1-8 She was sitting faithfully, admirable and full of charms, the daughter of the noble house -- who like him can compare with the great lords? Her mother brought her up and suckled her at her breasts full of good milk. The young girl burgeoned, and she became full of flourishing beauty. In the house of Nisaba, at the gate of the E-zagin, she stood, the object of admiration, like a tall, beautifully shaped cow.

9-26 At that time the Great Mountain, the lord of Nibru, had not yet been given a wife; Ninlil's name was not yet famous. After travelling through Sumer and to the ends of the land, in his search throughout the Land, the lord stopped at Erec. As he looked around there, he found the woman of his choice. He approached her and, overflowing with joy, engaged her in conversation: "I will make you perfect in a queen's dress; how impressed I am by your beauty!" In her youthful inexperience Sud answered him: "If I want to stand proudly at our gate, who dares to give me a bad reputation? What are your intentions? Why have you come here?" The words had barely left his mouth when, right in front of him, she went into the house.

27-43 The heart of the wise lord pounded. He called for his minister Nuska. "What is your wish?" He gave the following instructions to him: "I want you to go back to Erec, the city of Nisaba, the city whose foundations are august. Do not delay! Repeat to her what I am going to tell you: "I am a young man, I have sent this message to you because of my wish: I want to take your daughter as wife. Give me your consent. I will send you presents in my name, my marriage gifts. I am the lord of Nibru, the descendant of a noble line. The name of your daughter shall become Ninlil, and all the foreign countries shall honour it. I will present her with a storehouse. I will give her the Ki-ur to be her beloved private quarters. She shall sit with me in my august house. And as for you, I will place in your hands the care of the black-headed people." When you get there, let the woman I have chosen for her beauty speak with her mother. Do not go to her empty-handed, but take her some jewellery in your left hand. Waste no time. Return with her answer quickly."

44-73 When Nuska, the head of the assembly, had received his instructions, he wasted no time; he directed his steps to Erec. He entered E-zagin, the residence of Nanibgal (a name of Nisaba) and prostrated himself in greeting before Nanibgal on her dais. And she asked him: "What is your errand?" (Nuska spoke.) Then Nanibgal went on speaking flatteringly to the minister: "Adviser, fit for his king, ever observant! Who like you could give counsel daily to the Great Mountain? How could I contest the king's message which his servant has received? If there is truth in what you have told me -- and may there be no falsehood -- who could reject one who bestows such exceedingly great favours? It makes our mood and hearts happy. Let us consider that amends have been made. By bringing the marriage gifts and the presents in his name the insult is wiped away. Tell him: "You shall become my son-in-law; do as you wish!" Tell the Great Mountain: "Do as you wish!" Let his sister come from her side, and she shall accompany Sud from here. Aruru shall become Sud's sister-in-law: let her be shown the household. Inform your lord thus in his august Ki-ur. Repeat this to him in the privacy of his holy bedchamber."

74-102 Nanibgal called her daughter and gave her advice: "My little one, ... leave the House of Nisaba's Wisdom. Nuska is knowing and wise. Come into his presence and pour him water." According to the instructions of her mother, she washed his hands and placed a tankard in his hands. The minister opened his left hand and gave her the jewellery, and set it before her. She received the gifts. He directed his steps to Nibru. He kissed the ground before the lord. As she had instructed him, he repeated what the great Lady had said: ""Adviser, fit for his king, ever observant! Who like you could give counsel daily to the Great Mountain? How could I contest the king's message which his servant has received? If there is truth in what you have told me -- and may there be no falsehood -- who could reject one who bestows such exceedingly great favours? It makes our mood and hearts happy. Let us consider that amends have been made. By bringing the marriage gifts and the presents in his name the insult is wiped away. Tell him: "You shall become my son-in-law; do as you wish!" Tell the Great Mountain: "Do as you wish!" Let his sister come from her side, and she shall accompany Sud from here. Aruru shall become Sud's sister-in-law: let her be shown the household. Inform your lord thus in his august Ki-ur. Repeat this to him in the privacy of his holy bedchamber.""

103-113 This made him feel good, and brought great rejoicing in the lord's heart. He raised his head, and animals came running, herds of four-legged animals that graze together in the desert. He caught wild bulls, red deer, elephants, fallow deer, gazelles, bears, wild sheep and rams, lynxes, foxes, wild cats, tigers, mountain sheep, water buffaloes, monkeys, and thick-horned fat cattle that jostled together noisily. Cows and their calves, wild cattle with wide-spread horns, ewes and lambs, goats and kids, romping, large kids with long beards, scratching with their hooves, lambs, and majestic sheep were despatched toward Erec.

114-117 Large cheeses, mustard-flavoured cheeses, small cheeses, milk, cold hard-boiled eggs, butter, the sweetest dry honey and white honey, and thick and large cakes were despatched toward Erec.

118-123 Dates, figs, large pomegranates, jipar fruits, plums, halub nuts, almonds, acorns, Dilmun dates packed in baskets, dark-coloured date spadices, large pomegranate seeds squeezed out from their rinds, big clusters of early grapes, trees in fruit, trees from orchards, fruits grown in winter, and fruits from orchards were despatched toward Erec.

124-136 Ores from Harali, the faraway land, rock-crystal, gold, silver, the yield of the uplands, heavy loads of them, were despatched toward Erec. After the personal presents, the transported goods, Ninmah and the minister followed. The dust from their march reached high into the sky like rain clouds. Enormous marriage gifts were being brought for Nanibgal to Erec; the city was getting full inside and out.

137-145 Nanibgal, the mother-in-law of the lord, the woman who had been slandered, was treated kindly by Nuska -- but the lady disregarded the flatterer, and spoke to her daughter: "May you be the favourite wife, the wife of his heart, and may he speak to you sweetly. May he embrace you, the most beautiful of all, and tell you: "Beloved!" May the two of you never lose the pleasure of companionship; make it last a long time. May you have children afterwards! When you enter the house to live there, may abundance precede you, and may joy follow you. May the people line up for you wherever you go. The fate I have determined for you should be fulfilled! Go with head held high into the E-mah."

146-155 Then Aruru grasped her by the hand and led her away into the Ec-mah. She brought her into the house of the lord, and in the bridal chamber, in the flowered bed fragrant like a cedar forest, the lord took his wife in lawful marriage and took great pleasure in it. The lord whose statements are powerful honoured the lady Aruru; he gave her the name Nintud, the "Lady who gives birth." He presented her with gifts, everything befitting her.

156-170 (The lord speaks:) "From now on, a woman shall be the mistress of the house. May my beautiful wife, who was born to holy Nisaba, be like Ezina, the growing grain, the life of Sumer. When you appear in the furrows like a beautiful young girl, may Ickur, the canal inspector, be your provider, supplying you with water from the ground. The height of the year is marked with your new prime flax and your new prime grain. The harvest crop raises its head high for the great festival. The scribal art, the tablets decorated with writing, the stylus, the tablet board, the computing of accounts, adding and subtracting, the shining measuring rope, the head of the surveyor's peg, the measuring rod, the marking of the boundaries, are fittingly in your hands. Woman, the proudest among the Great Princes, from now on, Sud ... Ninlil ..."