Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 16

From lyres and lutes their softest wooings bring, As Ishtar bows before her lover king.

A halo from the G.o.ddess fills the halls, And s.h.i.+nes upon the dazzling jewelled walls.

The Sar and seers in wonder were amazed At the sweet strains, and glorious light that blazed; Transfixed in silence stood, as she now spoke, And sweeter music through the palace woke.

Like fragrant zephyrs, warbling from retreats Of gardens of the G.o.ds, she thus entreats From Izdubar her welcome, or a glance Of love; and she the Sar would thus entrance:

"Thy wisdom, Sar, surpa.s.ses all mankind, In thee, O king! no blemish do I find.

The Queen of Heaven favor seeks from thee, I come with love, and prostrate bend the knee.

My follies past, I hope thou wilt forgive, Alone I love thee, with thee move and live; My heart's affections to thee, me have led, To woo thee to thine Ishtar's marriage bed.

O kiss me, my beloved! I adore Thee! Hear me! I renounce the G.o.dly sh.o.r.e With all its hollow splendor where as queen I o'er the heavenly hosts, unrivaled reign In grandest glory on my s.h.i.+ning throne; And yet for thee my heart here pines alone, I cannot live without my Izdubar!

My husband's love and simple word shall far Surpa.s.s the G.o.dly bond. O let me, king, Rest on thy breast, and happiness will cling To all the blissful days which shall be thine.

With glory of the skies, my love shall s.h.i.+ne.

O Izdubar, my king! this love below Is grander here than mortals e'er can know, For this I leave my throne in yonder skies, And at the feet of love thy queen now lies.

Oh, let me taste with thee the sweets of love, And I my love for thee will grandly prove, And thou shalt ride upon a diamond car, Lined with pure gold; and jeweled horns of war Shall stud it round like rays of Samas' fire.

Rich gifts whate'er my lover shall desire, Thy word shall bring to thee, my Sar-dan-nu!

Lo! all the wealth that G.o.ds above can view, I bring to thee with its exhaustless store.

Oh, come my love! within the halls, where more Than I have named is found, all, all is thine; Oh, come with me within our halls divine!

Amid the fragrant odors of the pines, And all shrubs and flowers, vines, Euphrates' _zir-ri_ there shall sing for thee, And dance around thy feet with zi-mu-ri[7]

And kings and lords and princes I will bring To bow to thee, beloved, glorious king!

With tribute from the mountains and the plains, As offerings to thee. Thy flocks shall twins Bring forth; and herds of fattened, lowing kine Shall fast increase upon the plains divine.

Thy warrior steeds shall prance with flowing manes, Resistless with thy chariot on the plain.

Vast spoils, thy beasts of burden far shall bear, Unrivaled then shall be my king of war; And victory o'er all, thine eyes shall view, And loud acclaims shall rend the bright Samu."

[Footnote 1: "Kip-rat arba," the four races or regions.]

[Footnote 2: "Bar-ili," from "bar," gate, and "ili," of the G.o.ds--Babel, Bab--originates from the Accadian word "bar," Semitic "bab;" thus Babel was originally called "bar-ili." See Taylor and Furst. The latter renders it "Bar-(Bir-)Bel," "town of Belus."]

[Footnote 3: "Izzu-bar-ili" we believe to be the original name of Izdubar, afterward shortened to Izdubar, and means literally the fire-king of "bar-ili," or the "fire-king of the gate of the G.o.ds." This identifies him with Nimrod, the founder of Bar-bet or Babylon.]

[Footnote 4: Ka-ding-ir-a (Acc.), "gate of G.o.d"--Pinches.]

[Footnote 5: "Ner-kalli," or "Ner-ekalli," chief of the palace.]

[Footnote 6: "I-gi-gi," p.r.o.nounced "e-gee-gee," spirits of heaven.]

[Footnote 7: "Zi-mu-ri," spirits of the light.]

COLUMN II

THE KING'S ANSWER AND ISHTAR'S RAGE

Amazed the sovereign sat upon his throne; And while she wooed, his heart was turned to stone; In scorn replied:

"Rise Ishtar, Heaven's high queen, Though all thy wealth, possessions I had seen Now piled before me, all in gems and gold, Of all the wealth of Heaven there heaped of old, I nakedness and famine would prefer To all the wealth divine thou canst confer.

What carest thou for earthly royalty?

The cup of poison shall thy lovers see.

Thou sawest me within a haunt away From men. I lingered on that direful day, And took thee for a beauteous _zi-re-mu_[1]

Or _zi-ar-i-a_ or a _zi-lit-tu_[2]

And thou didst cause to enter love divine.

As _zi-cur-un-i,_ spirit of the wine, Thou didst deceive me with thine arts refined, And love escaped upon the pa.s.sing wind.

Then to my palace come, and me there seek; Didst place thy mouth upon my lips, and wake Within my breast a dream of love and fire, Till I awoke and checked thy wild desire; Thou camest with the form of spirits fair, Didst hover o'er me in my chamber there.

Thy G.o.dly fragrance from the skies above, A sign did carry of the Queen of Love: I woke, and thou didst vanish, then didst stand As mine own servant in my palace grand.

Then as a skulking foe, a mystic spell Didst weave, and scorch me with the fires of h.e.l.l While I was wrapped in sleep. Again I woke, I saw around me _dal-khi_, sulphurous smoke, Which thou didst send around my royal bed; And I believed that I was with the dead, With _dal-khi_ gloating over me in h.e.l.l.

My _su-khu-li_ then sought thy presence fell.

Forever may thy wooing cease! for love Hath fled, may G.o.dly praises never move Upon the lips of holy G.o.ds, or men,-- Of thee, the G.o.d of Love ne'er speak again!

I loved thee once; with love my heart inflamed Once sought thee, but my troubles I have blamed Upon thee, for the dreams which thou didst send.

Go! rest thy heart; and to thy pleasures wend!

"For Tammuz of thy youth thy heart once wailed, For years his weary form thy love a.s.sailed; Allala next, the eagle, lovest, tore His wings. No longer could he joyful soar And float above the forest to the sky.

Thou leavest him with fluttering wings to die.

A l.u.s.ty lion thou didst love, his might Destroyed, and plucked his claws in fierce delight, By sevens plucked, nor heard his piteous cry.

A glorious war-steed next thy love didst try, Who yielded to thee, till his strength was gone: For seven _kaspu_[3] thou didst ride upon Him without ceasing, gave no food nor drink, Till he beneath thee to the earth did sink, And to his mistress, Sil-i-li, the steed Returned with broken spirit, drooping head.

Thou lovest Tabulu, the shepherd king, And from his love continuous didst wring _Sem-uk-ki_[4], till he to appease thy love, The mighty G.o.ds of heaven then sought to move To pity with his daily offerings.

Beneath thy wand upon the ground he springs, Transformed to a hyena; then was driven From his own city--by his dogs was riven.

Next Is-ul-lan-u lov'st, uncouth, and rude, Thy father's laborer, who subject stood To thee, and daily scoured thy vessels bright: His eyes from him were torn, before thy sight.

And chained before thee, there thy lover stood, With deadly poison placed within his food.

Thou sayst: 'O Isullanu, stretch thy hand!

The food partake, that doth before thee stand!'

Then with thy hand didst offer him the food.

He said: 'What askest thou? It is not good!

I will not eat the poison thus prepared.'

Thy G.o.dly wand him from thy presence cleared, Transformed him to a pillar far away.

And for my love Queen Ishtar comes this day?

As thou hast done with others, would thy love Return to me, thine actions all doth prove."

The queen in fury from his presence turned, In speechless rage the palace halls she spurned; And proudly from the earth swept to the skies; Her G.o.dly train in terror quickly flies.

[Footnote 1: "Zi-re-mu," spirit of mercy or grace.]

[Footnote 2: "Zi-lit-tu," spirit of the mist.]

[Footnote 3: "Seven kaspu," fourteen hours; each kaspu was two hours.]

[Footnote 4: "Sem-uk-ki," translated by Sayce "stibium," antimony; by Talbot, "lutarish semukki," "thou who didst make evil with thy drugs."-- "Trans. Soc. Bib. Arch.", vol. v. p. 110. Sayce's edition Smith's "C.A.G.," p. 229.]

COLUMN III

ISHTAR COMPLAINS TO ANU, KING OF HEAVEN, WHO CREATES A WINGED BULL TO DESTROY ISHTAR

Before the throne of Anu, Ishtar cries, And Anatu, the sovereigns of the skies: "O Sar, this king my beauty doth despise, My sweetest charms beholds not with his eyes."

And Anu to his daughter thus replied: "My daughter, thou must crush his vaunting pride, And he will claim thy beauty and thy charms, And gladly lie within thy glorious arms."

"I hate him now, O Sar, as I did love!

Against the strength of Anu let him prove His right divine to rule without our aid, Before the strength of Anu let him bleed.

Upon this giant Sar so filled with pride, Let Anu's winged bull[1] in fury ride, And I will aid the beast to strike him p.r.o.ne, Till he in death shall breathe his dying groan."