Chapter 9

THE KING AND SEER CONVERSING ON THEIR WAY TO KHASI-SADRA--INTERPRETATION OF THE KING'S DREAM IN THE PALACE ON THE NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL

"The dream, my seer, which I beheld last night Within our tent, may bring to us delight. I saw a mountain summit flash with fire, That like a royal robe or god's attire Illumined all its sides. The omen might Some joy us bring, for it was shining bright." And thus the Sar revealed to him his dream.

Heabani said, "My friend, though it did seem Propitious, yet, deceptive was it all, And came in memory of Elam's fall. The mountain burning was Khumbaba's halls We fired, when all his soldiers from the walls Had fled;--the _ni-takh-garri_,[1]--on that morn, Of such deceptive dreams, I would thee warn!"

Some twenty _kaspu_ they have passed this day, At thirty _kaspu_ they dismount to pray And raise an altar, Samas to beseech That they their journey's end may safely reach. The tent now raised, their evening meal prepare Beneath the forest in the open air; And Izdubar brought from the tent the dream He dreamed the festal night when Ishtar came To him;--he reads it from a written scroll: "Upon my sight a vision thus did fall: I saw two men that night beside a god; One man a turban wore, and fearless trod. The god reached forth his hand and struck him down Like mountains hurled on fields of corn, thus prone He lay; and Izdubar then saw the god Was Anatu,[2] who struck him to the sod. The troubler of all men, Samu's fierce queen, Thus struck the turbaned man upon the plain. He ceased his struggling, to his friend thus said: 'My friend, thou askest not why I am laid Here naked, nor my low condition heed. Accursèd thus I lie upon the mead; The god has crushed me, burned my limbs with fire.'

"The vision from mine eyes did then expire. A third dream came to me, which I yet fear, The first beyond my sight doth disappear. A fire-god thundering o'er the earth doth ride; The door of darkness burning flew aside; Like a fierce stream of lightning, blazing fire, Beside me roared the god with fury dire, And hurled wide death on earth on every side; And quickly from my sight it thus did glide, And in its track I saw a palm-tree green Upon a waste, naught else by me was seen."

Heabani pondering, thus explained the dream: "My friend, the god was Samas, who doth gleam With his bright glory, power, our God and Lord, Our great Creator King, whose thunders roared By thee, as through yon sky he takes his way; For his great favor we should ever pray. The man thou sawest lying on the plain Was thee, O King,--to fight such power is vain. Thus Anatu will strike thee with disease, Unless thou soon her anger shalt appease; And if thou warrest with such foes divine, The fires of death shall o'er thy kingdom shine. The palm-tree green upon the desert left Doth show that we of hope are not bereft; The gods for us their snares have surely weft,[3] One shall be taken, and the other left."

[Footnote 1: "Ni-takh-garri," "the helpers," or soldiers of Khumbaba.]

[Footnote 2: "Anatu," the consort of Anu.]

[Footnote 3: "Weft," weaved.]

COLUMN II

CONTEST WITH THE DRAGONS IN THE MOUNTAINS--THE SEER IS MORTALLY WOUNDED-- HIS CALM VIEW OF THE HEREAFTER

[1]"O Mam-mitu, thou god of fate and death! Thou spirit of fierce hate and parting breath, Thou banisher of joy! O ghastly Law, That gathers countless forces in thy maw! A phantom! curse! and oft a blessing, joy! All Heaven and earth thy hands shall e'er employ. With blessings come, or curses to us bring, The god who fails not with her hovering wing; Nor god, nor man thy coming e'er may ken, O mystery! thy ways none can explain."

If thou must come in earthquakes, fire, and flood, Or pestilence and eftsoons cry for blood, Thou comest oft with voice of sweetest love, Our dearest, fondest passions, hopes, to move; And men have worshipped thee in every form, In fear have praised thee, sought thy feet to charm. We reck not if you blessings, curses bring, For men oft change thy noiseless, ghoulish wing. And yet, thou comest, goddess Mam-mitu, To bring with thee the feet of Nin-a-zu, Two sister ghouls, remorseless, tearless, wan, We fear ye not; ye _bu'i-du_,[2] begone!

Sweet life renews itself in holy love, Your victory is naught! Ye vainly rove Across our pathway with yours forms inane, For somewhere, though we die, we live again. [3]The soul departed shall in glory shine, As burnished gold its form shall glow divine, And Samas there shall grant to us new life; And Merodac, the eldest son, all strife Shall end in peace in yonder Blest Abode, Where happiness doth crown our glorious God.

[4]The sacred waters there shall ever flow, To Anat's arms shall all the righteous go; The queen of Anu, Heaven's king, our hands Outstretched will clasp, and through the glorious lands Will lead us to the place of sweet delights; The land that glows on yonder blessed heights Where milk and honey from bright fountains flow. And nectar to our lips, all sorrows, woe, Shall end in happiness beside the Stream Of Life, and Joy for us shall ever gleam; Our hearts with thankfulness shall sweetly sing And grander blissfulness each day will bring.

And if we do not reach that spirit realm, Where bodyless each soul may ages whelm With joy unutterable; still we live, With bodies knew upon dear Earth, and give Our newer life to children with our blood. Or if these blessings we should miss; in wood, Or glen, or garden, field, or emerald seas, Our forms shall spring again; in such as these We see around us throbbing with sweet life, In trees or flowerets.

This needs no belief On which to base the fabric of a dream, For Earth her children from death doth redeem, And each contributes to continuous bloom; So go your way! ye sisters, to your gloom!

Far on their road have come the king of fame And seer, within the land of Mas[5] they came, Nor knew that Fate was hovering o'er their way, In gentle converse they have passed the day. Some twenty _kaspu_ o'er the hills and plain, They a wild forest in the mountain gain, In a deep gorge they rode through thickets wild, Beneath the pines; now to a pass they filed, And lo! two dragons[6] near a cave contend Their path! with backs upreared their coils unbend, Extend their ravenous jaws with a loud roar That harshly comes from mouths of clotted gore.

The sky overhead with lowering clouds is cast, Which Anu in his rage above them massed. Dark tempests fly above from Rimmon's breath, Who hovers o'er them with the gods of death; The wicked seven winds howl wildly round, And crashing cedars falling shake the ground. Now Tsil-lattu her black wings spreads o'er all, Dark shrouding all the forest with her pall, And from his steed for safety each dismounts, And o'er their heads now break the ebon founts. But hark! what is that dreadful roaring noise? The dragons come! Their flaming crests they poise Above, and nearer blaze their eyes of fire, And see! upon them rush the monsters dire.

The largest springs upon the giant Sar, Who parrying with the sword he used in war, With many wounds it pierces, drives it back; Again it comes, renews its fierce attack, With fangs outspread its victims to devour, High o'er the monarch's head its crest doth tower, Its fiery breath upon his helm doth glow.

Exposed its breast! he strikes! his blade drives through Its vitals! Dying now it shakes the ground, And furious lashes all the forest round. But hark! what is that awful lingering shriek And cries of woe, that on his ears wild break? A blinding flash, see! all the land reveals, With dreadful roars, and darkness quick conceals The fearful sight, to ever after come Before his eyes, wherever he may roam. The King, alas! too late Heabani drags From the beast's fangs, that dies beneath the crags Overhanging near the cave. And now a din Loud comes from _dalkhi_ that around them spin In fierce delight, while hellish voices rise In harsh and awful mockery; the cries Of agony return with taunting groans, And mock with their fell hate those piteous moans.

Amazed stands Izdubar above his seer, Nor hears the screams, nor the fierce _dalkhi's_ jeer; Beneath the flashing lightnings he soon found The cave, and lays the seer upon the ground. His breaking heart now cries in agony, "Heabani! O my seer, thou must not die! Alas! dread Mam-mitu hath led us here, Awake for me! arouse! my noble seer! I would to gods of Erech I had died For thee! my seer! my strength! my kingdom's pride!"

The seer at last revives and turns his face With love that death touched not, his hand doth place With friendly clasp in that of his dear king, And says: "Grieve not, beloved friend, this thing Called death at last must come, why should we fear? 'Tis Hades' mist that opens for thy seer!

"The gods us brought, nor asked consent, and life They give and take away from all this strife That must be here, my life I end on earth; Both joy and sorrow I have seen from birth; To Hades' awful land, whence none return, Heabani's face in sorrow now must turn. My love for thee, mine only pang reveals, For this alone I grieve."

A teardrop steals Across his features, shining 'neath the light The King has lit to make the cavern bright. "But oh, friend Izdubar, my King, when I From this dear earth to waiting Hades fly, Grieve not; and when to Erech you return, Thou shalt in glory reign, and Zaidu learn As thy companion all that thine own heart Desires, thy throne thou wilt to him impart. The female, Samkha, whom he brought to me Is false, in league with thine own enemy. And she will cause thee mischief, seek to drive Thee from thy throne; but do not let her live Within the walls of Erech, for the gods Have not been worshipped in their high abodes. When thou returnest, to the temple go, And pray the gods to turn from thee the blow Of Anu's fury, the strong god, who reigns Above, and sent these woes upon the plains. His anger raised against thee, even thee, Must be allayed, or thy goods thou shalt see, And kingdom, all destroyed by his dread power. But Khasisadra will to thee give more Advice when thou shalt meet the ancient seer, For from thy side must I soon disappear." The seer now ceased, and on his couch asleep Spoke not, and Izdubar alone doth weep.

And thus twelve days were past, and now the seer Of the great change he saw was drawing near Informed his King, who read to him the prayers, And for the end each friendly act prepares, Then said: "O my Heabani, dearest friend, I would that I thy body could defend From thy fierce foe that brings the end to thee. My friend in battle I may never see Again, when thou didst nobly stand beside Me; with my seer and friend I then defied All foes; and must thou leave thy friend, my seer?" "Alas! my King, I soon shall leave thee here."

[Footnote 1: We have here quoted an Accadian hymn to the goddess of fate. ("Trans. Soc. of Bib. Arch.," vol. ii. p. 39.)]

[Footnote 2: "Bu'i-du," ghosts.]

[Footnote 3: Accadian hymn on the future of the just. ("Trans. Soc. of Bib. Arch.," vol. ii. p. 32.)]

[Footnote 4: Assyrian fragmentary hymn ("W.A.I.," iv. 25, col. v.), translated in "Records of the Past," vol. xi. pp. 161, 162.]

[Footnote 5: The land of Mas, Mr. Sayce supposes, was situated west of the Euphrates Valley.]

[Footnote 6: "Dragons." The word for this animal is "tammabuk-ku." It was probably one of the monsters portrayed on the Babylonian cylinders now in the British Museum.]

COLUMN III

HEABANI REVEALS TWO WONDERFUL VISIONS TO THE KING, ONE OF DEATH AND OBLIVION, AND THE OTHER OF HEAVEN, AND DIES IN THE ARMS OF THE KING

"But, oh, my King! to thee I now reveal A secret that my heart would yet conceal, To thee, my friend, two visions I reveal: The first I oft have dreamed beneath some spell Of night, when I enwrapped from all the world, With Self alone communed. Unconscious hurled By winged thought beyond this present life, I seeming woke in a Dark World where rife Was Nothingness,--a darksome mist it seemed, All eke was naught;--no light for me there gleamed; And floating 'lone, which way I turned, saw naught; Nor felt of substance 'neath my feet, nor fraught With light was Space around; nor cheerful ray Of single star. The sun was quenched; or day Or night, knew not. No hands had I, nor feet, Nor head, nor body, all was void. No heat Or cold I felt, no form could feel or see; And naught I knew but conscious entity. No boundary my being felt, or had; And speechless, deaf, and blind, and formless, sad, I floated through dark space,--a conscious blank! No breath of air my spirit moved; I sank I knew not where, till motionless I ceased At last to move, and yet I could not rest, Around me spread the Limitless, and Vast. My cheerless, conscious spirit,--fixed and fast In some lone spot in space was moveless, stark! An atom chained by forces stern and dark, With naught around me. Comfortless I lived In my dread loneliness! Oh, how I grieved! And thus, man's fate in Life and Death is solved With naught but consciousness, and thus involved All men in hopes that no fruition have? And this alone was all that death me gave? That all had vanished, gone from me that life Could give, and left me but a blank, with strife Of rising thoughts, and vain regrets, to float;-- Away from life and light, be chained remote!

"Oh, how my spirit longed for some lone crag To part the gloom beneath, and rudely drag My senses back! or with its shock to end My dire existence;--to oblivion send Me quickly! How I strove to curse, and break That soundless Void, with shrieks or cries, to wake That awful silence which around me spread! In vain! in vain! all but my soul was dead. And then my spirit soundless cried within: 'Oh, take me! take me back to Earth again!' For tortures of the flesh were bliss and joy To such existence! Pain can never cloy The smallest thrill of earthly happiness! 'Twas joy to live on earth in pain! I'll bless Thee, gods, if I may see its fields I've trod To kiss its fragrant flowers, and clasp the sod Of mother Earth, that grand and beauteous world! From all its happiness, alas! was hurled My spirit,--then in frenzy--I awoke! Great Bel! a dream it was! as vanished smoke It sped! and I sprang from my couch and prayed To all the gods, and thus my soul allayed. And then with blessings on my lips, I sought My couch, and dropped away in blissful thought In dream the second:

"Then the Silver Sky Came to me. Near the Stream of Life I lie: My couch the rarest flowers; and music thrills My soul! How soft and sweet it sounds from rills And streams, and feathered songsters in the trees Of Heaven's fruits!--e'en all that here doth please The heart of man was there. In a dear spot I lay, 'mid olives, spices, where was wrought A beauteous grotto; and beside me near, Were friends I loved; and one both near and dear With me reclined, in blissful converse, sweet With tender thoughts. Our joy was full, complete! The ministering spirits there had spread Before us all a banquet on the mead, With Heaven's food and nectar for our feast; And oh, so happy! How our joy increased As moments flew, to years without an end! To Courts Refulgent there we oft did wend.

"Beside a silver lake, a holy fane There stood within the centre of the plain, High built on terraces, with walls of gold, Where palaces and mansions there enfold A temple of the gods, that stands within 'Mid feathery palms and _gesdin_[1] bowers green, The city rises to a dizzy height, With jewelled turrets flashing in the light, Grand mansions piled on mansions rising high Until the glowing summits reach the sky. A cloud of myriad wings, e'er fills the sky, As doves around their nests on earth here fly; The countless millions of the souls on earth, The gods have brought to light from mortal birth, Are carried there from the dark world of doom; For countless numbers more there still is room. Through trailing vines my Love and I oft wind, With arms of love around each other twined. This day, we passed along the Stream of Life, Through blooming gardens, with sweet odors rife; Beneath the ever-ripening fruits we walk, Along dear paths, and sweetly sing, or talk, While warbling birds around us fly in view, From bloom to bloom with wings of every hue; And large-eyed deer, no longer wild, us pass, With young gazelles, and kiss each other's face.

"We now have reached the stately stairs of gold, The city of the gods, here built of old. The pearled pillars rise inlaid divine, With lotus delicately traced with vine In gold and diamonds, pearls, and unknown gems, That wind to capital with blooming stems Of lilies, honeysuckles, and the rose. An avenue of columns in long rows Of varied splendor, leads to shining courts Where skilful spirit hands with perfect arts Have chiselled glorious forms magnificent, With ornate skill and sweet embellishment. Their golden sculpture view on every hand, Or carvèd images in pearl that stand In clusters on the floor, or in long rows; And on the walls of purest pearl there glows The painting of each act of kindest deed Each soul performs on earth;--is there portrayed.

"The scenes of tenderness and holy love, There stand and never end, but onward move, And fill the galleries of Heaven with joy, And ever spirit artist hands employ. The holiest deeds are carved in purest gold, Or richest gems, and there are stored of old; Within the inner court a fountain stood, Of purest diamond moulded, whence there flowed Into a golden chalice,--trickling cool, The nectar of the gods,--a sparkling pool, That murmuring sank beneath an emerald vase That rested underneath;--the fountain's base.

"We entered then an arcade arching long Through saph'rine galleries, and heard the song That swelling came from temples hyaline; And passed through lazite courts and halls divine, While dazzling glories brighter round us shone. How sweet then came the strains! with grander tone! And, oh, my King! I reached the gates of pearl That stood ajar, and heard the joyous whirl That thrilled the sounding domes and lofty halls, And echoed from the shining jasper walls. I stood within the gate, and, oh, my friend, Before that holy sight I prone did bend, And hid my face upon the jacinth stairs. A shining god raised me, and bade my fears Be flown, and I beheld the glorious throne Of crystaled light; with rays by man unknown. The awful god there sat with brows sublime, With robes of woven gold, and diadem That beamed with blazing splendor o'er his head. I thus beheld the god with presence dread, The King of Kings, the Ancient of the Days, While music rose around with joyous praise. With awful thunders how they all rejoice! And sing aloud with one commingled voice!

"What happiness it was to me, my King! From bower to temple I went oft to sing, Or spread my wings above the mount divine, And viewed the fields from heights cerulean. Those songs still linger on dear memory's ear, And tireless rest upon me, ever cheer. But from the Happy Fields, alas! I woke, And from my sight the Heavenly vision broke; But, oh, my King, it all was but a dream! I hope the truth is such, as it did seem; If it is true that such a Heavenly Land Exists with happiness so glorious, grand, Within that haven I would happy be! But it, alas! is now denied to me. For, oh, my King, to Hades I must go, My wings unfold to fly to Realms of Woe; In darkness to that other world unknown, Alas! from joyous earth my life has flown.

"Farewell, my King, my love thou knowest well; I go the road; in Hades soon shall dwell; To dwelling of the god Irkalla fierce, To walls where light for me can never pierce, The road from which no soul may e'er return, Where dust shall wrap me round, my body urn, Where sateless ravens float upon the air, Where light is never seen, or enters there, Where I in darkness shall be crowned with gloom; With crownèd heads of earth who there shall come To reign with Anu's favor or great Bel's, Then sceptreless are chained in their dark cells With naught to drink but Hades' waters there, And dream of all the past with blank despair. Within that world, I too shall ceaseless moan, Where dwell the lord and the unconquered one, And seers and great men dwell within that deep, With dragons of those realms we all shall sleep; Where King Etana[2] and god Ner doth reign With Allat, the dark Under-World's great queen, Who reigns o'er all within her regions lone, The Mistress of the Fields, her mother, prone Before her falls, and none her face withstands; But I will her approach, and take her hands, And she will comfort me in my dread woe. Alas! through yonder void I now must go! My hands I spread! as birds with wings I fly! Descend! descend! beneath that awful sky!" The seer falls in the arms of Izdubar, And he is gone;--'tis clay remaineth here.

[Footnote 1:"Gesdin," the Tree of Life and Immortality.]

[Footnote 2: "Etana," Lord or King of Hades. He is mentioned in the Creation series of Legends as having reigned before the flood.]

COLUMN IV

THE GRIEF OF THE KING OVER THE LOSS OF HIS SEER, AND HIS PRAYER TO THE MOON-GOD, WHO ANSWERS HIS PRAYER WITH A VISION

The King weeps bitterly with flowing tears Above his seer when from him disappears The last faint breath; and then in deepest woe He cries: "And through that desert must I go? Heabani, thou to me wast like the gods; Oh, how I loved thee! must thou turn to clods? Through that dread desert must I ride alone; And leave thee here, Heabani, lying prone? Alas, I leave thee in this awful place, To find our Khasisadra, seek his face, The son of Ubara-tutu, the seer; Oh, how can I, my friend, thus leave thee here? This night through those dark mountains I must go, I can no longer bear this awful woe: If I shall tarry here, I cannot sleep. O Sin, bright moon-god, of yon awful deep! I pray to thee upon my face, oh, hear My prayer! my supplications bring thou near To all the gods! grant thou to me,--e'en me, A heart of strength and will to worship thee.

"Oh, is this death like that the seer hath dreamed? Perhaps the truth then on his spirit gleamed! If Land of Silver Sky is but a myth, The other dream is true! e'en all he saith! Oh, tell me, all ye sparkling stars, That wing above thy glorious flight, And feel not Nature's jars; But grandly, sweetly fling thy light To our bright world beneath serene, Hath mortals on thee known Or viewed beyond,--that great Unseen, Their future fate by gods been shown?

"Oh, hear me, all ye gods on high! To gods who love mankind I pray, Despairing, oh, I cry! Oh, drive these doubts and fears away! And yet--and yet, what truths have we? O wondrous mortal, must thou die? Beyond this end thou canst not see, O Life! O Death! O mystery!

"The body still is here, with feeling dead! And sight is gone!--and hearing from his head, Nor taste, nor smell, nor warmth, nor breath of life! Where is my seer? Perhaps, his spirit rife E'en now in nothingness doth wander lone! In agony his thoughts! with spirit prone! In dread despair!--If conscious then, O gods! He spake the truth!--His body to the clods Hath turned! By this we feel, or hear, or see, And when 'tis gone,--exist?--in agony! To Hades hath he gone? as he hath thought! Alas, the thought is torture, where have wrought The gods their fearful curse! Ah, let me think! The Silver Sky? Alas, its shining brink He hath not crossed. The wrathful gods deny Him entrance! Where, oh, where do spirits fly Whom gods have cursed? Alas, he is condemned To wander lone in that dark world, contemned And from the Light of Happy Fields is barred! Oh, why do gods thus send a fate so hard, And cruel? O dear moon-god, moon-god Sin! My seer hath erred. Receive his soul within To joys prepared for gods and men! Though seer He was, he immortality did fear, As some unknown awakening in space. Oh, turn upon him thy bright blessed face! He was my friend! O moon-god, hear my prayer! Imploring thee, doth pray thine Izdubar!"