The shortest Sumerian prayer
The shortest prayer in the Mesopotamian faith nonetheless carries great weight and impact, and is straightforward to remember and recite in Sumerian. It reads simply as follows:
𒀭_______𒍠𒊩
_______ za-mi
"_______ be praised!"
Or, in a slightly longer form:
(𒆬) 𒀭_______ 𒍠𒊩𒍪 𒂁𒂵𒀝𒄰
(kug) ________ zamizu dugakam
"(Holy) _______, it is sweet to praise you!"
I've been making more of an effort lately to recognise the presence and influence of our gods in the world around me, especially that if my Lady, Inana. Whenever I'm struck by a flash of favour, or I see a prayer bring answered before my eyes, I open my hands to the heavens, take a breath, ground myself and simply speak: "Inana za-mi". Without fail, I experience a rush of serious, genuine, intense love and gratitude, every single time.
When reciting longer prayers, or composing my own, I often like to conclude with one of the two versions above, as was a common literary practice in Mesopotamia. If I'm writing, I'll frequently end with "Nisaba be praised"; as an aspiring writer, Nisaba certainly has a place in my worship, and it was a custom to end literary texts this way as well to honour her for the gift of writing that she handed down to mankind in those distant times.
It takes very little time to stop and recognise the presence of the Divine in the world around me and as I encounter it in my daily life, and yet taking a moment for a simple, sincere gesture of praise and appreciation helps keep me experientially aware of my relationship with my gods and my role in the world order.
𒀭_______𒍠𒊩
_______ za-mi
"_______ be praised!"
Or, in a slightly longer form:
(𒆬) 𒀭_______ 𒍠𒊩𒍪 𒂁𒂵𒀝𒄰
(kug) ________ zamizu dugakam
"(Holy) _______, it is sweet to praise you!"
I've been making more of an effort lately to recognise the presence and influence of our gods in the world around me, especially that if my Lady, Inana. Whenever I'm struck by a flash of favour, or I see a prayer bring answered before my eyes, I open my hands to the heavens, take a breath, ground myself and simply speak: "Inana za-mi". Without fail, I experience a rush of serious, genuine, intense love and gratitude, every single time.
When reciting longer prayers, or composing my own, I often like to conclude with one of the two versions above, as was a common literary practice in Mesopotamia. If I'm writing, I'll frequently end with "Nisaba be praised"; as an aspiring writer, Nisaba certainly has a place in my worship, and it was a custom to end literary texts this way as well to honour her for the gift of writing that she handed down to mankind in those distant times.
It takes very little time to stop and recognise the presence of the Divine in the world around me and as I encounter it in my daily life, and yet taking a moment for a simple, sincere gesture of praise and appreciation helps keep me experientially aware of my relationship with my gods and my role in the world order.