CM 8 pl. 1ff. (Ištar Louvre A)

1          My [La]dy, let me recount the valor of your divinity!

2          May the [sin]ger become loud! May the orchestra present be attentive!

3          Ištar, I will praise your skillful wisdom!

4          May it be attentive, may the orchestra present hear your valor!

5          May the voice make itself appear at once,

6          Rejoice, Ištar! May they make your powers exceedingly great.

7          Let them hear the singing in it (the mummu)!

8          Like the strength of your manhood, may it constantly grow like a flood!

9          O unique one, the princes who have not yet perceived your power (lit. arms),

10        will take care of your feet forever.

11        The unwise man will learn in it (the temple).

12        He will look for your gates, before you will have placed your hands on him.

13        Strange are your deeds. Your behavior is far (from understanding).

14        Unique are your works. No god is like you.

15        Justice, oppression, giving constant favor, changing your face,

16        scattering of a dwelling place and stomping bricks – are yours, Ištar.

17        To overthrow the broad foundation of the mind, well-being of the heart,

18        confusion(?), changing the mind and showing mercy – are yours, Ištar.

19        Quarrel, turmoil, compliance, brotherhood,

20        the torch of battle and extinguishing wars – are yours, Ištar.

21        Anger, battle, glow and calming down,

22        Cursing, guarding the uttering of the lip – are yours, Ištar.

23        Mixing the confirmation, confusing the reports, making good pronouncements,

24        making the toil excessive and dissolving the possessions – are yours, Ištar.

25        Dignity, prayer, genius and protective spirit,

26        prosperity, abundance and hard soil – are yours, Ištar.

27        The flesh (= kin), the lone one, the stranger, the servant,

28        the enemy, making (them) into brothers forever – are yours, Ištar.

29        (That) the inner part of a house, its god, (and) the (family) who dwells there are in good      condition,

30        wherever you want, to furiously split (the house)

31        Profitable business, building, ... words of order,

32        partners, wages, ..., maximizing the profit – are yours, Ištar.

33        Battle, shelter, wakefulness(?) and fear,

34        supremacy, answer and wisdom – are yours, Ištar.

35        Charms, being beautiful(?), silence, making the people (feel) good,

36        a dwelling place, abundance, making firm foundations – are yours, Ištar.

37        Causing one to utter shouts, the gnashing of the stupefied ones,

38        making a hairdo, whirling of locks – are yours, Ištar.

39       Hate, to constantly let the goddess and the prostitute make love (with their lovers),

40        making the women forbidden from marriage enter the status of sekretum – are yours, Ištar.

 -----

41        The opening of the womb, placing the beloved ones in the belly,

42        twin babies, bringing about the first-born son and glancing (at him) – are yours, Ištar.

43        Reliable womb, soft lips, the gift of the baby,

44        the date spadix of matrimony, the happiness of the chamber – are yours, Ištar.

45        (That) a man is like a woman, a maiden is a young man,

46        you have put his offspring in the gutter – are yours, Ištar.

47        Assembling the women, letting the locks dance, the hair,

48        making a gift, providing abundantly, showing mercy and becoming worried – are yours, Ištar.

49        Weakness, strength, child rearing, breasts(?), babies,

50        sleep, dreams and the well-being of the bed – are yours, Ištar.

-----

51        The underwear for the mid-body, (that) the ears are torn out(?) (as customary) in the land,

52        providing a change (of clothes), the path, going back and forth – are yours, Ištar.

53        (That) Ea [gave her(?)] her dancing, her wisdom,

54        the behavior of a capable nursemaid [... – are yours, Ištar.]

55        Difficult running courses, making haste ...,

56        establishing firmly the throne, the humble one and the pro[minent one(?) – are yours, Ištar.]

57        (That) a m[an goes] the way of a woman,

58        a woman [goes] (the way) of a man, [– are yours, Ištar.]

59        (That) you hang on the man ...

