A praise hymn of Nisaba
Nisaba, lady of the good bread who feeds the whole world, lady of the grain that sprouts along the banks of the two great rivers, lady of the emerald tablets who determines the destinies of the nations,
May your holy name be ever praised, may your bountiful gifts never cease, may your generosity and your graciousness be known amongst all the Land,
May the grain never cease to grow, may the storehouses ever be piled up with the plentiful harvest, may the people of the Earth be blessed with abundance,
May there be an end to hunger, may there be an end to scarcity, may there be an end to greed,
In your holy name, Lady of Wisdom, may all these things be done!
Holy Nisaba, it is my honour to recount of your deeds, it is my pleasure to recite your abundant divine powers;
Because you cause the wheat and the barley to grow, may there be remembrance of a time when wheat and barley were not plentiful upon the Land, may your people ever be glad of your blessings, may the wheat and the barley be abundant over all the Earth,
Without you, O Nisaba, no grain may grow, no beer libations may be poured out, no bread offerings may be made, no storehouses may be filled, no wheat or barley may be distributed amongst the people.
Because you, in your infinite grace, opened up your storehouses of wisdom to the people, may your people ever be pleased to learn of your benevolence, may you be pleased to consult the tablet of destinies and decree pleasant fates for the Universe, may your noble temples and shrines ever be built on the foundation stone of your wisdom,
Without you, O Nisaba, the destinies of the peoples are not determined, the destinies of the nations are not determined, the great storehouses of wisdom lie barren and sealed to the people.
Because you, knowing the most select rites of the Universe, founded the great priestly office, may your celebrations ever endure, may your high priests sing joyful songs in your name, may your appointed festivals ever be a source of jubilation and worship amongst your chosen,
Without you, O Nisaba, the great priestly offices are not maintained, the festivals of heaven are not kept, the jubilation and worship of the people is torn out.
Because you, in the reckoning of your grain, established writing upon the Earth, may the scribes ever delight in the written word, may the schools of knowledge plant their firm foundations on the Earth, may the knowledge of the tongues of Sumer and Akkad flourish and multiply in all the lands,
Without you, O Nisaba, no large or small tablets are formed from clay, no styli are held by the scribes, the knowledge of the tongues of Sumer and Akkad remains sealed beneath the desert.
Therefore, Daughter of An, lady of the silver stylus, lady of the tablet of the Universe speckled with a myriad stars,
Lady of the good grain, Holy Nisaba, be praised!
𒀭𒊺𒉀 𒊩𒌆𒊺𒄭𒂵 𒍠𒊩
May your holy name be ever praised, may your bountiful gifts never cease, may your generosity and your graciousness be known amongst all the Land,
May the grain never cease to grow, may the storehouses ever be piled up with the plentiful harvest, may the people of the Earth be blessed with abundance,
May there be an end to hunger, may there be an end to scarcity, may there be an end to greed,
In your holy name, Lady of Wisdom, may all these things be done!
Holy Nisaba, it is my honour to recount of your deeds, it is my pleasure to recite your abundant divine powers;
Because you cause the wheat and the barley to grow, may there be remembrance of a time when wheat and barley were not plentiful upon the Land, may your people ever be glad of your blessings, may the wheat and the barley be abundant over all the Earth,
Without you, O Nisaba, no grain may grow, no beer libations may be poured out, no bread offerings may be made, no storehouses may be filled, no wheat or barley may be distributed amongst the people.
Because you, in your infinite grace, opened up your storehouses of wisdom to the people, may your people ever be pleased to learn of your benevolence, may you be pleased to consult the tablet of destinies and decree pleasant fates for the Universe, may your noble temples and shrines ever be built on the foundation stone of your wisdom,
Without you, O Nisaba, the destinies of the peoples are not determined, the destinies of the nations are not determined, the great storehouses of wisdom lie barren and sealed to the people.
Because you, knowing the most select rites of the Universe, founded the great priestly office, may your celebrations ever endure, may your high priests sing joyful songs in your name, may your appointed festivals ever be a source of jubilation and worship amongst your chosen,
Without you, O Nisaba, the great priestly offices are not maintained, the festivals of heaven are not kept, the jubilation and worship of the people is torn out.
Because you, in the reckoning of your grain, established writing upon the Earth, may the scribes ever delight in the written word, may the schools of knowledge plant their firm foundations on the Earth, may the knowledge of the tongues of Sumer and Akkad flourish and multiply in all the lands,
Without you, O Nisaba, no large or small tablets are formed from clay, no styli are held by the scribes, the knowledge of the tongues of Sumer and Akkad remains sealed beneath the desert.
Therefore, Daughter of An, lady of the silver stylus, lady of the tablet of the Universe speckled with a myriad stars,
Lady of the good grain, Holy Nisaba, be praised!
𒀭𒊺𒉀 𒊩𒌆𒊺𒄭𒂵 𒍠𒊩