CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite (P478928)
Literary, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P478928 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
English translation
By etcsl · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| surface a 1 | By the flowing water given birth ..., |
| surface a 2 | by Ninḫursaĝa tenderly cared for! |
| surface a 3 | Ninkasi, by the flowing water given birth |
| surface a 4 | by Ninḫursaĝa tenderly cared for! |
| surface a 5 | Having founded your town upon wax, |
| surface a 6 | she completed its great walls for you. |
| surface a 7 | Ninkasi, having founded your town upon wax, |
| surface a 8 | she completed its great walls for you. |
| surface a 9 | Your father is Enki, Lord Nudimmud, |
| surface a 10 | and your mother is Ninti, the queen of the abzu. |
| surface a 11 | Ninkasi, your father is Enki, Lord Nudimmud, |
| surface a 12 | and your mother is Ninti, the queen of the abzu. |
| surface a 13 | It is you who handle the ... and dough with a big shovel, mixing, |
| surface a 14 | in a pit, the beerbread with sweet aromatics. |
| surface a 15 | Ninkasi, it is you who handle the ... and dough with a big shovel, mixing, |
| surface a 16 | in a pit, the beerbread with sweet aromatics. |
| surface a 17 | It is you who bake the beerbread in the big oven, |
| surface a 18 | and put in order the piles of hulled grain. |
| surface a 19 | Ninkasi, it is you who bake the beerbread in the big oven, |
| surface a 20 | and put in order the piles of hulled grain. |
| surface a 21 | It is you who water the earth-covered malt; |
| surface a 22 | the noble dogs guard it even from the potentates (?). |
| surface a 23 | Ninkasi, it is you who water the earth-covered malt; |
| surface a 24 | the noble dogs guard it even from the potentates (?). |
| surface a 25 | It is you who soak the malt in a jar; |
| surface a 26 | the waves rise, the waves fall. |
| surface a 27 | Ninkasi, it is you who soak the malt in a jar; |
| surface a 28 | the waves rise, the waves fall. |
| surface a 29 | It is you who spread the cooked mash on large reed mats; |
| surface a 30 | coolness overcomes ... |
| surface a 31 | Ninkasi, it is you who spread the cooked mash on large reed mats; |
| surface a 32 | coolness overcomes ... |
| surface a 33 | It is you who hold with both hands the great sweetwort, |
| surface a 34 | brewing it with honey and wine. |
| surface a 35 | Ninkasi, it is you who hold with both hands the great sweetwort, |
| surface a 36 | brewing it with honey and wine. |
| surface a 38 | You ...... the sweetwort to the vessel. |
| surface a 39 | Ninkasi, ... |
| surface a 40 | You ... the sweetwort to the vessel. |
| surface a 41 | You place the fermenting vat, which makes a pleasant sound, |
| surface a 42 | appropriately on top of a large collector vat. |
| surface a 43 | Ninkasi, you place the fermenting vat, which makes a pleasant sound, |
| surface a 44 | appropriately on top of a large collector vat. |
| surface a 45 | It is you who pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat; |
| surface a 46 | it is like the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates. |
| surface a 47 | Ninkasi, it is you who pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat; |
| surface a 48 | it is like the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates. |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| surface a | ||
| 1 | a zal-le u3-tu-da x x x x | |
| 2 | {d}nin-hur-sag-ga2-ke4 mi2 zi-de3-esz du11-ga | |
| 3 | {d}nin-ka-si a zal-le u3-tu-da x [...] | |
| 4 | {d}nin-hur-sag-ga2-ke4 mi2 zi-de3-esz du11-ga | |
| 5 | iri-zu lal3-har-re ki us2-sa | |
| 6 | bad3 gal-bi szu mu-ra-an-du7-du7 | |
| 7 | {d}nin-ka-si iri-zu lal3-har-re ki us2-sa | |
| 8 | bad3 gal-bi szu mu-ra-an-du7-du7 | |
| 9 | a-a-zu {d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e | |
| 10 | ama-zu {d}nin-ti nin abzu-a | |
| 11 | {d}nin-ka-si a-a-zu {d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e | |
| 12 | ama-zu {d}nin-ti nin abzu-a | |
| 13 | si nig2-silag {gesz}mar mah-a du8-a-zu | |
| 14 | szim-lal3-ta ub4-ba bappir2 hi-hi-a | |
| 15 | {d}nin-ka-si si nig2-silag {gesz}mar mah-a du8-a-zu | |
| 16 | szim-lal3-ta ub4-ba bappir2 hi-hi-a | |
| 17 | bappir2 udun-mah-e du8-a-zu | |
| 18 | zar gu2-nida-am3 si sa2-sa2-am3 | |
| 19 | {d}nin-ka-si bappir2 udun-mah-e du8-a-zu | |
| 20 | zar gu2-nida-am3 si sa2-sa2-am3 | |
| 21 | munu4 sahar gar-ra a si-ga-zu | |
| 22 | ur me-me nam gam-gam-ma-am3 | |
| 23 | {d}nin-ka-si munu4 sahar gar-ra a si-ga-zu | |
| 24 | ur me-me nam gam-gam-ma-am3 | |
| 25 | sumun2 dug-a a gar-ra-zu | |
| 26 | i-zi zi-zi-dam i-zi ga2-ga2-dam | |
| 27 | {d}nin-ka-si sumun2 dug-a a gar-ra-zu | |
| 28 | i-zi zi-zi-dam i-zi ga2-ga2-dam | |
| 29 | titab {gi}kid-mah-a bara2-ga-zu | |
| 30 | sza3 sed8 AN dib-ba-a | |
| 31 | {d}nin-ka-si titab {gi}kid-mah-a bara2-ga-zu | |
| 32 | sza3 sed8 AN dib-ba-a | |
| 33 | kasz dida gal szu tab-ba gal2-la-zu | |
| 34 | lal3 gesztin tesz2-ba sur-ra-a | |
| 35 | {d}nin-ka-si kasz dida gal szu tab-ba gal2-la-zu | |
| 36 | lal3 gesztin tesz2-ba sur-ra-a | |
| 37 | NIG2 [...] | |
| 38 | kasz dida dug-sze3 mi-ni-in-x x | |
| 39 | {d}nin-ka-si NIG2 x [...] | |
| 40 | kasz dida dug-sze3 mi-ni-in-x x | |
| 41 | dug nig2-dur2-buru3-e gu3 nun di-dam | |
| 42 | lahtan mah-a mi-ni-in-si-sa2-am3 | |
| 43 | {d}nin-ka-si dug nig2-dur2-buru3-e gu3 nun di-dam | |
| 44 | lahtan mah-a mi-ni-in-si-sa2-am3 | |
| 45 | kasz si-im duglahtan-na de2-a-zu | |
| 46 | {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na sag se3-ga-am3 | |
| 47 | {d}nin-ka-si kasz si-im dugl ahtan-na de2-a-zu | |
| 48 | {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na sag se3-ga-am3 | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.