Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 4

COLUMN V

ISHTAR AND HER MAIDS IN THE FAVORITE HAUNT OF IZDUBAR

The king while hunting where a forest grows, Around sweet hyacinths and budding rose, Where a soft zephyr o'er them gently flows From the dark _sik-ka-ti_[1] where Kharsak[2] glows; And Sedu[3] softly dances on the leaves, And a rich odorous breath from them receives; Where tulips peep with heliotrope and pink, With violets upon a gleaming brink Of silver gliding o'er a water-fall That sings its purling treasures o'er a wall Of rugged onyx sparkling to the sea: A spot where Zir-ri[4] sport oft merrily, Where Hea's[5] arm outstretched doth form a bay, Wild, sheltered, where his sea-daughters play; A jasper rock here peeps above the waves Of emerald hue; with them its summit laves.

Around, above, this cool enchanting cove Bend amorous, spicy branches; here the dove Oft coos its sweetest notes to its own mate, And fragrance pure, divine, the air doth freight, To sport with G.o.ds no lovelier place is found, With love alone the mystic woods resound.

Here witching Zi-na-ki[6] oft drag within The waves unwilling Zi-si;[7] here the din Of roars of sullen storms is never known When tempests make the mighty waters groan; Nor sound of strife is heard, but rippling rills, Or softest note of love, the breezes fills.

And here the king in blissful dreams oft lies 'Mid pure ambrosial odors, and light flies The tune in bliss; away from kingly care, And hollow splendor of the courtly glare; Away from triumphs, battle-fields afar, The favorite haunt of huntsman Izdubar.

The Queen of Love the glowing spot surveys, And sees the monarch where he blissful lays; And watching till he takes his bow and spear To chase the wild gazelles now browsing near, She, ere the king returns, near by arrives With her two maids; with them for love connives, Joy and seduction thus voluptuous fly Her Samkhatu,[8] Kharimtu[9] from the sky, As gently, lightly as a spirit's wing Oft carries G.o.ds to earth while Sedu sing.

Thus, they, with lightest step, expectant stood Within this lovely spot beneath the wood.

Their snowy limbs they bare, undraped now stand Upon the rock at Ishtar's soft command.

Like marble forms endued with life they move, And thrill the air with welcome notes of love.

The _its-tu-ri Same mut-tab-ri_[10] sang Their sweetest notes, and the _Khar-san-u_[11] rang With songs of thrushes, turtle-doves and jays, And linnets, with the nightingale's sweet lays, Goldfinches, magpies and the wild hoopoes; With cries of green-plumed parrots and cuckoos, Pee-wits and sparrows join the piercing cries Of gorgeous herons, while now upward flies The eagle screaming, joyful spreads his wings Above the forest; and the woodchuck rings A wild tattoo upon the trees around; And humming-birds whirr o'er the flowering ground In flocks, and beat the luscious laden air With emerald and gold, and scarlet, where These perfect forms with G.o.dly grace divine, In loveliness upon the rock recline.

Sweet joy is slender formed, with bright black eyes That sparkle oft and dance with joy's surprise; Seduction, with her rare voluptuous form, Enchanteth all till wildest pa.s.sions warm The blood and fire the eye beneath her charm; All hearts in heaven and earth she doth disarm.

The Queen with every perfect charm displayed Delights the eye, and fills the heart, dismayed With fear, lest the bright phantom may dissolve To airy nothingness, till fierce resolve Fills each who her beholds, while love doth dart From liquid eyes and captivates the heart.

She is the queen who fills the earth with love And reigns unrivalled in her realms above.

Beware, ye hearts! beware! who feel the snare Of Ishtar, lest ye tread upon the air; When ye her rosy chain of fragrance wear, When blindness strikes the eye, and deaf the ear Becomes, and heartstrings only lead you then, Till ye return to common sense again; Enthralled mayhap and captive led in chains, Ye then will leisure have to bear your pains; Or if perchance a joy hath come to thee, Through all thy joyous life, then happy be!

[Footnote 1: "Sik-ka-ti," narrow mountain gorges.]

[Footnote 2: "Khar-sak," the Deluge mountain, where the ark rested.]

[Footnote 3: "Se-du," a spirit of the earth, and rivers.]

[Footnote 4: "Zir-ri," the spirits of the rivers, water-nymphs.]

[Footnote 5: "Hea," the G.o.d of the ocean.]

[Footnote 6: "Zi-na-ki," p.r.o.nounced "zee-na-kee," spirits of purity.]

[Footnote 7: "Zi-si," corn-G.o.ds, or spirits of the corn.]

[Footnote 8: "Sam-kha-tu," one of the maids of Ishtar, "Joy."]

[Footnote 9: "Kha-rima-tu," one of the maids of Ishtar, "Seduction."]

[Footnote 10: "Its-tu-ri Same mut-tab ri," "the winged birds of heaven."]

[Footnote 11: "Khar-san-u," forest.]

COLUMN VI

IZDUBAR FALLS IN LOVE WITH ISHTAR, THE QUEEN OF LOVE

The hour has come when Izdubar will seek The cool enchantment of the cove, and slake His thirst with its sweet waters bubbling pure, Where Love has spread for him her sweetest lure, The maids expectant listening, watch and wait His coming; oft in ecstacies they prate O'er his surprise, and softly sport and splash The limpid waves around, that glowing flash Like heaps of snowy pearls lung to the light By Hea's[1] hands, his Zir-ri[2] to delight.

And now upon the rock each maid reclines, While Ishtar's form beneath them brightly s.h.i.+nes; Beside the fountain stands the lovely G.o.d, The graceful sovereign of Love's sweet abode.

"He comes; the shrubs of yonder jasmine near Are rustling, oh, he comes! my Izdubar!"

And thus her love she greets: "Why art thou here?

Thou lovely mortal! king art thou, or seer?

We reck not which, and welcome give to thee; Wouldst thou here sport with us within the sea?"

And then, as if her loveliness forgot, She quickly grasped her golden locks and wrought Them round her form of symmetry with grace That well became a G.o.d, while o'er her face Of sweetest beauty blushes were o'erspread; "Thou see-est only Nature's robe," she said.

"'Tis all I wish while sporting with my maids, And all alone no care have we for jades; And if with thee we can in truth confide, We here from all the world may cosey hide."

She hurls a glance toward him, smiling nave, Then bounding from the rock, peeps from a wave; The waters fondling her surround, embrace Her charms; and now emerging with rare grace, She turning says:

"Make haste, my hearts!

Come forth! attend your queen!" and then she parts The azure waves, to where, in dumb surprise, The King enchanted stands, and fondly eyes The Queen divine, while fascinating thrills Sweep wildly through his breast; as fragrance fills The rose-tree groves, or gardens of the G.o.ds, Or breezes odorous from the Blest Abodes.

A longing, rising, fills his inmost soul For this sweet queen who offers him a goal His stormy life has never known, since he, His loved one lost beneath the raging sea; And all his calm resolves to seek no more A joy which pa.s.sed and left his heart forlore, Are breaking, vanis.h.i.+ng beneath her charms, Dissolving as the mists, when sunlight warms The earth, then scorching drinks the rising dews; Till he at last no longer can refuse, And love directs while he the G.o.ddess greets: "Such wondrous beauty here no mortal meets; But come, thou Zir-ru,[3] with me sweetly rest; Primroses, gentians, with their charms invest My mossy couch, with odorous citron-trees And feathery palms above; and I will please Thee with a mortal's love thou hast not known; In pure love mingling let our spirits run, For earthly joys are sweeter than above, That rarest gift, the honeyed kiss of love On earth, is sweeter bliss than G.o.ds enjoy; Their shadowy forms with love cannot employ Such pleasure as a mortal's sweet caress.

Come, Zi-ru, and thy spirit I will bless; The Mandrake[4] ripened golden, glows around; The fruit of Love is fragrant on the ground."

Amid the Dud'im[5] plants he now reclines, And to his welcome fate himself resigns; The lovely queen beside him now doth lay, And leads his soul along the blissful way That comes to every heart that longs for love, When purest joy doth bless us from above; From her soft liquid eyes the love-light speaks, And her warm hands she lays in his, and wakes Beneath her touch a thrill of wild desire, Until his blood now seems like molten fire.

Her eyes half closed begat a pa.s.sion wild, With her warm breast, her loves hath beguiled; She nearer creeps with hot and balmy breath, And trembling form aglow, and to him saith: "My lips are burning for a kiss, my love!"

A prize like this, a heart of stone would move, And he his arms around her fondly placed Till she reclined upon his breast, embraced, Their lips in one long thrilling rapture meet.

But hark! what are these strains above so sweet That float around, above, their love surround?

An-nu-na-ci[6] from forests, mounts around, And from the streams and lakes, and ocean, trees, And all that haunt the G.o.dly place, to please The lovers, softly chant and dance around To cymbals, lyres until the rocks resound, Of G.o.ddess Ishtar chant, and Izdubar, The Queen of Love wed to the King of War.

And he alarmed starts up and springs away, And furious cries, to Ishtar's wild dismay:

"What meanest thou, thou wanton brazen thing?

Wouldst thou on me the direst curses bring?"

And lo! the G.o.ddess is transformed! the crown Of her own silver skies s.h.i.+nes like the sun, And o'er her dazzling robes a halo falls; Her stately form with glory him appals, For Heaven's dazzling splendor o'er her flows, With rays celestial; o'er her brow there glows A single star.

"Have I embraced a G.o.d?"

He horrified now cries; and she doth nod a.s.sent.

"But, oh! wilt thou thy queen forgive?

I love thee! stay! oh, stay! my heart you grieve!"

He springs beyond the mystic circling ring, And from their sight thus glides the angry King, Beneath the wood himself he doth disguise In tattered garments, on his steed he flies; And when he comes in sight of Erech's gate, His beggar's mantle throws aside; in state Again enrobed, composed his anxious face, Through Erech's gates he rides with kingly grace; O'er his adventure thus the King reflects: "Alas my folly leads, my life directs!

'Tis true, the G.o.ddess hath seductive charms, E'en yet I feel her warm embracing arms.

Enough! her love from me I'll drive away; Alas! for me, is this unfruitful day!"

[Footnote 1: "Hea," G.o.d of the ocean.]

[Footnote 2: "Zir-ri," spirits of the river, the sea-daughters of Hea.]

[Footnote 3: "Zir-ru," water-nymph.]

[Footnote 4: "Mandrake," the "love-plant."]