Sumerian tablet (Old Babylonian, Literary)

Transliteration:


...{ki} me-lim₄-zu
an-ki-a dul₉
u₁₈-ru-zu mah dib
eš₃ nibru{ki}
ki an a-na šuš₂-a-aš
ne₃-zu zag-bi-še₃ ŋal₂
šeg₁₂ kilib₃-ba
kalam-ma ki ŋar-ra
šeg₁₂-zu šeg₁₂ saŋ-bi-im
kur-kur-re
iri{ki} na du₃-a-ba
me mah šu mi-ni-teŋ₄
me mah-zu-gin₇
mu-zu mah-am₃
mu-zu-gin₇
sahar-zu sahar dug₃-ga-am₃
iri{ki} an-ki-a
mu-zu diri-ga-am₃
us₂-saŋ
sig igi-nim-ma
dim-gal uŋ₃ šar₂-ra me-en
me-zu me galam-ma
me nu-sag₂-dam
ŋeš-hur-zu-u₈
abzu sig₉-ga-gin₇
ni₂ gal ši-im-duh-duh

nam-mah-zu
{d}uraš sig₇-ga-gin₇
na-me nu-zu-zu-dam
nam tar-ra
saŋ-bi-še₃ e₃-a-zu
niŋ₂ ar₂-re-eš dib-ba
hur-saŋ sukud-ra₂
šu nu-teŋ₃-ŋa₂ me-en
saŋ il₂ zag dib-ba
an-ne₂ us₂-sa me-en
šag₄-zu u₁₈-ru me-en
bar-zu
ni₂ gur₃-ru me-en
{d}a-nun-na-ke₄-ne
u₂ nam-til₃-la-bi-še₃
za-e
ši-im-ma-ab-du₃-en
gu₇ naŋ-bi-še₃
ši-im-ma-sig₇-ge-en
amaš zi-bi-še₃ ŋal₂ me-en
a₂-zu-ta
gu sa-par₄ gid₂-gin₇
niŋ₂-nam la-ba-ra-e₃
eš₃ nibru{ki}
a-ra₂-zu niŋ₂ mah-am₃
niŋ₂ ka-ge dib-ba
me hal-ha-zu
ŋeš-šub zid-da


niŋ₂ sag₂ nu-di-dam
iri{ki} šag₄-zu
kug-ga-am₃
bar-zu šen-šen-am₃
su-bar-ra-zu
me-lim₄ gur₃-ru-am₃
ki-zu ki suh-ha-am₃
en ŋeštug₂-a
kur-gal {d}en-lil₂-le
šag₄-zu-a eš₃ bi₂-in-du₃
eš₃-bi
eš₃ za-gin₃
eš₃ nam tar-re-dam
e₂-kur
e₂ za-gin₃
e₂ nam tar-re-dam
nun-zu
{d}nu-nam-nir
ninda₂ me ru-a
ama {d}nin-lil₂
nin gal ki-ur₃-ra-a
nin me u₃-tud-da
e-ne e-ne-gin₇
kalam-ma
diŋir a-ba
mu-un-til₃
a-ne-ne
<unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk>
šu bi₂-in-gur-ru-uš

huš-bi
bi₂-in-dur₂-ru-ne-eš
me zid me gal
me ar₂-re-ka
dur₂ im-mi-in-ŋar-re-eš
{d}a-nun-na-ke₄-ne
ama a-a ugu-bi-gin₇
igi-bi im-ši-ŋal₂
inim kug kal-kal
zid-de₃-eš di-bi
ŋizzal
ši-ma-an-ke₄-eš
{d}en-lil₂
{d}nin-lil₂-bi
igi im-mi-in-ŋal₂-eš
ki-a
zag mi-ni-in-ŋar-re-eš
ud-bi-a
an gal
ki daŋal-ba
šag₄-bi mu-un-e₃-a
diŋir {d}a-nun-na
an-ki-ke₄-ne
kiŋ₂ ib₂-gi₄-gi₄-ne
{ŋeš}al
{ŋeš}dupsik
niŋ₂ <unk> ki ŋa₂-ŋa₂
šu-ba...
mu-un-ŋal₂

...{d}nisaba

Translation:
City, your aura covers the universe
Your might is supreme and surpassing
Shrine Nibru
Wherever the heavens cover (i.e., everywhere)
Your strength is there (all the way to) its boundaries
(Among) all of the brick (structures) founded in the land
Your brickwork is the foremost brickwork
The lands accept the supreme cosmic powers in all their cities
Like your supreme cosmic powers,
your reputation is supreme
Like your reputation,
your soil is good soil
City, your name is surpassing in the universe
You are the bond
of the lowlands and highlands,
the great pillar of the many people
Your cosmic powers are clever and
that cannot be dispersed
And thus your plans,
like something that occupies the subterranean waters,
And thus your plans, like something that occupies the subterranean waters, emit a great aura
your greatness,
which is verdant like the goddess Uraš (earth personified)
No one is to ascertain.
Your fate,
going out at the forefront,
is something that surpasses (any) praise
A high mountain range
that no hand can approach are you.
Head raised high, surpassing
You are touching heaven
Your interior is powerful
Your exterior
is filled with awe
And thus you produce food (for) the Anuna for their lives
You are verdant for their eating and drinking
You are the sheepfold that is there for their breath
Nothing can escape from you arm, which is like the extended cords of a net
Shrine Nibru, your way is that of greatness
Surpassing description
When you divide up the cosmic powers (it results in) a true lot that cannot be dispelled
City, your inside is pure
Your outside is pure
Your body bears an aura
Your site is a chosen(?) place
The lord of wisdom, the Great Mountain Enlil, has built a shrine in your midst
That shrine, the sparkling shrine, it is the shrine that is to determine fate
The Ekur, the sparkling temple, it is the temple that is to determine fate
Your ruler, Nunamnir, the young bull who inseminates the cosmic powers
Mother Ninlil, the great queen of the Ki'ur complex, lady who gave birth to the cosmic powers
What other god lives in the land like he and she?
They have wrapped themselves with intelligence and counsel at the place of dusk
They have sat down (in their thrones) with a reddish hue(?)
They have sat down (in their thrones) among the true cosmic powers, the great powers, the cosmic powers of praise
The Anuna gods look to them as their birth parents
And therefore they listen to their pure and most precious words, uttered faithfully
Both Enlil and Ninlil looked at the sky
They made a (temporary) sanctuary(?) on the earth (according to the stars they saw)
At that time, the intentions for the broad earth that great An had brought forth (for Enlil and Ninlil to see)
The Anuna gods of heaven and earth set to work (to fulfill them)
The hoe and the earth-moving basket, those (tools) which establish a city, were ... in their hands
... Haya(?) and Nisaba