The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld

1To the land of No-return, the region [. . .]

2Ishtar, the daughter of Sin, directed her thought,^ The daughter of Sin directed her thought,

3To the house of darkness, Irkalla's dwelling place,

4To the house from which he who enters never returns,

5To the road whose path turns not back.

6To the house where he who enters is deprived of light,

7Where dust is their sustenance, their food clay.

8Light they see not, in darkness do they sit,

9They are clothed Uke a bird, with wings as a covering,

10Over door and bolt is spread the dust.

11Ishtar, when she came to the door of the land of

12Addressed the word to the porter of the door: "O watchman, open the door,

13Open the door that I may enter.

14If thou dost not open the door, that I may enter,

15I shall shatter the door, I shall break the bolt,

16I shall shatter the threshold, I shall tear down the doors,

17I shall bring up the dead that they may eat the living,^

18The dead shall be more numerous than the Uving."

19The porter opened his mouth and spake

20He spake to the great Ishtar: "Stay, my lady, do not destroy,

21I will go, I will announce thy name to my sovereign Ereskigal"^

22The watchman went within, he spake [to Eresh-kigal] :

23This is thy sister Ishtar [. . .]

24The enmity (?) of the great houses of joy [. . . ."Y When Ereshkigal [heard this . . .]

25As when one cuts down the tamarisk [she moved (?)]'

26As when one breaks the reed [. . . she said?] "For what has her heart moved her to me? For what has her mind borne her to me?

27For food I will eat the clay, for drink I will drink [water.]

28That I may weep for the men who have left their wives,

29That I may weep for the women [torn] from their husbands bosoms.

30That I may weep for the little child [snatched away before] their day.

31Go, watchman, open the gate,

32Ereshkigal is queen of Hades, and wife of Nergal, god of the dead.

33The sense of the line is still quite undetermined.

34Do unto her according to the ancient custom."

35The watchman went and opened for her his gate:

36"Enter, my lady, Cutha greets tliee.

37May the palace of the land of No-return be glad at thy presence."

38The first door, he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the great crown from her head. "Why, watchman, hast thou taken the great crowTi from my head?" "Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

39The second door he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the pendants from her ears. "Why, watchman, hast thou taken the pendants from my ears?" "Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

40The third door he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the chains from her neck. "Why, watchman, hast thou taken the chains from my neck?"

41"Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

42The fourth door he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the ornaments from her bosom.

43"Why, watchman, hast thou taken the ornaments from my bosom?" "Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

44The fifth door he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the girdle, with birth stones, from her hips

45"Why, watchman, hast thou taken the girdle, with birth stones, from my hips?" "Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

46The sixth door he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the bracelets from her hands and feet. "Why, watchman, hast thou taken the bracelets from my hands and feet?" "Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

47The seventh door he made her enter, he opened it wide, he took the breech-cloth from her body. "Why, watchman, hast thou taken the breech-cloth from my body?"* "Enter, my lady, so are the orders of the sovereign of the land."

48When Ishtar had descended to the land of No- return,

49Ereshliigal saw her and in her presence was irri- tated.

50Ishtar took no heed, she went toward her.

51Ereshkigal opened her mouth and spoke,

52To Namtar,^ her messenger she addressed a word, ''Go, Namtar, lock her up [in my palace].

53Loose against her sixty maladies . . . Ishtar,

54Malady of the eyes against [her eyes,]

55Malady of the sides against [her sides,]

56Malady of the feet against [her feet,]

57Malady of the heart against [her heart,]

58Malady of the head against [her head,]

59Against her altogether [. . .]

60Since the lady Ishtar descended to the land of

61The bull does not spring upon the cow, the ass does not bow over the jenny The man no more bows over the woman in the street.

62The man sleeps in his chamber

63The woman sleeps alone.^

64Namtar, besides being a messenger, is also a demon of illness.

65Ishtar is the goddess of love, and during her absence in the land of the dead is not able to exercise her influence upon the generative instincts.

66Reverse:

67The countenance of Papsukkal/ messenger of the great gods, was fallen, his face darkened,

68He was clad in mourning, with foul garments covered,

69Then went Shamash,^ before Sin his father, he wept.

70In the presence of king Ea came his tears :

71"Ishtar has descended to the earth, she has not come up again.

72Since Ishtar has descended to the land of No-return,

73The bull has not sprung upon the cow, the ass has not bent over the jenny The man no more bows over the woman in the street.

74The man sleeps in his chamber,

75The woman sleeps alone.

76Then Ea created in his wise heart an image,

77He created Asushunamir,^ a player (?)* "Go, Asushunamir, set thy face to the gate of the land of No-return,

78The seven doors of the land of No-return shall be opened before thee.

79Ereshkigal shall behold thee, and in thy presence rejoice.

80When her heart has been calmed, her soul enlivened,

81Let her swear by the great gods!* Lift thy head, turn thy attention to the khalziki- water skin O Lady, let one give me the khalziki-w&ter skin, that I may drink water therefrom."

82When Ereshkigal heard this She beat upon her breast and bit her finger;

83Thou hast expressed a desire which may not be desired.

84Go, Asushunamir, I curse thee with a great curse. "The food in the gutters of the city shall be thy food,

85The sewers of the city shall be thy drink.

86The shadow of the walls shall be thy dwelling,

87The thresholds shall be thy habitation.

88The drunken and the thirsty shall smite thy cheek."

89Ereshkigal opened her mouth and spoke

90The idea of this and the following lines seems to be that, having won her favor, he was to ask an impossible thing after she had sworn to grant anything. When she refused, and so broke her oath, she would no longer have power over Ishtar.

91To Namtar, her messenger, she addressed the word: "Go, Namtar, knock at the palace of justice,

92Knock at the thresholds of gleaming jewels.

93Bring forth the Anunnaki,^ let them be seated upon the golden throne,

94Sprinkle Ishtar with the water of life, and bring her before me"

95Namtar went and knocked at the palace of justice.

96He knocked at the thresholds of gleaming jewels,

97He brought forth the Anunnaki, he seated them upon the golden throne.

98He sprinkled Ishtar with the water of Ufe, and brought her forth.

99From the first door he brought her out, and gave her back the breech-cloth of her body,

100From the second door he brought her out, and gave her back the bracelets of her hands and feet.

101From the third door he brought her out, and gave her back the girdle, with birth stones, of her hips,

102From the fourth door he brought her out, and gave her back the ornaments of her bosom,

103From the fifth door he brought her out, and gave her back the chains of her neck.

104From the sixth door he brought her out, and gave her back the pendants of her ears,

105From the seventh door he brought her out, and gave her back the great crown of her head. "If she do not accord her dehverance to thee, turn thy face to her,^ To Tammuz, beloved of her youth,' Pour out pure waters, offer good oil.

106With a red garment clothe him, let him play upon a flute of lapis-lazuli

107Let the maidens of joy, their mind [. . .]

108[When] Belili,^ the treasure [. . .]

109With precious stones her bosom is filled Belili heard the wailing of her brother, Belili smote the treasure which [. . .]

110The precious stones she arranged [in] her sanc- tuary.

111"My only brother disgrace me not.

112In the days of Tammuz play for me on the flute of lapis-lazuli, on the ring of jade (?), play with him,

113When, with him, the wailers, male and female, do play Let the dead return and smell the incense.^