Position in chronology
A hymn to Nininsina for Ishbi-Erra (Ishbi-Erra D)
Written in modern English
The great gods raised Nininsina up and made her perfect — though the first lines are too damaged to read clearly. Her garment is exalted, and Enlil has blessed it in some way the text cannot supply. She was raised on the knees of An himself, and she goes out against all foreign lands, terrible and mighty despite her grace, lifting her head in the full height of her divinity. Her father established her as lady over the Land, and all stand in awe before her. Holy Nininsina — also called Gula — is called upon, in the Egal-mah temple founded by An, to bring joy to Ishbi-Erra, the one she holds dear.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLThe great gods elevated ......, and made ...... perfect. 2 lines unclear Your garment is an exalted garment; Enlil has ....... You were brought up sitting on the knees of An the king, and the great gods elevated ....... Woman whose name inspires awe, Gula, ....... You go against all the foreign lands, lady who, for all her pleasantness, fearsomely and mightily ......, who lifts her head in great and elevated divinity. Nininsina, your father established you in ladyship over the Land. In awe at you, never altering the fearsomeness ......, holy Nininsina, lady Gula, Nininsina, in the Egal-mah, founded by An -- bring joy to Icbi-Erra, the beloved of your heart.
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.2.5.1.4 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.2.5.1.4: A hymn to Nininsina for Ishbi-Erra (Ishbi-Erra D). 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.2.5.1.4.
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