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© Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The ETCSL project, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford |
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| ETCSLtranslation |
| Inana and Šu-kale-tuda: c.1.3.3 When day had broken and Utu had risen, the women inspected herself closely, holy Inana inspected herself closely." Ah, who will compensate me? Ah, who will pay (?) for what happened to me? Should it not be the concern of my own father, Enki?" Holy Inana directed her steps to the abzu of Eridug and, because of this, prostrated herself on the ground before him and stretched out her hands to him: "Father Enki, I should be compensated! What's more, someone should { pay (?) } { (1 ms. has instead:) make up } for what happened to me! I shall only re-enter my shrine E-ana satisfied after you have handed over that man to me from the abzu." Enki said "All right!" to her. He said "So be it!" to her. With that holy Inana went out from the abzu of Eridug. She stretched herself like a rainbow across the sky and reached thereby as far as the earth. She let the south wind pass across, she let the north wind pass across. From fear, { (1 ms. adds:) solitary } Šu-kale-tuda tried to make himself as tiny as possible, but the woman had found him among the mountains. |
| Ninurta's exploits: a šir-sud (?) to Ninurta: c.1.6.2 "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. |
| How grain came to Sumer: c.1.7.6 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. Enlil piled up the barley, gave it to the mountain. He piled up the bounty of the Land, gave the innuḫa 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 ……. |
| The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B): c.2.1.7 "When you drive in my foundation pegs for me, when you really set to work for me on my house, I shall direct my steps to the mountains where the north wind dwells and make the man with enormous wings, the north wind, bring you wind from the mountains, the pure place, so that this will give vigour to the Land, and thus one man will be able to do as much work as two. At night the moonlight, at noon the sun will send plentiful light for you so the day will build the house for you and the night will make it rise for you." |
| The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B): c.2.1.7 Towards the house whose halo reaches to heaven, whose powers embrace heaven and earth, whose owner is a lord with a fierce stare, whose warrior Ninĝirsu is expert at battle, towards E-ninnu-the-white-Anzud-bird, Gudea went from the south and admired it northwards. From the north he went towards it and admired it southwards. He measured out with rope exactly one iku. He drove in pegs at its sides and personally verified them. This made him extremely happy. |
| The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B): c.2.1.7 Gudea, the ruler in charge of building the house, the ruler of Lagaš, presented it with the chariot "It makes the mountains bow down", which carries awesome radiance and on which great fearsomeness rides and with its donkey stallion, Ud-gu-dugduga, to serve before it; with the seven-headed mace, the fierce battle weapon, the weapon unbearable both for the North and for the South, with a battle cudgel, with the mitum mace, with the lion-headed weapon made from nir stone, which never turns back before the highlands, with dagger blades, with nine standards, with the "strength of heroism", with his bow which twangs like a meš forest, with his angry arrows which whizz like lightning flashes in battle, and with his quiver, which is like a lion, a piriĝ lion, or a fierce snake sticking out its tongue -- strengths of battle imbued with the power of kingship. |
| A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi A): c.2.4.2.01 Then I arose like an owl (?), like a falcon to return to Nibru in my vigour. But a storm shrieked, and the west wind whirled around. The north wind and the south wind howled at each other. Lightning together with the seven winds vied with each other in the heavens. Thundering storms made the earth quake, and Iškur roared in the broad heavens. { The rains of heaven mingled with the waters of the earth. } { (1 ms. has instead:) The rains of heaven competed with the waters of the earth. } Small and large hailstones drummed on my back. |
| A šir-namerima (?) for Iddin-Dagan (Iddin-Dagan D): c.2.5.3.4 Sublime An, father of the gods, ……, patient-hearted, who …… the princely divine powers …… greatly! The voice of a flood that covers the disobedient, that knows ……, the north wind ……, (1 line fragmentary)May the deceivers of Iddin-Dagan who …… be overwhelmed as by a battle-net! Majestic god An, let not the enemy carry away your name, O your name, great An, O your name! |
| A praise poem of Išme-Dagan (Išme-Dagan A + V): c.2.5.4.01 Išme-Dagan, born for heaven, chosen by the heart -- I am kind like a father, attentive (?) like a mother. I am a lofty wall, the encouragement of the Land. I am a tall meš tree with thick roots, and broad shining branches. I am the canopy of Sumer, a pleasant shade; I am a place which even a tall person cannot reach. I am the helper of the troops, the focal point of the Land. I am a warrior on the way to battle, I am a powerful runner who goes like the north wind. I am wise …… superior in every respect. I am a belligerent wild bull, kicking up the dust everywhere; I am a battering ram, ……. I stand in the forefront of the shields. I am the hero of heroes, with the strength of a battle-mace, as I smite the rebel lands right and left. |
| A song of Inana and Dumuzid (Dumuzid-Inana D1): c.4.08.30 Ninšubur, the good minister of E-ana, clasps him by his right hand and brings him in bliss to Inana's embrace: "May the lord whom you have chosen in your heart, the king, your beloved husband, enjoy long days in your holy and sweet embrace! Give him a propitious and famous reign, give him a royal throne of kingship on its firm foundation, give him the sceptre to guide the Land, and the staff and crook, and give him the righteous headdress and the crown which glorifies the head! From the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun, from the south to the north, from the upper sea to the lower sea, from where the ḫalub tree grows to where the cedar grows, over all Sumer and Akkad, grant him the staff and the crook!" |
| A šir-gida to Ninisina (Ninisina A): c.4.22.1 "I am the lady who sits upon terrifying divine powers! I am she who is endowed from holy heaven with the office of incantation priestess! I am she who withdraws the first fruits from the palace, I am she who has received the divine powers from the most elevated dais. I am mighty, I am the forceful one of An and Uraš, I am the great lady of the gods! My terror is fearsome as it weighs on the Land; my terrifying splendour burdens all the foreign lands. No man anticipates my commands. I am the lady, I am heroic, I am youthful, I am the powerful one of the Land! The heavens fold themselves in my presence like a mourning garment; the earth is more and more submerged as if by the water of a flood when I am present. I am the neck-stock of the Land which grips mankind. I am she who hastens like a north wind storm into the midst of the people! I am she who hears prayer and pleading!"Praise be to holy Ninisina. |
| The debate between Hoe and Plough: c.5.3.1 "I build embankments, I dig ditches. I fill all the meadows with water. When I make water pour into all the reedbeds, my small baskets carry it away. When a canal is cut, or when a ditch is cut, when water rushes out at the swelling of a mighty river, creating lagoons on all sides (?), I, the Hoe, dam it in. Neither south nor north wind can separate it." |
| The debate between Grain and Sheep: c.5.3.2 Again Sheep answered Grain: "You, like holy Inana of heaven, love horses. When a banished enemy, a slave from the mountains or a labourer with a poor wife and small children comes, bound with his rope of one cubit, to the threshing-floor or is taken away from (?) the threshing-floor, when his cudgel pounds your face, pounds your mouth, like crushed …… your ears (?) ……, and you are …… around by the south wind and the north wind. The mortar ……. As if it were pumice (?) it makes your body into flour." |
| Proverbs: collection 4: c.6.1.04 (cf. |
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© Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The ETCSL project, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford |
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