E-ninnu

"The lord called for his house and I intend to make the grandeur of E-ninnu known everywhere. Using his wisdom, the ruler ( i.e. Gudea ) will achieve great things. He will direct faultless cattle and kids for offering. It is for him the fated brick is waiting. It is by him that the building of the holy house is to be done."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·11 ·machine translation (etcsl)

On that day, in a nocturnal vision Gudea saw his master, Lord Ninĝirsu . Ninĝirsu spoke to him of his house, of its building. He showed him an E-ninnu with full grandeur. Outstanding though his mind was, the message remained to be understood for him.

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·20 ·machine translation (etcsl)

His mother Nanše answered the ruler: "My shepherd, I will explain your dream for you in every detail. The person who, as you said, was as enormous as the heavens, who was as enormous as the earth, whose head was like that of a god, whose wings, as you said, were like those of the Anzud bird, and whose lower body was, as you said, like a flood storm, at whose right and left lions were lying, was in fact my brother Ninĝirsu . He spoke to you about the building of his shrine, the E-ninnu ."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·131 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"As regards the holy basket standing in front of you, the holy brick mould which was ready and the fated brick placed in the mould, this part of the dream concerns the good brick of the E-ninnu ."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·146 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"As regards that part when the right-side donkey stallion of your master, as you said, pawed the ground for you; this refers to you, who will paw the ground for the E-ninnu like a choice steed."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·151 ·machine translation (etcsl)

A violent storm blew over Umma and the Šeg-kuršaga . Šara took an unfamiliar path away from the E-maḫ , his beloved dwelling. Ninmul cried bitter tears over her destroyed city. "Oh my city, whose charms can no longer satisfy me," she cried bitterly. Ĝirsu , the city of heroes, was afflicted with a lightning storm. Ninĝirsu took an unfamiliar path away from the E-ninnu . Mother Bau wept bitter tears in her E-Iri-kug . "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

The lament for Sumer and Urim (c.2.2.3) ·c.2.2.3 ·160 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"Let me advise you and may my advice be taken. Direct your steps to Ĝirsu , the foremost house of the land of Lagaš , open your storehouse up and take out wood from it; build (?) a chariot for your master and harness a donkey stallion to it; decorate this chariot with refined silver and lapis lazuli and equip it with arrows that will fly out from the quiver like sunbeams, and with the an-kar weapon, the strength of heroism; fashion for him his beloved standard and write your name on it, and then enter before the warrior who loves gifts, before your master Lord Ninĝirsu in E-ninnu-the-white-Anzud-bird , together with his beloved balaĝ drum Ušumgal-kalama , his famous instrument to which he keeps listening. Your requests will then be taken as if they were commands; and the drum will make the inclination of the lord -- which is as inconceivable as the heavens -- will make the inclination of Ninĝirsu , the son of Enlil , favourable for you so that he will reveal the design of his house to you in every detail. With his powers, which are the greatest, the warrior will make the house thrive (?) for you."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·166 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The true shepherd Gudea is wise, and able too to realise things. Accepting what Nanše had told him, he opened his storehouse up and took out wood from it. Gudea checked (?) the wood piece by piece, taking great care of the wood. He smoothed meš wood, split ḫalub wood with an axe and built (?) a blue chariot from them for him. He harnessed to it the stallion Piriĝ-kaše-pada. He fashioned for him his beloved standard, wrote his name on it, and then entered before the warrior who loves gifts, before his master Lord Ninĝirsu in E-ninnu-the-white-Anzud-bird , together with his beloved balaĝ drum Ušumgal-kalama , his famous instrument to which he keeps listening. He joyfully brought the drum to him in the temple. Gudea came out of the shrine E-ninnu with a radiant face.

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·192 ·machine translation (etcsl)

The true shepherd Gudea is wise, and able too to realise things. Accepting what Nanše had told him, he opened his storehouse up and took out wood from it. Gudea checked (?) the wood piece by piece, taking great care of the wood. He smoothed meš wood, split ḫalub wood with an axe and built (?) a blue chariot from them for him. He harnessed to it the stallion Piriĝ-kaše-pada. He fashioned for him his beloved standard, wrote his name on it, and then entered before the warrior who loves gifts, before his master Lord Ninĝirsu in E-ninnu-the-white-Anzud-bird , together with his beloved balaĝ drum Ušumgal-kalama , his famous instrument to which he keeps listening. He joyfully brought the drum to him in the temple. Gudea came out of the shrine E-ninnu with a radiant face.

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·195 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"As if at the roaring of the Anzud bird, the heavens tremble at my house, the E-ninnu founded by An , the powers of which are the greatest, surpassing all other powers, at the house whose owner looks out over a great distance. Its fierce halo reaches up to heaven, the great fearsomeness of my house settles upon all the lands. In response to its fame all lands will gather from as far as heaven's borders, even Magan and Meluḫa will come down from their mountains."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·232 ·machine translation (etcsl)

"I am Ninĝirsu who has turned back the fierce waters, the great warrior of Enlil's realm, a lord without opponent. My house the E-ninnu , a crown, is bigger than the mountains; my weapon the Šar-ur subdues all the lands. No country can bear my fierce stare, nobody escapes my outstretched arms."

The building of Ninĝirsu's temple (Gudea, cylinders A and B) (c.2.1.7) ·c.2.1.7 ·244 ·machine translation (etcsl)

Your prince, a raging storm which destroys cities in hostile lands, your sovereign, a terrifying wild ox which will manifest its strength, a terrifying lion which smashes heads, the warrior who devises strategies in lordship and attains victory in kingship, the mighty one, the great warrior in battle, the lord without rival, the son of Enlil , Lord Ninĝirsu , has erected a house in your precinct, O E-ninnu , and taken his seat upon your dais.

The temple hymns (c.4.80.1) ·c.4.80.1 ·261 ·machine translation (etcsl)

" Esi (diorite), your army in battle changed sides separately (?). You spread before me like thick smoke. You did not raise your hand. You did not attack me. Since you said, "It is false. The lord is alone the hero. Who can vie with Ninurta , the son of Enlil ?" -- they shall extract you from the highland countries. They shall bring (?) you from the land of Magan . You shall shape (?) Strong Copper like leather and then you shall be perfectly adapted for my heroic arm, for me, the lord. When a king who is establishing his renown for perpetuity has had its statues sculpted for all time, you shall be placed in the place of libations -- and it shall suit you well -- in my temple E-ninnu , the house full of grace."

Ninurta's exploits: a šir-sud (?) to Ninurta (c.1.6.2) ·c.1.6.2 ·477 ·machine translation (etcsl)