Position in chronology
An adab to Ninurta for Lipit-Eshtar (Lipit-Eshtar D)
Written in modern English
Ninurta is addressed as the mightiest of the Anuna gods, who emerges from the E-kur. His father Nunamnir — Enlil — shaped him like a great storm (the text is damaged here) and charged him to win victories on his behalf. His mother Nintud opened her creative hands over him, nursed him at her sweet breasts, and fed him milk that gave him strength. She built his body like that of a magnificent wild bull — his frame powerful, his limbs massive — and clothed him in awe-inspiring radiance and heroism. Then she took him by the right wrist and led him before his father in the E-kur, where she made her request: decide a great destiny for this son, your avenger.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLHero, mightiest of the Anuna gods, who comes forth from the E-kur! Ninurta, lord Nunamnir created you like a great storm ......, he commanded you to achieve triumphs for him. Barsud. For you Nintud has opened wide her creative hands; she has breast-fed you from her sweet breasts; she has fed you with the milk of vigour. As if you were a spectacular wild bull, she has made your figure strong (?), she has made your limbs massive. She has fitted you out with ...... appearance, awesome radiance and heroism. Your mother, Nintud, held you by the right wrist as she led you before your father in E-kur, the august shrine. Then she said: "Decide a great fate for the son who is your avenger!"
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.2.5.5.4 in the ETCSL catalogue. Sumerian literary text reconstructed from multiple cuneiform manuscripts, the great majority Old Babylonian (c. 1900–1600 BCE). Translation reproduced from the ETCSL edition.
Attribution
Image: .
Translation excerpted from ETCSL c.2.5.5.4: An adab to Ninurta for Lipit-Eshtar (Lipit-Eshtar D). Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E. & Zólyomi, G. (eds.), The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.2.5.5.4.
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