A FOX RUNS INTO A HOLE...Proverbs, sayings, riddles 322A CERTAIN ELDER I APPEALED TO THE KING.. .A story about an old man and a girl 324TO THE QUEEN'S MESSENGER THAT SET OUT ON A WAY...Message from Ludingira 325LUDILUDI, MY MOTHER, SO SAY...Letter from a monkey 327THE STINK HAS GROWN LIKE SMELLY HERBS Spell of the stench 328THE SWEET VIRGIN STANDS IN THE STREET...Love spell 328 FOR WIFE HERO , LIKE A MIGHTY BULL...Spell for a woman in labor 330U-A, A-U-A, SLEEP, SWIM...Lullaby 331EVIL DAY CAPTURED HER...Ludingira's lament for his wife Navirtum 334THE KIDNAPPING GODS...Spell of the spirits of the dead 336LUGALMURUB , SON ZUZU...Dedicatory inscription 338A MAN NAMED NINURTA-SAGENTARBI-ZAEMEN...About the one who was bitten by a dog 339“SCHOOLBOY, WHERE DO YOU GO AS A CHILDHOOD?*Essay on school education 341“COME TO ME!” Instruction to a good-for-nothing son 344THE SCRIBE WANTS CHECK THE SON...Exam text "A" 350LITERATE WISDOM...Praise of the art of writing 352COMMENTARY 355DICTIONARY of historical and mythological names, geographical names and terms 471LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 484ABBREVIATIONS in captions to illustrations 488ILLUSTRATIONS 49 7