← Library

Letter from the scribe Nanna-manšum to the goddess Ninisina

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 3 - Literary letters and letter-prayers · 20 sections

1. 1

   {d}nin-i3-si-in-na dumu-saĝ an kug-ga saĝ il2 nin-e-ne

   Speak to Ninisina, first-born child of holy An, eminent among ladies, …… of Lord Nunamnir; who perfects the divine powers of E-kur, …… of the great mother Ninlil, with notions in her heart which are expressed (?); wife of the great hero, Lord Pabilsaĝ, youth who has no rival; holy Ninisina, you reapply (?) a dressing to soothe the dark place of sores which no one can understand; mother of the Land, great physician of the black-headed, incantation priestess of the widespread people -- from the namtar demon and …… which are settled in a man's body and which no one knows how to expel, divine lady of the Egal-maḫ, with the help of …… you will make that person well again. …… to keep a person alive ……, …… who knows and listens, to my lady:

2. 2

   X [X] X-! gal en {d}nu-nam-nir-ra me e2-kur-ra šu du7

3. 3

   X X [X] X gi4 ama gal {d}nin-lil2-! inim šag4-ga-na niĝ2 di

4. 4

   ⌈dam⌉ [(X)] ⌈ur⌉-saĝ gal en {d}pa-bil-saĝ-ĝa2 šul gaba-ri nu-tuku

5. 5

   ⌈simx(GIG)⌉-simx(GIG)-ma ki ku10-ku10-ga-ba šag4-bi lu2 nu-zu

6. 6

   kug ⌈{d}nin⌉-i3-si-in-na !niĝ2-la2 sed4-de3 ki-bi-še3 bi2-ib2-!-⌈!⌉

7. 7

   ama kalam-ma !-zu gal saĝ gig2-ga šim-mu2 uĝ3 lu-a

8. 8

   nam-tar IR.RU.UŠ su lu2-ka ĝal2-la zig3-ga nu-ub-zu

9. 9

   ⌈diĝir nin⌉ e2-gal-⌈maḫ⌉ KA×X-KA×X-ga-ta lu2-bi mu-un-silim-e

10. 10

    X [X] X X lu2 til3-!-de3 DI X

11. 11

    A [X] (X) zu ĝiš tuku nin-ĝu10-ra u2-na-a-dug4

12. 12

    {m}⌈{d}⌉nanna-ma-an-šum2 dub-sar dumu il3-šu-mu-ba-al-li-⌈iṭ⌉

    This is what Nanna-manšum, the scribe, son of Ilšu-muballiṭ, your servant, says:

13. 13

    arad2-zu na-ab-be2-a

14. 14

    ud AN X a2 mu-un-ta-e3 KA×X-ĝa2 bi2-ib-ĝar <KI>

    When (?) …… took care (?), she placed on my (?) ……. The barber ……, the throne-bearer of the gods has given me ……. Nine times she (?) has placed on my head …… and battle-axe. …… gathered in Nibru and Isin. They approached me but did not give their …… for my life. They have applied and created a dressing which does not hold. She (?) made a fattened (?) dove come (?), for my …….

15. 15

    šu-i ? X gu-za-la2 diĝir-re-e-ne-ke4 mu-un-šum2-en

16. 16

    9-kam-ma KA.TAR za-ḫa-da saĝ-ĝa2 i3-ni-in-ĝar

17. 17

    [X (X)] nibru{ki} siisin2-na{ki} gu2 mu-ĝar-⌈re⌉-eš

18. 18

    [X]-ma-teĝ3-ĝe26-e-eš nam-til3-ĝu10 KA-KA-ne-ne la-ba-an-!-mu-uš

19. 19

    {tug2}niĝ2-! !-keše2-da ba-e-šub-bu-uš ba-e-dim2-eš

20. 20

    tum12{mušen} niga mi-ni-in-DU X-ĝu10-? ba-an-TI-TI

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.