A shir-namshub to Utu (Utu E): translation

^1-7Whoever has eaten good bread has also drunk good beer, in the house where the righteous man has filled the bowls with liquor -- the lord of the storehouse, the Great Mountain Enlil; the lady of the storehouse, great mother Ninlil; youthful Utu, lord of the mountain; Cerida, youthful leader of battle; the Enki and Ninki deities; Enmul and Ninmul.

⁸1st kirugu.

^9-18Unto distant days, indeed forever, stand by the righteous man who gives you bread, O exalted one, O exalted one, O exalted one -- elalu! Unto distant days, indeed forever, stand by the most righteous of men who gives you bread, O lord of the storehouse, Great Mountain Enlil! O lady of the storehouse, great mother Ninlil! O youthful Utu, lord of the mountain! O Cerida, youthful leader of battle! O exalted one, O exalted one, O exalted one -- elalu!

^19-23May the righteous man have a long life, indeed forever! May the most righteous of men have a long life, indeed forever! Stand by him, O exalted one, O exalted one, O exalted one -- elalu!

²⁴2nd kirugu.

^25-33Auamma! -- in the house -- ulili! Alliliamma! -- in the house -- ulili! Pour out beer for him, pour out liquor for him, O minister, pour out liquor for your lord, O Nuska, pour out liquor for Enlil! Beer has now been poured out: let me give you this beer to drink. Liquor has now been poured out: let me give you this liquor to refresh yourself. O lord, eat and drink! May it be acceptable (?) to you! O Enlil, eat and drink! May it be acceptable (?) to you!

^34-40As you eat, flax comes into being, grain comes into being. As you drink, early floods come into being in the rivers. As you eat, mottled grain comes into being in the fields. Accept what the righteous man has brought to you! Accept the flour that the most righteous man has brought to you! He has paid homage to you. He says to you "Eat", he says to you "Drink".

⁴¹3rd kirugu.

^42-50The beer for the bur-gia offerings has been filled to overflowing. Among the offerings of the house, at the place where the huge bowls have been stood under the heavens, where bread has been offered by pure hands, at the house where the righteous man has offered prayers, where the most righteous of men has offered prayers, where the god of the man has offered prayers, where lord Enki has offered prayers, there the righteous man has filled to overflowing the beer for the bur-gia offerings.

^51-58The righteous man, the most righteous of men, has filled them to overflowing. O lord of the storehouse, Great Mountain Enlil, he has filled them to overflowing. O lady of the storehouse, great mother Ninlil, he has filled them to overflowing. The most righteous of men has ...... the bowls with your beer. May this bronze vessel increase his long life. When Nibru had been fully built, when ...... had been ......, when the brickwork of this house had been ......, the living spouse ......, the seed of the house, the seed .......

⁵⁹4th kirugu.

^60-66Gaze upon him, gaze upon him! O Utu, gaze upon him, gaze upon him! O wild bull of the E-babbar, gaze upon him, gaze upon him! O bearded one, son born to Ningal, ......, gaze upon him! When you gaze upon the bulls in the cattle-pen, bulls fill the cattle-pen. When you gaze upon the sheep in the fold, sheep fill the fold. When you have gazed upon the man, .......

⁶⁷5th kirugu.

^68-73From the malt I will gather ...... from the small birds for you. From the grain I will gather plums (?) for you. From the ...... I will gather the ...... of the small birds (?) for you. May the lord eat this produce -- he has eaten ....... May the hero, youthful Utu, drink -- he has drunk ....... May youthful Utu ...... -- he will give it to me to eat; may he ...... -- he will give it to me to drink.

⁷⁴6th kirugu.

^75-79The beer ...... your seat in the brewery. Over your brewing vats ....... The good minister ...... the gala priest. The minister of the good house ....... Youthful Utu .......

⁸⁰7th kirugu.

^81-84When the heart ......, the precious seed ....... The holy offerings ....... Youthful Utu .......

⁸⁵8th kirugu.

^86-110Ulili ......! Enlil .......
2 lines missing
21 lines fragmentary

¹¹¹...... kirugu.

(This composition is inscribed on a tablet whose colophon specifies it as a cir-namcub of Utu)

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Revision history

13.iv.2000-01.v.2000 : GC : adapting translation
29.viii.2000 : JAB : proofreading
04.ix.2000 : GC : tagging
13.x.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
13.x.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed