The Poem:
Ah, ah, may he grow sturdy through my crooning,
may he flourish through my crooning!
May he put down strong foundations as roots,
may he spread branches wide like a cakir plant!
Lord, from this you know our whereabouts;
among those resplendent apple trees overhanging the river,
may someone who passes by reach out his hand,
may someone lying there raise his hand.
My son, sleep will overtake you, sleep will settle on you.
Sleep come, sleep come,
sleep come to my son,
sleep hasten to my son!
Put to sleep his open eyes,
settle your hand upon his sparkling eyes—
as for his murmuring tongue,
let the murmuring not spoil his sleep.
May he fill your lap with emmer
while I sweeten miniature cheeses for you,
those cheeses that are the healer of mankind,
that are the healer of mankind,
and of the lord's son, the son of lord Culgi.
In my garden, it is the lettuces that I have watered,
and among the lettuces it is the gakkul lettuce
that I have chopped.
Let the lord eat this lettuce!
Through my crooning let me give him a wife,
let me give him a wife, let me give him a son!
May a happy nursemaid chatter with him,
may a happy nursemaid suckle him!
(http://www.humanistictexts.org/sumerlove.htm#8 Lullaby for a Son)
My Criticism:
The poetry style is considered as free verse since there is no consistency of the rhyme scheme. The redundant number of syllables per line ranges from nine to eleven. The poem is about a mother who wants comfort for his son while she is singing a lullaby for her son to sleep. The poem uses techniques such as symbolism, metaphor and simile. The poem simply focuses on man.
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