A hymn to Nanše (Nanše A)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 4 - Hymns and cult songs · 256 sections

101
{d}nanše-er saĝ-e gu dili-a si mu-na-ab-sa2-e
102
kuš la2 kuš-ni-ta mu-na-da-an-ku4-ku4
103
gada la2 gada-ni-ta mu-na-da-an-dib-be2
104
kuš la2 kuš-ni-ta nu-mu-na-da-an-ku4-ku4
105
gada la2 gada-ni-ta nu-mu-na-da-an-dib-be2
106
lu2 dub gub-ba zag ḫuĝ-ĝa2-bi
107
igi du8 lu2-inim-ma-be2-e-ne
108
lu2-inim-ma e2 saḫ7-a-na-ka gu3 mu-ni-ib-de2-a
109
saĝ balaĝ-ĝa2 ki-gub-ba-ni-še3 muš3 ba-ši-in-tum2-mu
110
lugal saĝ zid-da en3 tar-tar {d}ḫa-ia3 lu2 dub-ba-ke4
111
saĝ zid nin-a-na bi2-in-dug4-ga im-ma bi2-in-gub-be2
112
geme2 nin-a-na nu-um-mi-in-dug4-ga im-ma bi2-in-kid2-kid2
113
dug-dug a nu-de2-e ĝiri3 si nu-sa2-e
If the vessels pour no water, the roads are not in order, the dough trough is not kept clean, the fire is …… in the house during (?) the night-time, the incantations are …… in the house during (?) the day-time, then the šita-eša priest serving his term will be terminated from his office. For a susbu priest who serves his term administering food allotments and against whom a complaint has been lodged and for a saĝĝa priest who while living in the house did not make her holy songs and thoughts manifest (?), …… further rations are denied and thereby Mother Nanše's ordinances will become apparent. These words are ultimate; nothing is to be added to these rites. No one should …… other powers to these powers. Since not even one ……, no …… enters Nanše's house. (1 line unclear)
114
{ĝiš}buniĝ(SUG) niĝ2-silaĝ-ĝa2 nu-luḫ-ḫa
115
e2 ĝi6 u3-na-ka izi dib-ba
116
e2 an-bar7-ka mu7-mu7 ĝar-ra
117
šita-eš3-a bal gub-ba-ni
118
ki-gub-ba-ni-še3 muš3 ba-ši-in-tum2-mu
119
susbu lu2 šukur2-ra2 bal-a re inim ĝar mu-un-ĝar-ra
120
u3 saĝĝa e2-a mu-un-til3-la re
121
šir3 kug inim šag4-ga ĝal2-la-ni pa nu-um-mi-in-e3-a
122
mu-un-zu-a-ra nu-mu-un-zu-a-ra um-ma-na-ra-an-ba
123
ĝarza ama {d}nanše-ke4 pa e3 mu-da-ak-e
124
inim-inim-ma-bi dirig nu-ĝa2-ĝa2
125
ĝarza-bi-še3 la-ba-an-taḫ-e
126
me-bi me na-me lu2 nu-dub-dub-e
127
ur5 niĝ2-nam-bi nu-dub-dub-e-a-aš
128
e2 {d}nanše-ka dub nu-um-ku4-ku4
129
kar-ra lu2 mu-un-dib-be2
130
e2 {d}nanše-ka id2-lu2-ru-gu2 lu2 mu-un-dadag
At Nanše's house, the river of the ordeal cleanses a person. After the oracular messages and (?) the holy songs have come out of …… of the abzu, …… the songs, and the enkum and ninkum priests choose (?) the purification rites. No …… or …… are to be added its words. No obstinate or threatening utterance shall arise.
