Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 10

[Footnote 3: "Ner" or "Nergal," the giant king of war, the strong begetter.]

[Footnote 4: "Bu-hir-tser-i," beasts of the field.]

[Footnote 5: "Zi-ar-ri," spirits of the rivers, water-nymphs.]

[Footnote 6: "Zi-ti-am-a-ti," spirits of the sea, naiads or water-nymphs.]

COLUMN III

ZAIDU'S RETURN, AND HIS INSTRUCTION TO TAKE TWO MAIDS WITH HIM TO ENTICE THE SEER FROM HIS CAVE

Prince Zaidu prostrate bows before the Sar, Arises, thus narrates to Izdubar: "Thy sovereign, Zaidu hath his king obeyed, The royal mission I have thus essayed As Amu's[1] soldier; I undaunted tried To urge my mission which the seer denied.

I firmly met the beast that with him came: Unmanly fear, confess I to my shame, Came o'er me when I first beheld the beast, In vain I plead, and in despair I ceased When he refused, and angry from me pa.s.sed Within his cave, where cliffs and rocks are ma.s.sed; I climbed, but the wild entrance did not gain, And for advice have I returned again."

"'Tis well, my son," the Sar to Zaidu said, "Thy wisdom I commend for thy young head, Again upon thy mission thou must go.

His might, and strength of purpose, thou dost know, Before a maiden's charms will flee away; For he doth love the Zi-Ga-bri[2] that play Within the mountain gorges. Turn thy face Again with manly portance; for I'll grace Thine emba.s.sy with two of our sweet maids, Who oft shall cheer thee through the mountain glades, Whom thou shalt lead before Heabani's den With their bright charms exposed within the glen.

Take Sam-kha-tu and sweet Khar-imatu: They will entice the seer when he shall view Their charms displayed before his wondering eyes.

With Sam-kha, Joy, the seer you will surprise; Khar-im-tu will thy plans successful end, To her seductive glance his pride will bend.

Sweet Sam-kha's charms are known, she is our Joy, As Ishtar's aid her charms ne'er cloy; Kharun-tu with her perfect face and form, The hearts of all our court doth take by storm: When joys by our sweet Sam-kha are distilled, Kharun-tu's love overcomes us till we yield.

Thus, armed with Love's Seduction and her Joy, The greatest powers of earth thou dost employ; No flesh can face them but a heart of stone.

And all the world doth lie before them p.r.o.ne."

Three days Prince Zaidu sat with Kharun-tu Before the cave within Heabani's view; Beside the pool they waited for the seer: From Erech three days' journey brought them here, But where hath Joy, sweet Sam-kha, roving gone?

When they arrived at setting of the sun She disappeared within with waving arms; With bright locks flowing she displayed her charms.

As some sweet _zir-ru_ did young Sam-kha seem, A thing of beauty of some mystic dream.

[Footnote 1: "Anu," the King of Heaven.]

[Footnote 2: "Zi-Gab-ri," spirits of the mountains.]

COLUMN IV

THE TWO MAIDENS ENTICE THE SEER

Thus in Heabani's cave the maiden went, And o'er the sleeping seer her form she bent; O'er him who with gazelles oft eats his food; O'er him who drinks with _bhu-ri_[1] in the wood; O'er him who loves the _zir-ri,_--of them dreams, And sports with them within the mountain streams.

And when the gay enticer saw the seer Unconscious sleeping with sweet Joy so near, She clasped him to her breast and kissed his brow.

The seer awakes, with wonder eyes her now: "Thy glory thou hast brought to me!" he saith, "Sweet Zir-ru comes to me with fragrant breath!"

And with delight he eyes her beauteous form, His breast warm moved by the enticer's charm.

He springs upon his feet and her pursues: She laughing flees; to sport with him doth choose.

And now he eyes his hairy body, arms Compared to Sam-kha's snowy G.o.d-like charms, She give to him her freshness, blooming youth?

She laughing comes again to him,--Forsooth!

Her glorious arms she opens, flees away, While he doth follow the enticer gay.

He seizes, kisses, takes away her breath, And she falls to the ground--perhaps in death He thinks, and o'er her leans where she now lay; At last she breathes, and springs, and flees away.

But he the sport enjoys, and her pursues; But glancing back his arms she doth refuse.

And thus three days and four of nights she played; For of Heabani's love she was afraid.

Her joyous company doth him inspire For Sam-kha, joy, and love, and wild desire.

He was not satisfied unless her form Remained before him with her endless charm.

But when his _bhu-ri_ of the field the sight Beheld, the wild gazelles fled in affright.

And now without the cave they came in view Of Zaidu waiting with sweet Kharim-tu,

And when Heabani saw the rounded form Of bright Kharim-tu, her voluptuous charm Drew him to her, and at her feet he sate With wistful face, resigned to any fate.

Kharim-tu, smiling sweetly, bent her head, Enticing him the tempter coyly said, "Heabani, like a famous G.o.d thou art, Why with these creeping things doth sleep thy heart?

Come thou with me to Erech Su-bu-ri[2]

To Anu's temple Elli-tar-du-si, And Ishtar's city where great Izdubar Doth reign, the glorious giant king of war; Whose mighty strength above his chiefs doth tower, Come see our giant king of matchless power."

Her flashing eyes half languid pierce the seer, Until his first resolves all disappear.

And rising to his feet his eyes he turned Toward sweet Joy,[3] whose love for him yet burned; And eyeing both with beaming face he saith, "With Sam-kha's love the seer hath pledged his faith; And I will go to Elli-tar-du-si, Great Anu's seat and Ishtar's where with thee, I will behold the giant Izdubar, Whose fame is known to me as king of war; And I will meet him there, and test the power Of him whose fame above all men doth tower.

A _mid-dan-nu_[4] to Erech I will take, To see if he its mighty strength can break.

In these wild caves its strength has mighty grown; If he the beast destroys, I will make known His dream to him--e'en all the seer doth know; And now with thee to Erech I will go.

[Footnote 1: "Bhu-ri," wild-beasts, pets of the hermit seer.]

[Footnote 2: "Su-bu-ri," the lofty.]

[Footnote 3: "Sam-kha-tu" or "Samkha."]

[Transcriber's Note: Footnote 3 looks like it should be two lines down from where it is; this is probably an error.]

[Footnote 4: "Mid-dan-nu," a carnivorous animal, supposed to be a tiger; the Khorsabad sculpture, however, portrays it as a lion.]

COLUMN V

FESTIVAL IN HONOR OF HEABANI, WHO ARRIVES AT ERECH--INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM

The sounds of wild rejoicing now arise; "Heabani comes!" resound the joyful cries, And through the gates of Erech Suburi Now file the chieftains, Su-khu-li rubi.[1]

A festival in honor of their guest The Sar proclaims, and Erech gaily drest, Her welcome warm extends to the famed seer.

The maidens, Erech's daughters, now appear, With richest kirtles gaily decked with flowers, And on his head they rain their rosy showers.

Rejoicing sing, while harps and cymbals play, And laud him to the skies in their sweet way; And mingling with their joy, their monarch rode Before the seer, who stately after strode Beside his beast, and next the men of fame.

The maids thus chant high honors to his name:

"A prince we make thee, mighty seer!

Be filled with joy and royal cheer!

All hail to Erech's seer!

Whom day and night our Sar hath sought, O banish fear! for Hea taught The seer, his glory wrought.

He comes! whom Samas loves as gold, To Erech grace, our city old; All wisdom he doth hold.

Great Hea doth to him unfold All that remains to man untold; Give him the chain of gold!