Chapter 2

Ho! there goes The eastern wall with Erech's strongest tower! And through the breach her furious foemen pour: A wall of steel withstands the onset fierce, But thronging Elam's spears the lines soon pierce, A band of chosen men there fight to die, Before their enemies disdain to fly; The _masari_[22] within the breach thus died, And with their dying shout the foe defied. The foes swarm through the breach and o'er the walls, And Erech in extremity loud calls Upon the gods for aid, but prays for naught, While Elam's soldiers, to a frenzy wrought, Pursue and slay, and sack the city old With fiendish shouts for blood and yellow gold. Each man that falls the foe decapitates, And bears the reeking death to Erech's gates. The gates are hidden 'neath the pile of heads That climbs above the walls, and outward spreads A heap of ghastly plunder bathed in blood. Beside them calm scribes of the victors stood, And careful note the butcher's name, and check The list; and for each head a price they make. Thus pitiless the sword of Elam gleams And the best blood of Erech flows in streams. From Erech's walls some fugitives escape, And others in Euphrates wildly leap, And hide beneath its rushes on the bank And many 'neath the yellow waters sank.

The harper of the Queen, an agèd man, Stands lone upon the bank, while he doth scan The horizon with anxious, careworn face, Lest ears profane of Elam's hated race Should hear his strains of mournful melody: Now leaning on his harp in memory Enwrapt, while fitful breezes lift his locks Of snow, he sadly kneels upon the rocks And sighing deeply clasps his hands in woe, While the dread past before his mind doth flow. A score and eight of years have slowly passed Since Rim-a-gu, with Elam's host amassed, Kardunia's ancient capital had stormed. The glorious walls and turrets are transformed To a vast heap of ruins, weird, forlorn, And Elam's spears gleam through the coming morn. From the sad sight his eyes he turns away, His soul breathes through his harp while he doth play With bended head his agèd hands thus woke The woes of Erech with a measured stroke:

O Erech! dear Erech, my beautiful home, Accadia's pride, O bright land of the bard, Come back to my vision, dear Erech, oh, come! Fair land of my birth, how thy beauty is marred! The horsemen of Elam, her spearsmen and bows, Thy treasures have ravished, thy towers thrown down, And Accad is fallen, trod down by her foes. Oh, where are thy temples of ancient renown?

Gone are her brave heroes beneath the red tide, Gone are her white vessels that rode o'er the main, No more on the river her pennon shall ride, Gargan-na is fallen, her people are slain. Wild asses[23] shall gallop across thy grand floors, And wild bulls shall paw them and hurl the dust high Upon the wild cattle that flee through her doors, And doves shall continue her mournful slave's cry.

Oh, where are the gods of our Erech so proud, As flies they are swarming away from her halls, The Sedu[24] of Erech are gone as a cloud, As wild fowl are flying away from her walls. Three years did she suffer, besieged by her foes, Her gates were thrown down and defiled by the feet Who brought to poor Erech her tears and her woes, In vain to our Ishtar with prayers we entreat.

To Ishtar bowed down doth our Bel thus reply, "Come, Ishtar, my queenly one, hide all thy tears, Our hero, Tar-u-man-i izzu Sar-ri,[25] In Kipur is fortified with his strong spears. The hope of Kardunia,[26] land of my delight, Shall come to thy rescue, upheld by my hands, Deliverer of peoples, whose heart is aright, Protector of temples, shall lead his brave bands."

Awake then, brave Accad, to welcome the day! Behold thy bright banners yet flaming on high, Triumphant are streaming on land and the sea! Arise, then, O Accad! behold the Sami![27] Arranged in their glory the mighty gods come In purple and gold the grand Tam-u[8] doth shine Over Erech, mine Erech, my beautiful home, Above thy dear ashes, behold thy god's sign!

[Footnote 1: "O Moon-god, hear my cry!" ("Siu lici unnini!") the name of the author of the Izdubar epic upon which our poem is based.]

[Footnote 2: "Khar-sak-kur-ra," the Deluge mountain on which the ark of Khasisadra (the Accadian Noah) rested.]

[Footnote 3: "Khar-sak-kal-ama" is a city mentioned in the Izdubar epic, and was probably situated at the base of Khar-sak-kur-ra, now called Mount Elwend. The same mountain is sometimes called the "Mountain of the World" in the inscriptions, where the gods were supposed to sometimes reside.]

[Footnote 4: "Pit-u-dal-ti," openers of the gates.]

[Footnote 5: "Masari," guards of the great gates of the city, etc.]

[Footnote 6: "Ellat-gula," the queen of Erech, the capital of Babylonia.]

[Footnote 7: "Tur-tan-u" was the army officer or general who in the absence of the sovereign took the supreme command of the army, and held the highest rank next to the queen or king.]

[Footnote 8: "Dannat" (the "Powerful Lady") was a title applied to the Queen, the mother of Izdubar (Sayce's ed. Smith's "Chal. Acc. of Gen.," p. 184). We have here identified her with Ellat-gula, the Queen of Babylon, who preceded Ham-murabi or Nammurabi, whom the inscriptions indicate was an Accadian. The latter we have identified with Nimrod, following the suggestion of Mr. George Smith.]

[Footnote 9: "Khumbaba" was the giant Elamitic king whom Izdubar overthrew. We identify him with the King of the Elamites who, allied with Rimsin or Rimagu, was overthrown by Nammurabi or Izdubar.]

[Footnote 10: "Rim-siu," above referred to, who overthrew Uruk, or Karrak, or Erech. He was King of Larsa, immediately south of Erech.]

[Footnote 11: "Nap-pa-khu," war-trumpet.]

[Footnote 12: "Bar-ru," army officer.]

[Footnote 13: "Samas," the sun-god.]

[Footnote 14: "Subartu" is derived from the Accadian "subar" ("high"), applied by the Accadians to the highlands of Aram or Syria. It is probable that all these countries, viz., Subartu, Goim, Lullubu, Kharsak-kalama, Eridu, and Duran, were at one time inhabited by the Accadians, until driven out by the Semites.]

[Footnote 15: "Sutu" is supposed to refer to the Arabians.]

[Footnote 16: "Kassi," the Kassites or Elamites. The Kassi inhabited the northern part of Elam.]

[Footnote 17: "Goim," or "Gutium," supposed by Sir Henry Rawlinson to be the Goyim of Gen. xiv, ruled by Tidal or Turgal ("the Great Son").]

[Footnote 18: "Lul-lu-bu," a country northward of Mesopotamia and Nizir.]

[Footnote 19: "Kharsak-kala-ma," the city supposed to lie at the base of Kharsak-kurra, or Mount Nizir, or Mount Elwend. The same city was afterward called Echatana.]

[Footnote 20: "Eridu," the land of Ur, or Erech.]

[Footnote 21: "Duran," Babylonia.]

[Footnote 22: "Masari," guards of the palace, etc.]

[Footnote 23: See Sayce's translation in the "Chal. Acc. of Gen.," by Smith, p. 193.]

[Footnote 24: "Sedu," spirits of prosperity.]

[Footnote 25: "Tar-u-mani izzu Sarri," son of the faith, the fire of kings, or fire-king.]

[Footnote 26: "Kardunia," the ancient name of Babylon.]

[Footnote 27: "Sami," heavens (plural).]

[Footnote 28: "Tamu," dawn or sunrise, day.]

COLUMN III

THE RESCUE OF ERECH BY IZDUBAR

Heabani, weary, eyes his native land, And on his harp now lays his trembling hand; The song has ended in a joyous lay, And yet, alas! his hands but sadly play: Unused to hope, the strings refuse their aid To tune in sympathy, and heartless played. Again the minstrel bows his head in woe, And the hot tear-drops from his eyelids flow, And chanting now a mournful melody, O'er Erech's fall, thus sang an elegy:

[1] "How long, O Ishtar, will thy face be turned, While Erech desolate doth cry to thee? Thy towers magnificent, oh, hast thou spurned? Her blood like water in Ul-bar,[2] oh, see! The seat of thine own oracle behold! The fire hath ravaged all thy cities grand, And like the showers of Heaven them all doth fold. O Ishtar! broken-hearted do I stand! Oh, crush our enemies as yonder reed! For hopeless, lifeless, kneels thy bard to thee, And, oh! I would exalt thee in my need, From thy resentment, anger, oh, us free!"

With eyes bedimmed with tears, he careful scans The plain, "Perhaps the dust of caravans It is! But no!! I see long lines of spears! A warrior from the lifting cloud appears, And chariots arrayed upon the plain! And is the glorious omen not in vain? What! no?" He rubs his eyes in wild surprise, And drinks the vision while he loudly cries: "Oh, joy! our standards flashing from afar! He comes! he comes! our hero Izdubar!" He grasps his harp inspired, again to wake In song--the cry of battle now doth break.

"Nin-a-rad,[3] servant of our great Nin,[4] Shall lead our hosts to victory! God of the chase and war, o'er him, oh, shine! Tar-u-ma-ni iz-zu sar-ri![5]

"Let Elam fall! the cause of Accad's woes, Revenge of Erech, be the cry! This land our father's blessed, our king they chose, Tar-u-ma-ni iz-zu sar-ri! Our holy fathers sleep upon this plain, We conquer, or we here will die; For victory, then raise the cry, ye men! Tar-u-ma-ni iz-zu sar-ri!"