131
eš-bar kiĝ2 šir3 kug KA abzu-ta um-ta-e3-a-ra
132
ŠIR3.MUŠ3-e šir3 im-ta-zu-zu
133
enkum ninkum šu-luḫ im-da-pad3-de3
134
inim tur-bi dug4-ga KA×X-a dirig ĝar-ra
135
inim-inim-ma-bi la-ba-an-taḫ-e
136
ka du3-a niĝ2-a2-zig3 dug4-ga gu2-bi nu-mu-un-ši-ib-zig3
137
šu dirig DU-a šu maḫ gid2-i-de3
Anyone who …… his hand and reaches out (?) for something forcefully (?), and whose hand matches (?) his mouth and who commits violence, who changes a firm foundation or alters a marked out border, who is rushing (?) to the place of oath, (1 line unclear) who …… a small weight in place (?) of a large weight, and …… a small ban measure in place (?) of a large ban measure, who desire something after having acquired something, who does not say I have eaten after having eaten, and does not say I have drunk after having drunk, and then says, I will set a bowl before you, I will filter beer for you; a maidservant of a god who …… and …… from the house, an untrustworthy person who …… while living in the house; if anyone says Serve (?) me, I want to eat, or says Serve (?) me, I want to drink, then Nanše does not allow him to eat any bread with fat or shining eggs, because of the violation (?).
138
šu KA-ta sa2-a niĝ2-a2-zig3 dim2-e
139
uš ĝar-ra šu i-ni-ib-bal-e-a in dub-ba kur2-ra
140
ki nam-erim2-ma-še3 saĝ gid2-i
141
saĝ niĝ2-sag3 KA niĝ2-kud ak-a niĝ2-šab-ta ba-a
142
na4 tur-re na4 gu-la-ar šu ba-an-zig3-ga
143
{ĝiš}ba-an tur-re {ĝiš}ba-an gu-la-ar šu ba-an-zig3-ga
144
niĝ2 un-tuku niĝ2 al ba-an-e-a
145
un-gu7 i3-gu7-bi li-bi2-in-dug4-ga
146
un-naĝ i3-naĝ-bi li-bi2-in-dug4-ga
147
utul2 ga-mu-ra-ab-gub-ba kaš ga-mu-ra-ab-sur-ra
148
geme2 diĝir-ra šu la2-a re e2-ta KA gi4-a
149
nir nu-ĝal2 e2-a til3-la re igi-tum4 la2 ak-a
150
keše2-ra2 ga-gu7 um-mi-in-dug4-ga
151
keše2-ra2 ga-naĝ um-mi-in-dug4-ga
152
{d}nanše ninda i3 nunuz dalla-ka
153
ki a2 zig3-ga-ka lu2 la-ba-an-gu7-e
154
lu2 a2 zig3-ga um-mi-in-gu7-a inim-bi la-ba-an-tum3
If the violent person was allowed to eat ……, with (?) …… eyes, grinding his teeth and shuffling his feet, he does not …… and does not ……. The powerful one who ……, the rich one who …… on the street, the married one who …… his wife for (?) the widow, who laughed one day in his rage, who makes fun of his calamity another day -- this person does not raise his …… for (?) the lady.
155
igi TUM zu2 guz ĝiri3 ki te-te
156
nu-mu-e-sig10-ge nu-mu-e-da-sa2-e
157
a2-ĝal2-la lu2-ra […]
158
a2-tuku e-sir2-ra gi du3-a
159
lu2 dam tuku nu-mu-un-su-ra dam-a-ni mu-na-ra-X X
160
ud ib2-ba-na zu2 mu-un-li9-a
161
ud su-mu-ug-ga-na a-tar mu-un-da-ak-e
162
nin-ra KA X-a-ni nu-um-ma-an-zi-zi
163
nin saĝ en3 tar kur-kur-ra-ke4
For the lady who cares for all the countries, the queen, Mother Nanše, sees into their hearts: the orphan who ……, the widow who ……, the waif delivered up to the powerful, the powerful delivered to the powerless, the mother who scolds at her child, the child who talks obstinately to his mother, the younger brother who talks against his elder brother or talks back to his father. The lady, who ……, Nanše, who ……, Nanše sees into the heart of the Land as if it were a split reed. (1 line unclear)
164
in-nin ama {d}nanše šag4-ba igi mi-ni-in-ĝal2
165
nu-siki ka saĝ-ĝa2 ak nu-mu-su GIL aĝ2-ĝe26-da
166
ki-gul-la a2-tuku-ur2 ĝa2-ĝa2-da
167
a2-tuku a2 nu-tuku-ra ĝa2-ĝa2-da
168
ama dumu-ni gu3 a2 zig3 de2-a
169
dumu ama-a-ni-ir ka du3-a dug4-ga
170
šeš-ban3-da šeš-gal-a-ni-ir inim gaba-na dug4-ga a-a-ra inim gi4-a
171
nin UŠ gid2-da lu2 šu nu2-a
172
{d}nanše UŠ gid2-da lu2 šu ĝal2-la-a
173
šag4 kalam-ma gi ḫal-ḫal-la-gin7 {d}nanše igi mi-ni-in-ĝal2
174
ŠE3-bi zag lu2-bi i3-ĝal2
175
niĝir-a-ni en {d}ḫendur-saĝ-ĝa2-ke4 zu2 keše2 mu-na-ab-ak
Her herald Lord Ḫendursaĝa ……. Her protecting genius Dumu-tur-šugi does not ……, her guardian placed ……, guarding ……. Nanše …… her house in Sirara sprinkled with water, her house …… during (?) the night-time.
