Ashurnasirpal II 023

(1) Palace of Ashurnasirpal, vice-regent of Aššur, chosen of the gods Enlil and Ninurta, beloved of the gods Anu and Dagan, destructive weapon of the great gods, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (II) (who was) also great king, strong king, king of the world, (and) king of Assyria; valiant man who acts with the support of Aššur, his lord, and has no rival among the princes of the four quarters, marvelous shepherd, fearless in battle, mighty flood-tide which has no opponent, the king who subdues those insubordinate to him, he who rules all peoples, strong male who treads upon the necks of his foes, trampler of all enemies, he who breaks up the forces of the rebellious, the king who acts with the support of the great gods, his lords, and has conquered all lands, gained dominion over all the highlands and received their tribute, capturer of hostages, he who is victorious over all countries;

(5b) When Aššur, the lord who called me by name (and) made my sovereignty supreme, placed his merciless weapon in my lordly arms, I felled with the sword the extensive troops of the Lullumu in battle. With the help of the gods Šamaš and Adad, the gods my supporters, I thundered like the god Adad, the devastator, against the troops of the lands Nairi, Ḫabḫu, the Šubaru, and the land Nirbu. The king who subdued (the territory stretching) from the opposite bank of the Tigris to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, the entire land Laqû (and) the land Sūḫu including the city Rapiqu; he conquered from the source of the River Subnat to the land Urarṭu. I brought within the boundaries of my land (the territory stretching) from the passes of Mount Kirruru to the land Gilzānu, from the opposite bank of the Lower Zab

(10) to the city Tīl-Bāri which is upstream from the land Zaban, from the city Tīl-ša-Abtāni to the city Tīl-ša-Zabdāni, the cities Ḫirimu, Ḫarutu, (which are) fortresses of Karduniaš (Babylonia). I accounted (the people) from the passes of Mount Babitu to Mount Ḫašmar as people of my land. In the lands over which I gained dominion I always appointed my governors. They entered (lit. “performed”) servitude.

(12b) Ashurnasirpal, attentive prince, worshipper of the great gods, ferocious dragon, conqueror of cities and the entire highlands, king of lords, encircler of the obstinate, crowned with splendor, fearless in battle, merciless hero, he who stirs up strife, praiseworthy king, shepherd, protection of the (four) quarters, the king whose command disintegrates mountains and seas, the one who by his lordly conflict has brought under one authority ferocious (and) merciless kings from east to west:

(14b) The ancient city Kalḫu which Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, a prince who preceded me, had built — this city had become dilapidated; it lay dormant. I rebuilt this city. I took people which I had conquered from the lands over which I had gained dominion, from the land Sūḫu, (from) the entire land of Laqû, (from) the city Sirqu which is at the crossing of the Euphrates, (from) the entire land of Zamua, from Bīt-Adini and the land Ḫatti and from Lubarna, the Patinu. I settled (them) therein. I cleared away the old ruin hill (and) dug down to water level. I sank (the foundation pit) down to a depth of 120 layers of brick. I founded therein a palace of cedar, cypress, daprānu-juniper, boxwood, meskannu-wood, terebinth, and tamarisk as my royal residence (and) for my lordly leisure for eternity. I made (replicas of) beasts of mountains and seas in white limestone

(20) and parūtu-alabaster (and) stationed (them) at its doors. I decorated it in a splendid fashion; I surrounded it with knobbed nails of bronze. I hung doors of cedar, cypress, daprānu-juniper, (and) meskannu-wood in its doorways. I took in great quantities and put therein silver, gold, tin, bronze, iron, booty from the lands over which I gained dominion.