A balbale to Nanna (Nanna D): translation

^1-7They are as numerous, as numerous as the grasses which break through the earth. Nanna, in the ...... they are as numerous as the grasses which break through the earth. Their ...... are translucent lapis lazuli. Their ...... are the colour of the rising moon. The cows with their calves are numerous and are precious cuba stone. ...... built and ...... together. In their ...... he chooses .......

^8-12He who loves the cows herds them into the pen. ...... who loves the cows rounds up the cows. He has ...... his great cows for her, and their butter ....... Seven (1 ms. adds: small) churns resound with ...... and sweet butter for her. ...... their butter is holy butter, their milk is holy milk.

^13-18...... from the holy pen (1 ms. has instead: in my holy pen), the woman does not drink. ...... in the holy ......, the woman does not eat. When he sits ...... in the pen, he fills the pen with praise. When he sits ...... in the pen, he is an ornament of the pen. ...... the temple, the cattle-pen is a glory -- Nanna is the master. The ...... is Suen's -- Nanna is the master.

^19-24...... truly cares for ......, the king of Urim (?). In its ...... fish and birds are abundant. In its ...... fish and birds are abundant. The fish ...... and the birds skim (?). The fish ...... and the birds skim (?). He has planted ......, and the carp circulate (?).

^25-40He has planted ...... so that the calves may feed for me. He has planted ...... so that the cows may feed for me. ...... eats. ...... drinks.
12 lines fragmentary or missing

⁴¹A balbale of Nanna.

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Revision history

17.viii.2000-21.viii.2000 : GC : adapting translation
30.ix.2000 : JAB : proofreading
05.x.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