Unread Atlas
A hymn to Ninkasi (Ninkasi A) (Q000714)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
Open in the reader & map →See it among all tablets
| Designation | A hymn to Ninkasi (Ninkasi A) |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000714 |
| 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 | a zal-le u₃-tud-da x X x x | The one born in the flowing water ... |
| 2 | {d}nin-hur-saŋ-ŋa₂-ke₄ mi₂ zid-de₃-eš dug₄-ga | Ninḫursa treated me kindly. |
| 3 | {d}nin-ka-si a zal-le u₃-tud-da X x | Ninkasi, born by the flowing water |
| 4 | {d}nin-hur-saŋ-ŋa₂-ke₄ mi₂ zid-de₃-eš dug₄-ga | Ninḫursa treated me kindly. |
| 5 | iri-zu lal₃-har-re ki us₂-sa | Your city is a place of lalḫar, |
| 6 | bad₃ gal-bi šu mu-ra-an-du₇-du₇ | The great wall he made perfect for you |
| 7 | {d}nin-ka-si iri-zu lal₃-har-re ki us₂-sa | Ninkasi, your city is set on honeycombs. |
| 8 | bad₃ gal-bi šu mu-ra-an-du₇-du₇ | The great wall he made perfect for you |
| 9 | a-a-zu {d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim₂-mud-e | Your father Enki, lord Nudimmud |
| 10 | ama-zu {d}nin-ti nin abzu-a | Your mother Ninti, the lady of the Abzu |
| 11 | {d}nin-ka-si a-a-zu {d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim₂-mud-e | Ninkasi, your father Enki, lord Nudimmud |
| 12 | ama-zu {d}nin-ti nin abzu-a | Your mother Ninti, the lady of the Abzu |
| 13 | si niŋ₂-silaŋ {ŋiš}mar mah-a du₈-a-zu | You are the one who makes the horns of the supreme womb rise high. |
| 14 | šim-lal₃-ta ub₄-ba bappir₂ hi-hi-a | from the šimlal plant in the ub |
| 15 | {d}nin-ka-si si niŋ₂-silaŋ {ŋiš}mar mah-a du₈-a-zu | Ninkasi, you are the one whose horns are straight and whose crown is supreme. |
| 16 | šim-lal₃-ta ub₄-ba bappir₂ hi-hi-a | from the šimlal plant in the ub |
| 17 | bappir₂ udun-mah-e du₈-a-zu | Your beer made in the great oven, |
| 18 | zar gu₂-nida-am₃ si sa₂-sa₂-am₃ | It is the zar of the gu-nida, it is arranged in a straight line. |
| 19 | {d}nin-ka-si bappir₂ udun-mah-e du₈-a-zu | Ninkasi, when you pour out beer in the great oven |
| 20 | zar gu₂-nida-am₃ si sa₂-sa₂-am₃ | It is the zar of the gu-nida, it is arranged in a straight line. |
| 21 | munu₄ sahar ŋar-ra a sig₉-ga-zu | Your malt and sand that you sprinkle with good water, |
| 22 | ur me-me nam gam-gam-ma-am₃ | Dog with a furious aura, |
| 23 | {d}nin-ka-si munu₄ sahar ŋar-ra a sig₉-ga-zu | Ninkasi, your munu-flour, dust from the sand is good water. |
| 24 | ur me-me nam gam-gam-ma-am₃ | Dog with a furious aura, |
| 25 | sumun₂ dug-a a ŋar-ra-zu | Your jugs of fresh water |
| 26 | i-zi zi-zi-dam i-zi ŋa₂-ŋa₂-dam | “It is rising, it is rising! |
| 27 | {d}nin-ka-si sumun₂ dug-a a ŋar-ra-zu | Ninkasi, when you pour water into a jug |
| 28 | i-zi zi-zi-dam i-zi ŋa₂-ŋa₂-dam | “It is rising, it is rising! |
| 29 | titab {gi}kid-mah-a barag₂-ga-zu | When you set up your dais on the reed mat of the great circle, |
| 30 | šag₄ sed₈ AN dib-ba-a | cool water flowing in the sky |
| 31 | {d}nin-ka-si titab {gi}kid-mah-a barag₂-ga-zu | Ninkasi, when you set up your dais in a great reed mat, |
| 32 | šag₄ sed₈ AN dib-ba-a | cool water flowing in the sky |
| 33 | {kaš}dida gal šu tab-ba ŋal₂-la-zu | Your great sweetened beer that has been poured out, |
| 34 | lal₃ ŋeštin teš₂-ba sur-ra-a | sweetened honey and wine together |
| 35 | {d}nin-ka-si {kaš}dida gal šu tab-ba ŋal₂-la-zu | Ninkasi, your great sweetened beer that has been poured out, |
| 36 | lal₃ ŋeštin teš₂-ba sur-ra-a | sweetened honey and wine together |
| 37 | GAR x | ... |
| 38 | {kaš}dida dug-še₃ mi-ni-in-X x | He poured sweetened beer into a vessel |
| 39 | {d}nin-ka-si GAR X x | Ninkasi |
| 40 | {kaš}dida dug-še₃ mi-ni-in-X X | He poured sweetened beer into a vessel |
| 41 | {dug}niŋ₂-dur₂-buru₃-e gu₃ nun di-dam | The libation vessel is to be sung loudly |
| 42 | lahtan mah-a mi-ni-in-si-sa₂-am₃ | he placed a great lahtan-vessel there. |
| 43 | {d}nin-ka-si {dug}niŋ₂-dur₂-buru₃-e gu₃ nun di-dam | Ninkasi, when she shouts with a loud voice, |
| 44 | lahtan mah-a mi-ni-in-si-sa₂-am₃ | he placed a great lahtan-vessel there. |
| 45 | kaš si-im {dug}lahtan-na de₂-a-zu | Your beer poured in a lahtana vessel |
| 46 | {id₂}idigna {id₂}buranun-na saŋ sig₁₀-ga-am₃ | The Tigris and Euphrates are in good condition. |
| 47 | {d}nin-ka-si kaš si-im {dug}lahtan-na de₂-a-zu | Ninkasi, when you pour out fine beer in the lahtana vessel |
| 48 | {id₂}idigna {id₂}buranun-na saŋ sig₁₀-ga-am₃ | The Tigris and Euphrates are in good condition. |
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.