Sacred Texts Ancient Near East Index Previous Next
When Izdubar awakes, they lead the way
To the bright fount beside the jasper sea.
The seer, with Mua and Ur-Hea, stands
Beside the King, who holily lifts his hands
Above an altar where the glowing rays
Of sacred flames are curling; thus he prays:
"Ye glorious stars that shine on high,
Remember me! Oh, hear my cry,
Su-ku-nu, 1 bright Star of the West!
Dil-gan, my patron star, oh, shine!
O Mar-bu-du, whose rays invest
Dear Nipur 2 with thy light divine,
The flames that shines, upon the Waste!
O Papsukul, thou Star of Hope,
Sweet god of bliss, to me, oh, haste,
Before I faint and lifeless drop!
O Adar 3 Star of Ninazu,
Be kind! O Ra-di-tar-tu-khu.
Sweet U-tu-ca-ga-bu, 4 dear Star
With thy pure face that shines afar!
Oh, pardon me! each glorious Star!
Za-ma-ma, 5 hear me! O Za-ma-ma!
Ca-ca-ma u Ca-ca-ma." 6
7 Remember him! O dear Za-ma-ma!
Ca-ca-ma u Ca-ca-ma."
As Izdubar doth end his holy prayer
He kneels, and they now bear his body where
A snowy couch doth rest beneath a shrine
That stands near by the glowing fount divine,
And Khasisadra lifts his holy hands,
His incantation chants, and o'er him stands.
"O Bel, Lord of An-nu-na-ci,
O Nina, Hea's daughter! Zi! 8
This Incantation aid,
Remember us, Remember!
9 Ye tempests of High Heaven, be still!
Ye raging lightnings, oh, he calm!
From this brave man his strength is gone,
Before thee see him lying ill!
Oh, fill with strength his feeble frame,
O Ishtar, shine from thy bright throne!
From him thine anger turn away,
Come from thy glowing mountains, come!
From paths untrod by man, oh, haste!
And bid this man arise this day.
With strength divine as Heaven's dome,
His form make pure and bright and chaste!
The evil curse, oh, drive away!
Go! A-sac-cu-kab-bi-lu, 10 go!
O Nam-ta-ru-lim-nu, 1 oh, fly!
U-tuc-cu-lim-nu 2 from him flow!
A-lu-u-lim-nu, 3 hence! away!
E-ci-mu-lim-nu, 4 go! thou fiend!
Fly, Gal-lu-u-lim-nu, 5 afar!
Fly from his head! his life! I send
Thee, fiend! depart from Izdubar!
Go from his forehead, breast, and heart,
And feet! Avaunt! thou fiend! depart!
Oh, from the Curse, Thou Spirit High!
And Spirit of the Earth, come nigh!
Protect him, may his spirit fly!
O Spirit of the Lord of Lands,
And Goddess of the Earthly Lands,
Protect him! raise with strength his hands!
Oh, make him as the Holy Gods,
His body, limbs, like thine Abodes,
And like the Heavens may he shine!
And like the Earth with rays divine!
Quick! with the khis-ib-ta 6 to bring
High Heaven's Charm--bind round his brow!
The sis-bu 7 place around his hands!
And let the sab-u-sat 8 bright cling!
The mus-u-kat 9 lay round him now,
And wrap his feet with rad-bat-bands, 10
And open now his zik-a-man 1
The sis-bu cover, and his hands
The bas-sat 2 place around his form!
From baldness and disease, this man
Cleanse, make him whole, head, feet, and hands!
O Purity, breathe thy sweet charm!
Restore his health and make his skin
Shine beautifully, beard and hair
Restore! make strong with might his loins!
And may his body glorious shine
As the bright gods!--
Ye winds him bear!
Immortal flesh to his soul joins!
Thou Spirit of this man! arise!
Come forth with joy! Come to the skies!"
And lo! his leprosy has fled away!
He stands immortal,--purged! released from clay!
149:1 "Su-ku-nu" or "Kak-si-di," the star of the West.
149:2 "Nipur," the city from which Izdubar came.
149:3 "Adar," the star of Ninazu, the goddess of death, who cursed him with leprosy in the cavern. This star was also called "Ra-di-tar-tu-khu."
149:4 "U-tu-ca-ga-bu," the star with the white or pure face.
149:5 "Za-ma-ma," another name for Adar. This is the deity for whom Izdubar or Nammurabi built the great temple whose top, in the language of the Babylonians, reached the skies. It was afterward called the "Tower of the Country" or "Tower of Babylon." This was perhaps the Tower of Babel. He also restored another temple called "Bite-muris," which was dedicated to the same goddess.
149:6 "Amen and amen!" The word amen" is usually repeated three times.
149:7 The response of the priest Khasisadra.
150:8 "Zi," spirits.
150:9 See "T. S. B. A.," vol. ii. p. 31.
150:10 "A-sac-cu-kab-bi-lu," evil spirit of the head.
150:1 "Nam-ta-ru-lim-nu," evil spirit of the life or heart.
150:2 "U-tuc-cu-lim-nu," evil spirit of the forehead.
150:3 "A-lu-u-lim-nu," evil spirit of the breast.
150:4 "E-ci-mu-lim-nu," evil spirit of the stomach.
150:5 "Gal-lu-u-lim-nu," evil spirit of the hands.
151:6 "Khis-ib-ta," a strip of parchment or linen on which was inscribed a holy text, a charm like that used by the Jews, a philactery.
151:7 "Sis-bu," the same as the preceding.
151:8 "Sab-u-sat," was perhaps a holy cloth, also inscribed in the same manner.
151:9 "Mus-u-kat" was also of the same character as the preceding.
151:10 "Rad-bat-bands," similar bands to the khis-ib-ta.
151:1 "Zik-a-man," this is unknown, it perhaps was the inner garment.
151:2 "Bas-sat," supposed to be the outside or last covering placed over the person so treated. That some such ceremony was performed in the case of Izdubar seems to be undoubted. See "Trans. Soc. Bib. Arch.," vol., ii. 31; also Sayce's edition "C. A. of G," p. 290.