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)
²^dnisaba 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
⁸^da-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
¹⁵^dezina₂ 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
²⁰^tug₂ma₆ 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
²⁴^dku₃-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
³²aratta^ki e₂-za-gin₃-na cu-ni-ce₃ mu-un-jar ^{i-na [...] bi-tim [i-na] qa₂-ti-ca
/i\-[...]}
³³erec^ki he-nun-na mu-un-du₃-u₃-nam ^{e-re-ec
i-na /$u₃\-[uh-di-im]
i-pe-/ec₁₅\}
³⁴sig₄ naja di₄-di₄-la₂ ki jar-ra ^{i-na li-bi-it-/tim\ el-le-tim a-na /ac\-[ri]
ta-ca-ak-ka-/an\}
³⁵jectug₂ nam-galam-ma saj-e-ec rig₇-ga ^{/uz\-[...] X ru bu [...]}
³⁶abzu men gal eridug^ki ec₃ hal-ha-la
³⁷/nun\ [...] nun hal-ha-la
³⁸engar gal nam-nun-na e₂ ni₂ gur₃-ru nagar eridug^ki-ga
³⁹lugal cu luh-luh-ha-ke₄ en muc₃ en gal-la ^den-ki-ke₄
⁴⁰e₂-engur-ra ki tuc-a-ni ^{/a\-gu-ur i-na /wa\-[ca]-bi-cu}
⁴¹abzu eridug^ki-ga du₃-du₃-a-ni ^{/ap\-sa₃-am e-ri-du i-na e-pe-ci-i-cu}
⁴²hal-an-kug cag₄ kuc₂-u₃-da-ni ^{i-na ha-al-la-an-ku i-na
mi-it-lu-ki-cu}
⁴³e₂ ^jictaskarin tun₃ bar-ra-ni ^{bi-it ti-is-ka-ri-in-ni-im i-na cu-pe-/el\-ti-i-cu}
⁴⁴abgal siki bar-ra du₈-a-ni ^{ab-gal-lum ca
pe-re-et-su₂ a-na wa-ar-ki-i-cu i-na wu-uc-cu-ri-im}
⁴⁵e₂ jectug₂-ga-ke₄ jal₂ taka₄-a-ni ^{bi-it /uz-ni-im\ i-na pe-te-e-/ca\}
⁴⁶^jicig jectug₂-ga sila-ba gub-ba-ni ^{[da]-la-at uz-ni-[im ...]}
⁴⁷unu₂ gal ^jicerin-a til₃-la-ni ^{[X]-/li-ic\ ra-bi-ic [...] X-li i-/na\}
⁴⁸cita ^jicjicnimbar cu du₈-a-ni
⁴⁹cita-ba ^tug₂ma₆ sig₃-sig₃-a-ni
⁵⁰^dnisaba um-me gal-gal-la X 7 mu-un-na-dug₄
⁵¹^dnisaba munus zid munus sag₉-ga munus kur-ra (1 ms. has instead: kur-re) tud-da ^{[...] X /ul\-du-u₂}
⁵²^dnisaba tur₃-ra i₃ he₂-me-en amac-a gara₂ he₂-me-en ^{[d.]/nisaba\ i-na ta-ar-ba-$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
³^dnisaba 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

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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