Nergal and Ereshkigal
When the gods organized a banquet,
They sent a messenger
To thier sister Ereshkigal.
"We cannot come down to you,
And you cannot come up to us.
So, send someone to fetch a share of the food for you!"
Ereshkigal sent Namtar her vizier,
"Go up, Namtar, to high heaven!"
He went into where the gods were sitting,
And they bowed and greeted Namtar,
The messenter of their eldest sister.
They bowed respectfully when they say him and
The high Gods [ ]
[ ] food for the goddess his mistress.
[ ] wept and was overcome.
[ ] the journey.
(about 6 lines missing)
Ea [ ]
Went to Namtar and sent him back.
"Go and tell my word to our sister.
She will say, 'Where is the one who did not rise to his feet in the presence
of my messenger?
Bring him to me for his death, that I may kill him!'"
(and so it happened)
Namtar came back and spoke to the gods,
The gods summoned him and discussed the death with him.
"Look for the god who did not rise to his feet in your presence,
And take him before your mistress!"
Namtar counted them. The last god was crouching down.
"That god who did not rise to his feet in your presence- he is not here!"
Then Namtar went and gave his report,
"My mistress, I went and counted them.
The last god was crouching down.
The god who did not rise to his feet in my presence was not there."
Ereshkigal made her voice heard
And addressed Namtar her messenger,
"[ ] month."
[ ] Ea, honoured lord.
"Identify the one", [ ] to the hand of Ea.
"Take him to Ereshkigal!" He was weeping.
Before his father Ea: "He will see me!
He will not let me stay alive!"
"Don't be afraid [ ]
I shall give to you seven and seven demons
To go with you [ ] Flashes of Lightning,
Bailiff, Croucher, Expulsion, Wind,
Fits, Staggers, Stroke, Lord of the Roof,
Feverhot, Scab [ (and three others) ]
With you [ ] door.
Ereshkigal will call out, 'Doorkeeper, [ ] open your door.'"
(Nergal now stands at the Gates)
"Loosen the thong, that I may enter into the prescenceof your mistress,
Ereshkigal. I have been sent!"
The doorkeeper went
And said to Namtar, "One god is standing at the entrance of the door,
Come, inspect him and let him enter."
Namtar came out and saw him gladly: "Wait here!"
He said to his mistress, "My lady, here is the god who in previous
Months had vanished, and who did not rise to his feet in my presence!"
"Bring him in. As soon as he comes, I shall kill him!"
Namtar came out and addressed his words to Nergal, "Come in, my lord,
To your sister's house and [ ]"
Nergal said, "You should be glad to see me.
[ ] Nergal [ ]
(2 lines missing)
... at the third, Flashes of Lightning at the fourth,
Baliff at the fifth, Croucher at the sixth, Expulsion
At the seventh, Wind at the eighth, Fits
At the ninth, Staggers at the tenth, Stroke
At the eleventh, Lord of the Roof at the twelfth,
Feverhot at the thirteen, Scab at the fourteenth
Door, he managed to seal her in. In the forecourt he cut off
Namtar. He gave his troops orders: 'Let the doors
Be opened! Now I shall race past you!"
Inside the house, he seized Ereshkigal
By her hair, pulled her from the throne
To the ground, intending to cut off her head.
"Don't kill me, my brother! Let me tell you soemthing."
Nergal listened to her and relaxed his grip, he wept and was overcome when she
said,
"You can be my husband, and I can be your wife. I will let you seize
Kingship over the wide Earth! I will put the tablet
Of wisdom in your hand! You can be the master,
I can be the mistress."
Nergal listened to this speech of hers,
And seized her and kissed her. He wiped away her tears.
"What have you asked of me? After so many months,
It shall certainly be so!"