The Nam-Shub of Enki

Once, then,
there was no snake,
there was no scorpion,

there was no hyena,
there was no lion,

there was no wild dog,
no wolf,

there was no fear,
no terror:

human had no rival.

Once, then, the lands Shubur-Hamazi,

polyglot Sumer,
that land great with the me of Overlordship,

Uri,
the land with everything just so,

the land Martu,
resting securely,

the whole world--
the people as one--

to Enlil in one tongue gave voice.

Then did the contender---the en
the contender---the master
the contender---the king

Enki, the contender---the en
the contender---the master
the contender---the king

the contender---the en
the contender---the master
the contender---the king

Enki, en of hegal,
the one with the unfailing words,

en of cunning,
the shrewd one of the land,

sage of the gods,

gifted in thinking,
the en of Eridu,

change the speech of their mouths,
he having set up contention in it,

in the human speech that had been one.


From page 88 of

Myths of Enki, The Crafty God
Samuel Noah Kramer and John Maier
Oxford University Press
1989


This book is out of print.
It took Amazon.com two years to find me one.