CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite (P478928)

Literary artifact dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period

Museum Collection(s)

-

Museum Number

-

Period

Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience

-

Artifact Type

-

Material(s)

-

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Literary (ETCSL 4.23.01 Ninkasi A (composite))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Composite

Text

object composite text
surface a
1. a zal-le u3-tu-da x x x x
 en: By the flowing water given birth ...,
2. {d}nin-hur-sag-ga2-ke4 mi2 zi-de3-esz du11-ga
 en: by Ninḫursaĝa tenderly cared for!
3. {d}nin-ka-si a zal-le u3-tu-da x [...]
 en: Ninkasi, by the flowing water given birth
4. {d}nin-hur-sag-ga2-ke4 mi2 zi-de3-esz du11-ga
 en: by Ninḫursaĝa tenderly cared for!
5. iri-zu lal3-har-re ki us2-sa
 en: Having founded your town upon wax,
6. bad3 gal-bi szu mu-ra-an-du7-du7
 en: she completed its great walls for you.
7. {d}nin-ka-si iri-zu lal3-har-re ki us2-sa
 en: Ninkasi, having founded your town upon wax,
8. bad3 gal-bi szu mu-ra-an-du7-du7
 en: she completed its great walls for you.
9. a-a-zu {d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e
 en: Your father is Enki, Lord Nudimmud,
10. ama-zu {d}nin-ti nin abzu-a
 en: and your mother is Ninti, the queen of the abzu.
11. {d}nin-ka-si a-a-zu {d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e
 en: Ninkasi, your father is Enki, Lord Nudimmud,
12. ama-zu {d}nin-ti nin abzu-a
 en: and your mother is Ninti, the queen of the abzu.
13. si nig2-silag {gesz}mar mah-a du8-a-zu
 en: It is you who handle the ... and dough with a big shovel, mixing,
14. szim-lal3-ta ub4-ba bappir2 hi-hi-a
 en: in a pit, the beerbread with sweet aromatics.
15. {d}nin-ka-si si nig2-silag {gesz}mar mah-a du8-a-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who handle the ... and dough with a big shovel, mixing,
16. szim-lal3-ta ub4-ba bappir2 hi-hi-a
 en: in a pit, the beerbread with sweet aromatics.
17. bappir2 udun-mah-e du8-a-zu
 en: It is you who bake the beerbread in the big oven,
18. zar gu2-nida-am3 si sa2-sa2-am3
 en: and put in order the piles of hulled grain.
19. {d}nin-ka-si bappir2 udun-mah-e du8-a-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who bake the beerbread in the big oven,
20. zar gu2-nida-am3 si sa2-sa2-am3
 en: and put in order the piles of hulled grain.
21. munu4 sahar gar-ra a si-ga-zu
 en: It is you who water the earth-covered malt;
22. ur me-me nam gam-gam-ma-am3
 en: the noble dogs guard it even from the potentates (?).
23. {d}nin-ka-si munu4 sahar gar-ra a si-ga-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who water the earth-covered malt;
24. ur me-me nam gam-gam-ma-am3
 en: the noble dogs guard it even from the potentates (?).
25. sumun2 dug-a a gar-ra-zu
 en: It is you who soak the malt in a jar;
26. i-zi zi-zi-dam i-zi ga2-ga2-dam
 en: the waves rise, the waves fall.
27. {d}nin-ka-si sumun2 dug-a a gar-ra-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who soak the malt in a jar;
28. i-zi zi-zi-dam i-zi ga2-ga2-dam
 en: the waves rise, the waves fall.
29. titab {gi}kid-mah-a bara2-ga-zu
 en: It is you who spread the cooked mash on large reed mats;
30. sza3 sed8 AN dib-ba-a
 en: coolness overcomes ...
31. {d}nin-ka-si titab {gi}kid-mah-a bara2-ga-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who spread the cooked mash on large reed mats;
32. sza3 sed8 AN dib-ba-a
 en: coolness overcomes ...
33. kasz dida gal szu tab-ba gal2-la-zu
 en: It is you who hold with both hands the great sweetwort,
34. lal3 gesztin tesz2-ba sur-ra-a
 en: brewing it with honey and wine.
35. {d}nin-ka-si kasz dida gal szu tab-ba gal2-la-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who hold with both hands the great sweetwort,
36. lal3 gesztin tesz2-ba sur-ra-a
 en: brewing it with honey and wine.
37. NIG2 [...]
 en: ...
38. kasz dida dug-sze3 mi-ni-in-x x
 en: You ...... the sweetwort to the vessel.
39. {d}nin-ka-si NIG2 x [...]
 en: Ninkasi, ...
40. kasz dida dug-sze3 mi-ni-in-x x
 en: You ... the sweetwort to the vessel.
41. dug nig2-dur2-buru3-e gu3 nun di-dam
 en: You place the fermenting vat, which makes a pleasant sound,
42. lahtan mah-a mi-ni-in-si-sa2-am3
 en: appropriately on top of a large collector vat.
43. {d}nin-ka-si dug nig2-dur2-buru3-e gu3 nun di-dam
 en: Ninkasi, you place the fermenting vat, which makes a pleasant sound,
44. lahtan mah-a mi-ni-in-si-sa2-am3
 en: appropriately on top of a large collector vat.
45. kasz si-im duglahtan-na de2-a-zu
 en: It is you who pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat;
46. {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na sag se3-ga-am3
 en: it is like the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates.
47. {d}nin-ka-si kasz si-im dugl ahtan-na de2-a-zu
 en: Ninkasi, it is you who pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat;
48. {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-na sag se3-ga-am3
 en: it is like the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Text content