176
{d}lamma-a-ni {d}dumu-tur-šu-gi4 ĝiš-la2-bi nu-mu-un-DU
177
{d}udug ka gi gub-ba ka gi en-nu-uĝ3 ak-e
178
e2 sirara{ki}-a a su3-a-ni
179
e2 an-bar7-ka e2 sa la2-a-ni
180
{d}nanše inim-bi sa2-e-bi mu-un-NE-[…]
181
u3-luḫ-ḫa sud-sud abzu šag4-ga nir-ĝal2 X X
He who extends his staff of office, the one respected within the abzu, the lord who has no opposition in the terraced tower (?) of Nanše's house, the king, Lord Ḫendursaĝa, promulgates the decrees of Nanše's house. They are heavy smoke settling on the ground; the commands of the house are thick clouds covering the sky as if they were joined together with the needle of matrimony, yet the king, Lord Ḫendursaĝa, tears them apart. He can discriminate between the just and the wicked, and he can bring justice to the orphan as well as to the widow.
182
gi-gun4-na e2 {d}nanše-ka en gaba gi nu-tuku
183
a2 aĝ2-ĝa2-bi e2 {d}nanše-ta
184
lugal-e en {d}ḫendur-saĝ-ĝa2 nam-ma-da-ra-e3
185
i-bi2 dugud-gin7 ki am3-u2-⌈us2⌉
186
inim-bi dungu sir2-⌈sir2⌉ an-da im-da-[la2]
187
bulug nam-dam-ma teš2-bi ba-dab5
188
lugal-e en {d}ḫendur-saĝ-ĝa2-ke4 teš2-bi ba-ra-si-il
189
zid-du zid-du-a bi2-in-gub-be2
190
erim2-du ki-erim2-e ba-ab-šum2-mu
191
di nu-siki-ka i-ni-in-kud-de3
192
di nu-mu-un-su-ka ba-da-ab-us2-e
193
di ama dumu-ka-kam si im-sa2-e
He decides justly any lawsuits between mother and child: if the mother has given to the child what she had to eat, has given to it what she had to drink, has ……, (1 line unclear) and his mother …… the firewood carrier's delivery from the open country, and yet the child does not speak to the mother who bore him in the great city with black looks (?) or in anger; and if the mother ordered her child to the place where the offence happened and the mother struck him at his ……, but nevertheless she has given him suck from her milk-filled breast, (2 lines unclear) then, after the king who loves justice, Ḫendursaĝa, has evaluated their testimonies and examined the case, he will place the blame on the mother of the child so that she will not be able to bear the weight of heavy blame, and there will be no god such a person could pray to.
194
tukum-bi ama dumu-ni-ir
195
in-tuku mu-da-an-gu7 in-tuku mu-da-an-naĝ
196
in-bul-bul-a-ni ka-na im-bu
197
zag-bi-a lu2 sa2-dug4-ga-bi mu-un-da-an-tuš-a
198
u2 il2 edin-na niĝ2-tum2-a-ni ama-ni la-ba-ni-in-dib
199
ama iri gu-la mu-un-tud-da-ni-ir
200
igi ša-ra gu2 šub-bi-a inim la-ba-an-na-ni-in-dug4

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.