Position in chronology
An adab to Ninlil (Ninlil A)
Written in modern English
Ninlil holds every divine power in full and stands as an equal to Enlil, the Great Mountain, sharing with him the authority to set destinies. She inspires awe, gives wise counsel, and her word carries the force of a storm. Enlil loves her and has taken her in his arms; he watches over everything and, as lord Nunamnir, he cherishes her. She sits enthroned on a holy dais, where all the great lords and rulers have bowed before her, and she rides in regal comfort beneath a broad canopy — the goddess who delivers joy and prosperity to the world.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
ETCSLNinlil, comprehensively replete with numerous divine powers! Equal to the Great Mountain; deciding destinies with lord Nunamnir; suited to the Great Lion; pre-eminent over heaven and earth! Joyous princess (?), lady with the princely divine powers; conveying terror; wise with advice! Mother Ninlil, whose speech is a storm (?), you are a pleasure to Enlil's heart -- he has embraced you! Overseeing everything, lord Nunamnir loves (?) you. You occupy a holy dais, mother Ninlil; you provide the ...... of prosperity. All the great lords and sovereigns have paid homage to you. Riding in princely style under a broad shelter in coolness, mother Ninlil, you are the goddess who provides the divine powers of joy and prosperity.
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature — scholar edition (Oxford, Black/Cunningham/Robson/Zólyomi).
Scholarly note
Composition c.4.24.1 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.4.24.1: An adab to Ninlil (Ninlil 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.4.24.1.
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