Hymn to Inana
ETCSLtranslation : t.4.07.3
A hymn to Inana (Inana C)
1-10. The great-hearted mistress, the impetuous lady, pre-eminent in all lands, the magnificent lady who gathers up the divine powers of heaven and earth and is mightiest among the great gods -- she makes their verdicts final. The gods crawl before her august word whose course she does not let known. She changes her own action, and no one knows how it will occur. She makes perfect the great divine powers, she holds a shepherd's crook, and she is their magnificent pre-eminent one. She is a huge shackle clamping down upon the gods of the Land. Her great awesomeness covers the great mountain and levels the roads.
11-17. At her loud cries, the gods of the Land become scared. Her roaring makes the gods tremble like a solitary reed. At her rumbling, they hide all together. Who opposes the mistress who raises her head and is supreme over the mountains?
18-28. She stirs confusion and chaos against those who are disobedient to her, speeding carnage and inciting the devastating flood, clothed in terrifying radiance . . . She cuts to pieces him who shows no respect.
29-38. Her wrath is a devastating flood which no one can withstand. She abases those whom she despises.
39-48. In her joyful heart she performs the song of death on the plain. She performs the song of her heart. She washes their weapons with blood and gore. Axes smash heads, spears penetrate and maces are covered in blood.
49-59. No one can oppose her murderous battle -- who rivals her? No one can look at her fierce fighting, the speeding carnage. Engulfing water, raging, sweeping over the earth, she leaves nothing behind. Exalted in the assembly, she occupies the seat of honour, to the right and left.
60-72. Humbling huge mountains as if they were piles of litter, she immobilizes. She brings about the destruction of the mountain lands from east to west. Inana obtains victory.
80-90. The door of the house of wisdom, she makes known its interior. The man she has called by name she does not hold in esteem. Having approached the woman, she breaks the weapon and gives her a spear.
91-98. You alone are majestic, you have renown, heaven and earth, you occupy the seat of honour. You are pre-eminent, you are magnificent.
99-108. Inana, your victory is terrifying. The gods bow down in prostration.
109-114. The great gods kissed the earth and prostrated themselves. The high mountain land, the land of cornelian and lapis lazuli, bowed down before you. Without you no destiny at all is determined, no clever counsel is granted favour.
115-131. To run, to escape, to quiet and to pacify are yours, Inana. To open up roads and paths, a place of peace for the journey, a companion for the weak, are yours, Inana. To keep paths and ways in good order, to shatter earth and to make it firm are yours, Inana. To destroy, to build up, to tear out and to settle are yours, Inana. To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inana. Desirability and arousal, bringing goods into existence and establishing properties and equipment are yours, Inana. Profit, gain, great wealth and greater wealth are yours, Inana. Profit and having success in wealth, financial loss and reduced wealth are yours, Inana. Assigning virility, dignity, guardian angels, protective deities are yours, Inana.
132-154. Mercy and pity are yours, Inana. Rejoicing, being haughty are yours, Inana. Neglect and care, raising and bowing down are yours, Inana. To build a house, to create a woman's chamber, to possess implements, to kiss a child's lips are yours, Inana. To run, to race, to plot and to succeed are yours, Inana. To interchange the brute and the strong and the weak and the powerless is yours, Inana. To interchange the heights and valleys, and raising up and reducing, is yours, Inana. To give the crown, the throne and the royal sceptre is yours, Inana.
155-157. To diminish, to make great, to make low, to make broad and to give a lavish supply are yours, Inana.
158-168. The false or true response, the sneer, to commit violence, to extend derision, to speak with hostility, to cause smiling and to be humbled or important, misfortune, hardship, grief, to make happy, to clarify and to darken, agitation, terror, panic, awesome brilliance and radiance, triumph, pursuit, illness, sleeplessness and restlessness, submission, gift, and howling, strife, chaos, opposition, fighting and speeding carnage, to know everything, to strengthen for the distant future a nest built, to instill fear in the desert like a poisonous snake, to subdue the hostile enemy, and to hate are yours, Inana.
169-173. To gather the dispersed people and restore them to their homes, to receive are yours, Inana.
174-181. Nothing can be compared to your purposes; who can oppose your great deeds? You are the lady of heaven and earth! Inana, in the palace the unbribable. The invocation of your name fills the mountains.
182-196. You alone are magnificent. You are great among the gods of heaven and earth, as many as there are. When you raise your eyes they pay heed to you, they wait for your word. May your praise not cease! Where is your name not magnificent?
203-208. Once you have made a decision, it cannot be changed in heaven and earth. Once you have specified approval of a place, it experiences no destruction. Once you have specified destruction for a place, it experiences no approval.
209-218. Your divinity shines in the pure heavens. Your torch lights up the corners of heaven, turning darkness into light. The men and women form a row for you and each one's daily status hangs down before you. Your numerous people pass before you for their inspection. No one can lay a hand on your precious divine powers; all your divine powers. You exercise full ladyship over heaven and earth; you hold everything in your hand. Mistress, you are magnificent, no one can walk before you. You are magnificent, your name is praised, you alone are magnificent!
243-253. My lady, I am yours! This will always be so! May your heart be soothed towards me! Your divinity is resplendent in the Land! My body has experienced your great punishment. Bitter lament keeps me awake with anxiety. Mercy, compassion, care, lenience and homage are yours, and to cause flood storms, to open hard ground and to turn darkness into light.
254-263. My lady, let me proclaim your magnificence in all lands, and your glory! Let me praise your ways and greatness! Who rivals you in divinity? Who can compare with your divine rites?
264-271. Being fitted for ladyship, you determine the destiny of noble ladies. Mistress, you are magnificent, you are great! Inana, you are magnificent, you are great! My lady, your magnificence is resplendent.
272-274. Your great deeds are unparallelled, your magnificence is praised!
AND ANOTHER
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.5.3.1#
“I shall greet her who ascends above, her who ascends above, I shall greet the Mistress who ascends above, I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! I shall greet the holy torch who fills the heavens, the light, Inana, her who shines like daylight, the great lady of heaven, Inana! I shall greet the Mistress, the most awesome lady among the . . . gods; the respected one who fills heaven and earth with her huge brilliance; . . . Inana! For the young lady I shall sing a song about her grandeur, about her greatness, about her exalted dignity; about her radiantly ascending at evening; about her filling the heaven like a holy torch; about her stance in the heavens, as noticeable by all lands, from the south to the highlands . . . about the greatness of the mistress of heaven!
My lady decrees judgments in due order for the Land. {(2 mss. add the line:) Inana decides verdicts for the Land . . . Her black-headed people parade before her.
Making silver . . . instruments sound for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Making holy . . . drums sound for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Beating (?) holy . . . drums for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet . . . her grandeur, in (?) her greatness, in (?) her exalted dignity as she ascends radiantly at evening, }. . . { the great lady of heaven }, Inana!
Tightening their hairgrips for her, male prostitutes parade before her, holy Inana. Their locks of hair at the back are adorned for her with coloured rags (?); they parade before her, holy Inana. Clothed (?) in the leather (?) of divinity, they parade before her, holy Inana. The trustworthy {man} {(1 ms. has instead:) king} and the proud lady, the doyenne of the great wise women, parade before her, holy Inana. Those who are in charge (?) of beating (?) the soothing balaĝ drums parade before her, holy Inana. Each girded with a sword belt, the strength of battle, they parade before her, holy Inana. Grasping a spear, the strength of battle, in their hands, they parade before her, holy Inana.
59. 4th kirugu.
Dressed with men's clothing on the right side, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Adorned (?) with women's clothing on the left side, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Competing with skipping ropes of (?) coloured cords for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet . . . { the great lady of heaven }, Inana!
The Mistress stands alone in the pure heavens. From the midst of heaven my lady looks with joy at all the lands and the black headed people, who are as numerous as {sheep} {(1 ms. has instead:) ewes}. {(some mss. add the line:) They parade before her, holy Inana.} I praise the lady of the evening, Inana, the august one, the young lady, Inana. {The lady of the evening reaches the borders of heaven!} {(1 ms. has instead:) The lady exalted as high as the heaven, Inana, is august!}
When at evening, the radiant star, the Venus star, the great light which fills the holy heavens, the lady of the evening, ascends above like a warrior, the people in all the lands lift their gaze to her. The men purify themselves, the woman cleanse themselves. The oxen toss (?) their heads in their yoke. The sheep stir up dust in their pens. Because of my lady, the numerous beasts of Šakkan, the creatures of the plain, the four-legged animals {under the broad heavens} {(1 ms. has instead:) of the broad high (?) plain}, the orchards and gardens, the plots, the green reedbeds, the fish of the deep, the birds of heaven, all hasten to their sleeping places. All the living creatures and the numerous people bend the knee before her. When called for (?) by my lady, the matriarchs plentifully provide food and drink, and my lady refreshes herself in her Land. There is play in the Land, which is made festive. The young men take pleasure in their spouses.
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. The lady of the evening, Inana, is august; I praise the young lady, Inana. The lady of the evening, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven!
At night the skilled and beautiful one (?) . . . the ornament of broad heaven, appears like moonlight; in the heat of the noon she appears like sunlight. After the storehouses of the Land have been filled with fine food, and all the lands and the black-headed people have assembled, {(1 ms. adds:) and the storehouses of the Land have been made full (?),} those who sleep on the roofs and those who sleep by the walls step up before her with …… and bring her their cases. Then she makes her orders known, and identifies the evil. She judges the evil as evil and destroys the wicked. She looks with favour on the just and determines a good fate for them.
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. The lady exalted as high as the heaven, Inana, is august! I praise the young woman, Inana. The lady exalted as high as the heaven, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven.
The beautiful lady . . . has ascended above like a warrior. She carries there what befits the …… of heaven.
She is mighty, she is respected, she exalted, she is august and great, she is surpassing in youthfulness.
As the lady, admired by the Land, the lone star, the Venus star, the lady elevated as high as the heaven, ascends above like a warrior, all the lands tremble before her ……. The faithful black-headed people bow to her. The young man travelling on the road directs himself by her. The oxen raise their heads in their yoke to her. {(2 mss. add:) The melody of the song of those tending the cattle resounds …… on the plain. The farmer …… the cattle …… their yoke in the Land.} With her the storehouses of the Land prosper.
Everybody hastens to holy Inana. For my lady in the midst of heaven the best of everything is prepared (?). In the pure places of the plain, at its good places, on the roofs, on the rooftops, the rooftops of the dwellings (?), in the sanctuaries (?) of mankind, incense offerings like a forest of aromatic cedars are transmitted to her. They sacrifice alum sheep, long-haired sheep, and fattened sheep for her. They purify the earth for the Mistress, they {carry out purification rites for her} {(some mss. have instead:) celebrate her in songs}.
They fill the tables of the Land with ghee, dates, cheese, and seven sorts of fruits as first-fruit offerings for her. They pour dark beer for her, they pour light beer for her. Dark beer, emmer beer, and emmer beer for my lady bubble in the šagub jar and the lamsari vat for her. From pastes of honey mixed with ghee {(some mss. add the line:) From …… mixed with ghee}, they bake date-syrup cakes for her. They pour out early-morning beer, flour, flour in honey, honey, and wine of sunrise for her. The personal gods of the people also attend upon her with food and drink. {They provide the Mistress with food in the holy place, the pure place.} {(some mss. have instead:) They purify the earth for the Mistress, they celebrate her in songs.}
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. Inana, the lady exalted as high as the heaven is august! I praise the young lady, Inana. The lady exalted as high as the heaven, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven!
When the black-headed people have assembled in the palace, the house that advises the Land, the neck-stock of all the foreign countries, the house of the river of ordeal, a dais is set up for Ninegala. The divine king stays there with her. At the New Year, on the day of the rites, {in order for her to determine the fate of all the countries} {(1 ms. has instead:) in order for the life of all the countries to be attended to}, so that during the day (?) the faithful servants can be inspected, so that on the day of the disappearance of the moon the divine powers can be perfected, a bed is set up for my lady. Esparto grass is purified with cedar perfume and arranged on that bed for my lady, and a coverlet is smoothed out on the top (?) of it.
In order to find sweetness in the bed on the joyous coverlet, my lady bathes her holy thighs. She bathes them for the thighs of the king; {she bathes them for} {(some mss. have instead:) with head held high she goes to} the thighs of Iddin-Dagan. Holy Inana rubs herself with soap; she sprinkles oil and cedar essence on the ground.
The king goes to her holy thighs with head held high, {(some mss. add:) she goes to the thighs of Iddin-Dagan,} he goes to the thighs of Inana with head held high. Ama-ušumgal-ana lies down beside her and {caresses her holy thighs} {(some mss. have instead:) (says:) "O my holy thighs! O my holy Inana!"}. After the lady has made him rejoice with her holy thighs on the bed, after holy Inana has made him rejoice with her holy thighs on the bed, she relaxes (?) with him on her bed: "Iddin-Dagan, you are indeed my beloved!"
To pour libations, to carry out purification rites, to heap up incense offerings, to burn juniper, to set out food offerings, to set out offering-bowls, he goes into her Egal-maḫ. She embraces her beloved spouse, holy Inana embraces him. She shines like daylight on {the great throne dais} {(1 ms. has instead:) the throne at one side (?)} and makes the king position himself next (?) to her like the sun.
Abundance and celebration are prepared before her in plenty. He arranges a rich banquet for her. The black-headed people line up before her. With instruments loud enough to drown out the south wind-storm, with sweet sounding alĝar instruments, the glory of the palace, and with harps, the source of joy for mankind, musicians perform songs which delight her heart. The king sees to what is eaten and drunk, Ama-ušumgal-ana sees to what is eaten and drunk. The palace is in festive mood, the king is joyous. The people spend the day amid plenteousness. Ama-ušumgal-ana stands in great joy. May his days be long on the splendid throne! He proudly (?) occupies the royal dais.
They praise my lady on my behalf (?) with the hymns of heaven and earth. "You are the Mistress born together with heaven and earth." In the holy place, the pure place, they celebrate the Mistress in songs: "Joy of the black-headed people, ornament of the assembly, Inana . . . lady of the evening, your praise is good."
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. {Inana, the lady elevated as high as the heavens, is august!} {(some mss. have instead:) The lady of the evening, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven!}
She is mighty, she is respected, she is exalted, she is august and great, she is surpassing in youthfulness!”
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.2.5.3.1&display=Crit&charenc=&lineid=c2531.I.112
ETCSLtranslation : t.4.07.3
A hymn to Inana (Inana C)
1-10. The great-hearted mistress, the impetuous lady, pre-eminent in all lands, the magnificent lady who gathers up the divine powers of heaven and earth and is mightiest among the great gods -- she makes their verdicts final. The gods crawl before her august word whose course she does not let known. She changes her own action, and no one knows how it will occur. She makes perfect the great divine powers, she holds a shepherd's crook, and she is their magnificent pre-eminent one. She is a huge shackle clamping down upon the gods of the Land. Her great awesomeness covers the great mountain and levels the roads.
11-17. At her loud cries, the gods of the Land become scared. Her roaring makes the gods tremble like a solitary reed. At her rumbling, they hide all together. Who opposes the mistress who raises her head and is supreme over the mountains?
18-28. She stirs confusion and chaos against those who are disobedient to her, speeding carnage and inciting the devastating flood, clothed in terrifying radiance . . . She cuts to pieces him who shows no respect.
29-38. Her wrath is a devastating flood which no one can withstand. She abases those whom she despises.
39-48. In her joyful heart she performs the song of death on the plain. She performs the song of her heart. She washes their weapons with blood and gore. Axes smash heads, spears penetrate and maces are covered in blood.
49-59. No one can oppose her murderous battle -- who rivals her? No one can look at her fierce fighting, the speeding carnage. Engulfing water, raging, sweeping over the earth, she leaves nothing behind. Exalted in the assembly, she occupies the seat of honour, to the right and left.
60-72. Humbling huge mountains as if they were piles of litter, she immobilizes. She brings about the destruction of the mountain lands from east to west. Inana obtains victory.
80-90. The door of the house of wisdom, she makes known its interior. The man she has called by name she does not hold in esteem. Having approached the woman, she breaks the weapon and gives her a spear.
91-98. You alone are majestic, you have renown, heaven and earth, you occupy the seat of honour. You are pre-eminent, you are magnificent.
99-108. Inana, your victory is terrifying. The gods bow down in prostration.
109-114. The great gods kissed the earth and prostrated themselves. The high mountain land, the land of cornelian and lapis lazuli, bowed down before you. Without you no destiny at all is determined, no clever counsel is granted favour.
115-131. To run, to escape, to quiet and to pacify are yours, Inana. To open up roads and paths, a place of peace for the journey, a companion for the weak, are yours, Inana. To keep paths and ways in good order, to shatter earth and to make it firm are yours, Inana. To destroy, to build up, to tear out and to settle are yours, Inana. To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inana. Desirability and arousal, bringing goods into existence and establishing properties and equipment are yours, Inana. Profit, gain, great wealth and greater wealth are yours, Inana. Profit and having success in wealth, financial loss and reduced wealth are yours, Inana. Assigning virility, dignity, guardian angels, protective deities are yours, Inana.
132-154. Mercy and pity are yours, Inana. Rejoicing, being haughty are yours, Inana. Neglect and care, raising and bowing down are yours, Inana. To build a house, to create a woman's chamber, to possess implements, to kiss a child's lips are yours, Inana. To run, to race, to plot and to succeed are yours, Inana. To interchange the brute and the strong and the weak and the powerless is yours, Inana. To interchange the heights and valleys, and raising up and reducing, is yours, Inana. To give the crown, the throne and the royal sceptre is yours, Inana.
155-157. To diminish, to make great, to make low, to make broad and to give a lavish supply are yours, Inana.
158-168. The false or true response, the sneer, to commit violence, to extend derision, to speak with hostility, to cause smiling and to be humbled or important, misfortune, hardship, grief, to make happy, to clarify and to darken, agitation, terror, panic, awesome brilliance and radiance, triumph, pursuit, illness, sleeplessness and restlessness, submission, gift, and howling, strife, chaos, opposition, fighting and speeding carnage, to know everything, to strengthen for the distant future a nest built, to instill fear in the desert like a poisonous snake, to subdue the hostile enemy, and to hate are yours, Inana.
169-173. To gather the dispersed people and restore them to their homes, to receive are yours, Inana.
174-181. Nothing can be compared to your purposes; who can oppose your great deeds? You are the lady of heaven and earth! Inana, in the palace the unbribable. The invocation of your name fills the mountains.
182-196. You alone are magnificent. You are great among the gods of heaven and earth, as many as there are. When you raise your eyes they pay heed to you, they wait for your word. May your praise not cease! Where is your name not magnificent?
203-208. Once you have made a decision, it cannot be changed in heaven and earth. Once you have specified approval of a place, it experiences no destruction. Once you have specified destruction for a place, it experiences no approval.
209-218. Your divinity shines in the pure heavens. Your torch lights up the corners of heaven, turning darkness into light. The men and women form a row for you and each one's daily status hangs down before you. Your numerous people pass before you for their inspection. No one can lay a hand on your precious divine powers; all your divine powers. You exercise full ladyship over heaven and earth; you hold everything in your hand. Mistress, you are magnificent, no one can walk before you. You are magnificent, your name is praised, you alone are magnificent!
243-253. My lady, I am yours! This will always be so! May your heart be soothed towards me! Your divinity is resplendent in the Land! My body has experienced your great punishment. Bitter lament keeps me awake with anxiety. Mercy, compassion, care, lenience and homage are yours, and to cause flood storms, to open hard ground and to turn darkness into light.
254-263. My lady, let me proclaim your magnificence in all lands, and your glory! Let me praise your ways and greatness! Who rivals you in divinity? Who can compare with your divine rites?
264-271. Being fitted for ladyship, you determine the destiny of noble ladies. Mistress, you are magnificent, you are great! Inana, you are magnificent, you are great! My lady, your magnificence is resplendent.
272-274. Your great deeds are unparallelled, your magnificence is praised!
AND ANOTHER
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.5.3.1#
“I shall greet her who ascends above, her who ascends above, I shall greet the Mistress who ascends above, I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! I shall greet the holy torch who fills the heavens, the light, Inana, her who shines like daylight, the great lady of heaven, Inana! I shall greet the Mistress, the most awesome lady among the . . . gods; the respected one who fills heaven and earth with her huge brilliance; . . . Inana! For the young lady I shall sing a song about her grandeur, about her greatness, about her exalted dignity; about her radiantly ascending at evening; about her filling the heaven like a holy torch; about her stance in the heavens, as noticeable by all lands, from the south to the highlands . . . about the greatness of the mistress of heaven!
