Inanna and Bilulu

In the desert, my Dumuzi, I sing with ther the wail,

the wail for you, the wail for you;

In the temple Arali I sing with her;

In Bad-tibira I sing with her;

In Dushuba I sing with her;

In the shepherding country I sing with her,

in the sheepfold of Dumuzi...........

(some twenty to twenty-one lines of the text are missing at

this point. From a few broken words that reamain, one would

conclude that they described -after the introductory motif of

lament had come to a close- the yound Inanna longing in her

mother's house to be reunited with her husband, Dumuzi, who

is in the desert with the flocks. When the text resumes she

is in tears:)

....She broods on it:

"O Dumuzi, of the fair(-spoken) mouth, of the ever kind eyes!"

In tears she sobs forth,

"O you of the fair(-spoken) mouth, of the ever kind eyes!"

Lad, husband, provider, (sweet as the) date,

O Dumuzi!" she sobs forth,

in tears she sobs forth.

Holy Inanna.....................................................

................................................................

The lady........................................................

The maiden Inanna...............................................

In the chamber of the mother who bore her was pacing (to and

fro),

While in prayer and supplication respectfully they stood in

attention on her,

"O my mother....................................................

to the fold with your permission I would go!

"O my mother Nigal.........................to the fold with your

permission I would go!"

My father has shoe forth for me, in lordly fashion..............

Sin (the moon) has shone forth for me, in lordly fashion........

Like a child sent on an errand by its mother from....she went

out,

Like one sent on an errand by Mother Nigal from the chamber she

went out.

Full knowledgeable My-lady was, and also she was full apt,

Full knowledgeable holy Inanna was, and also she was full apt:

(Lager) beer laid up in remote days, in long (past) days........

(At this point some eighteen lines are missing. It may be

assumed that they told of Inanna's preperations for the

journey to the fold and-with a temporary change of scene

-of an attack on Dumuzi's fold by Bilulu and Girgire in

which Dumuzi was killed. When the text resumes Inanna

would seem to be nearing, or to have arrived at, the fold.

A messenger, perhaps the partridge mentioned later in the

composition, is bringing her terrible news:)

"..................................................[I went(?)]

To the brick-built house of Belili [I went(?)]

There the shepherd, had beten in,...[lay on the ground(?)]

Dumuzi, head beaten in...........[lay on the ground(?)]

Ama-ushumgal-anna, head beaten in.....[lay on the ground(?)]

The sheep of my master, of Dumuzi, [I saw] in the desert,

O Inanna, a man who was not the shepard

Was returning beside my masters sheep!"

(My)lady gave birth to a song to Dumuzi,fashioned a song to him:

"O you who lie at rest, shepherd who lie at rest, you stood guard

over them,

Dumuzi, who lie at rest, you stood guard over them,

Ama-ushumgal-anna, who lie at rest, you stood guard over them,

Rising with the sun you stood guard over my sheep,

Lying down by night (only), you stood guard over my sheep!"

That day the son of the old woman Bilulu,

Matriarch and her own mistress,

Girgire, the good householder,

He being fit to govern and a knowledgeable man,

Was filling pen and fold with captured cattle,

And was stacking his stacks and piles (of grain).

His (victims) struck down with the mace he (left) scattered in

the feilds,

SIR-RU of Edin-lil-la, no(one's) child and no(one's) friend,

Sat before him, with him he held converse.

That day was in (My-)lady's heart?

What was in holy Inanna's heart?

To hill the provider Bilulu,

(that) was in her heart!

To make good the resting-place for her beloved young husband,

for Dumuzi, for Ama-ushumgal-anna, (that) was in her heart!

To(?) Bilulu in Edin-lil-la My-lady went(?)

Her son Girgire like the wind there did........................

SIR-RU of Edin-lil-la, no(one's) child and no(one's) friend,

did......

Holy Inanna entered the alehouse,

Stepped into a seat, determined fate:

"Begone! I have killed you, so is it verily,

and with you I destroy (also) your name:

May you become the water skin for cold water that (men carry) in

the desert!"

"(Yea: and) may her son Girgire and she

Become the utukku and the lamma(the numina) of the desert,

May SIR-RU of Edin-lil-la, no(one's) child and no(one's) friend,

Stand in the desert and keep count of flour.

When for the lad wandering in the desert water is libated and

flour strewn from the (water-skin)

Let the utukku of the desert and the lamma of the desert

Call out: 'A libation!', call out: 'A strewing!'

and (thereby) cause him to be present in the place from which he

vanished, in the desert,

Let the old woman Bilulu gladden his heart!"

And immidiately, on that day and (under that) sun, it truely

became so.

She became the water skin for cold water that (men carry)in the

desert,

And while her son Girgire and she

Became the utukku and the lamma of the desert

SIR-RU of Edin-lil-la, no(one's) child and no(one's) friend,

stood in the desert and kept count of flour.

When for the lad wandering in the desert water is libated and

flour strewn from the (water-skin)

The utukku of the desert and the lamma of the desert

Call out: "A libation!", call out: "A strewing!"

And (thereby) cause him to be present in the place from which he

vanished, in the desert,

And the old woman Bilulu gladdens his heart.

Inanna [put out her] hand to the land on the ground,

[Put out her hand] to Dumuzi on the ground,

his (death-)bound hands........................................

(Some eleven lines are missing here. They may have told how

Inanna carried out her second purpose: to make good the

resting-place for Dumuzi. When the text resumes the

partridge(?) is taking counsel with itself. Its role here

and its words are not clear.)

To the......of its.......the partridge(?) did..................

To the birth-place(?) of Dumuzi the partridge did..............

Like a dove in its nest it took counsel with itself,

the partridge(?) in its shelter took counsel:

"Only his mother Duttur can gladden my master

Only his mother Duttur can gladden Dumuzi!"

My-lady, born in Kuar,

The maiden who is the crown of (all)...........,

The admiratin and acclaim of the black-headed (people),

The (fore-)dancer who voices the wail and the cry,

Sokesman of prayer to the king,

Geshtin-anna, to (My)-lady did.................................

...............................................................

The maiden the admiration......................................

Geshtin-anna to Inanna did.....................................

The sacred one, (Inanna)........in (her) hand..................

.................................together......................

............................was countering (in song:)

"I will sing with you (Inanna) the wail (for Dumuzi): 'The wail

for you, the wail for you!'

In the temple(?) I will sing with you (Inanna): 'O (my)

....brother! the wail for you!'

In ......................I will sing: 'The wail for you!'

In ....................I will sing: 'The wail for you!'

In ................I will sing: 'The wail for you!'

In the sheparding country I will sing with you (Inanna): 'The

wail for you!'"

How (truely) the lady provided the equal to her betrothed,

How (truely) holy Inanna proved the equal of the shepard Dumuzi,

To make good his resting place, unto the lady-

To avenge (him), unto Inanna was (granted and) given into her

hand!

"I with sing with you (Geshtin-anna)the wail (for Dumuzi), 'The

wail for you, the wail for you!'

"I will sing with you (Geshtin-anna) 'The wail for you, the wail

for you!'

In the place of bringing forth(?) 'The wail for you!'

In the desert, 'O my Dumuzi the wail for you!'

In the temple Arali 'The wail for you!'

In Dushuba 'The wail for you!'

In Bad-tibira 'The wail for you!'

In the sheparding country 'The wail for you!', the wail (for

Dumuzi) I will sing with you (Geshtin-anna).!"

How (truely) she proved the equal of Dumuzi, avenged (him);

(By) killing Bilulu

Ubabba proved equal to him!

An u-lil-la (song) for Inanna