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A balbale to Suen (Nanna A) (Q000670)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | A balbale to Suen (Nanna A) |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000670 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | me-a lu ab₂ me-a lu-lu | Where are the cows, where are they all? |
| 2 | šilam {d}suen me-a lu-lu | Lord Suen, where is he? |
| 3 | gig₂-bi {na₄}za-gin₃ duru₅-am₃ | Its furrows are lapis lazuli, |
| 4 | ab₂-ba babbar-bi iti₆ e₃-a-am₃ | Its white cows are coming out in the evening. |
| 5 | tur-tur-bi še-gin₇ ma-ra-ši-sur | Its small ones, like barley, have been cut off for you |
| 6 | gal-gal-bi am-gin₇ ma-ra-ši-lu | Its large ones, like wild bulls, are scattered for you |
| 7 | ab₂ lu-a tur₃ lu-a-na | Woe the cow, woe the cattlepen! |
| 8 | giri₁₇-zal an-na-ke₄ |EŠ₂.NUN.SUD.EŠ₂.TU|-ma ba-ni-in-du₈ | The radiance of heaven was shattered. |
| 9 | ga ab₂ sig₇-a-bi banšur-ra i-ni-in-de₂ | She spreads out the milk of its red cow on a table |
| 10 | šu dadag-ge ga na-tum₃-tum₃ | You should not bring milk with a pure hand |
| 11 | lugal-ŋu₁₀ kiŋ₂-ŋa₂ til₃-la-ni | Lugal-bu, his life in that place |
| 12 | {d}suen saman za-gin₃ ab₂ BAD ak-a | Sîn, the lapis lazuli saman-garment of the ... cows, |
| 13 | ab₂ am₃-ra-ra-ra ab₂ am₃-KU-KU-KU | The cows are plundered, the cows ... |
| 14 | e-ne ab₂-ba nam-sipad mu-un-ak | He acted as shepherd for the cows. |
| 15 | ama ugu-ni nin nibru{ki}-ke₄ | his birth mother, the lady of Nippur |
| 16 | en-ra edin-a-na a-ra-zu mu-na-ab-be₂ | For the lord, he utters an arazu prayer in his steppe. |
| 17 | a-ra-zu unud(UNU₃) a-ra-zu | arazu prayer, urudu prayer |
| 18 | edin dug₃-ga ab₂ hu-mu-ra-ši-lu | May the good steppe bring forth cows for you |
| 19 | ŋi₆ u₃-na um-ma-te-a-ta | At the river, at the beginning |
| 20 | e₂-kur eš₃ kal-kal za-e he₂-me-u₃-tud | May you be born in the Ekur, the mighty shrine. |
| 21 | ki aŋ₂-bi na-nam ki aŋ₂-bi na-nam | It is indeed a place of abundance, it is indeed an area of abundance. |
| 22 | en e₂-kur-ra ki aŋ₂-bi na-nam | The lord of the Ekur is indeed its laborer. |
| 23 | {d}en-lil₂-la₂ lu₂ la-la-ni na-nam | Enlil is indeed his friend. |
| 24 | {d}suen ama ugu-ni i-lu-ni na-nam | Suen, his mother who bore him is indeed his lament. |
| 25 | ama ugu-ni šag₄ ki aŋ₂-ŋa₂-ni-ta | His birth mother, from the place of her birth father |
| 26 | {d}suen-ra mi₂-e-eš na-mu-un-e | To Suen, he should not speak a word |
| 27 | ki aŋ₂ šag₄-ga niŋ₂ šag₄ te-en-na-me-en | I am the one who makes the earth tremble in fear and terror |
| 28 | {d}suen amar za-gin₃ dub₃ kug-ga peš-a | Sîn, a lapis lazuli calf adorned with a golden horn |
| 29 | niŋ₂-nam šag₄-ge al dug₄-ga-zu | Your fearsomeness, which is pleasing to the heart |
