The Bushite Saga of the Eagle-King - (epic poem trans. by innh)

The Bushite Saga of the "Eagle-King"


[Recently recovered
here are
three tablets,
at the excavation site at Tell-el-Obeimir.
Remnants of a fourth remains buried.

Potsherds from early Sumerian fortifications,
cuneiform fragments reconstruct
the epic battle at Abu Habbah,
citadel at Babylon, with missing pieces, fragments,
collected
compose the account of a "conquering king from the West"
and his incursion into the fertile valley.

While it remains in question, this is probably an account
of some historical material, of some kind of military engagement
rather than oracle pronouncements of formal classical prophetic nature.]


i.


Of the mighty empire of the Eagle
Of the supreme power, I sing,
Of his mighty deeds, great acts of conquest,
To Ninurta, Lord Ninurta
Who is roused, in his vengeance and wrath,
to bring justice , to establish his just counsels,

Dragon of the desert in quick action,
"with the hands of a lion,
the claws of an eagle" *
(*Hymn to Ninurta as a God of Wrath, p. 124, Ancient Near East in Texts, ed. by James B. Pritchard, Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 1975)

Now, thus, does he come,
the Eagle-King from the West,
to perform his justice,
and establish his justice,
upon the land, where the great rivers meet,
the Diyala, the Tigris, the Euphrates.

Given divine imperative,
delivered unto him is granted supreme divine approval,
supreme instructions and direction,
divine commission,
Thus, he is given, full destiny,
God-like volition,
to fulfill the designs and counsels of his judgements,

Thus, does he raise
the great sword of Ninurta's wrath.

Hymns of Praise.
Oblations, he gives,
for the gods to eat,
Gives drink to the holy ones,
full oblation and sacrifice.
A first and second day, does he
(without resting) offer oblation for the gods to eat;
A third and fourth day,
Offering drink to the holy ones, (......missing fragment)
............
Oblation from his store-houses, and offerings of food
and cattle.

Thus,
Great and resourceful,
Great One of Lore,
of the Bushites,
makes obeisance to the gods,
Unto the fifth and sixth days,
Oblations of food,
Offerings of drink,
Unto the Bushite gods,
Resourceful One makes full offering and oblation.



ii.

Yet, on the seventh day,
shall I (he) rise?
Will thou not bless him,?
Great and resourceful Champion,
Who takes the food,
Who takes the wine,
Carries him when he's sated with wine;

Thus, is the offering fully accepted,
who washes his hands and feet,
his face and arms,
in full ritual cleansing.
"With life-breath, shallt thou now move,
Thy footsteps tracing thy destiny....."
(3 lines missing)

Upon the horses of the armies,
the fighting warriors,
the great heroes of old, ride....

The claws of the great Eagle,
against the Scorpion....
(after lines,....missing repeats of line 10 -15)

Laughing, he.....
mounts up, and opens his hand, great warrior,
Sword smashing the heads,
crushing the skulls,....
Lifts his sword,
Speeds his chariots,
Empower(s) his right hand,
Endow(s) his right arm,
Girded with the belt of supreme purpose,
Shielded with great fear before him,
A helmet of righteousness,
Lifting his sword, with great power.

Breaking the skulls,
Blood rivers, of his enemies before him....
Of his enemies, evil-doers,
Trampling underfoot,
Thus, laughing, he rides,
Did (he) ride and retell of the great ones of old,
of the great heroes of old....

Smashing the skulls,
dashing their little ones,
his enemies before him.....

The sound of weeping,
the shouts of mothers, without their sons,
cry in terror,
they are no more,....
Thus, the great Champion,
tramples underfoot,
his enemies' little ones....
the little ones of the evil-doers,....
they are dashed against the stone,
The great cry,
great moaning, tearing of robes of his mourning...
Lifting up the war-cry,

Now, the justice of Epu,
rendering judgements of Usa,
He renders justice,
the righteous pronouncements,
and shall he,............
the Victorious Champion,
take his enemy, the Evil-doer,
into captivity,
and shall.....( 5 lines missing)
..............
Lift his head upon the spear,
and his line, wiped out forever.

He, dashes his little ones,..........

the children of the evil-doers are forgotten and are no more.


iii.

He, with the hands of a lion,
the claws of an eagle,
The Eagle-King,
returns,
receives full tribute,
his righteous actions,
full reward, and recompense.

Upon the fields of Eridu,
over the plains of Eshnunna,
unto Tell Asmar,
did he ride,
the Champion of the Bushites,
with the mighty cry,
mounted up the sound of battle victory.

Then,
in his day,
did the Eagle-King
speak,
saying,
"......went up, (Thus, did I..........) go up,
...did I do to him, the Evil-doer,
to his great city,
the citadel at Babylon,
in the same as of old,
did I smite him, and rain my vengeance upon him.....(")
(Misery)visited upon him,
His defeat thus,
celebrated in song,
dancing upon the fallen,
the vanquished enemies of Ibiru,
the citadel of Babylon,
sending them dazed into captivity,
their little ones search for food,
and find none.
They look for the widowed mothers,
who mourn,
for their little ones who are no more.

Comes one, returning,
mighty in battle,
he shall look upon his defeated enemy,
and laugh, and
relish the booty,
fruit and the flood of abundance of wealth,
from the earth, from the land of his enemy....
portioned and multiplied loot and booty,
the great Victor will lift up the great shout.
He returns to his throne,
triumphant,
with full tribute and song
as of the glory of the heros of old....
He brings him, the Evil-doer, into captivity.....
He leaves his women and children slain upon the fields,
his enemies'progeny forever cut-off,
His justice,
of the Eagle-King
established forever.

[Final sections are fragmentary, with large portions missing.
The fourth tablet is obscured and untranslatable.
There is some suggestion of a fifth tablet
which may yet remain buried in the sand.]




-hinneni,
February 9, 2003