Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta

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

493
a-sal-bar-bi im-šu2-ra-ke4 šu ⌈ḫa⌉-[ma-ni]-ib-tag-ge
494
ĝissu-bi kalam-[ma ḫa-ma]-ni-ib-la2-la2-e
495
inim dug4-ga-ni […]-?-a-ka
496
ĝiškim-a-ni [e-ne-ra] dug4-mu-na-ab
497
ud-ba ? […]-⌈ka⌉-am3
498
[…] barag-ga dur2 ĝar-ra numun nun-na-ke4-ne
499
[X X] 1(DIŠ)-a mu2-a
500
dug4-ga-ni [maḫ]-am3 šag4-bi su-su-a-am3
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:
501
kiĝ2-gi4-a ka-ni dugud šu nu-mu-un-da-an-gi4-gi4
502
bar kiĝ2-gi4-a ka-ni dugud šu nu-mu-un-da-an-gi4-gi4-da-ka
503
en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ke4 im-e šu bi2-in-ra inim dub-gin7 ⌈bi2-in⌉-gub
504
ud-bi-ta inim im-ma gub-bu nu-ub-ta-ĝal2-la
505
i3-ne-eš2 {d}utu ud ne-a ur5 ḫe2-en-na-nam-ma-am3
506
en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ke4 ⌈inim⌉ [dub-gin7] ⌈bi2⌉-in-gub ur5 ⌈ḫe2⌉-[en-na]-nam-ma
507
kiĝ2-gi4-a mušen-gin7 a2 dub2 i3-ak-e
508
ur-bar-ra maš2-e us2-sa-gin7 guru5-uš i3-bur2-bur2-re
509
ḫur-saĝ 5 ḫur-saĝ 6 ḫur-saĝ 7-e im-me-re-bal-bal
510
igi mu-un-il2 aratta{ki}-aš ba-te
511
kisal aratta{ki}-ka ĝiri3 ḫul2-la mi-ni-in-gub
512
nam-nir-ĝal2 lugal-a-na mu-un-zu
513
bur2-ra-bi inim šag4-ga-na bi2-ib2-be2
514
kiĝ2-gi4-a en aratta{ki}-ra mu-na-ab-bal-e
515
a-a-zu lugal-[ĝu10] mu-e-ši-in-gi4-in-nam
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?
516
en unug{ki}-⌈ga⌉ ⌈en⌉ kul-aba4{ki}-a-ke4 mu-[e-ši]-in-gi4-in-nam
517
lugal-zu ⌈dug4⌉-[ga-ni] nam-ĝu10 taḫ-a-ni nam-ĝu10
518
lugal-ĝu10 [a-na bi2]-⌈in⌉-dug4 a-na bi2-in-taḫ-am3
This is what my master has spoken, this is what he has said. My king is like a huge meš 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 ĝipar, fruitful as a flourishing meš tree, to my king, the lord of Kulaba.
519
lugal-ĝu10 [{ĝiš}meš3] gal dumu {d}en-lil2-la2-ke4
520
ĝiš-bi [an ki]-da mu2-a
521
⌈pa⌉-[bi an-ne2] us2-sa-am3
522
[ur2-bi ki-a] gub-ba-bi
523
nam-en nam-lugal-la pa e3 ak-a
524
en-me-er-kar2 dumu {d}utu-ke4 im ma-an-šum2
525
en aratta{ki}-ke4 im igi u3-ni-bar šag4 inim-ma u3-bi2-zu
526
a-na ma-ab-be2-en-na-bi u3-mu-e-dug4
527
a ru-a sun4 {na4}za-gin3 keše2-da-ar
528
ab2 kal-la-ga-ni kur me sikil-la-ka tud-da-ar
529
saḫar aratta{ki}!(unug{ki}-ga)-ka a2 e3-a-ar
530
ubur ab2 zid-da-ka ga gu7-a-ar
531
kul-aba4{ki} kur me gal-gal-la-ka nam-en-na tum2-ma-ar
532
en-me-er-kar2 dumu {d}utu-ra
533
inim-bi eš3 e2-an-na-ka inim dug3 ga-mu-na-ab-dug4
534
ĝi6-par4 {ĝiš}meš3 gibil-gin7 gurun il2-la-na
535
lugal-ĝu10 en kul-aba4{ki}-ra šu-a ga-mu-na-ab-gi4
536
ur5-gin7 ḫu-mu-na-ab-be2-a-ka
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 Iškur, 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:
537
en aratta{ki}-ke4 kiĝ2-gi4-a-ar
538
im šu-rin-na-ni šu ba-ši-in-ti
539
en aratta{ki}-ke4 im-ma igi i-ni-in-bar
540
inim dug4-ga gag-am3 saĝ-ki mi-re2-da-am3
541
en aratta{ki}-ke4 im šu-rin-na-ni igi im-bar-bar-re
542
ud-ba en men nam-en-na tum2-ma dumu {d}en-lil2-la2-ke4
543
{d}iškur an ki-a gu3 nun-bi di-dam
544
ud du7-du7 ug gal-la ki [X X]-ka nam-mi-ni-in-gub
545
kur-kur […] ⌈mu-un⌉-tuku4-tuku4-e
546
ḫur-saĝ [… mu]-⌈un⌉-da-peš11-peš11-e
547
ni2 [me]-? [X X] gaba-na ĝal2-la-bi
548
ḫur-saĝ giri17-zal-la gu3 mi-ni-in-il2
549
aratta{ki} bar ud-bi šag4 ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2-ka
550
gig ni2-bi mu2-a gu2 ni2-bi an-ga-mu2-a
551
gig ni2-bi mu2-a guru7 [X (X)]-ka
552
en aratta{ki}-ra mu-na-ni-in-⌈ku4⌉-[ku4]
553
kisal aratta{ki}-a-ka igi-ni-še3 i-im-?
554
en aratta{ki}-ke4 gig-e igi bi2-in-du8
555
kiĝ2-gi4-a igi sag3-sag3-a-ni mu-un-ši-ib-UR2×KID2-UR2×KID2-e
556
en aratta{ki}-ke4 kiĝ2-gi4-a-ar gu3 mu-un-na-de2-e
557
maḫ-bi {d}inana nin kur-kur-ra-ke4
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-zagin, 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.
558
iri-ni aratta{ki} šu li-bi2-in-dag li-bi2-in-kal unug{ki}-e la-ba-an-KA
559
e2-za-gin3-na-ka-ni šu li-bi2-in-dag li-bi2-in-kal eš3 e2-an-na-ka la-ba-an-KA
560
kur me sikil-la-ka šu li-bi2-in-dag li-bi2-in-kal šeg12 kul-aba4{ki}-a-ke4 la-ba-an-KA
561
ĝiš-nu2 še-er-kan2 dug4 šu li-bi2-in-dag li-bi2-in-kal ĝiš-nu2 gi-rin-na la-ba-an-KA
562
en-ra šu sikil-la-ka-ni šu li-bi2-in-dag li-bi2-in-kal en unug{ki}-ga en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ra la-ba-an-KA
563
aratta{ki} zid-da gab2-bu-ba
564
{d}inana nin kur-kur-ra-ke4
565
a maḫ e3-a-gin7 mu-un-na-niĝin2-niĝin2
566
lu2-be2-ne lu2-lu2-ta dar-a
567
lu2 {d}dumu-zid-de3 lu2-ta e3-a-me-eš
568
inim kug {d}inana ki-bi-še3 ĝar-ĝar-me-eš
569
ur igi-ĝal2-la ⌈DA⌉.A.SAR {d}dumu-zid-da ḫe2-ši-im-niĝin2-niĝin2
570
⌈ul4 ĝa2-nam-ma⌉ dumu ur4-[…]
571
[igi] a-ma-ru-ka gub-ba-me-eš
572
eĝer a-ma-ru ba-ur3-ra-ta
573
{d}inana nin kur-kur-ra-ke4
574
nam gal ki aĝ2 {d}dumu-zid-da-ke4
575
a nam-til3-la-ka mu-un-ne-sud-sud
576
gu2 kalam-ma-ka ĝiš mu-un-ne-en-ĝal2
577
ur igi-ĝal2-la du-a-ni
The clever champion, when he came, had covered his head with a colourful turban, and wrapped himself in a garment of lion skins. (4 lines unclear) Inana ……. Her song was pleasing to her spouse, Ama-ušumgal-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.
578
{tug2}saĝšu gun3-a ugu-na i-im-šu2
579
{tug2}piriĝ-piriĝ-⌈ĝa2⌉ zag mu-ni-in-keše2
580
[X] il2-⌈la⌉ X ? mi-ni-in-du8-[X]-⌈am3⌉
581
[…]-te-na mi-ni-in-dug4
582
[…] nin […] ⌈ba⌉-an-PAdi
583
[…]-a-ni
584
[…] {d}inana
585
en3-du-ni {d}ama-ušumgal-an-na nitalam-a-na ba-dug3
586
ud-bi-ta ĝeštug2 kug ⌈ĝeštug2⌉ [kug] {d}dumu-zid-da-ke4
587
šu mu-ni-in-du7 šir3 mu-⌈ni⌉-[in]-dug4 inim mu-ni-in-zu
588
um-ma kur me sikil-še3 du-a-ni
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. (3 lines missing)
589
ki-sikil ud-da-na til-la-gin7 im-ma-na-ta-e3
590
šembi2-zid-da igi-na mu-un-gun3
591
[tug2] babbar-ra zag mu-ni-in-keše2
592
[aga] zid-da iti6-gin7 mu-un-e3

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.