And Izdubar upon his foe advanced,
Who waiting stood, and at him fiercely glanced,
And naught replied; but raised his glory blade. 
Their furious glance, the giant’s queen dismayed. 
She wildly eyed the rivals towering high,
And breathless stood, then quickly turned to fly,
As Izdubar upon his heavy shield
Received Khumbaba’s stroke, and then doth wield
His massive blade as lightning o’er his head,
He strikes the giant’s helmet on the mead. 
Khumbaba, furious, strikes a mighty blow,
Which staggers Izdubar, who on his foe
Now springs and rains upon him faster blows,
Until his blade with fire continuous glows. 
Khumbaba caught his blows on sword and shield
With parries; thrusts returned, and naught would yield;
And thus they fought, the peerless kings of war. 
Now Ishtar downward drove his raging car,
And in Khumbaba’s eyes her rays she cast,
The giant turned his glance—­it was his last;
Unwary caught, his foe has swung his sword,
Khumbaba’s gory head rolls o’er the sward.

[Footnote 1:  Smith’s “Chald.  Acc. of Gen.,” Sayce’s edition, p. 223, ls. 35 and 41.]

[Footnote 2:  “Gur-ri,” a measurement of weight corresponding to “ton"(?).  It [Transcriber’s note:  missing, probably “was”] also used as a measurement of ships.]

ALCOVE II

TABLET V—­COLUMN I

CORONATION OF IZDUBAR AS KING OF THE FOUR RACES, AND APPEARANCE OF ISHTAR IN HIS ROYAL PRESENCE, WHO SUES FOR HIS HAND

To Erech’s palaces returns the Sar,
Rich laden with Khumbaba’s spoils of war. 
The land of Ur with grandest glories shines—­
And gleams with palaces and towers and shrines. 
The plain with temples, cities, walls is filled,
And wide canals, and yellow harvests tilled. 
Grand Erech to the sight presents no walls
In ruins laid, but glows with turrets, halls;
With splendor proudly shines across the plain. 
And now with joy he meets his courtly train;
Their shouts of welcome rend the gleaming skies,
And happiness beams from his people’s eyes. 
Within the walls he rides with kingly pride,
And all his chiefs and seers beside him ride;
To his grand palace they now lead the way,
To crown him king of Subartu this day.

Arrayed in splendor on his throne, the Sar
Before him eyes the Kassite spoils of war,
Khumbaba’s crown of gold, and blazing gems,
The richest of the Kassite diadems,
The royal sceptre of all Subartu,
Of Larsa, Ur, Kardunia and Sutu
The Sar upon his brow the crown now bound,
Receives the sceptre while his courts resound
With shouts for Sar-dan-nu of Subartu,
The Sar of Kip-rat arba[1] and Sutu,
Of Sumir, Accad, Nipur, Bar-ili,[2]
And Erech, Larsa, Mairu, and Kus-si,
Of Mal-al-nak, Kitu;—­the sky resounds—­
For Iz-zu-bar-ili,[3] from earth rebounds;
For Nam-mu-rabi, Bar-bels king of fire. 
What king to his great glory can aspire?