Lullaby for a Son of Shulgi: A Single Moment Preserved in Time (opens in new tab)

Lullaby for a Son of Shulgi is a Sumerian cradlesong from the reign of Shulgi of Ur (2094 to circa 2046 BCE) written for one of his sons. Shulgi had three wives and six consorts who gave birth to 18 sons and 13 daughters whose names are known (there may have been more), and this piece could have been addressed to any one of the male children. The lullaby preserves a single moment in which the boy is being sung to sleep by his mother, who loves him and wishes only the best for him, just like a...