The harper of the Queen, an aged man,
Stands lone upon the bank, while he doth scan
The horizon with anxious, careworn face,
Lest ears profane of Elam’s hated race
Should hear his strains of mournful melody: 
Now leaning on his harp in memory
Enwrapt, while fitful breezes lift his locks
Of snow, he sadly kneels upon the rocks
And sighing deeply clasps his hands in woe,
While the dread past before his mind doth flow. 
A score and eight of years have slowly passed
Since Rim-a-gu, with Elam’s host amassed,
Kardunia’s ancient capital had stormed. 
The glorious walls and turrets are transformed
To a vast heap of ruins, weird, forlorn,
And Elam’s spears gleam through the coming morn. 
From the sad sight his eyes he turns away,
His soul breathes through his harp while he doth play
With bended head his aged hands thus woke
The woes of Erech with a measured stroke: 

    O Erech! dear Erech, my beautiful home,
      Accadia’s pride, O bright land of the bard,
    Come back to my vision, dear Erech, oh, come! 
      Fair land of my birth, how thy beauty is marred! 
    The horsemen of Elam, her spearsmen and bows,
       Thy treasures have ravished, thy towers thrown down,
    And Accad is fallen, trod down by her foes. 
      Oh, where are thy temples of ancient renown?

    Gone are her brave heroes beneath the red tide,
      Gone are her white vessels that rode o’er the main,
    No more on the river her pennon shall ride,
      Gargan-na is fallen, her people are slain. 
    Wild asses[23] shall gallop across thy grand floors,
      And wild bulls shall paw them and hurl the dust high
    Upon the wild cattle that flee through her doors,
      And doves shall continue her mournful slave’s cry.

    Oh, where are the gods of our Erech so proud,
      As flies they are swarming away from her halls,
    The Sedu[24] of Erech are gone as a cloud,
      As wild fowl are flying away from her walls. 
    Three years did she suffer, besieged by her foes,
      Her gates were thrown down and defiled by the feet
    Who brought to poor Erech her tears and her woes,
      In vain to our Ishtar with prayers we entreat.

    To Ishtar bowed down doth our Bel thus reply,
      “Come, Ishtar, my queenly one, hide all thy tears,
    Our hero, Tar-u-man-i izzu Sar-ri,[25]
      In Kipur is fortified with his strong spears. 
    The hope of Kardunia,[26] land of my delight,
      Shall come to thy rescue, upheld by my hands,
    Deliverer of peoples, whose heart is aright,
      Protector of temples, shall lead his brave bands.”

    Awake then, brave Accad, to welcome the day! 
      Behold thy bright banners yet flaming on high,
    Triumphant are streaming on land and the sea! 
      Arise, then, O Accad! behold the Sami![27]
    Arranged in their glory the mighty gods come
      In purple and gold the grand Tam-u[8] doth shine
    Over Erech, mine Erech, my beautiful home,
      Above thy dear ashes, behold thy god’s sign!