Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 11

He cometh from the Za-Gab-ri To our dear Erech Su-bu-ri.

Heabani glorify!

Thy dream he will reveal, O Sar!

Its meaning show to Izdubar, Victorious king of war."

Within the council halls now lead the seers With trepidation and with many fears, To hear the seer explain their monarch's dream.

Beside the royal throne he sits supreme Among the seers, the Sar, his scribe commands To read his dream recorded as it stands In Erech's Gi;[2] who reads it to the seer, Who answers thus: "In this there doth appear A G.o.d, whose ardent love will lead to deeds Of hate against thee, Sar; thy present needs Are great, O king! as fire this love will burn Until the wicked seven[3] on thee turn; And blood, alone, will not their fury sate: The G.o.ds will hurl upon thee some dread fate."

In silence, Izdubar the warning heard; His blood with terror froze, and then was stirred By pa.s.sions wild, when he recalled the scene Of Ishtar's love for him by man unseen; When she so wildly then proclaimed her love; And now with hate his inmost soul doth move, And her bright form to a black dal-khu[4] turned And furious pa.s.sions on his features burned.

And then of the first dream he thought, and light Across his vision broke: "'Tis true! aright Thy seer hath read! for Ishtar came to me In the first dream, her face e'en yet I see!

Aye, more! her lips to mine again then fell!

Her arms I felt around me,--breath too well I know! of fragrance, while perfume arose Around my dream and fled not at the close; As frankincense and myrrh it lingered, when I woke. Ah yes! the queen will come again!"

Then to his counsellor who wondering stood, Nor heard his murmuring, but saw subdued His features were, at first, and then, they grand Became with settled hate; he raised his hand; "'Tis true!" he said, "Reward on him bestow!

Then to the waiting feast we all shall go."

[Footnote 1: "Su-khu-li ru-bi," attendants of the King.]

[Footnote 2: "Gi," literally a written tablet, a record.]

[Footnote 3: The seven wicked spirits of the earth, air, and ocean.]

[Footnote 4: "Dal-khu," an evil spirit, a demon.]

COLUMN VI

IZDUBAR SLAYS THE MIDANNU IN THE FESTIVE HALL, AND HEABANI DECLARES HIM TO BE A G.o.d

The guests are seated round the festal board; Heabani takes his seat beside his lord.

The choicest viands of the wealthy plain Before them placed and fishes of the main, With wines and cordials, juices rich and rare The chieftains all enjoy--the royal fare.

This day, with Izdubar they laugh and joke 'Mid courtesies and mirth, and oft provoke The ringing merry laughter through the halls.

When all are satisfied within the walls, Their fill have eaten of the royal fare, With wine they banish from them every care.

The Su-khu-li[1] with tinkling bells proclaim, "Our Sar would speak! Our king of mighty fame,"

Who says: "My chieftains, lords, our seer requests A test of strength before a.s.sembled guests; Unarmed requires your Sar-dan-nu to slay The Mid-an-nu[2] which he hath brought to-day.

So stand aside, my friends, behold the test!

Your Sar will satisfy his seer and guest."

The monster now is brought before the king, Heabani him unchains to let him spring Upon the giant king. His chieftains stand In terror looking at their monarch grand, Who smiling stands, his eyes on the beast fixed; While they in wildest terror are transfixed.

Heabani claps his hands towards the king, And the wild beast upon his form doth spring.

The giant grasps its throat in high mid-air, [3]And holds it 'neath his arm without a fear.

With sullen choking roars it struggling dies, While shouts of joy from all the guests arise.

The mighty deed of strength the seer appals, And at the feet of Izdubar he falls: "Immortal king! ill.u.s.trious of men!

Thy glorious strength reveals the G.o.ds again On earth. To thee I bow in reverent fear, A G.o.d returned thou art! O Erech, hear!

Of kingdoms thou art blessed with grandest fame, That thou among thy kings a G.o.d can name."

Again they gathered round the festal board, And joy and revelry they soon restored.

The revels high are raised o'er sparkling wine; Through all the night they praise their king divine.

[Footnote 1: "Su-khu-li," the attendants.]

[Footnote 2: "Mid-an-nu," carnivorous animal, supposed to be a lion, the pet of the seer.]

[Footnote 3: This feat of Izdubar is portrayed on the bas-relief in the Louvre Museum, Paris, from the Khorsabad sculpture, and is also copied in Sayce's edition of Smith's "Chaldean Account of Genesis." opposite p.

175.]

TABLET IV[1]--COLUMN I

THE ANNUAL SALE OF THE MAIDENS OF BABYLON

Hail holy union! wedded love on earth!

The highest bliss which crowns us from our birth, Our joy! the mainspring of our life and aims, Our great incentive when sweet love inflames Our hearts to glorious deeds and ever wreathes Around our brows, the happy smile that breathes Sweet fragrance from the home of holy love, And arms us with a courage from above.

O Woman! Woman! weave thy love around Thy chosen lover, who in thee hath found A loveliness and purity so sweet, That he doth watch for coming of the feet That brings him happiness and thrill his heart-- For one, of all thy kind who can impart To him the holiest bliss, the sweetest joy, That e'er can crown his life so tenderly; He worships thee within a holy fane, Let not his hope and joy be all in vain!

O thou, sweet Queen! we crown thee in our homes, And give to thee our love that holy comes From Heaven to inspire and bless our lives.

For this mankind all hope to take pure wives To sacredest of all our temples, shrines, And keep thee pure within sweet love's confines That we may worship thee, and daily bring Devotions to our altar,--to thee sing Our orisons of praise, and sacred keep Our homes till we shall softly drop asleep Within the arms we love so tenderly, And carry with us a sweet memory Of purity and bliss that blessed our lives, And children gave from sweetest of pure wives.

Thou art our all! O holy woman, pure Forever may thy charms on earth endure!

Oh, trample not upon thy husband's love!

For true devotion he doth daily prove.

Oh, shackle not his feet in life's fierce strife, His weary shoulders burden,--blast his life!

Or palsy those dear hands that work for thee, And fill his eyes with tears of agony, Till love shall turn as acid to his teeth, And thorns shall tear his side with h.e.l.lish wreath, And daggers pierce his heart, and ice his soul, And thou become to him a hated ghoul!

[2]What married woman is untainted, pure?

She, who when married spreads for men no lure, Bestows caresses on no man but him Who is her husband; she who doth not trim Her form to catch the vulgar gaze, nor paints Herself, or in her husband's absence taunts Not her sweet purity; exposes not Her form undraped, whose veil no freeman aught Has raised;[3] or shows her face to others than Her slaves; and loves alone her husbandman; She who has never moistened her pure lips With liquors that intoxicate;[4] nor sips With others joys that sacred are alone To him, her strength; who claims her as his own.

O Beauty, Purity, my theme inspire!

To woman's love of old, my muse aspire!

When her sweet charms were equally bestowed, And fairest of the s.e.x with hopes imbued Of capturing men of wealth and lives of ease, When loveliness at public sale[5] doth please The n.o.bles of the land to wealth bestow Upon ill-favored sisters, maids of woe, Who claimed no beauty, nor had lovely charms; When crones and hags, and maids with uncouth forms, Secured a husbandman despite of fate, And love redeemed them from the arms of hate.

The proclamation Izdubar had made To bring to the great plaza every maid, For Beltis' feast and Hergal's now arrives, When maidens are selected as the wives Of n.o.blemen or burghers of the towns And cities of the kingdom; when wealth crowns The n.o.bles richest, ever as of old, With beauty they have purchased with their gold.

The festival, the Sabat-tu[6] hath come!

The Sabat-tu of Elul! hear the hum Of voices filling Erech's streets!

The maids are coming, how each gaily prates!

The day and hour has come for them to stand And meet the bidders from all Sumir's land; The day that ends their maidenhood, and brings Them joy or not. Oh, how the poor young things With throbbing hearts approach yon gathering throng To hear their fate p.r.o.nounced; but is it wrong?

The custom old, Accadia thinks is good, They all are young and fresh with maidenhood; The ugly ones as well, shall husbands have, And their young lives from shame thus they will save.

No aged maids shall pa.s.s from yonder throng With bitterness,--their heart's unuttered song For some dear love to end their joyless woe, And longings unallayed that e'er may flow.

But Love! O where art thou? art thou a thing That gold may buy? Doth lucre thy bright wing Unfold to hover over human hearts?

Oh, no! Thy presence to our soul imparts A sweeter joy than selfishness can give, Thou givest love that thou mayst love receive; Nor asking aught of wealth, of rank, or fame.

True love in palace, hovel, is the same Sweet joy, the holiest of sacred things.

For this we worship Ishtar, for she brings Us happiness, when we ourselves forget In the dear arms we love; no coronet Of power, or countless gold, or rank, or fame, Or aught that life can give, or tongue can name, Can reach the heart that loyally doth love, Nor hopes of heaven, nor fears of h.e.l.l can move.

Mayhap, this Sabattu, some lover may All wealth he claims abandon on this day, For the dear heart that seeming pleads to him, While her fond glistening eyes shall on him gleam.