← Library

Dumuzid and Ĝeštin-ana

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 73 sections

1. 1

   gal5-la2 tur ka ba-a-ši-ba9-re6 gal5-la2 gu-la-ra gu3 mu-na-de2-e

   A small demon opened his mouth and said to the big demon, Come on, let's go to the lap of holy Inana. The demons entered Unug and seized holy Inana. Come on, Inana, go on that journey which is yours alone -- descend to the underworld. Go to the place which you have coveted -- descend to the nether world. Go to the dwelling of Ereškigala -- descend to the underworld. Don't put on your holy ba garment, the pala dress of ladyship -- descend to the underworld. Remove the holy headdress, that splendid ornament, from your head -- descend to the underworld. Don't enhance your appearance with a wig -- descend to the underworld. Don't adorn your feet with …… -- descend to the underworld. When you descend, …….

2. 2

   ĝa2-nam-ma-an-ze2-en ur2 kug {d}inana-ka-še3 ga-da-re7-en-de3-en

3. 3

   gal5-la2 unug{ki}-še3 ba-ni-in-kur9-re-eš kug {d}inana-ke4 mu-ni-in-dab5-be2-ne

4. 4

   ĝa2-nu {d}inana kaskal-zu-še3 ni-ba ĝen-na kur-še3 ed3-de3

5. 5

   ki šag4-ge de6-a-zu-še3 ĝen-na kur-še3 ed3-de3

6. 6

   ki {d}ereš-ki-gal-la-še3 ĝen-na kur-še3 ed3-de3

7. 7

   tug2-ba13 kug {tug2}pala3-a tug2 nam-nin-zu nam-ba-mu4-mu4-un kur-še3 ed3-de3

8. 8

   men kug me-te ka silim-ma saĝ-zu-a um-ta-ĝa2-ar kur-še3 ed3-de3

9. 9

   ḫi-li-a igi-zu la-ba-ni-in-du7 kur-še3 ed3-de3

10. 10

    UR NU TUR ĝiri3-zu […]-du8-du8 kur-še3 ed3-de3

11. 11

    ud za-e ed3-[de3-da …] nu-BU-BU

12. 12

    kug {d}inana-ke4 mu-un-bur2-bur2-re-eš […]-ga-de3-eš

    They released holy Inana, they …… her. Inana handed over Dumuzid to them in exchange for herself. As for the lad, we will put his feet in foot stocks. As for the lad, we will put his hands in hand stocks: we will put his neck in neck stocks. Copper pins, nails and pokers were raised to his face. They sharpened their large copper axes. As for the lad, they stood him up, they sat him down. Let us remove his …… garment, let us make him stand ……. As for the lad, they bound his arms, they did evil ……. They covered his face with his own garment.

13. 13

    {d}inana ni2-te-na {d}dumu-zid šu-še3 ba-an-šum2

14. 14

    ĝuruš-e {ĝiš}<rab3> maḫ ĝiri3-ni im-ma-an-ĝar-re-en-de3-en

15. 15

    ĝuruš-e {ĝiš}es2-ad <šu-ni> šub-bu-de3-en-de3-en ĝiš-gu2 gu2-ni ĝar-re-en-de3-en

16. 16

    urud-ḫenzer {urud}kibir2 {urud}šukur maḫ-e igi-ni-še3 ba-an-ši-ib2-il2-il2

17. 17

    {urud}ḫa-zi-in gal-gal-la u3-sar i3-ak-e-ne

18. 18

    ĝuruš-e mu-ni-in-gub-bu-de3-eš mu-ni-in-dur2-de3-eš

19. 19

    tug2-gun5-na-ni šub-bu-de3-en-de3-en UŠ KUM gub-bu-de3-en-de3-en

20. 20

    ĝuruš-e a2-na mu-un-la2-e-de3-eš tug2-eš ḫuḫul mu-un-ši-ak-eš

21. 21

    tug2 ni2-te-na igi-na mu-ni-in-dul-u3-de3-eš

22. 22

    ĝuruš-e {d}utu-ra an-še3 šu-ni ba-an-ši-zig3!(mu)

    The lad raises his hands heavenward to Utu: O Utu, I am your friend, I am a youth. Do you recognise me? Your sister, whom I married, descended to the underworld. Because she descended to the underworld, it was me that she was to hand over to the underworld as a substitute. O Utu, you are a just judge, don't disappoint me! Change my hands, alter my appearance, so that I may escape the clutches of my demons! Don't let them seize me! Like a saĝkal snake that slithers across the meadows and mountains, let me escape alive to the dwelling of my sister Ĝeštin-ana.

