The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
Catalogues: by date | by number | in full | Website info: navigation help | site description | display conventions | recent changes
Project info: consolidated bibliography | about the project | credits and copyright | links This composition: translation | bibliography


A hymn to Nisaba (Nisaba A): composite text

Old Babylonian version

1nin mul an-gin7 gun3-a dub za-gin3 cu du8 (3 mss. have instead: du7)
2dnisaba cilam gal durac-e tud-da
3cegbar naja kug-ga ga zid gu7-a
4gi DI (1 ms. has instead: DIM) 7-e ka ba-a
5me gal 50-e cu du7-a
6nin-ju10 a2-nun-jal2 e2-kur-ra
7ucumgal ezen-e dalla ed2-a
8da-ru-ru kalam-ma im-ta KA.KA dug4
9ki im-si ud-da (1 ms. has instead: ki-jar a sed-de3) cag4 kuc2-u3 da?-/ti\ X [...] ca?-am-ca?-X [...]
10kur i3 he-nun-ta (3 mss. have instead: he-nun-ta) mi2 zid dug4-ga
11jectug2 jar kur gal-e tud-da
12munus zid dub-sar mah an-na sa12-sug5 den-lil2-la2
13gal-zu igi-jal2 dijir-re-e-ne
14ab-sin2-na ce gu mu2-mu2-de3
15dezina2 nam-en-na u6 di-de3
16barag gal 7-e mi2 zid di?-dam
17gu zi-zi-dam ce zi-zi-dam
18buru14 ezen gal (1 ms. has instead: mah) den-lil2-la2-ke4 [...]-im [...] X-a
19nam-nun gal-la-ni su nam-mi-in-su-ub
20tug2ma6 kug cag4-ge nam-mi-in-mu2 (1 ms. has instead: nam-mi-in-la2)
21nidba nu-jal2-la ja2-ja2-de3
22ne-saj gal kurun2-na de2-e-de3
23dijir nam2-/nir\-[ra] den-lil2 huj-e-de3
24dku3-su3 arhuc sud dezina2 huj-e-de3
25en gal mu-un-huj-e ezen mu-un-huj-e
26en gal kalam-ma im-ma-huj-e
27ki-sikil dnisaba cud3-de3 mu-un-gub
28nidba sikil-la si nam-mi-in-sa2 ni-/in\-[da-ba] el-[la-am ...]
29e2 jectug2 dnisaba-ke4 jal2 nam-mi-in-taka4 bi-[it ...]
30dub za-gin3 dub3-ba nam-mi-in-jar
31dub mul an kug-ta cag4 im-ma-da-kuc2-u3
32arattaki e2-za-gin3-na cu-ni-ce3 mu-un-jar i-na [...] bi-tim [i-na] qa2-ti-ca /i\-[...]
33erecki he-nun-na mu-un-du3-u3-nam e-re-ec i-na /$u3\-[uh-di-im] i-pe-/ec15\
34sig4 naja di4-di4-la2 ki jar-ra i-na li-bi-it-/tim\ el-le-tim a-na /ac\-[ri] ta-ca-ak-ka-/an\
35jectug2 nam-galam-ma saj-e-ec rig7-ga /uz\-[...] X ru bu [...]
36abzu men gal eridugki ec3 hal-ha-la
37/nun\ [...] nun hal-ha-la
38engar gal nam-nun-na e2 ni2 gur3-ru nagar eridugki-ga
39lugal cu luh-luh-ha-ke4 en muc3 en gal-la den-ki-ke4
40e2-engur-ra ki tuc-a-ni /a\-gu-ur i-na /wa\-[ca]-bi-cu
41abzu eridugki-ga du3-du3-a-ni /ap\-sa3-am e-ri-du i-na e-pe-ci-i-cu
42hal-an-kug cag4 kuc2-u3-da-ni i-na ha-al-la-an-ku i-na mi-it-lu-ki-cu
43e2 jictaskarin tun3 bar-ra-ni bi-it ti-is-ka-ri-in-ni-im i-na cu-pe-/el\-ti-i-cu
44abgal siki bar-ra du8-a-ni ab-gal-lum ca pe-re-et-su2 a-na wa-ar-ki-i-cu i-na wu-uc-cu-ri-im
45e2 jectug2-ga-ke4 jal2 taka4-a-ni bi-it /uz-ni-im\ i-na pe-te-e-/ca\
46jicig jectug2-ga sila-ba gub-ba-ni [da]-la-at uz-ni-[im ...]
47unu2 gal jicerin-a til3-la-ni [X]-/li-ic\ ra-bi-ic [...] X-li i-/na\
48cita jicjicnimbar cu du8-a-ni
49cita-ba tug2ma6 sig3-sig3-a-ni
50dnisaba um-me gal-gal-la X 7 mu-un-na-dug4
51dnisaba munus zid munus sag9-ga munus kur-ra (1 ms. has instead: kur-re) tud-da [...] X /ul\-du-u2
52dnisaba tur3-ra i3 he2-me-en amac-a gara2 he2-me-en [d.]/nisaba\ i-na ta-ar-ba-$i-im /lu-u2\ ca-am-nu-um at-ti [i-na] su-pu-ri-im /lu-u2 li\-ic-/du\-um /at-ti\
53e2-nij2-gur11-ra kicib-jal2 (2 mss. have instead: kicib-la2) he2-me-en [i-na bi]-it ma-ku-ri-im [ka]-ni-ik-ta-cu /at\-ti
54e2-gal-la agrig zid he2-me-en
55gur7-dul gur7-mac-a gur7 gu2-gur he2-me-en /ka\-re-e ti-li [ka]-re-e ma-a-ci [ka-re]-e ki-ca-da-/ti\-cu-nu [...]-ba-ri
56nun-e dnisaba-ra mi2 dug4-ga ru-bu-u2 d.[X] u2-ki-in [...]
57a-a den-ki za3-mi2-zu dug3-ga-am3 /a\-bu-um [...] X [...]


A version of the beginning, preserved on a stone tablet from Lagash perhaps dating from the Ur III Period

1nin mul an gun3-a
2dub za-gin3 cu du8
3dnisaba GAL:TUR3 urac-ce3 tud-da
4GI naja kug-ge ga zid gu7-a
5gi CID 7-na ka ba-a
6me gal 50 cu du7-a
7nin-ju10 a2-nun-jal2 e2-kur-ra
8a-ru12-ru12 kalam-ma
9im-da KA.KA dug4


Top | translation | bibliography


Revision history

01.viii.1999-07.vi.2000 : JAB : standardisation
10.viii.2000 : GC : proofreading
11.viii.2000 : GC : tagging
20.x.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
20.x.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed