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Ninurta and the turtle

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 71 sections

1. gap

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2. A.1

   X […]

   (8 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)

3. A.2

   amar ⌈anzud⌉[{mušen}] […]

4. A.3

   {ĝiš}ilar ⌈KA⌉ […]

5. A.4

   amar ⌈anzud⌉[{mušen}] […]

6. A.5

   ur-saĝ {d}⌈nin⌉-[urta] […]

7. A.6

   {ĝiš}gag KA […]

8. A.7

   amar ⌈anzud⌉[{mušen}] […]

9. A.8

   X X X […]

10. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

11. B.1

    dug4-ga-ni-ta {ĝiš}tukul-zu ḫul-a mu-ni-in-tag

    At his command your weapon struck me evilly. As I let the divine powers go out of my hand, these divine powers returned to the abzu. As I let the divine plan go out of my hand, this divine plan returned to the abzu. This tablet of destinies returned to the abzu. I was stripped of the divine powers.

12. B.2

    me šu-ĝa2 šu ba-ba-ĝu10-ne me-bi abzu-še3 ba-an-gi4

13. B.3

    ĝiš-ḫur šu-ĝa2 šu ba-ba-ĝu10-ne ĝiš-ḫur-bi abzu-še3 ba-an-gi4

14. B.4

    dub nam-tar-ra-⌈bi⌉ abzu-še3 ba-an-gi4 me ab-la2-e-en

15. B.5

    [inim amar] ⌈anzud⌉{mušen}-še3 {d}nin-urta lul-aš ba-an-si

    Ninurta was stunned at these words of the Anzud chick. Ninmena gave out a wail: And what about me? These divine powers have not fallen into my hand. I shall not exercise their authority. I shall not live (?) like him in the shrine, in the abzu.

16. B.6

    [{d}nin-men]-na-ke4 a-nir im-ĝa2-ĝa2

17. B.7

    ĝe26-e me-bi šu-ĝu10-uš li-⌈bi2⌉-kur9 nam-en-bi nu-ak-e

18. B.8

    [ĝe26-e] e-ne-gin7 ⌈eš3-?⌉ abzu-a nu-mu-un-til

19. B.9

    a-a {d}en-ki inim ⌈mu⌉-[un-dug4]-⌈dug4⌉-ga-a abzu-a ba-da-an-zu

    Father Enki in the abzu knew what had been said.

20. B.10

    ur-saĝ {d}nin-urta amar anzud{mušen}-de3 šu-ni bi2-in-ti

    The Anzud chick took the hero Ninurta by his hand and drew near with him to Enki's place, the abzu. The Anzud chick returned Uta-ulu to the abzu. The lord was delighted with the hero, Father Enki was delighted with the hero Ninurta.

21. B.11

    ki {d}en-ki-ka3-še3 abzu-še3 im-ma-da-⌈te⌉

22. B.12

    {d}u4-ta-u18-lu amar anzud{mušen}-de3 abzu-še3 ba-an-gi4

23. B.13

    en-e ur-saĝ-ra ba-ši-ḫul2

24. B.14

    a-a {d}en-ki ⌈ur-saĝ⌉ {d}nin-urta-ra ba-ši-ḫul2

25. B.15

    en {d}nu-⌈dim2⌉-[mud]-⌈e⌉ ⌈mi2⌉ zid mu-un-i-i-?

    Lord Nudimmud honoured him duly: Hero, no god among your brother gods could have acted so. As for the bird which your mighty weapon captured, from now to eternity you will keep your foot placed on its neck. May the great gods give your heroic strength its due. May your father Enlil do whatever you command. May Ninmena not fashion your equal (?). May no one be as revered as you and no god extend an upraised hand before you. Monthly may your house (?) regularly receive tributes in the shrine, in the abzu. May An (?) proclaim your name in the seat of honour.

26. B.16

    ur-saĝ-e diĝir šeš-[zu-ne]-a diĝir ⌈na⌉-me ur5-gin7 nu-mu-un-ak-e

27. B.17

    mušen {ĝiš}tukul ⌈kalag⌉-[ga]-⌈zu⌉ bi2-dab5-ba-še3

28. B.18

    ud me-da ud ul-⌈le2-še3 gu2⌉-bi ĝiri3-zu!(su) ⌈ba⌉-[gub-be2-en]

29. B.19

    diĝir gal-gal-e-ne a2 nam-⌈ur⌉-[saĝ-ĝa2-zu] me-teš2 [ḫe2-i-i-ne]

30. B.20

    a-a-zu {d}en-lil2-le niĝ2-dug4-[zu] ḫe2-ak

31. B.21

    {d}nin-men-na-ke4 kiĝ2-sig10-ga-zu na-an-dim2-e

32. B.22

    za-e-gin7 ni2 na-ab-tuku ⌈diĝir na⌉-me igi-zu-še3 šu si sa2 na-an-sa2-e

33. B.23

    itid-da eš3-e ⌈abzu⌉-a igi-du8-a ?-zu saĝ ḫe2-us2

34. B.24

    [an] zag gal-la mu-⌈zu ḫe2⌉-pad3-⌈de3⌉

35. B.25

    ur-saĝ nam-tar-ra-bi šag4-bi nu-ḫul2

    The hero secretly was not happy with these promises. Where he stood, he darkened and yellowed like (?) a flood-storm (?). He contemplated great deeds and inwardly he was rebellious. He uttered a word which has no ……. The hero Ninurta set his sights on the whole world. He told no one and inwardly did not …….

36. B.26

    ki-gub-ba-ni a-⌈?⌉ i-im-ku10-ku10-ge i-sig7-sig7-ge

37. B.27

    šag4-bi niĝ2 gal-gal i-im-bal-bal šag4-bi i3-kur2-kur2

38. B.28

    inim da-bi nu-ub-⌈tuku⌉-a bar-bi i-im-dug4-dug4

39. B.29

    ur-saĝ {d}nin-urta igi-bi ki-šar2-ra ba-ni-in-ĝar

40. B.30

    lu2 na-me nu-ub-dug4 šag4-bi zi nu-X-X

41. B.31

    en gal {d}en-ki ki ni2-te-na-ke4 inim šag4-bi ba-X-[zu]

    The great lord Enki intuitively grasped the substance of the plan. In the shrine, in the abzu he stirred up a dark flood-storm.

42. B.32

    eš3-e abzu-a a-ĝi6 mud i-im-tuku4-tuku4-⌈e⌉

43. B.33

    sukkal {d}isimudx(PAB.NUN.ME.EZEN)-de3 e2-e ĝiri3 mu-un-ru-gu2

    By the house the minister Isimud opposed Ninurta. The hero Ninurta refused to come out and raised his hand against the minister Isimud.

44. B.34

    ur-saĝ {d}nin-urta ed2-de3 nu-mu-un-še-še

45. B.35

    sukkal {d}isimudx(PAB.NUN.ME.EZEN)-de3-eš2 šu-ni ba-an-zig3

46. B.36

    {d}en-ki-ke4 im abzu-a ba-al-gu7 ba-da-an-dim2

    Against Ninurta, Enki fashioned a turtle from the clay of the abzu. Against him he stationed the turtle at an opening, at the gate of the abzu. Enki talked to him near the place of the ambush and brought him to the place where the turtle was. The turtle was able to grab Ninurta's tendon from behind. The hero Ninurta managed to turn back its feet. Enki, as if perplexed, said, What is this! He had the turtle scrape the ground with its claws, had it dig an evil pit. The hero Ninurta fell into it with the turtle. The hero did not know how to get out from ……. The turtle kept on gnawing his feet with its claws (?).

47. B.37

    ki sun5-na kan4 abzu-a ba-al-gu7 ba-da-an-gub

48. B.38

    {d}⌈en⌉-ki-ke4 ki-lul-la-ke4 mu-un-na-ab-dug4-dug4

49. B.39

    ki-gub-ba ba-al-gi4-še3 ba-da-an-tum3

50. B.40

    ba-al-gu7 eĝer-ra-ni sa-bi ba-da-an-dab5

51. B.41

    ur-saĝ {d}nin-urta ĝiri3-bi ba-da-an-gi4

52. B.42

    {d}en-ki ⌈nu⌉-zu-gin7 a-na-am3 ne-e im-me

53. B.43

    umbin-ĝiri3-⌈bi⌉ ki bi2-in-ḫur ḫabrud ḫul ba-da-an-dun <ud>

54. B.44

    ur-saĝ {d}nin-urta šag4-bi ba-da-an-šub

55. B.45

    ur-saĝ-e ga-[X] ⌈X⌉ ed3-de3 nu-mu-un-zu-am3

56. B.46

    ba-al-gu7 ⌈?⌉ [umbin-ĝiri3]-⌈bi⌉ ba-an-sur-sur

57. B.47

    ⌈en gal⌉ {d}en-[ki]-ke4 [gu3 mu-un]-⌈na⌉-de2-e

    The great lord Enki said to him: From ……, you who set your mind to kill me, …… who makes big claims -- I cut down, I raise up. You who set your sights on me like this -- what has your position seized for you, how ……? Where has your strength fled? Where is your heroism? In the great mountains you caused destruction, but how will you get out now?

58. B.48

    me X ⌈?⌉-ta mu-ni-in-niĝin2-niĝin2 ⌈mu⌉-pad3-de3

59. B.49

    ĝe26-ra saĝ ? ra-ĝu10-uš igi-zu mu-e-ĝar-ra-⌈am3⌉

60. B.50

    X-bil2-ga gal-gal di ĝe26-e bi2-⌈ib2⌉-ĝa2-ĝa2 ĝe26-e bi2-ib2-zi-de3

61. B.51

    za-e ĝe26-ra a-gin7 igi-zu mu-ĝar-ra

62. B.52

    ki-gub-ba-zu a-na-am3 mu-ra-an-dab5 a-⌈?⌉-bi a-na-gin7-nam

63. B.53

    nam-kalag-ga-zu me-še3 ba-an-ĝen nam-ur-saĝ-zu me-a

64. B.54

    ḫur-saĝ gal-gal-e mu-ni-in-gul-gul e-ne-eš2 a-na-am3!(nam) mu-ed3-de3

65. B.55

    {d}nin-men-na-ke4 inim-bi ba-da-an-pad3

    Ninmena learned of this situation. She ripped the clothes on her body and she ……. You my plant-eater Enki, who shall I send to you? Men will shake their heads in fear ……. Who shall I send to you? That name is not Enki. That name is Ugugu-that-does-not-pour (?). You who are death which has no mercy, who shall I send to you? (unknown no. of lines missing)

66. B.56

    tug2 bar-ra-na ⌈al-?⌉-re KAŠ4 im-sar-[sar-re]

67. B.57

    u2ug gu7-gu7-ĝu10-uš ⌈za⌉-[e] a-ba-a mu-ra-ab-tum2

68. B.58

    lu2 saĝ-bi mu-un-bul-bul ba-X-[X]-un-GIL-X za-e a-⌈ba-a mu⌉-ra-⌈ab⌉-tum2

69. B.59

    {d}am-an-ki mu-bi nu-me-a u4-⌈gu7-gu7⌉-nu-de2-de2 mu-bi-im!(tin)

70. B.60

    nam-uš2 šu ĝar nu-tuku-a za-e a-[ba]-a mu-ra-ab-tum2

71. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.