A balbale to Ninazu (Ninazu A): translation

^1-6O king, you are the ...... shepherd of the city which thrives like cattle! Ninazu, you are the ...... shepherd of the city which thrives like cattle! My lord Ninazu, you are the ...... shepherd of the city which thrives like cattle! You are the reed-worker of the ......, ...... like a shining mat! You are the herdsman of them that dwell like sheep in a sheepfold, you who exude the allure of the high hills, lord Ninazu!

^7-15Lord Ninazu, may Nanna rejoice over you, because an emplacement for you has been created there. Powerful and of great intelligence, you were engendered by Nanna. May Acimbabbar make the shining branches of your sceptre radiant in your grasp. He has strengthened the foundations of the throne which An gave you. May he make the way straight for you as far as the ends of heaven and earth, may he make it as straight for you as the sunlight. My lord Ninazu, may he make it as straight for you as the sunlight, may he make it as straight for you as the sunlight. Suen has perfected your lordly staff, the lofty sceptre which shines over all the foreign countries, and guides the people. Your protective goddess has ...... great power for you in E-kic-nujal.

^16-22Ninazu, born in Urim, may Nanna rejoice over you. Lord Ninazu, born in Urim, may Nanna rejoice over you. The father who engendered you, the Great Mountain Enlil, has made your name glorious. Your own mother, the august lady, has decided your destiny in the Ki-ur. May you take your seat in your house, in your city -- the mountain, the pure place! May you take your seat in Enegir, in your city -- the mountain, the pure place! My lord Ninazu, may you take your seat there, may you take your seat there!

^23-31He has fixed the golden headdress on your head, making you truly perfect with it. He has ...... the lordly son of his own father, the beloved of his heart. He has looked with best favour on ....... An has determined a good destiny for you. Son of Enlil king of the lands, may your splendour shine forth! My lord Ninazu, may your splendour shine forth, may your splendour shine forth! May your wife, the maiden, the good woman Ningirida, say to you: "Your house, your city!" as she steps before you in prayer, god of the Land, my lord Ninazu!

³²A balbale to Ninazu.

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Revision history

29.vii.1999-12.viii.1999 : JAB : adapting translation
02.xii.1999 : GZ : proofreading
03.xii.1999 : GC : tagging
25.ii.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
25.ii.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed