Tablet with Temple Hymn

[Translation from composite text of Cuneiform Digital Library CDLI Literary 000751 (Kesh Temple Hymn)] The princely lord, the princely lord came forth from the house. / Enlil, the princely lord, came forth from the house. / The princely lord 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. / Kesz was positioned there for him with head uplifted, / and as Kesz lifted its head among all the lands, / Enlil spoke the praises of Kesz. / 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 Kesz, 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, verdant like the mountains! / Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kesz? / Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The first house. / Good house, built in a good location, house Kesz, / built in a good location, / floating in the heavens like a princely barge, / like a holy barge furnished with a SI 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! / 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 diadem 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 Nintur! / House Kesz, green in its fruit! / Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kesz? / Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The second house. / House, 10 szar at its upper end, 5 szar 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 as a snake-eater bird, 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 Kesz? / Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The third house. / It is indeed a city, it is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? / The house Kesz 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. / 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 as green as the hills! / Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kesz? / Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The fourth house. / House given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! / House Kesz, given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! / The heroes make their way straight into its interior. / Ninhursag sits within like a great dragon. / Nintur the great mother assists at births there. / Szul-pa-e the ruler acts as lord. / Aszgi the hero consumes the contents of the vessels (?). / Urumasz, 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 Kesz? / Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The fifth house. / 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 / 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 at whose bar} is a great frisking wild bull / Whose well-founded storehouse is a corner of heaven, a corner of earth / whose terrace is supported by lahama deities; / whose princely wall, the shrine of Ur! / Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kesz? / Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The sixth house. / The holy house whose x is the shrine, / the holy house Kec, whose x is the shrine; / the house whose lords are the Anuna gods, / whose nuesz priests are the sacrificers of E-ana! / In the house the king places stone bowls in position / the good en priest x holds the lead-rope dangling / The a-tu priests holds the staff; / the x brings the gathered (?) waters. / The x takes his seat in the holy place; / the enkum priests bow down x / The paszesz priests beat the drumskins; / they recite powerfully, powerfully. / The bull's horn is made to growl; the drumsticks are made to thud / The singer cries out to the ala drum; / the grand sweet tigi is played for him / The house is built; its nobility is good! / The house Kesz is built; its nobility is good! / Its lady has taken a seat in its x / Ninhursaja, its lady, has taken her seat in its x / Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kesz? / Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Aszgi? / Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintur? / The seventh house. / Draw near, man, to the city, to the city -- but do not draw near! / Draw near, man, to the house Kesz, to the city -- but do not draw near! / Draw near, man, to its hero Aszgi -- but do not draw near! / Draw near, man, to its lady Nintur -- but do not draw near! / Praise be to well-built Kesz, O Aszgi! / Praise be to cherished Kesz and Nintur! / The eighth house. [https://cdli.ucla.edu/P272905]