Daughter to Anu & Urash, Ninlil’s Mother
In Some Texts Enlil’s Daughter,
Goddess of Scribes, and Goddess of Grains
(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 …mixed-breed demigods in teal…)
E-ngeshtug-Nisaba (House of the Wisdom of Nisaba) in Ur
E-zagin (Lapis Lazuli House), temple to Nisaba in Uruk
As Nisaba:
“Nisaba (Enlil’s mother-in-law), great wild cow born by Uraš (Antu), …
“Nisaba, at the gate of the E-zagin, …… she stood, the object of admiration, like a tall, beautifully shaped cow….”
“The lady with broad (dajal) intelligence, Nisaba,
ordered the measuring of the E-ana for a construction project (altar),
and then designed her own E-hamun (in Uruk) for construction (altar)…”
“Nisaba, lady Nanibgal, the matriarch, the mother-in-law of Enlil,
the lady …… who creates (?) life ……, the book-keeper ……, the wise one, the holy woman ……,
…… the oracle, has placed his (?) name on the tablet of life…”
“Haia, I will declare your greatness perpetually!
Who among the gods is fitted like you for the holy divine powers?
Your beloved spouse is the maiden Nisaba, the great queen of queens.
Ninlil (Enlil’s spouse), who was born of her holy womb,…”
(Enlil speaking:)
“May my beautiful wife, who was born by holy Nisaba,…”
“Nisaba, the woman radiant with joy, the true woman, the scribe,
the lady who knows everything, guides your fingers on the clay:
she makes them put beautiful wedges on the tablets and adorns them with a golden stylus.
Nisaba generously bestowed upon you the measuring rod,
the surveyor’s gleaming line, the yardstick, and the tablets which confer wisdom…”
“He called for Nuska. ‘What is your wish?’
He gave the following instructions to him:
‘I want you to go back to Erec (Uruk), the city of Nisaba,’ …”
“Enlil spoke the praises of Keš.
Nisaba was its decision-maker (?); with its words she wove it intricately like a net.
Written on tablets it was held in her hands:
House, platform of the Land, important fierce bull!
House Keš, platform of the Land, important fierce bull!…
Growing as high as the hills, embracing the heavens,…”
“Is not Nisaba the Hoe’s inspector? Is not Nisaba its overseer?
The scribe will register your work,…
The Hoe having engaged in a dispute with the Plow, the Hoe triumphed over the Plow —
praise be to Nisaba!”
“and the maiden Nisaba was made responsible for keeping records of the decisions…”
“Nance (Enki’s & Ninhursag’s daughter) also inspects the servants during the appointments.
Her chief scribe Nisaba places the precious tablets on her knees and takes a golden stylus in her hand.
She arranges the servants in single file for Nance …”
“My butter will be eaten by Nisaba (Ninlil’s mother), my milk will be drunk by Nisaba
My cheese, skillfully produced bright crown, was made fitting for the great dining hall, the dining hall of Nisaba.
Until my butter is delivered from the holy animal pen, until my milk is delivered from the holy byre,
the steadfast wild cow Nisaba, the first-born of Enlil (Ninurta), will not impose any levy on the people.”
“Praise be to the lady who completed the great tablets, the maiden Nisaba,
that Curuppag (Noah), the son of Ubara-Tutu gave his instructions!…”
“as if he himself (Gudea) were Nisaba knowing the inmost secrets (?) of numbers,
he started setting down (?) the ground plan of the house…”
Nisaba As Nidaba:
“That sister of mine, the holy Nidaba,
Has taken for herself the measuring rod,
Has fastened the lapis lazuli line (?) on her arm,
Proclaims all the great me’s,
Fixes the borders, marks off the boundaries – has become the scribe of the Land,
In her hands you have placed the food of the gods…”
“My noble sister, the holy Nidaba, got the measuring rod, and tied about her arm the lapis measuring line,
proclaims all the great me, fixes the borders, marks off the boundaries, is now the scribe of the land.
Feeding the gods has been put in her hand…”
Nisaba As Nanibgal:
“O house of stars, bright E-zagin (Lapis lazuli house), reaching into all lands, establishing …… in the shrine, Ereš!
The primeval lords raise their heads to you every month.
…… the potash plant, great Nanibgal, Nisaba, has brought divine powers from heaven and added to your divine powers…
house of Nisaba in Ereš (Uruk)…”
“May fair Nanibgal, Nisaba, make no clay covering for his grain piles…”
“Nanibgal, the mother-in-law of Enlil, the woman who had been slandered, was treated kindly by Nuska…”
“beautiful Nanibgal, grown with a fair luxuriance,
Nisaba, the lady of broad wisdom, opened for him her holy house of wisdom…”
“Then Nanibgal went on speaking flatteringly to the minister:…”
“May fair Nanibgal, Nisaba, make no clay covering for his grain piles…”
(Shulgi speaking:) “There where people regularly went for tutelage in the scribal art,
I qualified fully in subtraction, addition, reckoning and accounting.
The fair Nanibgal, Nisaba, provided me amply with knowledge and comprehension.
I am an experienced scribe who does not neglect a thing…”
(Enlil-bani speaking:) “Nisaba, lady Nanibgal, the matriarch, the mother-in-law of Enlil,
the lady …… who creates (?) life ……, the book-keeper ……, the wise one, the holy woman ……,
…… the oracle, has placed his (?) name on the tablet of life.
She revealed counsel and response to you, granted vision to you.
As your destiny she gave E-zagina, her house of wisdom, to provide counsel…”
(Enmerkar speaking:) “Thereupon, the tablet ……, the pointed stylus of the assembly,
the golden statue fashioned on a propitious day, beautiful Nanibgal, grown with a fair luxuriance,
Nisaba (Enlil’s mother-in-law), the lady of broad wisdom, opened for him her holy house of wisdom.
He entered the palace of heaven, and became attentive…”
“Nuska, the head of the assembly, had received Enlil’s instructions, he wasted no time ……; he directed his steps to Erec.
He entered E-zagin, the residence of Nanibgal and prostrated himself before Nanibgal on her dais.
…… of Enlil ……,”
Nisaba As Numbarshegunu:
“I am called Ninlil, a Maiden of the Holy House of An, daughter of Haia,
God of the Stores and of the Barley Goddess Numbarshegunu…”
“Haia, linen-clad priest of E-unir, who stocks the holy animal-fattening pens;
learned scholar of the shrine E-kic-nujal, whose august name is great, whose mind is discerning;
who dwells in the great dining-hall alongside the maiden Ningal (Nannar’s spouse)!
Fair of features, beloved spouse of Nun-bar-ce-gunu
and augustly renowned father-in-law of father Enlil the Great Mountain;
junior administrator, possessor of wisdom, acknowledged in heaven and earth,
who receives the tribute for the gods,…”
“Just Enlil was its young man just Ninlil was its young maiden just Ninbarshegunu, was its matron…”
“In those days did the mother who gave her birth advise the girl, Ninbarshegunu advised Ninlil:…”
“’I knew this day would come!’ Numbarshegunu exclaimed overjoyed, hugging Ninlil affectionately.
“May you be proud of your womanhood,’…”
“’Mother, if Enlil is such a great lord, how will he notice me?’
‘Who wouldn’t notice you, dearest?’ countered Numbarshegunu softly.
She gave to Ninlil the exquisite mirror which rested on her bedside table.
‘Look at yourself in the mirror, Ninlil, what do you see?…
You are my daughter! What else did you expect me to say?
So on your way, young lady’, …”
“My name is Ninlil, a newcomer to your domains.
I am the daughter of Haia, Lord of the Stores and Numbarshegunu, the Goddess of Barley…”
“It is destroyed. …… of Nisaba is destroyed.
The house of Nisaba, her of the tablets, is destroyed.
The house of …… is destroyed.
The house of Nunbarcegunu is destroyed …”
“Nun-bar-ce-gunu faithfully gave birth to ……,
she brought her up in her …… and suckled her at her breasts full of good milk.
The …… of the young girl burgeoned, and she became full of flourishing beauty.
In the …… of Nisaba, at the gate of the E-zagin, …… she stood,…”
Nisaba As Ezina-Kusu:
“…Nisaba…amid her awe-inspiring splendor, still she weeps.
Amid her awe-inspiring splendor, still Mother Ezina-Kusu weeps.
Fate and fortune!
Amid her awe-inspiring splendor, still she weeps.
A cir-namcub of Nisaba…”
“may Ezina-Kusu (the goddess of grain) be your aid.
May you have an eloquent protective goddess…”