My lady decrees judgments in due order for the Land. {(2 mss. add the line:) Inana decides verdicts for the Land . . . Her black-headed people parade before her.
Making silver . . . instruments sound for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Making holy . . . drums sound for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Beating (?) holy . . . drums for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet . . . her grandeur, in (?) her greatness, in (?) her exalted dignity as she ascends radiantly at evening, }. . . { the great lady of heaven }, Inana!
Tightening their hairgrips for her, male prostitutes parade before her, holy Inana. Their locks of hair at the back are adorned for her with coloured rags (?); they parade before her, holy Inana. Clothed (?) in the leather (?) of divinity, they parade before her, holy Inana. The trustworthy {man} {(1 ms. has instead:) king} and the proud lady, the doyenne of the great wise women, parade before her, holy Inana. Those who are in charge (?) of beating (?) the soothing balaĝ drums parade before her, holy Inana. Each girded with a sword belt, the strength of battle, they parade before her, holy Inana. Grasping a spear, the strength of battle, in their hands, they parade before her, holy Inana.
59. 4th kirugu.
Dressed with men's clothing on the right side, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Adorned (?) with women's clothing on the left side, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet the great lady of heaven, Inana! Competing with skipping ropes of (?) coloured cords for her, they parade before her, holy Inana. I shall greet . . . { the great lady of heaven }, Inana!
The Mistress stands alone in the pure heavens. From the midst of heaven my lady looks with joy at all the lands and the black headed people, who are as numerous as {sheep} {(1 ms. has instead:) ewes}. {(some mss. add the line:) They parade before her, holy Inana.} I praise the lady of the evening, Inana, the august one, the young lady, Inana. {The lady of the evening reaches the borders of heaven!} {(1 ms. has instead:) The lady exalted as high as the heaven, Inana, is august!}
When at evening, the radiant star, the Venus star, the great light which fills the holy heavens, the lady of the evening, ascends above like a warrior, the people in all the lands lift their gaze to her. The men purify themselves, the woman cleanse themselves. The oxen toss (?) their heads in their yoke. The sheep stir up dust in their pens. Because of my lady, the numerous beasts of Šakkan, the creatures of the plain, the four-legged animals {under the broad heavens} {(1 ms. has instead:) of the broad high (?) plain}, the orchards and gardens, the plots, the green reedbeds, the fish of the deep, the birds of heaven, all hasten to their sleeping places. All the living creatures and the numerous people bend the knee before her. When called for (?) by my lady, the matriarchs plentifully provide food and drink, and my lady refreshes herself in her Land. There is play in the Land, which is made festive. The young men take pleasure in their spouses.
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. The lady of the evening, Inana, is august; I praise the young lady, Inana. The lady of the evening, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven!
At night the skilled and beautiful one (?) . . . the ornament of broad heaven, appears like moonlight; in the heat of the noon she appears like sunlight. After the storehouses of the Land have been filled with fine food, and all the lands and the black-headed people have assembled, {(1 ms. adds:) and the storehouses of the Land have been made full (?),} those who sleep on the roofs and those who sleep by the walls step up before her with …… and bring her their cases. Then she makes her orders known, and identifies the evil. She judges the evil as evil and destroys the wicked. She looks with favour on the just and determines a good fate for them.
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. The lady exalted as high as the heaven, Inana, is august! I praise the young woman, Inana. The lady exalted as high as the heaven, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven.
The beautiful lady . . . has ascended above like a warrior. She carries there what befits the …… of heaven.
She is mighty, she is respected, she exalted, she is august and great, she is surpassing in youthfulness.
As the lady, admired by the Land, the lone star, the Venus star, the lady elevated as high as the heaven, ascends above like a warrior, all the lands tremble before her ……. The faithful black-headed people bow to her. The young man travelling on the road directs himself by her. The oxen raise their heads in their yoke to her. {(2 mss. add:) The melody of the song of those tending the cattle resounds …… on the plain. The farmer …… the cattle …… their yoke in the Land.} With her the storehouses of the Land prosper.
Everybody hastens to holy Inana. For my lady in the midst of heaven the best of everything is prepared (?). In the pure places of the plain, at its good places, on the roofs, on the rooftops, the rooftops of the dwellings (?), in the sanctuaries (?) of mankind, incense offerings like a forest of aromatic cedars are transmitted to her. They sacrifice alum sheep, long-haired sheep, and fattened sheep for her. They purify the earth for the Mistress, they {carry out purification rites for her} {(some mss. have instead:) celebrate her in songs}.
They fill the tables of the Land with ghee, dates, cheese, and seven sorts of fruits as first-fruit offerings for her. They pour dark beer for her, they pour light beer for her. Dark beer, emmer beer, and emmer beer for my lady bubble in the šagub jar and the lamsari vat for her. From pastes of honey mixed with ghee {(some mss. add the line:) From …… mixed with ghee}, they bake date-syrup cakes for her. They pour out early-morning beer, flour, flour in honey, honey, and wine of sunrise for her. The personal gods of the people also attend upon her with food and drink. {They provide the Mistress with food in the holy place, the pure place.} {(some mss. have instead:) They purify the earth for the Mistress, they celebrate her in songs.}
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. Inana, the lady exalted as high as the heaven is august! I praise the young lady, Inana. The lady exalted as high as the heaven, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven!
When the black-headed people have assembled in the palace, the house that advises the Land, the neck-stock of all the foreign countries, the house of the river of ordeal, a dais is set up for Ninegala. The divine king stays there with her. At the New Year, on the day of the rites, {in order for her to determine the fate of all the countries} {(1 ms. has instead:) in order for the life of all the countries to be attended to}, so that during the day (?) the faithful servants can be inspected, so that on the day of the disappearance of the moon the divine powers can be perfected, a bed is set up for my lady. Esparto grass is purified with cedar perfume and arranged on that bed for my lady, and a coverlet is smoothed out on the top (?) of it.
In order to find sweetness in the bed on the joyous coverlet, my lady bathes her holy thighs. She bathes them for the thighs of the king; {she bathes them for} {(some mss. have instead:) with head held high she goes to} the thighs of Iddin-Dagan. Holy Inana rubs herself with soap; she sprinkles oil and cedar essence on the ground.
The king goes to her holy thighs with head held high, {(some mss. add:) she goes to the thighs of Iddin-Dagan,} he goes to the thighs of Inana with head held high. Ama-ušumgal-ana lies down beside her and {caresses her holy thighs} {(some mss. have instead:) (says:) "O my holy thighs! O my holy Inana!"}. After the lady has made him rejoice with her holy thighs on the bed, after holy Inana has made him rejoice with her holy thighs on the bed, she relaxes (?) with him on her bed: "Iddin-Dagan, you are indeed my beloved!"
To pour libations, to carry out purification rites, to heap up incense offerings, to burn juniper, to set out food offerings, to set out offering-bowls, he goes into her Egal-maḫ. She embraces her beloved spouse, holy Inana embraces him. She shines like daylight on {the great throne dais} {(1 ms. has instead:) the throne at one side (?)} and makes the king position himself next (?) to her like the sun.
Abundance and celebration are prepared before her in plenty. He arranges a rich banquet for her. The black-headed people line up before her. With instruments loud enough to drown out the south wind-storm, with sweet sounding alĝar instruments, the glory of the palace, and with harps, the source of joy for mankind, musicians perform songs which delight her heart. The king sees to what is eaten and drunk, Ama-ušumgal-ana sees to what is eaten and drunk. The palace is in festive mood, the king is joyous. The people spend the day amid plenteousness. Ama-ušumgal-ana stands in great joy. May his days be long on the splendid throne! He proudly (?) occupies the royal dais.
They praise my lady on my behalf (?) with the hymns of heaven and earth. "You are the Mistress born together with heaven and earth." In the holy place, the pure place, they celebrate the Mistress in songs: "Joy of the black-headed people, ornament of the assembly, Inana . . . lady of the evening, your praise is good."
From the midst of heaven my lady looks down with joy. They parade before her, holy Inana. {Inana, the lady elevated as high as the heavens, is august!} {(some mss. have instead:) The lady of the evening, her grandeur reaches the borders of heaven!}
She is mighty, she is respected, she is exalted, she is august and great, she is surpassing in youthfulness!”
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.2.5.3.1&display=Crit&charenc=&lineid=c2531.I.112
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