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A hymn to Nisaba (Nisaba A) (Q000733)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | A hymn to Nisaba (Nisaba A) |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000733 |
| Language | Sumerian; Akkadian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Ur |
| Coordinates | 30.9607, 46.1063 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| nin mul-an-gin₇ gun₃-a dub za-gin₃ šu du₈ du₇ | Lady speckled like a rainbow, adorned with a lapis tablet | |
| Ver.1, | ||
| 2 | {d}nisaba immal₂ gal {d}uraš-e tud-da | Nisaba, the great wild bull Uraš, born |
| 3 | šeg₉-bar naŋa kug-ga ga zid gu₇-a | šegbar na-daŋa of gold, smeared with good milk |
| gi DI 7-e ka ba-a DIM | ... seven ... | |
| 5 | me gal 50-e šu du₇-a | Who perfects the great mes of the 50th |
| 6 | nin-ŋu₁₀ a₂-nun-ŋal₂ e₂-kur-ra | Ninbu, the herald of the Ekur, |
| 7 | ušumgal ezen-e dalla e₃-a | The ušumgal priestess of the festival, coming forth brightly |
| 8 | {d}a-ru-ru kalam-ma im-ta KA-KA dug₄ | Aruru of the land ... |
| ki im-si ud-da šag₄ kuš₂-u₃ da-ti X x ša-am-ša-X x ki-ŋar a sed-de₃ | (Sum) The place ... (Akk) In the place where ... is ..., in order to cool the water | |
| kur i₃-he-nun-ta mi₂ zid dug₄-ga he-nun-ta | From the mountain of Iḫenun, the true and sweet one, from He’unun. | |
| 11 | ŋeštug₂ ŋar kur gal-e tud-da | The štug garment, born in the great mountain |
| 12 | munus zid dub-sar mah an-na saŋ-tun₃ {d}en-lil₂-la₂ | the righteous woman, the supreme scribe of An, the sa-tun priest of Enlil |
| 13 | gal-zu igi-ŋal₂ diŋir-re-e-ne | Your greatness is the eye of the intertwined people |
| 14 | ab-sin₂-na še gu mu₂-mu₂-de₃ | In order to make the barley grow in the furrows |
| 15 | {d}ezina₂ nam-en-na u₆ di-de₃ | Ezina, to admire the lordship |
| 16 | barag gal 7-e mi₂ zid di-dam | The great dais is adorned with seven features. |
| 17 | gu zi-zi-dam še zi-zi-dam | to raise, to raise barley |
| buru₁₄ ezen gal {d}en-lil₂-la₂-ke₄ x-im x X-a mah | The harvest, the great festival of Enlil ... | |
| 19 | nam-nun gal-la-ni su nam-mi-in-su-ub | He made his great princeliness bow down. |
| tug₂-ba₁₃ kug šag₄-ge nam-mi-in-mur₁₀ nam-mi-in-la₂ | She washed herself with a holy cloth, she washes herself with it | |
| 21 | nidba nu-ŋal₂-la ŋa₂-ŋa₂-de₃ | The food that is not carried away is to be carried away. |
| 22 | ne-saŋ gal kurun₂-na de₂-e-de₃ | In order to make great nēsa offerings and kurun offerings |
| 23 | diŋir nam₂-nir-ra {d}en-lil₂ huŋ-e-de₃ | In order to pacify Enlil in the intercession rituals, |
| 24 | {d}ku₃-su₃ arhuš sud {d}ezina₂ huŋ-e-de₃ | Kusu, may Ezina pacify the heart |
| 25 | en gal mu-un-huŋ-e ezen mu-un-huŋ-e | The great lord rejoices, the festival rejoices |
| 26 | en gal kalam-ma im-ma-huŋ-e | The great lord of the land rejoiced |
| 27 | ki-sikil {d}nisaba šudu₃-de₃ mu-un-gub | The maiden Nisaba set up her sheepfold. |
| 28 | nidba sikil-la si nam-mi-in-sa₂ ni-in-da-ba el-la-am x | She placed a pure offering, she placed an elam offering. |
| 29 | e₂-GEŠTUG₂-{d}NISABA-ke₄ ŋal₂ nam-mi-in-taka₄ bi-it x | The E-GEŠ-TUG-NISABA was seized, the house |
| 30 | dub za-gin₃ dub₃-ba nam-mi-in-ŋar | One should not remove a lapis tablet. |
| 31 | dub mul-an kug-ta šag₄ im-ma-da-kuš₂-u₃ | The tablet of “The Stars of Heaven" was filled with tears. |
| 32 | aratta{ki} e₂-za-gin₃-na šu-ni-še₃ mu-un-ŋar i-na x bi-tim i-na qa₂-ti-ša i-x | In Aratta, in her hand the E-zagina he ... |
| 33 | ereš₂{ki} he-nun-na mu-un-du₃-u₃-nam e-re-eš i-na ṭu₃-uh-di-im i-pe-eš₁₅ | He built Ereš in abundance, he made the cedars flourish in the pastures. |
| 34 | šeg₁₂ naŋa di₄-di₄-la₂ ki ŋar-ra i-na li-bi-it-tim el-le-tim a-na aš-ri ta-ša-ak-ka-an | You place the small bricks in a pure place on the ground. |
| 35 | ŋeštug₂ nam-galam-ma saŋ-e-eš rig₇-ga uz-x X ru bu x | The garment of greatness, presented in a ... manner |
| 36 | abzu men gal eridug{ki} eš₃ hal-ha-la | The Abzu, the great crown of Eridug, the shrine of Halhala |
| 37 | nun x nun hal-ha-la | prince ... prince of Halhala |
| 38 | engar gal nam-nun-na e₂ ni₂ gur₃-ru nagar eridug{ki}-ga | the great farmer of princeliness, the house carrying fearsomeness, the carpenter of Eridug |
| 39 | lugal šu-luh-luh-ha-ke₄ en muš₃ en gal-la {d}en-ki-ke₄ | The king of šuluḫaḫa, the lord, the snake, the great en priestess Enki |
| 40 | e₂-engur-ra ki-tuš-a-ni a-gu-ur i-na wa-ša-bi-šu | In the E’engura, his dwelling place, he erected a temple. |
| 41 | abzu eridug{ki}-ga du₃-du₃-a-ni ap-sa₃-am e-ri-du i-na e-pe-ši-i-šu | When he built the Abzu of Eridug, the Apsam (and) Eridus, in his doing |
| 42 | hal-an-kug šag₄ kuš₂-u₃-da-ni i-na ha-al-la-an-ku i-na mi-it-lu-ki-šu | (Sum) The halankû-demon, his skin is swollen by a ḫallāku-disease (Akk) In the halakkug-denunciation, in the mīt-lukišu |
| 43 | e₂ {ŋiš}taškarin tun₃ bar-ra-ni bi-it ti-is-ka-ri-in-ni-im i-na šu-pe-el-ti-i-šu | The house of the taškarin-flour, his outer house, the house of Tiskarinnim, in his defiled state |
| 44 | abgal siki bar-ra du₈-a-ni ab-gal-lum ša pe-re-et-su₂ a-na wa-ar-ki-i-šu i-na wu-uš-šu-ri-im | (Sum) The abgal whose hair is cut off, the abgal-lû-demon whose limbs are turned back to their place (Akk) The apkallu of his hair is twisted back to its place |
| 45 | e₂ ŋeštug₂-ga-ke₄ ŋal₂ taka₄-a-ni bi-it uz-ni-im i-na pe-te-e-ša | (Sum) The house of the scepter(?) has been turned into a house of fearsomeness (Akk) The temple of the garment has turned into an empty wind |
| 46 | {ŋiš}ig ŋeštug₂-ga sila-ba gub-ba-ni da-la-at uz-ni-im x | The door of the scepter that stands in the street is a lament of uznim. |
| 47 | unu₂ gal {ŋiš}erin-a til₃-la-ni x-li-iš ra-bi-iš x X-li i-na | In the great dining hall of cedar, his life |
| 48 | šita {ŋiš}ŋišnimbar šu du₈-a-ni | His hand that shook the nimbar drum |
| 49 | šita-ba tug₂-ba₁₃ sag₃-sag₃-a-ni | His garment that screams with its horns |
| 50 | {d}nisaba um-me gal-gal-la X 7 mu-un-na-dug₄ | Nisaba, the great nursemaid, spoke to him seven times. |
| {d}nisaba munus zid munus sag₉-ga munus kur-ra tud-da x X ul-du-u₂ kur-re | For Nisaba, the righteous woman, the beautiful woman, born in the netherworld, the ... who goes up and down the mountains, | |
| 52 | {d}nisaba tur₃-ra i₃ he₂-me-en amaš-a gara₂ he₂-me-en {d}nisaba i-na ta-ar-ba-ṣi-im lu-u₂ ša-am-nu-um at-ti i-na su-pu-ri-im lu-u₂ li-iš-du-um at-ti | Nisaba, may you be oil in the cattlepen, may it be butter in the sheepfold. Nišaba, in the taharbāṣum, be it Šamnum or Supūrim, (or) Lishdûm |
| e₂ niŋ₂-gur₁₁-ra kišib-ŋal₂ he₂-me-en i-na bi-it ma-ku-ri-im ka-ni-ik-ta-šu at-ti kišib-la₂ | May you be a sealed document in the house of the granary, your sealed document. | |
| 54 | e₂-gal-la aŋrig zid he₂-me-en | May you be a faithful servant in the palace. |
| 55 | guru₇-du₆ guru₇-maš-a guru₇ gu₂ gur he₂-me-en ka-re-e ti-li ka-re-e ma-a-ši ka-re-e ki-ša-da-ti-šu-nu x-ba-ri | May you be a granary, a silo, and a bank of ... banks. |
| 56 | nun-e {d}nisaba-ra mi₂ dug₄-ga ru-bu-u₂ {d}x u₂-ki-in x | The ruler, Nisaba, a loving one, the prince, ... established. |
| 57 | a-a {d}en-ki za₃-mi₂-zu dug₃-ga-am₃ a-bu-um x X x | Father Enki, your praise is sweet, father ... |
| Ver.2, | ||
| 1 | nin mul-an gun₃-a | lady of the speckled stars of heaven, |
| 2 | dub za-gin₃ šu du₈ | A lapis tablet, hand lifted |
| 3 | {d}nisaba gal immalₓ(TUR₃) uraš-še₃ tud-da | The great Nisaba, the wild bull born in the land Ur |
| 4 | GI naŋa kug-ge ga zid gu₇-a | reeds adorned with gold and good quality milk, |
| 5 | gi ŠID 7-na ka ba-a | reed bundles of 7 ... |
| 6 | me gal 50 šu du₇-a | Great mes, 50 talents perfected |
| 7 | nin-ŋu₁₀ a₂-nun-ŋal₂ e₂-kur-ra | Ninbu, the herald of the Ekur, |
| 8 | a-ru₁₂-ru₁₂ kalam-ma | the Aruru of the Land |
| 9 | im-da KA-KA dug₄ | The clay ... |
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.