| 30 | niŋ₂ kal-kal-la šag₄-ge guru₇-a-zu | Your mighty fearsomeness in the granary |
| 31 | x x x zi-zi he₂-du₇ e₂-kur-ra | ... fitting for the Ekur, |
| 32 | dug₃ {d}en-lil₂-la₂-ka za-e al dug₄-ba-ni-ib | You are the one who fills the jug of Enlil. |
| 33 | giri₁₇-zal an-na za-e he₂-me-u₃-tud | You are the joy of heaven, may you be born. |
| 34 | i-lu-zu e₂-kur-re he₂-em-me | May your lament be sung in the Ekur. |
| 35 | zi-zu uŋ₃-e he₂-em-mi-ib-aŋ₂-ŋe₂₆ | May your life be made perfect for you |
| 36 | {d}suen an ki-a he₂-em-dirig-ge-en | Suen, may he make it surpass heaven and earth |
| 37 | ab₂ |GAR.NE| ga-bi banšur-ra i-ni-in-de₂ | The cow ... its milk on the table |
| 38 | {d}suen-e šu-luh-e si bi₂-in-sa₂ | Suen set in order the cleansing ritual. |
| 39 | niŋ₂ šu dug₄-ga-ŋu₁₀ dadag-ga-am₃ | It is a hand of good fortune, a shining hand |
| 40 | a-a-ŋu₁₀ {d}en-lil₂-le dug₃-ga he₂-gu₇-e | May father Enlil eat good food. |
| 41 | lugal ma₂-gur₈ kug an-na dirig-ga | the king who surpasses the gold barge of An |
| 42 | ama-ni ul-la mi₂ na-mu-un-e | His mother loves him in joy. |
| 43 | am an-ne₂ zid-de₃-eš pad₃-da-ŋu₁₀ | Wild bull, whose righteousness is confirmed by An |
| 44 | mu-zu kur-kur-ra ze₂-be₂-eš im-ma-al | Your name is sweet in all the lands |
| 45 | en tur₃ kug-ga šu-luh dadag-ga-am₃ | The lord of the pure cowshed is a pure protective spirit |
| 46 | a ra eš₃ kug-ga-am₃ saman za-gin₃-na | Woe, the holy shrine, the lapis lazuli crown |
| 47 | dumu ur-saŋ {d}nin-lil₂-le tud-da | son of Ursa, born by Ninlil |
| 48 | {d}nanna a-gar₃ a ru-a ki aŋ₂ an kug-ga | Nanna, the irrigated meadow, the place of the holy An |
| 49 | nam-sipad kalam-ma an-ne₂ ma-ra-an-šum₂ | The shepherdship of the land is given to you by An |
| 50 | {d}en-lil₂-le mu dug₃-ga mi-ri-in-sa₄ | Enlil named it with a good name. |
| 51 | dug₄-ga zid dumu {d}en-lil₂-la₂-me-en | I am the righteous one, the son of Enlil |
| 52 | an-ne₂ šag₄ mah-a-na nam-lugal ma-ra-an-šum₂ | An has granted you kingship in his exalted heart |
| 53 | iri-zu urim₂{ki} šag₄-ge bi₂-pad₃ | Your city Urim has been chosen. |
| 54 | id₂ nun-e ku₆ mušen ma-ra-ab-tum₃ | The princely river brings fish and birds for you |
| 55 | dumu-saŋ {d}en-lil₂-la₂ nam-en-na X x | The daughter of Enlil, the lordship |
| 56 | nam-lugal an-na za-ra mu-ra-an-šum₂ | He gave you the kingship of heaven for you |
| 57 | diŋir an-na hi-li gur₃-ru-me-en | I am the bīr-demon of heaven, carrying allure. |
| 58 | iti₆-zu kug-ga-am₃ dadag-ga-am₃ | Your moonlight is pure, it is pure. |
| 59 | {d}utu-gin₇ su₈-ba kalam-ma-me-en | Like Utu, I am the shepherd of the land |
| 60 | {d}nanna lugal-ra ud-de₃-eš-e mu-un-e₃ | For Nanna, the king, the storm came out. |
| 61 | bal-bal-e {d}suen-na-kam | It is the balbale of Suen. |
Sources & licences
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.