Anşan

so as to obliterate the divine powers of Sumer , to change its preordained plans, to alienate the divine powers of the reign of kingship of Urim , to humiliate the princely son in his house E-kiš-nu-ĝal , to break up the unity of the people of Nanna , numerous as ewes; to change the food offerings of Urim , the shrine of magnificent food offerings; that its people should no longer dwell in their quarters, that they should be given over to live in an inimical place; that Šimaški and Elam , the enemy, should dwell in their place; that its shepherd, in his own palace, should be captured by the enemy, that Ibbi- Suen should be taken to the land Elam in fetters, that from Mount Zabu on the edge of the sea to the borders of Anšan , like a swallow that has flown from its house, he should never return to his city;

The lament for Sumer and Urim (c.2.2.3) ·c.2.2.3 ·36 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"Come, Enmerkar ! I shall offer you advice: let my counsel be heeded. I shall speak words to you; let them be heard. Choose from the troops as a messenger one who is eloquent of speech and endowed with endurance. Where and to whom shall he carry the important message of wise Inana ? Let him bring it up into the Zubi mountains, let him descend with it from the Zubi mountains. Let Susa and the land of Anšan humbly salute Inana like tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, let the teeming multitudes grovel in the dust for her. Aratta shall submit beneath the yoke to Unug . The people of Aratta shall bring down the mountain stones from their mountains, and shall build the great shrine for you, and erect the great abode for you, will cause the great abode, the abode of the gods, to shine forth for you; will make your me flourish in Kulaba , will make the abzu grow for you like a holy mountain, will make Eridug shining for you like the mountain range, will cause the abzu shrine to shine forth for you like the glitter in the lode. When in the abzu you utter praise, when you bring the me from Eridug , when, in lordship, you are adorned with the crown like a purified shrine, when you place on your head the holy crown in Unug Kulaba , then may the …… of the great shrine bring you into the ĝipar , and may the …… of the ĝipar bring you into the great shrine. May the people marvel admiringly, and may Utu witness it in joy. Because …… shall carry daily, when …… in the evening cool ……, -- in the place of Dumuzid where the ewes, kids and lambs are numerous, the people of Aratta shall run around for you like the mountain sheep in the akalag fields, the fields of Dumuzid . Rise like the sun over my holy breast! You are the jewel of my throat! Praise be to you, Enmerkar , the son of Utu !"

Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta (c.1.8.2.3) ·c.1.8.2.3 ·75 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"You shall bring it up into the Zubi mountains, you shall descend with it from the Zubi mountains. Let Susa and the land of Anšan humbly salute Inana like tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, let the teeming multitudes grovel in the dust for her. Messenger, speak to the lord of Aratta and say to him: "Lest I make the people fly off from that city like a wild dove from its tree, lest I make them fly around like a bird over its well-founded nest, lest I requite (?) them as if at a current market rate, lest I make it gather dust like an utterly destroyed city, lest like a settlement cursed by Enki and utterly destroyed, I too utterly destroy Aratta ; lest like the devastation which swept destructively, and in whose wake Inana arose, shrieked and yelled aloud, I too wreak a sweeping devastation there -- let Aratta pack nuggets of gold in leather sacks, placing alongside it the kugmea ore; package up precious metals, and load the packs on the donkeys of the mountains; and then may the Junior Enlil of Sumer have them build for me, the lord whom Nudimmud has chosen in his sacred heart, a mountain of a shining me ; have them make it luxuriant for me like a boxwood tree, have them make its shining horns colourful for me as when Utu comes forth from his chamber, have them make its doorposts gleam brightly for me.""

Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta (c.1.8.2.3) ·c.1.8.2.3 ·110 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The messenger gave heed to the words of his king. He journeyed by the starry night, and by day he travelled with Utu of heaven. Where and to whom will he carry the important message of Inana with its stinging tone? He brought it up into the Zubi mountains, he descended with it from the Zubi mountains. Susa and the land of Anšan humbly saluted Inana like tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, the teeming multitudes grovelled in the dust for her. He traversed five mountains, six mountains, seven mountains. He lifted his eyes as he approached Aratta . He stepped joyfully into the courtyard of Aratta , he made known the authority of his king. Openly he spoke out the words in his heart. The messenger transmitted the message to the lord of Aratta :

Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta (c.1.8.2.3) ·c.1.8.2.3 ·166 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Thereupon holy Lugalbanda came forth from the palace. Although his brothers and his comrades barked at him as at a foreign dog trying to join a pack of dogs, he stepped proudly forward like a foreign wild ass trying to join a herd of wild asses. "Send someone else to Unug for the lord." -- "For Enmerkar son of Utu I shall go alone to Kulaba . No one shall go with me" -- how he spoke to them! "Why will you go alone and keep company with no one on the journey? If our beneficent spirit does not stand by you there, if our good protective deity does not go with you there, you will never again stand with us where we stand, you will never again dwell with us where we dwell, you will never again set your feet on the ground where our feet are. You will not come back from the great mountains, where no one goes alone, whence no one returns to mankind!" -- "Time is passing, I know. None of you is going with me over the great earth." While the hearts of his brothers beat loudly, while the hearts of his comrades sank, Lugalbanda took in his hand such of his provisions as he had not eaten, and each of his weapons one by one. From the foot of the mountains, through the high mountains, into the flat land, from the edge of Anšan to the top of Anšan , he crossed five, six, seven mountains.

Lugalbanda and the Anzud bird (c.1.8.2.2) ·c.1.8.2.2 ·343 ·machine translation (etcsl)

O bitter storm, retreat, O storm, storm return to your home. O storm that destroys cities, retreat, O storm, storm return to your home. O storm that destroys houses, retreat, O storm, storm return to your home. Indeed the storm that blew on Sumer , blew also on the foreign lands. Indeed the storm that blew on the land, blew on the foreign lands. It has blown on Tidnum , it has blown on the foreign lands. It has blown on Gutium , it has blown on the foreign lands. It has blown on Anšan , it has blown on the foreign lands. It levelled Anšan like a blowing evil wind. Famine has overwhelmed the evildoer; those people will have to submit.

The lament for Sumer and Urim (c.2.2.3) ·c.2.2.3 ·490 ·machine translation (etcsl)

O bitter storm, retreat, O storm, storm return to your home. O storm that destroys cities, retreat, O storm, storm return to your home. O storm that destroys houses, retreat, O storm, storm return to your home. Indeed the storm that blew on Sumer , blew also on the foreign lands. Indeed the storm that blew on the land, blew on the foreign lands. It has blown on Tidnum , it has blown on the foreign lands. It has blown on Gutium , it has blown on the foreign lands. It has blown on Anšan , it has blown on the foreign lands. It levelled Anšan like a blowing evil wind. Famine has overwhelmed the evildoer; those people will have to submit.

The lament for Sumer and Urim (c.2.2.3) ·c.2.2.3 ·491 ·machine translation (etcsl)