A Balbale to Inana (?) and Nanaya (Inana H)

ETCSL – The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature

(Texts: All Artifacts, Color Coding, & Writings in Bold Type With Italics Inside Parenthesis, are Added by Editor R. Brown, not the Authors, Translators, or Publishers!)

(gods in blue)

Version A

 (Anunnaki alien King Anu – Sky Father in his winged sky-disc)

1-6. Worthy of An (Anu), ……, …… unsurpassed in ladyship,

a throne …… a man in the house, a throne …… a woman in the shrine,

a gold ornament …… on the dress, a …… pin …… the niĝlam garment.

            (mixed-breed king brings ill daughter before goddess Nanaya)

7-15A. “Let me …… on your …… — Nanaya, its …… is good.

Let me (?) …… on your breast — Nanaya, its …… flour is sweet.

Let me put …… on your navel — Nanaya, …….

Come with me, my lady, come with me, come with me from the entrance to the shrine.

May …… for you. {(ms. c adds 1 line:) Come my beloved sister, let my heart rejoice.}”

16-20. “Your hand is womanly, your foot is womanly.

Your conversing with a man is womanly.

Your looking at a man is womanly. {(ms. c adds 4 lines:)

Your …… a hand towards a man is womanly.

Your …… a foot is womanly.

Your …… forearm makes my heart rejoice.

Your …… a foot brings me pleasure.}

As you rest against the wall, your patient heart pleases.

As you bend over, your hips are particularly pleasing.”

20A-29. ” {(mss. a and c add 2 lines:)

My resting against the wall is one lamb.

My bending over is one and a half giĝ.}

Do not dig a canal, let me be your canal.

Do not plow a field, let me be your field.

Farmer, do not search for a wet place, my precious sweet, let this be your wet place.

……, let this be your furrow. ……, let this be your desire!

Caring for ……, I come ……. I come …… with bread and wine.”

30-32. “You come to me with bread and wine.

Come, my beloved sister, let me …… this heart.

Nanaya, let me kiss you.”

            (Marduk, Inanna, Nabu, & Nanaya)

33. A balbale of {Nanaya} {(ms. a has instead:) Inana}.

Version B

Segment A

unknown no. of lines missing

1-9. “…… on your navel.

My sweet illustrious sister, …….

On your back …….

My illustrious sister, …… hand.

In your vagina …… the gardens.

2 - Nanaya being presented to the daughter of the king (Mesopotamian king brings his ailing daughter before Nanaya pleading for help)

Nanaya, …….

In your anus …… the fields.

My illustrious sister, …… the acres.

Come to me, my sister, …….”

unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1-7.

1 line fragmentary

“Come, my beloved sister, …….”

4 lines fragmentary

“Sister, …….

unknown no. of lines missing