The minstrel ceases, lifts his hands on high, And still we hear his joyful waning cry: Now echoed by yon hosts along the sky, "He comes! Tar-u-ma-ni iz-zu sar-ri! Great Accad's hosts arrayed with spears and shields Are coming! see them flashing o'er the fields! And he! bright flashing as the god's attire, Doth lead in burnished gold, our king of fire. His armor shines through yonder wood and fen, That tremble 'neath the tread of armèd men. See! from his jewelled breastplate, helmet, fly The rays like Samas from the cloudless sky! How martially he rides his sable steed, That proudly treads and lifts his noble head, While eagerly he gallops down the line, And bears his princely load with porte divine; And now, along the plains there sounds afar The piercing bugle-note of Izdubar; For Erech's walls and turrets are in view, And high the standards rise of varied hue. The army halts; the twanging bows are strung; And from their chariots the chieftains sprung. The wheeling lines move at each chief's command, With chariots in front;

On either hand Extend the lines of spears and cavalry, A wingèd storm-cloud waiting for its prey: And see! while Accad's army ready waits, The enemy are swarming from the gates. The charge, from either host, the trumpets sound, And bristling chariots from each army bound: A cloud of arrows flies from Accad's bows That hides the sun, and falls among their foes. Now roars the thunder of great Accad's cars, Their brazen chariots as blazing stars Through Nuk-khu's[6] depths with streams of blazing fire, Thus fall upon the foe with vengeful ire. The smoking earth shakes underneath their wheels, And from each cloud their thunder loudly peals. Thus Accad on their foes have fiercely hurled Their solid ranks with Nin-rad's flag unfurled, The charging lines meet with a fearful sound, As tempests' waves from rocks in rage rebound; The foe thus meet the men of Izdubar, While o'er the field fly the fierce gods of war. Dark Nin-a-zu[7] her torch holds in her hand. With her fierce screams directs the gory brand; And Mam-mit[8] urges her with furious hand, And coiling dragons[9] poison all the land With their black folds and pestilential breath, In fierce delight thus ride the gods of death.

The shouts of Accad mingle with the cries Of wounded men and fiery steeds, which rise From all the fields with shrieks of carnage, war, Till victory crowns the host of Izdubar. The chariots are covered with the slain, And crushed beneath lie dead and dying men, And horses in their harness wounded fall, With dreadful screams, and wildly view the wall Of dying warriors piling o'er their heads, And wonder why each man some fury leads; And others break across the gory plain In mad career till they the mountain gain; And snorting on the hills in wild dismay, One moment glance below, then fly away; Away from sounds that prove their masters, fiends, Away to freedom snuffing purer winds, Within some cool retreat by mountain streams, Where peacefully for them, the sun-light gleams. At last the foe is scattered o'er the plain, And Accad fiercely slays the flying men; When Izdubar beholds the victory won By Accad's grand battalions of the sun, His bugle-call the awful carnage stays, Then loud the cry of victory they raise.

[Footnote 1: The above elegy is an Assyrian fragment remarkably similar to one of the psalms of the Jewish bible, and I believe it belongs to the Irdubar epic (W.A. I. IV. 19, No. 3; also see "Records of the Past," vol. xi. p. 160).]

[Footnote 2: "Ul-bar," Bel's temple.]

[Footnote 3: "Nin-a-rad," literally "servant of Nin," or "Nin-mar-ad," "Lord of the city of Marad."]

[Footnote 4: "Nin," the god of the chase and war, or lord.]

[Footnote 5: "Tar-u-ma-ni izzu sar-ri," "son of the faith, the fire-king."]

[Footnote 6: "Nuk-khu," darkness (god of darkness).]

[Footnote 7: "Nin-a-zu," god of fate and death.]

[Footnote 8: "Mam-mit," or "Mam-mi-tu," goddess of fate.]

[Footnote 9: "Dragons," gods of chaos and death.]

COLUMN IV

CORONATION OF IZDUBAR

A crowd of maidens led a glorious van; With roses laden the fair heralds ran, With silver-throated music chant the throng, And sweetly sang the coronation song: And now we see the gorgeous cavalcade, Within the walls in Accad's grand parade They pass, led by the maidens crowned with flowers, Who strew the path with fragrance;--to the towers And walls and pillars of each door bright cling The garlands. Hear the maidens joyful sing!

"Oh, shout the cry! Accadians, joyful sing For our Deliverer! Oh, crown him King! Then strew his path with garlands, tulips, rose, And wave his banners as he onward goes; Our mighty Nin-rad comes, oh, raise the cry! We crown Tar-u-ma-ni iz-zu sar-ri!

Away to Samas' temple grand, away! For Accad crowns him, crowns him there! He is our chosen Sar[1] this glorious day, Oh, send the Khanga[2] through the air!

Then chant the chorus, all ye hosts above! O daughters, mothers, sing for him we love! His glory who can sing, who brings us joy? For hope and gladness all our hearts employ. He comes, our hope and strength in every war: We crown him as our king, our Izdubar!

Away to Samas' temple grand, away! For Accad crowns him, crowns him there! He is our chosen Sar this glorious day, Oh, send the Khanga through the air!"

Toward the temple filed the long parade, The nobles led while Accad's music played; The harps and timbrels, barsoms, drums and flutes Unite with trumpets and the silver lutes. Surrounded by his chieftains rides the Sar In purple robes upon his brazen car. Bedecked with garlands, steeds of whitest snow The chariot draw in state with movement slow, Each steed led by a _kisib_, nobleman, A score of beauteous horses linked in span. The army follows with their nodding plumes, And burnished armor, trumpets, rolling drums, And glistening spears enwreathed with fragrant flowers, While scarfs are waving from the crowded towers, And shouts of joy their welcome loud proclaim, And from each lip resounds their monarch's name.

And now before the holy temple stands The chariot, in silence cease the bands. Around an altar stand the waiting priests, And held by them, the sacrificial beasts. The hero from his chair descends, And bowing to the priests, he lowly bends Before the sacred altar of the Sun, And prays to Samas, Accad's Holy One.

[3] "O Samas, I invoke thee, throned on high! Within the cedars' shadow bright thou art, Thy footing rests upon immensity; All nations eagerly would seek thy heart. Their eyes have turned toward thee; O our Friend! Whose brilliant light illuminates all lands, Before thy coming all the nations bend, Oh, gather every people with thy hands! For thou, O Samas, knowest boundaries Of every kingdom, falsehood dost destroy, And every evil thought from sorceries Of wonders, omens, dreams that do annoy, And evil apparitions, thou dost turn To happy issue; malice, dark designs; And men and countries in thy might o'erturn, And sorcery that every soul maligns. Oh, in thy presence refuge let me find! From those who spells invoke against thy King, Protect one! and my heart within thine, oh, bind! [4]Thy breath within mine inmost soul, oh, bring! That I with thee, O Samas, may rejoice. And may the gods who me created, take Thy hands and lead me, make thy will my choice, [5]Direct my breath, my hands, and of me make They servant, Lord of light of legions vast, O Judge, thy glory hath all things surpassed!"

The King then rises, takes the sacred glass,[6] And holds it in the sun before the mass Of waiting fuel on the altar piled. The centring rays--the fuel glowing gild With a round spot of fire and quickly, spring Above the altar curling, while they sing!

[7] "Oh, to the desert places may it fly, This incantation holy! O spirit of the heavens, us this day Remember, oh, remember! O spirit of the earth, to thee we pray, Remember! Us remember!

"O God of Fire! a lofty prince doth stand, A warrior, and son of the blue sea, Before the God of Fire in thine own land, Before thy holy fires that from us free Dread Darkness, where dark Nuk-khu reigns. Our prince, as monarch we proclaim, His destiny thy power maintains, Oh, crown his glory with wide fame!

"With bronze and metal thou dost bless All men, and givest silver, gold. The goddess with the hornèd face Did bless us with thee from of old. From dross thy fires change gold to purity; Oh, bless our fire-king, round him shine With Heaven's vast sublimity! And like the earth with rays divine, As the bright walls of Heaven's shrine."

[Footnote 1: "Sar," king.]

[Footnote 2: "Khanga," chorus.]

[Footnote 3: One of the Accadian psalms is here quoted from "Chaldean Magic," by Lenormant, pp. 185, 186. See also "Records of the Past," vol. xi. pl. 17, col. 2.]

[Footnote 4: Literally, "Right into my marrow, O Lords of breath."]

[Footnote 5: Literally, "Direct the breath of my mouth!"]

[Footnote 6: Sacred glass, sun-glass used to light the sacred fire.]

[Footnote 7: Incantation to Fire ("Records of the Past," vol. xi. p. 137). The Accadian and Assyrian text is found in "C.I.W.A.," vol. iv. pl. 14, and on tablet K. 49,002, in the British Museum.]

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 gods 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 gods 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 godly 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 passions 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 god of the ocean.]

[Footnote 6: "Zi-na-ki," pronounced "zee-na-kee," spirits of purity.]

[Footnote 7: "Zi-si," corn-gods, 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 wingèd birds of heaven."]

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

COLUMN VI

IZDUBAR FALLS IN LOVE WITH ISHTAR, THE QUEEN OF LOVE