Lord, mighty flood that tears out the roots of the enemy —
put your weapon into the prince's hands.
Hero, mighty among all the Anuna gods,
who comes forth from the Ekur —
Ninurta, Lord, Nunamnir gave birth to you like a great storm
to stand at his side, called you to his purpose.
Barsud.
Nintur opened wide her creative hands for you.
From her sweet breast she fed your mouth,
gave you the milk of vigor.
Like a great wild bull, magnificent to behold,
she made your form strong, your limbs great.
She clothed you in awesome appearance, lordly radiance, the face of heroism.
Your mother Nintur took you by the right wrist
and led you before your father in the Ekur, the august shrine.
She said to him: "Decide a great fate
for the son who is your avenger!"
Sagbatuku.
Enlil looked at him with joy and decided his fate:
"Uta-ulu, may your name be exalted
throughout all the reaches of heaven and earth.
Your awesome radiance shall make all the great gods tremble in awe."
Second barsud.
Your roar, your word —
all the foreign lands shall bow before them.
Your terrifying gaze shall make every enemy shudder in his flesh.
Uta-ulu, when like all the evil winds you rise —
like Gibil the lord, consuming like a hero,
laying waste, building ruin behind you,
devouring the edges of the rebellious lands —
all the great gods shall honor your supremacy with fitting praise.
So your father Enlil has decided your fate.
Sa-gida.
Make the hostile bow down for Lipit-Eshtar, son of Enlil!
[Gishgigal of the sa-gida.]
[…]
[…]
You have numbered them as ruins, mixed them with dust.
You swept over them and obliterated them.
Ninurta, hero of Enlil, as you sit upon your dais —
may your spouse, the true lady Ninnibru who embraces you,
step before you daily with kind words on behalf of Lipit-Eshtar.
Uta-ulu, be his support when he prays!
May he be able to rely on your word,
may he stand without rival.
May he be the king whose fate Ninurta has decided,
clothed in radiance.
Lipit-Eshtar, the prince who is your champion, son of Enlil,
has established justice in Sumer and Akkad,
made the body of the Land content.
The shepherd, most expert, wisest of guides —
may he lead the people in your name!
Sa-gara.
Great hero, when for prince Lipit-Eshtar
you reduce the rebellious lands to ruins,
those insubordinate to him —
may they be heaped like sheaves!
[Gishgigal of the sa-gara.]
Lord, mighty flood that tears out the roots of the enemy!
Ninurta, mighty flood that tears out the roots of the enemy —
may you put into prince Lipit-Eshtar's mighty hands
a weapon that snaps his enemies like reeds!
Its uru.
An adab of Ninurta.
Colophon
Translated from Sumerian (ETCSL c.2.5.5.4) by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. ETCSL English translation (t.2.5.5.4) consulted as reference for difficult and damaged lines; all English independently derived from the Sumerian transliteration. Scribal credit: liberation-translator, 2026-03-21.
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Source Text
Sumerian Transliteration (ETCSL c.2.5.5.4)
- ur-saj a2-jal2 da-nun-na-ke4-ne e2-kur-ta [e3-a]
- dnin-urta en dnu-nam-nir-re u18-lu /gal-gin7\ [...]
- mu-un-tu-ud-de3-en u3-ma-ni gub-bu-de3 gu3 /ma?-[ra]-/de2?\
- bar-sud-am3
- dnin-tur5-re shu nij2 dim2-ma-ni za-ra mu-ri-in-bad?
- ubur dug3-ga-na ka ma-ra-ni-in-ba ga nam-shul-la mi-ri-in-gu7
- am u6 di-gin7 alan-zu mu-un-er9 a2-ur2-zu mu-un-gur4?
- igi ni2 bur2-e en me-lem4 nam-ur-saj da-da-ra-she3 mi-ri-in-dug4
- kishib-la2 zid-da-zu im-ma-an-dab5 ama-zu dnin-tur5-re
- e2-kur esh3 mah-a mi-ni-in-kur9-re-en a-a-zu den-lil2-ra
- mu-na-ab-be2 dumu shu jar gi4-zu nam gal tar-mu-ni-ib2
- shag4-ba-tuku-am3
- den-lil2-le igi hul2 mu-shi-in-bar nam mu-ni-ib2-tar-re
- [u4]-/ta-u18-lu an ki shu2-a-she3 /mu-zu\ he2-em-mah
- me-lem4-zu-/she3\ [dijir] /gal-gal-e-ne /saj\ im-/da-[sag3-ge]-/ne?\
- [bar]-/sud\ 2-[kam]-/ma-am3
- mur sha4-zu /inim dug4-ga-zu-she3 /kur-[kur] ni2-ba hu-/mu-[gam]-/de3\
- [igi] hu-luh-ha-zu-ne gu2-erim2-jal2 su he2-em-da-sag3-ge-de3
- u4-ta-u18-lu /im-hul-im-hul-/gin7\ zi-zi-i-da-zu-ne
- dgibil en ZA.LAM-ra ur-saj-/gin7 gu7?-u3-de3\ kur-ba u3 eger-am3 bi2-du3
- [ki]-/bal-a /sug-zag-ge4 um-mi-gu7 [...] gu7-u3-de3
- [nam]-/nir-jal2-zu\ dijir gal-gal-e-ne me-tesh2 /mu-un-i-i-/ne\
- [...a]-a-zu! [den]-/lil2-le nam-she3 mu-ri-/in-[tar]
- [sa]-gid2-da-am3
- [...] [d]/li-pi2-it-esh4-tar2 dumu den-lil2-la2-ra
- [...erim2-jal2]-la-ni gam-gam-mu-na-ab
- [jish-gi4-jal2 sa-gid2-da]-bi-im
- [...] a-ab-ba-ta
- [...] an ki-she3 pa e3-ju10-ush
- [...] saj-zu um-mi-us2
- [...] mu-ni-in-shid sahar-da im-da-hi
- [...]-gin7 he2-bi2-in-ur4 nu-jal2-la mu-ni-in-kur9
- dnin-urta ur-saj den-lil2-la2 barag-za dur2 jar-bi
- nitalam2-zu nin zid dnin-nibruki gu2-da mu-/ri-in-la2
- inim sag9-ga dli-pi2-it-esh4-tar2-ra-da ud shu2-/she3\ ha-ra-da-gub
- u4-ta-u18-lu ki shu [il2]-la-ni a2-tah-ni he2-/me-en
- dug4-ga-zu-ta nir /he2-em-de3-jal2 gaba-ri-ni na-an-jal2-/le\
- /lugal\ nam tar-ra dnin-urta-ke4 ul guru3? he2-en?-[na-nam]
- [d]li-pi2-it-esh4-tar2 nun za-a-she3 jal2-la dumu den-lil2-la2-ke4
- [nij2]-si-sa2 ki-en-gi ki-uri-a mu-ni-in-jar
- su kalam-ma mu-dug3
- sipad mas-su2 tum2-tum2-mu gal-an-zu-a uj3 ha-ra-ab-lah4-lah4-e
- sa-jar-ra-am3
- ur-saj gal /nun\ dli-
-it-esh4-tar2-ra u3-mu-ta-sig10 ki-bal nu-she-ga-na zar?-gin7 he2-us2?-u3-us2 - jish-gi4-jal2 sa-jar-ra-bi-im
- en a-ma-ru mah suhush erim2-ma bur12-re
- dnin-urta en a-ma-ru mah suhush erim2-
bur12-re - nun dli-pi2-it-esh4-tar2-ra jishtukul hul-du-ni
- gi-/gin7\ sha5-sha5 shu mah-a-ni si-bi2-/ib2\
- u19-ru12-bi-im
- a-da-ab dnin-urta-ka-kam
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL c.2.5.5.4), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Accessed 2026-03-21.
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