A hymn to Nergal (Nergal B): translation

^1-8Hero, majestic, awe-inspiring son of Enlil, battering like a storm and roaring against the rebel lands! Immense at his front, at his rear surging as a flood, after he ......, ...... this place; lord Meclamta-eda inspiring terrifying awe, his magnificent strength not releasing the hostile land, his luxuriant horn ...... in the Land, struck ...... with weapons.

^9-12......, sired by Enlil, great ......, ...... flood ......; he has placed you ......, he has positioned you in your heroic strength.

^13-16Raising his head, authoritative with a ringing voice, knowing the divine powers of the gods, ...... of the Land, he travels through heaven and organises everything.

^17-27When ...... you command the storm which flattens the hostile land, you pour dust over its evil; you pour it over for as long as it disobeys. You are the great hero of the lands, you speak ......, you go ...... where no foot has previously been placed. ...... like a vessel with seven spouts. The black-headed gather together at the front. You outpace the pigeons with ....... You outpace the black and white locusts.

^28-35...... in the hushed streets, your ...... awesomeness covers the city. The majestic and just crown ...... your awesomeness. The ...... is a south wind that none can withstand. At the place of the queen, the most precious place, you exercise the role of supreme deity! Directing a noble gaze, you exercise kingship in the Land! For his father he has led the people from afar. He, Nergal, has brought them to the ...... of the netherworld.

^36-49Then Erra welcomed his king: "They have come! You surpass An! Perform the stewardship for An the king! In accordance with destiny you determine fates with him, Nergal!" Nincubur, the minister of the great place, the underworld, greeted Nergal: "You are the lord who has made the bandits come forth (?) from the mountains. As with Enlil ......, no part of a foreign land escapes your grasp. Hero, for Enlil you piled up Enlil's enemies (?) in a single day. Hating ......, Nergal, ...... as fire, you rise up in the lands where the sun rises." The Anuna gods stepped forward: "Like ...... cracks ......, ......, you are Nergal!"

^50-57
5 lines fragmentary
...... son of Enlil ......, Lugal-era. Praising you is sweet.

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Revision history

15.vii.1999-22.vii.1999 : GC : adapting translation
06.xii.1999 : JAB : proofreading
13.xii.1999 : GC : tagging
25.ii.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
25.ii.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed