Position in chronology
A balbale to Ningishzida (Ningishzida A)
Written in modern English
Ningishzida is hailed as a hero, lord of field and meadow, and lion of the distant mountains — the one who commands great serpents and dragons together. Born from Ninjirida's own body and nursed at her holy breast, he drank lion's spittle and was raised in the abzu. He stands as a high priest who handles the sacred ecda vessels, examines tablets, and upholds justice — though that line breaks off before it finishes. A king with towering limbs who guides speech rightly and despises wickedness, he is a force so mighty that no one dares stand in his way when he unleashes chaos.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLHero, lord of field and meadow, lion of the distant mountains! Ninjiczida, who brings together giant snakes and dragons! Great wild bull who, in the murderous battle, is a flood that ......! Beloved by his mother, he to whom Ninjirida gave birth from her luxurious body, who drank the good milk at her holy breast, who sucked in lion's spittle, who grew up in the abzu! August icib priest who holds the holy ecda vessels, checker of tablets, who secures justice ......! King, wild bull with tall limbs (?), who directs speech aright, and who hates wickedness! Mighty power, whom no one dare stop when he spreads confusion! Mighty Ninjiczida, whom no one dare stop when he spreads confusion!
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.4.19.1 in the ETCSL catalogue. Sumerian literary text reconstructed from multiple cuneiform manuscripts, the great majority Old Babylonian (c. 1900–1600 BCE). Translation reproduced from the ETCSL edition.
Attribution
Image: .
Translation excerpted from ETCSL c.4.19.1: A balbale to Ningishzida (Ningishzida A). Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E. & Zólyomi, G. (eds.), The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.4.19.1.
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