Ashurnasirpal II 017

(i 1) Aššur, the great lord, king of all the great gods; god Anu, foremost in strength, the one who decrees destinies; god Ea, king of the apsû, lord of wisdom (and) understanding; god Sîn, wise one, lord of the lunar disk,

(i 5) lofty luminary; god Marduk, sage, lord god of oracles; god Adad, strong, almighty among the gods, exalted; god Ninurta, hero, warrior of the gods, the one who lays low the wicked; god Nusku, bearer of the holy scepter, circumspect god; goddess Ninlil, spouse of the god Enlil, mother of the great gods; god Nergal, perfect one, king of battle; god Enlil, exalted one, father of the gods, creator of all; god Šamaš, judge of heaven (and) underworld, commander of all; goddess Ištar, foremost in heaven (and) underworld, who is consummate in the canons of combat;

(i 11) great gods, who decree the destinies of the land (and) make great the sovereignty of Ashurnasirpal:

(i 12b) (I, Ashurnasirpal), attentive prince, worshipper of the great gods, ferocious dragon, conqueror of cities and the entire highlands, king of lords, controller of the obstinate, crowned with splendor, fearless in battle, lofty (and) merciless hero, he who stirs up strife,

(i 15) king of all princes, lord of lords, chief herdsman, king of kings, attentive purification priest, designate of the warrior god Ninurta, destructive weapon of the great gods, avenger, the king who has always acted justly with the support of Aššur and the god Šamaš, the gods who help him, and cut down like marsh reeds fortified mountains and princes hostile to him (and) subdued all their lands, provider of offerings for the great gods,

(i 20) legitimate prince, to whom is perpetually entrusted the proper administration of the rites of the temples of his land, whose deeds and offerings the great gods of heaven and underworld love so that they (therefore) established forever his priesthood in the temples, granted to his dominion their fierce weapons, (and) made him more marvelous

(i 25) than (any of) the kings of the four quarters with respect to the splendor of his weapons (and) the radiance of his dominion, (he who) has always contested with all enemies of Aššur above and below and imposed upon them tribute and tax, conqueror of the foes of Aššur, strong king, king of Assyria; son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), vice-regent of Aššur, who defeated all his enemies (and) hung the corpses of his enemies on posts, grandson of Adad-nārārī (II),

(i 30) appointee of the great gods, who always achieved the defeat of those insubmissive to him and (thereby) became lord of all, offspring of Aššur-dān (II) who opened towns (and) founded shrines:

(i 33) At that time my sovereignty, my dominion, (and) my power came forth at the command of the great gods; I am king, I am lord, I am praiseworthy, I am exalted,

(i 35) I am important, I am magnificent, I am foremost, I am a hero, I am a warrior, I am a lion, and I am virile; Ashurnasirpal, strong king, vice-regent of Aššur and the god Ninurta, designate of the god Sîn, favorite of the god Anu, loved one of the god Adad (who is) almighty among the gods, I, the merciless weapon which lays low lands hostile to him, I, the king, capable in battle, vanquisher of cities (and)

(i 40) highlands, foremost in battle, king of the four quarters, the one who defeats his enemies, the one who disintegrates all his enemies, king of the totality of the (four) quarters including all their princes, the king who forces to bow down those insubmissive to him, the one who rules all peoples; these destinies came forth

(i 45) at the command of the great gods and they properly fixed (them) as my destinies.

(i 46b) Because of my voluntary offerings and my prayers the goddess Ištar, the mistress who loves my priesthood, approved of me and she made up her mind to make war and battle.

(i 49b) At that time, Ashurnasirpal, (i 50) attentive prince, worshipper of the great gods, whose desires the god Enlil helped him obtain so that his great hand conquered all princes insubmissive to him, conqueror of his foes, the one who in rugged terrain broke up the forces of the rebellious;

(i 54b) when Aššur, my great lord, who called me by name (and) made my sovereignty supreme over the kings of the four quarters, had made (my) great name supreme he placed his merciless weapon in my lordly arms (and) sternly commanded me to rule, subdue, and direct the lands (and) mighty highlands. With the support of Aššur, my lord,

(i 60) I kept marching along difficult routes (and) over rugged mountains with the mass of my troops and there was no opponent.

(i 61b) In my accession year (and) in my first regnal year when the god Šamaš, judge of the (four) quarters, spread his beneficial protection over me, (and) when I nobly ascended the royal throne, he placed in my hand the scepter for the shepherding of the people — (at that time)

(i 65) I mustered my chariotry (and) troops. I passed through difficult paths (and) rugged mountains which were unsuitable for chariotry and troops (and) marched to the land Tummu. I conquered Libê, their fortified city, the cities Surra, Abuqu, Arura, (and) Arubê which lie between Mounts Urinu, Arunu, (and) Etinu, mighty mountains.

(i 70) I massacred many of them (and) carried off captives, possessions, (and) oxen from them. The troops were frightened (and) took to a rugged mountain. Since the mountain was exceptionally rugged I did not pursue them. The mountain was as jagged as the point of a dagger and therein no winged bird of the sky flew. Like the nest of the udīnu-bird their fortress was situated within the mountain which none of the kings my fathers had penetrated. [For three days] the hero explored the mountain. His bold heart (i 75) yearned for battle. He ascended on foot (and) overwhelmed the mountain. He smashed their nest (and) scattered their flock. I felled 200 of their fighting men with the sword (and) carried off a multitude of captives like a flock of sheep. With their blood I dyed the mountain red like red wool, (and) the rest of them the ravines (and) torrents of the mountain swallowed. I razed, destroyed, (and) burnt their cities.

(i 77b) Moving on from the land Tummu I went down to Mount Habruru. I received the tribute of Mounts Habruru and Simesu, the city Simerra, the city Ulmania, the city Adauš (Addauš), the city Ḫargaia, the city Ḫarmasaia — horses, mules, oxen, sheep, wine, (and) bronze casseroles. I imposed upon them corvée. While I was in Mount Habruru the radiance of Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the Ḫubušku and the Gilzānu (and) they brought to me as their tribute horses, silver, gold, tin, bronze, (and) bronze casseroles.

(i 81b) Moving on from Mount Habruru I entered the pass which (leads from) the city Ḫulun to the interior of the land Ḫabḫu. I conquered the cities Ḫattu, Ḫataru, Ništun, Sabidi, Metqia, Arṣuain, Tēla, Ḫalua, cities of the land Ḫabḫu, which lie between Mounts Usu, Arua, (and) Arardi, mighty mountains. I massacred many of them (and) carried off prisoners (and) possessions from them. The troops were frightened (and) took to a lofty peak in front of the city Ništun, [which] hovered [like a cloud in the] sky. Into the midst of those (mountains) which none of the kings my fathers had ever approached

(i 85) my warriors [flew] like birds. I felled [260] of their combat troops with the sword. I cut off their heads and formed (therewith) a pile. The rest of them built nests [like birds on] mountain [precipices]. I brought down [prisoners (and) possessions of theirs] from [the mountain] (and) I razed, [destroyed], (and) burnt the cities which lay within the mighty highlands. [The troops, as many as] had fled [from my weapons], came down (and) submitted to me. I imposed upon them tribute, [tax, and] corvée. Būbu, son of Bubâ, son of the city ruler [of the city Ništun I flayed in the city Arbela (and) draped his skin over] the wall. [At that time]

(i 90) I made [an image of myself (and) wrote thereon] the praises of [my power. I erected (it) on the ēqu-mountain in the city (called) Ashurnasirpal at the source of the spring]. [In this same eponymy on the twenty-fourth day] of the month Abu, [by the command of Aššur (and) the goddess Ištar, the great gods, my lords, I moved out from the city Nineveh (and) marched to the cities] which [lie] at the foot of Mounts Nipur [and Paṣate, mighty mountains. I conquered the cities Atkun, Ušḫu, Pilazi, (and) 20 cities] in their environs. [I massacred many of them, carried off prisoners (and) possessions from them, (and) burnt the cities]. The troops, [as many as had fled from my weapons, came down (and) submitted to me. I imposed upon them corvée. Moving on] from the cities which are at the foot [of Mounts Nipur and Paṣate I crossed the Tigris (and) approached the land Katmuḫu].

(ii 1) I burnt their adolescent boys (and) girls. I razed, destroyed, burnt, (and) consumed the city. At that time I razed, destroyed, (and) burnt the cities of the land Nirbu (and) their strong walls.

(ii 5b) Moving on from the land Nirbu I approached the city Tušḫa. I took Tušḫa in hand for renovation. I cleared away its old wall, delineated its area, reached its foundation pit, (and)

(ii 10) built (and) completed (and) decorated in a splendid fashion a new wall from top to bottom. A palace for my royal residence I founded inside. I made doors (and) hung (them) in its doorways. That palace I built (and) completed from top to bottom.

(ii 15) I made an image of myself in white limestone (and) wrote thereon praise of the extraordinary power and heroic deeds which I had been accomplishing in the lands Nairi. I erected (it) in the city Tušḫa.

(ii 20) I inscribed my monumental inscription (and) deposited (it) in its wall. I brought back the enfeebled Assyrians who, because of hunger (and) famine, had gone up to other lands to the land Šubrû.

(ii 25) I settled them in the city Tušḫa. I took over this city for myself (and) stored therein barley and straw from the land Nirbu. The rest (of the inhabitants) of the land Nirbu which had fled from my weapons

(ii 30) came down (and) submitted to me. I resettled them in their abandoned cities and houses.

(ii 35) I imposed upon them more tribute and tax than ever before — horses, mules, oxen, sheep, wine, (and) corvée. I took their sons as hostages.

(ii 37) While I was in the city Tušḫa I received tribute from Ammi-baʾal, a man of Bīt-Zamāni, from Ilī-ḫite, the Šubrû, from

(ii 40) Labṭuru, son of Ṭupusu (of) the land Nirdun, and tribute from the interior of the land Urumu, (and) from the kings of the lands Nairi — chariots, horses, mules, silver,

(ii 45) gold, bronze casseroles, oxen, sheep, (and) wine. I imposed corvée upon the lands Nairi.