After descending for a prolonged period the Queen of Heaven at length stands naked before the Queen of Hades.  Ishtar is proud and arrogant, and Allatu, desiring to punish her rival whom she cannot humble,

commands the plague demon, Namtar, to strike her with disease in all parts of her body.  The effect of Ishtar’s fate was disastrous upon earth:  growth and fertility came to an end.

Meanwhile Pap-sukal, messenger of the gods, hastened to Shamash, the sun deity, to relate what had occurred.  The sun god immediately consulted his lunar father, Sin, and Ea, god of the deep.  Ea then created a man lion, named Nadushu-namir, to rescue Ishtar, giving him power to pass through the seven gates of Hades.  When this being delivered his message

    Allatu ... struck her breast; she bit her thumb,
    She turned again:  a request she asked not.

In her anger she cursed the rescuer of the Queen of Heaven.

    May I imprison thee in the great prison,
    May the garbage of the foundations of the city be thy food,
    May the drains of the city be thy drink,
    May the darkness of the dungeon be thy dwelling,
    May the stake be thy seat,
    May hunger and thirst strike thy offspring.

She was compelled, however, to obey the high gods, and addressed Namtar, saying: 

    Unto Ishtar give the waters of life and bring her before me.

Thereafter the Queen of Heaven was conducted through the various gates, and at each she received her robe and the ornaments which were taken from her on entering.  Namtar says: 

    Since thou hast not paid a ransom for thy deliverance to her
      (Allatu), so to her again turn back,
    For Tammuz the husband of thy youth. 
    The glistening waters (of life) pour over him... 
    In splendid clothing dress him, with a ring of crystal adorn him.

Ishtar mourns for “the wound of Tammuz”, smiting her breast, and she did not ask for “the precious eye-stones, her amulets”, which were apparently to ransom Tammuz.  The poem concludes with Ishtar’s wail: 

    O my only brother (Tammuz) thou dost not lament for me. 
    In the day that Tammuz adorned me, with a ring of crystal,
    With a bracelet of emeralds, together with himself, he adorned
        me,[123]
    With himself he adorned me; may men mourners and women
        mourners
    On a bier place him, and assemble the wake.[124]

A Sumerian hymn to Tammuz throws light on this narrative.  It sets forth that Ishtar descended to Hades to entreat him to be glad and to resume care of his flocks, but Tammuz refused or was unable to return.

        His spouse unto her abode he sent back.

She then instituted the wailing ceremony: 

The amorous Queen of Heaven sits as one in darkness.[125]