She can make the lament
for you, my Dumuzid, the lament for you, the lament, the lamentation,
reach the desert -- she can make it reach the house Arali; she can
make it reach Bad-tibira; she can make it reach Dull Cuba; she can
make it reach the shepherding country, the sheepfold of Dumuzid
.......
20 lines fragmentary or missing
...... she broods on it:
"O Dumuzid of the fair-spoken mouth, of the ever kind eyes,"
she sobs tearfully, "O you of the fair-spoken mouth, of the ever
kind eyes," she sobs tearfully. "Lad, husband, lord, sweet
as the date, ...... O Dumuzid!" she sobs, she sobs tearfully.
Holy Inanna ......
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The goddess ....... The maiden Inanna ....... She was pacing to and
fro in the chamber of her mother who bore her, in prayer and
supplication, while they stood in attendance on her respectfully:
"O my mother ...... with your permission let me go to the
sheepfold! O my mother Ningal ...... with your permission let me go to
the sheepfold! My father has shone forth for me in lordly fashion
...... Suen has shone forth for me in lordly fashion ......."
Like a child sent on an errand by its own mother, she went out from
the chamber; like one sent on an errand by mother Ningal, she went out
from the chamber. Full knowledgeable my lady was, and also she was
full apt, full knowledgeable holy Inanna was, and also she was full
apt. Beer stored in remote days, in long past days .......
c. 19 lines missing
...... from the sheepfold.
1 line missing
...... to the house of old woman Belulu (source, erroneously: Belili).
There the shepherd, head beaten in, ......, Dumuzid, head beaten in,
......; Ama-ucumgal-ana, head beaten in, .......
"The sheep of my master, of Dumuzid, in the desert ....... O
Inanna, a man who was not the shepherd was returning beside my
master's sheep!"
The lady created a song for her young husband, fashioned a song for
him, holy Inanna created a song for Dumuzid, fashioned a song for him:
"O you who lie at rest, shepherd, who lie at rest, you stood
guard over them! Dumuzid, you who lie at rest, you stood guard over
them! Ama-ucumgal-ana, you who lie at rest, you stood guard over them!
Rising with the sun you stood guard over my sheep (?), lying down by
night only, you stood guard over my sheep (?)!"
Then the son of old woman Belulu, matriarch and her own mistress, --
Jirjire, a man on his own, fit for the fields and a knowledgeable man
-- was filling pen and fold with his captured cattle, and was stacking
his stacks and piles of grain. He left scattered in the fields his
victims struck down with the mace. Sirru of Edin-lila, no one's child
and no one's friend, sat before him and held converse with him.
That day what was in the lady's heart? What was in holy Inanna's
heart? To kill old woman Belulu was in her heart! To make good the
resting place for her beloved young husband, for Dumuzid
-Ama-ucumgal-ana -- that was in her heart! My lady went to Belulu in
Edin-lila. Her son Jirjire like the wind there did ...... Sirru of
Edin-lila, no one's child and no one's friend, .......
Holy Inanna entered the alehouse, stepped into a seat, began to
determine fate: "Begone! I have killed you; so it is indeed, and
with you I destroy also your name: May you become the water skin for
cold water that is used in the desert! May her son Jirjire together
with her become the protective god of the desert and the protective
goddess of the desert! May Sirru of Edin-lila, no one's child and no
one's friend, walk in the desert and keep count of the flour, and when
water is libated and flour sprinkled for the lad wandering in the
desert, let the protective god of the desert and the protective
goddess of the desert call out: "Libate!", call out:
"Sprinkle!", and thereby cause him to be present in the
place from which he vanished, in the desert! Let old woman Belulu
gladden his heart!"
And immediately, under the sun of that day, it truly became so. She
became the water skin for cold water that is used in the desert. Her
son Jirjire together with her became the protective god of the desert
and the protective goddess of the desert. Sirru of Edin-lila, no one's
child and no one's friend, walks in the desert and keeps count of the
flour, and when water is libated and flour sprinkled for the lad
wandering in the desert, the protective god of the desert and the
protective goddess of the desert call out: "Libate!", call
out: "Sprinkle!", and thereby cause him to be present in the
place from which he vanished, in the desert. Old woman Belulu gladdens
his heart. Inanna put out her hand to the lad on the ground, put out
her hand to Dumuzid on the ground, his death-bound hands ......
c. 12 lines missing
The francolin ...... to the ...... of its ....... The francolin ......
to the birthplace of Dumuzid. Like a pigeon on its window ledge it
took counsel with itself; the francolin in its shelter took counsel.
Only his mother Durtur can gladden my master! Only his mother Durtur
can gladden Dumuzid! My goddess, born in Kuara, the maiden who is the
crown of all ......, the admiration and acclaim of the black-headed
people, the playful one who also voices laments and the cries, who
intercedes before the king -- Jectin-ana, the lady, did .......
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The maiden ...... the admiration. Jectin-ana ....... The sacred one,
Inanna ...... in her hand. ...... together. ...... replied:
"Let me utter the lament for you, the lament for you, the lament!
Brother, let me utter the lament for you, the lament! ...... let me
utter the lament for you, the lament! Let me utter the lament for you,
the lament in the house Arali! Let me utter the lament for you, the
lament in Dull Cuba! Let me utter the lament for you, the lament in
Bad-tibira! Let me utter the lament for you, the lament in the
shepherding country!"
How truly the goddess proved the equal of her betrothed, how truly
holy Inanna proved the equal of the shepherd Dumuzid! It was granted
to Inanna to make good his resting place, it was granted to the
goddess to avenge him!
"Let me utter the lament for you, the lament for you, the lament!
Let me utter the lament for you, the lament for you, the lament! In
the birthplace let me utter the lament for you, the lament! In the
desert, O Dumuzid, let me utter the lament for you, the lament! In the
house Arali let me utter the lament for you, the lament! In Dull Cuba
let me utter the lament for you, the lament! In Bad-tibira let me
utter the lament for you, the lament! In the shepherding country let
me utter the lament for you, the lament!"
How truly she proved the equal of Dumuzid, avenging him; by killing
Belulu, Inanna proved equal to him!
An ulila song of Inanna.
