The temple hymns: translation

^1-7O E-unir (House which is a ziqqurat), grown together with heaven and earth, foundation of heaven and earth, great banqueting hall of Eridug! Abzu, shrine erected for its prince, E-dul-kug (House which is the holy mound) where pure food is eaten, watered by the prince's pure canal, mountain, pure place cleansed with the potash plant, abzu, your tigi drums belong to the divine powers.

^8-15Your great ...... wall is in good repair. Light does not enter your meeting-place where the god dwells, the great assembly-room, the assembly-room, the beautiful place. Your tightly constructed house is sacred and has no equal. Your prince, the great prince, has fixed firmly a holy crown for you in your precinct -- O Eridug with a crown placed on your head, bringing forth thriving thornbushes, pure thornbushes for the susbu priests (?), O Ec-abzu (Shrine which is the abzu), your place, your great place!

^16-23At your place of calling upon Utu, at your oven bringing bread to eat, on your ziqqurat, a magnificent shrine stretching toward heaven, at your great oven rivalling the great banqueting hall, your prince, the prince of heaven and earth ...... can never be changed, the ......, the creator, the ......, the wise one, the ......, lord Nudimmud, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-engura (House of the subterranean waters), and taken his seat upon your dais.

²⁴23 lines: the house of Enki in Eridug.

^25-33O ......, shrine where destiny is determined, ......, foundation, raised with a ziqqurat, ......, settlement of Enlil, your ......, your right and your left are Sumer and Akkad. House of Enlil, your interior is cool, your exterior determines destiny. Your door-jambs and architrave are a high mountain, your projecting pilasters a dignified mountain. Your peak is a ...... peak of your princely platform. Your base serves heaven and earth.

^34-37Your prince, the great prince Enlil, the good lord, the lord of the limits of heaven, the lord who determines destiny, the Great Mountain Enlil, has erected a house in your precinct, O shrine Nibru, and taken his seat upon your dais.

³⁸13 lines: the house of Enlil in Nibru.

^39-46O Tummal, exceedingly worthy of the princely divine powers, inspiring awe and dread! Foundation, your pure lustration extends over the abzu. Primeval city, reed-bed green with old reeds and new shoots, your interior is a mountain of abundance built in plenitude. At your feast held in the month of the New Year, you are wondrously adorned as the great lady of Ki-ur rivals Enlil. Your princess, mother Ninlil, the beloved wife of Nunamnir, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-Tummal (Tummal House), and taken a place upon your dais.

⁴⁷8 lines: the house of Ninlil in Nibru.

^48-56O E-melem-huc (House of terrifying radiance) exuding great awesomeness, Ec-mah (Magnificent shrine), to which princely divine powers were sent from heaven, storehouse of Enlil founded for the primeval divine powers, worthy of nobility, lifting your head in princeship, counsellor of E-kur, pillar of the surroundings, your house ...... the platform with heaven. The decisions at its place of reaching the great judgment -- the river of the ordeal -- let the just live and consign to darkness the hearts that are evil. In your great place fit for pure lustration and the rites of icib priests, you dine with lord Nunamnir.

^57-59Your prince, the prince who is the counsellor of Enlil and worthy of Ec-mah, the udug demon of E-kur, the leader Nuska, has erected a house in your precinct, O house of Enlil, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁶⁰12 lines: the house of Nuska in Nibru.

^61-68O E-me-ur-ana (House which gathers the divine powers of heaven) standing in a great place, the just divine powers which the warrior ......, strength of battle, heroic mace, carrier of the quiver, mighty bustling brick building, your foundation is eternal. Founded by the primeval lord, with decisions which belong to the princely divine powers, holy soil filling the mountain, lifting your head among the princes, magnificent house, the wonder coming from you is like the sun whose glow spreads. E-cu-me-ca (House which ...... the divine powers), Enlil has instilled your name with terrifying awesomeness.

