One day, the ruler of Aratta, Ensukushsiranna, will send his messenger to the king of Uruk, Enmerkar. He demands that Uruk recognize him as ruler, and also wants to move the center of worship of the goddess Inanna to Aratta.
Enmerkar's answer is firm and full of contempt. He lists for a long time the favorites of which gods he is and is sincerely surprised why Inanna would exchange the brilliant city of Uruk for some Aratta. At the end of his speech, Enmerkar invites Ensukushsiranna to completely submit to him and then he will consider the incident settled.
The messenger brings the king of Uruk's answer to Aratta and Ensukushsiranna gathers a council of priests to make a decision. The ruler himself is inclined to fight with the arrogant Enmerkar. Here the priest, called “manmash” in the text, takes the floor, possibly a sorcerer. He tells the assembly that he will be able to subjugate the Urukites with the power of his magic. Ensukushsiranna's delight knows no bounds; he generously gifts the priest and sends him to Uruk.
On the way, the priest ends up in the stalls of the goddess Nidaba and drinks milk from the sacred cow and goat. Apparently he committed sacrilege because the sacred animals are losing their milk. The shepherds tearfully bow their knees in prayer to the great Sun God Utu.
The priest continues on his way, but on the banks of the Euphrates he meets the old Sagburra, possibly sent by one of the gods. They compete in witchcraft for some time and Sagburru, of course, wins. She tells the priest that he must have lost his mind if he dared to come to the beloved city of the gods, Uruk, and practice sorcery there. The priest, foreseeing his sad death, asks for mercy, but Sagburru is inexorable. She kills him and throws his body into the river.
As soon as Ensukushsiranna learned about the sad fate of the priest, he immediately sent envoys to Enmerkar and fully recognized his rule over himself and all the people of Aratta.
The walls rise in an azure glow
In Kulaba-grad, which grew in the universe,
In Uruk, whose name is like a rainbow,
That he touched the sky with a variegated arc,
It stands in the sky like a young moon.
Whose great Essences are arranged royally,
Whose most pure heights are laid on the good day,
Whose radiance in the country is like moonlight,
Whose shine in the country is like a clear day,
How. Taurus is young, like. little goat, born of abundance.
Uruk - its glory spread over the mountains,
Its radiations are pure silver, blissful -
It was as if Aratta had been covered with a cloak, as if it had been shrouded in a blanket.
Then, long ago, when the day was king,
The night was master, and the sun reigned,
Ansigaria - that was his name -
He was an advisor-envoy to the priest of the High Arapa,
Namenatumma - that was his name - was
Advisor-envoy to Enmerkar, priest of the High Kulab.
And the high priest - he was truly a master.
From time immemorial he was truly a master.
From the beginning he was truly a master.
God-born by birth - that’s what he was.
God-born by election - that's what he was.
And with such a man, the lord of Uruk, the lord of Kulab,
The high priest of Aratta, Ensukhkeshdanna, entered into an argument.
This is what he said to his messenger about Uruk:
“Let him obey me, let him put on my yoke!
And when he submits to me, yes, when he submits, then both he and I:
He truly lives with Inanna in Egar.
But I will also live with Inanna in Ezagin, the azure temple, in Aratta.
He reclines with her on the bed, on the shining bed.
But I, too, will lie down with her in sweet sleep on an adorned bed.
He sees Inanna in his night dreams.
I will be face to face with Inanna together in the clear light.
Truly he will eat the fat goose,
But I won't eat a fat goose.
I'll collect goose eggs in a basket,
I'll put his chicks in a box:
Little ones - for my little pot,
Large ones - for my big vat.
The goose will not live on the river bank.
All rulers will obey me,
I will have a meal with them."
This is the word he sent to Enmerkar.
The messenger set off like a mountain ram,
He flew like a wild falcon.
During the day he walked, and at dusk he camped for the night.
Like a flock of birds on a clear day
He rushed across the plateau.
Like a flock of birds when night falls
He took refuge in the depths of the mountains.
Like a stick thrown at a target, it reached its destination.
Like Shakkan's wild donkey, he climbed the steep slopes.
Like a huge mighty donkey, full of strength, so he rushed.
Like a flexible, race-ready donkey
He strove steadily forward.
A lion in a field on a day's hunt - so he ran tirelessly.
A wolf catching up with a lamb - so tirelessly he rushed.
Reaching its small villages,
He was filled with furious anger.
Reaching its large villages,
He was preparing for his speech.
He enters the high priest’s sacred chamber.
"My master sent me to you.
The High Priest of Aratta Ensukhkesdanna sent me to you.
My lord says this to you:
“Let him submit to me, let him put on my yoke.
And when he submits to me, yes, when he submits, then both he and I:
He truly lives with Inanna in Egar,
But I will also live with Inanna in Ezagin, the azure temple, in Aratta.
He reclines with her on the bed, on the shining bed.
But I will also lie down with her in a sweet dream, on an adorned bed.
He sees Inanna in his night dreams.
I will be with Inanna face to face in the clear light.
Truly he will eat the fat goose.
But I won't eat a fat goose.
I will collect goose eggs, I will put its chicks in a box:
Small ones - for my little bowl, large ones -
For my big vat.
The goose will not live on the river bank.
All rulers will obey me,
I will have a meal with them."
The Lord of Uruk is their oar-rule.
...he is their support pile.
... he is at the place of its foundation...
He is the falcon that flies in the sky, he is their snare-trap.
He goes to the bricks of the Aratta temple...
He is to Aratta... to her greatness.
He is preparing an answer in Arattu.
He studied the tablet carefully,
He read the sign carefully.
“He and Inanna want to live in Ezagin, the azure temple in Aratta!
But I, she lives with me when she descends from heaven to earth.
On an ornate bed in a sweet dream, he wants to lie with her!
But I am on Inanna’s sparkling bed, strewn with azure herbs!
And at his feet there is a mighty lion.
At the head there is a ferocious lion.
The mighty catches up with the fierce.
The fierce overtakes the mighty.
Mighty with ferocity in motion.
Fierce with the mighty in the whirl.
Not a day will pass, not even a night will pass,
And I will go to Inanna on a journey of fifteen double hours.
Utu has not yet cast an eye on my sacred courtyard,
And she will ascend into my sacred bright peace.
Enlil gave me a holy crown and a royal scepter.
Ninurta, child of Enlil,
Like a bottle of water, he nurtured me.
Aruru, sister of Enlil,
She fed me with her right breast, and she fed me with her left breast.
And when I was heading towards the wedding rest,
The priestess, like Anzud's chick, screamed.
I repeat, when I went there,
She's not a duckling, but she screamed like that.
From the city, her birthplace...
What other was erected like a citadel?
Truly, Inanna lives in Uruk, but what is Aratta?
She lives in the stronghold of Kulaba - what does she need?
Alien pure Essences?
And five years will pass, ten will pass -
She won't go to Aratta!
And why should she go to Aratta,
To her, the great bright lady Eana?
So they held the council together, everyone heeded his words.
She doesn't go to Aratta.
"He who has nothing, he does not eat fat goose!
But I'll let him eat the fat goose!
I'll collect goose eggs in a basket,
I’ll put his chicks in a box:
Small ones - for my little bowl, large ones -
For my big vat.
The goose will not live on the river bank.
The rulers will obey me, I will eat with them."
Enmerkar's messenger to Ensukhkesdanna,
To his sacred bright peace, to his shrines,
It is approaching his strongholds where he resides.
Ensukhkesdanna asks for advice. Looking for words to answer.
Priest-caster, priest-diviner,
the anointing priest and other people of the temple
They get together and hold council.
"What will I tell him? What will I tell him?
To the high priest of Uruk, to the high priest of Kulab,
What will I tell him?
His bull stood up in front of my bull.
The Bull of Uruk behaves arrogantly.
His people seem to have strength over mine.
Urukit behaves arrogantly.
His dog hovered over my dog.
The Uruk dog opened his throat."
The meeting he convened answered him frankly:
“You are superior to Urukita.
Enmerkar listed his great deeds to the messenger.
Enmerkar should not commit them.
It is you who must do them.
Let the heart make the decision.
Do as you please."
"Let my city become a hill,
I myself will become his shard -
Before the lord of Uruk, before the lord of Kulab
Let me not bow my neck!"
One sorcerer - his craft is a Hamazi craft.
Urgirnunna, his craft is a Hamazi craft.
When his city of Hamazu was destroyed, he moved to Aratta.
He practiced his witchcraft in hidden chambers.
Ansigaria the advisor says this:
"My lord, great city fathers!
Founding Elders of the Assembly!
Why don’t they give advice in the council chambers of the palace,
Don't they keep the council?
I will dig up the Uruk canals,
I will bow their necks to the shrine of Aratta!
Let the words of Uruk be confused.
With my great army, from the west to the east,
From the sea to the cedar mountains,
East to the mountains of fragrant cedars
I will make them bow their necks.
Urukites, may they draw good boats,
Let the boats be tied to the Ezagin of Aratta."
Ansigaria, the adviser of his city, stood up,
He bowed his head humbly.
Lines 151-152 are completely destroyed
"My lord, great city fathers!
The founding elders of the congregation.
Why don’t they give advice in the council chambers of the palace,
Don't they keep the council?
I will dig up the Uruk canals,
I will bow their necks to the shrine of Aratta!
Let the words of Uruk be confused.
With my great army from the west to the east,
From the sea to the cedar mountains,
East to the mountains of fragrant cedars
I will make them bow their necks.
Urukites, may they draw good boats,
Let the boats be tied to the Ezagin of Aratta."
How this pleased the Bishop!
He gave him five minas of gold.
He gave him five minas of silver.
He ordered him to eat sweet dishes, that’s what he told him.
He ordered sweet drinks to be drunk, that’s what he told him.
"And when his people are defeated,
...let them be in your hand!" - that's what he told him.
Sorcerer, sower of selected seeds,
He is on his way to Eresh, the city of Nisaba.
He enters the spacious pen where the cows live.
The cow in the pen shook her head anxiously.
He says a word to the cow, he speaks to her,
Like with a person.
"Cow, who eats your cream,
Who drinks your milk?"
"The goddess Nisaba eats my cream.
The goddess Nisaba drinks my milk.
My cheese, which is excellently made for the sacred courtyard,
Nisaba is truly worthy of a great, great feast, a feast.
My cream from the light paddocks
They will take it to the high priest.
My milk is from light paddocks
They will take it to the high priest.
Nisaba, wild holy cow, firstborn daughter
Enlil, truly will not allow man to rise."
"The cow - your cream - goes to your head,
Your milk goes into your womb!"
The cow - her cream has gone to her head,
Her milk went into the womb.
He approaches the clean stable, Nisaba's stable.
The goat in the barn shook her head anxiously.
He says a word to the goat, he speaks to her as to a person.
“Goat, who eats your cream, who drinks your milk?”
"The goddess Nisaba eats my cream.
The goddess Nisaba drinks my milk.
My cheese, which is excellently made for the sacred courtyard,
Nisaba is truly worthy of a great, great feast, a feast.
My cream from the light paddocks
They will take it to the high priest.
My milk is from the saint's stable
They will take it to the high priest.
Nisaba, wild sacred cow, firstborn daughter
Enlil, truly will not allow man to rise."
"Goat, your cream is in your head,
Your milk goes into your womb!"
Goat - her cream has gone to her head,
Her milk went into her womb.
On that day he made the pen and stable a house of silence,
He caused devastation there.
There is no milk in the cow's udder,
The day grew dark for her calf.
Little calf, he is hungry, he cries bitterly.
There is no milk in the goat's udder,
The day has grown dark for her little goat.
There is nothing for a goat and a kid to eat,
Their life is coming to an end.
The cow sadly says to the calf:
"The goat's kid died..."
The sacred churn is empty, famine has set in.
They are dying of hunger.
In those days he made the pen and stable a house of silence,
He caused devastation there.
The cow herder threw away his staff and his face turned green.
The shepherd-goatherd threw down his shepherd's staff,
Cries bitter tears.
Not in a hurry to the paddock and shed,
he wanders along long roads.
The milkman does not call out, he wanders along unfamiliar paths.
Cattle driver and shepherd of Nisaba,
Sons born of one mother,
They came out of the pen and stable.
The first - Mashgula - that was his name.
The second - Uredina - that was his name.
Together, before sunrise, at the main gate,
Where the wonders of the country are kept,
They prostrate themselves in the dust,
They turned to the heavenly Utu.
"The sorcerer from Aratta appeared in the pen.
He stole the milk from the pen, the calf had nothing to eat.
He caused damage in the pen and stable,
He stole milk and cream.
He cast witchcraft into the stable and pen,
He caused devastation."
...he came up
... looked around.
...towards Eresh.
On the banks of the Euphrates River, the river of the gods, the mighty stream,
Near the city whose fate An and Enlil decided,
She sits cross-legged.
Old Sagburu extended her hand to him.
They both threw the magical nun into the water.
The sorcerer caught a huge carp.
Old Sagburu took the eagle out of the water.
The eagle grabbed a huge carp and dragged it into the mountains.
The second time they threw the nun into the water.
The sorcerer pulled out a sheep with a lamb.
Old Sagburu took out the wolf.
The wolf grabbed a sheep with a lamb
And he dragged them into the vast steppes.
The third time they threw the nun into the water.
The sorcerer fished out a cow and a calf.
Old Sagburu pulled the lion out of the water.
The lion grabbed the cow and calf
and dragged him into the reed thickets.
The fourth time they threw the nun into the water.
The sorcerer fished out a mountain goat and a goat from the water.
Old Sagburu pulled the leopard out of the water.
The leopard grabbed the goat and the goat and dragged them into the mountains.
The fifth time they threw the nun into the water.
The sorcerer caught a baby goat of a wild gazelle.
Old Sagburu took the tiger and lion out of the water.
The tiger and the lion grabbed the kid and dragged him into the forest.
Magician! His face darkened, his mind became confused.
Old Sagburu says this to him:
"Sorcerer, in sorcery you mean
But where is your sanity?
As in Eresh, city of Nisaba,
The city for whom An and Enlil decide the destinies,
The primordial city that Ninlil loved,
How could you come to practice witchcraft?!
You did it without notifying me!
I know your strength, truly you have created bitterness!”
He fell to his knees, he begged for mercy:
"Let me go, let me go, sister!
I will return in peace to my city,
To Aratta, the land of alien bright Essences,
I will carry it to save my soul.
May I glorify Your power throughout all countries!
In Aratta, the land of alien bright Essences,
I will magnify your glory!"
Old Sagburu answers him like this:
"You have caused damage to the pen and stable,
You stole milk and cream.
You deprived them of their morning meal,
You deprived them of half a day's meal,
You deprived them of their evening meal.
You took the milk and cream
Big evening feast.
Truly a black thing you have done.
This is your sin - you didn’t bring milk and cream.
Lord Nanna in the fold and stable is truly
He gives milk.
He establishes guilt, he who is the giver of life."
Old Sagburu pulled the sorcerer's tongue.
His body was abandoned on the banks of the Euphrates.
He was deprived of the breath of life,
Eresh herself returned to her city.
Ensukhkesdanna, having heard about those affairs,
He sent a man to Enmerkar:
"You, lord, are the beloved of Inanna.
You alone are exalted.
Inanna righteously chose you for her holy womb,
Truly you are her favorite.
From west to east you are the great ruler of all,
I'm your subordinate
From creation I was not equal to you,
You are truly my elder brother.
I will never be able to compare with you."
So in the dispute between Enmerkar and Ensukhkesdanna
Enmerkar surpassed Ensukhkesdanna.
Praise be to you, goddess Nisaba!"
(translation by V.K. Afanasyeva)
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru