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A hymn to Nanna (Nanna E)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 4 - Hymns and cult songs · 69 sections

  1. 1

    dumu nun-e AB×A kug-ta ⌈e3⌉-a ba-zal-zal si i3-[…]

    Princely son, you are radiant as you come forth from the sacred bathing chamber (?), ……. …… the mountain of pure divine powers, the abzu shrine, ……. …… the majestic foundation platform, ……. Bringing terrifying radiance from the marshes, you …… a fearsome …….

  2. 2

    kur me sikil eš3 abzu šag4 X X daĝal kur ⌈?⌉ […]

  3. 3

    ki-ur3 maḫ ⌈?⌉ [X X] ⌈?⌉-la […]

  4. 4

    ambar-ta me-⌈lem4 ḫuš tum3 muš3 ni2⌉ [X X]-ge-en

  5. 5

    nam-dug3-zu-še3 nam-gal nam-maḫ-zu-še3 saĝ im-⌈ma⌉-il2-la2

    Lifting your head in your goodness, greatness and majesty, majestically you extend your arm in order to determine destinies: great An has liberally bestowed on you your kingship over heaven and earth, and Enlil has perfected for you your great and noble filial status and lordship. Enlil has made majestic divinity manifest for you. Determining a destiny for your flowing waters, the majestic lower (?) waters, Enki from within the sacred bathing chamber (?) has placed the good earth, the good mother, at your feet. Enlil has sired you in majesty and lordship.

  6. 6

    nam tar-re-de3-eš a2 maḫ mi-ni-in-sud4-un

  7. 7

    nam-lugal an ki-zu an gal-e šu daĝal mu-ri-in-dug4

  8. 8

    nam-dumu nun gal-zu {d}en-lil2-le nam-! šu mi-ri-in-du7

  9. 9

    nam-diĝir maḫ {d}en-lil2 pa e3 ma-ra-ni-in-e3

  10. 10

    a DU-a a sig maḫ-zu-še3 nam tar-re ki dug3 ama dug3

  11. 11

    {d}en-ki AB×A-šag4 kug-ta ĝiri3-zu-še3 im-mi-in-ĝar

  12. 12

    {d}en-lil2 nam-maḫ nam-en-na mi-ni-in-tud-de3-en

  13. 13

    {d}nanna ud-sakar-zu ud-sakar 7-bi mu pad3-da

    O Nanna, your crescent moon is called "the crescent moon of the seventh day (?)". Enlil has made known throughout heaven and earth your name, which is a sacred name. Princely son, he has made your greatness manifest throughout heaven and earth. The majestic assembly has bestowed on you his status as Enlil. And from the place of the sanctuary Eridug, Enki has determined for you your lordship and majesty. King of heaven and earth who adorns heaven and earth (?), from the majestic abzu, the place of the sanctuary Eridug, he has declared your great lordship and your greatness.

  14. 14

    {d}en-lil2 an ki-ka mu-zu mu kug-ga mu mi-ri-in-pad3

  15. 15

    dumu nun-e nam-gal-zu an ki-a pa e3 im-mi-in-e3

  16. 16

    unken maḫ nam {d}en-lil2-la2-na saĝ-e-eš mu-ra-an-rig7

  17. 17

    {d}en-ki-ke4 ki eš3 eridug{ki}-ta nam-! nam-maḫ-zu mu-ri-in-tar

  18. 18

    abzu maḫ ki eš3 eridug{ki}-ta nam-en gal-zu-še3

  19. 19

    lugal an ki-ke4 ⌈? ?⌉ gun3-a nam-gal-zu-še3 ba-an-dug4

  20. 20

    {d}nanna saĝ-zu il2 {d}a-nun-na-ke4-ne-er ḫa-la ba-an-pad3

    O Nanna, he has chosen as your inheritance that you should surpass the Anuna gods. He has seated you in a sacred dwelling amid their pure divine powers which gladden the heart. He has grandly called the great gods to the food offerings. He has seated them for the ritual which fills the heart with majestic pleasure. He has presented to (?) the gods their offerings which gladden the heart. He has seated you in a majestic place, a sacred place. O Nanna, he has seated you in a sacred place, a sacred dwelling.

  21. 21

    me sikil šag4 ḫul2-la-ka-ne-ne ⌈ki⌉-tuš ⌈kug⌉ im-mi-ni-in-tuš-un

  22. 22

    diĝir gal-gal-e-ne nidba-eš ⌈gal⌉ [ba]-an-pad3

  23. 23

    zag gu-la2 šag4 ḫi-li maḫ si-a ⌈?⌉-[mi-ni]-in-durun-uš

  24. 24

    diĝir-re-e-ne sizkur2 šag4 ḫul2-la-⌈?⌉-[ne im]-⌈mi⌉-ni-in-šum2-šum2

  25. 25

    ki maḫ ki kug-ga mi-ni-⌈in⌉-[tuš]-un

  26. 26

    {d}nanna ki kug-ga ki-tuš kug mi-ni-in-[tuš]-⌈un⌉

  27. 27

    {d}en-ki-ke4 ki-tuš ma-ra-ab-⌈sikil-e ki-? ?-?⌉-ab-šen-e

    Enki purifies the dwelling for you, he makes the dwelling shine for you. He consecrates the heavens for you, he makes the earth shine for you. He makes the E-kiš-nu-ĝal, the house of the cedar forests, tower straight upward for you. He makes your majestic residence into a sacred place for you, the foundation of heaven and earth.

  28. 28

    an mu-ra-ab-kug-ge ki mu-⌈ra-ab⌉-[šen-e]

  29. 29

    e2-kiš-nu-ĝal2 e2 tir {ĝiš}erin-na an-⌈še3 si ma-ra⌉-an-sa2

  30. 30

    dur2 maḫ-zu ki kug-ga ma-ra-ab-ak ur2 niĝ2 an ki-a

  31. 31

    ⌈ĝiš⌉-ḫur šu-luḫ maḫ-zu si ma-ra-⌈an⌉-sa2-e

    He puts your ritual plans and majestic lustration rituals in order for you. …… he makes the offering table resplendent for you in the sacred place. …… he puts in order for you …… evening meals, your evening meals and morning meals. He consecrates the lustration rituals and makes them shine for you. After ……, he has made the …… beautiful. He has called ……. Enki sets up for you the lustration rituals created in his abzu; Kusu establishes the lustration rituals created in their specific house -- the oven for oxen, sheep and bread beside the interior of the bathing chamber (?), those sacred lustration rituals beside the shrine!

  32. 32

    […] ⌈?⌉ X-zu banšur ki kug-ga ma-ra-ab-šen

  33. 33

    […] kiĝ2-sig-bi kiĝ2-sig kiĝ2-nim-zu

  34. 34

    […] X X si ma-ra-an-sa2

  35. 35

    [šu-luḫ]-ḫa ma-ra-ab-ku3-ug ma-ra-ab-šen

  36. 36

    [X X] X DU SA ⌈U3 du8⌉ X UZ KA ⌈LA⌉ ba-an-sig7

  37. 37

    X [X] X mi-ni-in-pad3

  38. 38

    {d}⌈en-ki⌉ abzu-ni u3-tud ⌈šu-luḫ⌉ mu-ra-an-ĝa2-ĝa2

  39. 39

    {d}ku3-su13-e šu-luḫ-ḫa ba-ni-gub e2 ni2-bi u3-tud

  40. 40

    AB×A-šag4 bar-ba gir4 gud udu ninda eš3 bar-ba šu-luḫ kug-bi

  41. 41

    e2-e i3 im-sikil-e saĝ ba-ab-ḫa-za a2-šu-ĝiri3 ba-an-KU-uš

    Kusu purifies the oil for the house. It is placed in readiness and the limbs are ……. To ensure the sacred lustration rituals are not neglected, from the majestic marshes, the vast, sacred bathing chamber (?), this destiny emerges: the E-kiš-nu-ĝal, with its majestic, sacred dais, perfects the great, majestic divine powers of heaven and earth. You bathe on the majestic banks by (?) the sacred bathing chamber (?); you put mountain oil on your sacred body; O Nanna, you are placed upon your majestic dais -- wrapped in majestic linen, with raised head, shining horns and the diadem of lordship!

