In my last article, we went over the history of poetry and how it evolved into the art form it is today. I also briefly mentioned the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is regarded as the world’s oldest written epic poem.

However, there is another poem that was written around the same time, and it’s regarded as the first ever love poem.

Let’s talk about it.

The Love Song of Shu-Sin

The Love Song of Shu-Sin is a poem that was written in Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE.

It was discovered between 1889-1900 during an excavation to Nippur in lower Mesopotamia, which is modern-day Iraq. However, it wasn’t translated until 1951, when famous Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer found it in a drawer at the Istanbul museum and was struck by its state of preservation.

He then states that “I soon realized that I was reading a poem, divided into a number of stanzas, which celebrated beauty and love, a joyous bride and a king named Shu-Sin (who ruled over the land of Sumer close to four thousand years ago). As I read it again and yet again, there was no mistaking its content. What I held in my hand was one of the oldest love songs written down by the hand of man.” (History Begins at Sumer, page 245)

The author of this love song is unknown, but many scholars believe that it’s a part of an ancient ritual called the Sacred Marriage.

The Sacred Marriage

The Sacred Marriage is when the king of a Sumerian city-state (in this case, Shu-Sin) would marry a high priestess and votary of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love and fertility.

According to Kramer, “Once a year, according to Sumerian belief, it was the sacred duty of the ruler to marry a priestess and votary of Inanna, the goddess of love and procreation, in order to ensure fertility to the soil and fecundity to the womb. The time-honored ceremony was celebrated on New Year’s day and was preceeded by feasts and banquets accompanied by music, song, and dance. The poem inscribed on the little Istanbul clay tablet was in all probability recited by the chosen bride of King Shu-Sin in the course of one of these New Year celebrations.” (History Begins at Sumer, page 245-246)

Translation

Now that we know some of the history of the The Love Song of Shu-Sin, let’s read the poem!

I’m using the translation set down by Samuel Noah Kramer, since it seems to be the most accurate.

Fair warning- it’s a bit spicy 😉

The Love Song of Shu-Sin

Bridegroom, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet,
Lion, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet.

You have captivated me, let me stand tremblingly before you.
Bridegroom, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber,
You have captivated me, let me stand tremblingly before you.
Lion, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber.

Bridegroom, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savory than honey,
In the bedchamber, honey-filled,
Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,
Lion, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savory than honey.

Bridegroom, you have taken your pleasure of me,
Tell my mother, she will give you delicacies,
My father, he will give you gifts.

Your spirit, I know where to cheer your spirit,
Bridegroom, sleep in our house until dawn,
Your heart, I know where to gladden your heart,
Lion, sleep in our house until dawn.

You, because you love me,
Give me pray of your caresses,
My lord god, my lord protector,
My Shu-Sin, who gladdens Enlil's heart,
Give my pray of your caresses.
Your place goodly as honey, pray lay your hand on it,
Bring your hand over like a gishban-garment,
Cup your hand over it like a gishban-sikin-garment

It is a balbale-song of Inanna.

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To learn more about this poem, check out this article on WorldHistory.org and Kramer’s book, History Begins at Sumar.

What are your thoughts about the world’s oldest love poem? Let me know in the comments!