Lady, great healer of the black-headed people —
she keeps them alive; she brings them to birth.
Lady, imbued with great fearsomeness,
whose authority is perfect across heaven and earth!
Mother Bau, foremost among all ladies, warrior [...]!
Powerful goddess, who holds the august divine powers in perfect command,
proud one, of great mind!
[...], true woman, wise lady,
made knowledgeable from the womb!
Daughter of An, expert, eloquent,
who holds all things in her hand!
Lady, great healer of the black-headed people —
who keeps them alive, who brings them to birth.
Shu-halbi, incantation-priestess of the numerous people, [...].
Merciful one, far-reaching in compassion over the Land,
lady of justice!
Enlil, king of all the lands,
Nunamnir, lord who decrees all fates —
in the shrine of Nippur, Bond of Heaven and Earth,
proclaimed her greatness.
In the lapis Ekur he exalted her.
She is the strong net of Nunamnir;
the Anguba of the Ekur,
the one who pours the wine offering — this is hers.
She is Enlil's great daughter-in-law,
steward of his libations,
prostrate before him in humble supplication.
Nunamnir, prince of all the lands —
he placed the great accountancy of heaven and earth in her hands,
raised her up,
and gave her the rank of Lady of the Shrine that bears seeds.
Your father An, the great god,
clothed you in the ba-garment.
He gave you Ningirsu, hero of Enlil, as your husband;
the Eninnu, Irikug, shrine that bears seeds — he bestowed upon you.
In Lagash, Girsu, great foundation of the Land —
Egalga-sud, your beloved seat;
Tar-sirsir, house of queenship:
he established your great dais there.
Before your august seat, all the gods of Lagash bow down.
Lady who surpasses all peers, whose divine powers are unmatched,
daughter of An, great lady who knows all things —
for the handsome prince Ishme-Dagan, son of Enlil,
the pure Mother Bau looked upon him with true eyes
and decreed him a good fate to live through all his days.
Sa-gida.
Mother Bau shall grant prince Ishme-Dagan, son of Enlil,
a life of many days.
[Gishgigal of the sa-gida.]
Into E-namtila, toward the temple of Enlil —
she placed a white lamb of auspicious utterance before him.
She led prince Ishme-Dagan in.
She stationed him at the royal offering-place for life.
She opened her mouth to Enlil the great mountain,
saying: "Father Mullil, great lord of all the lands —
decree a fate for Ishme-Dagan, call him by name!"
Enlil, king of all the lands,
looked upon him with his bright life-giving brow
and decreed Ishme-Dagan's fate:
"Throne that gathers the divine powers!
True crown of enduring days!
Scepter that makes the people firm!
May Ishme-Dagan be established in his fate!
May the Tigris and Euphrates bring him abundance and fish!
May the grasses sprout on their banks, and rejoicing rise!
May honey and wine flourish in the orchards!
May speckled grain grow on the fertile fields;
may the granaries overflow!
May cattle-pens multiply; may sheepfolds spread wide!
May his name be exalted in kingship;
may his head be raised to heaven as prince!
May south and north, to the ends of all the lands,
bring tribute to him!
May the prince emerge from the great courtyard radiant as the sun!
May his offerings never cease in the lapis Ekur!"
Enlil decreed this fate.
He gave the king great strength from the Ekur.
By the word of Enlil he stands trusted, without rival.
Striding forward with lifted step,
he entered the great palace, seat of kingship,
and sat upon the holy lapis dais.
Sa-gara.
True woman, daughter of An — Enlil called to her:
"[Place him] upon the holy lapis dais!"
Pure mother Bau, daughter of An:
bestow upon Ishme-Dagan, son of Enlil, a life of many days as your crown-gift!
Its uru.
An adab of Bau.
Colophon
Translated from Sumerian (ETCSL c.2.5.4.02) by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. ETCSL English translation (t.2.5.4.02) consulted as reference for difficult and damaged lines; all English independently derived from the Sumerian transliteration. Lines 2–3 and 7 partially damaged in source; sense reconstructed from context. Scribal credit: liberation-translator, 2026-03-21.
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Source Text
Sumerian Transliteration (ETCSL c.2.5.4.02)
- nin ni2 guru3 mah zu an ki nam-nir-ra shu du7
- ama dba-u2 gu2-gal nin-e-[ne] ur-saj X X
- dijir er9 me mah-a shu du7 /saj\ il2 umush? gal LU?
- su4-un-su4-na munus zid nin gal-an-/zu\ shag4-ta umun2 ak
- dumu an-na mas-su2 inim pad3-de3 nij2-nam shu-ni si
- nin a-zu gal saj gig2-ga lu2 til3-le lu2 u3-tud
- shu-hal-bi shim-mu2 uj3 lu-a X X X X X
- shag4-la2 tuku arhush2 sud kalam-ma nin nij2-gen6?-[na]
- den-lil2 lugal kur-kur-ra-[ke4]
- dnu-nam-nir en nam tar-re-[de3]
- esh3 nibruki dur-an-ki-a-ka gal-bi bi2-in-[dug4]
- e2-kur za-gin3-na mi-ni-im-mah-en IGI RA X
- sa-par3 kalag-ga dnu-nam-nir-ra-[me-en]
- an-gub-ba e2-kur-ra-ka shukur2 shum2-mu jeshtin za-a-[kam]
- den-lil2-la2 e2-gi4-a mah-a-ni-me-en a gub-ba-ni-[me]-/en\
- su4?-na shita-ba ki la2-a-zu-ush
- dnu-nam-nir nun kur-kur-ra-ke4
- nam-saj-tun3 mah an ki shu-zu im-mi-in-kur9
- mu-un-il2-en nam-nin esh3 numun i za-ra mu-ra-an-shum2
- a-a ugu-zu an dijir mah-e tug2 tug2-ba13 tug2 mi-ri-in-mu
- ur-saj den-lil2-la2 dnin-jir2-/su\ /nitalam-she3 ma-ra-an-shum2
- e2-ninnu iri-kug esh3 numun i saj-/e-esh\ mu-ri-rig7
- lagaški jir2-suki /dim\ gal kalam-ma-ka
- e2-jalga-sud ki-tush ki aj2-za
- tar-sir2-sir2 e2 nam-nin-a-ka barag mah-zu mi-ni-ri
- ki-tush mah-zu-she3 dijir ki lagaški-a im-shi-gam-e-de3-esh
- nin zag dib me-ni shu nu-tej3-ja2
- dumu an-na nin gal nij2-nam zu
- shul me-dim2 sag9 nun dish-me-dda-gan dumu den-lil2-la2-ke4
- ki-sikil ama dba-u2 igi zid mu-shi-bar nam dug3 mu-ni-tar ud til3-la e3-a-she3
- sa-gid2-da-am3
- ama dba-u2 nun dish-me-dda-gan dumu den-lil2-la2-ra nam-til3 ud su3-ra2 shum2-mu-dam
- jish-gi4-jal2 sa-gid2-da-[bi-im]
- e2?-nam-til3-la e2 den-lil2-la2-she3
- sila4 babbar udu inim-jar sag9-ga gaba-na im-mi-tab
- nun dish-me-dda-gan za-e im-me-ni-kur9
- KI.LUGAL.GUB nam-til3-la-da im-da-e-gub
- kur gal den-lil2-ra KA ki mu-ne-jal2
- a-a dmu-ul-lil2 u3-mu-un gal kur-kur-ra
- dish-me-dda-gan-na na-aj2 de3-eb2-tar mu-ni de3-eb2-pad3 e-ne-er mu-ne-dug4
- den-lil2 lugal kur-kur-ra-ke4 igi nam-til3-la saj-ki zalag-ga-ni mu-un-shi-in-bar
- dish-me-dda-gan-na nam mu-ni-ib2-tar-re
- jishgu-za me ur4-ur4 aga zid ud su3-ra2-a jidru uj3 gen6-ne2 us2 1(ASH)-a lah4!-lah4!-e
- nun dish-me-dda-gan nam-e-esh he2-tar
- id2idigna id2buranuna-e he2-jal2 a-eshtubku6 hu-mu-ra-ab-tum3
- gu2-gu2-bi u2-shim hu-mu-ra-an-mu2 asila ha-ra-ab-la2
- pu2-jiškiri6-ba lal3-e jeshtin-e ki hu-mu-ra-ni-ib2-us2
- a-gar3 zid-bi she gu-nu ha-ra-ab-mu2 guru7-bi ha-ra-dub-dub
- tur3 ha-ra-du3-du3 amash ha-ra-dajal-dajal
- nam-lugal-la mu hu-mu-ni-mah
- nam-nun-na saj an-she3 he2-ni-il2
- sig igi-nim kur-zag til-la-bi gu2-un ha-mu-ra-ab-il2
- kisal mah nun ud-gin7 dalla he2-ni-in-e3
- nidba-zu e2-kur za-gin3-na mush nam-ba-an-tum3-mu
- den-lil2-le nam-she3 mu-ni-in-tar
- lugal-la e2-kur-ta a2 mah mu-na-shum2
- nir mu-un-jal2 inim den-lil2-la2-ta gaba-shu-jar nu-mu-un-tuku
- jiri3 il2-il2-la im-gub-gub-be2
- e2-gal mah ki-tush nam-lugal-la-ka im-ma-da-an-ku4-/ku4\
- barag kug za-gin3-na dur2 bi2-in-jar e2-gal mu-un-[...]
- sa-jar-[ra-am3]
- munus zid dumu an-na den-lil2 gu3 ma-[ra-de6] barag kug za-[gin3 ...-ab-be2]
- ki-sikil ama dba-u2 dumu an-na den-lil2 [gu3] ma-ra-de6 barag kug [za-gin3 ...]-ab-be2
- dish-me-dda-gan dumu den-[lil2-la2]-ra nam-til3 ud su3-ra2 saj-e-[esh] rig7-a-ni-ib
- u19-ru12-bi-im
- [a-da]-ab dba-u2-kam
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL c.2.5.4.02), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Accessed 2026-03-21.
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