Chapter 5

Within the council halls now lead the seers With trepidation and with many fears, To hear the seer explain their monarch's dream. Beside the royal throne he sits supreme Among the seers, the Sar, his scribe commands To read his dream recorded as it stands In Erech's Gi;[2] who reads it to the seer, Who answers thus: "In this there doth appear A god, whose ardent love will lead to deeds Of hate against thee, Sar; thy present needs Are great, O king! as fire this love will burn Until the wicked seven[3] on thee turn; And blood, alone, will not their fury sate: The gods will hurl upon thee some dread fate." In silence, Izdubar the warning heard; His blood with terror froze, and then was stirred By passions wild, when he recalled the scene Of Ishtar's love for him by man unseen; When she so wildly then proclaimed her love; And now with hate his inmost soul doth move, And her bright form to a black dal-khu[4] turned And furious passions on his features burned. And then of the first dream he thought, and light Across his vision broke: "'Tis true! aright Thy seer hath read! for Ishtar came to me In the first dream, her face e'en yet I see! Aye, more! her lips to mine again then fell! Her arms I felt around me,--breath too well I know! of fragrance, while perfume arose Around my dream and fled not at the close; As frankincense and myrrh it lingered, when I woke. Ah yes! the queen will come again!" Then to his counsellor who wondering stood, Nor heard his murmuring, but saw subdued His features were, at first, and then, they grand Became with settled hate; he raised his hand; "'Tis true!" he said, "Reward on him bestow! Then to the waiting feast we all shall go."

[Footnote 1: "Su-khu-li ru-bi," attendants of the King.]

[Footnote 2: "Gi," literally a written tablet, a record.]

[Footnote 3: The seven wicked spirits of the earth, air, and ocean.]

[Footnote 4: "Dal-khu," an evil spirit, a demon.]

COLUMN VI

IZDUBAR SLAYS THE MIDANNU IN THE FESTIVE HALL, AND HEABANI DECLARES HIM TO BE A GOD

The guests are seated round the festal board; Heabani takes his seat beside his lord. The choicest viands of the wealthy plain Before them placed and fishes of the main, With wines and cordials, juices rich and rare The chieftains all enjoy--the royal fare. This day, with Izdubar they laugh and joke 'Mid courtesies and mirth, and oft provoke The ringing merry laughter through the halls. When all are satisfied within the walls, Their fill have eaten of the royal fare, With wine they banish from them every care.

The Su-khu-li[1] with tinkling bells proclaim, "Our Sar would speak! Our king of mighty fame," Who says: "My chieftains, lords, our seer requests A test of strength before assembled guests; Unarmed requires your Sar-dan-nu to slay The Mid-an-nu[2] which he hath brought to-day. So stand aside, my friends, behold the test! Your Sar will satisfy his seer and guest." The monster now is brought before the king, Heabani him unchains to let him spring Upon the giant king. His chieftains stand In terror looking at their monarch grand, Who smiling stands, his eyes on the beast fixed; While they in wildest terror are transfixed.

Heabani claps his hands towards the king, And the wild beast upon his form doth spring. The giant grasps its throat in high mid-air, [3]And holds it 'neath his arm without a fear. With sullen choking roars it struggling dies, While shouts of joy from all the guests arise. The mighty deed of strength the seer appals, And at the feet of Izdubar he falls: "Immortal king! illustrious of men! Thy glorious strength reveals the gods again On earth. To thee I bow in reverent fear, A god returned thou art! O Erech, hear! Of kingdoms thou art blessed with grandest fame, That thou among thy kings a god can name." Again they gathered round the festal board, And joy and revelry they soon restored. The revels high are raised o'er sparkling wine; Through all the night they praise their king divine.

[Footnote 1: "Su-khu-li," the attendants.]

[Footnote 2: "Mid-an-nu," carnivorous animal, supposed to be a lion, the pet of the seer.]

[Footnote 3: This feat of Izdubar is portrayed on the bas-relief in the Louvre Museum, Paris, from the Khorsabad sculpture, and is also copied in Sayce's edition of Smith's "Chaldean Account of Genesis." opposite p. 175.]

TABLET IV[1]--COLUMN I

THE ANNUAL SALE OF THE MAIDENS OF BABYLON

Hail holy union! wedded love on earth! The highest bliss which crowns us from our birth, Our joy! the mainspring of our life and aims, Our great incentive when sweet love inflames Our hearts to glorious deeds and ever wreathes Around our brows, the happy smile that breathes Sweet fragrance from the home of holy love, And arms us with a courage from above.

O Woman! Woman! weave thy love around Thy chosen lover, who in thee hath found A loveliness and purity so sweet, That he doth watch for coming of the feet That brings him happiness and thrill his heart-- For one, of all thy kind who can impart To him the holiest bliss, the sweetest joy, That e'er can crown his life so tenderly; He worships thee within a holy fane, Let not his hope and joy be all in vain!

O thou, sweet Queen! we crown thee in our homes, And give to thee our love that holy comes From Heaven to inspire and bless our lives. For this mankind all hope to take pure wives To sacredest of all our temples, shrines, And keep thee pure within sweet love's confines That we may worship thee, and daily bring Devotions to our altar,--to thee sing Our orisons of praise, and sacred keep Our homes till we shall softly drop asleep Within the arms we love so tenderly, And carry with us a sweet memory Of purity and bliss that blessed our lives, And children gave from sweetest of pure wives.

Thou art our all! O holy woman, pure Forever may thy charms on earth endure! Oh, trample not upon thy husband's love! For true devotion he doth daily prove. Oh, shackle not his feet in life's fierce strife, His weary shoulders burden,--blast his life! Or palsy those dear hands that work for thee, And fill his eyes with tears of agony, Till love shall turn as acid to his teeth, And thorns shall tear his side with hellish wreath, And daggers pierce his heart, and ice his soul, And thou become to him a hated ghoul!

[2]What married woman is untainted, pure? She, who when married spreads for men no lure, Bestows caresses on no man but him Who is her husband; she who doth not trim Her form to catch the vulgar gaze, nor paints Herself, or in her husband's absence taunts Not her sweet purity; exposes not Her form undraped, whose veil no freeman aught Has raised;[3] or shows her face to others than Her slaves; and loves alone her husbandman; She who has never moistened her pure lips With liquors that intoxicate;[4] nor sips With others joys that sacred are alone To him, her strength; who claims her as his own.

O Beauty, Purity, my theme inspire! To woman's love of old, my muse aspire! When her sweet charms were equally bestowed, And fairest of the sex with hopes imbued Of capturing men of wealth and lives of ease, When loveliness at public sale[5] doth please The nobles of the land to wealth bestow Upon ill-favored sisters, maids of woe, Who claimed no beauty, nor had lovely charms; When crones and hags, and maids with uncouth forms, Secured a husbandman despite of fate, And love redeemed them from the arms of hate.

The proclamation Izdubar had made To bring to the great plaza every maid, For Beltis' feast and Hergal's now arrives, When maidens are selected as the wives Of noblemen or burghers of the towns And cities of the kingdom; when wealth crowns The nobles richest, ever as of old, With beauty they have purchased with their gold. The festival, the Sabat-tu[6] hath come! The Sabat-tu of Elul! hear the hum Of voices filling Erech's streets! The maids are coming, how each gaily prates! The day and hour has come for them to stand And meet the bidders from all Sumir's land; The day that ends their maidenhood, and brings Them joy or not. Oh, how the poor young things With throbbing hearts approach yon gathering throng To hear their fate pronounced; but is it wrong? The custom old, Accadia thinks is good, They all are young and fresh with maidenhood; The ugly ones as well, shall husbands have, And their young lives from shame thus they will save. No aged maids shall pass from yonder throng With bitterness,--their heart's unuttered song For some dear love to end their joyless woe, And longings unallayed that e'er may flow.

But Love! O where art thou? art thou a thing That gold may buy? Doth lucre thy bright wing Unfold to hover over human hearts? Oh, no! Thy presence to our soul imparts A sweeter joy than selfishness can give, Thou givest love that thou mayst love receive; Nor asking aught of wealth, of rank, or fame. True love in palace, hovel, is the same Sweet joy, the holiest of sacred things. For this we worship Ishtar, for she brings Us happiness, when we ourselves forget In the dear arms we love; no coronet Of power, or countless gold, or rank, or fame, Or aught that life can give, or tongue can name, Can reach the heart that loyally doth love, Nor hopes of heaven, nor fears of hell can move.

Mayhap, this Sabattu, some lover may All wealth he claims abandon on this day, For the dear heart that seeming pleads to him, While her fond glistening eyes shall on him gleam. A look, a glance; when mingling souls speak love, Will in his breast undying longings move; And let us hope that when the youths have lain[7] Their all before the herald, that no men Who see their sacrifice will rob their hearts Of all that gives them joy or bliss imparts; Or that this day alone will maidens see Who have not loved, and they will happy be With him who purchases her as his wife; Or proud young beauties will enjoy the strife Of bidders to secure their lovely charms, And love may bring their husbands to their arms.

The day is sacred, dedicated old To Love and Strength, when loving arms shall fold A vigorous husband to a maiden's breast, Where she may ever stay and safely rest. The day of Ishtar, Queen of Love! the day Of Nergal, the strong god, to whom they pray For strength to bless with vigor Accad's sons. For many anxious years this day atones.

[8]This day their Sar the flesh of birds eats not, Nor food profaned by fire this day, nor aught Of labor may perform nor _zubat_[9] change, Nor snowy _ku-bar-ra_[10] anew arrange. A sacrifice he offers not, nor rides Upon his chariot this day, nor guides His realm's affairs, and his Tur-tan-nu rests. Of soldiers, and of orders, he divests His mind; and even though disease may fall Upon him, remedies he may not call. The temple he shall enter in the night, And pray that Ishtar's favor may delight His heart; and lift his voice in holy prayer, In Nergal's temple rest from every care, Where he before the holy altar bends With lifted hands, his soul's petition sends.

Around the square the palms and cedars shine, And bowers of roses cluster round divine. Beneath an arch of myrtles, climbing vines, And canopy,--with wreathing flowers it shines, There stands a wondrous garland-wreathèd throne, Where maids are gathered;--each unmarried one. The timid maids and bold of Babylon Are each in turn led to the rosy throne; The crowd of bidders round the herald stand, The richest and the poorest of the land.

The queen of Accad's maids doth now appear, We see the burnished chariot coming near, Ten beauteous bays with proud steps, nodding plumes Come first; behind, a train of nobles comes; And now we see the close-drawn canopy Thrown back by slaves, who step aside, that she The queen of beauty crowned with lilies, rose, May here alight. And see! she queenly goes With dainty steps between the noblemen, Who stand on either side the queen Of beauty of the plains, who first this day Shall reign upon the throne, and lead the way For all the maids who shall be bought for gold, And thus the first upon the throne is sold.

She takes her seat beneath the canopy, Upon the throne high raised, that all may see; As she her veil of fine spun gold flings back From her sweet face and o'er her ringlets black, Her large dark eyes, soft as a wild gazelle's, Upon the richest nobles dart appeals. Her bosom throbs 'neath gems and snowy lace, And robes of broidered satin, velvets, grace Her beauty with their pearly folds that fall Around her form.

Hark! hear the herald's call! "Behold this pearl! my lords and noblemen, And who will bid for her as wife, my men?" "Ana-bilti khurassi ash at ka!"[11] "Akhadu khurassi ana sa-sa!"[12] "U sinu bilti khurassi!"[11] two cried. "Sal-sutu bilti!"[12] nobles three replied; And four, and five, and six, till one bid ten, A vast amount of gold for noblemen:

But see! the bidders in excitement stand Around a youth who cries with lifted hand And features pale and stern, who now began To bid against a wealthy nobleman, Whose countless herds graze far upon the plain, His laden ships that ride upon the main He counts by scores. He turns his evil eyes And wolfish face upon the youth and cries, "Khamisserit!"[13] The lover answering says: "Esra'a!"[14] "U selasa'a!"[15] then brays The gray-haired lover. "U irbaha!"[16] cries The youth, and still the nobleman defies; Who answers cooly, "Khausa'a;"[17] and eyes The anxious youth, who wildly "Miha!"[18] cries. "Mine! mine! she is! though you _alapu_[19] bid!" "A fool thou art!" the noble, leaving, said. "One hundred talents for a maid!" he sneered, And in the crowd he growling disappeared. The measures filled with shining gold are brought, And thus the loveliest of all is bought.

The next in beauty on the throne is sold, And thus the beautiful are sold for gold. The richest thus select the beautiful, The poor must take alone the dutiful And homely with a dower which beauty bought, And ugliness with gold becomes his lot. The ugliest, unsightly, and deformed, Is now brought forth; with many wriggles squirmed She to the throne, where beauty late had sat: Her ugliness distorted thus; whereat The herald cries: "Who will this woman take With smallest dowry? She can cook and bake, And many household duties well perform, Although she does not claim a beauty's charm. Who wants a wife?" The ugly crone with blinks Doth hideous look, till every bidder shrinks. A sorry spectacle, mis-shapen, gross, She is, and bidders now are at a loss How much to ask to take the hag to wife. At last one cries: "Five _bilti,_[20] for relief Of herald I will take, to start the bid!" "And four of _bilti_, I'll take, with the maid!" "Three and a half!" one cries with shaking head, "And she is yours, my man!" the herald said, And thus she bought a husband and a home.

And so the scare-crows, scraggy ones, now come In turn; the lean, ill-favored, gawky, bald, Long-nosed, uncouth, raw-boned, and those with scald And freckled, frowsy, ricketty and squat, The stumpy, bandy-leggèd, gaunt, each bought A man; though ugly as a toad, they sold, For every man with her received his gold. The heaped-up gold which beauteous maids had brought Is thus proportioned to the bidder's lot; The grisly, blear-eyed, every one is sold, And husbands purchased for a pile of gold, And happiness diffused throughout the land; For when the maid refused her husband's hand She might return by paying back the gold. And every maid who thus for wife was sold Received a bond from him who purchased her, To wed her as his wife, or else incur The forfeit of his bond, and thus no maids In all the land were found as grumbling jades, Whose fate it was to have no husbandman, For every woman had a husband then.

[Footnote 1: We have included in Tablet IV Tablets V and VI of the original, as classified by Mr. Sayce.]

[Footnote 2: The above is taken from an Assyrian fragment ("W.A.I.," ii. 35, No. 4) translated in "Records of the Past," vol. xi., pp. 159, 160, and presents the Assyrian view of purity and the customs of their people.]

[Footnote 3: Literally, "whose veil no freeman of pure race has raised." Before slaves and men of mean rank, women of the East are not obliged to veil the face.]

[Footnote 4: Literally, "who has never moistened her teeth with an intoxicating liquor." "Rec. of the Past," p. 160, l. 6.]

[Footnote 5: The public sale herein described is taken from the statement of Herodotus (see Herodotus, vol. i., p. 196. Compare "Nic. Dam. Fr.," 131, and Ælian. "Var. Hist.," iv. 1), who says all the marriageable virgins in all the towns of the empire or kingdom were sold at public auction. The beautiful maidens were sold to the highest bidder, and the proceeds were deposited before the herald. The ugly maidens in turn were then put up, and the bidders were called upon to take them as wives with the smallest dowry to be paid from the proceeds of the sales of the beautiful maids, and they were in turn awarded to those who would accept them with the smallest amount as dowry. The numerous contracts for the sales of women now in the British Museum may possibly be records of these transactions.]

[Footnote 6: "Sab-at-tu," a day of rest for the heart ("W.A.I.," ii. 32), the Sabbath day, which was dedicated to the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, and their gods, which were known by different names.]

[Footnote 7: "Lain," to lay, v.a. (pretr. "laid," part, passive "lain," from "liggan," Sax.), "to place along the ground."--Fenning's Royal Eng. Dic., London, MDCLXXV.]

[Footnote 8: From the Babylonian Festival Calendar ("C.I.W.A.," vol. iv., pls. 32, 33); also translated in "Records of the Past," vol. vii., pp. 162, 163.]

[Footnote 9: "Zubat," robes.]

[Footnote 10: "Ku-bar-ra," linen robes.]

[Footnote 11: "And two golden talents!"]

[Footnote 12: "Three talents!"]

[Footnote 13: "Fifteen!"]

[Footnote 14: "Twenty!"]

[Footnote 15: "And thirty!"]

[Footnote 16: "And forty!"]

[Footnote 17: "Fifty!"]

[Footnote 18: "One hundred!"]

[Footnote 19: "One thousand!"]

[Footnote 20: "Five bilti," about £3,165 sterling, or $15,825.]

COLUMN II

COUNCIL IN THE PALACE

The seers on silver couches round the throne; The hangings of the carved lintel thrown Aside; the heralds cried: "The Sar! The Sar! The council opens our King Izdubar!" The Sar walked o'er the velvets to his throne Of gold inlaid with gems. A vassal prone Before the Sar now placed the stool of gold, Arranged his royal robes with glittering fold Of laces, fringes rich inwove with pearls, Embroidered with quaint figures, curious twirls. Behind the throne a prince of royal blood Arrayed in courtly splendor, waiting stood, And gently waved a jewelled fan aloft Above the Sar's tiara; carpets soft From Accad's looms the varied tilings bright, In tasteful order, part conceal from sight.

The glittering pillars stand with gold o'erlaid In rows throughout the room to the arcade, Within the entrance from a columned hall. The ivory-graven panels on the wall On every side are set in solid gold. The canopy chased golden pillars hold Above the throne, and emeralds and gems Flash from the counsellor's rich diadems. In silence all await the monarch's sign: "This council hath been called, the hour is thine To counsel with thy King upon a plan Of conquest of our foes, who ride this plain, Unchecked around; these Suti should be driven From Sumir's plain. Have ye our wrongs forgiven? Khumbaba hath enjoyed great Accad's spoils Too long; with him we end these long turmoils. What sayest thou, Heabani?--all my seers? Hath Accad not her chariots and spears?"

Then one among the wisest seers arose "To save our precious tune which hourly flows, He should our seer, Rab-sak-i[1] first invite To lay his plans before the Sar, and light May break across our vision. I confess Great obstacles I see, but acquiesce In any plan you deem may bring success. The gods, I feel our cause will gladly bless." Another spoke, and all agree at last To hear the seer whose wisdom all surpassed.

Heabani modestly arose and said, And gracefully to all inclined his head: "O Sar! thy seer will gladly counsel give To thee, and all our seers; my thanks receive For thy great confidence in my poor skill To crush our foes who every country fill. I with the Sar agree that we should strike A blow against the rival king, who like Our Sar, is a great giant king, and lives Within a mountain castle, whence he grieves All nations by his tyranny, and reigns With haughty power from Kharsak to these plains. I'll lead the way, my Sar, to his wild home; 'Tis twenty _kas-pu_[2] hence, if you will come. A wall surrounds his castle in a wood, With brazen gates strong fastened. I have stood Beneath the lofty pines which dwindle these To shrubs that grow in parks as ornate trees. The mighty walls will reach six _gars_[3] in height, And two in breadth, like Nipur's[4] to the sight. And when you go, take with you many mules; With men to bring the spoils, and needed tools To break the gates, his castle overthrow: To lose no time, to-morrow we should go. To Erech, pines and cedars we can bring With all the wealth of Elam's giant king, And Erech fill with glorious parks and halls, Remove these _man-u-bani,_[5] ruined walls. Take to your hearts, ye seers, poor Erech's wrongs! Her fall, the bards of Elam sing in songs. I love dear Erech, may her towers shine!" He seized his harp, thus sung the seer divine:

"O Erech! thy bright plains I love; Although from thee thy seer did rove, My heart remained with thee! The foe destroyed thy beauteous towers, Sa-mu forgot to rain her showers, And could I happy be?

Mine eyes beheld thy fallen gates, Thy blood warm flowing in thy streets, My heart was broken then. I raised mine eyes and saw thy Sar In glory on his steed of war, And joy returned again!

I saw the foe in wild dismay Before him flee that glorious day. With joy I heard the cry Of victory resound afar, Saw Elam crushed 'neath Accad's car: I shouted, Victory!

Away! till birds of prey shall rend His flesh and haughty Elam bend Before our mighty Sar! Beneath his forest of pine-trees The battle-cry then loudly raise, We follow Izdubar!

And may the birds of prey surround Khumbaba stretched upon the ground, Destroy his body there! And Izdubar alone be king, And all his people joyful sing, With glory crown him here!

All hail! All hail! our giant King, The _amaranti_[6] for him bring, To crown him, crown him here, As King of Accad and Sutu, And all the land of Subar-tu! So sayeth Hea's seer!"

The counsellors and chieftains wildly cry Around the throne, "All hail _izzu sar-ri_ Of Su-bar-tu!" and shouting leave the halls To summon Accad's soldiers from the walls To hear the war proclaimed against their foes, And Accad's war-cry from them loud arose. King Izdubar Heabani warmly prest Within his arms upon his throbbing breast, And said, "Let us to the war temple go, That all the gods their favor may bestow." The seer replied, "Tis well! then let us wend Our way, and at the altar we will bend,-- To Ishtar's temple, where our goddess queen Doth reign, seek her propitious favor, then In Samas' holy temple pray for aid To crush our foe;--with glory on each blade, Our hands will carry victory in war." The chiefs, without the temple, join their Sar.

[Footnote 1: "Rab-sak-i," chief of the high ones, chief of the seers and counsellors; prime minister.]

[Footnote 2: "Twenty kaspu," 140 miles; each kaspu was seven miles, or two hours' journey.]

[Footnote 3: "Six gars," 120 feet; each gar was a twenty-foot measure. Khumbaba's walls were thus 120 feet high and forty feet thick--much like the walls of Babylon.]

[Footnote 4: "Nipur" was one of the cities of Izdubar's kingdom, from whence he came to the rescue of Erech.]