^69-75Your prince, the great ......, the warrior whose strength is boundless, the great ruler for Enlil, the noble who rivals heaven and earth, the provisioning (?) seal-keeper of father Enlil who makes the great divine powers perfect, the ......, the leader for father Enlil, the foremost, the lion engendered by the Great Mountain, who for Enlil destroys the hostile lands, lord Ninurta, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-cu-me-ca, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁷⁶15 lines: the house of Ninurta in Nibru.

^77-85O E-ja-dulda (House, chamber with the mound), ......, crown of the high plain, holy place, pure place, house, your foundation is a great princely mooring pole. Dul-saj-dili (Singular mound), your lady, the singular woman who keeps the chamber and the dais full, gladdens your platform in princely style. Your princess who avoids anger and is exceedingly wise, the princely daughter who prospers together with the Great Mountain, Cu-zi-ana, the junior wife of father Enlil, has erected a house in your precinct, O Dul-saj-dili, and taken her seat upon your dais.

⁸⁶9 lines: the house of Cu-zi-ana in Ja-gi-mah.

^87-95O mighty Kec, form of heaven and earth, arousing terror like a great horned viper, house of Ninhursaja, built in a terrifying place! Respected Kec, your interior is a deep interior while your exterior is tall. Great lion ...... on the high plain and roving about on the plain, great hill established by incantations, twilit interior in which moonlight does not shine, Nintud has made you beautiful -- O house Kec, your brickwork and your moulding of it! Your terrace! Your exterior, a lustrous suh crown, and your building of it!

^96-99Your princess, the silencing princess, the true and great lady of heaven -- when she talks heaven trembles, when she opens her mouth there is devastation -- Aruru, the sister of Enlil, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Kec, and taken her seat upon your dais.

¹⁰⁰13 lines: the house of Ninhursaja in Kec.

^101-108O Urim, bull standing in the wet reeds, E-kic-nujal (House sending light to the earth (?)), calf of a great cow, ...... light of holy heaven, ...... wild cow, trap laid in a nest, Urim, container feeding all lands, you are a shrine in a pure place, earth of An -- O house of Suen, at your front a prince, at your back a ruler, your dining hall with adab songs, your great, holy banqueting hall with cem and ala drums! The light coming from you and your true lordship is most precious.

^109-117Jipar, princely shrine of the holy divine powers, shining like the ...... sun, E-kic-nujal, beaming moonlight which comes forth in the Land, broad light of midday which fills all lands, house, your platform is a great snake, a marsh of snakes. Your foundation is the abzu, fifty in number, and the engur, seven in number, a shrine which looks into the heart of the gods. Your prince, the prince who makes decisions, the crown of the wide heaven, the sovereign of heaven, Acimbabbar, has erected a house in your precinct, O shrine Urim, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹¹⁸17 lines: the house of Nanna in Urim.

^119-128O E-mu-mah (House with a magnificent name), rising mountain of heaven, your holy sides and your great foundation are most precious. Interior full with princely divine powers, a beaming light which shines, shrine with your back to the blue sky and your prominent front to all people, in the Land it represents a binding agreement and a single track. Magnificent river with open mouth gathering together your ...... divine powers, your base is great in awesomeness, a righteous hill grown in a broad place. Your lofty dwelling-place of magnificence with all the divine powers of princeship, ......, shouting ......; house of celebration, your platform gladdens the settlements.

^129-133House, your prince Culgi has made it great and most princely. The perfect and magnificent ......, the mighty and great wind, adorned with the divine powers, determining destiny, Culgi of An, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-hursaj (House which is a hill), and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹³⁴15 lines: addition: E-hursaj of Culgi in Urim.

^135-139O city, ...... from the abzu like barley, cloudy plain, taking the divine powers from its midst, Kuara, the lord who does not hold back his goods goes amazed to the foundation of your just banqueting hall. The Seven Sages have enlarged it for you from the south to the uplands.

^140-145Your prince, the most precious prince Asarluhi, the most precious one, is a warrior, born a noble prince, a leopard who seizes prey. He is like an onrushing storm battering the rebel land. As long as it remains disobedient, he pours spittle upon it. Asar-alim-nuna, the son of the abzu, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Kuara, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹⁴⁶11 lines: the house of Asarluhi in Kuara.

^147-156O E-gud-du-car (House with numerous perfect oxen) of holy nir stone in which its sovereign sits, magnificent trap, crown (?) of the princely son, whose best fine oil is holy and well-prepared, Ja-bura (Chamber of bowls), holy cattle-pen pasturing cows with musur plants, your prince is a great wild bull, an elephant rejoicing in its own strength, a wild cow growing horns and and delighting in its shining horns. The incantation priest of opposed languages who put clouds in the sky, the storm which roars in the sky, as the sunlight giving ...... to the earth, Ningubalag, the son of Nanna, has erected a house in your precinct, O Ki-abrig, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹⁵⁷10 lines: the house of Ningubalag in Ki-abrig.

^158-167O shrine, great sanctuary founded at a cattle-pen, small shining city of Suen, Kar-zida (Pure quay), your interior is a mighty place, your foundation is holy and clean. Shrine, your jipar is founded in purity. Your door is of strong copper set up at a great place. Lowing cattle-pen, you raise your horns like a bull. Your prince, the lord of heaven standing in celebration, ...... at midday and ......, Acimbabbar, has erected a house in your precinct, O Kar-zida, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹⁶⁸10 lines: the house of Nanna in Gaec.

^169-177O house which comes forth from heaven, resplendent in Kulaba, shrine E-babbar (Shining house), shining bull, lift your neck to Utu who ...... in the sky! Your shining horns are ......, holy and lustrous. Bearing a beard of shining lapis lazuli, ......, your prince, the mighty sunlight, the lord who ...... the true word, who lightens the horizon, who lightens the sky's ...... vault, Utu, the sovereign of E-babbar, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Larsa, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹⁷⁸9 lines: the house of Utu in Larsa.

^179-185O Enegir, great libation pipe, libation pipe to the underworld of Ereckigala, Gudua (i.e. entrance to the nether world) of Sumer where mankind is gathered, E-gida (Long house), in the land your shadow has stretched over the princes of the land. Your prince, the seed of the great lord, the sacred one of the great underworld, given birth by Ereckigala, playing loudly on the zanaru instrument, sweet as the voice of a calf, Ninazu of the words of prayer, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Enegir, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹⁸⁶7 lines: the house of Ninazu in Enegir.

^187-196O primeval place, deep mountain founded in an artful fashion, shrine, terrifying place lying in a pasture, a dread whose lofty ways none can fathom, Jicbanda, neck-stock, meshed net, bond of the great underworld from which none can escape, your exterior is raised up, prominent like a snare, your interior is where the sun rises, endowed with wide-spreading plenty. Your prince is the prince who stretches out his pure hand, the holy one of heaven, with luxuriant and abundant hair hanging at his back, lord Ninjiczida. Ninjiczida has erected a house in your precinct, O Jicbanda, and taken his seat upon your dais.

¹⁹⁷10 lines: the house of Ninjiczida in Jicbanda.

^198-203O house with the great divine powers of Kulaba, ......, its platform has made the great shrine flourish. Green fresh fruit, marvellous, filled with ripeness, descending from the centre of heaven, shrine built for the bull, E-ana (House of heaven), house with seven corners, with seven fires lifted at night-time, surveying seven pleasures (?), your princess is on the pure horizon.

^204-208Your lady Inana who ......, who adorns the woman and covers the man with a helmet, the one with a lustrous ...... suh crown, the dragon of Nijin-jar, the queen of heaven and earth, Inana, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-ana, and taken her seat upon your dais.

²⁰⁹11 lines: the house of Inana in Unug.

^210-219O house where lustrous herbs are strewn upon the flowery bed, the bed-chamber of holy Inana, where the lady of the plain refreshes herself! Brick-built E-muc (House which is the precinct) is flowery and holy, its ...... clay established for him who tends the ewes on the high plain. Your ...... of E-arali (House which is the nether world) gives shade (?) to the shepherd. Your prince, a raging lion on the plain, the cuba jewel of the Mistress whose breast is holy and marvellous, the lord who is holy Inana's husband, Dumuzid, the sovereign of E-muc, has erected a house in your precinct, O Bad-tibira, and taken his seat upon your dais.

