The temple hymns: translation

The temple hymns: translation
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The temple hymns: translation
1-7
E-unir
(House which is a ziqqurat), grown together with heaven and
earth, foundation of heaven and earth, great banqueting hall of
Eridug
Abzu
, shrine erected for its prince,
E-dul-kug
(House which is the holy mound) where pure food is eaten,
watered by the prince's pure canal, mountain, pure place cleansed with the
potash plant,
abzu
, your
tigi
drums belong to the divine
powers.
8-15
Your great ......
wall is in good repair. Light does not enter your meeting-place where the god
dwells, the great assembly-room, the assembly-room, the beautiful place. Your
tightly constructed house is sacred and has no equal. Your prince, the great
prince, has fixed firmly a holy crown for you in your precinct -- O
Eridug
with a crown placed on your head, bringing forth
thriving thornbushes, pure thornbushes for the
susbu
priests (?), O
Ec-abzu
(Shrine which is the
abzu
), your place,
your great place!
16-23
At your place of
calling upon
Utu
, at your oven bringing bread to eat,
on your ziqqurat, a magnificent shrine stretching toward heaven, at your great
oven rivalling the great banqueting hall, your prince, the prince of heaven and
earth ...... can never be changed, the ......, the creator, the ......, the
wise one, the ......, lord
Nudimmud
, has erected a
house in your precinct, O
E-engura
(House of the
subterranean waters), and taken his seat upon your dais.
24
23 lines: the house
of
Enki
in
Eridug
25-33
O ......, shrine
where destiny is determined, ......, foundation, raised with a ziqqurat,
......, settlement of
Enlil
, your ......, your right
and your left are
Sumer
and
Akkad
. House of
Enlil
, your interior is
cool, your exterior determines destiny. Your door-jambs and architrave are a
high mountain, your projecting pilasters a dignified mountain. Your peak is a
...... peak of your princely platform. Your base serves heaven and earth.
34-37
Your prince, the
great prince
Enlil
, the good lord, the lord of the
limits of heaven, the lord who determines destiny, the Great Mountain
Enlil
, has erected a house in your precinct, O shrine
Nibru
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
38
13 lines: the house
of
Enlil
in
Nibru
39-46
Tummal
, exceedingly worthy of the princely divine powers, inspiring
awe and dread! Foundation, your pure lustration extends over the
abzu
Primeval city, reed-bed green with old reeds and new shoots, your interior is a
mountain of abundance built in plenitude. At your feast held in the month of
the New Year, you are wondrously adorned as the great lady of
Ki-ur
rivals
Enlil
. Your princess, mother
Ninlil
, the beloved wife of
Nunamnir
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-Tummal
(Tummal House), and taken a place upon your dais.
47
8 lines: the house
of
Ninlil
in
Nibru
48-56
E-melem-huc
(House of terrifying radiance) exuding great
awesomeness,
Ec-mah
(Magnificent shrine), to which
princely divine powers were sent from heaven, storehouse of
Enlil
founded for the primeval divine powers, worthy of nobility,
lifting your head in princeship, counsellor of
E-kur
pillar of the surroundings, your house ...... the platform with heaven. The
decisions at its place of reaching the great judgment -- the river of the
ordeal -- let the just live and consign to darkness the hearts that are evil.
In your great place fit for pure lustration and the rites of
icib
priests, you dine with lord
Nunamnir
57-59
Your prince,
the prince who is the counsellor of
Enlil
and worthy of
Ec-mah
, the
udug
demon of
E-kur
, the leader
Nuska
, has erected a
house in your precinct, O house of
Enlil
, and taken his
seat upon your dais.
60
12 lines: the
house of
Nuska
in
Nibru
61-68
E-me-ur-ana
(House which gathers the divine powers of heaven)
standing in a great place, the just divine powers which the warrior ......,
strength of battle, heroic mace, carrier of the quiver, mighty bustling brick
building, your foundation is eternal. Founded by the primeval lord, with
decisions which belong to the princely divine powers, holy soil filling the
mountain, lifting your head among the princes, magnificent house, the wonder
coming from you is like the sun whose glow spreads. E-cu-me-ca (House which
...... the divine powers),
Enlil
has instilled your
name with terrifying awesomeness.
69-75
Your prince,
the great ......, the warrior whose strength is boundless, the great ruler for
Enlil
, the noble who rivals heaven and earth, the
provisioning (?) seal-keeper of father
Enlil
who makes
the great divine powers perfect, the ......, the leader for father
Enlil
, the foremost, the lion engendered by the Great Mountain, who
for
Enlil
destroys the hostile lands, lord
Ninurta
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-cu-me-ca
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
76
15 lines: the
house of
Ninurta
in
Nibru
77-85
E-ja-dulda
(House, chamber with the mound), ......, crown of the
high plain, holy place, pure place, house, your foundation is a great princely
mooring pole.
Dul-saj-dili
(Singular mound), your lady,
the singular woman who keeps the chamber and the dais full, gladdens your
platform in princely style. Your princess who avoids anger and is exceedingly
wise, the princely daughter who prospers together with the Great Mountain,
Cu-zi-ana
, the junior wife of father
Enlil
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
Dul-saj-dili
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
86
9 lines: the house
of
Cu-zi-ana
in
Ja-gi-mah
87-95
O mighty
Kec
, form of heaven and earth, arousing terror like a great
horned viper, house of
Ninhursaja
, built in a
terrifying place! Respected
Kec
, your interior is a
deep interior while your exterior is tall. Great lion ...... on the high plain
and roving about on the plain, great hill established by incantations, twilit
interior in which moonlight does not shine,
Nintud
has
made you beautiful -- O house
Kec
, your brickwork and
your moulding of it! Your terrace! Your exterior, a lustrous
suh
crown,
and your building of it!
96-99
Your princess,
the silencing princess, the true and great lady of heaven -- when she talks
heaven trembles, when she opens her mouth there is devastation --
Aruru
, the sister of
Enlil
, has erected a
house in your precinct, O house
Kec
, and taken her seat
upon your dais.
100
13 lines: the
house of
Ninhursaja
in
Kec
101-108
Urim
, bull standing in the wet reeds,
E-kic-nujal
(House sending light to the earth (?)), calf of a great
cow, ...... light of holy heaven, ...... wild cow, trap laid in a nest,
Urim
, container feeding all lands, you are a shrine in a pure
place, earth of
An
-- O house of
Suen
, at your front a prince, at your back a ruler, your dining
hall with
adab
songs, your great, holy banqueting hall with
cem
and
ala
drums! The light coming from you and your true lordship is most
precious.
109-117
Jipar
, princely shrine of the
holy divine powers, shining like the ...... sun,
E-kic-nujal
, beaming moonlight which comes forth in the Land, broad
light of midday which fills all lands, house, your platform is a great snake, a
marsh of snakes. Your foundation is the
abzu
, fifty in number, and the
engur
, seven in number, a shrine which looks into the heart of the gods.
Your prince, the prince who makes decisions, the crown of the wide heaven, the
sovereign of heaven,
Acimbabbar
, has erected a house in
your precinct, O shrine
Urim
, and taken his seat upon
your dais.
118
17 lines: the
house of
Nanna
in
Urim
119-128
E-mu-mah
(House with a magnificent name), rising mountain of
heaven, your holy sides and your great foundation are most precious. Interior
full with princely divine powers, a beaming light which shines, shrine with
your back to the blue sky and your prominent front to all people, in the Land
it represents a binding agreement and a single track. Magnificent river with
open mouth gathering together your ...... divine powers, your base is great in
awesomeness, a righteous hill grown in a broad place. Your lofty dwelling-place
of magnificence with all the divine powers of princeship, ......, shouting
......; house of celebration, your platform gladdens the settlements.
129-133
House, your
prince
Culgi
has made it great and most princely. The
perfect and magnificent ......, the mighty and great wind, adorned with the
divine powers, determining destiny,
Culgi
of
An
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-hursaj
(House which is a hill), and taken his seat upon your
dais.
134
15 lines:
addition:
E-hursaj
of
Culgi
in
Urim
135-139
O city,
...... from the
abzu
like barley, cloudy plain, taking the divine powers
from its midst,
Kuara
, the lord who does not hold back
his goods goes amazed to the foundation of your just banqueting hall. The Seven
Sages have enlarged it for you from the south to the uplands.
140-145
Your prince,
the most precious prince
Asarluhi
, the most precious
one, is a warrior, born a noble prince, a leopard who seizes prey. He is like
an onrushing storm battering the rebel land. As long as it remains disobedient,
he pours spittle upon it.
Asar-alim-nuna
, the son of
the
abzu
, has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Kuara
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
146
11 lines: the
house of
Asarluhi
in
Kuara
147-156
E-gud-du-car
(House with numerous perfect oxen) of holy
nir
stone in which its sovereign sits, magnificent trap, crown (?) of
the princely son, whose best fine oil is holy and well-prepared,
Ja-bura
(Chamber of bowls), holy cattle-pen pasturing cows with
musur
plants, your prince is a great wild bull, an elephant rejoicing in
its own strength, a wild cow growing horns and and delighting in its shining
horns. The incantation priest of opposed languages who put clouds in the sky,
the storm which roars in the sky, as the sunlight giving ...... to the earth,
Ningubalag
, the son of
Nanna
has erected a house in your precinct, O
Ki-abrig
, and
taken his seat upon your dais.
157
10 lines: the
house of
Ningubalag
in
Ki-abrig
158-167
O shrine,
great sanctuary founded at a cattle-pen, small shining city of
Suen
Kar-zida
(Pure quay), your interior
is a mighty place, your foundation is holy and clean. Shrine, your
jipar
is founded in purity. Your door is of strong copper set up at a great place.
Lowing cattle-pen, you raise your horns like a bull. Your prince, the lord of
heaven standing in celebration, ...... at midday and ......,
Acimbabbar
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
Kar-zida
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
168
10 lines: the
house of
Nanna
in
Gaec
169-177
O house
which comes forth from heaven, resplendent in
Kulaba
shrine
E-babbar
(Shining house), shining bull, lift
your neck to
Utu
who ...... in the sky! Your shining
horns are ......, holy and lustrous. Bearing a beard of shining lapis lazuli,
......, your prince, the mighty sunlight, the lord who ...... the true word,
who lightens the horizon, who lightens the sky's ...... vault,
Utu
, the sovereign of
E-babbar
, has erected
a house in your precinct, O house
Larsa
, and taken his
seat upon your dais.
178
9 lines: the
house of
Utu
in
Larsa
179-185
Enegir
, great libation pipe, libation pipe to the underworld
of
Ereckigala
, Gudua (
i.e. entrance to the nether
world
) of
Sumer
where mankind is gathered,
E-gida
(Long house), in the land your shadow has stretched
over the princes of the land. Your prince, the seed of the great lord, the
sacred one of the great underworld, given birth by
Ereckigala
, playing loudly on the
zanaru
instrument, sweet
as the voice of a calf,
Ninazu
of the words of prayer,
has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Enegir
and taken his seat upon your dais.
186
7 lines: the
house of
Ninazu
in
Enegir
187-196
O primeval
place, deep mountain founded in an artful fashion, shrine, terrifying place
lying in a pasture, a dread whose lofty ways none can fathom,
Jicbanda
, neck-stock, meshed net, bond of the great underworld from
which none can escape, your exterior is raised up, prominent like a snare, your
interior is where the sun rises, endowed with wide-spreading plenty. Your
prince is the prince who stretches out his pure hand, the holy one of heaven,
with luxuriant and abundant hair hanging at his back, lord
Ninjiczida
Ninjiczida
has erected a house
in your precinct, O
Jicbanda
, and taken his seat upon
your dais.
197
10 lines: the
house of
Ninjiczida
in
Jicbanda
198-203
O house with
the great divine powers of
Kulaba
, ......, its platform
has made the great shrine flourish. Green fresh fruit, marvellous, filled with
ripeness, descending from the centre of heaven, shrine built for the bull,
E-ana
(House of heaven), house with seven corners, with
seven fires lifted at night-time, surveying seven pleasures (?), your princess
is on the pure horizon.
204-208
Your lady
Inana
who ......, who adorns the woman and covers the
man with a helmet, the one with a lustrous ......
suh
crown, the dragon
of Nijin-jar, the queen of heaven and earth,
Inana
, has
erected a house in your precinct, O
E-ana
, and taken
her seat upon your dais.
209
11 lines: the
house of
Inana
in
Unug
210-219
O house
where lustrous herbs are strewn upon the flowery bed, the bed-chamber of holy
Inana
, where the lady of the plain refreshes herself!
Brick-built
E-muc
(House which is the precinct) is
flowery and holy, its ...... clay established for him who tends the ewes on the
high plain. Your ...... of
E-arali
(House which is the
nether world) gives shade (?) to the shepherd. Your prince, a raging lion on
the plain, the
cuba
jewel of the Mistress whose breast is holy and
marvellous, the lord who is holy
Inana's
husband,
Dumuzid
, the sovereign of
E-muc
, has
erected a house in your precinct, O
Bad-tibira
, and
taken his seat upon your dais.
220
10 lines: the
house of
Dumuzid
in
Bad-tibira
221-228
E-igizu-uru
(House, your face is mighty), with plenty coming
from within, your treasury is a mountain of abundance. House, your fragrance is
a mound of vines. Your true minister is a leader in heaven. House, your
princess is prominent among the gods, the true minister of
E-ana
who holds a holy sceptre in her hand.
Nincubur
, the true minister of
E-ana
, has
erected a house in your precinct, O
E-akkil
(House of
lamentation), and taken her seat upon your dais.
229
8 lines: the
house of
Nincubur
in
Akkil
230-235
O city,
founded upon a dais in the
abzu
, established for the rites of
icib
priests, house where incantations of heaven and earth are
recited,
4 lines fragmentary
236-238
......
lustration water in the holy heaven and on the pure earth.
Ningirim
, the lady of the shining lustration water, has erected a
house in your precinct, O house
Murum
, and taken her
seat upon your dais.
239
9 lines: the
house of
Ningirim
in
Murum
240-248
E-ninnu
(House of 50), right hand of
Lagac
, foremost in
Sumer
, the Anzud bird
which gazes upon the mountain, the
car-ur
weapon of ......
Ninjirsu
, ...... in all lands, the strength of battle, a terrifying
storm which envelops men, giving the strength of battle to the
Anuna
, the great gods, brick building on whose holy mound destiny
is determined, beautiful as the hills, your canal ......, your ...... blowing
in opposition (?) at your gate facing towards
Iri-kug
wine is poured into holy
An's
beautiful bowls set out
in the open air.
249-254
Whatever
enters you is unequalled, whatever leaves endures. ......, terrifying facade,
house of radiance, a place of reaching judgment which lord
Ninjirsu
has filled with great awesomeness and dread! All the
Anuna
gods attend your great drinking-bouts.
255-261
Your prince,
a raging storm which destroys cities in hostile lands, your sovereign, a
terrifying wild ox which will manifest its strength, a terrifying lion which
smashes heads, the warrior who devises strategies in lordship and attains
victory in kingship, the mighty one, the great warrior in battle, the lord
without rival, the son of
Enlil
, lord
Ninjirsu
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-ninnu
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
262
22 lines: the
house of
Ninjirsu
in
Lagac
263-270
Iri-kug
(Holy city), shrine of holy
An
, which caused the human seed to come forth, called by a good
name, within you is the river of ordeal which vindicates the just man.
E-jalga-sud
(House which spreads counsel far and wide),
storehouse which eternally possesses silver and lapis lazuli,
E-tar-sirsir
, from which decisions and the divine powers come
forth, where the hero performs obeisance, your princess, the merciful princess
of the Land, is the mother of all lands. The lady, the great healer of the
black-headed who determines the destiny of her city, the first-born daughter of
holy
An
, the maiden, mother
Bau
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-Iri-kug
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
271
8 lines: the
house of
Bau
in
Iri-kug
272-281
O house,
wild cow ......, city which appears in splendour adorned for the princess,
Sirara
, great and princely place, your ...... by the
shrine, your lady
Nance
, a great storm, a mighty flood,
born on the shore of the sea, who laughs on the foam of the sea, who plays on
the water of the flood, who ......,
Nance
, the ......
lady, has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Sirara
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
282
10 lines: the
house of
Nance
in
Sirara
283-292
E-ab-caga-la
(House which stretches over the midst of the
sea) built in a holy place,
Gu-aba
, your interior
produces everything and is a well-established storehouse. Holy shrine, wild cow
for which everything endures, your princess is
Ninjagia
, the magnificent ...... stewardess, the mighty ...... of
father
Enlil
, who takes counsel with lord
Nunamnir
. Born in ......, ...... in the flood of the sea, like her
...... father a controller of the pure sea, holy
Ninmarki
has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Gu-aba
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
293
10 lines: the
house of
Ninmarki
in
Gu-aba
294-301
O house
Kinirca
, suited for its lady, ......, beautiful as a
hill, standing by the ziqqurat, house, ......, place resounding loudly with
happiness, house, your princess is a storm, riding on a lion, ....... Exalted
in holy song and antiphony, singing with a loud voice, the child, the true wild
cow, taken care of at the holy breast of the mother who begot her,
Dumuzid-abzu
, has erected a house in your precinct, O shrine
Kinirca
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
302
7 lines: the
house of
Dumuzid-abzu
in
Kinirca
303-310
E-bur-sigsig
(House with beautiful bowls) set up under
heaven, mighty banqueting hall, fulfilling (?) the commands, abundance of the
midst of the sea in ......, at whose holy ...... there is entreaty and joy. The
faithful man has enlarged
E-mah
(Magnificent house),
the house of
Cara
, for you in plenty. Your house
E-mah
-- whose prince is the princely son of the Mistress --
continues (?) in good fortune, an area of abundance and well-being.
311-313
......, with
the gaze of a wild cow,
Cara
, who ...... good things,
the son who allots the divine powers to his mother, has erected a house in your
precinct, O house
Umma
, and taken his seat upon your
dais.
314
11 lines: the
house of
Cara
in
Umma
315-320
E-cerzi-guru
(House clad in splendour) dressed with ornaments
of
cuba
stone, great awesomeness, Nijin-jar of holy
Inana
, adorned throughout with the divine powers which are true,
Zabalam
, shrine of the shining mountain, shrine of
...... dawn, which has resounded with pleasure (?), the Mistress has founded
your good banqueting hall for you in pleasure (?).
321-326
Your lady
Inana
, the ......, the singular woman, the dragon who
speaks hostile words to ......, who shines in brightness, who goes against the
rebel land, through whom the firmament is made beautiful in the evening, the
great daughter of
Suen
, holy
Inana
, has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Zabalam
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
327
12 lines: the
house of
Inana
in
Zabalam
328-345
O house
inspiring terror like a great lion, making as clear as day the decisions for
those on the high plain, house of
Ickur
, at your front
is abundance, at your rear is celebration. Your foundation is a horned bull, a
lion. Holy staff, teat of heaven with rain for fine barley, the pilasters of
your house are a wild bull with lowered horns, your ......, foundation and wall
rising of their own accord, ......, thick cloud, ...... snake, ......
moonlight, ......
Ickur
, a sweeping flood, ...... a
storm and seven raging winds, ......, blowing raging winds, ...... running from
the ......, splits the ...... hillside, diorite, stones and .......
2 lines missing
1 line fragmentary
346-350
The ......,
the seed of the Land, the ......, the ...... prince, the canal inspector of
heaven and earth, the ...... living, the numerous people, the ......,
Ickur
, has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Karkara
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
351
23 lines: the
house of
Ickur
in
Karkara
352-361
O ......,
bolt founded by
An
4 lines fragmentary
1 line missing
1 line fragmentary
approx. 2 lines missing
...... has erected a house in your precinct, O ......, and taken a seat upon
your dais.
362
10 (?) lines:
the house of ...... in .......
363-377
2 lines missing
1 line fragmentary
An
has ...... your platform.
E-mah
(Exalted house), house of the universe, suited for its lady,
your front inspires great awesomeness, your interior is filled with radiance.
Mother
Nintud
Enlil
and
Enki
have determined your destiny.
E-suga
(Joyous (?) house) which ......, life of the black-headed,
An
has given you the magnificent divine powers from the
interior of heaven. As in
Kec
Ninhursaja
has blessed the holy
usga
priest (?) who
maintains your shrine. House with great divine powers, a pure platform and
cleansing lustration,
Acgi
, the god of
Adab
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
Adab
, O house situated at a canal, O house
Adab
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
378
15 lines: the
house of
Ninhursaja
in
Adab
379-391
Isin
, city founded by
An
which he has
built on an empty plain! Its front is mighty, its interior is artfully built,
its divine powers are divine powers which
An
has
determined. Low dais which
Enlil
loves, place where
An
and
Enlil
determine
destinies, place where the great gods dine, filled with great awesomeness and
terror: all the
Anuna
gods attend your great
drinking-bouts. Your princess, the mother, the Mistress adorned with jewels of
cuba
stone, who maintains the holy place's Nijin-jar, who binds the
suh
crown on the
nugig
priestess, who causes the seven teats to
flow for the
nubar
priestess, has resounded with seven pleasures
(?).
392-394
Your lady,
the great healer of the Land,
Nininsina
, the daughter
of
An
, has erected a house in your precinct, O house
Isin
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
395
16 lines: the
house of
Nininsina
in
Isin
396-405
Kazallu
, your platform is in the midst of the sky, shining,
...... an object of admiration. Your prince is the seed of a bull, engendered
by a wild bull in ......, a magnificent ...... with sparkling eyes, a lord with
the teeth of a lion, who snatches the calf with his claws, who snatches .......
...... who snatches ......, the ...... who gives strength to the ......, great
lord
Numucda
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
Kun-satu
(Threshold of the mountain), O
Kazallu
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
406
10 lines: the
house of
Numucda
in
Kazallu
407-414
E-igi-kalama
(House which is the eye of the Land), your
foundation is firmly laid, growing hill which stands broadly on the earth,
...... the enemies' land,
3 lines fragmentary
approx. 1 line missing
...... has erected a house in your precinct, O ......, and taken a seat upon
your dais.
415
8 (?) lines: the
house of
Lugal-Marda
in
Marda
416-423
Der
Akkadian name; a Sumerian name is unknown
) ,
taking extreme care of decisions, ......, on your awesome and radiant gate a
horned viper and a
muchuc
are being seized in a trap. Your prince, a
leader of the gods, fit for giving counsel and grand speech, the son of
Urac
who knows thoroughly the true divine powers of
princeship,
Ictaran
, the ...... sovereign of heaven,
has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-dim-gal-kalama
(House which is the great pole of the Land), and
taken his seat upon your dais.
424
8 lines: the
house of
Ictaran
in
Der
425-435
E-sikil
(Pure house) whose pure divine powers are supreme in
all lands, whose name is high and mighty, magnificent dwelling of the warrior,
holy house of
Ninazu
, house of the holy divine powers!
House, your divine powers are pure divine powers, your lustration is a
cleansing lustration. The warrior refreshes himself in your dwelling.
Ninazu
dines on your platform. Your sovereign, the great
lord, the son of
Enlil
, is a towering lion spitting
venom over hostile lands, rising like the south wind against enemy lands,
snarling like a dragon against the walls of rebel lands, a storm enveloping the
disobedient and trampling on the enemy.
436-446
When he
strides forth, no evil-doer can escape. When he establishes his triumph, the
cities of the rebel lands are destroyed. When he frowns, their people are cast
into the dust. House, your prince is a great lion from whose claws the enemy
hangs. Your sovereign is a terrifying, mighty storm, the vigour of the battle,
in combat ...... like a ...... with a shield on his lofty arm, a net over the
widespread people from whose reach the foe cannot escape. When the great lord
is resplendent, his magnificence has no equal. The true seed born of the Great
Mountain and
Ninlil
, your sovereign, the warrior
Ninazu
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
E-sikil
, O
Ecnunna
, and taken his seat upon
your dais.
447
22 lines: the
house of
Ninazu
in
Ecnunna
448-455
O house
built in plenitude,
Kic
, raising its head among the
princely divine powers, established settlement, your great foundation cannot be
scattered. Your plinth is a vast oppressive cloud floating in the midst of the
sky. Your interior is a weapon, a mace decorated with ....... Your right hand
makes mountains tremble, your left thins out the enemy. Your prince, mighty and
magnificent, a great storm overpowering the earth, inspiring great and
terrifying awe, your sovereign, the warrior
Zababa
, has
erected a house in your precinct, O
E-dub
(Storage
house), O house
Kic
, and taken his seat upon your
dais.
456
8 lines: the
house of
Zababa
in
Kic
457-466
E-kecda-kalama
(House which is the bond of the Land), bull
...... great strength among the gods, terrifying wild cow, wild bull which
causes lament,
Gudua
, your quay is a ...... quay which
bestows water, your interior is artfully built, your mace is a ...... mace
released from heaven, your platform is a lustrous platform spreading over
Mec-lam
(Warrior of the nether world). Your prince, the
mighty god, the sovereign of
Mec-lam
, the fierce god of
the underworld, the sovereign of
Ud-cuc
(Sunset),
Nergal
Mec-lamta-eda
, has erected a
house in your precinct, and taken his seat upon your dais.
467
10 lines: the
house of
Nergal
in
Gudua
468-477
O mighty
Urum
where
Suen
pronounces
judgment,
E-ab-lua
(House with teeming cattle), wide
cattle-yard,
Acimbabbar
acts as your shepherd. House,
my sovereign, your sceptre reaches to heaven, ...... to the earth, moonlight
......, celebration, your ...... may ...... the light. Your prince, the prince
of holy celebration, ......, who appears in the lapis lazuli coloured sky, a
celebration, to whom the hero pays homage ......, who brightens the Land,
......
Suen
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
house
Urum
, and taken his seat upon your dais.
478
10 lines: the
house of
Suen
in
Urum
479-488
Zimbir
, dais upon which
Utu
sits
daily,
E-nun-ana
(House of the prince of heaven), star
of heaven, crown given birth by
Ningal
, house of
Utu
, your prince, the ...... of the universe, fills heaven
and earth. When the lord sleeps, the people sleep; when he rises, the people
rise. The bull ...... and the people prostrate themselves. Before
Utu
the herds pasture ....... The black-headed have bathed before
him, the Land has ...... before him. He measures out the divine powers -- your
shrine is a flood.
489-492
Pronouncing
judgment where the sun rises, mighty sunlight, wearing a beard, tying on the
suh
crown at night,
Utu
, the sovereign of
E-babbar
(Shining house), has erected a house in your
precinct, O house
Zimbir
, and taken his seat upon your
dais.
493
14 lines: the
house of
Utu
in
Zimbir
494-499
E-hursaj
(House which is a mountain) beautiful as herbs and
flowers,
......
The Sumerian name of this city is
unknown
) , your interior is plenitude. At the place where destiny is
determined you determine destiny. May the crown bring joy to your platform. May
your roots glisten like an immense
sajkal
snake in your holy
foundations.
500-505
Mother
Nintud
, the lady of creation, performs her task within your
dark place, binding the true
suh
crown on the new-born king, setting the
crown on the new-born lord who is secure in her hand. The midwife of heaven and
earth,
Ninhursaja
, has erected a house in your
precinct, O house
......
, and taken her seat upon your
dais.
506
12 lines: the
house of
Ninhursaja
in
......
507-513
Ulmac
, upper land, ...... of the Land, terrifying lion
battering a wild bull, net spreading over an enemy, making silence fall upon a
rebel land on which, as long as it remains insubmissive, spittle is poured!
House of
Inana
of silver and lapis lazuli, a storehouse
built of gold, your princess is an
urabu
bird, the Mistress of the
Nijin-jar.
514-518
Arrayed in
battle, jubilantly (?) beautiful, ready with the seven maces, washing her tools
for battle, opening the door of battle and ......, the extremely wise one of
heaven,
Inana
, has erected a house in your precinct, O
house
Ulmac
, and taken her seat upon your dais.
519
12 lines: the
house of
Inana
in
Ulmac
520-523
O house,
right arm of ......, whose green meadows have been tilled,
2 lines fragmentary
524-527
Your
prince, the warrior who ......, who defeats (?) all in battle, exulting ......,
Aba
, the god of
Agade
, has
erected a house in your precinct, O house
Agade
, and
taken his seat upon your dais.
528
8 lines: the
house of
Aba
in
Agade
529-534
O house of
stars,
E-zagin-guna
(House adorned with lapis lazuli),
reaching into all lands, establishing ...... in the shrine,
Erec
! The primeval lords raise their heads to you every month.
...... the potash plant, great
Nanibgal
Nisaba
, has brought divine powers from heaven and added to your
divine powers.
535-542
Sanctuary
established for ......! To the true woman who possesses exceeding wisdom,
soothing ...... and opening the mouth, always consulting a tablet of lapis
lazuli, giving advice to all lands, the true woman, the holy potash plant, born
of the stylus reed, applies the measure to heaven and places the measuring-rope
on the earth -- to
Nisaba
be praise!
543-544
The
compiler of the tablets was
En-hedu-ana
. My king,
something has been created that no one has created before.
545
14 lines: the
house of
Nisaba
in
Erec
Top
composite text
bibliography
Revision history
25.xi.1998-29.i.1999 : GC : adapting translation
08.iv.1999-12.iv.1999 : JAB : proofreading
11.viii.1999 : JAB : minor corrections
03.xi.1999 : GC : tagging
27.xi.1999 : ER : proofreading SGML
27.xi.1999 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file
not changed