Enki and the world order

1-16. Grandiloquent lord of heaven and earth, self-reliant, Father Enki, engendered by a bull, begotten by a wild bull, cherished by Enlil, the Great Mountain, beloved by holy An, king, meš tree planted in the Abzu, rising over all lands;

Great dragon who stands in Eridug, whose shadow covers heaven and earth, a grove of vines extending over the Land, Enki, lord of plenty of the Anuna gods, Nudimmud, mighty one of the E-kur, strong one of heaven and earth!

Your great house is founded in the Abzu, the great mooring-post of heaven and earth. Enki, from whom a single glance is enough to unsettle the heart of the mountains;

Wherever bison are born, where stags are born, where ibex are born, where wild goats are born, in meadows ……, in hollows in the heart of the hills, in green …… unvisited by man, you have fixed your gaze on the heart of the Land as on split reeds.

17-31. Counting the days and putting the months in their houses, so as to complete the years and to submit the completed years to the assembly for a decision, taking decisions to regularise the days:

Father Enki, you are the king of the assembled people. You have only to open your mouth for everything to multiply and for plenty to be established.

Your branches …… green with their fruit ……, …… do honour to the gods. …… in its forests is like a fleecy garment. Good sheep and good lambs do honour to ……. When …… the prepared fields, …… will accumulate stockpiles and stacks.

…… there is oil, there is milk, produced by the sheepfold and cow-pen.

The shepherd sweetly sings his rustic song, the cowherd spends the day rocking his churns. Their products would do honour to the late lunches in the gods’ great dining hall.

32-37. Your word fills the young man’s heart with vigour, so that like a thick-horned bull he butts about in the courtyard. Your word bestows loveliness on the young woman’s head, so that the people in their settled cities gaze at her in wonder.

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38-47. Enlil, the Great Mountain, has commissioned you to gladden the hearts of lords and rulers and wish them well. Enki, lord of prosperity, lord of wisdom, lord, the beloved of An, the ornament of Eridug, who establish commands and decisions, who well understands the decreeing of fates:

you close up the days ……, and make the months enter their houses. You bring down ……, you have reached their number. You make the people dwell in their dwelling places ……, you make them follow their herdsman …….

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50-51. You turn weapons away from their houses ……, you make the people safe in their dwellings …….

52-60. When Father Enki goes forth to the inseminated people, good seed will come forth.

When Nudimmud goes forth to the good pregnant ewes, good lambs will be born; when he goes forth to the fecund cows, good calves will be born; whe he goes forth to the good pregnant goats, good kids will be born. If you go forth to the cultivated fields, to the good germinating fields, stockpiles and stacks can be accumulated on the high plain.

If you go forth to the parched areas of the Land,

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61-80. Enki, the king of the Abzu, rejoicing in great splendour, justly praises himself: “My father, the king of heaven and earth, made me famous in heaven and earth.

My elder brother, the king of all the lands, gathered up all the divine powers and placed them in my hand. I brought the arts and crafts from the E-kur, the house of Enlil, to my Abzu in Eridug. I am the good semen, begotten by a wild bull, I am the first born of An.

I am a great storm rising over the great earth, I am the great lord of the Land. I am the principal among all rulers, the father of all the foreign lands. I am the big brother of the gods, I bring prosperity to perfection.

I am the seal-keeper of heaven and earth.

I am the wisdom and understanding of all the foreign lands. With An the king, on An’s dais, I oversee justice. With Enlil, looking out over the lands, I decree good destinies. He has placed in my hands the decreeing of fates in the place where the sun rises. I am cherished by Nintur. I am named with a good name by Ninḫursaĝa. I am the leader of the Anuna gods.

I was born as the firstborn son of holy An.”

81-83. After the lord had proclaimed his greatness, after the great prince had eulogised himself, the Anuna gods stood there in prayer and supplication:

84-85. “Praise be to Enki, the much-praised lord who controls all the arts and crafts, who takes decisions!”

86-88. In a state of high delight Enki, the king of the Abzu, rejoicing in great splendour, again justly praises himself: “I am the lord, I am one whose word is reliable, I am one who excels in everything.”

89-99. “At my command, sheepfolds have been built, cow-pens have been fenced off. When I approach heaven, a rain of abundance rains from heaven. When I approach earth, there is a high carp-flood.

When I approach the green meadows, at my word stockpiles and stacks are accumulated. I have built my house, a shrine, in a pure place, and named it with a good name. I have built my Abzu, a shrine, in ……, and decreed a good fate for it.

The shade of my house extends over the …… pool. By my house the suḫur carp dart among the honey plants, and the eštub carp wave their tails among the small gizi reeds. The small birds chirp in their nests.”

100-122. “The lords pay heed …… to me. I am Enki! They stand before me, praising me. The abgal priests and abrig officials who …… stand before me …… distant days.

The enkum and ninkum officiants organise ……. They purify the river for me, they …… the interior of the shrine for me.

In my Abzu, sacred songs and incantations resound for me. My barge ‘Crown’, the ‘Stag of the Abzu’, transports me there most delightfully.

It glides swiftly for me through the great marshes to wherever I have decided, it is obedient to me. The stroke-callers make the oars pull in perfect unison. They sing for me pleasant songs, creating a cheerful mood on the river.

Niĝir-sig, the captain of my barge, holds the golden sceptre for me. I am Enki! He is in command of my boat ‘Stag of the Abzu’. I am the lord! I will travel! I am Enki! I will go forth into my Land! I, the lord who determines the fates, ……,”

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123-130. “I will admire its green cedars. Let the lands of Meluḫa, Magan and Dilmun look upon me, upon Enki.

Let the Dilmun boats be loaded (?) with timber.

Let the Magan boats be loaded sky-high.

Let the magilum boats of Meluḫa transport gold and silver and bring them to Nibru for Enlil, king of all the lands.”

131-133. He presented animals to those who have no city, to those who have no houses, to the Martu nomads.

134-139. The Anuna gods address affectionately the great prince who has travelled in his Land:

“Lord who rides upon the great powers, the pure powers, who controls the great powers, the numberless powers, foremost in all the breadth of heaven and earth; who received the supreme powers in Eridug, the holy place, the most esteemed place, Enki, lord of heaven and earth – praise!”

140-161. All the lords and rulers, the incantation-priests of Eridug and the linen-clad priests of Sumer, perform the purification rites of the Abzu for the great prince who has travelled in his land; for Father Enki they stand guard in the holy place, the most esteemed place.

They …… the chambers ……, they …… the emplacements, they purify the great shrine of the Abzu ……. They bring there the tall juniper, the pure plant. They organise the holy …… in the great watercourse …… of Enki.

Skilfully they build the main stairway of Eridug on the Good Quay. They prepare the sacred uzga shrine, where they utter endless prayers.

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162-165. For Enki, …… squabbling together, and the suḫurmaš carp dart among the honey plants, again fighting amongst themselves for the great prince. The eštub carp wave their tails among the small gizi reeds.

166-181. The lord, the great ruler of the Abzu, issues instructions on board the ‘Stag of the Abzu’ – the great emblem erected in the Abzu, providing protection, its shade extending over the whole land and refreshing the people, the pillar and pole planted in the …… marsh, rising high over all the foreign lands.

The noble captain of the lands, the son of Enlil, holds in his hand the sacred punt-pole, a meš tree ornamented in the Abzu which received the supreme powers in Eridug, the holy place, the most esteemed place. The hero proudly lifts his head towards the Abzu.

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