²²⁰10 lines: the house of Dumuzid in Bad-tibira.

^221-228O E-igizu-uru (House, your face is mighty), with plenty coming from within, your treasury is a mountain of abundance. House, your fragrance is a mound of vines. Your true minister is a leader in heaven. House, your princess is prominent among the gods, the true minister of E-ana who holds a holy sceptre in her hand. Nincubur, the true minister of E-ana, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-akkil (House of lamentation), and taken her seat upon your dais.

²²⁹8 lines: the house of Nincubur in Akkil.

^230-235O city, founded upon a dais in the abzu, established for the rites of icib priests, house where incantations of heaven and earth are recited,
4 lines fragmentary

^236-238...... lustration water in the holy heaven and on the pure earth. Ningirim, the lady of the shining lustration water, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Murum, and taken her seat upon your dais.

²³⁹9 lines: the house of Ningirim in Murum.

^240-248O E-ninnu (House of 50), right hand of Lagac, foremost in Sumer, the Anzud bird which gazes upon the mountain, the car-ur weapon of ...... Ninjirsu, ...... in all lands, the strength of battle, a terrifying storm which envelops men, giving the strength of battle to the Anuna, the great gods, brick building on whose holy mound destiny is determined, beautiful as the hills, your canal ......, your ...... blowing in opposition (?) at your gate facing towards Iri-kug, wine is poured into holy An's beautiful bowls set out in the open air.

^249-254Whatever enters you is unequalled, whatever leaves endures. ......, terrifying facade, house of radiance, a place of reaching judgment which lord Ninjirsu has filled with great awesomeness and dread! All the Anuna gods attend your great drinking-bouts.

^255-261Your prince, a raging storm which destroys cities in hostile lands, your sovereign, a terrifying wild ox which will manifest its strength, a terrifying lion which smashes heads, the warrior who devises strategies in lordship and attains victory in kingship, the mighty one, the great warrior in battle, the lord without rival, the son of Enlil, lord Ninjirsu, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-ninnu, and taken his seat upon your dais.

²⁶²22 lines: the house of Ninjirsu in Lagac.

^263-270O Iri-kug (Holy city), shrine of holy An, which caused the human seed to come forth, called by a good name, within you is the river of ordeal which vindicates the just man. E-jalga-sud (House which spreads counsel far and wide), storehouse which eternally possesses silver and lapis lazuli, E-tar-sirsir, from which decisions and the divine powers come forth, where the hero performs obeisance, your princess, the merciful princess of the Land, is the mother of all lands. The lady, the great healer of the black-headed who determines the destiny of her city, the first-born daughter of holy An, the maiden, mother Bau, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-Iri-kug, and taken her seat upon your dais.

²⁷¹8 lines: the house of Bau in Iri-kug.

^272-281O house, wild cow ......, city which appears in splendour adorned for the princess, Sirara, great and princely place, your ...... by the shrine, your lady Nance, a great storm, a mighty flood, born on the shore of the sea, who laughs on the foam of the sea, who plays on the water of the flood, who ......, Nance, the ...... lady, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Sirara, and taken her seat upon your dais.

²⁸²10 lines: the house of Nance in Sirara.

^283-292O E-ab-caga-la (House which stretches over the midst of the sea) built in a holy place, Gu-aba, your interior produces everything and is a well-established storehouse. Holy shrine, wild cow for which everything endures, your princess is Ninjagia, the magnificent ...... stewardess, the mighty ...... of father Enlil, who takes counsel with lord Nunamnir. Born in ......, ...... in the flood of the sea, like her ...... father a controller of the pure sea, holy Ninmarki has erected a house in your precinct, O house Gu-aba, and taken her seat upon your dais.

²⁹³10 lines: the house of Ninmarki in Gu-aba.

^294-301O house Kinirca, suited for its lady, ......, beautiful as a hill, standing by the ziqqurat, house, ......, place resounding loudly with happiness, house, your princess is a storm, riding on a lion, ....... Exalted in holy song and antiphony, singing with a loud voice, the child, the true wild cow, taken care of at the holy breast of the mother who begot her, Dumuzid-abzu, has erected a house in your precinct, O shrine Kinirca, and taken her seat upon your dais.

³⁰²7 lines: the house of Dumuzid-abzu in Kinirca.

^303-310O E-bur-sigsig (House with beautiful bowls) set up under heaven, mighty banqueting hall, fulfilling (?) the commands, abundance of the midst of the sea in ......, at whose holy ...... there is entreaty and joy. The faithful man has enlarged E-mah (Magnificent house), the house of Cara, for you in plenty. Your house E-mah -- whose prince is the princely son of the Mistress -- continues (?) in good fortune, an area of abundance and well-being.

^311-313......, with the gaze of a wild cow, Cara, who ...... good things, the son who allots the divine powers to his mother, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Umma, and taken his seat upon your dais.

³¹⁴11 lines: the house of Cara in Umma.

^315-320O E-cerzi-guru (House clad in splendour) dressed with ornaments of cuba stone, great awesomeness, Nijin-jar of holy Inana, adorned throughout with the divine powers which are true, Zabalam, shrine of the shining mountain, shrine of ...... dawn, which has resounded with pleasure (?), the Mistress has founded your good banqueting hall for you in pleasure (?).

^321-326Your lady Inana, the ......, the singular woman, the dragon who speaks hostile words to ......, who shines in brightness, who goes against the rebel land, through whom the firmament is made beautiful in the evening, the great daughter of Suen, holy Inana, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Zabalam, and taken her seat upon your dais.

³²⁷12 lines: the house of Inana in Zabalam.

^328-345O house inspiring terror like a great lion, making as clear as day the decisions for those on the high plain, house of Ickur, at your front is abundance, at your rear is celebration. Your foundation is a horned bull, a lion. Holy staff, teat of heaven with rain for fine barley, the pilasters of your house are a wild bull with lowered horns, your ......, foundation and wall rising of their own accord, ......, thick cloud, ...... snake, ...... moonlight, ...... Ickur, a sweeping flood, ...... a storm and seven raging winds, ......, blowing raging winds, ...... running from the ......, splits the ...... hillside, diorite, stones and .......
2 lines missing
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^346-350The ......, the seed of the Land, the ......, the ...... prince, the canal inspector of heaven and earth, the ...... living, the numerous people, the ......, Ickur, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Karkara, and taken his seat upon your dais.

³⁵¹23 lines: the house of Ickur in Karkara.

^352-361O ......, bolt founded by An,
4 lines fragmentary
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...... has erected a house in your precinct, O ......, and taken a seat upon your dais.

³⁶²10 (?) lines: the house of ...... in .......

^363-377
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An has ...... your platform. E-mah (Exalted house), house of the universe, suited for its lady, your front inspires great awesomeness, your interior is filled with radiance. Mother Nintud, Enlil and Enki have determined your destiny. E-suga (Joyous (?) house) which ......, life of the black-headed, An has given you the magnificent divine powers from the interior of heaven. As in Kec, Ninhursaja has blessed the holy usga priest (?) who maintains your shrine. House with great divine powers, a pure platform and cleansing lustration, Acgi, the god of Adab, has erected a house in your precinct, O Adab, O house situated at a canal, O house Adab, and taken his seat upon your dais.

³⁷⁸15 lines: the house of Ninhursaja in Adab.

^379-391O Isin, city founded by An which he has built on an empty plain! Its front is mighty, its interior is artfully built, its divine powers are divine powers which An has determined. Low dais which Enlil loves, place where An and Enlil determine destinies, place where the great gods dine, filled with great awesomeness and terror: all the Anuna gods attend your great drinking-bouts. Your princess, the mother, the Mistress adorned with jewels of cuba stone, who maintains the holy place's Nijin-jar, who binds the suh crown on the nugig priestess, who causes the seven teats to flow for the nubar priestess, has resounded with seven pleasures (?).

