Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta

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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 Unug Kulaba. 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 practiced; 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.

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...... was colourfully adorned, and ......, the holy place, was ...... with flawless lapis lazuli, its interior beautifully formed like a white mes 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. Aratta did not build for holy Inana -- unlike the Shrine E-ana, the jipar, the holy place, unlike brick-built Kulaba.

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:

"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 Aratta submit 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."

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:

"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 Susin 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 Eridug shining 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, son of Utu!"

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. (One ms. adds: ...... to his messenger .......) Where and to whom will he carry the important message of wise Inana?

"You shall bring it up into the Zubi Mountains, you shall descend with it from the Zubi Mountains. Let Susin 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 kumea 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 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." "

The lord added further instructions for the messenger going to the mountains, to Aratta:

"Messenger, by night, drive on like the south wind! By day, be up like the dew!"

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. Susin and the land of Ancan humbly saluted Inana like 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:

"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?"

"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 pulverizes mountains (2 mss. have instead: heads) like flour, the stag of the tall mountains, endowed with princely antlers, wild cow, kid pawing the 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 kumea 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. " "

"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 mes tree, to my king, the lord of Kulaba."

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."

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."

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:

"Messenger! Speak to your king, the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: "This great mountain range is a mes 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 ten men, how can mobilized Unug proceed against the Zubi mountains? 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 mes 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. " "

""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."

"

""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."

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?"

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 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 lidga measure 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, dispatched 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:

"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."

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 Aratta stepped 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 .......

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The citizens of Aratta were mindful; he revealed the matter to Aratta. Attentively, in Aratta, from the hand ....... ...... his hand ...... to the lord of Unug.

"As for us, in the direst hunger, in our direst famine, let us prostrate ourselves before the lord of Kulaba!"

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:

"Your father, my master, sent me to you. Enmerkar, the son of Utu, sent me to you."

"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." "

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.

And what did one speak to another? What did one say to another? What one said to another, so indeed it was.

"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 ildag wood, nor cim-gig wood, not cedar wood, nor cypress wood, not hacur cypress, nor palm wood, not hardwood, nor zabalum wood (ome ms. has instead: -- not ildag wood, nor cim-gig wood, 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 kumea 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."

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, ten 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 setfoot joyfully in the courtyard of Aratta, and put the sceptre in ....... He ...... and ...... it. The lord of Aratta, eying the sceptre, which was ...... in the sanctuary, his holy dwelling -- he, the lord, called to his catam official:

" 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?"

The lord of Aratta entrusted a message to the messenger as if it were an important tablet:

"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 multi-coloured -- 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."

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 of a field. In ...... he lifted his head. ...... of Aratta ....... From his seat, he addressed him like a raging torrent:

"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 multi-coloured -- 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 Aratta for 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, ......."

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:

"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?"

"This is what my master has spoken, this is what he has said. My king is like a huge mes 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 mes tree, to my king, the lord of Kulaba."

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 Aratta looked at the wheat. The messenger's eyes looked askance ....... The lord of Aratta called to the messenger:

" 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-zagina, 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."

The clever champion, when he came, had covered his head with a colourful turban, and wrapped himself in a garment of lion skins.
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Inana ....... 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.

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.

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(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. "

"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 ......."c.

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Enlil and Sud

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Version A

SEGMENT A

...... she was faithfully sitting (?) on ......, admirable and full of charms. ......, the noble son -- who like him can compare with An and Enlil? Haia, the ......, put the holy semen into her womb. Nun-bar-ce-gunu (a name of Nisaba) faithfully gave birth to ......, she brought her up in her ...... and suckled her at her breasts full of good milk. The ...... of the young girl burgeoned, and she became full of flourishing beauty. In the ...... of Nisaba, at the gate of the E-zagin, ...... she stood, the object of admiration, like a tall, beautifully shaped cow.

At that time Enlil had not yet been given a wife in the E-kur; Ninlil's name was not yet famous in the Ki-ur. After travelling through Sumer and to the ends of the universe, he ......; in his search throughout the Land, Enlil, the Great Mountain, stopped at Erec. As he looked around there, he found the woman of his choice. He approached her and, overflowing with joy, engaged her in conversation: "I will make you perfect in a queen's dress; after standing in the street, you will be ....... How impressed I am by your beauty, even if you are a shameless person!" In her youthful inexperience Sud answered Enlil: "If I want to stand proudly at our gate, who dares to give me a bad reputation? What are your intentions? Why have you come here? ...... from my sight!" Others (?) had already tried to deceive ......, and made her (?) angry. Enlil ...... answered Sud, ...... standing closer to her: "Come, I want to speak to you! I will have a talk with you about your becoming my wife. Kiss me, my lady of most beautiful eyes -- the matter rests in your hands." But the words had barely left his mouth when, right in front of him, she went into the house.

The heart of the wise lord pounded. He called for Nuska. "What is your wish?" He gave the following instructions to him: "I want you to go back to Erec, the city of Nisaba, the city whose foundations are august. Do not delay! Repeat to her what I am going to tell you: "I am a young man, I have sent this message to you because of my wish: I want to take your daughter as wife. Give me your consent. I will send you presents in my name, ...... my marriage gifts. I am Enlil, the descendant and offspring of Ancar, the noble, the lord of heaven and earth. The name of your daughter shall become Ninlil, and all the foreign countries shall ...... it. I will present her with the Ja-jic-cua as her storehouse. I will give her the Ki-ur to be her beloved private quarters. She shall sit (1 ms. has instead: live) with me in the E-kur, my (1 ms. has instead: the) august dais. She shall determine fates. She shall apportion the divine powers among the Anuna, the great gods. And as for you, I will place in your hands the lives of the black-headed people." When you get there, let the woman I have chosen for her beauty ...... her mother. Do not go to her empty-handed, but take her some jewellery in your left hand. Waste no time. Return with her answer quickly."

When Nuska, the head of the assembly, had received Enlil's instructions, he wasted no time ......; he directed his steps to Erec. He entered E-zagin, the residence of Nanibgal (a name of Nisaba) and prostrated himself before Nanibgal on her dais. ...... of Enlil ......, and she (?) asked him ......: "...... what ......?"

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( Nuska speaks:) "...... Sud ....... What you have told me ......." Then Nanibgal went on speaking flatteringly to the minister: "Adviser, fit for his (?) king, ever observant (?)! Who like you could give counsel daily to the Great Mountain? How could I contest the king's message which his slave has received? If there is truth in what you have told me -- and may there be no falsehood -- who could reject one who bestows such exceedingly great favours? ...... makes our mood and hearts happy. Let us consider that amends have been made. By bringing the marriage gifts and the presents in his name the insult is wiped away. Tell him: "You shall become my son-in-law; do as you wish!" Tell Enlil, the Great Mountain: "Do as you wish!" Let his sister come from her side, and she shall accompany Sud from here. Aruru shall become Sud's sister-in-law: let her be shown the household. Inform your lord thus in his august Ki-ur. Repeat this to Enlil in the privacy of his holy bedchamber."

After ...... had instructed ......, ...... and Nuska took his seat on it.

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Nanibgal called ...... and gave her advice: "My little one, asleep indoors (?) ...... your pure ......, the pleasant private quarters ....... ...... leave the House of Nisaba's Wisdom. ......, Nuska is knowing and wise. ...... to his presence and pour him beer." According to the instructions of her mother, she washed his hands and placed a tankard in his hands. The minister opened his left hand and gave her the jewellery, ....... everything ...... and set it before her. She received the gifts ....... He ...... directed his steps to Nibru. ...... kissed the ground before Enlil. ...... the great Lady had said ......, as she had instructed him, he repeated (?) .......: "(She said:) "Adviser, fit for his (?) king, ever observant (?)! Who like you could give counsel daily to the Great Mountain? How could I contest the king's message which his slave has received? If there is truth in what you have told me -- and may there be no falsehood -- who could reject one who bestows such exceedingly great favours? ...... makes our mood and hearts happy. Let us consider that amends have been made. By bringing the marriage gifts and the presents in his name the insult is wiped away. Tell him: "You shall become my son-in-law; do as you wish!" Tell Enlil, the Great Mountain: "Do as you wish!" Let his sister come from her side, and she shall accompany Sud from here. Aruru shall become Sud's sister-in-law: let her be shown the household. Inform your lord thus in his august Ki-ur. Repeat this to Enlil in the privacy of his holy bedchamber.""

..... made ...... feel good, brought great rejoicing in Enlil's heart. He raised his head ......, and animals came running. ...... herds of four-legged animals that graze together in the desert. He caught ...... living in the mountains, he made wild bulls, red deer, elephants, fallow deer, gazelles, bears, wild sheep and rams, lynxes, foxes, wild cats, tigers, mountain sheep, water buffaloes, monkeys, and thick-horned fat cattle jostle together noisily. Cows and their calves, wild cattle with wide-spread horns, ...... rope, ewes and lambs, goats and kids, romping ...... (1 later ms. from Susa has instead: ...... and fighting), large kids with long beards, scratching with their hooves, lambs, ......, and majestic sheep were despatched by Enlil toward Erec.

Large cheeses, mustard-flavoured cheeses, small cheeses, ......, milk, cold hard-boiled eggs, butter (?), the sweetest dry honey and white honey, ......, and thick and large ...... were despatched by Enlil toward Erec.

......, dates, figs, large pomegranates, ......, jipar fruits, plums (?), halub nuts, almonds, acorns, Dilmun dates packed in baskets, dark-coloured date spadices, large pomegranate seeds squeezed out from their rinds, big clusters of early grapes, ...... trees in fruit, trees from orchards, ...... grown in winter, and fruits from orchards were despatched by Enlil toward Erec.

Ores (?) from Harali, the faraway land, ....... storehouses, ......, rock-crystal, gold, silver, ......, the yield of the uplands ......, heavy loads of them, were despatched by Enlil toward Erec. After the personal presents, the transported goods ......, Ninmah and the minister ....... The dust from their march reached high into the sky like rain clouds. Enormous marriage gifts were being brought for Nanibgal to Erec; the city was getting full inside and out, ...... it was to be replete. The rest ...... on the outlying roads ....... ...... blue sky .......

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Nanibgal, the mother-in-law of Enlil, the woman who had been slandered, was treated kindly by Nuska (?) (1 ms. has instead: ...... the mother-in-law of Enlil, the woman ...... Ezina ......) -- but the lady disregarded the flatterer, and spoke to her daughter: "May you be Enlil's favourite wife (1 ms. has instead: the wife of Enlil's heart), and may he speak to you sweetly. May he embrace you, the most beautiful of all, and tell you: "Beloved, open wide!" May the two of you never lose the pleasure (?) of excitement; make it last (?) a long time. (1 ms. has instead: May it be that the pleasure (?) of excitement will never be lost.) You two ...... on the hill, and have children afterwards! When you enter the house to live there, may abundance precede you, and may joy follow you. May the people line up for you wherever you go, and may all the people ...... for you. The fate I have determined for you should be fulfilled (1 ms. has instead: cannot be altered)! Go with head held high into the E-mah."

Then Aruru grasped her by the hand and led her away into the Ec-mah. She brought her into the E-kur, the house of Enlil, and ....... In the sleeping quarters, in the flowered bed ...... like a cedar forest, Enlil made (?) love to his wife and took great pleasure in it.

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The lord whose statements are ...... the lady; ...... Nintud, the "Lady who gives birth" ....... ...... En-batibira's (perhaps a name of Aruru) countenance, ....... He presented her with ......, everything ......, and .......

( Enlil speaks:) "From now on, a woman shall be the ......; a foreign woman shall be the mistress of the house. May my beautiful wife, who was born by holy Nisaba, be Ezina, the growing grain, the life of Sumer. When you appear in the furrows like a beautiful young girl, may Ickur, the canal inspector, be your provider, supplying you with water from the ground. The height of the year is marked with your new prime flax and your new prime grain; Enlil and Ninlil procreate them (?) as desired.

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The harvest crop raises its head high for the great festival of Enlil. The scribal art, the tablets decorated with writing, the stylus, the tablet board, the computing of accounts, adding and subtracting, the shining measuring rope, the ......, the head of the surveyor's peg, the measuring rod, the marking of the boundaries, and the ...... are fittingly in your hands. The farmer (?) ....... Woman, the proudest among the Great Princes, ......, from now on, Sud ...... Ninlil ......."

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SEGMENT B

A holy song of praise ....... Enlil and Ninlil ......!

Version B

(1 later ms. from Susa preserves a slightly variant version of ll. 142ff.)

( Nisaba speaks:) "...... spend (?) your time on the hill! ....... Enter ......! And may abundance precede you ......! May the people line up for you ......; may all the people ...... for you. Your ...... which I have determined for you should be fulfilled; ...... with head held high into the Ec-mah."

Aruru grasped her ...... and ...... her away into the Ec-mah. She brought her into the shining E-kur, and poured the best perfume over her face. In the sleeping quarters, in the flowered bed fragrant like a cedar forest, Enlil made (?) love to his wife and took great pleasure in it. He sat her (?) on his dais appropriate to the status of Enlil, and made the people pray to her. The lord whose statements are powerful also determined a fate for the Lady ( Aruru) , the woman of his favour; he gave her the name Nintud, the "Lady who gives birth", the "Lady who spreads her knees". He made beautiful En-batibira's (perhaps a name of Aruru) countenance, ....... He presented her with the ...... of a mistress, everything pertaining to women that no man must see, and .......

( Enlil speaks:) "From now on, a woman shall be the ......; a woman shall be the mistress of the house. May my favourite wife, who was born by holy Nisaba, be Ezina, the grain, the life of the Land. When she appears in the furrows like a beautiful young girl, may ...... be her provider, watering her with water from the ground, as she grows prime grain and prime flax ......

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...... the harvest crop ...... the great festival of Enlil ....... ......, the measuring rod, the marking of the boundaries, and the preparation of canals and levees are fittingly in your hands. The farmer entrusted cultivation into your hands. Proud woman, surpassing the mountains! You who always fulfil your desires -- from now on, Sud, Enlil is the king and Ninlil is the queen. The goddess without name has a famous name now, ......

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May it be you who determines that destiny ...... attends to it ......."

As the presents are given in the shrine Nibru, a holy song of praise is sung. Enlil, the lord of the countries, .......

Enlil and Ninlil

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here was a city, there was a city -- the one we live in. Nibru was the city, the one we live in. Dur-jicnimbar was the city, the one we live in. Id-sala is its holy river, Kar-jectina is its quay. Kar-asar is its quay where boats make fast. Pu-lal is its fresh-water well. Id-nunbir-tum is its branching canal, and if one measures from there, its cultivated land is 50 sar each way. Enlil was one of its young men, and Ninlil was one its young women. Nun-bar-ce-gunu was one of its wise old women.

At that time the maiden was advised by her own mother, Ninlil was advised by Nun-bar-ce-gunu : "The river is holy, woman! The river is holy -- don't bathe in it! Ninlil, don't walk along the bank of the Id-nunbir-tum! His eye is bright, the lord's eye is bright, he will look at you! The Great Mountain, Father Enlil -- his eye is bright, he will look at you! The shepherd who decides all destinies -- his eye is bright, he will look at you! Straight away he will want to have intercourse, he will want to kiss! He will be happy to pour lusty semen into the womb, and then he will leave you to it!"

She advised her from the heart, she gave wisdom to her. The river is holy; the woman bathed in the holy river. As Ninlil walked along the bank of the Id-nunbir-tum, his eye was bright, the lord's eye was bright, he looked at her. The Great Mountain, Father Enlil -- his eye was bright, he looked at her. The shepherd who decides all destinies -- his eye was bright, he looked at her. The king said to her, "I want to have sex with you!", but he could not make her let him. Enlil said to her, "I want to kiss you!", but he could not make her let him. "My vagina is small, it does not know pregnancy. My lips are young, they do not know kissing. If my mother learns of it, she will slap my hand! If my father learns of it, he will lay hands on me! But right now, no one will stop me from telling this to my girl friend!"

Enlil spoke to his minister Nuska: " Nuska, my minister!" "At your service! What do you wish?" "Master builder of the E-kur!" "At your service, my lord!" "Has anyone had intercourse with, has anyone kissed a maiden so beautiful, so radiant -- Ninlil, so beautiful, so radiant?" The minister brought his master across by boat, bringing him over with the rope of a small boat, bringing him over in a big boat. The lord, floating downstream to ...... -- he was actually to have intercourse with her, he was actually to kiss her! -- father Enlil, floating downstream to ...... -- he was actually to have intercourse with her, he was actually to kiss her! -- he grasped hold of her whom he was seeking -- he was actually to have intercourse with her, he was actually to kiss her! -- so as to lie with her on a small bank ....... He actually had intercourse with her, he actually kissed her. At this one intercourse, at this one kissing he poured the seed of Suen- Acimbabbar into her womb.

Enlil was walking in the Ki-ur. As Enlil was going about in the Ki-ur, the fifty great gods and the seven gods who decide destinies had Enlil arrested in the Ki-ur. Enlil, the ritually impure, left the city. Nunamnir, the ritually impure, left the city. (2 mss. have instead: " Enlil, ritually impure, leave the city! Nunamnir, ritually impure, leave the city!") Enlil, in accordance with what had been decided, Nunamnir, in accordance with what had been decided, Enlil went. Ninlil followed. Nunamnir went, the maiden chased him.

Enlil spoke to the man at the city gate: "City gatekeeper! Keeper of the barrier! Porter! Keeper of the holy barrier! When your lady Ninlil comes, if she asks after me, don't tell her where I am!" Ninlil addressed the city gatekeeper: "City gatekeeper! Keeper of the barrier! Porter! Keeper of the holy barrier! When did your lord Enlil go by?" She spoke to him; Enlil answered as the city gatekeeper: "My lord has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one. Enlil has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one." "I will make clear my aim and explain my intent. You can fill my womb once it is empty -- Enlil, lord of all the lands, has had sex with me! Just as Enlil is your lord, so am I your lady!" "If you are my lady, let my hand touch your ......!" "The seed of your lord, the bright seed, is in my womb. The seed of Suen, the bright seed, is in my womb." "My master's seed can go up to the heavens! Let my seed go downwards! Let my seed go downwards, instead of my master's seed!" Enlil, as the city gatekeeper, got her to lie down in the chamber. He had intercourse with her there, he kissed her there. At this one intercourse, at this one kissing he poured the seed of Nergal- Meslamta-eda into her womb.

Enlil went. Ninlil followed. Nunamnir went, the maiden chased him. Enlil approached the man of the Id-kura river of the underworld, the man-eating river. "My man of the Id-kura, the man-eating river! When your lady Ninlil comes, if she asks after me, don't you tell her where I am!" Ninlil approached the man of the Id-kura, the man-eating river. "My man of the Id-kura, the man-eating river! When did your lord Enlil go by?", she said to him. Enlil answered as the man of the Id-kura: "My lord has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one. Enlil has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one." "I will make clear my aim and explain my intent. You can fill my womb once it is empty -- Enlil, lord of all the lands, has had sex with me! Just as Enlil is your lord, so am I your lady!" "If you are my lady, let my hand touch your ......!" "The seed of your lord, the bright seed, is in my womb. The seed of Suen, the bright seed, is in my womb." "My master's seed can go up to the heavens! Let my seed go downwards! Let my seed go downwards, instead of my master's seed!" Enlil, as the man of the Id-kura, got her to lie down in the chamber. He had intercourse with her there, he kissed her there. At this one intercourse, at this one kissing he poured into her womb the seed of Ninazu, the king who stretches measuring lines over the fields.

Enlil went. Ninlil followed. Nunamnir went, the maiden chased him. Enlil approached SI.LU.IGI, the man of the ferryboat. "SI.LU.IGI, my man of the ferryboat! When your lady Ninlil comes, if she asks after me, don't you tell her where I am!" Ninlil approached the man of the ferryboat. "Man of the ferryboat! When did your lord Enlil go by?", she said to him. Enlil answered as the man SI.LU.IGI: "My lord has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one. Enlil has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one." "I will make clear my aim and explain my intent. You can fill my womb once it is empty -- Enlil, king of all the lands, has had sex with me! Just as Enlil is your lord, so am I your lady!" "If you are my lady, let my hand touch your ......!" "The seed of your lord, the bright seed, is in my womb. The seed of Suen, the bright seed, is in my womb." "My master's seed can go up to the heavens! Let my seed go downwards! Let my seed go downwards, instead of my master's seed!" Enlil, as SI.LU.IGI, got her to lie down in the chamber. He had intercourse with her there, he kissed her there. At this one intercourse, at this one kissing he poured into her womb the seed of Enbilulu, the inspector of canals.

You are lord! You are king! Enlil, you are lord! You are king! Nunamnir, you are lord! You are king! You are supreme lord, you are powerful lord! Lord who makes flax grow, lord who makes barley grow, you are lord of heaven, Lord Plenty, lord of the earth! You are lord of the earth, Lord Plenty, lord of heaven! Enlil in heaven, Enlil is king! Lord whose utterances (2 mss. have instead: whose pronouncements) cannot be altered at all! His primordial utterances will not be changed! For the praise spoken for Ninlil the mother, praise be to (one ms. adds: the Great Mountain,) Father Enlil!

Enlil in the E-kur

Enlil's commands are by far the loftiest, his words are holy, his utterances are immutable! The fate he decides is everlasting, his glance makes the mountains anxious, his ...... reaches into the interior of the mountains.

All the gods of the earth bow down to father Enlil , who sits comfortably on the holy dais, the lofty dais, to Nunamnir, whose lordship and prince ship are most perfect. The Anunna gods enter before him and obey his instructions faithfully.

The mighty lord, the greatest in heaven and earth, the knowledgeable judge, the wise one of wide-ranging wisdom, has taken his seat in the Duranki , and made the Ki-ur , the great place, resplendent with majesty. He has taken up residence in Nibru, the lofty bond between heaven and earth.

The front of the city is laden with terrible fearsomeness and radiance, its back is such that even the mightiest god does not dare to attack, and its interior is the blade of a sharp dagger, a blade of catastrophe. For the rebel lands it is a snare, a trap, a net.

It cuts short the life of those who speak too mightily. It permits no evil word to be spoken in judgment. ......, deception, inimical speech, hostility, impropriety, ill-treatment, wickedness, wrongdoing, looking askance, violence, slandering, arrogance, licentious speech, egotism and boasting are abominations not tolerated within the city.

The borders of Nibru form a great net, within which the hurin eagle spreads wide its talons. The evil or wicked man does not escape its grasp. In this city endowed with steadfastness, for which righteousness and justice have been made a lasting possession, and which is clothed in pure clothing on the quay, the younger brother honors the older brother and treats him with human dignity; people pay attention to a father's word, and submit themselves to his protection; the child behaves humbly and modestly towards his mother and attains a ripe old age.

In the city, the holy settlement of Enlil , in Nibru, the beloved shrine of father Great Mountain, he has made the dais of abundance, the E-kur, the shining temple, rise from the soil; he has made it grow on pure land as high as a towering mountain. Its prince, the Great Mountain, father Enlil , has taken his seat on the dais of the E-kur , the lofty shrine.

No god can cause harm to the temple's divine powers. Its holy hand-washing rites are everlasting like the earth. Its divine powers are the divine powers of the Abzu: no one can look upon them.

Its interior is a wide sea which knows no horizon. In its ...... glistening as a banner, the bonds and ancient divine powers are made perfect. Its words are prayers, its incantations are supplications. Its word is a favorable omen ......, its rites are most precious. At the festivals, there is plenty of fat and cream; they are full of abundance. Its divine plans bring joy and rejoicing, its verdicts are great.

Daily there is a great festival, and at the end of the day there is an abundant harvest. The temple of Enlil is a mountain of abundance; to reach out, to look with greedy eyes, to seize are abominations in it.

The lagar priests of this temple whose lord has grown together with it are expert in blessing; its gudu priests of the Abzu are suited for lustration rites; its nuec priests are perfect in the holy prayers. Its great farmer is the good shepherd of the Land, who was born vigorous on a propitious day. The farmer, suited for the broad fields, comes with rich offerings; he does not ...... into the shining E-kur.

Enlil , when you marked out the holy settlements, you also built Nibru, your own city.

You ...... the Ki-ur , the mountain, your pure place. You founded it in the Duranki , in the middle of the four quarters of the earth. Its soil is the life of the Land, and the life of all the foreign countries. Its brickwork is red gold, its foundation is lapis lazuli. You made it glisten on high in Sumer as if it were the horns of a wild bull. It makes all the foreign countries tremble with fear. At its great festivals, the people pass their time in abundance.

Enlil , holy Urac is favoured with beauty for you; you are greatly suited for the Abzu, the holy throne ; you refresh yourself in the deep underworld, the holy chamber. Your presence spreads awesomeness over the E-kur, the shining temple, the lofty dwelling.

Its fearsomeness and radiance reach up to heaven, its shadow stretches over all the foreign lands, and its crenellation reaches up to the midst of heaven. All lords and sovereigns regularly supply holy offerings there, approaching Enlil with prayers and supplications.

Enlil , if you look upon the shepherd favourably, if you elevate the one truly called in the Land, then the foreign countries are in his hands, the foreign countries are at his feet! Even the most distant foreign countries submit to him. He will then cause enormous incomes and heavy tributes, as if they were cool water, to reach the treasury. In the great courtyard he will supply offerings regularly. Into the E-kur , the shining temple, he will bring .......

Enlil , faithful shepherd of the teeming multitudes, herdsman, leader of all living creatures, has manifested his rank of great prince, adorning himself with the holy crown. As the Wind of the Mountain occupied the dais, he spanned the sky as the rainbow. Like a floating cloud, he moved alone.

He alone is the prince of heaven, the dragon of the earth. The lofty god of the Anunna himself determines the fates. No god can look upon him. His great minister and commander Nusku learns his commands and his intentions from him, consults with him and then executes his far-reaching instructions on his behalf. He prays to him with holy prayers and divine powers.

Without the Great Mountain Enlil , no city would be built, no settlement would be founded; no cow-pen would be built, no sheepfold would be established; no king would be elevated, no lord would be given birth; no high priest or priestess would perform extispicy; soldiers would have no generals or captains; no carp-filled waters would ...... the rivers at their peak; the carp would not ...... come straight up from the sea, they would not dart about.

The sea would not produce all its heavy treasure, no freshwater fish would lay eggs in the reedbeds, no bird of the sky would build nests in the spacious land; in the sky the thick clouds would not open their mouths; on the fields, dappled grain would not fill the arable lands, vegetation would not grow lushly on the plain; in the gardens, the spreading trees of the mountain would not yield fruits.

Without the Great Mountain, Enlil , Nintud would not kill, she would not strike dead; no cow would drop its calf in the cattle-pen, no ewe would bring forth ...... lamb in its sheepfold; the living creatures which multiply by themselves would not lie down in their ......; the four-legged animals would not propagate, they would not mate.

Enlil , your ingenuity takes one's breath away! By its nature it is like entangled threads which cannot be unraveled, crossed threads which the eye cannot follow. Your divinity can be relied on. You are your own counsellor and adviser, you are a lord on your own. Who can comprehend your actions No divine powers are as resplendent as yours. No god can look you in the face.

You, Enlil , are lord, god, king. You are a judge who makes decisions about heaven and earth. Your lofty word is as heavy as heaven, and there is no one who can lift it. The Anunna gods ...... at your word. Your word is weighty in heaven, a foundation on the earth. In the heavens, it is a great ......, reaching up to the sky.

On the earth it is a foundation which cannot be destroyed. When it relates to the heavens, it brings abundance: abundance will pour from the heavens. When it relates to the earth, it brings prosperity: the earth will produce prosperity.

Your word means flax, your word means grain. Your word means the early flooding, the life of the lands. It makes the living creatures, the animals which copulate and breathe joyfully in the greenery. You, Enlil, the good shepherd, know their ways. ...... the sparkling stars.

You married Ninlil , the holy consort, whose words are of the heart, her of noble countenance in a holy ma garment, her of beautiful shape and limbs, the trustworthy lady of your choice. Covered with allure, the lady who knows what is fitting for the E-kur , whose words of advice are perfect, whose words bring comfort like fine oil for the heart, who shares the holy throne, the pure throne with you, she takes counsel and discusses matters with you. You decide the fates together at the place facing the sunrise. Ninlil , the lady of heaven and earth, the lady of all the lands, is honoured in the praise of the Great Mountain.

Prominent one whose words are well established, whose command and support are things which are immutable, whose utterances take precedence, whose plans are firm words, Great Mountain, father Enlil, your praise is sublime.