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1-8. The heroic Nanna-Suen fixed his mind on the city of his mother. Suen Acimbabbar fixed his mind on the city of his mother. Nanna-Suen fixed his mind on the city of his mother and his father. Acimbabbar fixed his mind on the city of Enlil and Ninlil:
9-16. "I, the hero, will set off for my city. I will set off for my city, I will set off to my father. I, Suen, will set off for my city. I will set off for my city, I will set off to my father. I will set off to my father Enlil. I will set off for my city, I will set off to my mother. I will set off to my mother Ninlil. I will set off to my father."
17-27. "The shining city, the pure place ....... 6 lines missing...... very great, ...... very great, ...... very great, ...... very great."
28-36. "My Nibru, where black birch trees grow in a good place, my sanctuary Nibru, where white birch trees grow in a pure place -- my Nibru's shrine is built in a good place. The sanctuary Nibru's name is a good name. My Nibru's shrine is built in a good place. The sanctuary Nibru's name is a good name. Before Dilmun existed, palm trees grew in my city. Before Dilmun existed, palm trees grew in Nibru and the great mother Ninlil was clothed in fine linen."
37-38. Suen set about constructing (?) a barge. He set about constructing (?) a barge and sent for reed matting.
39-48. Nanna-Suen despatched people to Tummal for the barge's reeds. Acimbabbardespatched people to the abzu for the barge's pitch. Nanna-Suen despatched people to Du-acaga for its rushes. Acimbabbar despatched people to the cypress forest for its strakes (?). Nanna-Suen despatched people to the forests of Kug-nuna for its ribbing (?). {( 3 mss. add 2 lines in a parallel passage:) Acimbabbar despatched people to the mountain of fragrant cedar for its beams.}
49-58. Acimbabbar despatched people to the forests of Ebla for its planking. Nanna-Suendespatched people to the fragrant cedar forest for its fir wood. Acimbabbar despatched people to the junipers of Langi for its ....... Acimbabbar despatched people to ...... for its ....... Nanna-Suen despatched people to the mound of ...... for its .......
59-82. When the barge's reeds were brought to Nanna-Suen from Tummal, when the barge's pitch was brought to Acimbabbar from the abzu, when its rushes were brought to Nanna-Suenfrom Du-acaga, when its strakes (?) were brought to Acimbabbar from the cypress forest, when its ribbing (?) was brought to Nanna-Suen from the forests of Kug-nuna, {( 3 mss. add 2 lines:) when its beams were brought to Acimbabbar from the mountain of fragrant cedar,} when its planking was brought to Acimbabbar from the forests of Ebla, when its fir wood was brought to Nanna-Suen from the fragrant cedar forest, when its ...... was brought to Acimbabbar from the junipers of Langi, when its ...... was brought to Acimbabbar from ......, when its ...... was brought to Nanna-Suen from the mound of ......, 1 line fragmentaryUtu rejoiced at him and put ....... Gibil rejoiced at him. lines 83-146 missing or fragmentary
147-150. (He declared:) "I am Nanna-Suen, I ......, I will ...... to the house of Enlil. I am Acimbabbar, and I will ...... to the house of Enlil." 6 lines missing
157-166. Nanna-Suen will gather bulls for the cow-pen for the house of Enlil. Acimbabbar will collect (?) fattened sheep for the house of Enlil. Nanna-Suen will purify the cow-pen for the house of Enlil. Acimbabbar will feed meal to the goats for the house of Enlil. Nanna-Suen will ...... porcupines for the house of Enlil.
167-175. Acimbabbar will ...... long-tailed bush-rats for the house of Enlil. Nanna-Suen will gather (?) turtles (?) and small birds for the house of Enlil. Acimbabbar will bring small ubibirds from the pond for the house of Enlil. Nanna-Suen will bring small azagun birds from the ...... for the house of Enlil.
176-185. Acimbabbar will ...... suhur carp for the house of Enlil. Nanna-Suen will ...... ectubcarp for the house of Enlil. Acimbabbar will pour the oil of rushes onto the water for the house of Enlil. Nanna-Suen will fill baskets with eggs for the house of Enlil. Acimbabbar will cause old reed and fresh reed to thrive for the house of Enlil.
186-197. Nanna-Suen will cause six hundred ewes to give birth to lambs for the house of Enlil, for he will cause their rams to be let loose among them, and he will distribute them along the banks of the Surungal canal. Acimbabbar will cause six hundred she-goats to give birth to kids for the house of Enlil, for he will cause their bucks to be let loose among them, and he will distribute them along the banks of the Surungal canal. Nanna-Suen will cause six hundred cows to give birth to calves for the house of Enlil, for he will cause their bulls to be let loose among them, and he will distribute them along the banks of the Surungal canal.
198-202. Enegir lay ahead of the offerings, Urim lay behind them. She brought out of the house what should not come out of the house, what should not come out of the house -- Ningirida brought out of the house what should not come out of the house: "Welcome, welcome, welcome, O boat! O boat of Suen, welcome, welcome, O boat!"
203-208. She laid out flour before the barge and spread bran. At her feet stood a covered bronze gakkul vat. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) With her fingers she pulled out the boxwood bung (?) for him (declaring):} "I shall rub precious oil on this peg. May ghee, syrup and wine be abundant in your midst, may the suhur carp and the ectub carp rejoice at the prow of your boat!" But the boat did not give her its cargo: "I am going to Nibru!"
209-213. Larsam lay ahead of the offerings, Enegir lay behind them. She brought out of the house what should not come out of the house, what should not come out of the house -- the lovely Cerida brought out of the house what should not come out of the house: "Welcome, welcome, welcome, O boat! O boat of my father, welcome, welcome, O boat!"
214-219. She laid out flour before the barge and spread bran. At her feet stood a covered bronze gakkul vat. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) With her fingers she pulled out the boxwood bung (?) for him (declaring):} "I shall rub precious oil on this peg. May ghee, syrup and wine be abundant in your midst, may the suhur carp and the ectub carp rejoice at the prow of your boat!" But the boat did not give her its cargo: "I am going to Nibru!"
220-224. Unug lay ahead of the offerings, Larsam lay behind them. She brought out of the house what should not come out of the house, what should not come out of the house -- holy Inana brought out of the house what should not come out of the house: "Welcome, welcome, welcome, O boat! O boat of my father welcome, welcome, O boat! {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) O boat of Suen welcome, welcome, O boat!}"
225-230. She laid out flour before the barge and spread bran. At her feet stood a covered bronze gakkul vat. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) With her fingers she pulled out the boxwood bung (?) for him (declaring):} "I shall rub precious oil on your peg. May ghee, syrup and wine be abundant in your midst, may the suhur carp and the ectub carp rejoice at the prow of your boat!" But the boat did not give her its cargo: "I am going to Nibru!"
231-235. Curuppag lay ahead of the offerings, Unug lay behind them. She brought out of the house what should not come out of the house, what should not come out of the house -- Ninunuga brought out of the house what should not come out of the house: "Welcome, welcome, welcome, O boat! O boat of Suen welcome, welcome, O boat!"
236-241. She laid out flour before the barge and spread bran. At her feet stood a covered bronze gakkul vat. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) With her fingers she pulled out the boxwood bung (?) for him (declaring):} "I shall rub precious oil on this peg. May ghee, syrup and wine be abundant in your midst, may the suhur carp and the ectub carp rejoice at the prow of your boat!" But the boat did not give her its cargo: "I am going to Nibru!"
242-246. Tummal lay ahead of the offerings, Curuppag lay behind them. She brought out of the house what should not come out of the house, what should not come out of the house -- the fair Ninlil brought out of the house what should not come out of the house: "Welcome, welcome, welcome, O boat! O boat of the princely son welcome, welcome, O boat!"
247-252. She laid out flour before the barge and spread bran. At her feet stood a covered bronze gakkul vat. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) With her fingers she pulled out the boxwood bung (?) for him (declaring):} "I shall rub precious oil on this peg. May ghee, syrup and wine be abundant in your midst, may the suhur carp and the ectub carp rejoice at the prow of your boat!" But the boat did not give her its cargo: "I am going to Nibru!"
253-257. Nibru lay ahead of the offerings, Tummal lay behind them. At the Shining Quay, the quay of Enlil, Nanna-Suen finally docked the boat. At the White Quay, the quay of Enlil, Acimbabbar finally docked the boat.
258-264. He stood at the grand stairway of his father who begot him and called out to the porter of his father who begot him: "Open the house, porter, open the house! Open the house, Kalkal, open the house! Kalkal, doorkeeper, open the house! Doorman, doorkeeper, open the house! Porter, open the house! Kalkal, open the house!"
265-274. "I, Nanna-Suen, have gathered bulls for the cow-pen for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Acimbabbar, have collected (?) fattened sheep for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, shall purify the cow-pen for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Acimbabbar, shall feed meal to the goats for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, have ...... porcupines for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house."
275-283. "I, Acimbabbar -- I, Acimbabbar -- have ...... long-tailed bush-rats for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, have gathered (?) turtles (?) and little birds for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Acimbabbar, have brought small ubi birds from the pond for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, have brought small azagun birds from the pond for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house."
284-293. "I, Acimbabbar, ...... suhur carp for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, ...... ectub carp for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Acimbabbar, shall pour the oil of rushes onto the water for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, have filled baskets with eggs for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house. I, Acimbabbar, have caused old reed and fresh reed to thrive for the house of Enlil; porter, open the house."
294-305. "I, Nanna-Suen, have caused six hundred ewes to give birth to lambs for the house of Enlil, for I have caused their rams to be let loose among them, and I have distributed them along the banks of the Surungal canal; porter, open the house. I, Acimbabbar, have caused six hundred she-goats to give birth to kids for the house of Enlil, for I have caused their bucks to be let loose among them, and I have distributed them along the banks of the Surungalcanal; porter, open the house. I, Nanna-Suen, have caused six hundred cows to give birth to calves for the house of Enlil, for I have caused their bulls to be let loose among them, and I have distributed them along the banks of the Surungal canal; porter, open the house."
306-308. "Porter, open the house! Kalkal, open the house! I will give you that which is in the prow of the boat as a first offering, and I will give you that which is in the stern of the boat as a last offering."
309-318. Rejoicing, the porter rejoicing, the porter rejoicing opened the house. Kalkal, the doorkeeper, rejoicing, the porter rejoicing opened the house. Kalkal, in charge of the bolt-handle, rejoicing, the porter rejoicing opened the house. At the house of Enlil, ......, Nanna-Suen made the offerings. Enlil, rejoicing over the offerings, offered bread to Suen, his son.
319-325. Enlil rejoiced over Suen and spoke kindly: "Give sweet cakes to my little fellow who eats sweet cakes. Give sweet cakes to my Nanna who loves eating sweet cakes. Bring out from the E-kur the bread allotment and first quality bread for him. Pour out for him the finest beer, my pure ....... May the ...... of the towering tilimda vessels, standing on the ground, ....... Order pure sweet cake, syrup, crescent (?) cake and clear water for him."
326-330. Suen replied to his father who begot him: "Father who begot me, I am indeed satisfied with what you have given me to eat. O Great Mountain, father who begot me, I am indeed satisfied with what you have given me to drink. Wherever you lift your eyes, there is kingship. O Enlil, your abundance is ......."
331-339. "Give to me, Enlil, give to me -- I want to set off for Urim! In the river give me the carp-flood -- I want to set off for Urim! In the fields give me speckled barley -- I want to set off for Urim! In the marshes give me kuda carp and suhur carp -- I want to set off for Urim! In the reedbeds give me old reed and fresh reed -- I want to set off for Urim! In the forests give me the ibex and wild ram -- I want to set off for Urim! In the high plain give me the macgurum tree -- I want to set off for Urim! In the orchards give me syrup and wine -- I want to set off for Urim! In the palace give me long life -- I want to set off for Urim!"
340-348. He gave to him, Enlil gave to him -- and he set off for Urim. In the river he gave him the carp-flood -- and he set off for Urim. In the field he gave him speckled barley -- and he set off for Urim. In the pond he gave him kuda carp and suhur carp -- and he set off for Urim. In the reedbeds he gave him old reed and fresh reed -- and he set off for Urim. In the forests he gave him the ibex and wild ram -- and he set off for Urim. In the high plain he gave him the macgurum tree -- and he set off for Urim. In the orchards he gave him syrup and wine -- and he set off for Urim. In the palace he gave him long life -- and he set off for Urim.
349-352. My king, on your throne, for Enlil, may Nanna-Suen make you be born for seven days. On your holy throne, for the great mother Ninlil, may Lord Acimbabbar make you be born for seven days.
Ninurta's return to Nibru: a cir-gida to Ninurta
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1-6. Created like An, O son of Enlil, Ninurta, created like Enlil, born by Nintur, mightiest of the Anuna gods, who came forth from the mountain range, imbued with terrible awesomeness, son of Enlil, confident in his strength, my sovereign, you are magnificent -- let your magnificence therefore be praised. Ninurta, you are magnificent -- let your magnificence therefore be praised.
7-12. Sovereign of all the lands, in your massive might, warrior of Enlil, in your great might, fierce warrior, you have taken up the divine powers which are like heaven, son of Enlil, you have taken up the divine powers which are like the earth, you have taken up the divine powers of the mountains, which are heavy as heaven, you have taken up the divine powers of Eridug, which are huge as the earth.
13-15. You have made the gods prostrate (?) themselves before you. You have made the Anuna salute (?) you. Ninurta, you are made complete by heroic strength.
16-17. The utterance of the sovereign is a storm ....... The word of Lord Ninurta is a storm .......
18-23. To the hostile mountains ....... To the fortress of the rebellious land ....... 1 line unclearLord, frighteningly fierce, ....... Fierce in heaven and earth, ....... 1 line unclear
24-25. His angry utterance made a corpse of the mountains. His fierce countenance .......
26-29. Horned wild bull ....... Wild ram and stag ....... The great wild bull of the mountains ...... from its ....... He put his ......, the strength in battle, in his belt.
30-40. The sovereign, with his heroic arms, Ninurta, the son of Enlil, in his great might, brought forth the Six-headed wild ram from the shining, lofty house. He brought forth the Warrior dragon from the great fortress of the mountains. He brought forth the Magilum boat from ...... his abzu. He brought forth the Bison from his battle dust. He brought forth the Mermaid from the limits of heaven and earth. He brought forth the Gypsum from the soil of the mountain range. He brought forth the Strong copper from the shattered mountain range. He brought forth the Anzud bird from the halub-haran tree. He brought forth the Seven-headed serpent from the ...... of the mountains.
41-46. He mustered them all before him ....... He spoke ....... He was unhappy ....... He spoke ....... He seized the axe ....... He took his .......
47-51. The warrior ...... made a corpse of the mountains. Lord Ninurta, who destroys (?) ......, made a corpse of the mountains. He piled up ....... The sovereign, with his heroic strength, wreaked his vengeance (?). The warrior Ninurta, with his heroic strength, wreaked his vengeance (?).
52-54. On his shining chariot, which inspires terrible awe, he hung his captured wild bulls on the axle and hung his captured cows on the cross-piece of the yoke.
55-63. He hung the Six-headed wild ram on the dust-guard. He hung the Warrior dragon on the seat. He hung the Magilum boat on the ....... He hung the Bison on the beam. He hung the Mermaid on the foot-board. He hung the Gypsum on the forward part of the yoke. He hung the Strong copper on the inside pole pin (?). He hung the Anzud bird on the front guard. He hung the Seven-headed serpent on the shining cross-beam.
64-69. Lord Ninurta stepped into his battle-worthy chariot. Ud-ane, the all-seeing god, and Lugal-anbara, the bearded (?) lord, went before him, and the awesome one of the mountains, Lugal-kur-dub, the ...... of Lord Ninurta, followed behind him.
70-72. The lion who ...... from the abzu, who ...... An's awesomeness and radiance -- the Anuna, the great gods .......
73-75. As the sovereign swept on like the deluge, as Ninurta, storm of the rebellious land, swept on like the deluge, he rumbled like a storm on the horizon.
76-79. When, at Enlil's command, he was making his way towards E-kur, the warrior of the gods was levelling the Land; and before he had yet approached Nibru from afar, Nuska, the chancellor of Enlil, came forth from the E-kur to meet him.
80-82. He greeted Lord Ninurta: "My sovereign, perfect warrior, heed yourself. Ninurta, perfect warrior, heed yourself."
83-86. "Your radiance has covered Enlil's temple like a cloak. When you step into your chariot, whose creaking is a pleasant sound, heaven and earth tremble. When you raise your arm ......."
87-91. "The Anuna, the great gods ....... Do not frighten your father in his residence. Do not frighten Enlil in his residence. May your father give you gifts because of your heroic strength. May Enlil give you gifts because of your heroic strength."
92-97. "O sovereign, shackle of An, first among the gods, seal-bearer of Enlil, life-source of E-kur, O warrior, because you have toppled the mountains your father need send out no other god beside you. Ninurta, because you have toppled the mountains Enlil need send out no other god beside you."
98-101. While these words were yet in Nuska's mouth, Ninurta put the whip and goad away in the rope-box. He leaned his mace, the strength in battle, against the box and entered into the temple of Enlil.
102-107. He directed his captive wild bulls into the temple. He directed his captive cows, like the wild bulls, into the temple. He laid out the booty of his plundered cities. The Anuna were amazed ....... Enlil, the Great Mountain, made obeisance to him, and Acimbabbar prayed to him.
108-112. The great mother Ninlil, from within her Ki-ur, spoke admiringly to Lord Ninurta: "O wild bull, with fierce horns raised, son of Enlil, you have struck blows in the mountains. Warrior, Lord Ninurta, you have ....... You have ...... the rebellious land."
113-118. Lord Ninurta answered her: "My mother, I alone cannot ...... with you ....... Ninlil, I alone cannot ...... with you, for me alone ....... Battle arrayed like heaven -- no one can rival me (?). Like the deluge ....... Smashing the mountains like reed huts ......."
119-124. "My battle, like an onrushing flood, overflowed in the mountains. With a lion's body and lion's muscles, it rose up in the rebellious land. The gods have become worried and flee (?) to the mountain ranges. They beat their wings like a flock of small birds. They stand hiding in the grass like wild bulls ....... No one can confront my radiance, heavy as heaven."
125-127. "Because I am the lord of the terraced mountain ranges, in every direction ....... Because I have subjugated these mountain ranges of alabaster and lapis lazuli, the Anunahide like mice."
128-134. "Now I have reestablished my heroic strength in the mountains. On my right, I bear my Mows-down-a-myriad. On my left, I bear my Crushes-a-myriad. I bear my Fifty-toothed-storm, my heavenly mace. I bear the hero who comes down from the great mountains, my No-resisting-this-storm. I bear the weapon which devours corpses like a dragon, my agasilig axe. I bear my ......."
135-139. "I bear my ....... I bear the alkad net of the rebellious land, my alkad net. I bear that from which the mountains cannot escape, my cucgal net. I bear the seven-mouthed mucmahserpent, the slayer, my spike (?). I bear that which strips away the mountains, the sword, my heavenly dagger."
140-145. "I bear the deluge of battle, my fifty-headed mace. I bear the storm that attacks humans, my bow and quiver. I bear those which carry off the temples of the rebellious land, my throw-stick and shield. I bear the helper of men, my spear. I bear that which brings forth light like the day, my Obliterator-of-the-mountains. I bear the maintainer of the people in heaven and earth, my The-enemy-cannot-escape."
146-151. "I bear that whose awesome radiance covers the Land, which is grandly suited for my right hand, finished in gold and lapis lazuli, whose presence is amazing, my Object-of-trust. I bear the perfect weapon, exceedingly magnificent, trustworthy in battle, having no equal, well-suited for my wrist on the battlefield, my fifty-headed mace, I bear the weapon which consumes the rebellious land like fire, my fifty-headed club."
152-158. "Let my father therefore bring in my battle trophies and weapons for me. Let Enlilbathe my heroic arms. Let him pour holy water on the fierce arms which bore my weapons. Let him set up a holy dais in the throne room for me. Let him set my heavenly chariot upon a pedestal. Let him tether my captured warriors there like butting bulls. Let him have my captured kings make obeisance to me there, as to the light of heaven."
159-163. "I am the strong one, unopposed in the mountains, I am Ninurta -- let them prostrate themselves at my name. I am the exceedingly mighty lion-headed one of Enlil, whom he engendered in his strength. The storm of heaven, shackle of the gods, I am the one whom Anin his great might has chosen."
164-167. "I am the ......, the life-source of Inana. I am the warrior, destined with Enki to be suited for the fearsome divine powers. Let my kingship be manifest unto the ends of heaven and earth. I am most able among the gods -- let me be imbued with great awesomeness."
168-174. "Let my beloved city, the sanctuary Nibru, raise its head as high as heaven. Let my city be pre-eminent among the cities of my brothers. Let my temple rise (?) the highest ...... among the temples of my brothers. Let the territory of my city be the freshwater well of Sumer. Let the Anuna, my brother gods, bow down there. Let their flying birds establish nests in my city. Let their refugees refresh themselves in my shade."
175-179. As Ninurta went out from Enlil's temple, the most bright-faced of warriors, Ninkarnuna, having heard the favourable pronouncement of Ninurta, stepped before Lord Ninurta and prayed to him:
180-186. "My sovereign, may you be well-disposed towards your beloved city. Lord Ninurta, may you be well-disposed towards your beloved city. May you be well-disposed towards the sanctuary Nibru, your beloved city. When you enter E-cu-me-ca, your beloved temple, alone, tell your wife, young lady Ninnibru, what is in your heart, tell her what is on your mind. Make an enduring favourable pronouncement to her for the king."
187-194. The content of that prayer of the offspring of a prince, Ninkarnuna, his sprinkling Ninurta's heart with an offering of cool water, and the matter of prosperity about which he spoke were pleasing to Ninurta's heart as he went in procession to E-cu-me-ca to manifest the eternal divine powers. Lord Ninurta gazed approvingly at Ninkarnuna.
195-198. When Ninurta entered E-cu-me-ca, his beloved temple, alone, he told his wife, young lady Ninnibru, what was in his heart, he told her what was on his mind and he made an enduring favourable pronouncement to her for the king.
199-201. The warrior, whose heroism is manifest, Ninurta, the son of Enlil, has firmly grounded his greatness in Enlil's sanctuary.
202-207. Lord who has destroyed the mountains, who has no rival, who butts angrily in that magnificent battle, great warrior who goes forth in his ...... might, strong one, deluge of Enlil, Ninurta, magnificent child of E-kur, pride of the father who engendered him, it is sweet to praise you.
208. Cir-gida of Ninurta.
Ninurta's exploits: a cir-sud (?) to Ninurta
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1-16. {( 1 ms. adds before line 1:) An, king of the gods, majestic one:} O king, storm of majestic splendour, peerless Ninurta, possessing superior strength; who pillages the mountains all alone; deluge, indefatigable serpent hurling yourself at the rebel land, hero striding formidably into battle; lord whose powerful arm is fit to bear the mace, reaping like barley the necks of the insubordinate; Ninurta, king, son in whose strength his father rejoices; hero whose awesomeness covers the mountains like a south storm; Ninurta, who makes the good tiara, the rainbow (?), flash like lightning; grandly begotten by him who wears the princely beard; dragon who turns on himself, strength of a lion snarling at a snake, roaring hurricane; Ninurta, king, whom Enlil has exalted above himself; hero, great battle-net flung over the foe; Ninurta, with the awesomeness of your shadow extending over the Land; releasing fury on the rebel lands, overwhelming their assemblies! Ninurta, king, son who has forced homage to his father far and wide!
17-23. Inspiring great numinous power, he had taken his place on the throne, the august dais, and was sitting gladly at his ease at the festival celebrated in his honour, rivalling An and Enlilin drinking his fill, while Bau was pleading petitions in a prayer for the king, and he, Ninurta, Enlil's son, was handing down decisions. At that moment the lord's battle-mace looked towards the mountains, the Car-ur cried out aloud to its master:
24-47. "Lord of lofty station, foremost one, who presides over all lords from the throne dais, Ninurta, whose orders are unalterable, whose allotted fates are faithfully executed; my master! Heaven copulated with the verdant Earth, Ninurta: she has born him a warrior who knows no fear -- the Asag, a child who sucked the power of milk without ever staying with a wet-nurse, a foster-child, O my master -- knowing no father, a murderer from the mountains, a youth who has come forth from ......, whose face knows no shame; impudent of eye, an arrogant male, { Ninurta} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Ninjirsu}, rejoicing in his stature. My hero, you who are like a bull, I will take my stand beside you. My master, who turns sympathetically towards his own city, who is effective in carrying out his mother's wishes: it has sired offspring in the mountains, and spread its seeds far and wide. The plants have unanimously named it king over them; like a great wild bull, it tosses its horns amongst them. The cu, the sajkal, the esi(diorite), the usium, the kagena (haematite), and the heroic nu stones, its warriors, constantly come raiding the cities. For them a shark's tooth has grown up in the mountains; it has stripped the trees. Before its might the gods of those cities bow towards it. My master, this same creature has erected a throne dais: it is not lying idle. Ninurta, lord, it actually decides the Land's lawsuits, just as you do. Who can compass the Asag's dread glory? Who can counteract the severity of its frown? People are terrified, fear makes the flesh creep; their eyes are fixed upon it. My master, the mountains have taken their offerings to it."
48-56. "Hero! They have appealed to you, because of your father; son of Enlil, lord, because of your superior strength they are looking to you here; since you are strong, my master, they are calling for your help, saying, Ninurta, that not a single warrior counts except for you! They wanted to advise you about ....... Hero, there have been consultations with a view to taking away your kingship. Ninurta, it is confident that it can lay hands on the powers received by you in the abzu. Its face is deformed, its location is continually changing; day by day, the Asagadds territories to its domain."
57-69. "But you will force it into the shackles of the gods. You, Antelope of Heaven, must trample the mountains beneath your hooves, Ninurta, lord, son of Enlil. Who has so far been able to resist its assault? The besetting Asag is beyond all control, its weight is too heavy. Rumours of its armies constantly arrive, before ever its soldiers are seen. This thing's strength is massive, no weapon has been able to overturn it. Ninurta, neither the axe nor the all-powerful spear can penetrate its flesh, no warrior like it has ever been created against you. Lord, you who reach out towards the august divine powers, splendour, jewel of the gods, you bull with the features of a wild bull, with a prominent backbone, ...... this fellow is clever! My Ninurta, whose form Enki contemplates with favour, my Uta-ulu, lord, son of Enlil, what is to be done?"
70-95. The lord cried "Alas!" so that Heaven trembled, and Earth huddled at his feet and was terrified (?) at his strength. Enlil became confused and went out of the E-kur. The mountains were devastated. That day the earth became dark, the Anuna trembled. The hero beat his thighs with his fists. The gods dispersed; the Anuna disappeared over the horizon like sheep. The lord arose, touching the sky; Ninurta went to battle, with one step (?) he covered a league, he was an alarming storm, and rode on the eight winds towards the rebel lands. His arms grasped the lance. The mace snarled at the mountains, the club began to devour all the enemy. He fitted the evil wind and the sirocco on a pole (?), he placed the quiver on its hook (?). An enormous hurricane, irresistible, went before the hero, stirred up the dust, caused the dust to settle, levelled high and low, filled the holes. It caused a rain of coals and flaming fires; the fire consumed men. It overturned tall trees by their trunks, reducing the forests to heaps, Earth put her hands on her heart and cried harrowingly; the Tigris was muddied, disturbed, cloudy, stirred up. He hurried to battle on the boat Ma-kar-nunta-ea; the people there did not know where to turn, they bumped into (?) the walls. The birds there tried to lift their heads to fly away, but their wings trailed on the ground. The storm flooded out the fish there in the subterranean waters, their mouths snapped at the air. It reduced the animals of the open country to firewood, roasting them like locusts. It was a deluge rising and disastrously ruining the mountains.
96-118. The hero Ninurta led the march through the rebel lands. He killed their messengers in the mountains, he crushed (?) their cities, he smote their cowherds over the head like fluttering butterflies, he tied together their hands with hirin grass, so that they dashed their heads against walls. The lights of the mountains did not gleam in the distance any longer. People gasped for breath (?); those people were ill, they hugged themselves, they cursed the Earth, they considered the day of the Asag's birth a day of disaster. The lord caused bilious poison to run over the rebel lands. As he went the gall followed, anger filled his heart, and he rose like a river in spate and engulfed all the enemies. In his heart he beamed at his lion-headed weapon, as it flew up like a bird, trampling the mountains for him. It raised itself on its wings to take away prisoner the disobedient, it spun around the horizon of heaven to find out what was happening. Someone from afar came to meet it, brought news for the tireless one, the one who never rests, whose wings bear the deluge, the Car-ur. What did it gather there ...... for Lord Ninurta? It reported the deliberations of the mountains, it explained their intentions to Lord Ninurta, it outlined (?) what people were saying about the Asag.
119-121. "Hero, beware!" it said concernedly. The weapon embraced him whom it loved, the Car-ur addressed Lord Ninurta:
122-134. "Hero, pitfall (?), net of battle, Ninurta, king, celestial mace ...... irresistible against the enemy, vigorous one, tempest which rages against the rebel lands, wave which submerges the harvest, king, you have looked on battles, you have ...... in the thick of them. Ninurta, after gathering the enemy in a battle-net, after erecting a great reed-altar, lord, heavenly serpent, purify your pickaxe and your mace! Ninurta, I will enumerate the names of the warriors you have already slain: the Kuli-ana, the Dragon, the Gypsum, the Strong Copper, the hero Six-headed Wild Ram, the Magilum Boat, Lord Saman-ana, the Bison Bull, the Palm-tree King, the Anzud bird, the Seven-headed Snake -- Ninurta, you slew them in the mountains."
135-150. "But lord, do not venture again to a battle as terrible as that. Do not lift your arm to the smiting of weapons, to the festival of the young men, to Inana's dance! Lord, do not go to such a great battle as this! Do not hurry; fix your feet on the ground. Ninurta, the Asag is waiting for you in the mountains. Hero who is so handsome in his crown, firstborn son whom Ninlil has decorated with numberless charms, good lord, whom a princess bore to an en priest, hero who wears horns like the moon, who is long life for the king of the Land, who opens the sky by great sublime strength, inundation who engulfs the banks ......, Ninurta, lord, full of fearsomeness, who will hurry towards the mountains, proud hero without fellow, this time you will not equal the Asag! Ninurta, do not make your young men enter the mountains."
151-167. The hero, the son, pride of his father, the very wise, rising from profound deliberation, Ninurta, the lord, the son of Enlil, gifted with broad wisdom, the ...... god, the lord stretched his leg to mount the onager, and joined the battalions ....... He spread over the mountains his great long ......, he caused ...... to go out among its people like the ....... He reached ....... He went into the rebel lands in the vanguard of the battle. He gave orders to his lance, and attached it ...... by its cord; the lord commanded his mace, and it went to its belt. The hero hastened to the battle, he ...... heaven and earth. He prepared the throw-stick and the shield, the mountains were smitten and cringed beside the battle legions of Ninurta. When the hero was girding on his mace, the sun did not wait, the moon went in; they were forgotten, as he marched towards the mountains; the day became like pitch.
168-186. The Asag leapt up at the head of the battle. For a club it uprooted the sky, took it in its hand; like a snake it slid its head along the ground. It was a mad dog attacking to kill the helpless, dripping with sweat on its flanks. Like a wall collapsing, the Asag fell on Ninurta, the son of Enlil. Like an accursed storm, it howled in a raucous voice; like a gigantic snake, it roared at the Land. It dried up the waters of the mountains, dragged away the tamarisks, tore the flesh of the Earth and covered her with painful wounds. It set fire to the reedbeds, bathed the sky in blood, turned it inside out; it dispersed the people there. At that moment, on that day, the fields became black scum, across the whole extent of the horizon, reddish like purple dye -- truly it was so! An was overwhelmed, crouched, wrung his hands against his stomach; Enlil groaned and hid himself in a corner, the Anuna flattened themselves against walls, the house was full of fearful sighing as of pigeons. The Great Mountain Enlil cried to Ninlil:
187-190. "My wife, my son is no longer here; what is there to support me? The lord, the authority of the E-kur, the king who imposes the strong shackle for his father, a cedar rooted in the abzu, a crown with broad shade, my son, my security -- he is not here any more: who will take me by the hand?"
191-214. The weapon which loved the lord, obedient to its master, the Car-ur ...... for Lord Ninurta to his father in Nibru ....... The awesome splendour enveloped Ninurta like a garment, ....... ...... bound him: therefore the lord ....... The weapon ...... spoke to Enlil.
215-224. "...... Ninurta, having confidence in himself; ...... he will be standing; the waters will be dried up as if by the sun's heat; ...... he will breathe again, he will be standing full of joy. I shall cause horrid storms to rise against ...... of the hero Ninurta ....... ...... as for him who resisted (?) the mountains, he has been amazed by his strength. Now I shall give my orders, you are to follow these instructions:" 1 line unclear"...... in the fields, let him not diminish the population. ...... let him not cause a lack of posterity. Let him not cause to perish the name of all the kinds of species whose destinies I, Enlil, have decreed."
225-227. The weapon, its heart ......, was reassured: it slapped its thighs, the Car-ur began to run, it entered the rebel lands, joyfully it reported the message to Lord Ninurta:
228-243. "My master, ...... for you, Enlil has said: "As the Deluge ( i.e. Ninurta) , before whom the venom has piled up, attacks the enemy, let him take the Asag by the shoulder, let him pierce its liver, let my son enter with it into the E-kur. Then, Ninurta, to the limits of the earth my people will deservedly praise your power." You, lord who trusts in the word of his father, do not tarry, great strength of Enlil. Storm of the rebel lands, who grinds the mountains like flour, Ninurta, Enlil's seal-bearer, go to it! Do not tarry. My master: the Asag has constructed a wall of stakes on an earthen rampart; the fortress is too high and cannot be reached, ...... its fierceness does not diminish." 3 lines unclear"My master, ......."
244-251. Ninurta opened his mouth to speak to the mace ....... He aimed the lance at the mountains ....... The lord stretched out an arm towards the clouds. Day became a dark night. He yelled like a storm, ....... 2 lines unclear
251-264. The lord ...... the wind. In his battle he smote the mountains with a cudgel. The Car-ur made the storm-wind rise to heaven, scattering the people; like ...... it tore. Its spittle alone destroyed the townspeople. The destructive mace set fire to the mountains, the murderous weapon smashed skulls with its painful teeth, the club which tears out entrails piled up noses. The lance was stuck into the ground and the crevasses filled with blood. In the rebel lands dogs licked it up like milk. The enemy rose up, crying to wife and child, "You did not lift your arms in prayer to Lord Ninurta." The weapon covered the mountains with dust, but did not shake the heart of the Asag. The Car-ur threw its arms around the neck of the lord:
265-280. "Hero, ah, whatever further awaits you, do not on any account meddle with the hurricane of the mountains. Ninurta, lord, son of Enlil, I tell you again, it is made like a storm. It is a blister whose smell is foul, like mucus which comes from the nose it is unpleasant, lord, its words are devious, it will not obey you. My master, it has been created against you as a god; who can help you? Hero, it falls on the land as a whirlwind, it scrubs it as if with saltwort, Ninurta, it chases the onagers before it in the mountains. Its terrifying splendour sends the dust into clouds, it causes a downpour of potsherds. In the rebel lands it is a lion striking with savage teeth; no man can catch it. After reducing everything to nothing in the north wind, that one will batter you. The sheepfolds have been closed by ghostly demons. It has dried up the waters in the ground. In the whirlwind storm, the people are finished, they have no solution (?). From an implacable enemy, great hero, lord, turn away," he said quietly.
281-299. But the lord howled at the mountains, could not withhold a roar. The hero did not address the rebel lands, he ....... He reversed the evil that it had done ....... He smashed the heads of all the enemies, he made the mountains weep. The lord ranged about in all directions, like a soldier saying "I will go on the rampage." Like a bird of prey the Asag looked up angrily from the mountains. He commanded the rebel lands to be silent and ....... Ninurtaapproached the enemy and flattened him like a wave (?). The Asag's terrifying splendour was contained, it began to fade, it began to fade. It looked wonderingly upwards. Like water he agitated it, he scattered it into the mountains, like esparto grass he pulled it up, like esparto grass he ripped it up. Ninurta's splendour covered the Land, he pounded the Asag like roasted barley, he ...... its genitals (?), he piled it up like a heap of broken bricks, he heaped it up like flour, as a potter does with coals; he piled it up like stamped earth whose mud has been dredged. The hero had achieved his heart's desire. Ninurta, the lord, the son of Enlil, ...... began to calm down.
300-309. In the mountains, the day came to an end. The sun bade it farewell. The lord ...... his belt and mace in water, he washed the blood from his clothes, the hero wiped his brow, he made a victory-chant over the dead body. When he had brought the Asag which he had slain to the condition of a ship wrecked by a tidal wave, the gods of the Land came to him. Like exhausted wild asses they prostrated themselves before him, and for this lord, because of his proud conduct, for Ninurta, the son of Enlil, they clapped their hands in greeting. The Car-uraddressed these flattering words {aloud to its master} {( 1 ms. has instead:) to Lord Ninurta}:
310-330. "Lord, great mec tree in a watered field, hero, who is like you? My master, beside you there is no one else, nor can anyone stand like you, nor is anyone born like you. Ninurta, from today no one in the mountains will rise against you. My master, if you give but one roar, ...... how they will praise you!" 1 line unclear"Lord Ninurta ......." 7 lines fragmentary After he had pulled up the Asag like esparto grass in the rebel lands, torn it up like esparto grass, Lord Ninurta ...... his club: 1 line unclear" From today forward, do not say Asag: its name shall be Stone. Its name shall be zalag stone, its name shall be Stone. This, its entrails, shall be the underworld. Its valour shall belong to the lord."
331-333. The blessing of the club, laid to rest in a corner: 'The mighty battle which reduces the Land'. 1 line missing
334-346. At that time, the good water coming forth from the earth did not pour down over the fields. The cold water (?) was piled up everywhere, and the day when it began to ...... it brought destruction in the mountains, since the gods of the Land were subject to servitude, and had to carry the hoe and the basket -- this was their corvée work -- people called on a household for the recruitment of workers. The Tigris did not bring up its flood in its fullness. Its mouth did not finish in the sea, it did not carry fresh water. No one brought (?) offerings to the market. The famine was hard, as nothing had yet been born. No one yet cleaned the little canals, the mud was not dredged up. No one yet drew water for the fertile fields, ditch-making did not exist. People did not work (?) in furrows, barley was sown broadcast.
347-359. The lord applied his great wisdom to it. { Ninurta} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Ninjirsu}, the son of Enlil, set about it in a grand way. He made a pile of stones in the mountains. Like a floating cloud he stretched out his arms over it. With a great wall he barred the front of the Land. He installed a sluice (?) on the horizon. The hero acted cleverly, he dammed in the cities together. He blocked (?) the powerful waters by means of stones. Now the waters will never again go down from the mountains into the earth. That which was dispersed he gathered together. Where in the mountains scattered lakes had formed, he joined them all together and led them down to the Tigris. He poured carp-floods of water over the fields.
360-367. Now, today, throughout the whole world, kings of the Land far and wide rejoice at Lord Ninurta. He provided water for the speckled barley in the cultivated fields, he {raised up} {( 2 mss. have instead:) piled up} the harvest of fruits in garden and orchard. He heaped up the grain piles like mounds. The lord caused trading colonies to go up from the Land of Sumer. He contented the desires of the gods. They duly praised Ninurta's father.
368-371. At that time he also reached a woman with compassion. Ninmah was sleepless from remembering the place where she had conceived him. She covered her outside with a fleece, like an unshorn ewe, she made a great lament about the now inaccessible mountains:
372-386. "The mountains could not bear the lord's great strength. The great hero -- the force of whose rage no one can approach, like heaven itself; the savage storm which walks on earth, spilling poison in the earth's breast; the lord, the life-breath of Enlil, whose head is worthy of the tiara, ...... who knows nothing of ......: in triumph he hurried by me, he with whom my husband made me pregnant (?). I bore him for my husband. He was close ......; but the son of Enlil passed by and did not lift his glance to me. For the good youth" -- thus the good lady said as she went to him in E-cu-me-ca, his chosen place -- "I will cut the knot. Now I, yes I, shall go to the presumptuous lord, to gaze upon the precious lord. I will go directly to him, to my son, Enlil's judge, the great hero, favoured by his father."
387-389. The lady performed the song in a holy manner. Ninmah recited it to Lord Ninurta. He looked at her with his life-giving looks and spoke to her:
390-410. "Lady, since you came to the mountains, Ninmah ('Great Lady'), since you entered the rebel lands for my sake, since you did not keep far from me when I was surrounded by the horrors of battle -- let the name of the pile which I, the hero, have piled up be 'Mountain' ( hursaj) and may you be its lady ( nin): now that is the destiny decreed by Ninurta. Henceforth people shall speak of Ninhursaja. So be it. Let its meadows produce herbs for you. Let its slopes produce honey and wine for you. Let its hillsides grow cedars, cypress, juniper and box for you. Let it make abundant for you ripe fruits, as a garden. Let the mountain supply you richly with divine perfumes. Let it mine gold and silver for you, make ...... for you. Let it smelt copper and tin for you, make its tribute for you. Let the mountains make wild animals teem for you. Let the mountain increase the fecundity of quadrupeds for you. You, O Queen, become equal to An, wearing a terrifying splendour. Great goddess who detests boasting, good lady, maiden Ninhursaja, Nintur, ...... approach me. Lady, I have given you great powers: may you be exalted."
411-413. While the lord was fixing the destiny of the mountains, as he walked about in the sanctuary of Nibru, the good lady whose powers excel all powers, Lady-creatrix-of-the-womb, Aruru, Enlil's elder sister, stood before him:
414-415. "Great hero whose word like that of his father is unalterable, lord: you have not fixed the destinies of the warriors that you have slain."
416-418. The lord then addressed the u stone. He defined (?) its typical behaviour. The lord spoke to it in anger in the Land. Ninurta son of Enlil cursed it:
419-434. " U stone (emery), since you rose against me in the mountains, since you {barred the way} {( 2 mss. have instead:) seized me} so as to detain me, since you swore to put me to death, since you frightened me, Lord Ninurta, on my great throne; you are powerful, a youth of outstanding strength: may your size be diminished. A mighty lion, confident in its strength, will tear you into pieces, the strong man will fling you in his hand {in combat} {( 1 ms. has instead:) for strength}. Young u stone, your brothers will heap you up like flour. You will lift your hand against your offspring, sink your teeth into their corpses. You, young man, though you may cry out, will end as ....... Like a great wild bull killed by many people, be divided into portions. Ustone, you will be hounded from the battlefield with clubs, like a dog chased by shepherd boys. Because I am the lord: since cornelian is polished by you, you shall be called by its name. And now, according to the destiny fixed by Ninurta, henceforth when u stone touches it, there will be pierced cornelian. Let it be so."
435-437. The hero addressed the cu and gasura stones. The lord enumerated their characteristics. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed their destiny:
438-447. " Cu stones, since you attacked against my weapons; gasura stones, since you stood fiercely against me like bulls, since you tossed (?) your horns in the dust at me like wild bulls, you shall be ...... like butterflies. My terrifying splendour will cover you. Since you cannot escape from {my} {( 1 ms. has instead:) his} great strength, the goldsmith shall puff and blow on you with his breath. You shall be shaped by him to form a matrix for his creations. People shall place the first fruits of the gods on you at the time of the new moon."
448-450. My king stood before the sajkal stone, he addressed the gulgul and sajjar stones. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed their destiny:
451-462. " Sajkal stone, since you flew up against me ......; gulgul stone, since you sparked lightning against me ......; sajjar stone, since you shook your head at me, since you ground your teeth at me, the lord! The sajkal stone will smash you, sajjar stone, young brave, and the gulgul stone will destroy ( gul) you. You will be discarded as contemptible and valueless ( saj nukala). Be a prey to the famine ( cagjar) of the Land; you shall be fed by the charity of your city. You shall be accounted a common person, a warrior among slave-girls. They shall say to you "Be off with you, hurry!", it shall be your name. And now, by the destiny fixed by Ninurta, henceforth you shall be called a bad lot in the Land. So be it."
463-465. My king stood before the esi stone. ...... he spoke in hymnic language. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed its destiny:
466-478. " Esi (diorite), your army in battle changed sides separately (?). You spread before me like thick smoke. You did not raise your hand. You did not attack me. Since you said, "It is false. The lord is alone the hero. Who can vie with Ninurta, the son of Enlil?" -- they shall extract you from the highland countries. They shall bring (?) you from the land of Magan. You shall shape (?) Strong Copper like leather and then you shall be perfectly adapted for my heroic arm, for me, the lord. When a king who is establishing his renown for perpetuity has had its statues sculpted for all time, you shall be placed in the place of libations -- and it shall suit you well -- in my temple E-ninnu, the house full of grace."
479-481. My king turned to the na stone. He ...... the body from the na stone. Ninurta son of Enlil cursed it:
482-486. "Stone, since you said, "If only it had been me"; na stones, since you bewitched my powers -- lie down there, you, to be worked on like a pig. Be discarded, be used for nothing, end up by being reduced to tiny fragments. He who knows you shall reduce you to liquid."
487-488. My king turned to the elel stone. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed its destiny:
489-496. " Elel, intelligently you caused terror of me to descend on the mountains where discord had broken out. In the rebel lands you proclaimed my name among my people who had banded together. Nothing of your wholeness shall be diminished (?). It shall be difficult to reduce your mass to small pieces. My divine ordinances shall be set out in straight lines on your body. You shall be greatly suited to the clash of weapons, when I have heroes to slay. You shall be set up on a pedestal in my great courtyard. The Land shall praise you in wonder, the foreign lands shall {speak your praise} {( 2 mss. have instead:) elevate you}."
497-499. The hero turned to the kagena (haematite) stone, he addressed it for its hardness. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed its destiny:
500-511. "Young man worthy of respect, whose surface reflects the light, kagena, when the demands of the rebel lands reached you, I did not conquer you ....... I did not notice you among the hostile ones. I shall make room for you in the Land. The divine rites of Utu shall become your powers. Be constituted as a judge in the foreign lands. The craftsman, expert in everything, shall value you as if gold. Young man of whom I have taken possession, because of you I shall not sleep until you come to life. And now, according to the destiny fixed by Ninurta, henceforth kagena shall live! So shall it be."
512-513. The hero stood before the jicnugal (alabaster) stone. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed its destiny:
514-521. " Jicnu, whose body shines like the daylight! Purified silver, youth destined for the palace, since you alone held out your hands to me, and you prostrated yourself before me in your mountains, I did not smite you with the club, and I did not turn my strength against you. Hero, you stood firm by me when I yelled out. Your name shall be called benevolence. The treasury of the Land shall be subject to your hand, you shall be its seal-keeper. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) The Anuna .......}"
522-524. My king turned to the algamec stone and frowned. The lord spoke to it angrily in the Land. Ninurta son of Enlil cursed it:
525-527. "What provision did you make to assist my progress? Be the first to go into my forge. Algamec, you shall be the regular sacrifice offered daily by the smiths."
528-533. My king turned to the ducia stone. He addressed the nir, the gug (cornelian) and the zagin (lapis lazuli); the amac-pa-e, the caba, the hurizum, the gug-gazi and the marhali; the egi-zaga, the girin-hiliba {, the anzugulme and the nir-mucjir stones} {( 1 ms.:) , the ...... and the gazi-musud stones}. Lord Ninurta, son of Enlil, fixed their destinies for ...... the waterskin:
534-542. "How you came to my side, male and female in form, and in your own way! You committed no fault, and you supported me with strength. You exalted me in public. Now in my deliberation, I shall exalt you. Since you made yourself general of the assembly, you, nir, shall be chosen for syrup and for wine. You shall all be decorated with precious metal. The principal among the gods shall cause the foreign lands to prostrate themselves before you, putting their noses to the ground."
543-545. My king turned to the jir-zu-jal (flint), and frowned. The lord spoke to it angrily in the Land. Ninurta son of Enlil cursed it:
546-553. "Ah, duplicitous jir-zu-jal, what then? They shall split your horns, wild bull, in your mountains. Lie down before the ....... You were not equal to me who supported you. I shall rip you like a sack, and people will smash you into tiny pieces. The metalworker shall deal with you, he shall use his chisel on you. Young man, massive, bearer of hatred: the carpenter, saying "I wish to buy it for my work", shall wet you with water ...... and shall crush you like malt."
554-556. My king turned to the iman stones, he addressed the alliga stones. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed their destiny:
557-565. " Iman stones, in the mountains you cried out against me. You fiercely uttered battle-yells. I shall enflame you like fire. Like a storm I shall overturn you. I shall strip you like esparto grass. I shall rip you up like esparto grass. Who will assist you then? Iman stone: your cries shall not be valued, no attention shall be paid to them. Iman stone, alliga stone: your path shall not lead to the palace."
566-568. My king turned to the macda stone. He addressed the dubban and urutum stones. Ninurta son of Enlil defined (?) their characteristic behaviour:
569-578. " Macda stone, dubban stone, blazing fires; urutum stone, which nothing resists; when the gasura stone ...... and you were set ablaze, you burnt against me in the rebel lands like a brazier. Since you all stood against me in the land of Saba: macda stone, they shall slaughter you like a sheep. Dubban stone, they shall crunch you for pulverising. Urutum stone, they shall sharpen you for the battle-mace; with bronze, the arrowheads of the gods, they shall smash you with the axe, stinging with fierce swords."
579-580. My king turned to the cagara stone. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed its destiny:
581-591. " Cagara stone, who smash (?) your head against anyone travelling alone in the desert, in the mountains when my arms were occupied you tried to trample on me. Since you glutted yourself in the battle, the reed-worker shall make the reeds jump with you. You shall be thrown onto your couch; the appearance (?) of your mother and father who bore you shall be forgotten (?). No one shall say to you, "Get up", no one shall have the feeling that he misses you, the people shall not complain about your loss. In praise of the eternally-created powers in Ninhursaja's resting place, you shall be discarded on the dais there. They shall feed you on malt, as they do for sheep; you shall content yourself with a portion of scattered flour. This shall be the explanation for you."
592-593. My king turned to the marhuca stone. Ninurta son of Enlil pronounced its destiny.
594-599. " Marhuca, ...... the string in my place, ...... you were taken, since you did not participate in the crimes of your city, ......; you shall be the bowl under the filter-jug, the water shall filter into you. Marhuca, you shall be used for inlay-work, ....... You shall be the perfect ornament for sacred brooches. Marhuca, you shall be duly praised in the temples of the gods."
600-602. The hero turned to the hactum stone and frowned. In the Land the lord addressed it angrily. Ninurta son of Enlil pronounced its destiny:
603-608. " Hactum stone, you cried out against me in the mountains. You yelled fiercely with wild battle-yells. With your yelling, you fixed a lila demon in the mountains. Young man, because of your digging, Ditch ( hactum) shall be your name. And now, according to the destiny of Ninurta, henceforth they shall say hactum. So be it."
609-610. My king turned to the durul stone. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed its destiny:
611-617. " Durul stone, holy garment of mourning, blinded youth whom people carve, in the mountains you prostrated yourself before me. Since you said to me, "If only it had been me who broke the bars of the gates, if only I had stood before him, before my king, Lord Ninurta", your name shall be magnified of its own accord wherever it is mentioned. As the connoisseur says of precious metal, "I will buy it", so the foreign nations, like musicians playing the reed-pipe, shall pursue you."
618-633. My king turned to the cegceg stone, he addressed the engen and ezinum stones. For the ug-gun, the hem, the madanum, the sajgirmud, the ...... and the mursuh stones. Ninurta son of Enlil fixed their destiny: 2 lines unclear"with ribs drawn in, balancing on the haunches, heart elated, legs bent like a bear, ......: I shall come to you; now, being an ally, you come forward from all of them; who shall extend the hand to them? You were the club, you stood as the doorway." 3 lines unclear"In the Land, the champion shall always look (?) with favour on you."
634-637. The hero turned to the kurgaranum stone. He addressed the bal stone. Lord Ninurta, son of Enlil, fixed the destiny for the yellow-coloured cembi (kohl):
638-644. "Since you said, "I will bring forth the people"," 1 line unclear"you ...... as if ...... the young man who has obtained (?) glory for you; the young artisan shall sing your praise. You shall be favoured for the festival of spirits of the dead; on the ninth day of the month, at the new moon, the young men shall ...... for you." He assigned ...... them to the cult of Ninhursaja.
645-651. The hero had conquered the mountains. As he moved across the desert, he ....... Through the crowd, he came forth among their acclamations (?), majestically he ....... Ninurtajoyfully went to his beloved barge, the lord set foot in the boat Ma-kar-nunta-ea. The boatmen sang a pleasant song, for the lord they sang his praise. They addressed an eternal greeting to Ninurta son of Enlil:
652-661. "God who outstrips the heroes, Lord Ninurta, king of the Anuna gods, holding a cudgel in his right hand, bearded, you fall as a torrent on all enemies; who can rival your great works? Hero, deluge, without equal, the Enki and Ninki deities dare not resist (?) you. Hero who pillages the cities, who subjugates the mountains, son of Enlil, who will rise up against you? Ninurta, lord, son of Enlil, hero, who is like you?"
662-668. "My king: there is a hero who is devoted to you and to your offerings, he is as just as his reputation, he walks in your ways; since he has brilliantly accomplished all that is proper for you in your temple, since he has made your shrine rise from the dust for you, let him do everything magnificently for your festival. Let him accomplish perfectly for you your holy rites. He has formulated a vow for his life. May he praise you in the Land."
669-671. "May An's heart be appeased for the lord, may the maiden, Mother Bau, shine like the daylight for Ninurta, Enlil's strength."
672-680. They sang to the lord in the ceremonial (?) boat. The boat, floating of its own accord, was piled up with riches. The boat Ma-kar-nunta-ea proceeded shiningly. To greet the hero from the smiting of weapons, the Anuna ...... came to meet him. They pressed their noses to the ground, they placed their hands on their chests. They addressed a prayer and a supplication to the lord: "May your anger be appeased ....... Ninurta, king, Uta-ulu, lift your head to heaven."
681. His father Enlil blessed him:
682-697. "......, pre-eminent with your great name, you have established your habitation ....... Chest, fittingly ......, king of battle, I presented the storm of heaven to you for use against the rebel lands. O hero of heaven and earth I presented to you the club, the deluge which sets the mountains on fire. King, ahead of your storm the way was narrow. But, Ninurta, I had confidence in your march to the mountains. Like a wolf (?) set free to seize his prey, in your storm you adventured into the rebel lands from above. The mountain that you have handed over shall not be restored. You have caused its cities to be counted as ruin-mounds. Its mighty rulers have lost their breath before you. A celestial mace, a prosperous and unchanging rule, eternal life, the good favour of Enlil, O king, and the strength of An: these shall be your reward."
698-711. Since the hero had killed the Asag, since the lord had made that pile of stones, since he had given the order "Let it be called Stone", since he had ...... the roaring dragon, since the hero had traced the way of the waters ...... down from above, since he had brought them to the fertile fields, since he had made famous the plough of abundance, since the lord had established it in regular furrows, since Ninurta son of Enlil had heaped up grain-piles and granaries -- Ninurta son of Enlil entrusted their keeping to the care of the lady who possesses the divine powers which exist of themselves, who is eminently worthy of praise, to Nisaba, good lady, greatly wise, pre-eminent in the lands, her who possesses the principal tablet with the obligations of en and lugal, endowed by Enki on the Holy Mound with a great intelligence.
712-723. To the lady, the celestial star, made magnificently beautiful by the prince in the abzu, to the lady of knowledge who gladdens hearts, who alone has the gift of governing, endowed with prudence, ......, who rules the black-headed, who possesses the tablet with all the names (?), from whose suspended nets the birds which are caught do not escape, whose every work accomplished meets with complete success, to her ...... which is not unravelled, to her for whom the days are counted according to the phases of the moon, to her who is unassailable as if a fortress of copper ......, who is ......, ...... who cares for the black-headed, who rules the people justly, ......, the replica of Enlil, to the bright good lady who takes counsel with An -- to Nisaba be praise.
724-725. Enlil's mighty lord, Ninurta, great son of the E-kur, heroic one of the father who bore him: it is good to praise you.
726. A cir-sud (?) song of Ninurta.
Ninurta and the turtle
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Segment A
unknown no. of lines missing
1-8.8 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
1-4. "At his command your weapon struck me evilly. As I let the divine powers go out of my hand, these divine powers returned to the abzu. As I let the divine plan go out of my hand, this divine plan returned to the abzu. This tablet of destinies returned to the abzu. I was stripped of the divine powers."
5-8. Ninurta was stunned at these words of the Anzud chick. Ninmena gave out a wail: "And what about me? These divine powers have not fallen into my hand. I shall not exercise their authority. I shall not live (?) like him in the shrine, in the abzu."
9. Father Enki in the abzu knew what had been said.
10-14. The Anzud chick took the hero Ninurta by his hand and drew near with him to Enki'splace, the abzu. The Anzud chick returned Uta-ulu to the abzu. The lord was delighted with the hero, Father Enki was delighted with the hero Ninurta.
15-24. Lord Nudimmud honoured him duly: "Hero, no god among your brother gods could have acted so. As for the bird which your mighty weapon captured, from now to eternity you will keep your foot placed on its neck. May the great gods give your heroic strength its due. May your father Enlil do whatever you command. May Ninmena not fashion your equal (?). May no one be as revered as you and no god extend an upraised hand before you. Monthly may your house (?) regularly receive tributes in the shrine, in the abzu. May An (?) proclaim your name in the seat of honour."
25-30. The hero secretly was not happy with these promises. Where he stood, he darkened and yellowed like (?) a flood-storm (?). He contemplated great deeds and inwardly he was rebellious. He uttered a word which has no ....... The hero Ninurta set his sights on the whole world. He told no one and inwardly did not .......
31-32. The great lord Enki intuitively grasped the substance of the plan. In the shrine, in the abzu he stirred up a dark flood-storm.
33-35. By the house the minister Isimud opposed Ninurta. The hero Ninurta refused to come out and raised his hand against the minister Isimud.
36-46. Against Ninurta, Enki fashioned a turtle from the clay of the abzu. Against him he stationed the turtle at an opening, at the gate of the abzu. Enki talked to him near the place of the ambush and brought him to the place where the turtle was. The turtle was able to grab Ninurta's tendon from behind. The hero Ninurta managed to turn back its feet. Enki, as if perplexed, said, "What is this!" He had the turtle scrape the ground with its claws, had it dig an evil pit. The hero Ninurta fell into it with the turtle. The hero did not know how to get out from ....... The turtle kept on gnawing his feet with its claws (?).
47-54. The great lord Enki said to him: "From ......, you who set your mind to kill me, ...... who makes big claims -- I cut down, I raise up. You who set your sights on me like this -- what has your position seized for you, how ......? Where has your strength fled? Where is your heroism? In the great mountains you caused destruction, but how will you get out now?"
55-60. Ninmena learned of this situation. She ripped the clothes on her body and she ....... "You my plant-eater Enki, who shall I send to you? Men will shake their heads in fear ....... Who shall I send to you? That name is not Enki. That name is Ugugu-that-does-not-pour (?). You who are death which has no mercy, who shall I send to you?" unknown no. of lines missing
The marriage of Martu
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1-8. When the city of Inab already existed, but the city of Kiritab did not yet exist, when the holy crown already existed, but the holy tiara did not yet exist, when the holy herb already existed, but the holy cedar did not yet exist, when holy salt already existed, but holy alkali did not yet exist, when intercourse and kissing already existed, when giving birth in the fields already existed -- I was the grandfather of the holy cedar, I was the ancestor of the mec tree, I was the mother and father of the white cedar, I was the relative of the hacur cedar.
9-15. At that time there was a princely land among the cities; Inab was this princely land among the cities. The ruler of Inab was Tigi-cem-ala. Now, he had a wife whose name was Cage-gur (Desired-by-the-heart), and a child, who ......, and her name was .......
16-25. The people living around the city hung up nets, the people living around Inab hung up nets, hung up nets, chased gazelles and killed the gazelles as one kills humans. One day, as the evening came, and they had reached the place of rations, they established the rations before the god ...... The correct form of this name is not known. The ration of a married man was established as double, the ration of a man with a child was established as triple; the ration of a single man was established as single; but the ration of Martu, though being single, was also established as double.
26-33. Martu went home to his own mother, and spoke to her: "In my city I am among my friends and they all have already married wives; I am there among my mates, and they all have already married wives. Unlike my friends in my city I am single, I am single and I have no children. Yet the imposed share exceeds that of my friends; over and above that of my mates, I received half of theirs."
34-40. One day, as the evening came, and they had reached again the place of rations, they established the rations before the god ...... The correct form of this name is not known. The ration of a married man was established as double, the ration of a man with a child was established as triple; the ration of a single man was established as single; but the ration of Martu, though he was single, was also established as double.
41-52. Martu went home to his own mother, and spoke to her: "My mother, find me a wife to marry and I will bring you my ration." His own mother replied to Martu: " Su-henuna, my son, I will give you advice; may my advice be heeded. I shall say a word to you; you should pay attention to it. Marry a wife of your choice, marry a wife of your heart's desire, give me thus a companion, ...... me a slave-girl. Having built the houses of (?) your people living around the city, and ...... gardens, you will dig the wells of (?) your mates. Martu, ...... mates ......"
53-66. At that time a festival was announced in the city; a festival was announced in the city of Inab. (Martu said:) "Come, friends, let us go, let us go there, let us visit the ale-houses of Inab, let us go there." The god Numucda participated in the festival; his beloved daughter Adjar-kidug participated in the festival, his wife Namrat, the lovely woman participated in the festival. In the city, bronze cem drums were rumbling, and the seven ala drums resounded as strong men, girdled champions, entered the wrestling house to compete with each other for Numucdain the temple of Inab. There were many coming to Inab, the city where the festival was taking place, to marvel at this. There were many coming to Inab, the city where the festival was taking place, to marvel at this.
67-75. For Numucda, because he was holy (?), Martu too strode around the great courtyard to compete in wrestling at the gate of Inab. They kept looking for strong fighters for him, they kept offering him strong fighters. Martu strode around in the great courtyard. He hit them with a destructive ...... one by one. In the great courtyard, in the battle he caused them to be bandaged; in the great courtyard of Inab he lifted the bodies of the dead.
76-83. Rejoicing over Martu, Numucda offered him silver, but he would not accept it. He offered jewels, but he would not accept them. Having done so a second time, having done so a third time (Martu says): "Where does your silver lead? Where do your jewels lead? I, Martu, would rather marry your daughter, I would rather marry your daughter Adjar-kidug." 8 lines missing
91-97. (Numucda says:) "You ...... the wife with calves as a marriage gift. Milk cows shall feed the calves. In the byre the breeding bull shall lie down. ...... cows shall live in the ...... and the calves shall stay at their right side. You must give your word thus and only thus, and then I will give you my daughter Adjar-kidug."
98-104. "You ...... the wife with lambs as a marriage gift. Milk ewes shall feed the lambs. In the sheepfold ...... shall lie down. ...... ewes shall live in the ...... and the lambs shall stay at their left side. You must give your word thus and only thus, and then I will give you my daughter Adjar-kidug."
105-111. "You ...... the wife with kids as a marriage gift. Milk goats shall feed the kids. In the stall the breeding goat shall lie down. The goats and kids shall live in the ...... and the kids shall stay ....... You must give your word thus and only thus, and then I will give you my daughter Adjar-kidug."
112-114. He ...... great ....... He shouted like ....... At the quay of Inab he .......
115-125. He gratified the elders of Inab with golden torcs. He gratified the old women of Inabwith golden shawl ....... He gratified the men and women of Inab with golden ....... He gratified the slaves of Inab with ...... and gratified them also with coloured ...... cloths. He gratified the slave-girls of Inab with silver jugs.
126-141. The days have multiplied, no decision has yet been made. (Adjar-kidug's girlfriend speaks to her:) "Now listen, their hands are destructive and their features are those of monkeys; he is one who eats what Nanna forbids and does not show reverence. They never stop roaming about ......, they are an abomination to the gods' dwellings. Their ideas are confused; they cause only disturbance. He is clothed in sack-leather ......, lives in a tent, exposed to wind and rain, and cannot properly recite prayers. He lives in the mountains and ignores the places of gods, digs up truffles in the foothills, does not know how to bend the knee, and eats raw flesh. He has no house during his life, and when he dies he will not be carried to a burial-place. My girlfriend, why would you marry Martu?" Adjar-kidug replies to her girlfriend: "I will marry Martu!"
Ninjiczida's journey to the nether world
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1-3. "Arise and get on board, arise, we are about to sail, arise and get on board!" -- Woe, weep for the bright daylight, as the barge is steered away! -- "I am a young man! Let me not be covered against my wishes by a cabin, as if with a blanket, as if with a blanket!"
4-10. Stretching out a hand to the barge, to the young man being steered away on the barge, stretching out a hand to {my young man Damu} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Lord Ninjiczida} being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Ictaran of the bright visage being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Alla, master of the battle-net, being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Lugal-cud-e being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Ninjiczida being taken away on the barge -- his younger sister was crying in lament to him in {the boat's cabin} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the cabin at the boat's bow}.
11-12. His older sister removed the cover (?) from {the boat's cabin} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the cabin at the boat's stern}: "Let me sail away with you, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you. {( 2 mss. add 1 line:) My brother, let me sail on your barge with you, my brother, let me sail away with you. {( 1 ms. adds 1 further line:) Let me sail on your splendid barge with you, my brother, let me sail away with you.}}"
13-14. She was crying a lament to him at the boat's bow: " {Brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) My brother}, let me sail away with you. Let me ...... for you in your boat's stern, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you." {( 1 ms. adds 2 lines:) "The gudug priest sits in the cabin at your boat's stern." She was crying a lament to him: "Let me sail away with you, my brother, let me sail away with you."}
15-19. "My young man Damu, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you. Ictaran of the bright visage, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you. Alla, master of the battle-net, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you. Lugal-cud-e, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) Lugal-ki-bura, let me sail away with you, my brother, let me sail away with you.} Ninjiczida, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead:) my brother}, let me sail away with you. {( 1 ms. adds 2 lines:) My brother, let me sail on your barge with you, my brother, let me sail away with you. Let me sail on your splendid barge with you, my brother, let me sail away with you.}"
20-28. The evil demon who was in their midst called out to { Lugal-ki-suna} {( 2 mss. have instead:) Ninjiczida}: " { Lugal-ki-suna} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Lugal-ki-bura}, look at your sister!" Having looked at his sister, { Lugal-ki-suna} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Lugal-ki-bura} said to her: "He sails with me, he sails with me. Why should you sail {( 1 ms. adds:) to the underworld}? Lady, the demon sails with me. Why should you sail {( 1 ms. adds:) to the underworld}? The thresher sails with me. Why should you sail {( 1 ms. adds:) to the underworld}? The man who has bound my hands sails with me. Why should you sail? The man who has tied my arms sails with me. Why should you sail?"
29-37. "The river of the nether world produces no water, no water is drunk from it. {( 1 ms. adds:) Why should you sail?} The fields of the nether world produce no grain, no flour is eaten from it. {( 1 ms. adds:) Why should you sail?} The sheep of the nether world produce no wool, no cloth is woven from it. {( 1 ms. adds:) Why should you sail?} As for me, even if my mother digs as if for a canal, I shall not be able to drink the water meant for me. The waters of springtime will not be poured for me as they are for the tamarisks; I shall not sit in the shade intended for me. The dates I should bear like a date palm will not reveal (?) their beauty for me. I am a field threshed by my demon -- you would scream at it. He has put manacles on my hands -- you would scream at it. He has put a neck-stock on my neck -- you would scream at it."
38-44. Ama-cilama ( Ninjiczida's sister) said to Ninjiczida: "The ill-intentioned demon may accept something -- there should be a limit to it for you. My brother, your demon may accept something, there should be a limit to it for you. For him let me ...... from my hand the ......, there should be a limit to it for you. For him let me ...... from my hand the ......, there should be a limit to it for you. For him let me ...... from my hips the dainty lapis lazuli beads, there should be a limit to it for you. For him let me ...... from my hips the ...... my lapis lazuli beads, there should be a limit to it for you."
45-49. "You are a beloved ......, there should be a limit to it for you. How they treat you, how they treat you! -- there should be a limit to it for you. My brother, how they treat you, how haughtily they treat you! -- there should be a limit to it for you. "I am hungry, but the bread has slipped away from me!" -- there should be a limit to it for you. "I am thirsty, but the water has slipped away from me!" -- there should be a limit to it for you."
50-54. The evil demon who was in their midst, the clever demon, that great demon who was in their midst, called out to the man at the boat's bow and to the man at the boat's stern: "Don't let the mooring stake be pulled out, don't let the mooring stake be pulled out, so that she may come on board to her brother, that this lady may come on board the barge."
55-62. When Ama-cilama had gone on board the barge, a cry approached the heavens, a cry approached the earth, that great demon set up an enveloping cry before him on the river: " Urim, at my cry to the heavens lock your houses, lock your houses, city, lock your houses! Shrine Urim, lock your houses, city, lock your houses! Against your lord who has left the jipar, city, lock your houses!" 1 line fragmentaryapprox. 1 line missing
64-69.2 lines fragmentary ...... a holy sceptre. ...... a holy robe of office. ...... a holy crown. ...... a lapis-lazuli sceptre.
70-75. He ...... to the empty river, the rejoicing (?) river: "You ( addressing Ama-cilima ) shall not draw near to this house, ....... ...... to the place of Ereckigala. My mother ...... out of her love. As for you ( addressing the demon) , you may be a great demon ......, ...... your hand against the nether world's office of throne-bearer."
76-81. "My king will no longer shed tears in his eyes. The drum will ...... his joy in tears. Come! May the fowler utter a lament for you in his well-stocked house, lord, may he utter a lament for you. How he has been humiliated! May the young fisherman utter a lament for you in his well-stocked house, lord, may he utter a lament for you. How he has been humiliated! May the mother of the dead gudug priest {utter a lament for you in her empty jipar} {( 1 ms. has instead:) , on whom the house of the palace looked with envy (?)}, utter a lament for you, lord, may she utter a lament for you. How he has been humiliated! May the mother high priestess utter a lament {for you who have left the jipar} {( 1 ms. has instead:) for you, now dead, who used to be in your jipar}, lord, may she utter a lament for you. How he has been humiliated!"
82-89. "My king, bathe with water your head that has rolled in the dust. ...... in sandals your feet defiled from the defiled place." The king bathed with water his head that had rolled in the dust. ...... in sandals his feet defiled from the defiled place. "Not drawing near to this house, ....... ...... your throne ...... to you "Sit down". May your bed ...... to you "Lie down"." He ate food in his mouth, he drank choice wine.
90. Great holy one, Ereckigala, praising you is sweet.
The Flood story
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Segment A
approx. 36 lines missing
1-10. ...... sets up ....... "I will ...... the perishing of my mankind; for Nintur, I will stop the annihilation of my creatures, and I will return the people from their dwelling grounds. Let them build many cities so that I can refresh myself in their shade. Let them lay the bricks of many cities in pure places, let them establish places of divination in pure places, and when the fire-quenching ...... is arranged, the divine rites and exalted powers are perfected and the earth is irrigated, I will establish well-being there."
10-14. After An, Enlil, Enki and Ninhursaja had fashioned the black-headed people, they also made animals multiply everywhere, and made herds of four-legged animals exist on the plains, as is befitting. approx. 32 lines missing
Segment B
4-5. "I will oversee their labour. Let ...... the builder of the Land, dig a solid foundation."
6-18. After the ...... of kingship had descended from heaven, after the exalted crown and throne of kingship had descended from heaven, the divine rites and the exalted powers were perfected, the bricks of the cities were laid in holy places, their names were announced and the ...... were distributed. The first of the cities, Eridug, was given to Nudimmud the leader. The second, Bad-tibira, was given to the Mistress. The third, Larag, was given to Pabilsaj. The fourth, Zimbir, was given to the hero Utu. The fifth, Curuppag, was given to Sud. And after the names of these cities had been announced and the ...... had been distributed, the river ......, ...... was watered, and with the cleansing of the small canals ...... were established. approx. 34 lines missing
Segment C
1-27. ......seat in heaven. ...... flood. ...... mankind. So he made ....... Then Nintur ....... Holy Inana made a lament for its people. Enki took counsel with himself. An, Enlil, Enki and Ninhursaja made all the gods of heaven and earth take an oath by invoking An and Enlil. In those days Zi-ud-sura the king, the gudug priest, ....... He fashioned ....... The humble, committed, reverent ....... Day by day, standing constantly at ....... Something that was not a dream appeared, conversation ......, ...... taking an oath by invoking heaven and earth. In the Ki-ur, the gods ...... a wall. Zi-ud-sura, standing at its side, heard: "Side-wall standing at my left side, ....... Side-wall, I will speak words to you; take heed of my words, pay attention to my instructions. A flood will sweep over the ...... in all the ....... A decision that the seed of mankind is to be destroyed has been made. The verdict, the word of the divine assembly, cannot be revoked. The order announced by An and Enlil cannot be overturned. Their kingship, their term has been cut off; their heart should be rested about this. Now ....... What ......." approx. 38 lines missing
Segment D
1-11. All the windstorms and gales arose together, and the flood swept over the ....... After the flood had swept over the land, and waves and windstorms had rocked the huge boat for seven days and seven nights, Utu the sun god came out, illuminating heaven and earth. Zi-ud-suracould drill an opening in the huge boat and the hero Utu entered the huge boat with his rays. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before Utu. The king sacrificed oxen and offered innumerable sheep.
12-17.six lines fragmentaryapprox. 33 lines missing
Segment E
1-2. "They have made you swear by heaven and earth, ....... An and Enlil have made you swear by heaven and earth, ......."
3-11. More and more animals disembarked onto the earth. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before An and Enlil. An and Enlil treated Zi-ud-sura kindly ......, they granted him life like a god, they brought down to him eternal life. At that time, because of preserving the animals and the seed of mankind, they settled Zi-ud-sura the king in an overseas country, in the land Dilmun, where the sun rises.
12. "You ......." approx. 39 lines missing
How grain came to Sumer
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1-12. Men used to eat grass with their mouths like sheep. In those times, they did not know grain, barley or flax. An brought these down from the interior of heaven. Enlil lifted his gaze around as a stag lifts its horns when climbing the terraced ...... hills. He looked southwards and saw the wide sea; he looked northwards and saw the mountain of aromatic cedars. Enlilpiled up the barley, gave it to the mountain. He piled up the bounty of the Land, gave the innuha barley to the mountain. He closed off access to the wide-open hill. He ...... its lock, which heaven and earth shut fast (?), its bolt, which .......
13-20. Then Ninazu ......, and said to his brother Ninmada: "Let us go to the mountain, to the mountain where barley and flax grow; ...... the rolling river, where the water wells up from the earth. Let us fetch the barley down from its mountain, let us introduce the innuha barley into Sumer. Let us make barley known in Sumer, which knows no barley."
21-27. Ninmada, the worshipper of An, replied to him: "Since our father has not given the command, since Enlil has not given the command, how can we go there to the mountain? How can we bring down the barley from its mountain? How can we introduce the innuha grain into Sumer? How can we make barley known in Sumer, which knows no barley?"
28-31. "Come, let us go to Utu of heaven, who as he lies there, as he lies there, sleeps a sound sleep, to the hero, the son of Ningal, who as he lies there sleeps a sound sleep." He raised his hands towards Utu of the seventy doors (?).
32. Utu ...... table (?) .......
The cumunda grass
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1. The abba instructed, the abba instructed:
2-13. When the rain rained, when walls were demolished, when it rained potsherds and fireballs, when one person confronted another defiantly, when there was copulation -- he also copulated, when there was kissing -- he also kissed. When the rain said: "I will rain," when the wall said: "I will rain ( scribal error for 'demolish' ?)", when the flood said: "I will sweep everything away" -- Heaven impregnated (?), Earth gave birth, she gave birth also to the cumunda grass. Earth gave birth, Heaven impregnated (?), she gave birth also to the cumunda grass.
14-21. His luxuriant reeds carry fire. They who defied it, who defied it, the umma who had survived that day, the abba who had survived that day, the chief gala priest who had survived that year, whoever had survived the Flood -- the cumunda grass crushed them with labour, crushed them with labour, made them crouch in the dust.
22-28. The cumunda grass is a fire carrier, he cannot be tied into bundles, the grass cannot be shifted, the grass cannot be loosened, the grass cannot be loosened. When built into a booth, one moment he stands up, one moment he lies down. Having kindled a fire, he spreads it wide. The cumunda grass's habitat is among his bitter waters. He butts about (saying): "I will start, I will start a fire."
29-34. He set fire to the base of the E-ana; there he was bound, there he was fettered. When he protested, Inana seized a raven there and set it on top of him. The shepherd abandoned his sheep in their enclosure. Inana seized the raven there.
35-49. When the rain had rained, when walls had been demolished, when it rained potsherds and fireballs, when Dumuzid was defied -- the rain rained, walls were demolished, the cowpen was demolished, the sheepfold was ripped out, wild flood-waters were hurled against the rivers, wild rains were hurled against the marshes. By (?) the ...... of the Tigris and the Euphrates, of the Tigris and the Euphrates, long grass grew, long grass ....... 5 lines missing
50-59. He tied him into bundles, he shifted him, he ...... cumunda grass, the fire-carrier. He bundled up the cumunda grass, the fire carrier, bundled up the fire carrier. The launderer who made her garments clean asks her, Inana -- the carpenter who gave her the spindle to hold in her hand (asks her), Inana -- the potter who fashioned pots and jugs (asks her), Inana. The potter gave her holy drinking vessels, the shepherd brought her his sheep, the shepherd brought her his sheep -- he asks her. He brought her all kinds of luxuriant plants, as if it were the harvest.
60-66. Her voice reached Heaven, her voice reached Earth, her resounding cry covered the horizon like a garment, was spread over it like a cloth, she hurled fierce winds at the head of the cumunda grass (saying): " Cumunda grass, your name ....... You shall be a plant ....... You shall be a hateful plant ....... Your name ......." approx. 23 lines missing
Pabilsaj's journey to Nibru
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Segment A
1-15. The wild bull with brindled thighs, whose house is noble! My king, the wild bull with brindled thighs, whose house is noble! Pabilsaj, the wild bull with brindled thighs, whose house is noble! His house, the house of Larag, is noble, his house is noble! His city, a mighty city, is abundant, and his house is noble! The warrior's house is the house of Larag; Lord Pabilsaj'scity is a mighty city ....... His birthplace was the shrine Nibru ....... The place where he drank good milk was the house ....... From the place, the pure place, ....... Isin, the unique house ....... The place which the bull embraces ....... Like a scorpion rising up from among the thorns, he is a fearsome scorpion; like a wolf rising up from his lair, he is likely to growl; like a lion rising up in the pathway, he is likely to beat .......
16-21. At that time, he wished to dig (?) in the meadows; the lord wished to dig (?) in the meadows. Lord Pabilsaj wished to dig (?) in the meadows; in all the meadows of Isin, my king wished to dig (?). So then my king set off for Nibru.
22-36. And as the warrior Pabilsaj set off in Enlil's direction, as he he set off, now he turned (?) in front of that house in Isin. And then my lady in Isin came out ....... At the spacious house, the house of Isin, she ...... her hair, then she ...... the hair in curls (?) ....... Her headdress was loosened. She addressed Pabilsaj joyfully: "Good-looking ...... the house of Isin! Warrior Pabilsaj ...... borne to Nintur! You who are travelling from (?) Larag to ...... that house in Isin, say to your father, "May she be my spouse!" Say further to Enlil, "...... with me!" Fix your sights on it, fix your sights on it, and may you be its lord! The house of Isin ....... May you, Pabilsaj, be its lord, and may I be its lady!" small no. of lines missing
Segment B
(It is possible, but less likely, that Segment B belongs after Segment D)
1-3. ( Enlil speaks:) "...... and may its flax be flax! ...... and may its grain be grain! ...... may its ...... be good for eating."
4-13. And now, under that very sun and on that day, so it really happened. ...... waved their tails in the Kir-sig watercourse, waved ....... ...... established the house ....... ...... the most righteous ....... ...... the good bull-calf, the ruler ....... ...... established the house ....... ...... its flax was flax. ...... its grain was grain. ...... its ...... was good for eating. small no. of lines missing
Segment C
1-7. Ninisina ....... In the Kir-sig watercourse ...... their tails ...... Isin ....... Joyfully his son married a wife ......; joyfully Lord Pabilsaj married Ninisina ....... She ...... him the digging implement for the Kir-sig watercourse. ...... their tails ...... Isin ...... for him.
8-13. Enlil stood beside the river and spoke to it. He stood beside the Kir-sig watercourse and ......: "River, may ...... your outlet be ...... for him. May you establish ...... the house here. ...... the most righteous ......, ...... great wild bull ......." approx. 1 line missing
Segment D
1-20.3 lines unclearBut Pabilsaj would not eat (?) the bull in his mouth; nor would ...... Pabilsaj eat (?) the sheep in his mouth. He did not rub the ...... pot ....... "Don't go ...... to ......." They raised the ...... lament, and put ....... They raised Lord Pabilsaj, and put ....... They set him down (?) in the city of his sister. His sister came out to him from the house. 5 lines unclearBut Pabilsaj would not eat (?) the bull in his mouth; nor would ...... Pabilsaj eat (?) the sheep in his mouth. He did not rub the ...... pot ....... "Don't go ......!" unknown no. of lines missing
Gilgamec and Aga
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1-8. Envoys of Aga, the son of En-me-barage-si, came from Kic to Gilgamec in Unug. Gilgamec presented the issue before the elders of his city, carefully choosing his words: "There are wells to be finished, many wells of the Land yet to be finished; there are shallow wells of the Land yet to be finished, there are wells to deepen and hoisting gear to be completed. We should not submit to the house of Kic! {Should we not smite it with weapons?} {( 2 mss. have instead:) Let us smite it with weapons!}"
9-14. In the convened assembly, his city's elders answered Gilgamec: "There are indeed wells to be finished, many wells of the Land yet to be finished; there are shallow wells of the Land yet to be finished, there are wells to deepen and hoisting gear to be completed. {So we should submit to the house of Kic. We should not smite it with weapons!} {( 1 ms. has instead:) So should we not submit to the house of Kic? Should we smite it with weapons?}"
15-23. Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba, placing his trust in Inana, did not take seriously the advice of his city's elders. Gilgamec {( 1 ms. adds:) , the lord of Kulaba,} presented the issue again, this time before the able-bodied men of his city, carefully choosing his words: "There are wells to be finished, many wells of the Land yet to be finished; there are shallow wells of the Land yet to be finished, there are wells to deepen and hoisting gear to be completed. {Never before have you submitted to the house of Kic. Should you not smite it with weapons?} {( 1 ms. has instead:) We should not submit to the house of Kic. We should smite it with weapons!}"
24-29. In the convened assembly, his city's able-bodied men answered Gilgamec: " "Standing on duty and sitting in attendance, escorting the king's son, and forever grasping the donkey's reins -- who has that much breath?", as the saying goes. You old men should not submit to the house of Kic! Should we young men not smite it with weapons?"
30-39. "The great gods created the structure of Unug, the handiwork of the gods, and of E-ana, the house lowered down from heaven. You watch over {the great rampart, the rampart which An founded} {( 1 ms. has instead:) its great rampart, a cloudbank resting on the earth}, the majestic residence which An established. You are its king and warrior, an exuberant person, a prince beloved of An. When Aga comes, what terror he will experience! That army is small, and scattered at the rear. Its men will be incapable of confronting us."
40-47. Then Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba, rejoiced at the advice of his city's able-bodied men and his spirit brightened. He addressed his servant Enkidu: "On this account let the weaponry and arms of battle be made ready. Let the battle mace return to your side. May they create a great terror and radiance. When he comes, my great fearsomeness will overwhelm him. His reasoning will become confused and his judgment disarrayed."
48-54. Not five, not 10 days had passed when Aga, the son of En-me-barage-si, laid siege to Unug with his men. Unug's reasoning became confused. Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba, addressed its warriors: " {My warriors shall have the choice.} {( 2 mss. have instead:) My warriors, choose!} Let someone with courage volunteer {"I shall go to Aga"} {( 1 ms. has instead:) , and I will send him to Aga}."
55-58. Birhar-tura, his royal guard, spoke in admiration to his king: " {( 2 mss. add:) My king,} I shall {go} {( 1 ms. has instead:) go prancing (?)} to Aga so that his reasoning will become confused and his judgment disarrayed."
59-69. Birhar-tura went out through the city gate. As soon as Birhar-tura went out through the city gate, they captured him at the gate's entrance, and then beat Birhar-tura's entire length. He came into the presence of Aga and then spoke to Aga. Before he had finished speaking, an officer of Unug climbed up on the rampart and leaned out over the rampart. Aga saw him and then spoke to Birhar-tura: "Slave, is that man your king?"
70-81. "That man is not my king! Were that man my king, were that his angry brow, were those his bison eyes, were that his lapis lazuli beard, were those his elegant fingers, would he not cast down multitudes, would he not raise up multitudes, would multitudes not be smeared with dust, would not all the nations be overwhelmed, would not the land's canal-mouths be filled with silt, would not the barges' prows be broken, and would he not take Aga, the king of Kic, captive in the midst of his army?"
82-89. They hit him, they struck him. They beat Birhar-tura's entire length. Gilgamec climbed up on the rampart after the officer of Unug. His radiance overwhelmed Kulaba's young and old. He armed Unug's able-bodied men with battle maces and stationed them on the causeway at the city gate's door. Only Enkidu went out through the city gate. Gilgamec leaned out over the rampart. Looking up, Aga saw him: "Slave, is that man your king?"
92-99. "That man is indeed my king." It was just as he had said: Gilgamec cast down multitudes, he raised up multitudes, multitudes were smeared with dust, all the nations were overwhelmed, the land's canal-mouths were filled with silt, the barges' prows were broken, and he took Aga, the king of Kic, captive in the midst of his army. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) Unug's able-bodied men ...... that army.}
100-106. Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba, {spoke to} {( 1 ms. has instead:) approached close to} Aga: " Aga my overseer, Aga my lieutenant, {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) Aga my governor, Aga my commander,} Aga my military commander! Aga gave me breath, Aga gave me life: Aga took a fugitive into his embrace, Aga provided the fleeing bird with grain."
107-113. {(The able-bodied men acclaim Gilgamec:) "You watch over Unug, the handiwork of the gods, the great rampart, the rampart which An founded, the majestic residence which Anestablished. You are its king and warrior, an exuberant person, a prince beloved of An." (Gilgamec addresses Aga:) "Before Utu, your former kindness is hereby repaid to you."} {( the other ms. has instead:) "I watch over Unug, the handiwork of the gods, its great rampart, a cloudbank resting on the earth, its majestic residence which An established. The city will repay the kindness shown to me. Before Utu, your former kindness is hereby repaid to you."} He set Aga free to go to Kic.
114-115. O Gilgamec, lord of Kulaba, praising you is sweet.
Gilgamec and the bull of heaven
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A version of unknown provenance, supplemented from Nibru mss.
Segment A
1-4. I will sing the song of the man of battle, the man of battle. I will sing the song of Lord Gilgamec, the man of battle, I will sing the song of him with the well-proportioned limbs, the man of battle. I will sing the song of the mighty ...... lord, the man of battle.
