ETCSLtransliteration : c.4.16.1 ETCSL homepage

A hymn to Nisaba (Nisaba A)

Old Babylonian version

1. nin mul-an-gin7 gun3-a dub za-gin3 cu {du8} {(3 mss. have instead:) du7} (Cited in OB catalogue from Urim (U1), 0.2.03, line 17; OB catalogue from Urim (U2), 0.2.04, line 1)
2. dnisaba immal2 gal durac-e tud-da
3. ceg9-bar naja kug-ga ga zid gu7-a
4. gi {DI} {(1 ms. has instead:) DIM} 7-e ka ba-a
5. me gal 50-e cu du7-a
6. nin-ju10 a2-nun-jal2 e2-kur-ra
7. ucumgal ezen-e dalla e3-a
8. da-ru-ru kalam-ma im-ta KA-KA dug4
9. {ki im-si ud-da} {(1 ms. has instead:) ki-jar a sed-de3} cag4 kuc2-u3 (da?-/ti\ X […] ca?-am-ca?-X […])
10. kur {i3-he-nun-ta} {(3 mss. have instead:) he-nun-ta} mi2 zid dug4-ga
11. jectug2 jar kur gal-e tud-da
12. munus zid dub-sar mah an-na saj-tun3 den-lil2-la2
13. gal-zu igi-jal2 dijir-re-e-ne
14. ab-sin2-na ce gu mu2-mu2-de3
15. dezina2 nam-en-na u6 di-de3
16. barag gal 7-e mi2 zid di?-dam
17. gu zi-zi-dam ce zi-zi-dam
18. buru14 ezen {gal} {(1 ms. has instead:) mah} den-lil2-la2-ke4 ([…]-im […] X-a)
19. nam-nun gal-la-ni su nam-mi-in-su-ub
20. tug2-ba13 kug cag4-ge {nam-mi-in-mur10} {(1 ms. has instead:) nam-mi-in-la2}
21. nidba nu-jal2-la ja2-ja2-de3
22. ne-saj gal kurun2-na de2-e-de3
23. dijir nam2-/nir\-[ra] den-lil2 huj-e-de3
24. dku3-su3 arhuc sud dezina2 huj-e-de3
25. en gal mu-un-huj-e ezen mu-un-huj-e
26. en gal kalam-ma im-ma-huj-e
27. ki-sikil dnisaba cudu3-de3 mu-un-gub
28. nidba sikil-la si nam-mi-in-sa2 (ni-/in\-[da-ba] el-[la-am ...])
29. e2-JECTUG2.dNISABA-ke4 jal2 nam-mi-in-taka4 (bi-[it ...])
30. dub za-gin3 dub3-ba nam-mi-in-jar
31. dub mul-an kug-ta cag4 im-ma-da-kuc2-u3
32. arattaki e2-za-gin3-na cu-ni-ce3 mu-un-jar (i-na [...] bi-tim [i-na] qa2-ti-ca /i\-[...])
33. erec2ki he-nun-na mu-un-du3-u3-nam (e-re-ec i-na /ṭu3\-[uh-di-im] i-pe-/ec15\)
34. ceg12 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\)
35. jectug2 nam-galam-ma saj-e-ec rig7-ga (/uz\-[...] X ru bu [...])
36. abzu men gal eridugki ec3 hal-ha-la
37. /nun\ [...] nun hal-ha-la
38. engar gal nam-nun-na e2 ni2 gur3-ru nagar eridugki-ga
39. lugal cu-luh-luh-ha-ke4 en muc3 en gal-la den-ki-ke4
40. e2-engur-ra ki-tuc-a-ni (/a\-gu-ur i-na /wa\-[ca]-bi-cu)
41. abzu eridugki-ga du3-du3-a-ni (/ap\-sa3-am e-ri-du i-na e-pe-ci-i-cu)
42. hal-an-kug cag4 kuc2-u3-da-ni (i-na ha-al-la-an-ku i-na mi-it-lu-ki-cu)
43. e2 jictackarin tun3 bar-ra-ni (bi-it ti-is-ka-ri-in-ni-im i-na cu-pe-/el\-ti-i-cu)
44. abgal 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)
45. e2 jectug2-ga-ke4 jal2 taka4-a-ni (bi-it /uz-ni-im\ i-na pe-te-e-/ca\)
46. jicig jectug2-ga sila-ba gub-ba-ni ([da]-la-at uz-ni-[im ...])
47. unu2 gal jicerin-a til3-la-ni ([X]-/li-ic\ ra-bi-ic [...] X-li i-/na\)
48. cita jicjicnimbar cu du8-a-ni
49. cita-ba tug2-ba13 sag3-sag3-a-ni
50. dnisaba um-me gal-gal-la X 7 mu-un-na-dug4
51. dnisaba munus zid munus sag9-ga munus {kur-ra} {(1 ms. has instead:) kur-re} tud-da ([…] X /ul\-du-u2)
52. dnisaba tur3-ra i3 he2-me-en amac-a gara2 he2-me-en ([d]/nisaba\ i-na ta-ar-ba-ṣi-im /lu-u2\ ca-am-nu-um at-ti [i-na] su-pu-ri-im /lu-u2 li\-ic-/du\-um /at-ti\)
53. e2 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)
54. e2-gal-la ajrig zid he2-me-en
55. guru7-du6 guru7-mac-a guru7 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)
56. nun-e dnisaba-ra mi2 dug4-ga (ru-bu-u2 d[X] u2-ki-in [...])
57. a-a den-ki za3-mi2-zu dug3-ga-am3 (/a\-bu-um [...] X [...])

A version of the beginning, preserved on a stone tablet from Lagaš perhaps dating to the Ur III period

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

Print sources

Alster 1976, p. 119 and n. 31: commentary

Hallo 1970, p. 123-134: commentary, composite text, translation, handcopy (notes on individual sources)

Hallo 1997a: translation, commentary

Selz 1989, p. 495: commentary

Sullivan 1979, p. 97-103: score transliteration, translation (bilingual)

Thureau-Dangin 1909: score transliteration, translation, handcopy, commentary

Electronic sources

Krecher 1996: composite text

Krecher 1996a: composite text, translation

Cuneiform sources

CBS 15141

N 3041 + N 3042

NFT 171 = RA 7 107

Ni 9942 (ISET 1 140)

UET 6 66 + UET 6 71

UET 6 388 + UET 6 *6 + UET 6 *17 + UET 6 *28 bil.

UET 6 389 bil.

UET 6 *72

UET 6 *106

UET 6 *250

UET 6 *288 bil.

YBC 13523 (CRRA 17 126f.)


Revision history

01.viii.1999-07.vi.2000: JAB, editor: standardisation
10.viii.2000: GC, editor: proofreading
11.viii.2000: GC, editor: SGML tagging
08.xii.2000: ER, editor: proofreading SGML
20.x.2000: ER, editor: web publication
01.vi.2003: GC/JE, editor/technical developer: XML/TEI conversion
30.iii.2005: GC/JE, senior editor/technical developer: lemmatised version published

ETCSL homepage

© Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The ETCSL project, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford
Updated 2006-12-19 by JE

University of Oxford