Babylonian and Assyrian Literature eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 377 pages of information about Babylonian and Assyrian Literature.

Babylonian and Assyrian Literature eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 377 pages of information about Babylonian and Assyrian Literature.
Oh, from thine altar me support, protect,
In low humility I pray, forgive! 
Feed me with joy, my dreams with grace direct;
The dream I dreamed, oh favorable give
To me its omen filled with happiness! 
May Mak-hir,[15] god of dreams, my couch invest! 
With visions of Bit-sag-gal my heart bless,
The temple of the gods, of Nin, with rest
Unbroken, and to Merodach I pray! 
The favoring one, to prosper me and mine: 
[16]Oh, may thy entering exalted be! 
And thy divinity with glory shine,
And may our city shine with glowing meads,
And all my people praise thy glorious deeds.” 
Now to Euphrates’ banks the Sar and seers
Their footsteps turn to pray into the ears
Of Hea,[17] where, in white, a band of priests
Drawn in a crescent, Izdubar invests. 
Now at the water’s edge he leans, his hands
Dips in the waves, and pours upon the sands
The sparkling drops, while all a hymn descant
To Hea, thus the incantation chant: 

   “O chant our incantation to the waters pure,
      Euphrates’ waters flowing to the sea! 
    Where Hea’s holy face shines bright on every shore,
      O Sabit[18] of Timatu[19] to ye
    We pray! may your bright waters glowing shine
    As Hea’s face, and heaving breast divine!

   “O Sabit, to your father Hea take our prayer! 
    And may Dao-ki-na,[20] your bright mother, hear! 
    With joy, oh shine, as peaceful as the sleeping light,
    O ever may your throbbing waves be bright. 
        O spirit of the Heaven, hear! 
          Remember us, Remember! 
        O spirit of the earth, come near! 
          Remember us, Remember! 
    O hear us, Hea! hear us, dear Dao-ki-na!
    Ca-ca-ma u ca-ca-ma u ca-ca-ma!"[21]

[Footnote 1:  “Zam-at” stone, diamond, crystal or lapis lazuli.]

[Footnote 2:  “Mu-di,” seers.]

[Footnote 3:  “Khas-i-zi,” counsellors.]

[Footnote 4:  “Ab-u-li,” guard of the great gates of the city.]

[Footnote 5:  “Sat mu-si,” in the night-time, or last night.]

[Footnote 6:  “Sib-zu,” embroiderer.]

[Footnote 7:  “Ku-bar-ra,” robe of a prince.]

[Footnote 8:  “Tur-tan-u,” next in rank to the King.]

[Footnote 9:  “Dum-khi” or “dun-khi,” couch.]

[Footnote 10:  “Ka-ra! va,” etc., “Speak out! and if thou augurest the death of the King, or if thou augurest life of extended years, I have spoken!  Speak out! and cast the lots! may they be propitious with us!”]

[Footnote 11:  “Za-Ga-bri,” the mountains of Zu, “Ga-bri” ("mountains"), and “Za,” another form of “zu,” the divine bird of the storm-cloud.  They were at one time called the mountains of Susa, now the Kurdistan range of mountains.  The name we have given we believe to be the probable ancient one.]

[Footnote 12:  “Na-bu,” prophet, seer.]

[Footnote 13:  We have here quoted a prayer after a bad dream, the text of which is lithographed in “C.I.W.A.,” vol. iv. 66, 2, and is supposed to be an ancient Accadian prayer.  See “Records of the Past,” vol. ix. p. 151.]

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Babylonian and Assyrian Literature from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.