5-11. {I will sing the song of the lord with the very black beard, the man of battle. I will sing the song of ...... athletic strength, the man of battle. ...... the king, the man ......; my king ......, my lord ...... garden ....... ...... courtyard, ...... jipar;} {( 1 ms. has instead:) ...... his mother who bore him spoke to the lord: "My king ...... in the river, my lord ...... your garden." 2 lines unclear} unknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
2 lines unclear
3-6. In the great courtyard, without there being any combat, a man ....... She perceived the canopy, the canopy ......, holy Inana perceived the canopy, from the palace of the abzu, she perceived the canopy ......:
7-12. "My wild bull, my ...... man, I shall not let you go! Lord Gilgamec, my wild bull, my ...... man, I shall not let you go! I shall not let you go to dispense justice in the E-ana! I shall not let you go to pronounce verdicts in my holy jipar! I shall not let you go to dispense justice in the E-ana beloved by An! Gilgamec, may you be ......, may you be ......!"
13-18. ( Gilgamec speaks:) "I shall certainly not try to take over the portion of Inana in your jipar. Ninegala will not ...... because of my valorous strength. But Inana, lady, don't you block my way, either! My wish is to catch (?) mountain bulls, to fill the cow-pens. I wish to catch (?) mountain sheep, to fill the sheepfolds. I wish to ...... silver and cornelian."
19-30. The queen spoke with a snort; Inana spoke with a snort: "...... say to you. ...... say to you. ......, Gilgamec." 7 lines fragmentary
31-36. ( An speaks:) "Its entrails (?)....... Its hide ....... Its blood ......." 1 line fragmentary " Inana, it will muddy the waters; it will ...... cowpats. My one beloved by An, ......."
37-41. He let her hold the leash; An ....... {"My child, who does it belong to?"} {( 1 ms. has instead:) "My child, what use would it be?"} "It will stir up the waters, it will leave ...... cowpats ......! If the great bull is let loose, ...... Unug! If the great bull is let loose against Gilgamec, ...... Unug! I will not give her that which bears my own name."
42-45. ( Inana speaks:) "Maybe it will muddy the waters, and will leave gigantic cowpats -- but let my father give me the Bull of Heaven, so I can kill the lord, so I can kill the lord, so I can kill the lord, Lord Gilgamec!"
46-49. Great An replied to holy Inana: "My child, the Bull of Heaven would not have any pasture, as its pasture is on the horizon. Maiden Inana, the Bull of Heaven can only graze where the sun rises. So I cannot give the Bull of Heaven to you!"
50-51. Holy Inana replied to him: "I shall shout, and make my voice reach heaven and earth!"
52-54. {He was frightened, he was frightened. {( 1 ms. adds here:) ...... was frightened of Inana.} Great An replied to holy Inana: "I shall give her the Bull of Heaven."} {( instead of approx. lines 52-54, 1 ms. has:) She made her voice reach heaven ......, she made her voice reach earth; she made her voice reach heaven ......, she made her voice reach earth. It covered them like a woollen garment, it was spread over them like a linen garment. ...... who could speak to her? ...... who could speak to her? ...... gave .......}
55-63. In masculine fashion, the maiden Inana grasped it by the lapis-lazuli tether. Holy Inanabrought the Bull of Heaven {out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) down}. At Unug, the Bull devoured the pasture, and drank the water of the river in great slurps. With each slurp it used up one mile of the river, but its thirst was not satisfied. It devoured the pasture and stripped the land bare. It broke up the palm trees of Unug, as it bent them to fit them into its mouth. When it was standing, the Bull submerged Unug. {The aura} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the name} of the Bull of Heaven submerged Kulaba.
64-67. {His musician ....... As he looked up ......, leaning (?) ...... 1 line unclear} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Then Lord Gilgamec ...... his musician.} {( a second ms. has instead:) Gilgamec ...... his musician Lugal-gabajal. "My musician, tune your strings, ...... give me a drink, ....... ...... bronze ...... in your hand ....... His musician ......."} {( a third ms. has instead:) ...... replied to Lugal-gabajal, " Lugal-gabajal, tune your strings; I wish to have a drink!" ( Lugal-gabajal answers:) "...... drink, that is why nothing of yours is important." ...... replied to Lugal-gabajal.} {( instead of approx. lines 64-67, a fourth ms. has:) 3 lines unclear...... drink, lord ....... ...... drink, lord ....... 7 lines missing or unclear...... Unug .......}
68-83. Lord Gilgamec ....... Inana ...... the Bull of Heaven. At Unug, the Bull ......, and drank the water of the river in great slurps. With each slurp it used up one mile of the river, but its thirst was not satisfied. It devoured the pasture and stripped the land bare. {( 1 ms. adds here:) His lady ....... Gilgamec ...... said, "My mother ......, my sister ......, will ...... the cattle to their tethering stakes, will ...... the sheep to their tethering stakes, will ...... to their tethering stakes." Gilgamec ......, "Bull of Heaven, you, yes you, ......; you, yes you -- you do not ......." Gilgamec.......} 5 lines unclear"They will throw your corpse in the deserted streets, and throw your intestines in the broad square. They will send your carcass to the knacker's, and I shall share out your meat in baskets to the widows' sons who are citizens of my city ....... I shall make flasks of your two horns for pouring fine oil to Inana in E-ana."
84-90. Inana watched from the top of the ramparts. The Bull bellowed in the dust, and Gilgamec walked (?) at its head as Enkidu climbed up the rope of its ....... Their fellow-citizens came along ....... It covered them with dust, like a young calf unused to the yoke. { Enkidustood behind the Bull and went round .......} {( 1 ms. has instead:) He put ...... and seized its tail.} He spoke to his master Gilgamec:
91-103. "Ho, magnificent one, extending your staff of office, born of noble lineage, splendour of the gods, furious bull standing ready for battle, who is respected as the great lord Gilgamecof Unug! Your mother was truly skilled in bearing children, and your nurse was truly skilled in suckling her charges! {( 1 ms. adds:) Lord born of noble lineage, ......} Do not fear -- the warrior without strength ...... himself (?). There where the road is straight ....... ...... axe ......." 4 lines unclear
unknown no. of lines missing
A version from Me-Turan
Segment A
1-7. I will sing the song of the man of battle, the man of battle. I will sing the song of Lord Gilgamec, the man of battle, I will sing the song of the lord with the very black beard, the man of battle. I will sing the song of him with the well-proportioned limbs, the man of battle. I will sing the song of him in his prime (?), the man of battle. I will sing the song of him who batters the wicked, the man of battle. The king, the lord, having ...... as his mother who bore him ......, wishing to wash (?) in the river.
8-18. My lord, having sought entry into the garden planted with junipers, the lord, coming from the jipar, sheared the wool of the fleecy sheep ......; ...... he sat down ....... The king ...... bending ...... with the oar; the prince covered ...... with the oar, as if it was of flourishing reed. You covered their wicked ones, as if ......, with water. He gave ...... to his mother who bore him. In the wide courtyard ......, Gilgamec ....... 1 line unclearIn the great courtyard .......
19-21. Then ...... the canopy ....... Holy Inana perceived the canopy, from the palace of the abzu, she perceived the canopy:
22-27. "My wild bull, my man, I shall not let you ......! Gilgamec, I shall not let you ......! I shall not let you dispense justice in my E-ana! I shall not let you pronounce verdicts in my holy jipar! I shall not let you dispense justice in the E-ana beloved by An! Gilgamec, may you ......, may I ......."
28-39. The king, ...... his mouth, the king ...... to his mother who bore him. Gilgamec ...... to Ninsumun ......: "O mother who bore me, how ......! By the door of the great gate ....... From the crenellations of the wall ......: "My wild bull, my man, I shall not let you go ......! Gilgamec, I shall not let you go ......! You dispensed justice in my E-ana -- I shall not let you go! You pronounced verdicts in my holy jipar -- I shall not let you go, in his beloved ...... E-ana!"""
40-41. When he had spoken thus to the mother who bore him, the mother who bore him replied to Gilgamec:
approx. 8 lines missing
Segment B
1-6. Holy Inana ....... An ....... ...... the bond of heaven. An ...... to holy Inana: "My child, ......." Inana replied ......:
19 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
Segment C
It is uncertain if this segment belongs here.
unknown no. of lines missing
Segment D
5-9. "My musician, Lugal-gabajar, perform your song, tune your strings! Give me beer to drink! Fill my bronze jug again! ......" Lugal-gabajar replied to his master, Gilgamec: "My master, you may eat, and you may drink -- but as for me, how does this matter concern me?"
10-15. To defeat the Bull, ......, Gilgamec, to defeat the Bull, ....... ...... his harness of fifty ( text: five-sixths) minas. ...... his sword weighing seven talents and thirty minas. ...... his battle axe. "My mother who bore me ......."
16-23. His sister ....... His mother who bore him ....... Pectur, his little sister ....... Gilgamec ...... "My mother who bore me, in the house (?) of Enki (?) ....... Pectur, the little sister, ......, will bring back the cattle to their tethering stakes ......, will bring back the sheep to their tethering stakes ......."
24-32. "Bull of Heaven, you -- you, ......, yes, you! You crush them ......, and I crush them ....... If you crush them, ...... They shall consign your hide to the streets ....... They shall consign your intestines to the broad square ....... The widows' sons of my city shall each take their share of your meat in baskets. They shall consign your carcass to the knacker's, and I shall turn your two horns into flasks for pouring fine oil to Inana in E-ana."
33-38. The Bull ...... in the dust. Gilgamec ...... and Enkidu ....... Their fellow-citizens ....... ...... with dust, like a young calf unused to the yoke. Enkidu stood by (?) the Bull's head and spoke to Gilgamec:
39-44. "Ho, magnificent one, extending your staff of office, born of noble lineage, splendour of the gods, furious-hearted bull, standing ready for battle, warrior, ...... your hand ......! The people ......, the people ......."
45-48. When Enkidu had spoken thus to Gilgamec, Gilgamec himself smote its skull with his axe weighing seven talents. The Bull reared up so high, so high that it overbalanced. It spattered like rain, it spread itself out like the harvested crop.
49-52. The king took his knife in his hand, just as if he were a master chef. He hit Inana with a haunch, he made her flee away like a pigeon, and demolished those ramparts. Standing by (?) the Bull's head, the king wept bitter tears: "Just as I can destroy you, so shall I do the same to her (?)."
53-59. As he spoke, he consigned its hide to the streets, he consigned its intestines to the broad square, and the widows' sons of his city each took their share of its meat in baskets. He consigned its carcass to the knacker's, and turned its two horns into flasks for pouring fine oil to Inana in E-ana. For the death of the Bull of Heaven: holy Inana, it is sweet to praise you!
Fragment of an earlier version from Nibru, dating to the Ur III period
Segment A
unknown no. of lines missing
1-8. Seed of the jipar ( = Gilgamec?) ......; he sat on the ......; that which was in the marsh, my king, to bend that which was in the marsh with the oar, the lord covered it with water with the oar, as if they were flourishing reeds. That which exceeded, as if it was a reed (?) ......, he covered with water. In the wide courtyard ...... of the temple of Inana Gilgamec .......
9-13. My king, having sought entry into the garden of junipers, the seed of the jipar ...... the sheep of the queen (?) ...... sheared (?) the wool; he sat on the ....... He leant (?) over the marsh; my king leant (?) over the marsh; he bent it with the oar.
14-15. The lord covered it with water as if they were flourishing reeds; that which exceeded, as if it was a reed (?) ......, he covered it with water.
unknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
1-4. I (?) shall not try to take over the portion of Inana in the jipar; ...... shall not cover my valiant arm with a garment (?)!
The death of Gilgamec
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A version from Nibru
Segment A
unknown no. of lines missing
1-14. ...... hero ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. He of well-proportioned limbs ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. He who ...... wickedness has lain down and is never to rise again. The young man ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. He who was perfect in ...... and feats of strength has lain down and is never to rise again. ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. The lord of Kulaba has lain down and is never to rise again. He who spoke most wisely has lain down and is never to rise again. The plunderer (?) of many countries has lain down and is never to rise again. He who climbed the mountains has lain down and is never to rise again. He has lain down on his death-bed and is never to rise again. He has lain down on a couch of sighs and is never to rise again.
15-38. Unable to stand up, unable to sit down, he laments. Unable to eat, unable to drink, he laments. Held fast by the door-bolt of Namtar, he is unable to rise. Like a fish ......, he ...... ill. Like a gazelle caught in a trap, he ...... couch. Namtar, with no hands or feet ......, Namtar ....... 1 line fragmentary6 lines missing1 line fragmentary ...... great mountains ...... 5 lines fragmentary1 line missing2 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
1-8.3 lines fragmentary For six days, he ...... ill. ...... on his skin like resin. Lord Gilgamec ...... ill. ...... Unug and Kulaba. ...... the words spoken .......
9-14. Then Lord Gilgamec ...... lay down (?) on the death-bed. The king ...... sleep. ...... his dream ....... ...... assembly ....... 1 line fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment C
1-9.6 lines fragmentary "...... you will be accounted a god. ...... render verdicts. ...... will be as weighty as ...... of Dumuzid."
10-20. ...... Gilgamec ....... 3 lines fragmentary ...... lord of Kulaba, ...... hero of the pristine mountain, ...... handiwork of the gods, 1 line fragmentary ...... of Ninsumun, ...... Lugalbanda, ...... Lord Nudimmud, approx. 7 lines missing
Segment D
1-11. "...... having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched ...... from its ......, having killed ......, you set up ...... for future days ....... Having founded ......, you reached ....... Having brought down the old ...... forgotten forever and ......, he (?) carried out correctly ....... ...... the flood ...... the settlements of the Land." 1 line fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment E
1-11. " 3 lines fragmentarySisig ( a god of dreams) , the son of Utu, will provide light for him in the nether world, the place of darkness. When a funerary statue is made in honour of someone, whoever they may be, for future days, mighty youths and ...... will form (?) a semicircle at the door-jambs and perform wrestling and feats of strength before them (?). In the month Nenejar, at the festival of the ghosts, no light will be provided before them without him ( i.e. Gilgamec) ."
12-27. "Oh Gilgamec! Enlil, the Great Mountain, the father of gods, has made kingship your destiny, but not eternal life -- Lord Gilgamec, this is how to interpret (?) ...... the dream. The ...... and ...... of life should not make you feel sad, should not make you despair, should not make you feel depressed. You must have been told that this is what the bane of being human involves. You must have been told that this is what the cutting of your umbilical cord involved. The darkest day of humans awaits you now. The solitary place of humans awaits you now. The unstoppable flood-wave awaits you now. The unavoidable battle awaits you now. The unequal struggle awaits you now. The skirmish from which there is no escape awaits you now. But you should not go to the underworld with heart knotted in anger. May ...... before Utu. ...... palm-fibre ......."
28. "Go ahead ...... unknown no. of lines missing"
Segment F
1-14. " 1 line fragmentary ...... Enkidu, your young comrade. 1 line fragmentary ...... is lying alone. ...... is lying alone. ...... the king ....... 1 line fragmentary ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you." unknown no. of lines missing
Segment G
1-22.1 line fragmentary ...... Gilgamec ...... 2 lines fragmentary ...... they answered him. ...... he weeps. Why is ...... made ......? ...... Ninturhas not given birth yet. 2 lines fragmentary1 line unclear"The birds of the sky ...... cannot escape. The fish of the deep water cannot see ....... Having spread his net, the young fisherman will catch you (?). Who has ever seen anyone who could ascend ...... from (?) the ...... of the nether world? No king has ever been destined a fate like yours. Who ...... anyone among mankind, whoever they may be, ...... like you? ...... the governorship of the nether world. You ...... your ghost ...... pass judgments ......." unknown no. of lines missing
Segment H
1-21. Kulaba ....... As Unug rose ......, as Kulaba rose ....... Within the first month ......, it was not five or 10 days before they ...... the Euphrates. ...... its shells. Then, as in the bed of the Euphrates, the earth cracked dry. ...... was built from stone. ...... was built from stone. ...... were hard diorite. ...... its latches were hard stone. ...... were cast in gold. ...... heavy blocks of stone. ...... heavy blocks of stone. ...... brought in ....... ...... for future days. 1 line fragmentary ...... should not find ....... ...... Gilgamec ...... has established in .......
22. His beloved ....... unknown no. of lines missing
Segment I
1-9.2 lines fragmentary ...... opened ....... 2 lines fragmentary ...... of Lord Gilgamec ....... ...... scratched the nose for him, ...... pulled out their hair for him. 1 line fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Another version from Nibru
(probably the final section of another version)
1-7. His beloved wife, his beloved children, his beloved favourite and junior wife, his beloved musician, cup-bearer and ......, his beloved barber, his beloved ......, his beloved palace retainers and servants and his beloved objects were laid down in their places as if ...... in the purified (?) palace in the middle of Unug.
8-28. Gilgamec, the son of Ninsumun, set out their audience-gifts for Ereckigala. He set out their gifts for Namtar. He set out their surprises for Dimpikug. He set out their presents for Neti. He set out their presents for Ninjiczida and Dumuzid. He ...... the audience-gifts for Enki, Ninki, Enmul, Ninmul, Endukuga, Nindukuga, Enindacuruma, Nindacuruma, Enmu-utula, En-me-cara, the maternal and paternal ancestors of Enlil; for Cul-pa-e, the lord of the table, for Sumugan and Ninhursaja, for the Anuna gods of the Holy Mound, for the Great Princes of the Holy Mound, for the dead en priests, the dead lagar priests, the dead lumah priests, the dead nindijir priestesses, and the dead gudug, the linen-clad and ...... priests. 1 line fragmentary He set out their presents for .......
29-36. ...... lie down ...... Ninsumun ....... Gilgamec, the son of Ninsumun, ...... poured water ....... 1 line fragmentary ...... scratched the nose for him. The people ...... of his city ...... will not ...... anymore. They spread out (?) their ...... in the dust.
37-42. Then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, who never ceases to ...... for the ...... of Enlil -- Gilgamec, the son of Ninsumun, ...... offshoot ......; no king who could match him has ever been born, 1 line unclearGilgamec, lord of Kulaba, it is sweet to praise you!
A version from Me-Turan
Segment A
1-12. The great wild bull has lain down and is never to rise again. Lord Gilgamec has lain down and is never to rise again. He who was unique in ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. The hero fitted out with a shoulder-belt has lain down and is never to rise again. He who was unique in strength has lain down and is never to rise again. He who diminished wickedness has lain down and is never to rise again. He who spoke most wisely has lain down and is never to rise again. The plunderer (?) of many countries has lain down and is never to rise again. He who knew how to climb the mountains has lain down and is never to rise again. The lord of Kulaba has lain down and is never to rise again. He has lain down on his death-bed and is never to rise again. He has lain down on a couch of sighs and is never to rise again.
13-19. Unable to stand up, unable to sit down, he laments. Unable to eat, unable to drink, he laments. Held fast by the door-bolt of Namtar, he is unable to rise. Like a ...... fish ...... in a cistern, he ...... ill. Like a captured gazelle buck, he ...... couch. Namtar with no hands or feet, who ...... one by night, 1 line fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-5. Then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, 4 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment C
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-9.4 lines fragmentary Then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, 4 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment D
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-11.11 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment E
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-7.5 lines fragmentary Gilgamec ...... 1 line fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment F
1-22.2 lines fragmentary Then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, lay down on his death-bed. 2 lines fragmentary After Lord Gilgamec had arrived at the assembly, the pre-eminent place of the gods, they said to Lord Gilgamec concerning him: "As regards your case: after having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched cedar, the unique tree, from its mountains, having killed Huwawa in his forest, you set up many stelae for future days, for days to come. Having founded many temples of the gods, you reached Zi-ud-sura in his {dwelling place} {( 1 ms. has instead:) place}. Having brought down to the Land the divine powers of Sumer, which at that time were forgotten forever, the orders, and the rituals, he (?) carried out correctly the rites of hand washing and mouth washing ....... 1 line fragmentary" 3 lines missing
23-37.2 lines fragmentary Enlil's advice was given to Enki. Enki answered An and Enlil: "In those days, in those distant days, in those nights, in those distant nights, in those years, in those distant years, after the assembly had made the Flood sweep over to destroy the seed of mankind, among us I was the only one who was for life (?), and so he remained alive (?) -- Zi-ud-sura, although (?) a human being, remained alive (?). Then you made me swear by heaven and by earth, and ...... that no human will be allowed to live forever (?) any more. Now, as we look at Gilgamec, could not he escape because of his mother?"
38-41. (Another god speaks:) "Let Gilgamec as a ghost, below among the dead, be the governor of the nether world. Let him be pre-eminent among the ghosts, so that he will pass judgments and render verdicts, and what he says will be as weighty as the words of Ninjiczidaand Dumuzid."
42-62. Then young Lord Gilgamec became depressed because of (?) all mankind. "You should not despair, you should not feel depressed. 1 line fragmentary Mighty youths and ...... a semicircle ....... 14 lines missing"
63-81. "Go ahead to the place where the Anuna gods, the great gods, sit at the funerary offerings, to the place where the en priests lie, to where the lagar priests lie, to where the lumah priests and the nindijir priestesses lie, to where the gudug priests lie, to where the linen-clad priests lie, to where the nindijir priestesses lie, to where the ...... lie, to the place where your father, your grandfather, your mother, your sisters, your ......, to where your precious friend, your companion, your friend Enkidu, your young comrade, and the governors appointed by the king to the Great City are, to the place where the sergeants of the army lie, to where the captains of the troops lie, 3 lines missingFrom the house of ......, the ...... will come to meet you. Your jewel will come to meet you, your precious one will come to meet you. The elders of your city will come to meet you. You should not despair, you should not feel depressed."
82-86. "He will now be counted among the Anuna gods. He will be counted a companion of the {( 1 ms. adds:) great} gods. ...... the governor of the nether world. He will pass judgments and render verdicts, and what he says will be as weighty as the words of Ninjiczida and Dumuzid."
87-99. And then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, woke up ....... ...... his eyes, ....... ...... a dream ......! ...... a dream ......! 3 lines fragmentary "Am I to become again as I were ...... on the lap of my own mother Ninsumun? ...... who makes the great mountains tremble (?). Namtar with no hands or feet takes away ......." 1 line fragmentary
100-115. Lord Nudimmud made (?) him see a dream: After Lord Gilgamec had arrived at the assembly, the pre-eminent place of the gods, they said to Lord Gilgamec concerning him: "As regards your case: after having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched cedar, the unique tree, from its mountains, having killed Huwawa in his forest, you set up many stelae for future days ....... Having founded many temples of the gods, 1 line fragmentary Having brought down to the Land the divine powers of Sumer, which at that time were forgotten forever, the orders, and the rituals, he (?) carried out correctly the rites of hand washing and mouth washing. ...... the settlements of the countries." 2 lines fragmentary
116-130.1 line fragmentary ...... Gilgamec ....... Enlil's advice was given to Enki. Enki answered An and Enlil: "In those days, in those distant days, in those nights, in those distant nights, in those years, in those distant years, after the assembly had made the Flood sweep over to destroy the seed of mankind ......, among us I was the only one who was for life (?). He remained alive (?); Zi-ud-sura alone, although (?) a human being, remained alive (?). Then you made me swear by heaven and by earth, and I swore that no human will be allowed to live forever (?) any more. Now, as we look at Gilgamec, could not he escape because of his mother?"
131-134. (Another god speaks:) "Let Gilgamec as a ghost, below among the dead, be the governor of the nether world. Let him be pre-eminent among the ghosts, so that he will pass judgments and render verdicts, and what he says will be as weighty as the words of Ninjiczidaand Dumuzid."
135-142. Then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, became depressed because of (?) all mankind. "You should not despair, you should not feel depressed. 1 line fragmentary Mighty youths and ...... a semicircle ....... Without him ( i.e. Gilgamec) ....... Sisig ( a god of dreams) , the son of Utu, will provide light for him in the place of darkness."
143-153. "You must have been told (?) that this is what your being (?) a human involves. You must have been told (?) that this is what the cutting of your umbilical cord involved. The darkest day of humans awaits you now. The solitary place of humans awaits you now. The unstoppable flood-wave awaits you now. The unequal struggle awaits you now. The unavoidable battle awaits you now. The evil (?) from which there is no escape awaits you now. But you should not go to the underworld with heart knotted in anger. May it be ...... before Utu. Let it be unravelled like palm-fibre and peeled (?) like garlic."
154-167. "Go ahead to the place where the Anuna gods, the great gods, sit at the funerary offerings, to the place where the en priests lie, to where the lagar priests lie, to where the lumah priests and the nindijir priestesses lie, to where the gudug priests lie, to where the linen-clad priests lie, to where the nindijir priestesses lie, to where the ...... lie, to the place where your father, your grandfather, your mother, your sisters, your ......, to where your precious friend, your companion, your friend Enkidu, your young comrade, and the governors appointed by the king to the Great City are, to the place where the sergeants of the army lie, to where the captains of the troops lie. ...... the Great City Arali ...... 1 line fragmentary"
168-172. "From the house of the sisters, the sisters will come to meet you. From the house of ......, ...... will come to meet you. Your jewel will come to meet you, your precious one will come to met you. The elders of your city will come to meet you. You should not despair, you should not feel depressed."
173-174. "He ...... the Anuna gods. He will be counted a companion of the great gods. unknown no. of lines missing"
Segment G
Segment H
1-9.5 lines fragmentary His architect (?) designed his tomb like ....... His god Enki showed him where the solution of the dream lies by ....... No one but the ...... of the king could solve the vision.
10-32. The lord imposed a levy on his city. The herald made the horn signal sound in all the lands: " Unug, arise! Open up the Euphrates! Kulaba, arise! Divert the waters of the Euphrates!" Unug's levy was a flood, Kulaba's levy was a clouded sky. Meanwhile not even the first month {had passed} {( 1 ms. has instead:) ......}, it was not five or 10 days before they had opened up the Euphrates and diverted its high water. Utu looked at its shells with admiration. Then as soon as the water in the bed of the Euphrates had receded, his tomb was built there from stone. Its walls were built from stone. Its door leaves were installed in the sockets (?) of the entrance. Its bolt and thresholds were hard stone. Its door-pivots were hard stone. They installed its gold beams. Heavy blocks of stone were moved to ....... ...... {was completely covered with a thick layer of} {( 1 ms. has instead:) was completely covered (?) with} dark soil. ...... for future days. 1 line fragmentary ...... who are searching for it should not find its precinct (?). He set up a solid house in the middle of Unug.
33-41. His beloved wife, his beloved children, his beloved favourite and junior wife, 7 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment I
1-7. ...... Gilgamec ...... 3 lines fragmentary ...... entered, ...... its entrance. ...... opened up the Euphrates, ...... its water. 1 line fragmentary
8-10. Then the young lord, Lord Gilgamec, 2 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment J
1-11.2 lines fragmentary ...... Gilgamec ...... 8 lines fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment K
1-2. ...... to the city ....... ...... smeared with dust .......
3-12. ...... Lord Gilgamec despaired and felt depressed. For all the people, whoever they may be, funerary statues are made for future days, and set aside in the temples of the gods. Their names, once uttered, do not sink into oblivion. Aruru, the older sister of Enlil, provides them with offspring for that purpose (?). Their statues are made for future days and they are mentioned in the Land. Ereckigala, mother of Ninazu, it is sweet to praise you!
Gilgamec, Enkidu and the nether world
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Version A
1-26. In those days, in those distant days, in those nights, in those remote nights, in those years, in those distant years; in days of yore, when the necessary things had been brought into manifest existence, in days of yore, when the necessary things had been for the first time properly cared for, when bread had been tasted for the first time in the shrines of the Land, when the ovens of the Land had been made to work, when the heavens had been separated from the earth, when the earth had been delimited from the heavens, when the fame of mankind had been established, when An had taken the heavens for himself, when Enlil had taken the earth for himself, when the nether world had been given to Ereckigala as a gift; when he set sail, when he set sail, when the father set sail for the nether world, when Enki set sail for the nether world -- against the king a storm of small hailstones arose, against Enki a storm of large hailstones arose. The small ones were light hammers, the large ones were like stones from catapults (?). The keel of Enki's little boat was trembling as if it were being butted by turtles, the waves at the bow of the boat rose to devour the king like wolves and the waves at the stern of the boat were attacking Enki like a lion.
27-35. At that time, there was a single tree, a single halub tree, a single tree, growing on the bank of the pure Euphrates, being watered by the Euphrates. The force of the south wind uprooted it and stripped its branches, and the Euphrates picked it up and carried it away. A woman, respectful of An's words, was walking along; a woman, respectful of Enlil's words, was walking along, and took the tree and brought it into Unug, into Inana's luxuriant garden.
36-46. The woman planted the tree with her feet, but not with her hands. The woman watered it using her feet but not her hands. She said: "When will this be a luxuriant chair on which I can take a seat?" She said: "When this will be a luxuriant bed on which I can lie down?" Five years, 10 years went by, the tree grew massive; its bark, however, did not split. At its roots, a snake immune to incantations made itself a nest. In its branches, the Anzud bird settled its young. In its trunk, the phantom maid built herself a dwelling, the maid who laughs with a joyful heart. But holy Inana cried!
