To Anu’s temple Elli-tar-du-si,
And Ishtar’s city where great Izdubar
Doth reign, the glorious giant king of war;
Whose mighty strength above his chiefs doth tower,
Come see our giant king of matchless power.” 
Her flashing eyes half languid pierce the seer,
Until his first resolves all disappear. 
And rising to his feet his eyes he turned
Toward sweet Joy,[3] whose love for him yet burned;
And eyeing both with beaming face he saith,
“With Sam-kha’s love the seer hath pledged his faith;
And I will go to Elli-tar-du-si,
Great Anu’s seat and Ishtar’s where with thee,
I will behold the giant Izdubar,
Whose fame is known to me as king of war;
And I will meet him there, and test the power
Of him whose fame above all men doth tower. 
A mid-dan-nu[4] to Erech I will take,
To see if he its mighty strength can break. 
In these wild caves its strength has mighty grown;
If he the beast destroys, I will make known
His dream to him—­e’en all the seer doth know;
And now with thee to Erech I will go.

[Footnote 1:  “Bhu-ri,” wild-beasts, pets of the hermit seer.]

[Footnote 2:  “Su-bu-ri,” the lofty.]

[Footnote 3:  “Sam-kha-tu” or “Samkha.”]

[Transcriber’s Note:  Footnote 3 looks like it should be two lines down from where it is; this is probably an error.]

[Footnote 4:  “Mid-dan-nu,” a carnivorous animal, supposed to be a tiger; the Khorsabad sculpture, however, portrays it as a lion.]

COLUMN V

FESTIVAL IN HONOR OF HEABANI, WHO ARRIVES AT ERECH—­INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM

The sounds of wild rejoicing now arise;
“Heabani comes!” resound the joyful cries,
And through the gates of Erech Suburi
Now file the chieftains, Su-khu-li rubi.[1]
A festival in honor of their guest
The Sar proclaims, and Erech gaily drest,
Her welcome warm extends to the famed seer. 
The maidens, Erech’s daughters, now appear,
With richest kirtles gaily decked with flowers,
And on his head they rain their rosy showers. 
Rejoicing sing, while harps and cymbals play,
And laud him to the skies in their sweet way;
And mingling with their joy, their monarch rode
Before the seer, who stately after strode
Beside his beast, and next the men of fame. 
The maids thus chant high honors to his name: 

“A prince we make thee, mighty seer! 
Be filled with joy and royal cheer! 
All hail to Erech’s seer!

Whom day and night our Sar hath sought,
O banish fear! for Hea taught
The seer, his glory wrought.

He comes! whom Samas loves as gold,
To Erech grace, our city old;
All wisdom he doth hold.

Great Hea doth to him unfold
All that remains to man untold;
Give him the chain of gold!

He cometh from the Za-Gab-ri
To our dear Erech Su-bu-ri. 
Heabani glorify!