  42. 42

    šu-luḫ kug nu-šub-bu-še3 ambar maḫ

  43. 43

    AB×A daĝal kug-ga-ta nam-bi im-ta-e3

  44. 44

    e2-kiš-nu-ĝal2 barag maḫ kug-ga me gal maḫ an ki-a šu du7

  45. 45

    AB×A kug-ta peš10 maḫ a tu5-a-zu

  46. 46

    i3 ḫur-saĝ su kug ĝal2-la-zu

  47. 47

    {d}nanna barag maḫ-zu ⌈ba⌉-ĝar-ra

  48. 48

    gada maḫ keše2 saĝ il2 si mul suḫ10-gir11 nam-!-na

  49. 49

    i3 maḫ i3 nam-! i3 erim3 gal-zu su-bar kug-ga-ka

    With the majestic oil of the sacred body, the oil of lordship, oil from your great treasury, Lord Ningublaga consecrates the hands on his lapis-lazuli quay, the majestic quay, the sacred quay. But from Eridug purifies the oil for those hands. So that you should place sacred hands upon your offering table in the banqueting hall, the great place, your steward Kusu -- she who purifies hands and cleanses hands -- consecrates the hands. But from Eridug the stag of the abzu purifies the oil for those hands.

  50. 50

    kar-za-gin3 kar maḫ kar kug-ga-na

  51. 51

    {d}nin-gublaga-ke4 en šu im-ma-an-kug-ga

  52. 52

    {d}taraḫ abzu eridug{ki}-ta šu-bi i3 im-sikil-e

  53. 53

    u2-a-zu banšur unu2 ki gal-zu-še3 šu kug ĝa2-ĝa2-zu-še3

  54. 54

    {d}ku3-su3-e šu sikil šu dadag ak šu im-ma-an-kug-ge

  55. 55

    {d}taraḫ abzu eridug{ki}-ta šu-bi i3 im-sikil-e

  56. 56

    eš3 abzu barag maḫ urim2{ki}-ma nam dug3 gal tar-re

    Ningal is the majestic lady of the abzu shrine, of the majestic dais of Urim determining good and great destinies, and of the E-kiš-nu-ĝal, the sacred and good dwelling. O, the sacred dwelling is the place of your ladyship for Nanna its king! The E-kiš-nu-ĝal, the Agrun-kug, is your house of royalty! Nanna and Ningal bring joyfulness to the dwelling.

  57. 57

    ⌈e2-kiš⌉-nu-ĝal2 ki-tuš kug dug3-ga-am3 {d}nin-gal ! maḫ-bi

  58. 58

    [ki-tuš] kug ki nam-nin-za {d}nanna lugal-bi-ir

  59. 59

    ⌈e2-kiš⌉-nu-ĝal2 agrun-kug-ga e2 nam-lugal-zu

  60. 60

    {d}nanna {d}nin-gal ki-tuš mi-ni-ib2-ḫul2-ne

  61. 61

    {d}⌈suen⌉-[e] ⌈en⌉ zu maḫ an ki aga-zu aga maḫ-am3

    O Suen, sage, majestic lord throughout heaven and earth, your crown is a majestic crown! O Ašimbabbar who puts a terrifying radiance in heaven and earth! May his hands be consecrated for him. May they be consecrated like heaven for him, may they be made to shine like the earth for him. May they be as resplendent as the centre of heaven for him. May he lift his head with its crown (?) of heaven and earth, the sacred crown.

  62. 62

    me-lem4 ⌈ḫuš⌉ an ki-a ⌈sig9-ge {d}aš-im2-babbar-e šu ḫe2⌉-en-na-kug-ge

  63. 63

    an-gin7 ḫe2-en-na-kug-[ge ki]-⌈gin7⌉ ḫe2-en-na-šen-e

  64. 64

    šag4 an-⌈na⌉-gin7 [ḫe2]-en-na-dadag-ge

  65. 65

    ⌈?⌉ an ki-a aga kug ⌈saĝ⌉ [ḫe2]-em-ma-il2-e

  66. 66

    [{d}]⌈suen⌉-e en zu maḫ ⌈an ki⌉ barag sikil-la šu du7

    Suen, the sage lord, majestic throughout heaven and earth, who perfects the pure dais, Ašimbabbar who wears (?) the diadem and just crown with majestic, shining horns, lifts his head.

  67. 67

    [{d}]⌈aš⌉-im2-babbar-e saĝ-men ⌈aga zid⌉-da si mul maḫ X [(X)]

  68. 68

    saĝ im-ma-il2-⌈e⌉

  69. 69

    i3 kug i3 sikil i3 dadag-ge

    Sacred oil, pure oil, cleansing oil!

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.