47-69. When dawn was breaking, when the horizon became bright, when the little birds, at the break of dawn, began to clamour, when Utu had left his bedchamber, his sister holy Inana said to the young warrior Utu: "My brother, in those days when destiny was determined, when abundance overflowed in the Land, when An had taken the heavens for himself, when Enlilhad taken the earth for himself, when the nether world had been given to Ereckigala as a gift; when he set sail, when he set sail, when the father set sail for the nether world, when Enki set sail for the nether world -- against the lord a storm of small hailstones arose, against Enki a storm of large hailstones arose. The small ones were light hammers, the large ones were like stones from catapults (?). The keel of Enki's little boat was trembling as if it were being butted by turtles, the waves at the bow of the boat rose to devour the lord like wolves and the waves at the stern of the boat were attacking Enki like a lion."
70-78. "At that time, there was a single tree, a single halub tree, a single tree (?), growing on the bank of the pure Euphrates, being watered by the Euphrates. The force of the south wind uprooted it and stripped its branches, and the Euphrates picked it up and carried it away. I, a woman, respectful of An's words, was walking along; I, a woman, respectful of Enlil's words, was walking along, and took the tree and brought it into Unug, into holy Inana's luxuriant garden."
79-90. "I, the woman, planted the tree with my feet, but not with my hands. I, { Inana} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the woman}, watered it using my feet but not my hands. She said: "When will this be a luxuriant chair on which I can take a seat?" She said: "When will this be a luxuriant bed on which I can lie down?" Five years, 10 years had gone by, the tree had grown massive; its bark, however, did not split. At its roots, a snake immune to incantations made itself a nest. In its branches, the Anzud bird settled its young. In its trunk, the phantom maid built herself a dwelling, the maid who laughs with a joyful heart. But holy Inana cried!" Her brother, the young warrior Utu, however, did not stand by her in the matter.
91-113. When dawn was breaking, when the horizon became bright, when the little birds, at the break of dawn, began to clamour, when Utu had left his bedchamber, his sister holy Inanasaid to the warrior Gilgamec: "My brother, in those days when destiny was determined, when abundance overflowed in the Land, when An had taken the heavens for himself, when Enlilhad taken the earth for himself, when the nether world had been given to Ereckigala as a gift; when he set sail, when he set sail, when the father set sail for the nether world, when Enki set sail for the nether world -- against the lord a storm of small hailstones arose, against Enki a storm of large hailstones arose. The small ones were light hammers, the large ones were like stones from catapults (?). The keel of Enki's little boat was trembling as if it were being butted by turtles, the waves at the bow of the boat rose to devour the lord like wolves and the waves at the stern of the boat were attacking Enki like a lion."
114-122. "At that time, there was a single tree, a single halub tree, a single tree (?), growing on the bank of the pure Euphrates, being watered by the Euphrates. The force of the south wind uprooted it and stripped its branches, and the Euphrates picked it up and carried it away. I, a woman, respectful of An's words, was walking along; I, a woman, respectful of Enlil'swords, was walking along, and took the tree and brought it into Unug, into Inana's luxuriant garden."
123-135. "The woman planted the tree with her feet, but not with her hands. Inana watered it using her feet but not her hands. She said: "When will this be a luxuriant chair on which I can take a seat?" She said: "When will this be a luxuriant bed on which I can lie down?" Five years, 10 years had gone by, the tree had grown massive; its bark, however, did not split. At its roots, a snake immune to incantations made itself a nest. In its branches, the Anzud bird settled its young. In its trunk, the phantom maid built herself a dwelling, the maid who laughs with a joyful heart. But {holy Inana} {( 1 ms. has instead:) I, holy Inana,} cried!" In the matter which his sister had told him about, her brother, the warrior Gilgamec, stood by her.
136-150. He {strapped} {( 1 ms. has instead:) ......} his ...... belt of 50 minas weight to his waist -- 50 minas were to him as 30 shekels. He took his bronze axe used for expeditions, which weighs seven talents and seven minas, in his hand. He killed the snake immune to incantations living at its roots. The Anzud bird living in its branches took up its young and went into the mountains. The phantom maid living in its trunk left (?) her dwelling and sought refuge in the wilderness. As for the tree, he uprooted it and stripped its branches, and the sons of his city, who went with him, cut up its branches and {bundled them} {( 1 ms. has instead:) piled them up}. He gave it to his sister holy Inana for her chair. He gave it to her for her bed. As for himself, from its roots, he manufactured his ball (?) and, from its branches, he manufactured his mallet (?).
151-165. He played with the ball (?) in the broad square, never wanting to stop playing it, and he praised himself in the broad square, never wanting to stop praising himself. {( mss. from Urim add:) The young men of his city were playing with the ball (?).} For (?) him who made the team of the widows' children ......, they lamented: "O my neck! O my hips!" For those that had a mother, the mother brought bread for her son; for those that had a sister, the sister poured water for her brother. As the evening came, he marked the spot where the ball (?) had been placed, and he picked up his ball (?) from in front of him and took it home. But early in the morning as he ...... the place marked, the widows' accusation and the young girls' complaint caused his ball (?) and his mallet (?) to fall down to the bottom of the nether world. {( 1 ms. adds:) He could not reach them by .......} He tried with his hand but could not {reach} {( 1 ms. has instead:) touch} them, tried with his foot but could not {reach} {( 1 ms. has instead:) touch} them.
166-175. At the gate of Ganzer, in front of the nether world, he sat down. Gilgamec wept, crying bitterly: "O my ball (?)! O my mallet (?)! O my ball (?), I am still not satiated with its charms, the game with it has not yet palled for me! If only my ball (?) waited still in the carpenter's house for me! I would treat the carpenter's wife like my own mother -- if only it waited still there for me! I would treat the carpenter's child like my little sister -- if only it waited still there for me! {My ball (?) has fallen down to the nether world -- who will retrieve it for me?} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Who will retrieve my ball (?) from the nether world?} {My mallet (?) has fallen down to Ganzer -- who will retrieve it for me?} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Who will retrieve my mallet (?) from Ganzer?}"
176-183. His servant Enkidu {answered} {( 1 ms. has instead:) said to} {him} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Gilgamec}: "My king, you weep; why does your heart worry? Today I shall retrieve your ball (?) from the nether world, I shall retrieve your mallet (?) from Ganzer." Gilgamecanswered Enkidu: " {If today} {( 1 ms. has instead:) If} you are going to go down to the nether world, let me advise you! My instructions should be followed. Let me talk to you! {Pay attention to my words} {( 1 ms. has instead:) My words should be followed}!"
184-198. "You should not put on your clean garments: they would recognise immediately that you are alien. You should not anoint yourself with fine oil from a bowl: they would surround you at {its} {( 1 ms. has instead:) your} scent. You should not hurl throw-sticks in the nether world: those struck down by the throw-sticks would surround you. You should not not hold a cornel-wood stick in your hand: the spirits would feel insulted by you. You should not put sandals on your feet. You should not shout in the nether world. You should not kiss your beloved wife. You should not hit your wife even if you are annoyed with her. You should not kiss your beloved child. You should not hit your son even if you are annoyed with him. The outcry aroused would detain you in the nether world."
199-204. "She who lies there, she who lies there, Ninazu's mother who lies there -- her pure shoulders are not covered with a garment, and no linen is spread over her pure breast. She has fingers like a pickaxe, she plucks her hair out like leeks."
205-220. Enkidu, however, did not heed not his master's words. He put on his clean garments and they recognised that he was alien. He anointed himself with fine oil from a bowl and they surrounded him at its scent. He hurled throw-sticks in the nether world and those struck down by the throw-sticks surrounded him. He held a cornel-wood stick in his hand and the spirits felt insulted by him. He put sandals on his feet. He caused irritation in the nether world. He kissed his beloved wife and hit his wife when he was annoyed with her. He kissed his beloved child and hit his son when he was annoyed with him. He aroused an outcry and was detained in the nether world.
221-229. The warrior Gilgamec, son of Ninsumun, directed his steps on his own to E-kur, the temple of Enlil. He cried before Enlil: "Father Enlil, my ball (?) fell down into the nether world, my mallet (?) fell down into Ganzer. Enkidu went down to retrieve them but the nether world has seized him. Namtar did not seize him, the Asag did not seize him; but the nether world has seized him. The udug demon of Nergal, who spares nobody, did not seize him, but the nether world has seized him. He did not fall in battle on the field of manhood, but the nether world has seized him." Father Enlil did not stand by him in the matter, so he went to Eridug.
230-237. In Eridug he directed his steps on his own to the temple of Enki. He cried before Enki: "Father Enki, my ball (?) fell down into the nether world, my mallet (?) fell down into Ganzer. Enkidu went down to retrieve them but the nether world has seized him. Namtar did not seize him, the Asag did not seize him; but the nether world has seized him. The udugdemon of Nergal, who spares nobody, did not seize him, but the nether world has seized him. He did not fall in battle on the field of manhood, but the nether world has seized him." Father Enki stood by him in this matter.
238-242. He said to the young warrior Utu, the son born by Ningal: "Open a hole in the nether world immediately, and then bring up his servant from the nether world!" He opened a hole in the nether world and brought up his servant with his breeze (?) from the nether world.
243-253. They hugged and kissed. They wearied each other with questions: "Did you see the order of the nether world? -- If only you would tell me, my friend, if only you would tell me!" "If I tell you the order of the nether world, sit down and weep! I shall sit down and weep! ......, which your heart rejoiced to touch, is ......, worms infest it like an old garment (?); like ...... of (?) a crevice, it is full of dust." "Alas!" he said and sat down in the dust.
254-267. "Did you see him who had one son?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He weeps bitterly at the wooden peg which was driven into his wall." "Did you see him who had two sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He sits on a couple of bricks, eating bread." "Did you see him who had three sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He drinks water from a saddle waterskin." "Did you see him who had four sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "His heart rejoices like a man who has four asses to yoke." "Did you see him who had five sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "Like a good scribe he is indefatigable, he enters the palace easily." "Did you see him who had six sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He is a cheerful as a ploughman." "Did you see him who had seven sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "As a companion of the gods, he sits on a throne and listens to judgments."
268-285. "Did you see the palace eunuch?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "Like a useless alala stick he is propped in a corner." "Did you see the woman who never gave birth?" "I saw her." "How does she fare?" "Like a ...... pot, she is thrown away violently, she gives no man joy." "Did you see the young man who never undressed his wife?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "You finish a rope, and he weeps over the rope." "Did you see the young woman who never undressed her husband?" "I saw her." "How does she fare?" "You finish a reed mat, and she weeps over the reed mat." "Did you see him who had no heir?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "Like him who ...... bricks (?), he eats bread." "......?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" 7 lines fragmentary or missing
286-303. "Did you see ......?" "His food is set apart, his water is set apart, he eats the food offered (?) to him, he drinks the water offered (?) to him." {( 1 ms. adds:) "Did you see him who was eaten by a lion?" "He cries bitterly "O my hands! O my legs!"" "Did you see him who fell down from the roof?" "They cannot ...... his bones."} "Did you see the leprous man?" "He twitches like an ox as the worms eat at him." "Did you see him who fell in battle?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "His father and mother are not there to hold his head, and his wife weeps." "Did you see the spirit of him who has no funerary offerings?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He eats the scraps and the crumbs ...... tossed out in the street." "Did you see him hit by a ship's board {( 1 ms. adds:) when diving (?)}? How does he fare?" " "Alas, my mother!" the man cries to her, as he pulls out the ship's board ......, he ...... cross beam ...... crumbs." "Did you see my little stillborn children who never knew existence?" "I saw them." "How do they fare?" "They play at a table of gold and silver, laden with honey and ghee." "Did you see him who died ......?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He lies on a bed of the gods." "Did you see him who was set on fire?" "I did not see him. His spirit is not about. His smoke went up to the sky."
A version from Urim (UET 6 58)
1-7. "Did you see him who fell down from the roof?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "They cannot ...... his bones." "Did you see him who was struck in (?) a flood-storm of (?) Ickur?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He twitches like an ox as the worms eat at him." "Did you see the leprous man?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "His food is set apart, his water is set apart, he eats the food offered (?) to him, he drinks the water offered (?) to him. He lives outside the city."
8-19. "Did you see him who had no respect for the word of his mother and father?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" " "O my body! O my limbs!" he never ceases to cry." "Did you see him who was reached by the curse of his mother and father?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He is deprived of an heir. His spirit roams about." "Did you see him who ...... the name of his god?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "His spirit ......." "Did you see the spirit of him who has no funerary offerings?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He eats the scraps and the crumbs ...... tossed out in the street." "Did you see my little stillborn children who never knew existence?" "I saw them." "How do they fare?" "They play at a table of gold and silver, laden with honey and ghee." "Did you see him who was set on fire?" "I did not see him. His smoke went up to the sky. His spirit does not live in the underworld."
20-28. "Did you see him who lied to the gods while swearing an oath?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He drinks ...... which has been drunk ...... the libation place at the entrance (?) to the nether world." "Did you see the citizen of Jirsu who refused (?) water to his father and his mother?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "In front of each of them are a thousand Martu, and his spirit can neither ...... nor ....... The Martu at the libation place at the entrance (?) to the nether world ......." "Did you see the citizens of Sumer and Akkad?" "I saw them." "How do they fare?" "They drink the water of the ...... place, muddy water." "Did you see where my father and my mother live?" "I saw them." "How do they fare?" "Both of them drink the water of the ...... place, muddy water."
Another version from Urim (UET 6 59)
Segment A
1-9. "Did you see him hit by a ship's board? How does he fare?" " "Alas, my mother!" the man cries to her, as he pulls out ......, he ...... crossbeam ...... crumbs." "Did you see him who fell down from the roof? How does he fare?" "He twitches like an ox as the worms eat at him." "Did you see him who was reached by the curse of his mother? How does he fare?" "He is deprived of an heir. His spirit roams (?) about." "Did you see him who had no respect for the word of his father and his mother? How does he fare?" 1 line fragmentaryunknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
1-11. "His food is set apart, his water is set apart, he eats the food offered (?) to him, he drinks the water offered (?) to him." "Did you see him who fell in battle? How does he fare?" "His father and mother are not there to hold his head, and his wife weeps." "Did you see him who ......? How does he fare?" "...... from his (?) hand ......." "Did you see the spirit of him who has no funerary offerings? How does he fare?" "He eats the scraps and the crumbs tossed out in the street." "Did you see my little stillborn children who never knew existence? How do they fare?" "They play with a bucket of gold and silver, full of honey and ghee." "Did you see him who was set on fire?" "I did not see him. His spirit is not there. His smoke went up to the sky."
A third version from Urim (UET 6 60)
1-10. They returned to Unug, they returned to their city. He entered outfitted with tools and armaments, with an axe and a spear, and deposited them in his palace happily. Looking at the statue, the young men and women of Unug and the old men (?) and women of Kulabarejoiced. As Utu came forth from his bedchamber, Gilgamec (?) raised his head and told them (?): "My father and my mother, drink clean water!" Midday had hardly passed when they touched the statue's (?) crown.
11-16. Gilgamec threw himself down at the place of mourning, he threw himself down for nine days at the place of mourning. The young men and women of Unug and the old men (?) and women of Kulaba wept. As soon as he had said that, he repulsed the citizen of Jirsu. "My father and my mother, drink clean water!"
17. Warrior Gilgamec, son of Ninsumun, sweet is your praise!
A version from Me-Turan
Segment A
1-9. ...... surrounded him. He carried ...... and the spirits felt insulted (?) by him. He caused (?) ....... 1 line fragmentary He kissed his beloved wife, and hit his wife when he was angry with her. He kissed his beloved child, and hit his son when he was angry with him. He aroused an outcry and was detained in the nether world.
10-16. From that fateful day and for seven days his servant, Enkidu, did not come out from the nether world. The king was lamenting, crying bitterly: "My beloved servant, my faithful companion, my counsellor, has been seized in the nether world! Namtar did not seize him, the Asag did not seize him; but he was seized in the nether world. The udug of Nergal who ...... did not seize him, but he was seized in the nether world. He did not fall in battle on the field of ......, but he was seized in the nether world."
17-24. He directed his steps on his own to E-kur, the temple of Enlil. Before Enlil, he ......: "My ball (?) fell down into the nether world, my mallet (?) fell down into Ganzer. But Enkidu, going down to retrieve them, my beloved servant, my faithful companion, my counsellor, was seized in the nether world. Namtar did not seize him, the Asag did not seize him, but he was seized in the nether world. ...... did not seize him, but he was seized in the nether world." unknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
1-28. "Did you see him who had one son? How does he fare?" "He weeps bitterly ......." "Did you see him who had two sons? How does he fare?" "He sits on ......." "Did you see him who had three sons? How does he fare?" "He drinks water ......." "Did you see him who had four sons? How does he fare?" "His heart is happy {( 1 ms. adds:) like a man who has four asses to yoke}." "Did you see him who had five sons? How does he fare?" "Like a good scribe he is indefatigable, he enters the palace easily." "Did you see him who had six sons? How does he fare?" "He is cheerful as a ploughman." "Did you see him who had seven sons? How does he fare?" "As a companion of the gods he sits on a throne and listens to judgments." "Did you see him who had no heir? How does he fare?" "Like (?) ...... he eats bread." approx. 3 lines missing
29-51. "Did you see him ......? How does he fare?" "He drinks water ......." "Did you see him ......? How does he fare?" "He ...... as the worms eat at him." "Did you see him who was eaten by a dog? How does he fare?" "He ...... "O my hands! O my legs! O ......!"" "Did you see him hit (?) by the mast of a boat? How does he fare?" " "Alas, my mother" the man cries to her, ...... wooden peg ......, he ...... food, cross beam (?), crumbs ......." "Did you see the woman who never gave birth? How does she fare?" "Like a ...... pot, she is thrown away violently, she ...... nobody." "Did you see the young man who never undressed his wife? How does he fare?" "You finish a reed mat and he weeps over the reed mat." "Did you see the young woman who never undressed her husband? How does she fare?" "You finish a ...... garment and she weeps over the ...... garment."
52-68. "Did you see him who ...... extolled himself? How does he fare?" "He bows down (?) like an ox as the worms eat at him." "Did you see him who fell down from the roof? How does he fare?" "His bones ...... and his spirit ......." "Did you see ......? How does he fare?" "He ......." "Did you see the leprous man? How does he fare?" "His water is set apart, his food is set apart. He ...... the spirits. He lives outside the city." "Did you see my stillborn children who never received a name? How do they fare?" "They play at a table of gold and silver ......." "Didn't you see him who was set on fire?" "Why, my friend, did not you spare this question?" "I asked it, my friend!" "His spirit is ...... from the nether world, it went up to the sky with the smoke (?)."
69-71. His heart was smitten, his insides were ravaged. The king began to search for life. Now the lord once decided to set off for the mountain where the man lives. ( These three lines create a transition to 1.8.1.5 Gilgamec and Huwawa (Version A).)
Gilgamec and Huwawa (Version B)
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1-4. "So come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory of the gods, angry bull standing ready for a fight! Young Lord Gilgamec, cherished in Unug!"
5-21. "In Unug people are dying, and souls are full of distress. People are lost -- that fills me with dismay. I lean out over the city wall: bodies in the water make the river almost overflow. That is what I see: that people die thus, which fills me with despair; that the end of life is unavoidable; that the grave, the all-powerful underworld, will spare no one; that no one is tall enough to block off the underworld; that no one is broad enough to cover over the underworld -- the boundary that a man cannot cross at the final end of life. By the life of my own mother Ninsumun, and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud, 3 lines fragmentary I will complete ...... there. I will bring ...... there."
22-28. His slave Enkidu answered him: "...... if you want to set off into the mountains, Utushould know about it from you. If you want to set off into the Mountains of Cedar-felling, Utushould know about it from you. A decision that concerns the mountains is Utu's business. A decision that concerns the Mountains of Cedar-felling is the business of youthful Utu."
29-33. Utu of heaven put on his lapis-lazuli diadem and came forward with head high. In his hand Gilgamec, the lord of Kulaba, held a holy staff before his nose: " Utu, I want to set off into the mountains! May you be my helper! I want to set off into the mountains of Cedar-felling! May you be my helper!"
34-50.4 lines missing"The first ....... The second ....... The third ....... The fourth ....... The fifth ....... The sixth beats at the flanks of the mountains like a battering flood. The seventh flashes like lightning, and no one can deflect its power. These shine in the heavens, but they know the routes on earth. In heaven they shine ......, raising ......; on earth they know the way even to Aratta. They know the destructive weather like the merchants. They know the mountain crannies like the pigeons. They will guide you to the place in the mountains where the boats have to be pulled from the water."
51-56. Gilgamec organised a levy in his city. In ...... Kulaba he had the horn sounded. "Citizens! You who have a wife, go to your wife! You who have children, go to your children! Warriors, whether experienced or inexperienced, who have no wife, who have no children -- let such people join me at my side as the companions of Gilgamec."
57-66. The king left the city. Gilgamec left Kulaba, to follow the route to the Mountains of Cedar-felling. He crossed the first mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the second mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the third mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fourth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fifth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the sixth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. When he had crossed the seventh mountain range, there his intuition led him to find the cedars.
67-70. Gilgamec began to chop at the cedars. His slave Enkidu worked on the branches for him. His fellow-citizens who had come with him stacked them in piles.
71-77. Then, as one warrior got closer to the other, the aura of Huwawa ...... sped towards them like a spear (?). ...... he rested there peacefully. He was asleep (?) ....... 3 lines missing
78-82. ...... addressed (?) ......: "You who have gone to sleep, you who have gone to sleep ......! Young Lord Gilgamec, how long will you sleep for? The mountains are becoming indistinct as the shadows fall across them; the evening ......."
83-89. Gilgamec awoke from his dream, shuddering from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes; there was eery silence everywhere. "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ......! 2 lines missing"
90-95. "I ......, he vexes (?) me -- the warrior whose face is a lion's grimace, and whose breast is like a raging flood. No one dare approach his brow, which devours the reedbeds. On his tongue, like that of a man-eating lion, the blood never dries. You do not have enough strength for the warrior, such is his might."
96-98. His slave Enkidu addressed him: " 2 lines fragmentary"
99-108. "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ......! Warrior, one would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, they have made some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Here, they have made some big shoes for your big feet. 4 lines missingIf you bring ......."
109-115. "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ......! Warrior, one would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, they have made some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Here, they have made some big shoes for your big feet. 2 lines fragmentary"
116-129.13 lines missingThey ...... many piles on the hillside.
130-134. When Huwawa had finally handed over to him his seventh aura, Gilgamec found himself beside Huwawa. He punched him on the ear with his fist. Huwawa furrowed his brows at him, baring his teeth at him. Gilgamec threw a halter over him, as over a captured wild bull. He tied him up by the elbows like a captured warrior.
135-136. The warrior began to weep, shedding tears. Huwawa began to weep, shedding tears.
137-141. "Warrior, you lied! You have manhandled me; yet you had sworn an oath, by the life of your own mother Ninsumun and of your father, holy Lugalbanda. Your personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ......! And now you have thrown a halter over me as if over a captured wild bull, and have tied me up by the elbows like a captured warrior!"
142-147. ...... Gilgamec's noble heart took pity on him. He addressed his slave Enkidu: "Come on, let us set the warrior free! He could be our guide! He could be our guide who would spy out the pitfalls of the route for us! He could be my ......! He could carry all my things! 1 line fragmentary"
148-162. {His slave Enkidu replied to him} {( 1 ms. has instead:) ...... replied to Gilgamec}: "...... so lacking in understanding! ...... with no ......! ...... with not ......! A captured warrior set free! A captured high priestess returned to the jipar! A captured gudug priest restored to his wig of hair! Who has ever, ever seen such a thing? He would be able to ...... the mountain routes. He would be able to mix up the mountain paths. Then we would never get back to the mother-city that bore us! 4 lines missing"
163-166. Huwawa replied to him: "The mother who bore me was a cave in the mountains. The father who engendered me was a cave in the hills. Utu left me to live all alone in the mountains!"
167-168. Gilgamec addressed Huwawa: "Come on, ......." unknown no. of lines missing
Gilgamec and Huwawa (Version A)
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1-3. Now the lord once decided to set off for the mountain where the man lives; Lord Gilgamecdecided to set off for the mountain where the man lives. He spoke to his slave Enkidu:
4-7. " Enkidu, since a man cannot pass beyond the final end of life, I want to set off into the mountains, to establish my renown there. Where renown can be established there, I will establish my renown; and where no renown can be established there, I shall establish the renown of the gods."
8-12. His slave Enkidu answered him: "My lord, if today you are going to set off into the mountains, Utu should know about it from us. {( 1 ms. adds:) If you are going to to set off into the Mountains of Cedar-felling, Utu should know about it from us.} Utu, youthful Utu, should know about it from us. A decision that concerns the mountains is Utu's business. A decision that concerns the Mountains of Cedar-felling is the business of youthful Utu. Utu should know about it from us."
13-16. Gilgamec {prepared} {( 2 mss. have instead:) took hold of} a white kid. {He clasped a brown kid, a sacrificial animal, close to his breast.} {( 1 ms. has instead:) He ...... a brown kid.} In his hand he held a holy staff before his nose, as he addressed Utu of heaven:
17-18. " Utu, I am going to set off into the mountains! May you be my helper! I am going to set off into the Mountains of Cedar-felling! May you be my helper!"
19-20. From heaven Utu replied to him: "Young man, you are noble already in your own right -- but what would you want with the mountains?"
21-33. " Utu, I have something to say to you -- a word in your ear! I greet you -- please pay attention! In my city people are dying, and hearts are full of distress. People are lost -- that fills me with {( 1 ms. adds:) wretched} dismay. I craned my neck over the city wall: corpses in the water make the river almost overflow. That is what I see. That will happen to me too -- that is the way things go. No one is tall enough to reach heaven; no one can reach wide enough to stretch over the mountains. Since a man cannot pass beyond the final end of life, I want to set off into the mountains, to establish my renown there. Where renown can be established there, I will establish my renown; and where no renown can be established there, I shall establish the renown of the gods."
34-47. Utu accepted his tears as a fitting gift. As befits a compassionate person, he turned to him full of compassion: "Now there are seven warriors, sons of a single mother. The first, their eldest brother, has lion's paws and eagle's talons. The second is a ...... snake, ....... The third is a dragon snake, ....... The fourth blazes with fire ....... The fifth is a ...... snake, ....... The sixth {( 1 ms. adds:) , a shackle that ...... the rebel lands in the hills,} beats at the flanks of the mountains {like a battering flood} {( 1 ms. has instead:) , floodwater that destroys all}. The seventh ...... flashes like lightning, and no one can deflect {it} {( 1 ms. has instead:) its power}. {( 1 ms. adds 4 lines:) 4 lines fragmentary} {( another ms. adds instead 6 lines:) 2 lines fragmentary ...... kingship ....... Nisaba has bestowed ...... on you in addition. They ......, and know the routes on earth. They will help you find the ...... of the way.} They should guide you to the place in the mountains where the boats have to be pulled from the water! {The warrior, youthful Utu, gave these seven to Gilgamec.} {( 3 mss. have instead the line, placed after line 43:) These seven the warrior, youthful Utu, gave to Lord Gilgamec.} The feller of cedars was filled with joy; Lord Gilgamec was filled with joy."
48-51. In his city he had the horn sounded for single men; similarly for two together he made them call out. "Let him who has a household go to his household! Let him who has a mother go to his mother! Let bachelor males, types like me, {( 4 mss. add:) -- fifty of them --} join me at my side!"
52-60. Whoever had a household went to his household. Whoever had a mother went to his mother. Bachelor males, types like him -- there were fifty -- joined him at his side. He made his way to the blacksmith's, and had them cast ...... weapons and axes, the strength of warriors. Then he made his way to the deeply shaded plantations, where he had ebony trees felled, and halub trees, apricot trees, and box trees. He ...... to his fellow-citizens who were going with him. {( 1 ms. adds:) Warriors, sons of a single mother .......} The first, their eldest brother, has lion's paws and eagle's claws. They will guide him to the place in the mountains where the boats have to be pulled from the water.
61. He crossed the first mountain range, {but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the cedars did not catch his attention}. {( the same ms. adds:) He crossed the second mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the third mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the fourth mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the fifth mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the sixth mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his attention.} {( another ms. adds instead:) unknown no. of lines missingHe crossed the third mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fourth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fifth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the sixth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there.}
62-67. When he had crossed the seventh mountain range, there his intuition led him to find the cedars. He did not need to ask, nor did he have to search any further. Lord Gilgamec began to chop at the cedars, {{while Enkidu lopped off their branches, ...... to Gilgamec.} {( 1 ms. has instead:) while Enkidu ...... their branches, and his fellow-citizens .......} {( 1 ms. adds:) to ......, Enkidu .......} ...... stacked them in piles. {( 1 ms. adds:) Huwawa .......} He loosed his terrrors against .......} {( instead of lines 65-67, 1 ms. has:) while Enkidu cut up the timbers, and the widows' sons who had come with him heaped them up in piles. Since, because of the ......, Huwawa had been scared in his lair by Gilgamec, he began to radiate his terrors .......}
68-75. Gilgamec ...... was overcome by sleep, and it affected Enkidu ...... as a powerful longing. His fellow-citizens who had come with him flailed around at his feet like puppies. Enkidu awoke from his dream, shuddering from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes; there was eery silence everywhere. He touched Gilgamec, but could not rouse him. He spoke to him, but he did not reply.
76-84. "You who have gone to sleep, you who have gone to sleep! Gilgamec, young lord of Kulaba, how long will you sleep for? The mountains are becoming indistinct as the shadows fall across them; the evening twilight lies over them. Proud Utu has already gone to the bosom of his mother Ningal. Gilgamec, how long will you sleep for? The sons of your city who came with you should not have to wait at the foot of the hills. Their own mothers should not have to twine string in the square of your city."
