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Enlil and Nam-zid-tara

1-10. Nam-zid-tara walked by Enlil, who said to him: "Where have you come from, Nam-zid-tara?" "From Enlil's temple. My turn of duty is finished. I serve at the place of the gudug priests, with their sheep. I am on my way home. Don't stop me; I am in a hurry. Who are you who asks me questions?"

11-16. "I am Enlil." But Enlil had changed his appearance: he had turned into a raven and was croaking. "But you are not a raven, you really are Enlil!" "How did you recognise that I am Enlil, who decrees the destinies?"

17-18. "When your uncle En-me-cara was a captive, after taking for himself the rank of Enlil, he said: "Now I shall know the fates, like a lord.""

19-23. "You may acquire precious metals, you may acquire precious stones, you may acquire cattle or you may acquire sheep; but the day of a human being is always getting closer, so where does your wealth lead? Now, I am indeed Enlil, who decrees the fates. What is your name?"

24-27. "My name is Nam-zid-tara (Well-blessed)." "Your fate shall be assigned according to your name: leave the house of your master, and your heirs shall come and go regularly in my temple."



Revision history

31.x.1998: JAB, editor: translation
30.xi.1998: GZ, editor: proofreading
11.xii.1998: GC, editor: SGML tagging
15.i.99: ER, editor: proofreading SGML
21.i.1999: ER, editor: web publication
01.vi.2003: GC/JE, editor/technical developer: XML/TEI conversion

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