Ashurnasirpal II 017

(i 1) (The god) Aššur, the great lord, king of all the great gods; the god Anu, foremost in strength, the one who decrees destinies; the god Ea, king of the apsû, lord of wisdom (and) understanding; the god Sîn, wise one, lord of the lunar disk, lofty luminary; the god Marduk, sage, lord god of oracles; the god Adad, strong, almighty among the gods, exalted; the god Ninurta, hero, warrior of the gods, the one who lays low the wicked; the god Nusku, bearer of the holy scepter, circumspect god; the goddess Mullissu, spouse of the god Enlil, mother of the great gods; the god Nergal, perfect one, king of battle; the god Enlil, exalted one, father of the gods, creator of all; the god Šamaš, judge of heaven (and) netherworld, commander of all; the goddess Ištar, foremost in heaven (and) netherworld, who is consummate in the canons of combat;

(i 11) the great gods who decree the destinies of the land (and) make great the kingship of Ashurnasirpal: (I, Ashurnasirpal), attentive ruler, worshipper of the great gods, ferocious dragon, conqueror of cities and mountains, to their full extent, king of lords, controller of the obstinate, crowned with splendor, fearless in battle, lofty (and) merciless hero, he who stirs up strife, king of all of the rulers, lord of lords, chief herdsman, king of kings, attentive purification priest, designate of the god Ninurta — the warrior — destructive weapon of the great gods, avenger; the king who has always acted justly with the support of the gods Aššur and Šamaš, the gods who support him, and cut down like marsh reeds fortified mountains and rulers who are hostile to him (and) subdued all their lands; provider of offerings for the great gods, (i 20) legitimate ruler 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 netherworld love so that they (therefore) established forever his priesthood in the temples, granted to his lordly majesty their fierce weapons, (and) (i 25) made him more marvelous than (any of) the kings of the four quarters (of the world) with respect to the splendor of his weapons (and) the radiance of his lordly majesty, (he who) has always contested with all enemies of (the god) Aššur above and below and imposed upon them tribute and tax, conqueror of the foes of (the god) Aššur, strong king, king of Assyria;

(i 28) son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, who defeated all of his enemies (and) hung the corpses of his enemies on posts; grandson of Adad-nārārī (II), appointee of the great gods, who always achieved the defeat of those who are insubmissive to him and (thereby) became lord of all; (and) offspring of Aššur-dān (II), who opened towns (and) founded shrines.

(i 33) At that time, my kingship, 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 (II), strong king, vice-regent of the gods Aššur and Ninurta, designate of the god Sîn, favorite of the god Anu, loved one of the god Adad — (who is) almighty among the gods — am I, the merciless weapon which lays low lands hostile to him, am I, the king, capable in battle, vanquisher of cities (and) (i 40) mountains, foremost in battle, king of the four quarters (of the world), the one who defeats his enemies, the one who disintegrates all of his enemies, king of the totality of the (four) quarters (of the world), including all of their rulers, the king who forces to bow down those who are insubmissive to him, the one who rules all of the 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 lady who loves my priesthood, approved of me and she made up her mind to make war and battle.

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

(i 54b) when (the god) Aššur, my great lord, who called me by name, made my kingship supreme over the kings of the four quarters (of the world), (and) 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 mountains. With the support of (the god) 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 (of the world), spread his beneficial protection over me, (and) when I sat on the throne of my royal majesty in a grandiose manner, he placed in my hand the scepter for the shepherding of the people. (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 Nimme. I conquered Libê, their fortified city, the cities Surra, Abuqu, Arura, (and) Arubê, which lie between Mounts Urina, Aruni, (and) Etini, 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 ancestors, 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 struck down 200 of their fighting men with the sword (and) carried off a multitude of captives like a flock of sheep. I dyed the mountain red like red wool with their blood (and) the ravines (and) torrents of the mountain swallowed the rest of them. I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire their cities.

(i 77b) Moving on from the land Nimme, I went down to land Ḫabruri. I received the payment of the lands Ḫabruri and Simesi (and) the cities Simerra, Ulmania, Addauš, Ḫargu, (and) Ḫarmasa: horses, mules, oxen, sheep, wine, (and) bronze casseroles. I imposed upon them corvée. While I was in the land Ḫabruri, the radiance of (the god) Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the people of the lands Ḫubuškia and Gilzānu (and) they brought to me horses, silver, gold, tin, bronze, (and) bronze casseroles as their payment.

(i 81b) Moving on from the land Ḫabruri, I entered the pass which (leads from) the city Ḫulunu to the interior of the land Ḫabḫu. I conquered the cities Ḫattu, Ḫataru, Ništun, Sabidi, Metqia, Arṣania, Tēla, (and) Ḫalua, cities of the land Ḫabḫu that 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 ancestors, had ever approached, (i 85) my warriors [flew] like birds. I struck down [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 then) I dest[royed, devastated], (and) burn[ed with] fire the cities that lay within the mighty mountains. [The troops, as many as] had fled [from my weapons], came [down (and) gra]sped [my feet]. I imposed upon them tribute, [tax, and] corvée.

(i 88b) [I flayed] Būbu, son of Bubâ (Babua), son of the city ruler [of the city Ništun, in the city Arbela (and) draped his skin over] the wall. [At that time], I made [an image of myself (and) wrote thereon] the praises of [my power. I erected (it) on the ēqu-mountain in (the city) Āl-Ashurnasirpal, (which is) at the source of a spring].

(i 90b) [In that same eponymy (882), on the twenty-fourth day] of the month Abu (V), [by the command of (the god) Aššur (and) the goddess Ištar, the great gods, my lords, I moved out from Nineveh (and) marched to the cities] that [lie] at the foot of Mounts Nipur [and Paṣate, mighty mountains. I conquered the cities Atkun, Ušḫu, (and) Pilazi, (together with) twenty cities] in their environs. [I massacred many of them, carried off prisoners (and) possessions from them, (and) burned with fire th(ose) cities]. The troops, [as many as had fled from my weapons, came down (and) grasped my feet. I imposed upon them corvée].

(i 95) [Moving on] from the cities that are at the foot [of Mounts Nipur and Paṣate, …]

(ii 1) I burned with fire their adolescent boys (and) girls. I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire th(at) city, (and thus) I consumed it (completely). At that time, I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire the cities of the land Nirbu (and) their strong fortresses.

(ii 5b) Moving on from the land Nirbu, I approached the city Tušḫa(n). I reorganized the city Tušḫa(n). I cleared away its old wall, delineated its area, (and) reached its foundation pit. (ii 10) I built (and) completed (it) from its foundations to its crenellations. I splendidly decorated (it). I founded therein a palace for the abode of my royal majesty. I made doors (and) installed (them) in its gates. I built (and) completed that palace from its foundations to its crenellations. (ii 15) I made an image of myself of white limestone (and) wrote thereon praise of the extraordinary power and heroic deeds that I had been accomplishing in the Naʾiri lands. I erected (it) in the city Tušḫa(n). (ii 20) I wrote out my commemorative inscription (and) deposited (it) in its wall.

(ii 20) I brought back the enfeebled Assyrians who, because of hunger (and) famine, had gone up to other lands, to the land Šubria, (and) (ii 25) I settled them in the city Tušḫa(n). 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, (those) who had fled from my weapons, (ii 30) came down (and) grasped my feet. 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.