to him,
     who is ruling all the multitudes of men.  These aspirations
     to the face of the great gods
37 have gone up; on my destiny steadfastly have they determined;
     at the wishes of my heart and the uplifting of my
     hand, Istar, exalted Lady,
38 hath favored me in my intentions, and to the conduct of
     (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;