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Our Izdubar dear Erech raised
From her distress, when she did mourn;
With joy his glorious name be praised!
Of a great warrior's daughter born,
And Bel in his own might, him arms,
To Erech's sons and daughters save;
What other Sar hath glorious charms
Like his, who saved proud Elam's slave?
Chorus
No rival hath our mighty Sar,
Thy cymbals strike and raise the cry!
All hail! All hail! great Izdubar!
His deeds immortal glorify!
Our Izdubar our sons preserves
To all our fathers day and night,
And Erech's ruler well deserves
Our highest praise, whose matchless might
Delights the gods! All hail our Sar!
Whose firmness, wisdom need no praise!
Queen Daunat's son, our Izdubar,
His glory to the Sami 1 raise!
Chorus
Of a great warrior's daughter born,
The gods clothe him with matchless might;
His glory greets the coming morn,
Oh, how in him we all delight!
And thus of Seer Heabani they now chant
His birth and history and hyemal haunt.
Who can compare with thee, O Nin! 2
The son of Bel; thy hands didst lay
Upon Ar-ur-u, thine own queen,
With glory crowned her on that day.
To her thy strength did give, and blessed
Her with thy love and a dear son;
With Anu's strength within his breast,
And Ninip sped then to his throne.
When Queen Ar-u-ru hears her lord
From Erech's city far has gone,
She bows her head upon the sward,
With pleading hands in woe doth moan.
And to Heabani she gave birth,
The warrior, great Ninip's son,
Whose fame is spread through all the earth.
The queen with her own maids alone
Retired within her palace walls
For purity in Erech's halls.
Like the corn-god his face concealed,
Of men and countries he possessed,
Great wisdom by the gods revealed:
As Ner 3 the god, his limbs were dressed.
With wild gazelles he ate his food
While roaming with them in the night;
For days he wandered in the wood,
And bu-hir-tser-i 4 him delight.
The Zi-ar-ri 5 Heabani loves,
That play within the running streams;
With Zi-ti-am-a-ti 6 he roves
Upon the sands in warm sunbeams.
"The prince returns, O Sar!" the herald said,
And low before the throne he bowed his head;
"Our Zaidu, the bewitcher of all men,
Doth unsuccessful to us come again.
Before the cave the seer confronted him
Three days where Khar-sak's snowy brow doth gleam.
Heabani with his beast in his cave went,
And Zaidu waited, but his courage spent
When he beheld the seer and beast remain
Within the cave, and all his words were vain.
The prince remains without with downcast face
And beg of thee, his Sar, thy sovereign grace."
The king to all the maidens waves his hand,
Then vanishes from sight the choral band.
44:1 "Sami," heavens.
45:2 "Nin" or "Nin-ip," the god of the chase and war.
45:3 "Ner" or "Nergal" the giant king of war, the strong begetter.
45:4 "Bu-hir-tser-i," beasts of the field.
45:5 "Zi-ar-ri," spirits of the rivers, water-nymphs.
45:6 "Zi-ti-am-a-ti," spirits of the sea. naiads or water-nymphs.