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Letter from Inanaka to the goddess Nintinuga

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 3 - Literary letters and letter-prayers · 26 sections

1. 1

   {d}nin-tin-ug5-ga aĝrig zid e2-kur-⌈ra⌉

   Say to Nintinuga, the reliable stewardess of the E-kur, the physician of the Land; repeat to the lady, whose incantation heals the multitude of people, whose spells make the people recover, to my the relenting lady, who loves to revive the people and loves supplications, the merciful and compassionate one who listens to prayers. You are the caretaker of the living and the dead; you are the great healer of all the crippled ones. This is what Inanaka, the daughter of Enlil-a-mah, your maidservant says:

2. 2

   a-zu kalam-ma-ra u3-na-a-dug4

3. 3

   nin tu6 dug4-ga-ni uĝ3 šar2 til3-le

4. 4

   mu7-mu7-ma-ni uĝ3 sag9-ga

5. 5

   nin šag4-ne-ša4 lu2 til3-til3 šudu3-de3 ki aĝ2-ra

6. 6

   šag4 gur-ru šag4-la2 sug4 a-ra-zu ĝiš tuku-ĝu10-ur2 tuku

7. 7

   u3-na-de3-taḫ

8. 8

   til3-la ug5-ga en3 tar-bi za-e-me-en

9. 9

   lu2-kud-lu2-kud-ba du7-du7 gal-bi-me-en

10. 10

    {m}{d}inana-ka dumu-munus {d}en-lil2-a2-maḫ

11. 11

    geme2-zu na-ab-be2-a

12. 12

    ki-nu2 šub-ba-ĝu10-da 2-kam-ma-bi 2-ta-am3

    I have fallen ill for a second time twice (?), but I do not yet know the divine oracle concerning my being in agonies these agonies. ……. My lady, a house has been built for me, but I have to sit there with longing eyes. My valued acquaintances keep stay away from me. I have no one who would take care of me. Since this is full, too full for me, I am distressed.

13. 13

    u2-u8-a-u8-a al-ĝen-na-ĝu10 a-ra2-bi ?-e-a-e a-ra2-bi nu-zu

14. 13A

    […] mu-da-an-TAR […] RA X […] X

15. 14

    nin-ĝu10 e2 ma-an-du3-ma igi la2-bi ba-tuš-en

16. 15

    zu-a kal-la-ĝu10 ĝiri3 kur2 ba-an-dab5-be2-eš mu-da-an-gub

17. 16

    lu2 en3 tar-re la-ba-an-tuku

18. 17

    im-ma-si im-ma-dirig-ga-ta

19. 18

    zi al-ir-ir-re-en

20. 19

    tukum-bi nin-ĝa2 an-na-kam

    If it pleases my lady, and the asag demon which is in my body leaves my body, and thus may the asag demon which is in my body leave my body, so that it (the asag demon) allows me I can step again on the path ground of life with my feet. I will then be your maidservant, the courtyard sweeper of your temple, and will serve you. Furthermore after I have recovered, I will name you, my lady, as "the healer of the crippled" I will then be her maidservant, the courtyard sweeper of her temple, and will serve her. Furthermore after I have recovered, I will name her, my lady, as "the healer of the crippled".

21. 20

    a2-sag3 su-ĝa2 ĝal2-la su-ĝa2 ib2-ta-an-zig3 ḫe2-eb-ta-an-zig3

22. 21

    ki-in-du ki nam-til3-la-ka ĝiri3-ĝu10 ḫe2-bi2-ib-gub-be2 ḫe2-bi2-ib-gub-be2-en

23. 22

    u3 ĝe26-e geme2-zu geme2-ni ḫe2-me-en

24. 23

    e2-za-a e2-a-ni kisal-luḫ-bi ḫe2-me-en igi-zu-še3 ḫe2-gub igi-ni-še3 ga-gub

25. 24

    u3-ba-sag9-ge nin-ĝu10 lu2-kud-da du7-du7

26. 25

    mu-zu ga-am3-mi-ib2-sa4 mu-še3 ga-sa4

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.