85-89. He thrust that into his right ear; he covered him with his aggressive words as if with a cloth {( 1 ms. adds:) , laid them out like linen}. He {gathered} {( 3 mss. have instead:) picked up} in his hand a cloth with thirty shekels of oil on it and {smothered} {( 1 ms. has instead:) rubbed} it over Gilgamec's chest. Then Gilgamec stood up like a bull on the great earth. Bending his neck downwards, he yelled at him:
90-91. "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! Am I to become again as if I were slumbering still on the lap of my own mother Ninsumun?"
92-95. A second time he spoke to him: "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! Until I discover whether that person was a human or a god, I shall not direct back to the city my steps which I have directed to the mountains."
96-97. The slave, trying to ameliorate the situation, trying to make life appear more attractive, answered his master:
98-106. "My master, you have not yet really seen that person, he should not vex you. -- But he vexes me -- me, who have seen him before. His pugnacious mouth is a dragon's maw; his face is a lion's grimace. His chest is like a raging flood; no one {dare approach} {( 1 ms. has instead:) can escape from} his brow, which devours the reedbeds. {( 2 mss. adds 1 line:) A man-eating lion, he never wipes away the blood from his slaver.} {( 1 ms. adds instead 5 lines:) 1 line fragmentary ...... a lion eating a corpse, he never wipes away the blood 3 lines fragmentary} Travel on, my master, up into the mountains! -- but I shall travel back to the city. If I say to your mother about you "He is alive!", she will laugh. But afterwards I shall say to her about you "He is dead!", and she will certainly weep {over you} {( 1 ms. has instead:) bitterly}." {( 1 ms. adds:) ...... replied to ......:}
107-116. "Look, Enkidu, two people together will not perish! A grappling-pole does not sink! No one can cut through a three-ply cloth! Water cannot wash someone away from a wall! Fire in a reed house cannot be extinguished! You help me, and I will help you -- what can anyone do against us then? When it sank, when it sank, when the Magan boat sank, when the magilum barge sank, then at least the life-saving grappling-pole of the boat {was rescued} {( 1 ms. has instead:) was not allowed to sink}! Come on, let's get after him and get a sight of him!"
117-119. "If we go after him, there will be terror! There will be terror. Turn back! There will be blood! There wil be blood! Turn back!"
120. "Whatever you may think -- come on, let's get after him!"
121-125. Before a man can approach within even sixty times six yards, Huwawa has already reached his house among the cedars. When he looks at someone, it is the look of death. When he shakes his head at someone, it is a gesture full of reproach. {( 1 ms. adds:) When he speaks to someone, he should not prolong his words:} "You may still be a young man, but you will never again return to the city of your mother who bore you!"
126-129. Fear and terror spread through {his} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Gilgamec's} sinews and his feet. He could not move (?) his feet on the ground; the big toenails of his feet stuck ...... to the path (?). At his side .......
130-135. ( Huwawa addressed Gilgamec:) "So come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory of the gods, angry bull standing ready for a fight! Your mother knew well how to bear sons, and your nurse knew well how to nourish children on the breast! Don't be afraid, rest your hand on the ground!"
136-139. Gilgamec rested his hand on the ground, and addressed Huwawa: "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you En-me-barage-si, my big sister, to be your wife in the mountains."
140-144. And again he addressed him: "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you Ma-tur, my little sister, to be your concubine in the mountains. Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!"
145-148. Then Huwawa handed over to him his first terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.
148A-148K. {( Several mss. preserve a more elaborate, but repetitive, narrative built on the pattern of lines 145-148. Some preserve the repetitions in an extremely abbreviated form. No ms. known to be from Nibru preserves the additional lines. One ms. of unknown origin adds at least 53 lines (and another fragmentary ms. of unknown origin gives an abbreviated version of these, always replacing 'terror' by 'aura'):) And again he addressed him: "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you ....... Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his second terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.}
148L-148V. {And a third time he addressed him: "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you some eca flour -- the food of the gods! -- and a waterskin of cool water. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his third terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.}
148W-148FF. {And a fourth time he addressed him: "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to for you some big shoes for big feet. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his fourth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.}
148GG-148PP. {And a fifth time he addressed him: "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his fifth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.}
148QQ-148AAA. {And a sixth time he addressed him: "By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you rock-crystal, nirstone and lapis lazuli -- from the mountains. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his sixth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.}
149-151. When Huwawa had finally handed over to him his seventh terror, Gilgamec found himself beside Huwawa. He {went up to him gradually} {( 1 ms. has instead:) ......} from behind, as one does with a ...... snake. He made as if to kiss him, but then punched him on the cheek with his fist.
152. Huwawa bared his teeth at him {( 1 ms. adds:) , furrowing his brows at him}. {( 2 mss. from Urim add 8 lines:) Huwawa addressed Gilgamec: "Hero, ...... to act falsely!" The two of them ...... on him ....... ...... the warrior from his dwelling. ...... said to him, "Sit down!" ...... Huwawafrom his dwelling. ...... said to him, "Sit down!" The warrior sat down and began to weep, shedding tears. Huwawa sat down and began to weep, shedding tears. Huwawa ...... plea ...... to Gilgamec.} {( instead of lines 152A-152H, 2 other mss. add 2 lines:) He threw a halter over him as over a captured wild bull. He tied up his arms like a captured man. {( 1 of the mss. adds 1 further line:) Huwawa wept, .......}}
153-157. {He tugged at Gilgamec's hand.} {( 4 mss. have instead:) " Gilgamec, let me go!"} "I want to talk to Utu!" " Utu, I never knew a mother who bore me, nor a father who brought me up! I was born in the mountains -- you brought me up! Yet Gilgamec swore to me by heaven, by earth, and by the mountains."
158-160. Huwawa clutched at Gilgamec's hand, and prostrated himself before him. Then Gilgamec's noble heart took pity on him. { Gilgamec addressed Enkidu} {( 3 mss. have instead:) He addressed his slave Enkidu}:
161-162. " Enkidu, let the captured bird run away home! Let the captured man return to his mother's embrace!"
163-174. { Enkidu replied to Gilgamec} {( 2 mss. have instead:) His slave Enkidu replied}: "Come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory of the gods, angry bull standing ready for a fight! Young Lord Gilgamec, cherished in Unug, your mother knew well how to bear sons, and your nurse knew well how to nourish children! -- One so exalted and yet so lacking in {understanding} {( 1 ms. has instead:) judgment} will be devoured by fate without him ever understanding that fate. The very idea that a captured bird should run away home, or a captured man should return to his mother's embrace! -- Then you yourself would never get back to the mother-city that bore you! {( 1 ms. adds:) A captured warrior set free! A captured high priestess ...... to the jipar! A captured gudug priest restored to his wig of hair! ...... ever, ever ......? 2 lines fragmentary ...... his attention to his words .......}"
175-177. Huwawa addressed Enkidu: " Enkidu, you speak such hateful {( 1 ms. adds:) hostile} words against me to him! You hireling, who are hired for your keep! You who follow along after him -- {you speak such hateful words to him.} {( 2 mss. have instead:) why do you speak such hateful words to him?}" {( 1 ms. adds:) 2 lines fragmentary}
178-180. As Huwawa spoke thus to him, { Enkidu, full of rage and anger, cut his throat} {( 2 mss. from Nibru have instead:) they cut his throat}. {He put} {( 1 ms. has instead:) He chucked} {( the same 2 mss. from Nibru have instead:) They put} his head in a leather bag.
181-186. {They entered before Enlil. After they had kissed the ground before Enlil, they threw the leather bag down, tipped out his head, and placed it before Enlil. When Enlil saw the head of Huwawa, he spoke angrily to Gilgamec:} {( instead of lines 181-186, 1 ms. has:) They brought it before Enlil and Ninlil. When Enlil approached (?), ...... went out the window (?), and Ninlil went out ....... When Enlil with Ninlil had returned (?),}
187-192. "Why did you act in this way? {...... did you act ......?} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Was it commanded that his name should be wiped from the earth?} {He should have sat before you!} {( 1 ms. has instead:) He should have sat ......, .......} He should have eaten the bread that you eat, and should have drunk the water that you drink! {He should have been honoured ...... you!} {( 1 ms. has instead:) Huwawa -- he ...... honoured!}" {( 1 other ms. has instead:) From his seat, Enlil assigned Huwawa's heavenly auras to .......}
193-199. ( The ms. tradition for lines 193-199 is extremely confused about the order in which the various auras are assigned; the following sequence is a compromise:) He gave Huwawa'sfirst aura to the fields. He gave his second aura to the rivers. He gave his third aura to the reedbeds. He gave his fourth aura to the lions. He gave his fifth aura to the {palace} {( 1 ms. has instead:) debt slaves}. He gave his sixth aura to the {forests} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the hills}. He gave his seventh aura to Nungal( the goddess of prisoners) .
200. {...... his terror ......} {( 1 ms. or possibly 2 mss. have instead:) ...... the rest of the auras ...... Gilgamec .......}
201-202. {Mighty one, Gilgamec, {who is cherished!} {( 1 ms. has instead:) be praised! Enkidu, be praised}! Nisaba, be praised!} {( instead of lines 201-202, 1 ms. has:) Huwawa, ......! ...... cherished, ......! Enkidu, be praised ......!}
Lugalbanda in the mountain cave
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Segment A
1-19. When in ancient days heaven was separated from earth, when in ancient days that which was fitting ......, when after the ancient harvests ...... barley was eaten (?), when boundaries were laid out and borders were fixed, when boundary-stones were placed and inscribed with names, when dykes and canals were purified, when ...... wells were dug straight down; when the bed of the Euphrates, the plenteous river of Unug, was opened up, when ......, when ......, when holy An removed ......, when the offices of en and king were famously exercised at Unug, when the sceptre and staff of Kulaba were held high in battle -- in battle, Inana's game; when the black-headed were blessed with long life, in their settled ways and in their ......, when they presented the mountain goats with pounding hooves and the mountain stags beautiful with their antlers to Enmerkar son of Utu --
20-34. -- now at that time the king set his mace towards the city, Enmerkar son of Utuprepared an ...... expedition against Aratta, the mountain of the holy divine powers. He was going to set off to destroy the rebel land; the lord began a mobilization of his city. The herald made the horn signal sound in all the lands. Now levied Unug took the field with the wise king, indeed levied Kulaba followed Enmerkar. Unug's levy was a flood, Kulaba's levy was a clouded sky. As they covered the ground like heavy fog, the dense dust whirled up by them reached up to heaven. As if to rooks on the best seed, rising up, he called to the people. Each one gave his fellow the sign.
35-46. Their king went at their head, to go at the ...... of the army. Enmerkar went at their head, to go at the ...... of the army. 2 lines unclear...... gu-nida emmer-grain to grow abundantly. When the righteous one who takes counsel with Enlil ( i.e. Enmerkar) took away the whole of Kulaba, like sheep they bent over at the slope of the mountains, ...... at the edge of the hills they ran forward like wild bulls. He sought ...... at the side -- they recognised the way. He sought .......
47-58. Five days passed. On they sixth day they bathed. ...... on the seventh day they entered the mountains. When they had crossed over on the paths -- an enormous flood billowing upstream into a lagoon ...... Their ruler ( i.e. Enmerkar) , riding on a storm, Utu's son, the good bright metal, stepped down from heaven to the great earth. His head shines with brilliance, the barbed arrows flash past him like lightning; at his side the bronze pointed axe of his emblem shines for him, he strides forward keenly with the pointed axe, like a dog set on consuming a corpse.
59-70. At that time there were seven, there were seven -- the young ones, born in Kulaba, were seven. The goddess Urac had borne these seven, the Wild Cow had nourished them with milk. They were heroes, living in Sumer, they were princely in their prime. They had been brought up eating at the god An's table. These seven were the overseers for those that are subordinate to overseers, were the captains for those that are subordinate to captains were the generals for those that are subordinate to generals. They were overseers of 300 men, 300 men each; they were captains of 600 men, 600 men each; they were generals of seven car(25,200) of soldiers, 25,200 soldiers each. They stood at the service of the lord as his élite troops.
71-86. Lugalbanda, the eighth of them, ...... was washed in water. In awed silence he went forward, ...... he marched with the troops. When they had covered half the way, covered half the way, a sickness befell him there, 'head sickness' befell him. He jerked like a snake dragged by its head with a reed; his mouth bit the dust, like a gazelle caught in a snare. No longer could his hands return the hand grip, no longer could he lift his feet high. Neither king nor contingents could help him. In the great mountains, crowded together like a dustcloud over the ground, they said: "Let them bring him to Unug." But they did not know how they could bring him. "Let them bring him to Kulaba." But they did not know how they could bring him. As his teeth chattered (?) in the cold places of the mountains, they brought him to a warm place there.
87-122. ...... a storehouse, they made him an arbour like a bird's nest. ...... dates, figs and various sorts of cheese; they put sweetmeats suitable for the sick to eat, in baskets of dates, and they made him a home. They set out for him the various fats of the cowpen, the sheepfold's fresh cheese, butter ......, as if laying a table for the holy place, the valued place ( i.e. as if for a funerary offering) . Directly in front of the table they arranged for him beer for drinking, mixed with date syrup and rolls ...... with butter. Provisions poured into leather buckets, provisions all put into leather bags -- his brothers and friends, like a boat unloading from the harvest-place, placed stores by his head in the mountain cave. They ...... water in their leather waterskins. Dark beer, alcoholic drink, light emmer beer, wine for drinking which is pleasant to the taste, they distributed by his head in the mountain cave as on a stand for waterskins. They prepared for him incense resin, ...... resin, aromatic resin, ligidba resin and first-class resin on pot-stands in the deep hole; they suspended them by his head in the mountain cave. They pushed into place at his head his axe whose metal was tin, imported from the Zubi mountains. They wrapped up by his chest his dagger of iron imported from the Gig (Black) mountains. His eyes -- irrigation ditches, because they are flooding with water -- holy Lugalbanda kept open, directed towards this. The outer door of his lips -- overflowing like holy Utu -- he did not open to his brothers. When they lifted his neck, there was no breath there any longer. His brothers, his friends took counsel with one another:
123-127. "If our brother rises like Utu from bed, then the god who has smitten him will step aside and, when he eats this food, when he drinks (?) this, will make his feet stable. May he bring him over the high places of the mountains to brick-built Kulaba."
128-132. "But if Utu calls our brother to the holy place, the valued place ( i.e. the hereafter) , the health of his limbs will leave (?) him. Then it will be up to us, when we come back from Aratta, to bring our brother's body to brick-built Kulaba."
133-140. Like the dispersed holy cows of Nanna, as with a breeding bull when, in his old age, they have left him behind in the cattle pen, his brothers and friends abandoned holy Lugalbanda in the mountain cave; and with repeated tears and moaning, with tears, with lamentation, with grief and weeping, Lugalbanda's older brothers set off into the mountains.
141-147. Then two days passed during which Lugalbanda was ill; to these two days, half a day was added. As Utu turned his glance towards his home, as the animals lifted their heads toward their lairs, at the day's end in the evening cool, his body was as if anointed with oil. But he was not yet free of his sickness.
148-150. When he lifted his eyes to heaven to Utu, he wept to him as if to his own father. In the mountain cave he raised to him his fair hands:
151-170. " Utu, I greet you! Let me be ill no longer! Hero, Ningal's son, I greet you! Let me be ill no longer! Utu, you have let me come up into the mountains in the company of my brothers. In the mountain cave, the most dreadful spot on earth, let me be ill no longer! Here where there is no mother, there is no father, there is no acquaintance, no one whom I value, my mother is not here to say "Alas, my child!" My brother is not here to say "Alas, my brother!" My mother's neighbour who enters our house is not here to weep over me. If the male and female protective deities were standing by, the deity of neighbourliness would say, "A man should not perish." A lost dog is bad; a lost man is terrible. On the unknown way at the edge of the mountains, Utu, is a lost man, a man in an even more terrible situation. Don't make me flow away like water in a violent death! Don't make me eat saltpetre as if it were barley! Don't make me fall like a throw-stick somewhere in the desert unknown to me! Afflicted with a name which excites my brothers' scorn, let me be ill no longer! Afflicted with the derision of my comrades, let me be ill no longer! Let me not come to an end in the mountains like a weakling!"
171-172. Utu accepted his tears. He sent down his divine encouragement to him in the mountain cave.
173-182. She who makes ...... for the poor, whose game ( i.e. battle) is sweet, the prostitute who goes out to the inn, who makes the bedchamber delightful, who is food to the poor man -- Inana ( i.e. the evening star) , the daughter of Suen, arose before him like a bull in the Land. Her brilliance, like that of holy Cara, her stellar brightness illuminated for him the mountain cave. When he lifted his eyes upwards to Inana, he wept as if before his own father. In the mountain cave he raised to her his fair hands:
183-196. " Inana, if only this were my home, if only this were my city! If only this were Kulaba, the city in which my mother bore me ......! Even if it were to me as the waste land to a snake! If it were to me as a crack in the ground to a scorpion! My mighty people ......! My great ladies ......! ...... to E-ana!" 2 lines unclear"The little stones of it, the shining stones in their glory, sajkal stones above, ...... below, from its crying out in the mountain land Zabu, from its voice ...... open -- may my limbs not perish in the mountains of the cypresses!"
197-200. Inana accepted his tears. With power of life she let him go to sleep just like the sleeping Utu. Inana enveloped him with heart's joy as if with a woollen garment. Then, just as if ......, she went to brick-built Kulaba.
201-214. The bull that eats up the black soup, the astral holy bull-calf ( i.e. the moon) , came to watch over him. He shines (?) in the heavens like the morning star, he spreads bright light in the night -- Suen is greeted as the new moon; Father Nanna gives the direction for the rising Utu. The glorious lord whom the crown befits, Suen, the beloved son of Enlil, {the god} {( 1 ms. has instead:) the lord} reached the zenith splendidly. His brilliance like {holy Cara} {( 1 ms. has instead:) holy Utu} {( 1 ms. has instead:) lapis lazuli}, his starry radiance illuminated for him the mountain cave. When Lugalbanda raised his eyes to heaven to Suen, he wept to him as if to his own father. In the mountain cave he raised to him his fair hands:
215-225. "King whom one cannot reach in the distant sky! Suen whom one cannot reach in the distant sky! King who loves justice, who hates evil! Suen who loves justice, who hates evil! Justice brings joy justly to your heart. A poplar, a great staff, forms a sceptre for you, you who loosen the bonds of justice, who do not loosen the bonds of evil. If you encounter evil before you, it is dragged away behind ....... When your heart becomes angry, you spit your venom at evil like a snake which drools poison."
226-227. Suen accepted his tears and gave him life. He conferred on his feet the power to stand.
228-239. A second time ( i.e. at the following sunrise) , as the bright bull rising up from the horizon, the bull resting among the cypresses, a shield standing on the ground, watched by the assembly, a shield coming out from the treasury, watched by the young men -- the youth Utu extended his holy splendour down from heaven {( 1 ms. from Urim adds:) ...... holy, his brilliance illuminated for him the mountain cave}, he bestowed them on holy Lugalbanda in the mountain cave. His good protective god hovered ahead of him, his good protective goddess walked behind him. The god which had smitten him {stepped aside} {( 1 ms. has instead:) went out from him} {( 1 ms. has instead:) went up and away from him}. When he raised his eyes heavenward to Utu, he wept to him as to his own father. In the mountain cave he raised to him his fair hands:
240-263. " Utu, shepherd of the land, father of the black-headed, when you go to sleep, the people go to sleep with you; youth Utu, when you rise, the people rise with you. Utu, without you no net is stretched out for a bird, no slave is taken away captive. To him who walks alone, you are his brotherly companion; Utu, you are the third of them who travel in pairs. You are the blinkers for him who wears the neck-ring. Like a holy zulumhi garment, your sunshine clothes the poor man and the scoundrel as well as him who has no clothes; as a garment of white wool it covers the bodies even of debt slaves. Like rich old men, the old women praise your sunshine sweetly, until their oldest days. Your sunshine is as mighty as oil. Great wild bulls run forward." ( alludes to a proverb) 1 line unclear"Hero, son of Ningal, ...... to you." 2 lines unclear"Brother ...... his brother. He causes his plough to stand in the ....... Praise to you is so very sweet, it reaches up to heaven. Hero, son of Ningal, they laud you as you deserve."
264-275. Holy Lugalbanda came out from the mountain cave. Then the righteous one who takes counsel with Enlil ( i.e. Utu ?) caused life-saving plants to be born. The rolling rivers, mothers of the hills, brought life-saving water. He bit on the life-saving plants, he sipped from the life-saving water. After biting on the life-saving plants, after sipping from the life-saving water, here he on his own set a trap (?) in the ground, and from that spot he sped away like a horse of the mountains. Like a lone wild ass of Cakkan he darted over the mountains. Like a large powerful donkey he raced; a slim donkey, eager to run, he bounded along.
276-299. That night, in the evening, he set off, hurrying through the mountains, a waste land in the moonlight. He was alone and, even to his sharp eyes, there was not a single person to be seen. With the provisions stocked in leather pails, provisions put in leather bags, his brothers and his friends had been able to bake bread on the ground, with some cold water. Holy Lugalbanda had carried the things from the mountain cave. He set them beside the embers. He filled a bucket ...... with water. In front of him he split what he had placed. He took hold of the ...... stones. Repeatedly he struck them together. He laid the glowing (?) coals on the open ground. The fine flintstone caused a spark. Its fire shone out for him over the waste land like the sun. Not knowing how to bake cakes, not knowing an oven, with just seven coals he baked giziecta dough. While the bread was baking by itself, he pulled up culhi reeds of the mountains, roots and all, and stripped their branches. He packed up all the cakes as a day's ration. Not knowing how to bake cakes, not knowing an oven, with just seven coals he had baked giziecta dough. He garnished it with sweet date syrup.
300-313. A brown wild bull, a fine-looking wild bull, a wild bull tossing its horns, a wild bull in hunger (?), resting, seeking with its voice the brown wild bulls of the hills, the pure place -- in this way it was chewing aromatic cimgig as if it were barley, it was grinding up the wood of the cypress as if it were esparto grass, it was sniffing with its nose at the foliage of the cenu shrub as if it were grass. It was drinking the water of the rolling rivers, it was belching from ilinnuc, the pure plant of the mountains. While the brown wild bulls, the wild bulls of the mountains, were browsing about among the plants, Lugalbanda captured this one in his ambush (?). He uprooted a juniper tree of the mountains and stripped its branches. With a knife holy Lugalbanda trimmed its roots, which were like the long rushes of the field. He tethered the brown wild bull, the wild bull of the mountains, to it with a halter.
314-325. A brown goat and a buck-goat -- flea-bitten goats, lousy goats, fatty (?) goats -- in this way they were chewing aromatic cimgig as if it were barley, they were grinding up the wood of the cypress as if it were esparto grass, they were sniffing with their noses at the foliage of the cenu shrub as if it were grass. They were drinking the water of the rolling rivers, they were belching from ilinnuc, the pure plant of the mountains. While the brown goats and the buck-goats were browsing about among the plants, Lugalbanda captured these two in his ambush (?). He uprooted a juniper tree of the mountains and stripped its branches. With a knife holy Lugalbanda cut off its roots, which were like the long rushes of the field. With chains he fettered the brown goat and the buck-goat, both the goats. {( 1 ms. adds:) ......, he piled up .......}
326-350. He was alone and, even to his sharp eyes, there was not a single person to be seen. Sleep overcame the king ( i.e. Lugalbanda) -- sleep, the country of oppression; it is like a towering flood, like a hand demolishing a brick wall, a hand raised high, a foot raised high; covering like syrup that which is in front of it, overflowing like syrup onto that which is in front of it; it knows no overseer, knows no captain, yet it is overpowering for the hero. And by means of Ninkasi's wooden cask ( i.e. with the help of beer) , sleep finally overcame Lugalbanda. He laid down ilinnuc, pure herb of the mountains, as a couch, he spread out a zulumhi garment, he unfolded there a white linen sheet. There being no ...... room for bathing, he made do with that place. The king lay down not to sleep, he lay down to dream -- not turning back at the door of the dream, not turning back at the door-pivot. To the liar it talks in lies, to the truthful it speaks truth. It can make one man happy, it can make another man sing, but it is the closed tablet-basket of the gods. It is the beautiful bedchamber of Ninlil, it is the counsellor of Inana. The multiplier of mankind, the voice of one not alive -- Zangara, the god of dreams, himself like a bull, bellowed at Lugalbanda. Like the calf of a cow he lowed:
351-360. "Who will slaughter (?) a brown wild bull for me? Who will make its fat melt for me? He shall take my axe whose metal is tin, he shall wield my dagger which is of iron. Like an athlete I shall let him bring away the brown wild bull, the wild bull of the mountains, I shall let him like a wrestler make it submit. Its strength will leave it. When he offers it before the rising sun, let him heap up like barleycorns the heads of the brown goat and the buck-goat, both the goats; when he has poured out their blood in the pit -- let their smell waft out in the desert so that the alert snakes of the mountains will sniff it."
361-370. Lugalbanda awoke -- it was a dream. He shivered -- it was sleep. He rubbed his eyes, he was overawed. He took his axe whose metal was tin, he wielded his dagger which was of iron. Like an athlete he brought away the brown wild bull, the wild bull of the mountains, like a wrestler he made it submit. Its strength left it. He offered it before the rising sun. He heaped up like barleycorns the heads of the brown goat and the buck-goat, both of the goats. He poured out their blood in the pit so that their smell wafted out in the desert. The alert snakes of the mountains sniffed it.
371-393. As the sun was rising ......, Lugalbanda, invoking the name of Enlil, made An, Enlil, Enki and Ninhursaja sit down to a banquet at the pit, at the place in the mountains which he had prepared. The banquet was set, the libations were poured -- dark beer, alcoholic drink, light emmer beer, wine for drinking which is pleasant to the taste. Over the plain he poured cool water as a libation. He put the knife to the flesh of the brown goats, and he roasted the dark livers there. He let their smoke rise there, like incense put on the fire. As if Dumuzid had brought in the good savours of the cattle pen, so An, Enlil, Enki and Ninhursaja consumed the best part of the food prepared by Lugalbanda. Like the shining place of pure strength, the holy altar of Suen, ....... On top of the altar of Utu and the altar of Suen ......, he decorated the two altars with the lapis lazuli ...... of Inana. Suen ....... He bathed the a-an-kar. When he had bathed the ......, he set out all the cakes properly.
394-432. ( Description of the demons) They make ...... Enki, father of the gods; they are ......, they ......; like a string of figs dripping with lusciousness, they hang their arms. They are gazelles of Suen running in flight, they are the fine smooth cloths of Ninlil, they are the helpers of Ickur; they pile up flax, they pile up barley; they are wild animals on the rampage, they descend like a storm on a rebel land hated by Suen, indeed they descend like a storm. They lie up during all the long day, and during the short night they enter ...... houses (?); during the long day, during the short night they lie in beds ......, they give ....... At dead of night they ......, in the breeze ...... swallows of Utu; they enter into house after house, they peer into street after street, they are talkers, they are repliers to talkers, seeking words with a mother, replying to a great lady; they nestle at the bedside, they smite ......, when the black ...... are stolen, they leave ...... the doors and tables of humans, they change ......, they tie the door-pivots together. The hero who ......, Utu who ......, the heroic youth Utu of the good word 2 lines unclearthe incantation ...... of the youth Utu, which the Anuna, the great gods, do not know, from that time ......, 3 lines unclear
433-461. The wise elders of the city ...... 1 line unclearthe incantation ...... of the youth Utu, which the Anuna, the great gods, do not know, 5 lines unclearthey are able to enter the presence of Utu, of Enlil, god of the ......, the bearded son of Ningal......; they give to Suen ......, they confirm with their power the fate of the foreign lands. At dead of night they know the black wild boar, at midday to Utu ...... he can ...... his incantation, 3 lines unclearThey enter before An, Enlil, ......, Inana, the gods; they know ......, they watch ......, they ...... at the window; the door of the shining mountain, the doorbolt of the shining mountain; 4 lines unclearthey stand ......, 1 line unclear
462-484. They pursue ...... Inana ......, who are favoured by Inana's heart, who stand in the battle, they are the fourteen torches of battle ......, at midnight they ......, at dead of night they pursue like wildfire, in a band they flash together like lightning, in the urgent storm of battle, which roars loudly like a great flood rising up; they who are favoured in Inana's heart, who stand in the battle, they are the seven torches of battle ......; they stand joyfully as she wears the crown under a clear sky, with their foreheads and eyes they are a clear evening. Their ears ...... a boat, with their mouths they are wild boars resting in a reed thicket; they stand in the thick of battle, with their life-force they ......, 1 line unclearwho are favoured in Inana's heart, who stand in the battle, by Nintur of heaven they are numerous, by the life of heaven they hold ......; the holy shining battle-mace reaches to the edge of heaven and earth, ...... reaches. 1 line unclear
485-499. As Utu comes forth from his chamber, the holy battle-mace of An ......, the just god who lies alongside a man; they are wicked gods with evil hearts, they are ...... gods. It is they, like Nanna, like Utu, like Inana of the fifty divine powers, ...... in heaven and earth ......; they are the interpreters of spoken evil, the spies of righteousness, 2 lines unclear...... a clear sky and numerous stars, 1 line unclear...... fresh cedars in the mountains of the cypress, ...... a battle-net from the horizon to the zenith, unknown no. of lines missing
Segment B
(it is possible that this fragment does not belong to the same composition)
1-7.7 lines unclearunknown no. of lines missing to end
Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird
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1-27. Lugalbanda lies idle in the mountains, in the faraway places; he has ventured into the Zabu mountains. No mother is with him to offer advice, no father is with him to talk to him. No one is with him whom he knows, whom he values, no confidant is there to talk to him. In his heart he speaks to himself: "I shall treat the bird as befits him, I shall treat Anzud as befits him. I shall greet his wife affectionately. I shall seat Anzud's wife and Anzud's child at a banquet. An will fetch Ninguena for me from her mountain home -- the expert woman who redounds to her mother's credit, Ninkasi the expert who redounds to her mother's credit. Her fermenting-vat is of green lapis lazuli, her beer cask is of refined silver and of gold. If she stands by the beer, there is joy, if she sits by the beer, there is gladness; as cupbearer she mixes the beer, never wearying as she walks back and forth, Ninkasi, the keg at her side, on her hips; may she make my beer-serving perfect. When the bird has drunk the beer and is happy, when Anzud has drunk the beer and is happy, he can help me find the place to which the troops of Unug are going, Anzud can put me on the track of my brothers."
