Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 18

COLUMN VI

ISHTAR WEAVES A MYSTIC SPELL OVER THE KING AND SEER, AND VANISHES--THE SEER ADVISES THE KING TO SEEK THE AID OF THE IMMORTAL SEER WHO ESCAPES FROM THE FLOOD.

The G.o.ddess Ishtar wrapped in darkness waits Until the G.o.ddess Tsil-at-tu[1] the gates Of sleep has closed upon the darkened plain; Then lightly to the palace flies the Queen.

O'er the King's couch she weaves an awful dream, While her bright eyes upon him furious gleam.

Then o'er Heabani's couch a moment stands, And Heaven's curtains pulls aside with hands Of mystic power, and he a vision sees-- The G.o.ds in council;--vanishing, she flees Without the palace like a gleam of light, And wakes the guard around in wild affright.

Next day the seer reveals to Izdubar How all the G.o.ds a council held of war, And gave to Anu power to punish them For thus defying Ishtar's G.o.dly claim; And thus the seer gave him his counsel, well Considered, how to meet their plottings fell:

"To Khasisadra go, who from the flood Escaped when o'er the earth the waters stood Above mankind, and covered all the ground; He at the river's mouth may yet be found.

For his great aid, we now the seer must seek, For Anu's fury will upon us break.

Immortal lives the seer beside the sea; Through Hades pa.s.s, and soon the seer mayst see."

Thus Izdubar replied, and him embraced: "With thee, Heabani, I my throne have graced; With thee I go, mine own companion dear, And on the road each other we may cheer,"

"The way is long, my King, and if I live, With thee I go, but oh, thou must not grieve, For perils great attend the way, and old Am I: the suppleness of youth to hold My strength I need, but it alas! is gone.

My heart is ready, but I fear, my son, These crippled limbs which Anu's bull hath left Of my strong vigor, have thy seer bereft.

Too weak am I, for that long journey hard To undertake; my presence would r.e.t.a.r.d Thee,--with these wounds; nor strength have I to last To guard my body in the mountain fast.

But if thou wilt, my strength is thine, my King!

To do thy will my aged form shall spring With gladness, and all perils I'll defy; If need be, for thee will thy servant die."

"Heabani, n.o.ble one! my chosen seer!

I love thee, bid thy loyal heart good cheer.

He steeds may take to ride through all the way, With easy journeys on the road each day; From perils I will guard thee, and defend; To-morrow then we on our way will wend."

Equipped for the long journey they appear Next morn and leave, while Erech's people cheer Them on their way across the glowing plain, To perils dire they go--distress and pain.

[Footnote 1: "Tsil-at-tu," G.o.ddess of darkness, or shades of night.]

TABLET VI--COLUMN I

ISHTAR'S DESCENT TO HADES--HER FEARFUL RECEPTION

To Hades' darkened land, whence none return, Queen Ishtar, Sin's great daughter, now doth turn; Inclined her ear and listened through the void That lay beneath of every path devoid, The home of darkness, of the Under-World, Where G.o.d Ir-kal-la[1] from the heights was hurled.

The land and road from whence is no return, Where light no entrance hath to that dark bourne; Where dust to dust returns, devouring clods; Where light dwells not in Tsil-lat-tus abodes; Where sable ravens hovering rule the air; O'er doors and bolts dust reigneth with despair.

Before the gates of gloom the Queen now stands, And to the keeper Ishtar thus commands: "O keeper of the waters! open wide Thy gate, that I through these dark walls may glide; But if thou open'st not the gate for me, That I may enter, shattered thou shalt see The doors and bolts before thee lying p.r.o.ne, And from the dust shall rise each skeleton, With fleshless jaws devour all men with thee, Till death shall triumph o'er mortality."

The keeper to the Princess Ishtar said: "Withhold thy speech! or Allat's fury dread!

To her I go to bid thee welcome here."

To Allat then the keeper doth appear: "Thy sister Ishtar the dark waters seeks-- The Queen of Heaven," thus Allat's fury breaks.

"So like an herb uprooted comes this Queen, To sting me as an asp doth Ishtar mean?

What can her presence bring to me but hate?

Doth Heaven's Queen thus come infuriate?"

And Ishtar thus replies: "The fount I seek, Where I with Tammuz, my first love, may speak; And drink its waters, as sweet nectar-wines, Weep o'er my husband, who in death reclines; My loss as wife with handmaids I deplore, O'er my dear Tammuz let my teardrops pour."

And Allat said, "Go! keeper, open wide The gates to her! she hath me once defied; Bewitch her as commanded by our laws."

