A hymn to Nisaba (Nisaba A)
- head
Old Babylonian version
- v1.1
nin mul-an-gin7 gun3-a dub za-gin3 šu du8 du7
Lady coloured like the stars of heaven, holding perfectly endowed with a lapis-lazuli tablet! Nisaba, great wild cow born by Uraš, wild sheep nourished on good milk among holy alkaline plants, opening the mouth for seven …… reeds! Perfectly endowed with fifty great divine powers, my lady, most powerful in E-kur!
- v1.2
{d}nisaba immal2 gal {d}uraš-e tud-da
- v1.3
šeg9-bar naĝa kug-ga ga zid gu7-a
- v1.4
gi DI DIM 7-e ka ba-a
- v1.5
me gal 50-e šu du7-a
- v1.6
nin-ĝu10 a2-nun-ĝal2 e2-kur-ra
- v1.7
ušumgal ezen-e dalla e3-a
Dragon emerging in glory at the festival, of the Land, …… from the clay, calming …… the region with cool water , lavishing fine oil plenty on the foreign lands, engendered in wisdom by ! Good woman, chief scribe of An, record-keeper of Enlil, wise sage of the gods!
- v1.8
{d}a-ru-ru kalam-ma im-ta KA-KA dug4
- v1.9
ki im-si ud-da ki-ĝar a sed-de3 šag4 kuš2-u3 ?-⌈ti⌉ X […] ?-am-?-X […]
- v1.10
kur i3-ḫe-nun-ta ḫe-nun-ta mi2 zid dug4-ga
- v1.11
ĝeštug2 ĝar kur gal-e tud-da
- v1.12
munus zid dub-sar maḫ an-na saĝ-tun3 {d}en-lil2-la2
- v1.13
gal-zu igi-ĝal2 diĝir-re-e-ne
- v1.14
ab-sin2-na še gu mu2-mu2-de3
In order to make barley and flax grow in the furrows, so that excellent corn can be admired; to provide for the seven great throne-daises by making flax shoot forth and making barley shoot forth at the harvest, the great august festival of Enlil -- in her great princely role she has cleansed her body and has put draped the holy priestly garment on her torso.
- v1.15
{d}ezina2 nam-en-na u6 di-de3
- v1.16
barag gal 7-e mi2 zid ?-dam
- v1.17
gu zi-zi-dam še zi-zi-dam
- v1.18
buru14 ezen gal maḫ {d}en-lil2-la2-ke4 […]-im […] X-a
- v1.19
nam-nun gal-la-ni su nam-mi-in-su-ub
- v1.20
tug2-ba13 kug šag4-ge nam-mi-in-mur10 nam-mi-in-la2
- v1.21
nidba nu-ĝal2-la ĝa2-ĝa2-de3
In order to establish bread offerings where none existed, and to pour forth great libations of alcohol, so as to appease the god of grandeur, Enlil, and to appease merciful Kusu and Ezina, she will appoint a great en priest, and will appoint a festival; she will appoint a great en priest of the Land.
- v1.22
ne-saĝ gal kurun2-na de2-e-de3
- v1.23
diĝir nam2-⌈nir⌉-[ra] {d}en-lil2 ḫuĝ-e-de3
- v1.24
{d}ku3-su3 arḫuš sud {d}ezina2 ḫuĝ-e-de3
- v1.25
en gal mu-un-ḫuĝ-e ezen mu-un-ḫuĝ-e
- v1.26
en gal kalam-ma im-ma-ḫuĝ-e
- v1.27
ki-sikil {d}nisaba šudu3-de3 mu-un-gub
approaches the maiden Nisaba in prayer. He has organised pure food-offerings; he has opened up Nisaba's house of learning, and has placed the lapis-lazuli tablet on her knees, for her to consult the holy tablet of the heavenly stars. In Aratta he has placed E-zagin at her disposal. You have built up Ereš in abundance, founded from little …… bricks, you who are granted the most complex wisdom!
- v1.28
nidba sikil-la si nam-mi-in-sa2 ni-⌈in⌉-[da-ba] el-[la-am …]
- v1.29
e2-ĜEŠTUG2.{d}NISABA-ke4 ĝal2 nam-mi-in-taka4 bi-[it …]
- v1.30
dub za-gin3 dub3-ba nam-mi-in-ĝar
- v1.31
dub mul-an kug-ta šag4 im-ma-da-kuš2-u3
- v1.32
aratta{ki} e2-za-gin3-na šu-ni-še3 mu-un-ĝar i-na […] bi-tim [i-na] qa2-ti-ša ⌈i⌉-[…]
- v1.33
ereš2{ki} ḫe-nun-na mu-un-du3-u3-nam e-re-eš i-na ⌈ṭu3⌉-[uḫ-di-im] i-pe-⌈eš15⌉
- v1.34
šeg12 naĝa di4-di4-la2 ki ĝar-ra i-na li-bi-it-⌈tim⌉ el-le-tim a-na ⌈aš⌉-[ri] ta-ša-ak-ka-⌈an⌉
- v1.35
ĝeštug2 nam-galam-ma saĝ-e-eš rig7-ga ⌈uz⌉-[…] X ru bu […]
- v1.36
abzu men gal eridug{ki} eš3 ḫal-ḫa-la
In the Abzu, the great crown of Eridug, where sanctuaries are apportioned, where elevated …… are apportioned -- when Enki, the great princely farmer of the awe-inspiring temple, the carpenter of Eridug, the master of purification rites, the lord of the great en priest's precinct, occupies E-engura, and when he builds up the Abzu of Eridug; when he takes counsel in Ḫal-an-kug, when he splits with an axe the house of boxwood; when the sage's hair is allowed to hang loose, when he opens the house of learning, when he stands in the street of the door of learning; when he finishes (?) the great dining hall of cedar, when he grasps the date-palm mace, when he strikes (?) the priestly garment with that mace, then he utters seven …… to Nisaba, the supreme nursemaid:
- v1.37
⌈nun⌉ […] nun ḫal-ḫa-la
- v1.38
engar gal nam-nun-na e2 ni2 gur3-ru nagar eridug{ki}-ga
- v1.39
lugal šu-luḫ-luḫ-ḫa-ke4 en muš3 en gal-la {d}en-ki-ke4
- v1.40
e2-engur-ra ki-tuš-a-ni ⌈a⌉-gu-ur i-na ⌈wa⌉-[ša]-bi-šu
- v1.41
abzu eridug{ki}-ga du3-du3-a-ni ⌈ap⌉-sa3-am e-ri-du i-na e-pe-ši-i-šu
- v1.42
ḫal-an-kug šag4 kuš2-u3-da-ni i-na ḫa-al-la-an-ku i-na mi-it-lu-ki-šu
- v1.43
e2 {ĝiš}taškarin tun3 bar-ra-ni bi-it ti-is-ka-ri-in-ni-im i-na šu-pe-⌈el⌉-ti-i-šu
- v1.44
abgal siki bar-ra du8-a-ni ab-gal-lum ša pe-re-et-su2 a-na wa-ar-ki-i-šu i-na wu-uš-šu-ri-im
- v1.45
e2 ĝeštug2-ga-ke4 ĝal2 taka4-a-ni bi-it ⌈uz-ni-im⌉ i-na pe-te-e-⌈ša⌉
- v1.46
{ĝiš}ig ĝeštug2-ga sila-ba gub-ba-ni [da]-la-at uz-ni-[im …]
- v1.47
unu2 gal {ĝiš}erin-a til3-la-ni [X]-⌈li-iš⌉ ra-bi-iš […] X-li i-⌈na⌉
- v1.48
šita {ĝiš}ĝišnimbar šu du8-a-ni
- v1.49
šita-ba tug2-ba13 sag3-sag3-a-ni
- v1.50
{d}nisaba um-me gal-gal-la X 7 mu-un-na-dug4
- v1.51
{d}nisaba munus zid munus sag9-ga munus kur-ra kur-re tud-da […] X ⌈ul⌉-du-u2
O Nisaba, good woman, fair woman, woman born in the mountains by the mountains ! Nisaba, may you be the butter in the cattle-pen, may you be the cream in the sheepfold, may you be keeper of the seal in the treasury, may you be a good steward in the palace, may you be a heaper up of grain among the grain piles and in the grain stores!
- v1.52
{d}nisaba tur3-ra i3 ḫe2-me-en amaš-a gara2 ḫe2-me-en [{d}]⌈nisaba⌉ i-na ta-ar-ba-ṣi-im ⌈lu-u2⌉ ša-am-nu-um at-ti [i-na] su-pu-ri-im ⌈lu-u2 li⌉-iš-⌈du⌉-um ⌈at-ti⌉
- v1.53
e2 niĝ2-gur11-ra kišib-ĝal2 kišib-la2 ḫe2-me-en [i-na bi]-it ma-ku-ri-im [ka]-ni-ik-ta-šu ⌈at⌉-ti
- v1.54
e2-gal-la aĝrig zid ḫe2-me-en
- v1.55
guru7-du6 guru7-maš-a guru7 gu2 gur ḫe2-me-en ⌈ka⌉-re-e ti-li [ka]-re-e ma-a-ši [ka-re]-e ki-ša-da-⌈ti⌉-šu-nu […]-ba-ri
- v1.56
nun-e {d}nisaba-ra mi2 dug4-ga ru-bu-u2 {d}[X] u2-ki-in […]
Because cherished Nisaba, O Father Enki, it is sweet to praise you!
- v1.57
a-a {d}en-ki za3-mi2-zu dug3-ga-am3 ⌈a⌉-bu-um […] X […]
- head
A version of the beginning, preserved on a stone tablet from Lagaš perhaps dating to the Ur III period
- v2.1
nin mul-an gun3-a
Lady coloured as the stars, holding a lapis-lazuli tablet! Nisaba, born by Uraš in the great sheepfold (?), …… nourished on good milk among holy alkaline plants, opening the mouth on seven …… reeds! Perfectly endowed with fifty great divine powers, my lady, the most powerful in E-kur! of the Land, …… from the clay!
- v2.2
dub za-gin3 šu du8
- v2.3
{d}nisaba gal immalx(TUR3) uraš-še3 tud-da
- v2.4
GI naĝa kug-ge ga zid gu7-a
- v2.5
gi ŠID 7-na ka ba-a
- v2.6
me gal 50 šu du7-a
- v2.7
nin-ĝu10 a2-nun-ĝal2 e2-kur-ra
- v2.8
a-ru12-ru12 kalam-ma
- v2.9
im-da KA-KA 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.