Sargon II 073

(1) Palace of Sargon (II) appointee of the god Enlil, nešakku-priest of the god Aššur, chosen of the gods Anu and Enlil, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), favorite of the great gods, just shepherd, whom the gods Aššur (and) Marduk choose and whose fame (these gods) exalted to the heights;

(3) the strong man who is clad in awesome splendor (and) whose weapons(s) are raised to strike down (his) enemies; the valiant man who since the (first) day of his reign has had no ruler who could equal him and no one who could overpower (or) rival (him); (who) ruled all the lands from the east to the west (lit.: “from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun”) and governed the subjects of the god Enlil; experienced hero, to whom the god Nudimmud (Ea) granted superior strength (and) at whose side (the god) made (his) irresistible weapon beautiful;

(7) the pious prince who met Ḫumbanigaš (Ḫumban-nikaš I), king of the land Elam, (in battle) on the outskirts of (the city) Dēr (and) brought about his defeat; who subjugated the land Judah, whose location is far away; who deported (the people of) the land Hamath (and) who personally captured Iaū-biʾdī (Ilu-biʾdī) their ruler; who repulsed the land Kakmê, the evil enemy; who brought order to the disturbed Manneans; who made the heart of his land happy (and) expanded the territory of Assyria;

(10) the prudent ruler, snare of the uncompliant, who personally captured Pisīri(s), king of the land Ḫatti (Syria), and set his (own) official over the city Carchemish, his (Pīsīris’) city; who deported (the people of) the city Šinuḫtu; who brought Kiakki, king of the land Tabal, to his city Aššur and imposed his yoke upon the land Musku; who conquered the lands Mannea, Karalla, and Paddira; who avenged his land; who overthrew the distant Medes as far as the rising of the sun.

(13) At that time, (with regard to) the juniper palace in the city Kalḫu that Ashurnasirpal (II), a prince who preceded me had previously built, the foundations of this house had not been made strong and its foundations had not been secured upon firm ground, (on) bedrock. (15) It had become old (and) dilapidated (lit.: “dilapidated (and) old”) due to downpours of rain; its footing had dissolved and its bondings given way. I identified its (former) location and reached the bottom of its foundation pit. I piled up its foundation terrace upon heavy limestone blocks like the base of a high mountain. I completely (re)constructed (it) from its foundations to its crenellations. I opened up an air passage to the left of its door for my pleasure. I depicted inside it (the palace) the conquest of cities, the triumph of my weapons, that I had achieved over the enemy, and I filled it with abundance for the inspection (of the people).

(19) I invited the god Urigal (Nergal), the god Adad, and the gods who dwell in the city Kalḫu (to come) inside (it) and I offered before them large prize bulls, fattened sheep, geese, ducks, (and) birds that fly in the sky (lit.: “flying birds of the sky”). I held a festival and (thus) made the hearts of the people of Assyria rejoice.

(21) At that time, I brought into this treasure house 11 talents (and) 30 minas of gold (and) 2,100 talents (and) 24 minas of silver, (measured) by the large (weight), booty (taken) from Pisīri(s), king of the city Carchemish, of the land Ḫatti (Syria), (situated) on the bank on the Euphrates River, that I personally had conquered.