Assyro-Babylonian literature -- Translations into English
(my) battles and warfare hath applied her heart. In those
days I Assur-nasir-pal, glorious Prince, worshipper of the
great gods
39 the wishes of whose heart Bel will cause him to attain, and
who has conquered all Kings who disobey him, and by his
hand capturing
40 his enemies, who in difficult places has beaten down assemblages
of rebels; when Assur, mighty Lord, proclaimer of my name
41 aggrandizer of my royalty over the Kings of the four
regions, bountifully hath added his invincible power to the
forces of my government,
42 putting me in possession of lands, and mighty forests for
exploration hath he given and urgently impelled me--by the
might of Assur my Lord,
43 perplexed paths, difficult mountains by the impetuosity of
my hosts I traversed, and an equal there was not. In the
beginning of my reign
44 (and) in my first campaign when the Sun-god guider of
the lands threw over me his beneficent protection[13] on the
throne of my dominion I firmly seated myself; a sceptre
45 the dread of man into my hands I took; my chariots (and)
armies I collected; rugged paths, difficult mountains, which
for the passage
46 of chariots and armies was not suited I passed, and to the
land of Nairi[14] I went: Libie, their capital city, the cities
Zurra and Abuqu
47 Arura Arubie, situated within the limits of the land of
Aruni and Etini, fortified cities, I took, their fighting-men
48 in numbers I slew; their spoil, their wealth, their cattle I
spoiled; their soldiers were discouraged; they took possession
of a difficult mountain, a mountain exceedingly difficult;
after them
49 I did not proceed, for it was a mountain ascending up like
lofty points of iron, and the beautiful birds of heaven had
not reached up into it: like nests
50 of the young birds in the midst of the mountain their defence
they placed, into which none of the Kings my fathers had
ever penetrated: in three days
51 successfully on one large mountain, his courage vanquished
opposition: along the feet of that mountain I crept and hid:
their nests, their tents,
52 I broke up; 200 of their warriors with weapons I destroyed;
their spoil in abundance like the young of sheep I carried off;
53 their corpses like rubbish on the mountains I heaped up;
their relics in tangled hollows of the mountains I consumed;
their cities
54 I overthrew, I demolished, in fire I burned: from the land
of Nummi to the land of Kirruri I came down; the tribute
of Kirruri
55 of the territory of Zimizi, Zimira, Ulmanya, Adavas, Kargai,
Harmasai, horses,[15] (fish (?),
56 oxen, horned sheep in numbers, copper, as their tribute I
received: an officer to guard boundaries[16] over them I placed.
While in the land of Kirruri
57 they detained me, the fear of Assur my Lord overwhelmed
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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