^392-394Your lady, the great healer of the Land, Nininsina, the daughter of An, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Isin, and taken her seat upon your dais.

³⁹⁵16 lines: the house of Nininsina in Isin.

^396-405O Kazallu, your platform is in the midst of the sky, shining, ...... an object of admiration. Your prince is the seed of a bull, engendered by a wild bull in ......, a magnificent ...... with sparkling eyes, a lord with the teeth of a lion, who snatches the calf with his claws, who snatches ....... ...... who snatches ......, the ...... who gives strength to the ......, great lord Numucda, has erected a house in your precinct, O Kun-satu (Threshold of the mountain), O Kazallu, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴⁰⁶10 lines: the house of Numucda in Kazallu.

^407-414O E-igi-kalama (House which is the eye of the Land), your foundation is firmly laid, growing hill which stands broadly on the earth, ...... the enemies' land,
3 lines fragmentary
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...... has erected a house in your precinct, O ......, and taken a seat upon your dais.

⁴¹⁵8 (?) lines: the house of Lugal-Marda in Marda.

^416-423O Der (Akkadian name; a Sumerian name is unknown) , taking extreme care of decisions, ......, on your awesome and radiant gate a horned viper and a muchuc are being seized in a trap. Your prince, a leader of the gods, fit for giving counsel and grand speech, the son of Urac who knows thoroughly the true divine powers of princeship, Ictaran, the ...... sovereign of heaven, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-dim-gal-kalama (House which is the great pole of the Land), and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴²⁴8 lines: the house of Ictaran in Der.

^425-435O E-sikil (Pure house) whose pure divine powers are supreme in all lands, whose name is high and mighty, magnificent dwelling of the warrior, holy house of Ninazu, house of the holy divine powers! House, your divine powers are pure divine powers, your lustration is a cleansing lustration. The warrior refreshes himself in your dwelling. Ninazu dines on your platform. Your sovereign, the great lord, the son of Enlil, is a towering lion spitting venom over hostile lands, rising like the south wind against enemy lands, snarling like a dragon against the walls of rebel lands, a storm enveloping the disobedient and trampling on the enemy.

^436-446When he strides forth, no evil-doer can escape. When he establishes his triumph, the cities of the rebel lands are destroyed. When he frowns, their people are cast into the dust. House, your prince is a great lion from whose claws the enemy hangs. Your sovereign is a terrifying, mighty storm, the vigour of the battle, in combat ...... like a ...... with a shield on his lofty arm, a net over the widespread people from whose reach the foe cannot escape. When the great lord is resplendent, his magnificence has no equal. The true seed born of the Great Mountain and Ninlil, your sovereign, the warrior Ninazu, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-sikil, O Ecnunna, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴⁴⁷22 lines: the house of Ninazu in Ecnunna.

^448-455O house built in plenitude, Kic, raising its head among the princely divine powers, established settlement, your great foundation cannot be scattered. Your plinth is a vast oppressive cloud floating in the midst of the sky. Your interior is a weapon, a mace decorated with ....... Your right hand makes mountains tremble, your left thins out the enemy. Your prince, mighty and magnificent, a great storm overpowering the earth, inspiring great and terrifying awe, your sovereign, the warrior Zababa, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-dub (Storage house), O house Kic, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴⁵⁶8 lines: the house of Zababa in Kic.

^457-466O E-kecda-kalama (House which is the bond of the Land), bull ...... great strength among the gods, terrifying wild cow, wild bull which causes lament, Gudua, your quay is a ...... quay which bestows water, your interior is artfully built, your mace is a ...... mace released from heaven, your platform is a lustrous platform spreading over Mec-lam (Warrior of the nether world). Your prince, the mighty god, the sovereign of Mec-lam, the fierce god of the underworld, the sovereign of Ud-cuc (Sunset), Nergal, Mec-lamta-eda, has erected a house in your precinct, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴⁶⁷10 lines: the house of Nergal in Gudua.

