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.