Aşgi

Nisaba was its decision-maker (?); with its words she wove it intricately like a net. Written on tablets it was held in her hands: House, platform of the Land, important fierce bull! House Keš , platform of the Land, important fierce bull! Growing as high as the hills, embracing the heavens, growing as high as E-kur , lifting its head among the mountains! {Rooted in the abzu } {( 2 mss. have instead: ) Colourful as the abzu }, verdant like the mountains! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·19 ·machine translation (etcsl)

House, great enclosure, reaching to the heavens, great, true house, reaching to the heavens! House, great crown reaching to the heavens, house, rainbow reaching to the heavens! House whose diadem extends into the midst of the heavens, whose foundations are fixed in the abzu , whose shade covers all lands! House founded by An , praised by Enlil , given an oracle by Mother Nintur ! House Keš , green in its fruit! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·42 ·machine translation (etcsl)

House, 10 šar at its upper end, five šar at its lower end; house, 10 bur at its upper end, five bur at its lower end! House, at its upper end a bison, at its lower end a stag; house, at its upper end a wild sheep, at its lower end a deer; house, at its upper end a dappled wild sheep, at its lower end a beautiful deer! House, at its upper end green as a snake-eater bird, at its lower end floating on the water like a pelican! House, at its upper end rising like the sun, at its lower end spreading like the moonlight; house, at its upper end a warrior mace, at its lower end a battle-axe; house, at its upper end a mountain, at its lower end a spring! House, at its upper end threefold indeed! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·56 ·machine translation (etcsl)

ur-saj]-bi dacac7-gi4-gin7 rib-ba ama ci-in-ga-a-an-u3-tud

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·58P

It is indeed a city, it is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? The house Keš is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? The heroes make their way straight into its interior and perform its oracle rites perfectly. Frisking cattle are gathered at the house in herds. The house consumes many cattle; the house consumes many sheep. 1 line unclear Those who sit on daises bow their necks before it. It wears a crown to vie with the boxwood tree, it spreads out to vie with the poplar ……; it is {( 1 ms. adds here: ) growing} as green as the hills! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·72 ·machine translation (etcsl)

House given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! House Keš , given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! The heroes make their way straight into its interior. Ninḫursaĝa sits within like a great dragon. Nintur the great mother assists at births there. Šul-pa-e the ruler acts as lord. Ašgi the hero consumes the contents of the vessels (?). Urumaš , the great herald of the plains, dwells there too. Stags are gathered at the house in herds. Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·81 ·machine translation (etcsl)

House given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! House Keš , given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! The heroes make their way straight into its interior. Ninḫursaĝa sits within like a great dragon. Nintur the great mother assists at births there. Šul-pa-e the ruler acts as lord. Ašgi the hero consumes the contents of the vessels (?). Urumaš , the great herald of the plains, dwells there too. Stags are gathered at the house in herds. Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·85 ·machine translation (etcsl)

House positioned over its foundations like a storm, like white bulls standing about on the plain; house founded by the prince, in praise on the tigi instrument! House in whose interior is the power of the Land, and behind which {is the life of Sumer } {( some mss. have instead: ) it is filled with life}; at whose gate is a lion reclining on its paws, at whose gate is the ruler who decides cases (?)! House at whose door is the Great Mountain without adversary; {at whose bolt} {( some mss. have here instead: ) at whose bar} is a great frisking wild bull {( some mss. add here the line: ) , at whose bolt is a beast …… a man} {( 1 ms. adds here instead the line: ) , at whose …… is an awe-inspiring lion} ! {Whose well-founded storehouse is a corner of heaven, a corner of earth} {( 1 ms. has here instead: ) Whose storehouse established as a household is a lance (?)}; whose terrace is supported by laḫama deities; whose princely {( 1 ms. adds: ) great} wall …… the shrine of Urim ! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·101 ·machine translation (etcsl)

ur-saj-bi dacac7-gi4-gin7 rib-ba ama ci-in-ga-u3-tud

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·103J

The bull's horn is made to growl; the drumsticks are made to thud. The singer {cries out} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) declaims} to the ala drum; {the grand sweet tigi is played for him} {( some mss. have instead: ) the sweet tigi is well tuned}. The house is built; its nobility is good! The house Keš is built; its nobility is good! Its lady has taken a seat in its ……. Ninḫursaĝa , its lady, has taken her seat in its ……. Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Keš ? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Ašgi ? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur ?

The Keš temple hymn (c.4.80.2) ·c.4.80.2 ·125 ·machine translation (etcsl)

2 lines missing 1 line fragmentary An has …… your platform. E-maḫ (Exalted house), house of the universe, suited for its lady, your front inspires great awesomeness, your interior is filled with radiance. Mother Nintur , Enlil and Enki have determined your destiny. E-suga (Joyous (?) house) which ……, life of the black-headed, An has given you the magnificent divine powers from the interior of heaven. As in Keš , Ninḫursaĝa has blessed your priests maintaining the shrine in the holy uzga precinct. House with great divine powers, a pure platform and cleansing lustration, Ašgi , the god of Adab , has erected a house in your precinct, O Adab , O house situated at a canal, O house Adab , and taken his seat upon your dais.

The temple hymns (c.4.80.1) ·c.4.80.1 ·375 ·machine translation (etcsl)