Dilmun land

1-4. Pure are the cities – and you are the ones to whom they are allotted. Pure is Dilmun land. Pure is Sumer – and you are the ones to whom it is allotted.

Pure, Virginal, and Pristine is Dilmun land.

5-10. He laid her down all alone in Dilmun, and the place where Enki had lain down with his spouse Ninsikila, that place was virginal, that place was pristine.

11-16. In Dilmun, the raven was not yet cawing, the partridge not cackling.

he lion did not slay, the wolf was not carrying off lambs, the dog had not been taught to make kids curl up, the pig had not learned that grain was to be eaten.

17-19. When a widow has spread malt on the roof, the birds did not yet eat that malt up there.

The pigeon then did not tuck the head under its wing.

20-26. No eye-diseases said there: “I am the eye disease.”

No headache said there: “I am the headache.”

No old woman belonging to it said there: “I am an old woman.”

No old man belonging to it said there: “I am an old man.”

No maiden in her unwashed state …… in the city.

No man dredging a river said there: “It is getting dark.”

No herald made the rounds in his border district.

27-28. No singer sang an elulam there. No wailings were wailed in the city’s outskirts there.

29-32. Ninsikila said to her father Enki: “You have given a city, Dilum. What does your giving avail me?”

33-39. “You have given ……, a city that has no river quay.

1 line fragmentary “A city that has no fields, glebe or furrow” 3 lines missing

40-43. (Enki answered Ninsikila:) “When Utu steps up into heaven, fresh waters shall run out of the ground for you from the standing vessels (?) on Ezen’s (?) shore, from Nanna’s radiant high temple, from the mouth of the waters running underground.”

44-49. “May the waters rise up from it into your great basins.

May your city drink water aplenty from them. May Dilmun drink water aplenty from them. May your pools of salt water become pools of fresh water.

May your city become an emporium on the quay for the Land. May Dilmun become an emporium on the quay for the Land.”

{(Possible insertion point for additional lines in a ms. from Urim:)

49A-49P. “May the land of Tukric hand over to you gold from Harali, lapis lazuli and …….

May the land of Meluha load precious desirable cornelian, mec wood of Magan and the best abba wood into large ships for you.

May the land of Marhaci yield you precious stones, topazes.

May the land of Magan offer you strong, powerful copper, dolerite, u stone and cumin stone.

May the Sea-land offer you its own ebony wood, …… of a king.

May the ‘Tent’-lands offer you fine multicoloured wools. May the land of Elam hand over to you choice wools, its tribute.

May the manor of Urim, the royal throne dais, the city ……, load up into large ships for you sesame, august raiment, and fine cloth. May the wide sea yield you its wealth.”

49Q-49V. Dilmun’s dwellings are good dwellings.

Its grains are little grains, its dates are big dates, its harvests are triple ……, its wood is …… wood.

50-54. At that moment, on that day, and under that sun, when Utu stepped up into heaven, from the standing vessels (?) on Ezen’s (?) shore, from Nanna’s radiant high temple, from the mouth of the waters running underground, fresh waters ran out of the ground for her.

55-62. The waters rose up from it into her great basins. Her city drank water aplenty from them.

Dilmun drank water aplenty from them.

Her pools of salt water indeed became pools of fresh water.

Her fields, glebe and furrows indeed produced grain for her.

Dilmun became an emporium on the quay for the Land. At that moment, on that day, and under that sun, so it happened.