492-498 He ...... the holy basket and true fated brick mould ...... the E-ninnu. As he ...... and walked proudly, Lugal-kur-dub walked in front of him, God's guidance directed him and His protection held him by the hand throughout the time.

499-512 He poured clear water into the ...... of the brick mould - adab, sim and ala drums were playing for the ruler. He prepared the excavated earth for making the brick, and hoed honey, ghee and precious oil into it. He worked ambergris and essences from all kinds of trees into the paste. He lifted up the holy carrying-basket and put it next to the brick mould. Gudea placed the clay into the brick mould and acted exactly as prescribed, bringing the first brick of the house into existence in it, while all the bystanders sprinkled oil or cedar perfume. His city and the land of Lagac spent the day with him in joy.

513-522 He shook the brick mould and left the brick to dry. He looked at the ...... with satisfaction. He anointed it with cypress essence and ambergris. The sun rejoiced over the brick put into the mould by Gudea. ...... and Gudea went into the house.

523-542 He raised the brick out of the ...... of the mould, and it looked as a holy crown. He lifted up the brick and went around among his people: it was like the holy team of the sun tossing their heads. The brick lifting its head toward the house was as if the cows were eager to be tethered in their pen. He put down the brick, entered the house and as if he himself were the master of the inmost secrets of numbers, he started setting down the ground plan of the house. As if he were a young man building a house for the first time, sweet sleep never came into his eyes. Like a cow keeping an eye on its calf, he went in constant worry to the house. Like a man who takes but little food into his mouth, he went around untiringly. The intention of his Lord had become clear for him, the words of the Lord had become as conspicuous as a banner. His heart beating loudly because of building the house, someone ...... a propitious remark. This made him extremely happy.

543-550 He offered a kid and his heart was assured. Gudea lay down, and while he was sleeping a message came to him: in the vision he saw the house of his Lord already built, the E-ninnu separating heaven and earth. This made him extremely happy.

551-561 He stretched out lines in the most perfect way; he set up a sanctuary in the holy uzga. In the house, the foundation pegs were driven in, while the wise woman Nance took care of the interpretation of the dreams. Bricks were made amid cries of joy for Lagac, and were sprinkled with oil and cedar essence. Priests were detailed to the house to provide maintenance for it. The elders stood there full of admiration.

562-577 Gudea, in charge of building the house, placed on his head the carrying-basket for the house, as if it were a holy crown. He laid the foundation, set the walls on the ground. He marked out a square, aligned the bricks with a string. He marked out a second square on the site of the temple, saying, "It is the line-mark for a topped-off jar of 1 ban capacity". He marked out a third square on the site of the temple, saying, "It is the Anzud bird enveloping its fledgling with its wings". He marked out a fourth square on the site of the temple, saying, "It is a panther embracing a fierce lion". He marked out a fifth square on the site of the temple, saying, "It is the blue sky in all its splendour". He marked out a sixth square on the site of the temple, saying, "It is the day of supply, full of luxuriance". He marked out a seventh square on the site of the temple, saying, "It is the E-ninnu bathing the country with moonlight at dawn".

578-590 They inserted the wooden door frames, which were like a crown worn in the blue sky. As Gudea sat down at a wooden door frame, from there it was like a huge house embracing heaven. As he built the house and laid wooden scaffolding against it, it was like a lagoon in the moonlight. They made the house grow as high as the hills, they made it float in the midst of heaven as a cloud, they made it lift its horns as a bull and they made it raise its head above all the lands, like the jicgana tree over the Abzu. As the house had been made to lift its head so high as to fill the space between heaven and earth like the hills, it was like a luxuriant cedar growing among high grass; E-ninnu was decorated most alluringly among Sumer's buildings.

591-601 As they placed wooden beams on the house, they looked like dragons of the Abzu coming out all together, they were like ...... of heaven ......, they were like huge serpents of the foothills ....... The reeds cut for the house were like mountain snakes sleeping together. Its upper parts were covered with luxuriant cedar and cypress, and they put white cedars in its inner room of cedar, marvellous to behold. They treated them with good perfume and oil. The mud-wall of the house was covered with the abundance of the Abzu and they tied its ...... to it. The shrine of E-ninnu was thus placed in the ...... hand of heaven.

