The Kesh temple hymn: translation

1-9

The princely one, the princely one came forth from the house. Enlil, the
princely one, came forth from the house. The princely one came forth royally
from the house. Enlil lifted his glance over all the lands, and the lands raised
themselves to Enlil. The four corners of heaven became green for Enlil like a
garden. Kec was positioned there for him with head uplifted, and as Kec lifted
its head among all the lands, Enlil spoke the praises of Kec.
10-20

Nisaba was its decision-maker (?); with its words she wove it intricately
like a net. Written on tablets it was held in her hands: House, platform of the
Land, important fierce bull! House Kec, platform of the Land, important fierce
bull! Growing as high as the hills, embracing the heavens, growing as high
as E-kur, lifting its head among the mountains! Rooted in the abzu (2 mss.
have instead: Colourful as the abzu), verdant like the mountains! Will anyone
else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give
birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great
as its lady Nintud?
21

The first house.

22-30

Good house, built in a good location, house Kec, (some mss. add
here: good house,) built in a good location, floating in the heavens like a
princely barge, like a holy barge furnished with a ...... gate, like the boat of
heaven, the platform of all the lands! ...... from the riverbank like a ...... boat
cabin! House roaring like an ox, bellowing loudly like a breed-bull! House in
whose interior is the power of the Land, and behind which is the life
of Sumer!
31-43

House, great enclosure, reaching to the heavens, great, true house,

reaching to the heavens! House, great crown reaching to the heavens, house,
rainbow reaching to the heavens! House whose platform extends into the
midst of the heavens, whose foundations are fixed in the abzu, whose shade
covers all lands! House founded by An, praised by Enlil, given an oracle by
mother Nintud! House Kec, green in its fruit! Will anyone else bring forth
something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone
as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its
lady Nintud?
44

The second house.

45-57

House, 10 car at its upper end, 5 car at its lower end; house, 10 bur at its
upper end, 5 bur at its lower end! House, at its upper end a bison, at its lower
end a stag; house, at its upper end a wild sheep, at its lower end a deer; house,
at its upper end a dappled wild sheep, at its lower end a beautiful deer! House,
at its upper end green like a viper, at its lower end floating on the water like a
pelican! House, at its upper end rising like the sun, at its lower end spreading
like the moonlight; house, at its upper end a warrior mace, at its lower end a
battle-axe; house, at its upper end a mountain, at its lower end a spring!
House, at its upper end threefold indeed: Will anyone else bring forth
something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone
as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its
lady Nintud?
58

The third house.

58A-58Q

(1 ms. adds here the following lines: House ...... inspiring great awe,
called with a mighty name by An; house ...... whose fate is grandly determined
by the Great Mountain Enlil! House of the Anuna gods possessing great
power, which gives wisdom to the people; house, reposeful dwelling of the
great gods! House, which was planned together with the plans of heaven and
earth, ...... with the pure divine powers; house which underpins the Land and
supports the shrines! House, mountain of abundance which passes the days in
glory; house of Ninhursaja which establishes the life of the Land! House,
great hillside worthy of the purification rites, altering (?) all things; house
without whom no decisions are made! House, good ...... carrying in its hands
the broad Land; house which gives birth to countless peoples, seed which has
sprouts! House which gives birth to kings, which determines the destinies of
the Land; house whose royal personages are to be revered! Will anyone else
bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth
to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its
lady Nintud?
58R

The ...... house.)

59-73

It is indeed a city, it is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? The

house Kec is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? The heroes make their
way straight into its interior and perform its oracle rites perfectly. Frisking
cattle are gathered at the house in herds. The house consumes many cattle; the
house consumes many sheep.
1 line unclear
Those who sit on daises bow their necks before it. It wears a crown to vie with

the boxwood tree, it spreads out to vie with the poplar ......; it is (1 ms. adds
here: growing) as green as the hills! Will anyone else bring forth something as
great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its
hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
74

The fourth house.

75-86

House given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)!
House Kec, given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)!
The heroes make their way straight into its interior. Ninhursaja sits within like
a great dragon. Nintud the great mother assists at births there. Cul-pa-ed the
ruler acts as lord. Acgi the hero consumes the contents of the vessels
(?). Urumac, the great herald of the plains, dwells there too. Stags are gathered
at the house in herds. Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec?
Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi?
Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
87

The fifth house.

88-102

House positioned over its foundations like a storm, like white bulls
standing about on the plain; house founded by the prince, in praise on
the tigi instrument! House in whose interior is the power of the Land, and
behind which is the life of Sumer (some mss. have instead: it is filled with
life); at whose gate is a lion reclining on its paws, at whose gate is the ruler
who decides cases (?)! House at whose door is the Great Mountain without
adversary; at whose bolt (some mss. have here instead: at whose bar) is a
great frisking wild bull (some mss. add here the line: , at whose bolt is a beast
...... a man (1 ms. adds here instead the line: , at whose ...... is an aweinspiring lion))! Whose well-founded storehouse is a corner of heaven, a
corner of earth (1 ms. has here instead: Whose storehouse established as a
household ......); whose terrace is supported by lahama deities; whose
princely (1 ms. adds: great) wall ...... the shrine of Urim! Will anyone else
bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth
to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its
lady Nintud?
103

The sixth house.

103A-103K

(1 ms. (which uses a different numbering of the sections) adds here

the following lines: House embued with radiance, ...... excellence! House ......!

Lord Nudimmud in heaven and earth ...... brickwork of the Land, brickwork
...... grandly in the abzu. Terrace, relaxing abode, ...... holy splendour ...... of
the people! House which is seemly for the foreign lands! Will anyone else
bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth
to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its
lady Nintud?
103L

The eighth house.)

104-115

The holy house whose ...... is the shrine, the holy house Kec, whose ......
is the shrine; the house whose lords are the Anuna gods, whose nuec priests
are the sacrificers of E-ana! In the house the king places stone bowls in
position; the good en priest ...... holds the lead-rope dangling. Thea-tu priests
holds the staff; the ...... brings the ...... waters. The ...... takes his seat in the
holy place; the enkum priests bow down ....... The pacec priests beat the
drumskins; they recite powerfully, powerfully.
116-126

The bull's horn is made to growl; the drumsticks are made to thud. The
singer cries out (1 ms. has instead: declaims) to the ala drum; the grand
sweet tigi is played for him (some mss. have instead: the sweet tigi is well
tuned). The house is built; its nobility is good! The house Kec is built; its
nobility is good! Its lady has taken a seat in its ....... Ninhursaja, its lady, has
taken her seat in its ....... Will anyone else bring forth something as great
as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its
hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its ladyNintud?
127

The seventh house.

128-133

Draw near, man, to the city, to the city -- but do not draw near! Draw
near, man, to the house Kec, to the city -- but do not draw near! Draw near,
man, to its hero Acgi -- but do not draw near! Draw near, man, to its
lady Nintud -- but do not draw near! Praise be to well-built Kec, OAcgi!
Praise be to cherished Kec and Nintud!
134

The eighth house.