Ishtar’s Descent into Hades.

Unto the land whence none return, the place of gloom,
Ishtar, the Moon-god’s daughter, set her firm resolve,
Yea, she herself, the Moon-god’s daughter, set her mind
Unto the house of darkness and Irkalla’s seat;
That house from whose grim portals none can issue more;
That road whose course permits no step to be retraced;
That home whose inmates are forever barred the light,
And all the food they may consume is dust and clay,
Light they behold not, but in deepest darkness dwell,
Clad in feathery shroud like dim and spectral birds;
And round the doorway and its bolts the dust lies heaped.
So soon as Ishtar reached the land whence none return,
She cried unto the warder of the gate, "What, ho!
Open thy gate, open, I say, and let me in;
For, if thou open not, and let me straight pass through,
I will strike down the door, shattering its every lock;
I will assail the threshold and by force break in;

Yea, I will raise the dead to feast on those that live;
Out numbered shall the living be by all the dead!"
Then opened the warder of the gate his lips, and spake;
Addressing the great princess Ishtar, thus he said,
"Hold, Lady, hold, strike not the gate unto the ground,
But let me go and bear thy name before the Queen."
So passed he to the lady of the Ample Land.
"Behold, O Queen, thy sister Ishtar stands without,
Trying the mighty barriers of the portals there."
To which the Lady of the Ample Land replied,
"Like some frail herb that sinks beneath the scythe, she comes,
And utters prayers as with the lips of drooping reeds.
What has possessed her mind, what seized her heart, to say,
’Ah! let me weep the heroes who have left their wives,
The young wives let me weep, snatched from the bridegroom’s clasp,
The tender babe cut off, his life-day at its dawn!’?

Yet, warder, go; fling wide the opening of the gates for her,
And, as old rule requires, strip her of all she wears!’
Then went the warder and unbarred his gate and cried,
"Pass, Lady, through. May death’s dark city welcome thee,
And, at thy face, the palace of this land grow glad!"
Through the first gate he led her then, and closed it fast;
He took the mighty diadem from off her head.
’Why, Warder, takest thou the crown from off my head?’
’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
Then led he through the second gate, and closed it fast;
He took away the jewelled earrings from her ears.
’Why, Warder, takest thou the earrings from my ears?’
’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
Then led he through the third gate and closed it fast;
He took away the golden chains about her neck.
’Why, Warder, takest thou the chains from my neck?’

’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
Then led he through the fourth gate and closed it fast;
He took away the ornaments of her breast.
’Why, Warder, takest thou the ornaments off my breast?’
’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
Then led he through the fifth gate and closed it fast.
He took away the studded girdle off her waist.
’Why, Warder, takest thou the girdle off my waist?’
’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
Then led he through the sixth gate and closed it fast.
He took away her bracelets and anklets.
’Why, Warder, takest thou my bracelets and anklets?’
’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
Then led he through the seventh gate and closed it fast.
He took away the garment covering her nakedness.
’Why, Warder, takest thou the garment covering my nakedness?’
’Enter; for so, O Lady, bids the Great Land’s Queen.’
As soon as Ishtar entered the land whence none return,
Allatu saw her and agrily approached her.
Ishtar took no thought but threw herself upon Allatu.
Then Allatu spoke to Namtar, her messenger,
"Go, open my gate and cast forth Ishtar.
With disease of the eyes strike her.
With disease of the loins strike her.

With disease of the legs strike her.
With disease of the heart strike her.
Her whole body strike with disease."
After Ishtar entered the land whence none return,
The bull did not serve the cow nor the ass the she-ass.
No male approached the female.
The Messenger of the Gods, with face cast down before the Sun-god,
Was clothed in sack-cloth and was filled with grief.
The Sun-god went and stood before his sire, the Moon,
Yea, in the presence of King Ea flowed his tears;
"Ishtar," he cried, "from deeps of earth returns no more.
Since Ishtar has entered the land whence none return,
The bull has not served the cow nor the ass the she-ass.
No male has approached the female."
Then spoke King Ea to the Phantom, servant of the gods, saying,
"Go, set thy face toward the gate of the land whence none return.
The seven gates of the land shall open before thee,
Allatu shall see thee and rejoice at thy arrival.
When her heart is at peace and she is glad

Conjure her in the name of the gods;
Hold up thy head and ask for the water-skin,
’If it please thee, Lady, give me the water-skin that I may drink.’"
When Allatu heard this she smote her thigh and bit her fingernails;
"Thou seekest a favor which can not be granted.
Begone, O Phantom, I will curse thee with an awful curse.
The filth of the city’s sewage be thy food,
The water of the city’s gutters be thy drink,
Outside the threshold be thy dwelling-place,
Thy strength decay in dungeon vile and prison-house!"
Allatu spoke to her messenger, the Plague-demon, saying,
"Go, Demon of the Plague, and the strong palace smite!
Shatter the thresholds that upbear the lofty stones!
Bring the Earth-spirits forth, seat them on thrones of gold!
Then sprinkle Ishtar with the water of life and drive her from my presence."
Then the Plague-Demon went and smote the strong palace,
He shattered the thresholds that upbore the lofty stones.
He brought forth the Earth-spirits and seated them on thrones of gold.
He sprinkled Ishtar with the water of life and led her forth.
He led her through the first gate and gave back the garmentcovering her nakedness.

He led her through the second gate and gave back her bracelets and anklets.
He led her through the third gate and gave back the studded girdle of her waist.
He led her through the fourth gate and gave back the ornaments of her breast.
He led her through the fifth gate and gave back the chains about her neck.
He led her through the sixth gate and gave back the jewelled earrings of her ears.
He led her through the seventh gate and gave back the mighty diadem of her head.