^468-477O mighty Urum where Suen pronounces judgment, E-ab-lua (House with teeming cattle), wide cattle-yard, Acimbabbar acts as your shepherd. House, my sovereign, your sceptre reaches to heaven, ...... to the earth, moonlight ......, celebration, your ...... may ...... the light. Your prince, the prince of holy celebration, ......, who appears in the lapis lazuli coloured sky, a celebration, to whom the hero pays homage ......, who brightens the Land, ...... Suen, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Urum, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴⁷⁸10 lines: the house of Suen in Urum.

^479-488O Zimbir, dais upon which Utu sits daily, E-nun-ana (House of the prince of heaven), star of heaven, crown given birth by Ningal, house of Utu, your prince, the ...... of the universe, fills heaven and earth. When the lord sleeps, the people sleep; when he rises, the people rise. The bull ...... and the people prostrate themselves. Before Utu the herds pasture ....... The black-headed have bathed before him, the Land has ...... before him. He measures out the divine powers -- your shrine is a flood.

^489-492Pronouncing judgment where the sun rises, mighty sunlight, wearing a beard, tying on the suh crown at night, Utu, the sovereign of E-babbar (Shining house), has erected a house in your precinct, O house Zimbir, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁴⁹³14 lines: the house of Utu in Zimbir.

^494-499O E-hursaj (House which is a mountain) beautiful as herbs and flowers, ...... (The Sumerian name of this city is unknown) , your interior is plenitude. At the place where destiny is determined you determine destiny. May the crown bring joy to your platform. May your roots glisten like an immense sajkal snake in your holy foundations.

^500-505Mother Nintud, the lady of creation, performs her task within your dark place, binding the true suh crown on the new-born king, setting the crown on the new-born lord who is secure in her hand. The midwife of heaven and earth, Ninhursaja, has erected a house in your precinct, O house ......, and taken her seat upon your dais.

⁵⁰⁶12 lines: the house of Ninhursaja in .......

^507-513O Ulmac, upper land, ...... of the Land, terrifying lion battering a wild bull, net spreading over an enemy, making silence fall upon a rebel land on which, as long as it remains insubmissive, spittle is poured! House of Inana of silver and lapis lazuli, a storehouse built of gold, your princess is an urabu bird, the Mistress of the Nijin-jar.

^514-518Arrayed in battle, jubilantly (?) beautiful, ready with the seven maces, washing her tools for battle, opening the door of battle and ......, the extremely wise one of heaven, Inana, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Ulmac, and taken her seat upon your dais.

⁵¹⁹12 lines: the house of Inana in Ulmac.

^520-523O house, right arm of ......, whose green meadows have been tilled,
2 lines fragmentary

^524-527Your prince, the warrior who ......, who defeats (?) all in battle, exulting ......, Aba, the god of Agade, has erected a house in your precinct, O house Agade, and taken his seat upon your dais.

⁵²⁸8 lines: the house of Aba in Agade.

^529-534O house of stars, E-zagin-guna (House adorned with lapis lazuli), reaching into all lands, establishing ...... in the shrine, Erec! The primeval lords raise their heads to you every month. ...... the potash plant, great Nanibgal, Nisaba, has brought divine powers from heaven and added to your divine powers.

^535-542Sanctuary established for ......! To the true woman who possesses exceeding wisdom, soothing ...... and opening the mouth, always consulting a tablet of lapis lazuli, giving advice to all lands, the true woman, the holy potash plant, born of the stylus reed, applies the measure to heaven and places the measuring-rope on the earth -- to Nisaba be praise!

^543-544The compiler of the tablets was En-hedu-ana. My king, something has been created that no one has created before.

⁵⁴⁵14 lines: the house of Nisaba in Erec.

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Revision history

25.xi.1998-29.i.1999 : GC : adapting translation
08.iv.1999-12.iv.1999 : JAB : proofreading
11.viii.1999 : JAB : minor corrections
03.xi.1999 : GC : tagging
27.xi.1999 : ER : proofreading SGML
27.xi.1999 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed