Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta.
25-32 ...... 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. 33-37 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: 38-64 "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." 65-68 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: 69-104 "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!" 105-107 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? 108-133 "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." " 134-155 "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." 156-157 The lord added further instructions for the messenger going to the mountains, to Aratta: 158-159 "Messenger, by night, drive on like the south wind! By day, be up like the dew!" 160-175 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: 176-178 "Your father, my master, has sent
me to you; the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba, has sent
me to you." 179-207 "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?") 208-217 "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." 218-226 When he had spoken thus to him,
(the lord of Aratta replied): 227-235 When he had spoken thus to him,
the messenger replied to the lord of Aratta: 236-241Thereupon, 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: 242-273 "Messenger! Speak to your king,
the lord of Kulaba, and say to him:
281-293 "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." 294-307After 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: 308-338 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: 339-346 "Messenger, speak to the lord of
Aratta and say to him: 347-365 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 ....... 2 lines unclear 366-370 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. 371-372 "As for us, in the direst hunger, in our direst famine, let us prostrate ourselves before the lord of Kulaba!" 373-377 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: 378-379 "Your father, my master, sent me to you. Enmerkar, the son of Utu, sent me to you." 380-388 "What is it to me what your master
has spoken? What is it to me what he has said?" 389-393 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. 394-396 And what did one speak to another? What did one say to another? What one said to another, so indeed it was. 397-411 "Messenger, speak to your king,
the lord of Kulaba, and say to him: 412-443 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: 444-453 "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?" 454-455 The lord of Aratta entrusted a message to the messenger as if it were an important tablet: 456-461 "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." 462-469 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: 470-499 "Messenger! Speak to the lord of
Aratta and say to him: 500-514 His speech was substantial, and
its contents extensive. 515-517 "Your father, my master, has sent
me to you; the lord of Unug, the lord of Kulaba, has sent me to you." 518-535 "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." 536-556 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: 557-576 "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." 577-587 The clever champion, when he came,
had covered his head with a colourful turban, and wrapped himself in a
garment of lion skins.
588-610 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: 611-625 (An unidentified person speaks:)
"...... befitting ......, ...... the ilu song of the heart, ...... 626-636 "Come, my king, I shall offer you
advice:
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volker doormann - 2004.02.11