Above, Below, and Between

For every story there is a beginning,

For every beginning there is a story.

One people say one god,

Others say many more,

And throughout the world,

Great conflicts arise.

Of heaven and earth thoughts abound,

Let us see how such things are began.

Awaken from slumber,

The great creator P’an Ku, you are needed.

The chaos is overwhelming.

Everything floats into one,

Heaven and earth are as one.

Faltering, faltering,

Everything could fall apart.

It already has, in a way.

With a mighty blow,

Everything is back as it should be.

Heaven is one, up above,

And earth is down below.

Mother Nammu, the universe,

Lonely, you bear your children.

One on the heaven,

Known as An.
One of the earth,

Known as Ki

They stand now together as one.

P’an Ku has stood to separate them,

So the chaos may never return.

Upon his leaving he graced this place,

He gave his body unto the world,
Blood, and hair, and sweat

The rivers, stars and dew.

He graced this place,

Earth is not so bad now.

It is lonely though,

Nu-kua, dragon-like goddess,

This place is perfect but empty.

What will you do?

From the mud it is created,

What a creature could it be?

Creatures roam already,

This one must be different.

Enlil, the father, the air,

Separate the earth from the heaven.

You carry Ki away to the clouds,

And from her you fashion life.

Animals of the earth

Plants of the mountain,

River valley, desert and at long last man.

As the creatures dance, Nu-kua smiles

What when they die, goddess?

What will you do?

And so the creatures now,

They can create one another.

Nu-kua blessed these creatures,

Now where is your husband?

They communicate already,

But he shall teach them better.

Symbols to write with,

They record the surrounding world.

From his temple, the father Enlil,

Rule the world and appoint.

God of wisdom, known as Enki,

Give your gifts to man.

Teach him of the field,

And of the animals.

Show him to do well.

Now long years of peace are broken,

Spirit of Water, Kung-kung,

And Spirit of Fire, Chu-jung,

They choose to fight.

In their fighting a support was struck,

It held the heaven from the earth.

After they were done,

The earth was in a horrible state.

Gods, Goddesses, Men,

Now what do you do?

The sky is torn,

The earth is cracked and raised,

Fire rages onwards.

Beasts forced from their homes,

Oh what do you do?

In his greed Giglamesh has faltered,

Answering prayers, mother goddess, interfere.

Enkidu is created

And he shall be the match,

For this king who abuses his power.

Through enticement, he is wronged.

Rivalry, no longer.

Instead to fight a great monster,

And succeed.

Goddess, Nu-kua, here you are,

Save your creatures,

Save this world.

The holes in the sky she has patched,

The floods and fires are quelled.

A giant turtle she killed,

Its legs hold up the world.

And now there is peace again,

But still one can see the result.

The mountains still rise in the west,

The stars still fall down a tilted sky.

And in the east, the waters gather,

A restless ocean still exists.

And with the downfall

Of seven cedars for the temples,

The land is delivered from evil.