602-616 The ruler built the house, he made it high, high as a great mountain. Its Abzu foundation pegs, big mooring stakes, he drove into the ground so deep they reached the E-engur. He had heavenly foundation pegs surround the house like warriors, so that each one was drinking water at the place of libation. He fixed the E-ninnu, the big mooring stake, he drove in its pegs. He planted the pleasant poplars of his city so that they cast their shadow. He embedded its Car-ur weapon beside Lagac like a big standard, placed it in its dreadful place, the Cu-galam, and made it emanate fearsome radiance. On the dais of Jirnun, on the place of making judgments, the provider of Lagac lifted his horns like a mighty bull.

617-624 It took one year to bring the great stones in slabs and it took another year to fashion them, although not even two or three days did he let pass idly. Then it needed a day's work to set up each one but by the seventh day he had set them all up around the house. He laid down the trimmings from the slabs as stairs, or fashioned basins from them, and had them stand in the house.

625-629 The stela which he set up in the great courtyard he named "The king who ...... the courtyard, the Lord has recognized Gudea from the Jirnun".

630-635 The stela which he set up at the Kasura gate he named "The king, the flood storm of the Lord, who has no opponent, the Lord has looked with favour at Gudea".

636-641 The stela which he set up facing the rising sun he named "The king, the roaring storm of the Lord, the one without rival, the Lord has chosen Gudea with His holy heart".

642-646 The stela which he set up facing Cu-galam he named "The king, at whose name the foreign countries tremble, the Lord has made Gudea's throne firm".

647-650 The stela which he set up facing E-uru-ga he named "The Lord has decided a good fate for Gudea".

651-654 The stela which he set up by the inner room of the house he named "The eyes of the Most High know the E-ninnu".

655-664 He built his master's house exactly as he had been told to. The true shepherd Gudea made it grow so high as to fill the space between heaven and earth, had it wear a tiara shaped like the new moon, and had its fame spread as far as the heart of the highlands. Gudea made the house of worship come out like the sun from the clouds, had it grow to be like hills of lapis lazuli and had it stand to be marvelled at like hills of white alabaster.

665-672 He made its door-sockets stand like wild bulls and he flanked them with dragons crouching on their paws like lions. He had its terraced tower grow on a place as pure as the Abzu. He made the metal tops of its standards twinkle as the horns of the holy stags of the Abzu. Gudea made the house of worship stand to be marvelled at like the new moon in the skies.

673-687 The built-in door-sockets of the house stand by the Abzu. Its timber store looks like waves of an enormous lagoon where snakes have dived into the water. Its ...... is ...... full of fearsomeness. Its ...... is a light floating in the midst of heaven. On the "Gate where the king enters" an eagle is raising its eyes toward a wild bull. Its curved wooden posts joining above the gate are a rainbow stretching over the sky. Its upper lintel of the gate like the E-ninnu stands among rumbling, roaring storms. Its awe-inspiring eyebrow-shaped arch meets the admiring eyes of all. His white shrine ...... of the house is a firmly founded lapis lazuli mountain connecting heaven and earth.

688-695 They installed the great dining hall for the evening meals: it was as if golden bowls filled with honey and wine were being set out. They built the bedchamber: it is the Abzu's fruit-bearing holy mes tree among innumerable mountains. He finished with the building, which made the hearts of the righteous overflow with joy.

696-721 The true shepherd Gudea is wise, and able too to realize things. At the "Gate of Battle", in the inner room where the weapons hang, he stationed warriors. Facing the city, its place laden with awe, he stationed guards. At Cu-galam, its awesome gate, he stationed guards. Facing the sunrise, where decisions are made, he stationed watchmen. At the Kasura gate, at its lookout post, he stationed watchmen. At the Tar-sirsir, where the orders are issued, he stationed attendants. At the inner room, where the heart can be soothed, he stationed attendants.

722-729 The cedar doors installed in the house are thunder roaring above. The locks of the E-ninnu are bisons, its door-pivots are lions, from its bolts horned vipers and fierce snakes are hissing at wild bulls. Its jambs, against which the door leaves close, are young lions and panthers lying on their paws.

730-737 The shining roof-beam nails hammered into the house are dragons gripping a victim. The shining ropes attached to the doors are holy Nirah parting the Abzu. Its ...... is pure like Kec and Aratta, its ...... is a fierce lion keeping an eye on the country; nobody going alone can pass in front of it.

738-758 The fearsomeness of the E-ninnu covers all the lands like a garment. The house! It is founded by the command of God on refined silver, it is painted with kohl, and comes out as the moonlight with heavenly splendour. The house! Its front is a great mountain firmly grounded, its inside resounds with prayers and harmonious hymns, its exterior is the sky, a great house rising in abundance, its outer assembly hall is the place of rendering judgments, from its ...... words of prayer can be heard, its food supply is abundance, its standards erected around the house are the Anzud bird spreading its wings over the bright mountain. E-ninnu's clay plaster, harmoniously blended clay taken from the Edin canal, has been chosen by the Lord with His holy heart, and was painted by Gudea with the splendours of heaven as if kohl were being poured all over it.

759-769 From its cow-pen cream and milk are brought in. From its huge oven, great cakes and croissants come. Its ...... feeds cattle and sheep. Its house of food rations ...... an uzga shrine. Its regular offerings are a mountain oozing wine, from its brewery as much beer comes as the Tigris at high water.

770-780 Its storehouse is full of gems, silver and tin. Its coach-house is a mountain set on the ground. Its drum hall is a roaring bull. Its courtyard resounds with holy prayers, sim and ala drums. Its stone stairs, laid before the house, are like a mountain range lying down in princely joy. Its upper stairs leading to the roof are like a light clearly visible as far as the mountains. Its vineyard "Black garden in the steppe", planted near the house, is a mountain oozing wine and grows in a place with fearsome radiance.

781-798 The seven stones surrounding the house are there for counsel. Its chapel for funerary offerings is as pure as the clean Abzu. The stone basins set up in the house are like the holy room of the lustration priest where water never ceases to flow. Its high battlements where pigeons live is ...... Eridu ....... E-ninnu offers rest to pigeons, it is a protective cover with large branches and a pleasant shade, with swallows and other birds chirping loudly there. It is the E-kur when a festival takes place in it. The house's great awesomeness settles upon the whole Land, its praise reaches to the highlands, the awesomeness of the E-ninnu covers all lands like a garment.

799-803 The house has been built most sumptuously by its lord. It was built on a pedestal. Its foundation pegs were driven in by Gudea, the ruler of Lagac.

804-812 For the restoration of E-ninnu, the house that rises like the sun over the country, stands like a great bull in the ...... sand, illuminates the assembly like delightful moonlight, is as sumptuous as lush green foothills, and stands to be marvelled at, praise be to God!

813-814 This is the middle of the hymn "The building of the house of the Lord".

Gudea, Cylinder B

815-819 House, mooring post of the land, grown so high as to fill the space between heaven and earth, E-ninnu, the true brickwork, for which God determined a good fate, green hill standing to be marvelled at, standing out above all the lands.

820-823 The house is a great mountain reaching up to the skies. It is the sun filling the midst of the heaven; E-ninnu is the white Anzud bird spreading its talons upon the mountain land.

824-829 All the people were placed before it, the whole country was detailed to it. The elders stood there in admiration. The ruler, who is wise, who is knowledgeable, kissed the ground in humility. He touched the ground in prostration, with supplications and prayers; the ruler, the servant of God in his city, prayed.

830-833 For the bread-consuming house he added more and more bread, for the suppers in need of mutton he added sheep. In front of the house he lined up bowls like ...... abundance .......

834-841 He went to the elders and said to them: "O all you elders, admired by the land of Lagac, protectors of all the countries, whose command, a massive breach in a dam, carries away any who try to stop it. The worthy young man on whom you have looked will enjoy a long life. I, the shepherd, built the house, and now I will dedicate the house to my Lord. O elders, may you pray on my behalf!"

842-850 The true shepherd Gudea is wise, and able too to realize things. God's guidance went before him and His protection followed him. For his Lord Gudea gave numerous gifts, for the house of yore, the old house. He went into the E-ninnu and prayed to the Lord:

851-862 "My Master, Lord who has turned back the fierce waters, Lord whose commands take precedence, Warrior, I have carried out faithfully what You have ordered me to do. I have built up Your house of worship; now I dedicate it to You in joy! Accept our worship in it." His call was heard, his Lord accepted from Gudea his prayer and supplication.

863-871 The year ended and the month was completed. A new year started, a month began and three days elapsed in that month. As the day of dedication arrived, beautiful moonlight shone illuminating the land, and the E-ninnu competed with the new-born crescent.

872-882 Gudea made a paste with cornelian and lapis lazuli and applied it to the corners. He sprinkled the floor with precious oil. He made the ......, who worked there, leave the house. Syrup, ghee, wine, sour milk, jipar fruit, fig-cakes topped with cheese, dates, ...... and small grapes, things untouched by fire, these were the foods for the poor and the worshippers which he prepared with syrup and ghee.

883-891 On the day when the dedication was to take place, Gudea was busy with the evening meal from early morning. The maintenance of the house was cared for. Its cleaning was taken care of. Its affairs were arranged by wise counsel. The chief purification priest filled it with the smoke of incense. The woman versed in singing holy songs, Nance, sang songs for the house.

892-906 They sheared the black ewes and milked the udder of the cow. They cleaned the E-ninnu, they polished it with brooms of tamarisk and ....... The ruler made the whole city kneel down, made the whole land prostrate itself in prayer. He levelled what was high, rejected chance utterances; the sorcerers' spittle was removed from the roads. In the city only the mother of a sick person administered a potion. The wild animals, creatures of the steppe, all had crouched together. The lions and the dragons of the steppe were lying in sweet sleep.

907-909 The day was for supplication, the night was for prayer. The moonlight ...... early morning.

910-924 The warrior Gudea entered the house of worship. He was an eagle raising its eyes toward a wild bull. The warrior's entering his house was a storm roaring into battle. He entered the house and it became the shrine of the Abzu when there is a festival. The ruler came out of the house and he was the sun rising over the land of Lagac.

925-928 The daylight came out, the fate had been decided. There was abundance for the land of Lagac. The day dawned. The sun lifted its head over the land of Lagac.

929-933 The house received fattened oxen and sheep. Bowls were set up in the open air and were filled with wine. The elders of the land of Lagac gathered. In the house the purification had been completed, the guidance had been taken care of.

934-943 Wine was poured from big jars while ...... was heaped up in the E-ninnu. The chief purification priest caused the sanctuary to be full of clatter and noise and with fresh bread and hind's milk available day and night, the people worshipped in the E-ninnu from early morning.

944-956 With his duties, namely to guide the hand of the righteous one; to force the evil-doer's neck into a neck stock; to keep the house safe; to keep the house pleasant; to instruct his city and the sanctuaries of Jirsu; to set up an auspicious throne; to hold the sceptre of never-ending days; to raise high the head of the shepherd, Gudea, as if he wore a blue crown; and to appoint to their offices in the courtyard of E-ninnu the skin-clad ones, the linen-clad ones and those whose head is covered, Gudea appointed Ig-alim, the chief bailiff of Jirsu.

957-970 With his duties, namely to keep the house clean; to let hands always be washed; to serve water with clean hands; to pour beer into bowls; to pour wine into jars; to make emmer beer in the brewery fizz like the water of the Papsir canal, the house of pure strength; to make certain that faultless cattle and goats, grain-fed sheep, fresh bread and hind's milk are available day and night for the worshippers and the needy, Gudea appointed Cul-caga, the keeper of the pure hand-washings, the first-born son of the E-ninnu.

971-982 With his duties, namely to carry the seven-headed mace; to open the door of the an-kara house, the gate of battle; to hit exactly with the dagger blades, with the mitum mace, with the "floodstorm" weapon and with the marratum club, its battle tools; to inundate the enemy land, Gudea appointed Lugalkurdub, the warrior Carur, who in battle subdues all the foreign lands, the mighty general of the E-ninnu, a falcon against the rebel lands.

983-989 After the heavenly mitum mace had roared against the foreign lands like a fierce storm - the Carur, the flood storm in battle, the cudgel for the rebel lands - after the lord had frowned at the rebellious land, the foreign country, hurled at it his furious words,

990-992 With his duties, Gudea appointed the second general, Kur-cuna-buruam.

993-1005 With his duties, namely to send entreaties on behalf of the land of Lagac; to perform supplications and prayers for it, propitious ones; to greet pleasantly the warrior departing for Eridu; and until his return from Eridu, to keep the throne of the built-up city firm; to pray, with hand placed before the nose, together with Gudea, for the life of the true shepherd, Gudea appointed his adviser, Lugal-sisa.

1006-1014 With his duties, namely to request; to command; to co-operate with the one speaking straightforwardly; to ...... the one speaking evil; to inform the warrior sitting on a holy dais in the E-ninnu, Gudea appointed Cakkan, the wild ram, the minister of the E-duga.

1015-1023 With his duties, namely to clean with water; to clean with soap; to ...... with oil from white bowls and with soap; to keep the E-duga in order, Gudea appointed Kinda-zid, the man in charge of the E-duga.

1024-1034 With his duties, namely to yoke up the holy chariot decorated with stars; to harness the donkey stallion, Pirij-kase-pada, before it; to ...... a slender donkey from Eridu ......; to have stallions joyfully transport their owner, Gudea appointed En-signun, who roars like a lion, who rises like a flood storm, the hurrying bailiff, the donkey herd.

1035-1040 With his duties, namely, to make the fat abundant; to make the cream abundant; to see that the fat and the milk of the holy goats, the milking goats, and the hind do not cease to flow in the E-ninnu sanctuary, Gudea appointed En-lulim, the herdsman of the hinds.

1041-1047 With his duties, namely to tune properly the sweet-toned tigi instrument; to fill the courtyard of E-ninnu with joy; to make the algar and miritum, instruments of the E-duga, offer their best in the E-ninnu, Gudea appointed his beloved musician, Ucumgal-kalama.

1048-1057 With his duties, namely to soothe the heart, to soothe the spirits; to dry weeping eyes; to banish mourning from the mourning heart, Gudea appointed his balaj drummer, Lugal-igihuc.

1070-1081 With his duties, namely to see that the great fields grow rich; to see that the levees and ditches of Lagac will be full to the brim; to see that the grain, the bright and long, the pure stalk, will raise its head high in the furrows in Gu-edina, the plain befitting its owner; to see that after the good fields have provided wheat, emmer and all kinds of pulses, the numerous grain heaps - the yield of the land of Lagac - will be heaped up, Gudea appointed Jicbar-ed, the surveyor, the farmer of Gu-edina.

1082-1087 With his duties, namely to make sure that Imin-catam, the messenger of Gu-edina, informs about the amount of carp and perch yielded by the marshes, and about the quantity of new shoots of reed yielded by the green reedbeds, Gudea appointed Lama, the inspector of the fisheries of Gu-edina.

1088-1099 With his duties, namely to administer the open country, the pleasant place; to give directions concerning the Gu-edina, the pleasant open country; to make its birds propagate; to have them lay their eggs in nests; to have them rear their young; to see that the multiplication of the beasts of the beloved countryside does not diminish, Gudea appointed Dimgal-abzu, the herald of Gu-edina.

1100-1106 With his duties, namely to erect cities; to found settlements; to build guard-houses for the wall of the Iri-kug; to have its resident constable, the mace of white cedar with its enormous head, patrol around the house, Gudea appointed Lugal-ennu-irikugakam.

1107-1117 God made the location appropriate. He wound a turban round its top. He looked at it approvingly and drove in its foundation pegs. The True Lord with a pure heart made its powers the largest in heaven and on earth. He chose it among shrines of sprouting seeds with His heart. The wise woman Nance cared for it especially among the buildings of the land of Lagac. But it was Gudea, of most reliable progeny, who built the house and made its name famous.

1118-1124 The steward, the accomplished shepherd, is wise, and able too to realize things; the man in charge of building the house, Gudea the ruler of Lagac, was to make presents for the house.

1125-1142 Gudea, the ruler in charge of building the house, presented it with the chariot "It makes the mountains bow down", which carries awesome radiance and on which fearsomeness rides and with its donkey stallion, Ud-gu-dugduga, to serve before it; with the seven-headed mace, the fierce battle weapon, the weapon unbearable both for the North and for the South, with a battle cudgel, with the mitum mace, with the lion-headed weapon made from nir stone, which never turns back before the highlands, with dagger blades, with nine standards, with the "strength of heroism", with his bow which twangs like a mes forest, with his angry arrows which whizz like lightning flashes in battle and with his quiver, which is like a lion, a pirij lion, or a fierce snake sticking out its tongue - strengths of battle endued with the power of kingship.