Myth that is closely connected with the spring rite of the first fruits which were taken from Ur to Nippur, stopping over all sacred cities on the way to the temple of Enlil, the Ekur in Nippur. The meaning of this ritual act was a religious celebration and sanction of the exchange of products between the cities of the Southern marshes and the farmers in the North (Jacobsen, Thorkild, The Treasures of Darkness, 1976, Yale University).

To go to his city, to stand before his father,

Ashgirbabbar (Nanna) set his mind:

"I, the hero, to my city I would go, before my father I would stand;

I, Sin, to my city I would go, before my father I would stand,

Before my father I would stand."

(then he proceeds to load his boat with a rich assortment of trees, plants and animals. On his journey from Ur to Nippur, Nanna and his boat stop at five cities: Im, Larsa, Uruk and two cities whose names are illegible; in each of these, Nanna is met and greeted by the representative tutelary deity. Then he arrives at Nippur:)

At the lapis lazuli quay, the quay of Enlil,

Nanna-Sin drew up his boat,

At the white quay, the quay of Enlil,

Ashbirbabbar drew up his boat,

On the ....... of the father, his begetter, he stationed himself,

To the gatekeeper of Enlil he says:

" Open the house, gatekeeper, open the house

Open the house, O protecting genie, open the house

Open the house, thou who makest the trees come forth, open the house,

O ...... who makest the trees come forth, open the house,

Gatekeeper, open the house, O protecting genie, open the house",

Joyfully, the gatekeeper joyfully opened the door,

The protecting genie who makes the trees come forth, joyfully

The gatekeeper joyfully opened the door

He who makes the trees come forth, joyfully

The gatekeeper joyfully opened the door,

With Sin, Enlil rejoiced.

Then Nanna feasts with Enlil and afterwards addresses his father Enlil as follows:

" In the river give me overflow,

In the field give me much grain,

In the swampland give me grass and reeds,

In the forests give me...

In the plains give me...

In the palm-grove and vineyard give me honey and wine,

In the palace give me long life,

To Ur I shall go".

Enlil accedes to Nanna¥s request:

He gave him, Enlil gave him,

To Ur he went,

In the river he gave him overflow,

In the field he gave him much grain,

In the swampland he gave him grass and reeds,

In the forests he gave him...

In the plain he gave him...

In the palm-grove and vineyard he gave him honey and wine,

In the palace he gave him long life,

Kramer, Samuel Noah (1988) Sumerian Mythology, University of Pennsylvania Press, West Port, Connecticut.