Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 643 sections

197
kug-me-a saḫar-ba zag u3-ba-ni-in-us2
198
kug saĝ-PA-še3 u3-mu-un-dim2-dim2
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anše kur-kur-ra-ke4 barag um-mi-in-la2-la2
200
ĝe26-e-še3-am3 {d}en-lil2 ban3-da ki-en-gi-ra-ke4
201
en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e šag4 kug-ge pad3-da
202
kur me sikil-la-ke4 ḫa-ma-du3-e
203
{ĝiš}taškarin-gin7 ḫi-li ḫa-ma-ab-ak
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{d}utu agrun-ta e3-a-gin7 si-muš2 ḫa-ma-ab-gun3-gun3
205
zag-du8-zag-du8-ba urin ḫa-ma-mul-e
206
e2-nun-e2-nun-ba šir3 kug nam-šub du12-a-ba
207
[nam-šub] {d}nu-dim2-mud-ke4 ĝa2-ra dug4-⌈mu⌉-[na-ab]
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a-na ma-ab-be2-en-na-bi u3-mu-[e-dug4]
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 ĝipar, fruitful as a flourishing meš tree, to my king, the lord of Kulaba.
209
a ru-a sun4 {na4}za-gin3 [keše2]-da-[ar]
210
ab2 kal-la-ga-ni kur me sikil-la-ka [tud-da-ar]
211
saḫar aratta{ki}-ka a2 e3-[a-ar]
212
ubur ab2 zid-da ga gu7-[a-ar]
213
kul-aba4{ki} kur me gal-gal-la-ka nam-nun-na tum2-ma
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en-me-er-kar2 dumu {d}utu-ra
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inim-bi eš3 e2-an-na-ka inim dug3 ga-na-ab-dug4
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ĝi6-par4 {ĝiš}meš3 gibil-gin7 gurun il2-la-na
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lugal-ĝu10 en kul-aba4{ki}-ra šu-a ga-mu-na-ab-gi4
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ur5-gin7 ḫu-mu-na-ab-be2-a-ka
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.
219
kiĝ2-gi4-a lugal-zu en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ra u3-na-dug4 u3-na-de3-taḫ
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ĝe26-e-me-en en šu sikil-la tum2-ma
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{ĝiš}rab3 maḫ an-na nin an ki-ke4
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in-nin9 me šar2-ra kug {d}inana-ke4
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aratta{ki} kur me sikil-la-še3 ḫu-mu-un-de6-en
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kur-ra {ĝiš}ig gal-gin7 igi-ba bi2-in-tab-en
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aratta{ki} unug{ki}-še3 gu2 a-gin7 i3-ĝa2-ĝa2
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aratta{ki} unug{ki}-še3 gu2 ĝa2-ĝa2 nu-ĝal2 e-ne-ra dug4-mu-na-ab
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ur5-gin7 ḫu-mu-na-ab-be2-a-ka
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.
228
kiĝ2-gi4-a en aratta{ki}-ra mu-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
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nin gal an-na me ḫuš-a u5-a
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ḫur-saĝ kur šuba-ka dur2 ĝar-ra
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barag kur šuba-ka še-er-ka-an dug4-ga
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en lugal-ĝu10 šubur-a-ni-im
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diĝir nin e2-an-na-ka mu-un-di-ni-ib-kur9-re-eš
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en aratta{ki} gu2 ki-še3 ba-ni-in-ĝal2
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šeg12 kul-aba4{ki}-a-ka ur5-gin7 ḫu-mu-na-ab-be2
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ud-bi-a en-e šag4 mu-un-sag3 zi mu-un-ir-ir
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:
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gaba-ri nu-mu-da-ĝal2 gaba-ri i3-kiĝ2-kiĝ2
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ĝiri3 ni2-te-a-na-ka igi lib-ba bi2-in-du8-ru gaba-ri i3-pad3-de3
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gaba-ri in-pad3 gu3 im-ta-an-e3
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kiĝ2-gi4-a inim-ma gaba ri-bi
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gud-gin7 gu3 nun mu-un-di-ni-ib-be2
242
kiĝ2-⌈gi4-a⌉ lugal-zu en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ra u3-na-dug4 u3-na-de3-taḫ
Messenger! Speak to your king, the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: This great mountain range is a meš 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 10 men, how can mobilised 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 ĝipar, fruitful as a flourishing meš 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.
243
ḫur-saĝ gal {ĝiš}meš3 an-da mu2-a
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ur2-bi-še3 sa-par4-am3 pa-bi ĝiš-bur2-am3
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buru5 umbin-bi anzud{mušen} ḫu-ri2-in{mušen}-na
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keše2-da [{d}]inana-⌈ka⌉ šar2 dug4-ge gib-ba
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umbin ḫu-ri2-in{mušen}-bi u3-mun kur-ra kur šuba-da ed3-da
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aratta{ki} er2 [še8-še8 …]
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a bal-bal-am3 zid2 dub-dub-ba-am3
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kur-ra sizkur a-ra-zu-a giri17 šu ĝal2-la-am3
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lu2 5 nu-me-a lu2 10 nu-me-a
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unug{ki} zig3-ga ḫur-saĝ zubi-še3 saĝ a-gin7 i3-ĝa2-ĝa2
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lugal-zu {ĝiš}tukul-ĝa2 saĝ ḫa-ba-an-šum2
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ĝe26-e a-da-min3-na saĝ ⌈ga-ba⌉-an-šum2
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a-da-min3 nu-um-zu teš2 [nu]-⌈um⌉-gu7
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gud-de3 ⌈gud⌉ !-ĝal2-bi [nu-um]-zu
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[a-da]-⌈min3⌉ um-zu teš2 um-[gu7]
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[gud]-⌈de3⌉ gud !-ĝal2-bi um-⌈zu⌉
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[e]-⌈ne⌉ a-da-min3 mi-ni-in-taka4-taka4-an
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[…]-⌈gin7⌉ niĝ2 lu2 nu-sig10-ge
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[e]-ne in-ga-mu-ni-in-taka4-taka4-an
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[2-kam]-ma-še3 kiĝ2-gi4-a inim mu-ra-be2-en
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[…] de2-a ša-ra-ab-galam-e-en DU-a ḫe2-mu-e-ši-dib
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[e2]-an-na piriĝ šu-ba nu2-a
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šag4-bi-ta gud gu3 nun di-dam
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ĝi6-par4 {ĝiš}meš3 gibil-gin7 gurun il2-la-na
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lugal-zu en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ra šu-a gi4-mu-na-ab
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ḫur-saĝ ur-saĝ sukud sig9-ga-am3
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an-usan-na {d}utu e2-bi-še3 du-gin7
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igi-bi-ta uš2 la2-la2-e-gin7
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{d}nanna si-un3-na maḫ-a-gin7
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saĝ-ki-bi me-lem4 ĝal2-la-gin7
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ĝiš-gin7 kur-kur-ra gib-ba-gin7
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saĝ muš3 aratta{ki}-ke4
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.
275
{d}lamma sag9-ga kur me sikil-la-še3
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ud-da aratta{ki} aga kug an-na-gin7 si mu-na-an-sa2
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ĝe26-e ud-ba nam-maḫ-ĝu10 ga-an-zu
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še barag-ga nam-mu-un-sig9-si-ig-ge mar-e nam-me-e
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še-bi kur-kur-ra nam-il2-e
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erin2-na mu-un-kud nam-mu-un-ĝa2-ĝa2
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še {sa}al-kad5-e u3-mu-ni-in-si-si
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.
282
anše barag la2-e um-mi-in-la2
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anše-bal-e da-bi-a a-ba-an-sig10
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tukum-bi kisal aratta{ki}-ka guru7-še3 mu-dub-be2
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i3-ge-en am3-dub-be2 guru7-a ḫi-li-bi
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kur-kur-ra izi ĝar-ra-bi a2-dam me-te-bi
287
bad3 7-e še-er-ka-an dug4-ga
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nin ur-saĝ me3-a tum2-ma
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{d}inana ur-saĝ me3 saḫar-ra-ke4 saĝ ešemen {d}inana di-dam
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i3-ge-en aratta{ki} ur ad6 sar-gin7 šu-ta im-ta-ri
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ĝe26-e ud-ba ša-ba-na-gam-e-de3-en
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e-ne nam-maḫ-a-ni ši-im-ma-an-zu-zu-un
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iri-gin7 nam-tur-ĝa2 gu2 ši-im-ma-ĝa2-ĝa2-an e-ne-ra dug4-mu-na-ab
294
ur5-gin7 ḫu-mu-na-ab-be2-a-ka
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?
295
kiĝ2-gi4-a en aratta{ki}-ke4
296
ka-ni-gin7 inim ka-na ba-an-sig10

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.