28-49. Now the splendid 'eagle'-tree of Enki on the summit of Inana's mountain of multicoloured cornelian stood fast on the earth like a tower, all shaggy like an aru. With its shade it covered the highest eminences of the mountains like a cloak, was spread out over them like a tunic. Its roots rested like sajkal snakes in Utu's river of the seven mouths. Nearby, in the mountains where no cypresses grow, where no snake slithers, where no scorpion stings, in the midst of the mountains the buru-az bird had put its nest and laid therein its eggs; nearby the Anzud bird had set his nest and settled therein his young. It was made with wood from the juniper and the box trees. The bird had made the bright twigs into a bower. When at daybreak the bird stretches himself, when at sunrise Anzud cries out, at his cry the ground quakes in the Lulubi mountains. He has a shark's teeth and an eagle's claws. In terror of him wild bulls run away into the foothills, stags run away into their mountains.
50-89. Lugalbanda is wise and he achieves mighty exploits. In preparation of the sweet celestial cakes he added carefulness to carefulness. He kneaded the dough with honey, he added more honey to it. He set them before the young nestling, before the Anzud chick, gave the baby fatty meat to eat. He fed it sheep's fat. He popped the cakes into its beak. He settled the Anzud chick in its nest, painted its eyes with kohl, dabbed white cedar scent onto its head, put up a twisted roll of salt meat. He withdrew from the Anzud's nest, awaited him in the mountains where no cypresses grow. At that time the bird was herding together wild bulls of the mountains, Anzud was herding together wild bulls of the mountains. He held a live bull in his talons, he carried a dead bull across his shoulders. He poured forth his bile like 10 gur of water. The bird halted (?) once, Anzud halted (?) once. When the bird called back to the nest, when Anzud called back to the nest, his fledgling did not answer him from the nest. When the bird called a second time to the nest, his fledgling did not answer from the nest. Whenever the bird had called back to the nest before, his fledgling had answered from the nest; but now when the bird called back to the nest, his fledgling did not answer him from the nest. The bird uttered a cry of grief that reached up to heaven, his wife cried out "Woe!" Her cry reached the abzu. The bird with this cry of "Woe!" and his wife with this cry of grief made the Anuna, gods of the mountains, actually crawl into crevices like ants. The bird says to his wife, Anzud says to his wife, "Foreboding weighs upon my nest, as over the great cattle-pen of Nanna. Terror lies upon it, as when wild lions start butting each other. Who has taken my child from its nest? Who has taken the Anzud from its nest?"
90-110. But it seemed to the bird, when he approached the nest, it seemed to Anzud, when he approached the nest, that it had been made like a god's dwelling-place. It was brilliantly festooned. His chick was settled in its nest, its eyes were painted with kohl, sprigs of white cedar were fixed on its head. A twisted piece of salt meat was hung up high. The bird is exultant, Anzud is exultant: "I am the prince who decides the destiny of rolling rivers. I keep on the straight and narrow path the righteous who follow Enlil's counsel. My father Enlil brought me here. He let me bar the entrance to the mountains as if with a great door. If I fix a fate, who shall alter it? If I but say the word, who shall change it? Whoever has done this to my nest, if you are a god, I will speak with you, indeed I will befriend you. If you are a man, I will fix your fate. I shall not let you have any opponents in the mountains. You shall be 'Hero-fortified-by-Anzud'."
111-131. Lugalbanda, partly from fright, partly from delight, partly from fright, partly from deep delight, flatters the bird, flatters Anzud: "Bird with sparkling eyes, born in this district, Anzud with sparkling eyes, born in this district, you frolic as you bathe in a pool. Your grandfather, the prince of all patrimonies, placed heaven in your hand, set earth at your feet. Your wingspan extended is like a birdnet stretched out across the sky! ...... on the ground your talons are like a trap laid for the wild bulls and wild cows of the mountains! Your spine is as straight as a scribe's! Your breast as you fly is like Nirah parting the waters! As for your back, you are a verdant palm garden, breathtaking to look upon. Yesterday I escaped safely to you, since then I have entrusted myself to your protection. Your wife shall be my mother" (he said), "You shall be my father" (he said), "I shall treat your little ones as my brothers. Since yesterday I have been waiting for you in the mountains where no cypresses grow. Let your wife stand beside you to greet me. I offer my greeting and leave you to decide my destiny."
132-141. The bird presents himself before him, rejoices over him, Anzud presents himself before him, rejoices over him. Anzud says to holy Lugalbanda, "Come now, my Lugalbanda. Go like a boat full of precious metals, like a grain barge, like a boat going to deliver apples, like a boat piled up high with a cargo of cucumbers, casting a shade, like a boat loaded lavishly at the place of harvest, go back to brick-built Kulaba with head held high!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.
142-148. "Like Cara, Inana's beloved son, shoot forth with your barbed arrows like a sunbeam, shoot forth with reed-arrows like moonlight! May the barbed arrows be a horned viper to those they hit! Like a fish killed with the cleaver, may they be magic-cut! May you bundle them up like logs hewn with the axe!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.
149-154. "May Ninurta, Enlil's son, set the helmet Lion of Battle on your head, may the breastplate (?) that in the great mountains does not permit retreat be laid on your breast! May you ...... the battle-net against the enemy! When you go to the city, ......!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.
155-159. "The plenty of Dumuzi's holy butter churn, whose butter is the butter of all the world, shall be granted (?) to you. Its milk is the milk of all the world. It shall be granted (?) to you." -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this. As a kib bird, a freshwater kib, as it flies along a lagoon, he answered him in words.
160-166. The bird listened to him. Anzud said to holy Lugalbanda, "Now look, my Lugalbanda, just think again. It's like this: a wilful plough-ox should be put back in the track, a balking ass should be made to take the straight path. Still, I shall grant you what you put to me. I shall assign you an allotted destiny according to your wishes."
167-183. Holy Lugalbanda answers him: "Let the power of running be in my thighs, let me never grow tired! Let there be strength in my arms, let me stretch my arms wide, let my arms never become weak! Moving like the sunlight, like Inana, like the seven storms, those of Ickur, let me leap like a flame, blaze like lightning! Let me go wherever I look to, set foot wherever I cast my glance, reach wherever my heart desires and let me loosen my shoes in whatever place my heart has named to me! When Utu lets me reach Kulaba my city, let him who curses me have no joy thereof; let him who wishes to strive with me never say "Just let him come!" I shall have the woodcarvers fashion statues of you, and you will be breathtaking to look upon. Your name will be made famous thereby in Sumer and will redound to the credit of the temples of the great gods."
184-202. So Anzud says to holy Lugalbanda: "The power of running be in your thighs! Never grow tired! Strength be in your arms! Stretch your arms wide, may your arms never become weak! Moving like the sun, like Inana, like the seven storms of Ickur, leap like a flame, blaze like lightning! Go wherever you look to, set foot wherever you cast your glance, reach wherever your heart desires, loosen your shoes in whatever place your heart has named to you! When Utu lets you reach Kulaba your city, he who curses you shall have no joy thereof; he who wishes to strive with you shall never say "Just let him come!" When you have had the woodcarvers fashion statues of me, I shall be breathtaking to look upon. My name will be made famous thereby in Sumer and will redound to the credit of the temples of the great gods. May ...... shake for you ...... like a sandal. ...... the Euphrates ...... your feet ......."
203-219. He took in his hand such of his provisions as he had not eaten, and his weapons one by one. Anzud flew on high, Lugalbanda walked on the ground. The bird, looking from above, spies the troops. Lugalbanda, looking from below, spies the dust that the troops have stirred up. The bird says to Lugalbanda, "Come now, my Lugalbanda. I shall give you some advice: may my advice be heeded. I shall say words to you: bear them in mind. What I have told you, the fate I have fixed for you, do not tell it to your comrades, do not explain it to your brothers. Fair fortune may conceal foul: it is indeed so. Leave me to my nest: you keep to your troops." The bird hurried to his nest. Lugalbanda set out for the place where his brothers were.
220-237. Like a pelican emerging from the sacred reedbed, like lahama deities going up from the abzu, like one who is stepping from heaven to earth, Lugalbanda stepped into the midst of his brothers' picked troops. His brothers chattered away, the troops chattered away. His brothers, his friends weary him with questions: "Come now, my Lugalbanda, here you are again! The troops had abandoned you as one killed in battle. Certainly, you were not eating the good fat of the herd! Certainly, you were not eating the sheepfold's fresh cheese. How is it that you have come back from the great mountains, where no one goes alone, whence no one returns to mankind?" Again his brothers, his friends weary him with questions: "The banks of the mountain rivers, mothers of plenty, are widely separated. How did you cross their waters? -- as if you were drinking them?"
238-250. Holy Lugalbanda replies to them, "The banks of the mountain rivers, mothers of plenty, are widely separated. With my legs I stepped over them, I drank them like water from a waterskin; and then I snarled like a wolf, I grazed the water-meadows, I pecked at the ground like a wild pigeon, I ate the mountain acorns." Lugalbanda's brothers and friends consider the words that he has said to them. Exactly as if they were small birds flocking together all day long they embrace him and kiss him. As if he were a gamgam chick sitting in its nest, they feed him and give him drink. They drive away sickness from holy Lugalbanda.
251-283. Then the men of Unug followed them as one man; they wound their way through the hills like a snake over a grain-pile. When the city was only a double-hour distant, the armies of Unug and Kulaba encamped by the posts and ditches that surrounded Aratta. From the city it rained down javelins as if from the clouds, slingstones numerous as the raindrops falling in a whole year whizzed down loudly from Aratta's walls. The days passed, the months became long, the year turned full circle. A yellow harvest grew beneath the sky. They looked askance at the fields. Unease came over them. Slingstones numerous as the raindrops falling in a whole year landed on the road. They were hemmed in by the barrier of mountain thornbushes thronged with dragons. No one knew how to go back to the city, no was rushing to go back to Kulaba. In their midst Enmerkar son of Utu was afraid, was troubled, was disturbed by this upset. He sought someone whom he could send back to the city, he sought someone whom he could send back to Kulaba. No one said to him "I will go to the city." No one said to him "I will go to Kulaba." He went out to the foreign host. No one said to him "I will go to the city." No one said to him "I will go to Kulaba." He stood before the élite troops. No one said to him "I will go to the city." No one said to him "I will go to Kulaba." A second time he went out to the foreign host. No one said to him "I will go to the city." No one said to him "I will go to Kulaba." He stepped out before the élite troops.
284-289. Lugalbanda alone arose from the people and said to him, "My king, I will go to the city, but no one shall go with me. I will go alone to Kulaba. No one shall go with me." -- "If you go to the city, no one shall go with you. You shall go alone to Kulaba, no one shall go with you." He swore by heaven and by earth: "Swear that you will not let go from your hands the great emblems of Kulaba."
290-321. After he had stood before the summoned assembly, within the palace that rests on earth like a great mountain Enmerkar son of Utu berated Inana: "Once upon a time my princely sister holy Inana summoned me in her holy heart from the bright mountains, had me enter brick-built Kulaba. Where there was a marsh then in Unug, it was full of water. Where there was any dry land, Euphrates poplars grew there. Where there were reed thickets, old reeds and young reeds grew there. Divine Enki who is king in Eridu tore up for me the old reeds, drained off the water completely. For fifty years I built, for fifty years I was successful. Then the Martu peoples, who know no agriculture, arose in all Sumer and Akkad. But the wall of Unug extended out across the desert like a bird net. Yet now, here in this place, my attractiveness to her has dwindled. My troops are bound to me as a cow is bound to its calf; but like a son who, hating his mother, leaves his city, my princely sister holy Inana has run away from me back to brick-built Kulaba. If she loves her city and hates me, why does she bind the city to me? If she hates the city and yet loves me, why does she bind me to the city? If the mistress removes herself from me to her holy chamber, and abandons me like an Anzud chick, then may she at least bring me home to brick-built Kulaba: on that day my spear shall be laid aside. On that day she may shatter my shield. Speak thus to my princely sister, holy Inana."
322-344. Thereupon holy Lugalbanda came forth from the palace. Although his brothers and his comrades barked at him as at a foreign dog trying to join a pack of dogs, he stepped proudly forward like a foreign wild ass trying to join a herd of wild asses. "Send someone else to Unug for the lord." -- "For Enmerkar son of Utu I shall go alone to Kulaba. No one shall go with me" -- how he spoke to them! "Why will you go alone and keep company with no one on the journey? If our beneficent spirit does not stand by you there, if our good protective deity does not go with you there, you will never again stand with us where we stand, you will never again dwell with us where we dwell, you will never again set your feet on the ground where our feet are. You will not come back from the great mountains, where no one goes alone, whence no one returns to mankind!" -- "Time is passing, I know. None of you is going with me over the great earth." While the hearts of his brothers beat loudly, while the hearts of his comrades sank, Lugalbanda took in his hand such of his provisions as he had not eaten, and each of his weapons one by one. From the foot of the mountains, through the high mountains, into the flat land, from the edge of Ancan to the top of Ancan, he crossed five, six, seven mountains.
345-356. By midnight, but before they had brought the offering-table to holy Inana, he set foot joyfully in brick-built Kulaba. His lady, holy Inana, sat there on her cushion. He bowed and prostrated himself on the ground. With {( 1 ms. adds:) joyful} eyes Inana looked at holy Lugalbanda as she would look at the shepherd Ama-ucumgal-ana. In a {( 1 ms. adds:) joyful} voice, Inana spoke to holy Lugalbanda as she would speak to her son Lord Cara: "Come now, my Lugalbanda, why do you bring news from the city? How have you come here alone from Aratta?"
357-387. Holy Lugalbanda answered her: "What Enmerkar son of Utu quoth and what he says, what your brother quoth and what he says, is: "Once upon a time my princely sister holy Inana summoned me in her holy heart from the mountains, had me enter brick-built Kulaba. Where there was a marsh then in Unug, it was full of water. Where there was any dry land, Euphrates poplars grew there. Where there were reed thickets, old reeds and young reeds grew there. Divine Enki who is king in Eridu tore up for me the old reeds, drained off the water completely. For fifty years I built, for fifty years I was successful. Then the Martu peoples, who know no agriculture, arose in all Sumer and Akkad. But the wall of Unug extended out across the desert like a bird net. Yet now, here in this place, my attractiveness to her has dwindled. My troops are bound to me as a cow is bound to its calf; but like a son who, hating his mother, leaves his city, my princely sister holy Inana has run away from me back to brick-built Kulaba. If she loves her city and hates me, why does she bind the city to me? If she hates the city and yet loves me, why does she bind me to the city? If the mistress removes herself from me to her holy chamber and abandons me like an Anzud chick, then may she at least bring me home to brick-built Kulaba: on that day my spear shall be laid aside. On that day she may shatter my shield. Speak thus to my princely sister, holy Inana.""
388-398. Holy Inana uttered this response: "Now, at the end, on the banks, in the water-meadows, of a clear river, of a river of clear water, of the river which is Inana's gleaming waterskin, the suhurmac fish eats the honey-herb; the toad eats the mountain acorns; and the ...... fish, which is a god of the suhurmac fish, plays happily there and darts about. With his scaly tail he touches the old reeds in that holy place. The tamarisks of the place, as many as there are, drink water from that pool."
399-408. "It stands alone, it stands alone! One tamarisk stands alone at the side! When Enmerkar son of Utu has cut that tamarisk and has fashioned it into a bucket, he must tear up the old reeds in that holy place roots and all, and collect them in his hands. When he has chased out from it the ...... fish, which is a god of the suhurmac fish, caught that fish, cooked it, garnished it and brought it as a sacrifice to the a-an-kar weapon, Inana's battle-strength, then his troops will have success for him; then he will have brought to an end that which in the subterranean waters provides the life-strength of Aratta."
409-412. "If he carries off from the city its worked metal and smiths, if he carries off its worked stones and its stonemasons, if he renews the city and settles it, all the moulds of Aratta will be his."
413-416. Now Aratta's battlements are of green lapis lazuli, its walls and its towering brickwork are bright red, their brick clay is made of tinstone dug out in the mountains where the cypress grows.
417. Praise be to holy Lugalbanda.
Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta
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1-24. City, majestic bull bearing vigour and great awesome splendour, Kulaba, ......, breast of the storm, where destiny is determined; Unug, great mountain, in the midst of ....... There the evening meal of the great abode of An was set. In those days of yore, when the destinies were determined, the great princes allowed Unug Kulaba's E-ana to lift its head high. Plenty, and carp floods, and the rain which brings forth dappled barley were then increased in UnugKulaba. Before the land of Dilmun yet existed, the E-ana of Unug Kulaba was well founded, and the holy jipar of Inana in brick-built Kulaba shone forth like the silver in the lode. Before ...... carried ......, before ......, before ...... carried ......, before the commerce was practised; before gold, silver, copper, tin, blocks of lapis lazuli, and mountain stones were brought down together from their mountains, before ...... bathed for the festival, ......, ...... time passed. 2 lines missing
25-32. ...... was colourfully adorned, and ......, the holy place, was ...... with flawless lapis lazuli, its interior beautifully formed like a white mec tree bearing fruit. The lord of Aratta placed on his head the golden crown for Inana. But he did not please her like the lord of Kulaba. Arattadid not build for holy Inana -- unlike the Shrine E-ana, the jipar, the holy place, unlike brick-built Kulaba.
33-37. At that time, the lord chosen by Inana in her heart, chosen by Inana in her holy heart from the bright mountain, Enmerkar, the son of Utu, made a plea to his sister, the lady who grants desires, holy Inana:
38-64. "My sister, let Aratta fashion gold and silver skilfully on my behalf for Unug. Let them cut the flawless lapis lazuli from the blocks, let them ...... the translucence of the flawless lapis lazuli ....... ...... build a holy mountain in Unug. Let Aratta build a temple brought down from heaven -- your place of worship, the Shrine E-ana; let Aratta skilfully fashion the interior of the holy jipar, your abode; may I, the radiant youth, may I be embraced there by you. Let Arattasubmit beneath the yoke for Unug on my behalf. Let the people of Aratta bring down for me the mountain stones from their mountain, build the great shrine for me, erect the great abode for me, make the great abode, the abode of the gods, famous for me, make my me prosper in Kulaba, make the abzu grow for me like a holy mountain, make Eridug gleam for me like the mountain range, cause the abzu shrine to shine forth for me like the silver in the lode. When in the abzu I utter praise, when I bring the me from Eridug, when, in lordship, I am adorned with the crown like a purified shrine, when I place on my head the holy crown in Unug Kulaba, then may the ...... of the great shrine bring me into the jipar, and may the ...... of the jipar bring me into the great shrine. May the people marvel admiringly, and may Utu witness it in joy."
65-68. Thereupon the splendour of holy An, the lady of the mountains, the wise, the goddess whose kohl is for Ama-ucumgal-ana, Inana, the lady of all the lands, called to Enmerkar, the son of Utu:
69-104. "Come, Enmerkar! I shall offer you advice: let my counsel be heeded. I shall speak words to you; let them be heard. Choose from the troops as a messenger one who is eloquent of speech and endowed with endurance. Where and to whom shall he carry the important message of wise Inana? Let him bring it up into the Zubi mountains, let him descend with it from the Zubi mountains. Let Susa and the land of Ancan humbly salute Inana like tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, let the teeming multitudes grovel in the dust for her. Aratta shall submit beneath the yoke to Unug. The people of Aratta shall bring down the mountain stones from their mountains, and shall build the great shrine for you, and erect the great abode for you, will cause the great abode, the abode of the gods, to shine forth for you; will make your me flourish in Kulaba, will make the abzu grow for you like a holy mountain, will make Eridugshining for you like the mountain range, will cause the abzu shrine to shine forth for you like the glitter in the lode. When in the abzu you utter praise, when you bring the me from Eridug, when, in lordship, you are adorned with the crown like a purified shrine, when you place on your head the holy crown in Unug Kulaba, then may the ...... of the great shrine bring you into the jipar, and may the ...... of the jipar bring you into the great shrine. May the people marvel admiringly, and may Utu witness it in joy. Because ...... shall carry daily, when ...... in the evening cool ......, -- in the place of Dumuzid where the ewes, kids and lambs are numerous, the people of Aratta shall run around for you like the mountain sheep in the akalag fields, the fields of Dumuzid. Rise like the sun over my holy breast! You are the jewel of my throat! Praise be to you, Enmerkar, the son of Utu!"
105-107. The lord gave heed to the words of holy Inana, and chose from the troops as a messenger one who was eloquent of speech and endowed with endurance. {( 1 ms. adds:) ...... to his messenger .......} Where and to whom will he carry the important message of wise Inana?
108-133. "You shall bring it up into the Zubi mountains, you shall descend with it from the Zubimountains. Let Susa and the land of Ancan humbly salute Inana like tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, let the teeming multitudes grovel in the dust for her. Messenger, speak to the lord of Aratta and say to him: "Lest I make the people fly off from that city like a wild dove from its tree, lest I make them fly around like a bird over its well-founded nest, lest I requite (?) them as if at a current market rate, lest I make it gather dust like an utterly destroyed city, lest like a settlement cursed by Enki and utterly destroyed, I too utterly destroy Aratta; lest like the devastation which swept destructively, and in whose wake Inana arose, shrieked and yelled aloud, I too wreak a sweeping devastation there -- let Aratta pack nuggets of gold in leather sacks, placing alongside it the kugmea ore; package up precious metals, and load the packs on the donkeys of the mountains; and then may the Junior Enlil of Sumer have them build for me, the lord whom Nudimmud has chosen in his sacred heart, a mountain of a shining me; have them make it luxuriant for me like a boxwood tree, have them make its shining horns colourful for me as when Utu comes forth from his chamber, have them make its doorposts gleam brightly for me.""
134-155. "Chant to him the holy song, the incantation sung in its chambers -- the incantation of Nudimmud: "On that day when there is no snake, when there is no scorpion, when there is no hyena, when there is no lion, when there is neither dog nor wolf, when there is thus neither fear nor trembling, man has no rival! At such a time, may the lands of Cubur and Hamazi, the many-tongued, and Sumer, the great mountain of the me of magnificence, and Akkad, the land possessing all that is befitting, and the Martu land, resting in security -- the whole universe, the well-guarded people -- may they all address Enlil together in a single language! For at that time, for the ambitious lords, for the ambitious princes, for the ambitious kings, Enki, for the ambitious lords, for the ambitious princes, for the ambitious kings, for the ambitious lords, for the ambitious princes, for the ambitious kings -- Enki, the lord of abundance and of steadfast decisions, the wise and knowing lord of the Land, the expert of the gods, chosen for wisdom, the lord of Eridug, shall change the speech in their mouths, as many as he had placed there, and so the speech of mankind is truly one.""
156-157. The lord added further instructions for the messenger going to the mountains, to Aratta:
158-159. "Messenger, by night, drive on like the south wind! By day, be up like the dew!"
160-175. The messenger gave heed to the words of his king. He journeyed by the starry night, and by day he travelled with Utu of heaven. Where and to whom will he carry the important message of Inana with its stinging tone? He brought it up into the Zubi mountains, he descended with it from the Zubi mountains. Susa and the land of Ancan humbly saluted Inanalike tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, the teeming multitudes grovelled in the dust for her. He traversed five mountains, six mountains, seven mountains. He lifted his eyes as he approached Aratta. He stepped joyfully into the courtyard of Aratta, he made known the authority of his king. Openly he spoke out the words in his heart. The messenger transmitted the message to the lord of Aratta:
176-178. "Your father, my master, has sent me to you; the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba, has sent me to you." "What is it to me what your master has spoken? What is it to me what he has said?"
179-207. "This is what my master has spoken, this is what he has said. My king who from his birth has been fitted {for lordship} {( 1 ms. has instead:) for the crown}, the lord of Unug, the sajkal snake living in Sumer, who pulverises {mountains} {( 2 mss. have instead:) heads} like flour, the stag of the tall mountains, endowed with princely antlers, wild cow, kid pawing the holy soapwort with its hoof, whom the good cow had given birth to in the heart of the mountains, Enmerkar, the son of Utu, has sent me to you." {( 2 mss. add here:) (the lord of Aratta speaks): "What is it to me what your master has spoken? what is it to me what he has said?"} "This is what my master said: "Lest I make the people fly off from that city like a wild dove from its tree, lest I make them fly around like a bird over its well-founded nest, lest I requite (?) them as if at a current market rate, lest I make it gather dust like an utterly destroyed city, lest like a settlement cursed by Enki and utterly destroyed, I too utterly destroy Aratta; lest like the devastation which swept destructively, and in whose wake Inana arose, shrieked and yelled aloud, I too wreak a sweeping devastation there -- let Aratta pack nuggets of gold in leather sacks, placing alongside it the kugmea ore; package up precious metals, and load the packs on the donkeys of the mountains; and then may the Junior Enlil of Sumer have them build for me, the lord whom Nudimmud has chosen in his sacred heart, a mountain of a shining me; have them make it luxuriant for me like a boxwood tree, have them make its shining horns colourful for me as when Utu comes forth from his chamber, have them make its doorposts gleam brightly for me. Chant to him for me the holy song, the incantation sung in its chambers -- the Incantation of Nudimmud.""
208-217. "Say whatever you will say to me, and I shall announce that message in the shrine E-ana as glad tidings to the scion of him with the glistening beard, whom his stalwart cow gave birth to in the mountain of the shining me, who was reared on the soil of Aratta, who was given suck at the udder of the good cow, who is suited for office in Kulaba, the mountain of great me, to Enmerkar, the son of Utu; I shall repeat it in his jipar, fruitful as a flourishing mec tree, to my king, the lord of Kulaba."
218-226. When he had spoken thus to him, (the lord of Aratta replied): "Messenger, speak to your king, the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: "It is I, the lord suited to purification, I whom the huge heavenly neck-stock, the queen of heaven and earth, the goddess of the numerous me, holy Inana, has brought to Aratta, the mountain of the shining me, I whom she has let bar the entrance of the mountains as if with a great door. How then shall Aratta submit to Unug? Aratta's submission to Unug is out of the question!" Say this to him."
227-235. When he had spoken thus to him, the messenger replied to the lord of Aratta: "The great queen of heaven, who rides upon the awesome me, dwelling on the peaks of the bright mountains, adorning the dais of the bright mountains -- my lord and master, who is her servant, has had them instal her as the divine queen of E-ana. Aratta shall bow, O lord, in absolute submission! She has spoken to him thus, in brick-built Kulaba."
236-241. Thereupon, the lord became depressed and deeply troubled. He had no answer; he was searching for an answer. He stared at his own feet, trying to find an answer. He found an answer and gave a cry. He bellowed the answer to the message like a bull to the messenger:
242-273. "Messenger! Speak to your king, the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: "This great mountain range is a mec tree grown high to the sky; its roots form a net, and its branches are a snare. It may be a sparrow but it has the talons of an Anzud bird or of an eagle. The barrier of Inana is perfectly made and is impenetrable (?). Those eagle talons make the blood of the enemy run from the bright mountain. Although in Aratta there is weeping ......, water libations are offered and flour is sprinkled; on the mountain, sacrifices and prayers are offered in obeisance. With fewer than five or 10 men, how can mobilised Unug proceed against the Zubimountains? Your king is heading in all haste against my military might, but I am equally eager for a contest. (As the proverb goes,) he who ignores a rival, does not get to eat everything up, like the bull which ignores the bull at its side. But he who acknowledges a contest can be the outright winner, like the bull which acknowledges the bull at its side -- or does he reject me in this contest? Like ......, ...... can match no one -- or does he still reject me in this contest? Again, I have words to say to you, messenger: I have an artful proposal to make to you ......, may it get across to you ....... Repeat this to your master, to the lord of Kulaba, a lion lying on its paws in E-ana, a bull bellowing within it, within his jipar, fruitful as a flourishing mec tree. The mountain range is a warrior, ...... high, like Utu going to his abode at twilight, like one from whose face blood drips; or like Nanna, who is majestic in the high heavens, like him whose countenance shines with radiance, who ...... is like the woods in the mountains.""
274-280. " "Now if Enmerkar just makes straight for the ...... of Aratta, for the benevolent protective spirit of the mountain of holy powers, for Aratta, which is like a bright crown of heaven, then I shall make my pre-eminence clear, and he need not pour barley into sacks, nor have it carted, nor have that barley carried into the settlements, nor place collectors over the labourers.""
281-293. " "But if he were actually to have barley poured into carrying-nets, and to have it loaded on the packasses at whose sides reserve donkeys have been placed, and were to have it heaped up in a pile in the courtyard of Aratta -- were he really to heap it up in such a manner; and were Inana, the luxuriance of the grain pile, who is the 'illuminator of the lands', the 'ornament of the settlements', who adorns the seven walls, who is the heroic lady, fit for battle, who, as the heroine of the battleground, makes the troops dance the dance of Inana -- were she actually to cast off Aratta as if to a carrion-pursuing dog, then in that case I should submit to him; he would indeed have made me know his preeminence; like the city, I in my smallness would submit to him." So say to him."
294-307. After he had spoken thus to him, the lord of Aratta made the messenger repeat the message just as he himself had said it. The messenger turned on his thigh like a wild cow; like a sand fly he went on his way in the morning calm. He set foot joyfully in brick-built Kulaba. The messenger rushed to the great courtyard, the courtyard of the throne room. He repeated it word perfect to his master, the lord of Kulaba; he even bellowed at him like a bull, and Enmerkar listened to him like an ox driver. The king had him sit ...... at his right side. As he turned his left side to him, he said: "Does Aratta really understand the implications of his own stratagem?"
308-338. After day had broken and Utu had risen, the sun god of the Land lifted his head high. The king combined the Tigris with the Euphrates. He combined the Euphrates with the Tigris. Large vessels were placed in the open air, and he stood small vessels beside them, like lambs lying on the grass. ...... vessels were placed in the open air adjacent to them. Then the king, Enmerkar, the son of Utu, placed wide apart the ecda vessels, which were of gold. Thereupon, the ...... clay tablet, the pointed stylus of the assembly, the golden statue fashioned on a propitious day, beautiful Nanibgal, grown with a fair luxuriance, Nisaba, the lady of broad wisdom, opened for him her holy house of wisdom. He entered the palace of heaven, and became attentive. Then the lord opened his mighty storehouse, and firmly set his great lidgameasure on the ground. The king removed his old barley from the other barley; he soaked the greenmalt all through with water; its lip ...... the hirin plant. He narrowed the meshes of the carrying nets. He measured out in full (?) the barley for the granary, adding for the teeth of locusts. He had it loaded on the packasses at whose sides reserve donkeys were placed. The king, the lord of broad wisdom, the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba, despatched them directly to Aratta. He made the people go on to Aratta on their own, like ants out of crevices. Again the lord added instructions for the messenger going to the mountains, to Aratta:
339-346. "Messenger, speak to the lord of Aratta and say to him: "The base of my sceptre is the divine power of magnificence. Its crown provides a protective shade over Kulaba; under its spreading branches holy Inana refreshes herself in the shrine E-ana. Let him snap off a splinter from it and hold that in his hand; let him hold it in his hand like a string of cornelian beads, a string of lapis lazuli beads. Let the lord of Aratta bring that before me." So say to him."
347-365. After he had thus spoken to him, the messenger went on his way to Aratta; his feet raised the dust of the road, and made the little pebbles of the hills thud; like a dragon prowling the desert, he was unopposed. After the messenger reached Aratta, the people of Arattastepped forward to admire the packasses. In the courtyard of Aratta, the messenger measured out in full (?) the barley for the granary, adding for the teeth of locusts. As if from the rains of heaven and the sunshine, Aratta was filled with abundance. As when the gods return to their seats (?), Aratta's hunger was sated. The people of Aratta covered their fields with the water-soaked greenmalt. Afterwards, couriers and catam officials ....... 2 lines unclear
366-370. The citizens of Aratta were mindful; he revealed the matter to Aratta. Consequently, in Aratta, from the hand ....... ...... his hand ...... to the lord of Unug.
371-372. "As for us, in the direst hunger, in our direst famine, let us prostrate ourselves before the lord of Kulaba!"
373-377. The eloquent elders wrung their hands in despair, leaning against the wall; indeed, they were even placing their treasuries (?) at the disposal of the lord. His sceptre ...... in the palace ....... Openly he spoke out the words in his heart:
378-379. "Your father, my master, sent me to you. Enmerkar, the son of Utu, sent me to you."
380-388. "What is it to me what your master has spoken? What is it to me what he has said?" "This is what my master has spoken, this is what he has said: "The base of my sceptre is the divine power of magnificence. Its crown provides a protective shade over Kulaba; under its spreading branches holy Inana refreshes herself in the shrine E-ana.Let him snap off a splinter from it and hold that in his hand; let him hold it in his hand like a string of cornelian beads, a string of lapis lazuli beads. Let the lord of Aratta bring that before me. So say to him.""
389-393. After he had spoken thus to him, for that reason he went inside the sanctuary ...... and lay himself down in a fast. Day broke. He discussed the matter at length, he spoke unspeakable words; he circulated with this matter as if it were barley eaten by a donkey.
394-396. And what did one speak to another? What did one say to another? What one said to another, so indeed it was.
397-411. "Messenger, speak to your king, the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: "Let him put in his hand and contemplate a sceptre that is not of wood, nor designated as wood {-- not ildagwood, nor cim-gig wood, not cedar wood, nor cypress wood, not hacur cypress, nor palm wood, not hardwood, nor zabalum wood} {( 1 ms. has instead:) -- not ildag wood, nor cim-gigwood, not hacur cypress, nor palm wood, not cedar wood, nor zabalum wood, not cypress wood, nor hardwood}, not poplar as in a chariot, not reedwork as in whip handles; not gold, nor copper, not genuine kugmea metal nor silver, not cornelian, nor lapis lazuli -- let him snap off a splinter from that and hold it in his hand; let him hold it in his hand like a string of cornelian beads, a string of lapis lazuli beads. Let the lord of Kulaba bring that before me." So say to him."
412-443. After he had spoken to him thus, the messenger went off like a young donkey, braying as it is cut off from the chariot tongue; he trotted like an onager running on dry land, he filled his mouth with wind; he ran in one track (?) like a long-woolled sheep butting other sheep in its fury. He set foot joyfully in brick-built Kulaba. He transmitted the message word for word to his master, the lord of Kulaba. Now Enki gave Enmerkar wisdom, and the lord gave instructions to his chief steward. In his house ......, the king received ....... He wrapped it up like ......, and inspected it. He pounded ...... with a pestle like herbs, he poured it like oil on the ...... reed. From the sunlight it emerged into the shade, and from the shade it emerged into the sunlight. After five years, 10 years had passsed, he split the ...... reed with an axe. The lord looked at it, pleased, and poured on ...... fine oil, fine oil of the bright mountains. The lord placed the sceptre in the hands of the messenger going to the mountains. The messenger, whose journeying to Aratta was like a pelican over the hills, like a fly over the ground, who darted through the mountains as swiftly as carp swim, reached Aratta. He set foot joyfully in the courtyard of Aratta, and put the sceptre in ....... He ...... and ...... it. The lord of Aratta, eying the sceptre, which was shining awesomely in the sanctuary, his holy dwelling -- he, the lord, called to his catam official:
444-453. " Aratta is indeed like a slaughtered sheep! Its roads are inded like those of the rebel lands! Since holy Inana has given the primacy of Aratta to the lord of Kulaba, now it seems that holy Inana is looking with favour on her man who has sent a messenger to make the severe message as clear as the light of Utu. So in Aratta where can one go in this crisis? How long before the yoke-rope becomes bearable? As for us, in the direst hunger, in our direst famine, are we to prostrate ourselves before the lord of Kulaba?"
454-455. The lord of Aratta entrusted a message to the messenger as if it were an important tablet:
456-461. "Messenger! Speak to your master, the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: "A champion who is not black-coloured, a champion who is not white-coloured, a champion who is not brown-coloured, a champion who is not red-coloured, a champion who is not yellow-coloured, a champion who is not multicoloured -- let him give you such a champion. My champion will compete against his champion, and let the more able one prevail!" Say this to him."
462-469. After he had spoken to him thus, the messenger set off, ulum, alam. In brick-built Kulaba, he was speechless, like a ....... He gazed like a goat on the mountain slopes, he ...... as if it were a huge mir snake coming out from the brambles. In ...... he lifted his head. ...... of Aratta ....... From his seat, he addressed him like a raging torrent:
470-499. "Messenger! Speak to the lord of Aratta and say to him: "A garment that is not black-coloured, a garment that is not white-coloured, a garment that is not brown-coloured, a garment that is not red-coloured, a garment that is not yellow-coloured, a garment that is not multicoloured -- I shall give him such a garment. My champion is embraced by Enlil. I shall send him such a champion. My champion will compete against his champion, and let the more able one prevail!" Say this to him. Second, speak to him and say: "Let him immediately pass from subterfuge ....... In his city, let them go before him like sheep. Let him, like their shepherd, follow behind them. As he goes, let the mountain of bright lapis lazuli humble itself before him like a crushed reed. And let them heap up its shining gold and silver in the courtyard of Arattafor Inana the lady of E-ana." Third, speak to him and say: "Lest I make the people fly off from that city like a wild dove from its tree, lest I smash them like ......, lest I requite (?) them as if at a current market rate, lest I make ...... them walk in ......, when he goes, let them take the mountain stones, and rebuild for me the great shrine Eridug, the abzu, the E-nun; let them adorn its architrave for me ....... Let them make its protection spread over the Land for me." His speaking ....... Recite his omen to him. At that time, the lord ......, ...... on the throne daises and on the chairs, the noble seed, ......."
500-514. His speech was substantial, and its contents extensive. The messenger, whose mouth was heavy, was not able to repeat it. Because the messenger, whose mouth was tired, was not able to repeat it, the lord of Kulaba patted some clay and wrote the message as if on a tablet. Formerly, the writing of messages on clay was not established. Now, under that sun and on that day, it was indeed so. The lord of Kulaba inscribed the message like a tablet. It was just like that. The messenger was like a bird, flapping its wings; he raged forth like a wolf following a kid. He traversed five mountains, six mountains, seven mountains. He lifted his eyes as he approached Aratta. He stepped joyfully into the courtyard of Aratta, he made known the authority of his king. Openly he spoke out the words in his heart. The messenger transmitted the message to the lord of Aratta:
515-517. "Your father, my master, has sent me to you; the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba, has sent me to you." "What is it to me what your master has spoken? What is it to me what he has said?"
518-535. "This is what my master has spoken, this is what he has said. My king is like a huge mec tree, ...... son of Enlil; this tree has grown high, uniting heaven and earth; its crown reaches heaven, its trunk is set upon the earth. He who is made to shine forth in lordship and kingship, Enmerkar, the son of Utu, has given me a clay tablet. O lord of Aratta, after you have examined the clay tablet, after you have learned the content of the message, say whatever you will say to me, and I shall announce that message in the shrine E-ana as glad tidings to the scion of him with the glistening beard, whom his stalwart cow gave birth to in the mountains of the shining me, who was reared on the soil of Aratta, who was given suck at the udder of the good cow, who is suited for office in Kulaba, the mountain of great me, to Enmerkar, the son of Utu; I shall repeat it in his jipar, fruitful as a flourishing mec tree, to my king, the lord of Kulaba."
536-556. After he had spoken thus to him, the lord of Aratta received his kiln-fired tablet from the messenger. The lord of Aratta looked at the tablet. The transmitted message was just nails, and his brow expressed anger. The lord of Aratta looked at his kiln-fired tablet. At that moment, the lord worthy of the crown of lordship, the son of Enlil, the god Ickur, thundering in heaven and earth, caused a raging storm, a great lion, in ....... He was making the mountains quake ......, he was convulsing the mountain range ......; the awesome radiance ...... of his breast; he caused the mountain range to raise its voice in joy. On Aratta's parched flanks, in the midst of the mountains, wheat grew of its own accord, and chickpeas also grew of their own accord; they brought the wheat which grew of its own accord into the granary of ...... for the lord of Aratta, and heaped it up before him in the courtyard of Aratta. The lord of Arattalooked at the wheat. The messenger's eyes looked askance ....... The lord of Aratta called to the messenger:
557-576. " Inana, the lady of all the lands, has not run away from the primacy of her city, Aratta, nor has she stolen it for Unug; she has not run away from her E-zagin, nor has she stolen it for the shrine E-ana; she has not run away from the mountain of the shining me, nor has she stolen it for brick-built Kulaba; she has not run away from the adorned bed, nor has she stolen it for the shining bed; she has not run away from the purification for the lord, nor has she stolen it for the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba. Inana, the lady of all the lands, has surrounded Aratta, on its right and left, for her like a rising flood. They are people whom she has separated from other people, they are people whom Dumuzid has made step forth from other people, who firmly establish the holy words of Inana. Let the clever champion and the ...... of Dumuzid whirl about! Quickly, come now, ....... After the flood had swept over, Inana, the lady of all the lands, from her great love of Dumuzid, has sprinkled the water of life upon those who had stood in the face of the flood and made the Land subject to them."
577-587. The clever champion, when he came, had covered his head with a colourful turban, and wrapped himself in a garment of lion skins. 4 lines unclearInana ....... Her song was pleasing to her spouse, Ama-ucumgal-ana. Since that time, she has made it perfect in the holy ear, the holy ear of Dumuzid, has sung it and has let the words be known.
588-610. When the old woman came to the mountain of the shining me, she went up to him like a maiden who in her day is perfect, painted her eyes with kohl, wrapped herself in a white garment, came forth with the good crown like the moonlight. She arranged the ...... on her head. She made Enmerkar, her spouse, occupy the throne-dais with her. She raised up ......, and indeed, for Aratta, the ewes and their lambs now multiply; indeed, for Aratta, the mother goats and their kids multiply; indeed, for Aratta, the cows and their calves multiply; indeed, for Aratta, the donkey mares and their black, swift-footed foals multiply. In Aratta, they say together: "Let them heap up and pile up for the grain piles; the abundance is truly your abundance." After having made ...... for the lord of Aratta, let him ....... He will ....... He came forth ......, he set right for her. 3 lines missing
611-625. (An unidentified person speaks:) "...... befitting ......, ...... the ilu song of the heart, ...... your abundance in his ....... Enlil has granted you ......, and may ...... be made known. ...... his father was not luxuriantly fertile, and poured forth no semen. Enlil, king of all the lands ....... In accordance with the tasks which he has now established, the people of Aratta ...... their task of plying gold, silver and lapis lazuli; the men who ...... golden fruit, fruit trees, with their figs and grapes, shall heap the fruit up in great mounds ......; and shall dig out the flawless lapis lazuli from the roots of the trees, and shall remove the succulent part of the reeds from the crowns of the trees, and then shall heap them up in a pile in the courtyard of E-ana for Inana, the lady of E-ana."
626-636. "Come, my king, I shall offer you advice: let my counsel be heeded. I shall speak words to you; let them be heard. Let the people choose a man ...... of the foreign lands, and let the people of Aratta speak ....... When I go from here, the ever-sparkling lady gives me my kingship. Jectin-ana ....... In that city ......, festivals were not ....... Daily ......." approx. 6 lines missing
Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana
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Segment A
1-5. Brickwork rising out {from the pristine mountain} {( on the edge of ms. C:) of the shining plain} -- Kulaba, city which reaches from heaven to earth; Unug, whose fame like the rainbow reaches up to the sky, a multicoloured sheen, as the new moon standing in the heavens.
6-13. Built in magnificence with all the great powers, lustrous mount founded on a favourable day, like moonlight coming up over the land, like bright sunlight radiating over the land, the rear cow and ...... cow coming forth in abundance: all this is Unug, the glory of which reaches the highland and its radiance, genuine refined silver, covers Aratta like a garment, is spread over it like linen.
14-24. At that time the day was lord, the night was sovereign, and Utu was king. Now the name of the lord of Aratta's minister was minister Ansiga-ria. The name of the minister of Enmerkar, the lord of Kulaba, was Namena-tuma. He with the ...... lord, he with the ...... prince; he with the ...... lord, he with the ...... prince; he with the ...... lord, he with the ...... prince; he with the man born to be a god; he with a man manifest as a god, with the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba -- En-suhgir-ana, the lord of Aratta, is to make a contest with him, saying first to the messenger concerning Unug:
25-39. "Let him submit to me, let him bear my yoke. If he submits to me, indeed submits to me, then as for him and me -- he may dwell with Inana within a walled enclosure (?), but I dwell with Inana in the E-zagin of Aratta; he may lie with her on the splendid bed, but I lie in sweet slumber with her on the adorned bed, he may see dreams with Inana at night, but I converse with Inana awake. He may feed the geese with barley, but I will definitely not feed the geese with barley. I will ...... the geese's eggs in a basket and ...... their goslings. The small ones into my pot, the large ones into my kettle, and the rulers of the land who submitted will consume, together with me, what remains from the geese." This is what he said to Enmerkar.
40-51. The messenger runs like a wild ram and flies like a falcon. He leaves in the morning and returns already at dusk, like small birds at dawn, he ...... over the open country, like small birds at midnight, he hides himself in the interior of the mountains. Like a throw-stick, he stands at the side. Like a solitary donkey of Cakkan, he {runs over} {( 1 ms. has instead:) cuts through} the mountains, he dashes like a large, powerful donkey. A slim donkey, eager to run, he rushes forth. A lion in the field at dawn, he lets out roars; like a wolf which has seized a lamb, he runs quickly. The small places he has reached, he fills with ...... for him; the large places he has reached, he ...... boundary (?).
52-69. He entered the presence of the lord in {his holy jipar} {( 1 ms. has instead:) in his most holy place}. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line:) He entered the presence of Enmerkar in his most holy place.} "My king has sent me to you. The lord of Aratta, En-suhgir-ana, has sent me to you." {( some mss. add the lines:) "What does your king have to tell me, what does he have to add to me? What does En-suhgir-ana have to tell me, what does he have to add to me?" "This is what my king said, what he added, this is what En-suhgir-ana said, what he added."} "This is what my king says: "Let him submit to me, let him bear my yoke. If he submits to me, indeed submits to me, then as for him and me -- he may dwell with Inana within a walled enclosure (?), but I dwell with Inana in the E-zagin of Aratta; he may lie with her on the splendid bed, but I lie in sweet slumber with her on the adorned bed, he may see dreams with Inana at night, but I converse with Inana awake. He may feed the geese with barley, but I will definitely not feed the geese with barley. I will ...... the geese's eggs in a basket and ...... their goslings. The small ones into my pot, the large ones into my kettle, and the rulers of the land who submitted will consume, together with me, what remains from the geese.""
70-76. The lord of Unug ...... he is their ......, he is their rudder. ...... he is the neck-stock which clamps down upon them, ...... to the place of its foundation. He is their falcon which flies in the sky, he is their bird-net. The brickwork of the great temple of Aratta ....... ...... in Aratta ...... great ....... ...... bring (?) .......
77-113. He patted it like a lump of clay, he examined it like a clay-tablet: "He may dwell with Inana in the E-zagin of Aratta, but I dwell with her ...... as her earthly companion (?). He may lie with her in sweet slumber on the adorned bed, but I lie on Inana's splendid bed strewn with pure plants. Its back is an ug lion, its front is a pirij lion. The ug lion chases the pirij lion, the pirij lion chases the ug lion. As the ug lion chases the pirij lion and the pirij lion chases the uglion, the day does not dawn, the night does not pass. I accompany Inana for a journey of 15 leagues and yet Utu the sun god cannot see my holy crown, when she enters my holy jipar. Enlil has given (?) me the true crown and sceptre. Ninurta, the son of Enlil, held me on his lap as the frame holds the waterskin. Aruru, the sister of Enlil, extended her right breast to me, extended her left breast to me. When I go up to the great shrine, the Mistress screeches like an Anzud chick, and other times when I go there, even though she is not a duckling, she shrieks like one. She ...... from the city of her birth. No city was made to be so well-built as the city of Unug (?). It is Unug where Inana dwells and as regards Aratta, what does it have to do with this? It is brick-built Kulaba where she lives, and as regards the mount of the lustrous me, what can it do about this? For five or 10 years she will definitely not go to Aratta. Since the great holy lady of the E-ana took counsel with me (?) about whether to go also to Aratta, since she {let me know} {( 1 ms. has instead:) told me} about this matter, I know that she will not go to Aratta. He who has nothing shall not feed the geese with barley, but I will feed the geese with barley. I will ...... the geese's eggs in a basket and ...... their goslings. The small ones into my pot, the old ones into my kettle, and the rulers {of the Land} {( some mss. has instead:) of Sumer} who submitted will consume, together with me, what remains from the geese."
114-127. The messenger of Enmerkar reached En-suhgir-ana, reached his holy jipar, his most holy place, the most holy place where he was sitting, its ....... En-suhgir-ana asked for instructions, he searched for an answer. He summoned the icib priests, the lumah priests, the gudug priests, and girsiga attendants who dwell in the jipar and took counsel with them. "What shall I say to him? What shall I say to him? What shall I say to the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba? His bull stood up to fight my bull and the bull of Unug has defeated it. His man has been struggling with my man and the man of Unug has defeated him. His warrior (?) has been struggling with my warrior (?) and the warrior (?) of Unug ...... him."
128-134. The convened assembly answered him straightforwardly: "It was you who first sent a boastful (?) message to Unug for Enmerkar. You cannot hold back (?) Enmerkar, you have to hold back (?) yourself. Calm down; your heart will prompt you to achieve nothing, as far as can be known (?)." "If my city becomes a ruin mound, then I will be a potsherd of it, but I will never submit to the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba."
135-150. A sorcerer whose skill was that of a man of Hamazu, Ur-jiri-nuna, whose skill was that of a man of Hamazu, who came over to Aratta after Hamazu had been destroyed, practised (?) sorcery in the inner chamber at the E-jipar. He said to minister Ansiga-ria: "My lord, why is it that the great fathers of the city, the founders in earlier times (?), do not ......, do not give advice. I will make Unug dig canals. I will make Unug submit to the shrine of Aratta. After the word of Unug ......, I will make the territories from below to above, from the sea to the cedar mountain, from above to the mountain of the aromatic cedars, submit to my great army. Let Unug bring its own goods by boat, let it tie up boats as a transport flotilla towards the E-zagin of Aratta." The minister Ansiga-ria rose up in his city, he .......
151-162. ...... Ansiga-ria ......, if only ....... "My lord, why is it that the great fathers of the city, the founders in earlier times (?), do not ......, do not give advice. I will make Unug dig canals. I will make Unug submit to the shrine of Aratta. After the word of Unug ......, I will make the territories from below to above, from the sea to the cedar mountain, from above to the mountain of the aromatic cedars, submit to my great army. Let Unug bring its own goods by boat, let it tie up boats as a transport flotilla towards the E-zagin of Aratta."
163-169. This made the lord extremely happy, so he gave five minas of gold to him, he gave five minas of silver to him. He promised him that he would be allotted fine food to eat, he promised him that he would be allotted fine drink to drink. "When their men are taken captive, your life ...... happiness (?) in your hand (?) prosperity (?)," he promised to him.
170-184. The sorcerer, farmer of the best seeds, directed his steps towards Erec, the city of Nisaba, and reached the animal pen, the house where the cows live. The cow trembled with fear at him in the animal pen. He made the cow speak so that it conversed with him as if it were a human being: "Cow, who will eat your butter? Who will drink your milk?" "My butter will be eaten by Nisaba, my milk will be drunk by Nisaba. My cheese, skilfully produced bright crown, was made fitting for the great dining hall, the dining hall of Nisaba. Until my butter is delivered from the holy animal pen, until my milk is delivered from the holy byre, the steadfast wild cow Nisaba, the first-born of Enlil, will not impose any levy on the people." "Cow, your butter to your shining horn; your milk to your back." So the cow's butter was ...... to its shining horn; its milk was ...... to its back .......
185-197. He reached the holy byre, the byre of Nisaba. The goat trembled with fear at him in the byre. He made the goat speak so that it conversed with him as if it were a human being. "Goat, who will eat your butter? Who will drink your milk?" "My butter will be eaten by Nisaba, my milk will be drunk by Nisaba. My cheese, skilfully produced bright crown, was made fitting for the great dining hall, the dining hall of Nisaba. Until my butter is delivered from the holy animal pen, until my milk is delivered from the holy byre, the steadfast wild cow Nisaba, the first-born of Enlil, will not impose any levy on the people." "Goat, your butter to your shining horn, your milk to your back." So the goat's butter was ...... to its shining horn; its milk was made to depart to its back.
198-205. On that day the animal pen and the byre were turned into a house of silence; they were dealt a disaster. There was no milk in the udder of the cow, the day darkened for the calf, its young calf was hungry and wept bitterly. There was no milk in the udder of the goat; the day darkened for the kid. The buck-goat lay starving, its life ....... The cow spoke bitterly to its calf. The goat ...... to its kid. The holy churn was empty, ...... was hungry, ...... lay starving.
206-221. On that day the animal pen and the byre were turned into a house of silence; they were dealt a disaster. The cow-herd dropped his staff from his hand: he was shocked. The shepherd hung the crook at his side and wept bitterly. The shepherd boy did not enter (?) the byre and animal pen, but took another way; the milk carrier did not sing loudly, but took another road. The cow-herd and shepherd of Nisaba, sons born of the same mother, were brought up in the animal pen and byre. The name of the first one was Mac-gula, the name of the second one was Ur-edina. At the great gate, facing sunrise, the place marvelled at by the land, both of them crouched in the debris and appealed to Utu for help: "The sorcerer from Aratta entered the animal pen. He made the milk scarce, so the young calves could not get any. {In the animal pen and the byre he caused distress; he made the butter and milk scarce} {( 1 ms. has instead:) ...... diminished ......, ...... he made the milk of the goat scarce}. He threw its ......, ...... was dealt a disaster."
222-227. ...... approached. ...... caused damage (?) ....... ...... turned toward Erec. ...... the Euphrates ...... the river of the gods. She made her way to the city whose destiny was decreed by An and Enlil ....... Wise Woman Sajburu ...... hand ...... for him.
228-231. Both of them threw fish spawn (?) into the river. The sorcerer made a giant carp {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. Wise Woman Sajburu, however, made an eagle {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. {The eagle seized the giant carp and fled to the mountains} {( 1 ms. has instead:) The eagle seized the giant carp out of the waves and went up to the sky}.
232-235. A second time they threw fish spawn (?) into the river. The sorcerer made a ewe and its lamb {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. Wise Woman Sajburu, however, made a wolf {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. The wolf seized the ewe and its lamb and dragged them to the wide desert.
236-239. A third time they threw fish spawn (?) into the river. The sorcerer made a cow and its calf {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. Wise Woman Sajburu, however, made a lion {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. The lion seized the cow and its calf and {took} {( some mss. have instead:) dragged} them to the reedbeds.
240-243. A fourth time they threw fish spawn (?) into the river. The sorcerer made an ibex and a wild sheep {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. Wise Woman Sajburu, however, made a mountain leopard {come out} {( 1 ms. has instead:) arise} from the water. The leopard seized the ibex and the wild sheep and took them to the mountains.
244-248. A fifth time they threw fish spawn (?) into the river. The sorcerer made a gazelle kid come out from the water. Wise Woman Sajburu, however, made a tiger and a ...... lion come out from the water. The tiger and the ...... lion seized the gazelle kid and {took} {( 1 ms. has instead:) dragged} them to the forest. What happened made the face of the sorcerer darken, made his mind confused.
249-254. Wise Woman Sajburu said to him: "Sorcerer, you do have magical powers, but where is your sense? How on earth could you think of going to do sorcery at Erec, which is the city of Nisaba, a city whose destiny was decreed by An and Enlil, the primeval city, the beloved city of Ninlil?"
255-263. The sorcerer answered her: "I went there without knowing all about this. I acknowledge your superiority -- please do not be bitter." He pleaded, he prayed to her: "Set me free, my sister; set me free. Let me go in peace to my city. Let me return safely to Aratta, the mount of the lustrous me. I will {make known} {( 1 ms. has instead:) declare} your greatness in all the lands. I will sing your praise in Aratta, the mount of the lustrous me."
264-273. Wise Woman Sajburu answered to him: "You have caused distress in the animal pen and the byre; you have made the butter and milk scarce there. You have removed the lunch-table, the morning- and evening-table. You have cut off butter and milk from the evening meal of the great dining hall, ......... distress ....... Your sin that butter and milk ...... cannot be forgiven. Nanna the king ...... the byre ...... milk; ...... established that it was a capital offence and I am not pardoning your life." Wise Woman Sajburu ...... her decision about the sorcerer in the assembly (?). She threw her prisoner from the bank of the Euphrates. She seized from him his life-force and then returned to her city, Erec.
274-280. Having heard this matter, En-suhgir-ana sent a man to Enmerkar: "You are the beloved lord of Inana, you alone are exalted. Inana has truly chosen you for her holy lap, you are her beloved. From the south to the highlands, you are the great lord, and I am only second to you; from the moment of conception I was not your equal, you are the older brother. I cannot match you ever."
281-283. In the contest between Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana, Enmerkar proved superior to En-suhgir-ana. Nisaba, be praised!
Segment B
1-7.3 lines unclearThe sorcerer ....... Ur-jiri-nuna ....... The sorcerer ...... minister Ansiga-ria. 1 line unclear
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