Iştaran

Say this to the king who has made his radiance resplendent over all the lands like the moonlight. Repeat it to the king who renders just verdicts like Utu and regulates decisions like Ištaran , to my king who heeds prayers. This is what { Lugal-nesaĝe } {( 3 mss. have instead: ) Lugal-šu } , a citizen of Nibru and your servant, says:

Letter from Lugal-nesaĝe to a king radiant as the moon (c.3.3.02) ·c.3.3.02 ·3 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Stretching out a hand to the barge, to the young man being steered away on the barge, stretching out a hand to {my young man Damu } {( 1 ms. has instead: ) Lord Ninĝišzida } being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Ištaran of the bright visage being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Alla , master of the battle-net, being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Lugal-šud-e being taken away on the barge, stretching out a hand to Ninĝišzida being taken away on the barge -- his younger sister was crying in lament to him in {the boat's cabin} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) the cabin at the boat's bow}.

Ninĝišzida's journey to the nether world (c.1.7.3) ·c.1.7.3 ·6 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"My young man Damu , let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) my brother}, let me sail away with you. Ištaran of the bright visage, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) my brother}, let me sail away with you. Alla , master of the battle-net, let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) my brother}, let me sail away with you. Lugal-šud-e , let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) my brother}, let me sail away with you. {( 1 ms. adds 1 line: ) Lugal-ki-bura , let me sail away with you, my brother, let me sail away with you.} Ninĝišzida , let me sail away with you, {brother} {( 1 ms. has instead: ) my brother}, let me sail away with you. {( 1 ms. adds 2 lines: ) My brother, let me sail on your barge with you, my brother, let me sail away with you. Let me sail on your splendid barge with you, my brother, let me sail away with you.}"

Ninĝišzida's journey to the nether world (c.1.7.3) ·c.1.7.3 ·16 ·machine translation (etcsl)

" Ištaran , the judge who dwells in the Land unknown no. of lines missing "

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi O) (c.2.4.2.15) ·c.2.4.2.15 ·142 ·machine translation (etcsl)

He took his seat on the holy dais in the Egal-maḫ of Ninegala . He, the Ištaran of Sumer , omniscient from birth, decrees judgments in due order for the Land, and makes decisions in due order for the Land, so that the strong does not abuse (?) the weak, so that the mother speaks tenderly with her child and the child answers truthfully to his father. Under him, Sumer is filled with abundance, Urim is prolonged in splendour, and …… is established.

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi X) (c.2.4.2.24) ·c.2.4.2.24 ·142 ·machine translation (etcsl)

I am the leader living in Sumer ! I am engaged in carrying out the planning! When I stand against the cities and territories of the hostile rebel lands, my battle is a hurricane that cannot be overwhelmed. When I surround their contingents from the south and cut the people off, 1 line fragmentary In the great palace, where I take decisions, when I …… a pure lamb, on the right …… favourable ……, as I …… on my great throne. In my well-established dwelling, I can tell whether to strike with weapons or not to strike with weapons. Since from birth I am also a Nintur ( creator deity ) , wise in all matters, I can recognise the omens of that extispicy in a pure place. I keep a look-out that ……. I am a lord ……, as I range about in my anger. I also have a solidly based knowledge of omens from heaped high censers. My vision enables me to be the dream-interpreter of the Land; my heart enables me to be the Ištaran ( god of justice ) of the foreign lands. I am Šulgi , good shepherd of Sumer . Like my brother and friend Gilgameš , I can recognise the virtuous and I can recognise the wicked. The virtuous gets justice in my presence, and the wicked and evil person will be carried off by ……. Who like me is able to interpret what is spoken in the heart or is articulated on the tongue?

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi C) (c.2.4.2.03) ·c.2.4.2.03 ·104 ·machine translation (etcsl)

At the house which has been granted powers from the abzu , in Sirara , the gods of Lagaš gather around her. To weigh silver with standard weights, to standardise the size of reed baskets, they establish an agreed ban measure throughout the countries. The shepherd, the expert of the Land, the wise one (?) of the countries, Ištaran , who decides lawsuits justly, who lives in the Land …… Ninĝišzida ……. 2 lines unclear

A hymn to Nanše (Nanše A) (c.4.14.1) ·c.4.14.1 ·237 ·machine translation (etcsl)

I have no equal among even the most distant rulers, and I can also state that my deeds are great deeds. Everything is achievable by me, the king. Since the time when Enlil gave me the direction of his numerous people in view of my wisdom, my extraordinary power and my justice, in view of my resolute and unforgettable words, and in view of my expertise, comparable to that of Ištaran , in verdicts, my heart has never committed violence against even one other king, be he an Akkadian or a son of Sumer , or even a brute from Gutium .

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi B) (c.2.4.2.02) ·c.2.4.2.02 ·264 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"In the E-babbar , where I issue orders, where I shine like Utu , there I justly decide the lawsuits of my city like Ištaran . In the E-bagara , my dining place, the great gods of Lagaš gather around me."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·273 ·machine translation (etcsl)

O Dēr ( Akkadian name; a Sumerian name is unknown ) , taking extreme care of decisions, ……, on your awesome and radiant gate a decoration displays a horned viper and a mušḫuš embracing. Your prince, a leader of the gods, fit for giving counsel and grand speech, the son of Uraš who knows thoroughly the true divine powers of princeship, Ištaran , the …… sovereign of heaven, has erected a house in your precinct, O E-dim-gal-kalama (House which is the great pole of the Land), and taken his seat upon your dais.

The temple hymns (c.4.80.1) ·c.4.80.1 ·422 ·machine translation (etcsl)

8 lines: the house of Ištaran in Dēr .

The temple hymns (c.4.80.1) ·c.4.80.1 ·424 ·machine translation (etcsl)