60        (that) you [...] a woman, like a man, [– are yours, Ištar.]

 

col. ii

1          The (usual) behavior is turned up-side-down, his (the performer’s) face is changed.

2          For your fun – (you say :) “Yes!”. His (the performer’s) “Yes” is brought back to you, O Ištar!

3          You make men obey (the rules of) garments (and) wigs.

4          At night, the women are touched. They are untidy regarding the hair-locks.

5          The man is carrying a balance in his hand.

6          The woman, like a man, is equipped with a quiver, she holds a bow.

7          The man carries a hairpin, a siBtum, an uḫḫu, a harp.

8          The women are carrying bows, slings, sling-stones.

9          The man is holding it, their (women’s) t. ornament. His face is changed.

10        The mat is prepared for him outside. The passer-by raises his hand.

11        Verily the woman, like a man, her dress is untidy.

12        He (the man) stepped in her path, then she was blocked, his mind became different, ...

13        The man carrying a dagger has overturned the clothed (women).

14        Fearful is their glance, a roar of flood is their cry:

15        “Enter (fem.) (into) the lady! Have intercourse (fem.) with my womb!

16        He cried: “O assinnum!” He wailed: “My erection is placed, it is

            growing stronger!”

17        Differentis their way, their activity is strange.

18        They hold spindles. They have thrown threads in the spread of the evening.

19        The men are endowed with combs like a woman. Their cloth is multicolored.

20        Their (head) is covered with multicolored (cloths). As at the renewal of the moon they are gathered             around you.

21        Your love-charm stands by him (the performer), wrapped in red wool.

22        In the gate, happily, in its entirety, he pours out a kor (of barley?) in front of you.

23        A kunāmum is happily placed during the night until morning.

24        ... moaning(?). The people make noise at your gate.

25        Her lute ... of the sun in order to calm your mood.

26        ... You receive the battle.

27        All weapons ... They take away in fe[ar].

28        Like the roar of thunder the singing lute has ... the young women.

29        “O you resembling a lion, pray, pray, you of loosened l[ocks],

30        at the gate of gathering!” They are walking, cry[ing].

31        He is moaning with moan and cry. His cry becomes loud.

32        The offering is divided, the one turning away makes the performance [...]

33        Pure are the offerings. They have been poured in front of you.

34        They carry bags. They fill your house with ...

35        They bring your ..., your ..., your ...

36        The humble one, the mighty(?) one, the unable man – speak (to them),

37        (and) at your command they provided them with plenty of barley!

38        Through your support, it (the grain) is heaped up on their shoulder. (They pray): “Make (fem.) the planets, which are mine, (favorable)!”

39        The friend, moreover, will wake (the sleepers) in the watch of the night.

40        For the sleeping ones, whose prayer she heard, she will give bread.

41        “You, O great one, have increased (the abundance) while weeping.”

42        In the midst of your gate may (the performer) make her(sic) name great.

43        Her word is frightful, she is full of [frightening] comm[ands].

44        For her being unfavorable Ea, the ad[visor ...]

45        At his advice, Ištar, who has e[ntered ...]

46        He (the performer) keeps walking to h[er] house [...]

47        He regularly offers (her) libations [...]

48 – 50 (Missing)

(About 4–6 lines are missing to the end of the tablet)

 

col. iii

1          And prost[rating(?) ...]

2          He is calling .[..]

3          At his place, outside x [...]

4          His arm on the br[easts ...]

5          “I will finish in the mids[t of ...]

6          I herewith sacrifice, my god, a li[ttle ...]”

7          The possessions of [...] are dissolved.

8          “O old man”, the young men sh[outed ...]

9          The advance of your heroism, Ištar, .[..],

10        when somebody [...] in front of her.

11        Let me add, let me tell the deed[s of Ištar!]

12        [She is exceeding] the great Igigi.

13        And to let the people cast off the toils [...]

14        ...

15        Towards the (place) where she constantly flashed [...]

16        there she [...] everything.

17        A second time he lean[ed]

18        Let [...] shine.

19        Your aura [...]

20        Ištar like a lioness [...]

-----*

(About 29 lines missing)

 

col. iv

-----*

2'         She is wi[se ...]

3'         The qadištu-priestess [...]

4'         Bestow, O exal[ted one ...]

5'         Among the people the sacrifices(?) [ ...]

6'         Your heart has driven you to [...],

7'         then you have wished from him in [...]

8'         Has he not heard your commands [...],

9'         you stand aggressively [...]

10'       You rose in the morning, he, however, [ ...]

11'       The orchestra, at its place, [makes ...] the peo[ple].

-----

12'       And the goddess – her bi[g] hand [...]

13'       She guards the dawn [...]

14'       When worrying fear [...]

15'       He (Dumuzi?) leads the herds [of ...]

16'       He (Dumuzi?) leads the animals(?) [of ...]

17'       Dumuzi [...]

18'       Dumuzi [...]

19'       ...

col. v
(1 line missing)

1'         ...

2'         The divinity of [Ištar? ...]

3'         In her hand ...

-----

(6 lines missing)

10'       ...

11'       [...] me.

12'       ... me(?) immediately.

13'       [...] the fire spread(?).

-----

14'       [...] and she presented(!) to him.

15'       ... he g[ave(?)] ..., instruction and profit

                        through the oil of my mouth.

16'       [...] and what you love.

17'       With ... you clothed(?) your breast.

18'       [...] in it the ca[ring(?)] shepherd (Dumuzi(?)).

19'       [...] he to[ok(?)] the [h]and of the lord.

20'       You/She caused her to brin[g] her [...]

21'       ...

22'       [...] stature [...]

23'       [...] the beaten ones(?) [...]

-----

24'       ...

25'       [...] in [his(?)] hunger, he (Dumuzi?) constantly roams outside.

26'       She (Ištar) was very [fu]rious and in the anger of her heart, he/she ...

            her fury.

27'       You have become beautiful like a god. You rise above in the morning, O Ištar.

28'       You (Ištar) wailed with him (Dumuzi?), made your mouth weary.

29'       You (Ištar) heard his (Dumuzi’s?) prayer, his supplication at the days of [you]r praise.

30'       You (Ištar) presented a copious house for her (Geštin-ana’s?) living.

31'       When you (Ištar) went out through the gate, he (Dumuzi?) got angry with you.

32'       You (Ištar) made the winds carry her (Geštin-ana’s?) well-founded abode.

33'       [Y]ou (Ištar), as in your Anu-state(?), established her (Geštin-ana’s?) slavery in front of the rivers.

34'       The parapet is shouting her (Ištar’s) name: “With riches they led caravans to you!

35'       She is triumphant! She does not have grace! My (the parapet’s) provisions are present.”

36'       All the settlements have made known her stature in the lands.

37'       She has piled up (grain?) in the just harbor. As for the people – there is joy(?).

38'       [She (Ištar) hea]rd “The parapet is praising her name”.

39'       [Al]l the settlements are at her (Ištar’s) side. It is you who have placed the darling.

40'       You pursue [the enem]y(?). You watch the people, the caravans, the wagons.
41'       [The lint]el(?) of your gate is firm. Her dwelling – the parapet (of it) is shining.

42'       ... Your appearance is a sun-disc.
43'       You (fem.) make rejoicing) its ... You put its (the sun-disc’s) ..., like the moon, on the parapet of the           wall.

44'       [Where]ver(?) the two men were walking on the path through the mountains,

45'       they were attentive to you above(?), and they(!) called for you.

46'       You were favorable and took (them) into a shelter, O the power of the evening!
47'       You saved him on his way, (by) your heroism, you saved his companion.

 

col. vi

1          ...

2          ...

3          ...

 

Upper edge

[2(?) songs(?)] of praise for Ištar.