According to this myth, Enki, as the god of water, creates the city of Eridu, raising it from the watery abyss of Abzu. Enki then goes to Nippur to Enlil so that he, as the supreme god, will consecrate and bless the new city.
In the old days, when destinies were decided,
In the bountiful year born of An,
When people, like grass, made their way out of the ground,
Lord Abzu, King Enki,
Enki is the lord who decides fates,
He built his house from silver-lapis lazuli!
The silver and lapis lazuli shine in it like day!
He brought joy to the Abzu sanctuary!
His superior form comes from Abzu!
All (the gods) appeared before Enki the Lord.
He built a house from silver, colored it with lapis lazuli,
Decorated it richly with gold,
He built a house on the banks of the Eredu!
His brick is a talking one, giving advice!
Its thatched roof roars like a bull!
The house of Enki is crying out loud!
At night he praises the owner’s house and wishes him well!
Servant Isimud insinuatingly says to Enki's master,
He stands near the house and calls to him,
He stands by the brick and addresses it:
"A house founded on silver-lapis lazuli,
Whose foundation is poured into the Abzu,
Whom Enki of the Abzu cares for,
Which, like the Tigris and Euphrates, terrifies -
Abzu Enki you bring joy!
Your bolt has no equal!
Your castle is a terrible lion!
Your roof is the bull of heaven, its shape is perfect!
Your mat is lapis lazuli that adorns the roof!
Your vault is like a bull that has raised its horn!
Your gate is a lion seizing a man!
Your threshold is a leopard rushing at a person!
Abzu! The place is clean and decorated!
E-Engura! Your master has placed his foot upon you!
Enki, King of the Abzu,
I likened your foundation to carnelian!
He carefully pronounced the lapis lazuli spell!
Lalhar, house of Enki - refined silver,
A bull, obedient to his master,
Giving advice with his roar!
E-Engura Enki - a reed stylus bestowed by the light An!
A high throne has been established in your depths!
Your threshold is the sacred staircase of Ana!
Abzu is a pure place where destinies are determined!
Lord of Mind, King Enki,
Nudimmud, king of Eredu,
Will not let anyone look into the depths of Abzu!
Your abgal priest throws his hair behind his back!
Eredu, beloved of Enki!
E-Engura, whose heart is full of abundance!
Abzu, life of the Country, beloved of Enki!
A house erected on the edge, carrying perfect ME!
Eredu! Your shadow extends to the core of the sea!
The angry sea, which has no rival,
A high river that brings terror to the body of the Country,
Oh E-Engura! The great flood has touched the earth!
House on the edge of the Abyss, leopard of the depths of Abzu,
The high house of Enki, the giver of intelligence to the Country!
Your singer is like a river in flood,
Enki sings loudly to his master!
He prepared all the best for his bright home:
Lyra-zami, plectrum,
Kharhar, lira-sabitu, lira-miritu filled the house!
Together they jumped:
The sacred plectrums of Enki sounded,
All drums-teags have scored shots!
Enki's word is irrevocable,
The word does not know his return! "
This is what Isimud said to the brick,
Glorifying E-Enguru with a sweet song.
When it was built, when it was built,
When Enki Eredu erected -
A wooded mountain filled with water reaching
Whose sanctuaries are based on reed trunks -
When in his wonderful gardens the fruits filled with juice,
Then the birds hung their paws from the branches,
Large carp frolicked in the honey thickets for him,
Swamp carps moved their tails among the young reeds for him.
When Enki gets up, all the fish on the waves stand in front of him!
He brought amazement to Abzu,
He brought joy to Enguru,
Like the sea, he brought horror,
Like a river in flood, it is filled with fear!
The South Wind, cruel for him, rose over the Euphrates!
His pole is like a snake!
His oars are like stunted reeds!
When Enki set sail, the year of plenty was full!
The boat left the harbor, the rope was untied from the gangway!
From the house of Eredu that he left,
The river gave advice to the owner,
Her voice is the voice of a calf, the voice of a good cow!
Enki slaughtered the bulls and sacrificed the sheep.
Where there are no drums, he returned them to their place,
Where there are no bronze ub-drums, he brought them to their place!
He directed his steps towards Nippur alone,
He entered Giguna, the sanctuary of Nippur!
Enki approached with beer, approached with wine,
He poured wine into large bronze vessels,
At the same time he prepared spelled beer,
He prepared wort for delicious beer in a kukurru vessel,
I poured date syrup into my spout and improved the quality of the beer!
After the wort had turned into syrup, he set it to cool!
Enki at the sanctuary of Nippur
He arranged a feast for Enlil, his father!
Ana sat on a high place,
He brought Enlil to Anu,
Nintu sat on the corner of honor,
He imprisoned the Anunnaki!
People gave them beer to drink, wine to please them,
They made the bronze bowls big,
The gods started a dispute over the bronze bowls of the goddess Urash.
The tilimda vessels, like a sacred boat, sparkled!
Having drunk beer and enjoyed wine,
Sticking your feet out of the house,
Enlil in Nippur was filled with joy,
Enlil addressed the Anunnaki:
"O great gods standing here!
The Anunnaki, who have come to the place of Assembly!
My son, King Enki, built a house,
Like a wooded mountain, he brought Eredu out of the land,
He built a house in a sacred place!
Eredu is a clean place, it is inaccessible for entry!
A house built of silver, decorated with lapis lazuli!
A house that builds tiga drums in a row and casts spells!
Sacred songs praise the house together!
To the Sanctuary of the Abzu, to the good fortune of Enki, bearing the beautiful MEs,
Ered, the bright house erected,
Glory to Enki's father!"
Translation from New Sumerian by V.V. Emelyanov according to the publication: Al-Fouadi A.-H.A. Enki's Journey to Nippur: The Journeys of the Gods. Ann Arbor, 1969, pp. 69-76
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru