Lugalbanda

Lugalbanda lies idle in the mountains, in the faraway places; he has ventured into the Zabu mountains. No mother is with him to offer advice, no father is with him to talk to him. No one is with him whom he knows, whom he values, no confidant is there to talk to him. In his heart he speaks to himself: "I shall treat the bird as befits him, I shall treat Anzud as befits him. I shall greet his wife affectionately. I shall seat Anzud's wife and Anzud's child at a banquet. An will fetch Ninguena for me from her mountain home -- the expert woman who redounds to her mother's credit, Ninkasi the expert who redounds to her mother's credit. Her fermenting-vat is of green lapis lazuli, her beer cask is of refined silver and of gold. If she stands by the beer, there is joy, if she sits by the beer, there is gladness; as cupbearer she mixes the beer, never wearying as she walks back and forth, Ninkasi , the keg at her side, on her hips; may she make my beer-serving perfect. When the bird has drunk the beer and is happy, when Anzud has drunk the beer and is happy, he can help me find the place to which the troops of Unug are going, Anzud can put me on the track of my brothers."

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·1 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Righteous lord who determines destiny! Born to Ninlil , Suen , beloved son of Ninlil , Suen , having no rival in the E-kur , the house of Enlil : your divine powers are majestic divine powers granted by An !

An adab to Nanna (Nanna H) (c.4.13.08) ·c.4.13.08 ·3 ·machine translation (etcsl)

[lugal-ban3]-da Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird, 1.8.2.2

OB catalogue in the Louvre (L) (c.0.2.02) ·c.0.2.02 ·23

lugal-ban3-da Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird, 1.8.2.2

OB catalogue from Urim (U1) (c.0.2.03) ·c.0.2.03 ·20

Then my lady stepped up (?) to the word of An , Ninsumun made a fateful decision with her spouse, holy Lugalbanda ; she attended to his supplication. She went straight to holy An in the Ubšu-unkena :

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi P) (c.2.4.2.16) ·c.2.4.2.16 ·8 ·machine translation (etcsl)

lugal-ban3-da Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird, 1.8.2.2

OB catalogue from Nibru (N2) (c.0.2.01) ·c.0.2.01 ·39

dlugal-ban3-da Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird, 1.8.2.2

OB catalogue from Urim (U2) (c.0.2.04) ·c.0.2.04 ·39

" Šulgi , you are a pure calf, born to me. You are a good seed of Lugal-banda . I raised you upon my own holy lap. I have decided your fate with my holy bosom. You are a good fortune which fell to my share. I requested you from holy An in the ……."

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi P) (c.2.4.2.16) ·c.2.4.2.16 ·23 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Lugalbanda is wise and he achieves mighty exploits. In preparation of the sweet celestial cakes he added carefulness to carefulness. He kneaded the dough with honey, he added more honey to it. He set them before the young nestling, before the Anzud chick, gave the baby fatty meat to eat. He fed it sheep's fat. He popped the cakes into its beak. He settled the Anzud chick in its nest, painted its eyes with kohl, dabbed white cedar scent onto its head, put up a twisted roll of salt meat. He withdrew from the Anzud's nest, awaited him in the mountains where no cypresses grow. At that time the bird was herding together wild bulls of the mountains, Anzud was herding together wild bulls of the mountains. He held a live bull in his talons, he carried a dead bull across his shoulders. He poured forth his bile like 10 gur of water. The bird halted (?) once, Anzud halted (?) once. When the bird called back to the nest, when Anzud called back to the nest, his fledgling did not answer him from the nest. When the bird called a second time to the nest, his fledgling did not answer from the nest. Whenever the bird had called back to the nest before, his fledgling had answered from the nest; but now when the bird called back to the nest, his fledgling did not answer him from the nest. The bird uttered a cry of grief that reached up to heaven, his wife cried out "Woe!" Her cry reached the abzu . The bird with this cry of "Woe!" and his wife with this cry of grief made the Anuna , gods of the mountains, actually crawl into crevices like ants. The bird says to his wife, Anzud says to his wife, "Foreboding weighs upon my nest, as over the great cattle-pen of Nanna . Terror lies upon it, as when wild lions start butting each other. Who has taken my child from its nest? Who has taken the Anzud from its nest?"

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·50 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Lugalbanda , the eighth of them, …… was washed in water. In awed silence he went forward, …… he marched with the troops. When they had covered half the way, covered half the way, a sickness befell him there, 'head sickness' befell him. He jerked like a snake dragged by its head with a reed; his mouth bit the dust, like a gazelle caught in a snare. No longer could his hands return the hand grip, no longer could he lift his feet high. Neither king nor contingents could help him. In the great mountains, crowded together like a dustcloud over the ground, they said: "Let them bring him to Unug ." But they did not know how they could bring him. "Let them bring him to Kulaba ." But they did not know how they could bring him. As his teeth chattered (?) in the cold places of the mountains, they brought him to a warm place there.

Lugalbanda in the mountain cave (c.1.8.2.1) ·c.1.8.2.1 ·71 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Gilgameš awoke from his dream, shuddering from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes; there was eery silence everywhere. "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda ! My personal god Enki , Lord Nudimmud ……! 2 lines missing "

Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version B) (c.1.8.1.5.1) ·c.1.8.1.5.1 ·86 ·machine translation (etcsl)

So that everywhere …… and holy places will be established, and so that Gibil the pure ( i.e. fire ) will be available before the E-kur , Lady Ninmug stands by at your behest. So that the holy orchards (?) will be opened up, { Ama-abzu-E-kura } {( 1 ms. has instead: ) Dumuzid-abzu } stands by at your behest. So that the bolts of holy houses will be opened, { Ninniĝbunara } {( 1 ms. has instead: ) Ninĝarĝarĝar (?)} stands by at your behest. So that there will be joy in Umma , Ninbi-šu-kale stands by at your behest. So that Aratta will be overwhelmed (?), Lugalbanda stands by at your behest. So that Niĝin will rise above the waters like a mountain, the minister …… stands by at your behest. So that ……, …… stands by at your behest. approx. 51 lines missing

A hymn to Ḫendursaĝa (Ḫendursaĝa A) (c.4.06.1) ·c.4.06.1 ·101 ·machine translation (etcsl)

zi a-a-ju10 kug dlugal-ban3-da!

A praise poem of Šulgi (Šulgi A) (c.2.4.2.01) ·c.2.4.2.01 ·86B

"By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda ! My personal god Enki , Lord Nudimmud ……! Warrior, one would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, they have made some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Here, they have made some big shoes for your big feet. 4 lines missing If you bring ……."

Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version B) (c.1.8.1.5.1) ·c.1.8.1.5.1 ·99 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda ! My personal god Enki , Lord Nudimmud ……! Warrior, one would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, they have made some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Here, they have made some big shoes for your big feet. 2 lines fragmentary "

Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version B) (c.1.8.1.5.1) ·c.1.8.1.5.1 ·109 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Lugalbanda , partly from fright, partly from delight, partly from fright, partly from deep delight, flatters the bird, flatters Anzud: "Bird with sparkling eyes, born in this district, Anzud with sparkling eyes, born in this district, you frolic as you bathe in a pool. Your grandfather, the prince of all patrimonies, placed heaven in your hand, set earth at your feet. Your wingspan extended is like a birdnet stretched out across the sky! …… on the ground your talons are like a trap laid for the wild bulls and wild cows of the mountains! Your spine is as straight as a scribe's! Your breast as you fly is like Niraḫ parting the waters! As for your back, you are a verdant palm garden, breathtaking to look upon. Yesterday I escaped safely to you, since then I have entrusted myself to your protection. Your wife shall be my mother" (he said), "You shall be my father" (he said), "I shall treat your little ones as my brothers. Since yesterday I have been waiting for you in the mountains where no cypresses grow. Let your wife stand beside you to greet me. I offer my greeting and leave you to decide my destiny."

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·111 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"Warrior, you lied! You have manhandled me; yet you had sworn an oath, by the life of your own mother Ninsumun and of your father, holy Lugalbanda . Your personal god Enki , Lord Nudimmud ……! And now you have thrown a halter over me as if over a captured wild bull, and have tied me up by the elbows like a captured warrior!"

Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version B) (c.1.8.1.5.1) ·c.1.8.1.5.1 ·138 ·machine translation (etcsl)

…… a storehouse, they made him an arbour like a bird's nest. …… dates, figs and various sorts of cheese; they put sweetmeats suitable for the sick to eat, in baskets of dates, and they made him a home. They set out for him the various fats of the cowpen, the sheepfold's fresh cheese, butter ……, as if laying a table for the holy place, the valued place ( i.e. as if for a funerary offering ) . Directly in front of the table they arranged for him beer for drinking, mixed with date syrup and rolls …… with butter. Provisions poured into leather buckets, provisions all put into leather bags -- his brothers and friends, like a boat unloading from the harvest-place, placed stores by his head in the mountain cave. They …… water in their leather waterskins. Dark beer, alcoholic drink, light emmer beer, wine for drinking which is pleasant to the taste, they distributed by his head in the mountain cave as on a stand for waterskins. They prepared for him incense resin, …… resin, aromatic resin, ligidba resin and first-class resin on pot-stands in the deep hole; they suspended them by his head in the mountain cave. They pushed into place at his head his axe whose metal was tin, imported from the Zubi mountains. They wrapped up by his chest his dagger of iron imported from the Gig (Black) mountains. His eyes -- irrigation ditches, because they are flooding with water -- holy Lugalbanda kept open, directed towards this. The outer door of his lips -- overflowing like holy Utu -- he did not open to his brothers. When they lifted his neck, there was no breath there any longer. His brothers, his friends took counsel with one another:

Lugalbanda in the mountain cave (c.1.8.2.1) ·c.1.8.2.1 ·117 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda ! Am I to become again as if I were slumbering still on the lap of my own mother Ninsumun ?"

Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version A) (c.1.8.1.5) ·c.1.8.1.5 ·90 ·machine translation (etcsl)

A second time he spoke to him: "By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda ! Until I discover whether that person was a human or a god, I shall not direct back to the city my steps which I have directed to the mountains."

Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version A) (c.1.8.1.5) ·c.1.8.1.5 ·93 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The bird presents himself before him, rejoices over him, Anzud presents himself before him, rejoices over him. Anzud says to holy Lugalbanda , "Come now, my Lugalbanda . Go like a boat full of precious metals, like a grain barge, like a boat going to deliver apples, like a boat piled up high with a cargo of cucumbers, casting a shade, like a boat loaded lavishly at the place of harvest, go back to brick-built Kulaba with head held high!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·134 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The bird presents himself before him, rejoices over him, Anzud presents himself before him, rejoices over him. Anzud says to holy Lugalbanda , "Come now, my Lugalbanda . Go like a boat full of precious metals, like a grain barge, like a boat going to deliver apples, like a boat piled up high with a cargo of cucumbers, casting a shade, like a boat loaded lavishly at the place of harvest, go back to brick-built Kulaba with head held high!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·135 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Like the dispersed holy cows of Nanna , as with a breeding bull when, in his old age, they have left him behind in the cattle pen, his brothers and friends abandoned holy Lugalbanda in the mountain cave; and with repeated tears and moaning, with tears, with lamentation, with grief and weeping, Lugalbanda's older brothers set off into the mountains.

Lugalbanda in the mountain cave (c.1.8.2.1) ·c.1.8.2.1 ·136 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Like the dispersed holy cows of Nanna , as with a breeding bull when, in his old age, they have left him behind in the cattle pen, his brothers and friends abandoned holy Lugalbanda in the mountain cave; and with repeated tears and moaning, with tears, with lamentation, with grief and weeping, Lugalbanda's older brothers set off into the mountains.

Lugalbanda in the mountain cave (c.1.8.2.1) ·c.1.8.2.1 ·140 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The bird presents himself before him, rejoices over him, Anzud presents himself before him, rejoices over him. Anzud says to holy Lugalbanda , "Come now, my Lugalbanda . Go like a boat full of precious metals, like a grain barge, like a boat going to deliver apples, like a boat piled up high with a cargo of cucumbers, casting a shade, like a boat loaded lavishly at the place of harvest, go back to brick-built Kulaba with head held high!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·141 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Then two days passed during which Lugalbanda was ill; to these two days, half a day was added. As Utu turned his glance towards his home, as the animals lifted their heads toward their lairs, at the day's end in the evening cool, his body was as if anointed with oil. But he was not yet free of his sickness.

Lugalbanda in the mountain cave (c.1.8.2.1) ·c.1.8.2.1 ·141 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"Like Šara , Inana's beloved son, shoot forth with your barbed arrows like a sunbeam, shoot forth with reed-arrows like moonlight! May the barbed arrows be a horned viper to those they hit! Like a fish killed with the cleaver, may they be magic-cut! May you bundle them up like logs hewn with the axe!" -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this.

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·148 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"The plenty of Dumuzi's holy butter churn, whose butter is the butter of all the world, shall be granted (?) to you. Its milk is the milk of all the world. It shall be granted (?) to you." -- Lugalbanda who loves the seed will not accept this. As a kib bird, a freshwater kib , as it flies along a lagoon, he answered him in words.

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·158 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The bird listened to him. Anzud said to holy Lugalbanda , "Now look, my Lugalbanda , just think again. It's like this: a wilful plough-ox should be put back in the track, a balking ass should be made to take the straight path. Still, I shall grant you what you put to me. I shall assign you an allotted destiny according to your wishes."

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·161 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The bird listened to him. Anzud said to holy Lugalbanda , "Now look, my Lugalbanda , just think again. It's like this: a wilful plough-ox should be put back in the track, a balking ass should be made to take the straight path. Still, I shall grant you what you put to me. I shall assign you an allotted destiny according to your wishes."

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·162 ·machine translation (etcsl)