Genre(s) Literary (ETCSL 4.23.01 Ninkasi A (composite))
Composite Number Q000714
Language(s) Sumerian

Chronology

Period Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Accounting Period

Witnesses

This artifact is a composite text. View the score of CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite. See below for a list of its witness(es):

Witness Period Provenience
CDLI Literary 000636, ex. 003 & 000714, ex. 002 & 000781, ex. 002 (P345364) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) uncertain (mod. uncertain)
CDLI Literary 000714, ex. 001 & 000781, ex. 004 (P342964) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) uncertain (mod. uncertain)

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P478928

Physical information

composite text

Artifact type
composite text
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s)
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s)
Museum Number
Accession Number

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature transliterations (ETCSL transliterations) 4.23.1
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature translations (ETCSL translations) 4.23.1
electronic Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary, Literary Corpus (ePSD2, Literary) Q000714

References

  • history: ETCSL, 4.23.1

    [BlackETCSL] Black, Jeremy Allen. 1998-2006. “Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature.” https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk. 1998-2006.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2026-07-15 at 20:56:08 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Artifact metadata Pagé-Perron, Émilie Towards Universal Access to Cuneiform Heritage Pagé-Perron, Émilie Approved View
2026-07-15 at 19:38:00 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Artifact metadata Pagé-Perron, Émilie Towards Universal Access to Cuneiform Heritage Pagé-Perron, Émilie Approved View
2024-06-07 at 13:32:34 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2024-06-07 at 13:24:18 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2017-08-24 at 18:00:30 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Transliteration Pagé-Perron, Émilie CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2016-05-12 at 14:28:53 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2015-02-07 at 00:00:00 CDLI, CDLI Artifact metadata Foxvog, Daniel A.; Wagensonner, Klaus CDLI, CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) Composite Artifact Entry.” (2015) 2026. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). July 15, 2026. https://cdli.earth/P478928.
CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite artifact entry (No. P478928). (2026, July 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P478928 (Original work published 2015)
CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite artifact entry (2026) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P478928 (Accessed: October 5, 2026).
@misc{2026CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-05]},
	year = {2026},
	month = {jul 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000714 ({Ninkasi} {A}) composite artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P478928},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P478928},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2026/7/15/
PY  - 2026
ID  - P478928
LB  - CDLI:P478928
M1  - 2026/10/5/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P478928
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) Composite Artifact Entry.” (2015) 2026. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). July 15, 2026. https://cdli.earth/P478928.
CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite artifact entry (No. P478928). (2026, July 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P478928 (Original work published 2015)
CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite artifact entry (2026) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P478928 (Accessed: October 5, 2026).
@misc{2026CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-05]},
	year = {2026},
	month = {jul 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000714 ({Ninkasi} {A}) composite artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P478928},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P478928},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2026/7/15/
PY  - 2026
ID  - P478928
LB  - CDLI:P478928
M1  - 2026/10/5/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000714 (Ninkasi A) composite artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P478928
ER  -
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