To her thus Hades opened wide its jaws.

"Within, O G.o.ddess! Cutha thee receives!

Thus Hades' palace its first greeting gives."

He seized her, and her crown aside was thrown.

"O why, thou keeper, dost thou seize my crown?"

"Within, O G.o.ddess! Allat thee receives!

'Tis thus to thee our Queen her welcome gives."

Within the next gate he her earrings takes, And G.o.ddess Ishtar now with fury shakes.

"Then why, thou slave, mine earrings take away?"

"Thus entrance, G.o.ddess, Allat bids this day."

At the third gate her necklace next he takes, And now in fear before him Ishtar quakes.

"And wilt thou take from me my gems away?"

"Thus entrance, G.o.ddess, Allat bids this day."

And thus he strips the G.o.ddess at each gate, Of ornaments upon her breast and feet And arms; her bracelets, girdle from her waist, Her robe next took, and flung the Queen undrest Within a cell of that dark solitude.

At last, before Queen Ishtar Allat stood, When she had long remained within the walls, And Allat mocked her till Queen Ishtar falls Humiliated on the floor in woe; Then turning wildly, cursed her ancient foe.

Queen Allat furious to her servant cries: "Go! Naintar! with disease strike blind her eyes!

And strike her side! her breast and head and feet; With foul disease her strike, within the gate!"

[Footnote 1: "Ir-kal-la," the King of Hades, who was hurled from the heights of heaven with the evil G.o.ds who rebelled with Tiamatu, the G.o.ddess of chaos, against the reign of the G.o.ds of heaven.]

COLUMN II

EFFECT OF ISHTAR'S IMPRISONMENT IN HADES--LOVE DEPARTS FROM THE EARTH--THE EARTH'S SOLEMN DIRGE OF WOE.

When Ishtar, Queen of Love, from Earth had flown, With her love fled, and left all nature p.r.o.ne; From Earth all peace with love then fled amain.

In loneliness the bull stalked o'er the plain, And tossed his drooping crest toward the sky, In sadness lay upon the green to die; On the far kine looked weary and bereaved, And turned toward the G.o.ds, and wondering grieved.

The troubled kine then gravely chewed their cud, And hungerless in the rich pastures stood.

The a.s.s his mate abandoned, fled away, And loveless wives then cursed the direful day; And loving husbands kiss their wives no more, And doves their cooing ceased, and separate soar; And love then died in all the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of men, And strife supreme on earth was reveling then.

The s.e.xes of mankind their wars divide, And women hate all men, and them deride; And some demented hurl aside their gowns, And queens their robes discard and jewelled crowns, And rush upon the streets bereft of shame, Their forms expose, and all the G.o.ds defame.

Alas! from earth the Queen of Love has gone, And lovers 'void their haunts with faces wan And spurn from them the hateful thought of love, For love no longer reigns, all life to move.

An awful thrill now speeds through Hades' doors, And shakes with horror all the dismal floors; A wail upon the breeze through s.p.a.ce doth fly, And howling gales sweep madly through the sky; Through all the universe there speeds a pang Of travail. Mam-nu-tu[1] appalled doth hang Upon her blackened pinions in the air, And piteous from her path leads Black Despair, "The queen in chains in Hades dying lies, And life with her," they cry, "forever dies!"

Through misty glades and darkened depths of s.p.a.ce, Tornadoes roar her fate to Earth's sweet face; The direful tidings from far Hades pour Upon her bosom with their saddest roar; Like moans of mighty powers in misery, They bring the tale with awful minstrelsy.

And Earth her mists wrapped round her face in woe, While icy pangs through all her breast deep flow.

Her bosom sobbing wails a mighty moan, "Alas! forever my sweet queen hath flown!"

With shrieks of hurricane, and ocean's groan, And sobbing of the winds through heights unknown, Through mountain gorges sweep her wails of woe, Through every land and seas, her sorrows flow: Oh, moan! oh, moan! dear mountains, lakes, and seas!

Oh, weep with me dear plants, and flowers, and trees!

Alas! my beauty fading now will die!

Oh, weep, ye stars, for me in every sky!

Oh, Samas, hide thy face! I am undone!

Oh, weep with me Ur-ru,[2] my precious son.

Let all your notes of joy, my birds, be stilled; Your mother's heart with dread despair is filled:

"Come back, my flowerets, with your fragrant dews; Come, all my beauties, with your brightest hues; Come back, my plants and buds and youngling shoots!

Within your mother's bosom hide your roots.