Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 422 sections

1
lugal-ban3-da kur ki su3-ra2 ĝa2-la ba-ni-in-dag
Lugalbanda lies idle in the mountains, in the faraway places; he has ventured into the Zabu mountains. No mother is with him to offer advice, no father is with him to talk to him. No one is with him whom he knows, whom he values, no confidant is there to talk to him. In his heart he speaks to himself: I shall treat the bird as befits him, I shall treat Anzud as befits him. I shall greet his wife affectionately. I shall seat Anzud's wife and Anzud's child at a banquet. An will fetch Ninguena for me from her mountain home -- the expert woman who redounds to her mother's credit, Ninkasi the expert who redounds to her mother's credit. Her fermenting-vat is of green lapis lazuli, her beer cask is of refined silver and of gold. If she stands by the beer, there is joy, if she sits by the beer, there is gladness; as cupbearer she mixes the beer, never wearying as she walks back and forth, Ninkasi, the keg at her side, on her hips; may she make my beer-serving perfect. When the bird has drunk the beer and is happy, when Anzud has drunk the beer and is happy, he can help me find the place to which the troops of Unug are going, Anzud can put me on the track of my brothers.
2
iši za-bu{ki}-a nir ba-ni-in-ĝal2
3
ama nu-mu-un-da-an-ti na nu-mu-un-de5-de5
4
a-a nu-mu-un-da-an-ti inim nu-mu-un-di-ni-ib-be2
5
zu-a kal-la-ni nu-mu-un-da-an-ti
6
lu2 inim šag4-ga-na-ke4 inim nu-um-mi-ib2-sig10-sig10-ge
7
šag4 ni2-te-na-ka inim am3-mi-ib2-sig10-ge
8
mušen nam-me-te-a ba-ni-in-ak
9
anzud{mušen} nam-me-te-a ba-ni-in-ak
10
dam-a-ni-da gu2-da ba-ni-in-la2
11
dam anzud{mušen}-de3 dumu anzud{mušen}-de3
12
ĝišbun-na um-ma-ni-in-dur2-ru-un
13
an-ne2 nin-gu2-en-na-ka
14
ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2-ni-ta um-ma-da-an-ri
15
munus tuku-tuku ama-ra me-te-ĝal2
16
{d}nin-ka-si tuku-tuku ama-ra me-te-ĝal2
17
{na4}gakkul-a-ni {na4}za-gin3 dur5-ru
18
{gi}lam-sa2-a-ni kug-me kug-sig17
19
kaš-a gub-ba-a-ni niĝ2 giri17-zal
20
kaš-ta tuš-a-ni mud5-me-ĝar-ra
21
sagi-a kaš sa2-sa2-da-ni DU.DU nu-kuš2-u3
22
{d}nin-ka-si {ĝiš}buniĝ(SUG) zag-ga-ta ?-ba-ta
23
ĝeštin ne-saĝ-ĝa2-ĝu10 me-te-a-aš ḫe2-em-mi-ib-ĝal2
24
mušen kaš naĝ-ĝa2 ul ti-a
25
anzud{mušen} kaš naĝ-ĝa2 ul ti-a
26
ki unug{ki} ba-ĝen-na ḫa-ma-an-pad3-de3
27
anzud{mušen}-de3 ḫar-ra-an šeš-ĝu10-ne-ka ḫe2-em-mi-ib-sig10-sig10-ge
28
ud-ba giri17-zal ĝiš-ḫu-ri2-in {d}en-ki-ke4
Now the splendid 'eagle'-tree of Enki on the summit of Inana's mountain of multicoloured cornelian stood fast on the earth like a tower, all shaggy like an aru. With its shade it covered the highest eminences of the mountains like a cloak, was spread out over them like a tunic. Its roots rested like saĝkal snakes in Utu's river of the seven mouths. Nearby, in the mountains where no cypresses grow, where no snake slithers, where no scorpion stings, in the midst of the mountains the buru-az bird had put its nest and laid therein its eggs; nearby the Anzud bird had set his nest and settled therein his young. It was made with wood from the juniper and the box trees. The bird had made the bright twigs into a bower. When at daybreak the bird stretches himself, when at sunrise Anzud cries out, at his cry the ground quakes in the Lulubi mountains. He has a shark's teeth and an eagle's claws. In terror of him wild bulls run away into the foothills, stags run away into their mountains.
29
ḫur-saĝ {na4}gug igi gun3 {d}inana-ka
30
ugu-ba u18-ru-gin7 ki ḫe2-us2-sa-ba
31
a-ru-gin7 siki la2-la2-a-ba
32
kur-ra ĝissu-bi ki maḫ-ba
33
tug2-gin7 i-im-dul gada-gin7 i-im-bur2
34
{ĝiš}i-ri9-na-bi muš-saĝ-kal-gin7
35
id2 ka 7 {d}utu-ka šag4-ba mu-un-še21-še21
36
da-da-ba ḫa-šu-ur2 nu-zu kur-ra-ka
37
muš nu-un-sul-sul ĝiri2 nu-sa-sa
38
šag4-ba buru5-az{mušen}-e
39
gud3 im-ma-ni-ib-us2 nunuz-bi ba-ab-ĝar
40
da-da-ba mušen anzud{mušen}-de3
41
gud3 im-ma-ni-ib-ĝar amar-bi ba-e-še21
42
ĝiš-bi {ĝiš}li ĝiš {ĝiš}taškarin-na-kam
43
mušen-e pa mul-mul-la-bi an-dul3-eš2 ba-ab-ak
44
mušen-e a2 ud zal-le-da-ka ni2 un-gid2
45
anzud{mušen}-de3 {d}utu e3-a-ra šeg11 un-gi4
46
šeg11 gi4-bi-še3 kur-ra lu5-lu5-bi-a ki mu-un-ra-ra-ra
47
umbin kušu2{ku6}-e ḫu-ri2-in{mušen}-na-kam
48
ni2-bi-ta am-e kur-ur2-še3 ni2-bi im-sar-re
49
taraḫ-e kur-bi-še3 zi-bi im-sar-re
50
lugal-ban3-da gal in-zu gal in-ga-an-tum2-mu
Lugalbanda is wise and he achieves mighty exploits. In preparation of the sweet celestial cakes he added carefulness to carefulness. He kneaded the dough with honey, he added more honey to it. He set them before the young nestling, before the Anzud chick, gave the baby fatty meat to eat. He fed it sheep's fat. He popped the cakes into its beak. He settled the Anzud chick in its nest, painted its eyes with kohl, dabbed white cedar scent onto its head, put up a twisted roll of salt meat. He withdrew from the Anzud's nest, awaited him in the mountains where no cypresses grow. At that time the bird was herding together wild bulls of the mountains, Anzud was herding together wild bulls of the mountains. He held a live bull in his talons, he carried a dead bull across his shoulders. He poured forth his bile like 10 gur of water. The bird halted (?) once, Anzud halted (?) once. When the bird called back to the nest, when Anzud called back to the nest, his fledgling did not answer him from the nest. When the bird called a second time to the nest, his fledgling did not answer from the nest. Whenever the bird had called back to the nest before, his fledgling had answered from the nest; but now when the bird called back to the nest, his fledgling did not answer him from the nest. The bird uttered a cry of grief that reached up to heaven, his wife cried out Woe! Her cry reached the abzu. The bird with this cry of Woe! and his wife with this cry of grief made the Anuna, gods of the mountains, actually crawl into crevices like ants. The bird says to his wife, Anzud says to his wife, Foreboding weighs upon my nest, as over the great cattle-pen of Nanna. Terror lies upon it, as when wild lions start butting each other. Who has taken my child from its nest? Who has taken the Anzud from its nest?
51
ninda mu-ud-gi diĝir-re-e-ne-ke4
52
saĝ sig10-ga-ba saĝ sig10 ba-an-taḫ
53
ninda gi-ze-eš-ta-ba lal3 ba-an-du8-du8 lal3 ba-an-taḫ-taḫ
54
amar-gud3 amar anzud{mušen}-da-ka igi-bi-še3 mu-un-ĝar
55
amar-e {uzu}suš2 bi2-in-gu7 {uzu}i3-udu bi2-in-peš5
56
ninda-i3-de2-a ka-bi-še3 sa2 bi2-in-dug4
57
amar anzud{mušen}-da-ka gud3-ba mi-ni-še21
58
igi-bi šem-bi-zid-da mi-ni-gun3
59
saĝ-ba {ĝiš}erin babbar2 bi2-in-du3-du3
60
mu-du-li-a šu gur-gur-ra-bi saĝ-bi-še3 mu-un-ĝar
61
gud3 anzud{mušen}-da-ka ba-ra-zig3
62
ḫa-šu-ur2-ra nu-zu kur-ra-ka ki-gub mu-un-na-ak-en
63
ud-ba mušen-e am kur-ra-ka gu2 mi-ni-ib-gur-gur
64
anzud{mušen}-de3 am kur-ra-ka gu2 mi-ni-ib-gur-gur
65
am til3-la šu-bi-še3 i-im-la2
66
am ug5-ga gu2-ba i-im-la2
67
a ! !-am3 !-bi mu-un-de2
68
mušen zag 1(DIŠ) am3-ma-da-lug-ga
69
anzud{mušen} zag 1(DIŠ) am3-ma-da-lug-ga
70
mušen-e gud3-bi-še3 šeg11 un-gi4
71
amar-bi gud3-bi-ta inim nu-um-ma-ni-ib-gi4
72
2-kam-ma-še3 mušen-e gud3-bi-še3 šeg11 un-gi4
73
amar-bi gud3-bi-ta inim nu-um-ma-ni-ib-gi4
74
ud na-an-ga-ma mušen-e gud3-bi-še3 šeg11 un-gi4
75
amar-bi gud3-bi-ta inim ba-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
76
i3-ne-eš2 mušen-e gud3-bi-še3 šeg11 un-gi4
77
amar-bi gud3-bi-ta inim nu-um-ma-ni-ib-gi4
78
mušen-e a-nir i-im-ĝar an-e ba-te
79
dam-bi u8 bi2-in-dug4 engur-ra ba-te
80
mušen-e u8 dug4-ga-bi-še3
81
dam-bi a-nir ĝar-ra-bi-še3
82
{d}a-nun-na diĝir ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2
83
kiši8-gin7 ki-in-dar-ra ba-an-di-ni-ib-kur9-re-eš-am3
84
mušen-e dam-bi-ir gu3 am3-ma-de2-e
85
anzud{mušen}-de3 dam-bi-ir gu3 am3-ma-de2-e
86
gud3-ĝu10-ta tur3 gal {d}nanna-gin7 ni2 ḫuš ḫe2-em-da-ri
87
piriĝ kur-ra teš2-bi du7-du7-gin7 su zig3 ḫe2-em-du8-du8
88
amar-ĝu10 gud3-ba a-ba-a ba-ra-ab-tum3
89
anzud{mušen} gud3-ba a-ba-a ba-ra-ab-tum3
90
mušen-e gud3-bi-še3 ḫe2-em-ma-teĝ3-ĝe26-da-ka
But it seemed to the bird, when he approached the nest, it seemed to Anzud, when he approached the nest, that it had been made like a god's dwelling-place. It was brilliantly festooned. His chick was settled in its nest, its eyes were painted with kohl, sprigs of white cedar were fixed on its head. A twisted piece of salt meat was hung up high. The bird is exultant, Anzud is exultant: I am the prince who decides the destiny of rolling rivers. I keep on the straight and narrow path the righteous who follow Enlil's counsel. My father Enlil brought me here. He let me bar the entrance to the mountains as if with a great door. If I fix a fate, who shall alter it? If I but say the word, who shall change it? Whoever has done this to my nest, if you are a god, I will speak with you, indeed I will befriend you. If you are a man, I will fix your fate. I shall not let you have any opponents in the mountains. You shall be 'Hero-fortified-by-Anzud'.
91
anzud{mušen}-de3 gud3-bi-še3 ḫe2-em-ma-teĝ3-ĝe26-da-ka
92
ki diĝir til3-la-gin7 im-ak giri17-zal im-du8-du8
93
amar-bi gud3-bi-a i-im-še21
94
igi-bi šembi2-zid-da mu-un-gun3
95
saĝ-ba {ĝiš}erin babbar2 mu-un-du3-du3
96
mu-du-li-a šu gur-gur-ra-bi saĝ-bi-še3 mu-un-ĝar
97
mušen-e ni2-bi silim-e-eš2 iri in-ga-am3-me
98
anzud{mušen}-de3 ni2-bi silim-e-eš2 iri in-ga-am3-me
99
id2 ḫal-ḫal-la nun nam tar-re-bi-me-en
100
zid-du šag4 kuš2-u3 {d}en-lil2-la2-ka {ĝiš}igi-tab-bi-me-en

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.