23. 23

    {d}utu gu5-li-zu ĝe26-e-me-en šul-me-en za-e mu-zu

24. 24

    nin9-zu nam-dam-še3 ba-an-tuku-a

25. 25

    e-ne kur-še3 ed3-de3

26. 26

    mu e-ne kur-še3 ed3-de3

27. 27

    ĝe26-e ki-ĝar-ra-bi-še3 kur-še3 ba-ab-šum2-mu-de3

28. 28

    {d}utu di-kud niĝ2-si-sa2 za-e-me-en nam-ba-lul-de3

29. 29

    šu-ĝa2 u3-mu-e-kur2 ulutim2-ĝu10 u3-mu-e-bal

30. 30

    šu gal5-la2-ĝu10-ne ga-ba-e-da-an-ze-er nam-mu-ḫa-a-za-aš

31. 31

    muš-saĝ-kal-gin7 šag4-tum2 ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2 mu-ni-in-bal-bal

32. 32

    ki nin9 {d}ĝeštin-an-na-še3 zi-ĝu10 ga-ba-an-ši-in-de6

33. 33

    {d}utu er2-na šu ba-an-ši-in-ti

    Utu accepted his tears. He changed his hands, he altered his appearance. Then like a saĝkal snake that slithers across the meadows and mountains, like a soaring falcon that can swoop down on a live (?) bird, Dumuzid escaped alive to the dwelling of his sister Ĝeštin-ana. Ĝeštin-ana looked at her brother. She scratched at her cheek: she scratched at her nose. She looked at her sides: she …… her garment. She recited a lament of misfortune for the unfortunate lad: O my brother! O my brother, lad who has not fulfilled those days! O my brother, shepherd Ama-ušumgal-ana, lad who has not fulfilled those days and years! O my brother, lad who has no wife, who has no children! O my brother, lad who has no friend, who has no companion! O my brother, the lad who is not a comfort (?) to his mother!

34. 34

    šu-ni mu-ni-in-kur2-kur2 ulutim2-ma-ni mu-ni-in-bal-bal

35. 35

    muš-saĝ-kal-gin7 šag4-tum2 ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2 mu-ni-in-bal-bal

36. 36

    {d}dumu-zid-de3 mušen-še3 sur2-du3{mušen} dal-a-gin7 zi-ni ur5-da i3-šub-ba

37. 37

    ki {d}ĝeštin-an-na-še3 zi-ni ba-ši-in-de6

38. 38

    [{d}]ĝeštin-an-na šeš-a-ni igi ba-ni-in-du8-am3

39. 39

    te-na mu-ni-in-ḫur-ḫur giri17-na mu-ni-in-ḫur-ḫur

40. 40

    igi-ni zag-ga-na mi-ni-in-du8 tug2-ni mi-ni-in-da-da-ra

41. 41

    ĝuruš aĝ2-gig-ra i-lu aĝ2-gig-ga ḫu-mu-ni-ib2-be2

42. 42

    a šeš-ĝu10 a šeš-ĝu10 ĝuruš ud-bi nu-um-[si]

43. 43

    a šeš-ĝu10 su8-ba {d}ama-ušumgal-an-na ĝuruš ud-bi !-bi nu-um-si

44. 44

    a šeš-ĝu10 ĝuruš dam nu-tuku dumu nu-tuku

45. 45

    a šeš-ĝu10 ĝuruš gu5-li nu-tuku dub3-us2-sa nu-tuku

46. 46

    a šeš-ĝu10 ĝuruš ama-ni sag9-ga-ni nu-du8

47. 47

    gal5-la2 {d}dumu-zid-de3 mu-ni-in-kin-kin-ne mu-ni-in-niĝin2-niĝin2-na-eš

    The demons go hither and thither searching for Dumuzid. The small demons say to the big demons: Demons have no mother; they have no father or mother, sister or brother, wife or children. When …… were established on heaven and earth, you demons were there, at a man's side like a reed enclosure. Demons are never kind, they do not know good from evil. Who has ever seen a man, without a family, all alone, escape with his life? We shall go neither to the dwelling of his friend nor to the dwelling of his in-laws. Rather, for the shepherd let us go to the dwelling of Ĝeštin-ana. The demons clap their hands and begin to seek him out.

48. 48

    gal5-la2 tur gal5-la2 gu-la-ra gu3 mu-na-de2-e-ne

49. 49

    gal5-la2 ama nu-tuku ad-da ama nin9 šeš dam dumu nu-tuku-me-eš

50. 50

    ud me-da ? uĝ3 UŠ ĝar-ra an ki-ta ri-a-bi

51. 51

    za-e-ne-ne gal5-la2-ze2-en lu2 zag-ga-ni gi-šukur-gin7

52. 52

    šu ĝar sag9-ga nu-tuku-me-eš sag9-ga ḫul nu-zu-me-eš

53. 53

    lu2-u3 e2 nu ni2-te-na zi-ni silim-ma a-ba-a igi mi-ni-in-du8

54. 54

    ki gu5-li-bi nu-um-ši-!-de3-en ki mussa-bi nu-um-ši-du-de3-en

55. 55

    su8-ba-ra ki {d}ĝeštin-an-na-ka-še3 ga-an-ši-re7-en-de3-en

56. 56

    gal5-la2-e-e-ne šu-ta ba-ab-sag3-sag3-ge-me-eš mu-ni-in-kin-kin-ne-eš

57. 57

    i-lu-bi ka-ga14-na nu-mu-un-til-la-am3

    Ĝeštin-ana had barely finished that lament when the demons arrived at her dwelling. Show us where your brother is, they said to her. But she spoke not a word to them. They afflicted her loins with a skin disease, but she spoke not a word to them. They scratched her face with ……, but she spoke not a word to them. They …… the skin of her buttocks, but she spoke not a word to them. They poured tar in her lap, but she spoke not a word to them. So they could not find Dumuzid at the house of Ĝeštin-ana.

58. 58

    gal5-la2 ki {d}ĝeštin-an-na-še3 ba-e-ši-re7re-eš

59. 59

    ki šeš-zu la2-ma-ra-ab e-ne mu-ni-ib2-be2-e-ne inim-bi nu-mu-na-ab-be2

60. 60

    ḫab ni2-te ki ur2-ra ba-ni-in-ze2-eĝ3 inim-bi nu-mu-na-ab-be2

61. 61

    X ni2-te ki igi-na ba-ni-in-ḫur-ḫur inim-bi nu-mu-na-ab-be2

62. 62

    kuš ni2-te ki dur2-na ba-ni-in-kar2-kar2 inim-bi nu-mu-na-ab-be2

63. 63

    esir2 ur2-ra-na ba-ni-in-de2-de2 inim-bi nu-mu-na-ab-be2

64. 64

    {d}dumu-zid-de3 e2 {d}ĝeštin-an-na-ke4 nu-um-me-ni-in-pad3-de3

65. 65

    gal5-la2 [tur gal5]-la2 gu-la-ra gu3 mu-na-de2-e-ne

    The small demons said to the big demons: Come on, let's go to the holy sheepfold! There at the holy sheepfold they caught Dumuzid. They went hither and thither until they caught him. They searched for him until he was seen. The axe was wielded against the lad who had no family. They sharpened their daggers, they smashed his hut. His sister wandered about the city like a bird because of her brother: My brother, let me take the great misfortune, come, let me …….

66. 66

    ĝa2-⌈nam⌉-[ma-an-ze2]-⌈en⌉ amaš kug-ga-še3 ga-an-ši-re7-de3-en

67. 67

    {d}dumu-zid-de3 amaš [kug-ga]-⌈ta⌉ mu-ni-in-dab5-be2-de3-eš

68. 68

    mu-ni-in-niĝin2-niĝin2-ne-eš [mu-ni-in]-dab5-be2-de3-eš

69. 69

    mu-ni-in-kin-ne-eš igi ba-ni-in-du8-am3

70. 70

    ĝuruš-ra e2 nu-nam-ma {urud}ḫa-zi-in šu ĝal2 ba-ši-in-ti

71. 71

    ĝiri2-ur3-ra mu-ni-in-sar-sar-re-eš ki-sig9-ga mu-ni-in-dub2-eš

72. 72

    nin9-e na-aĝ2 šeš-na-še3 iri-a mušen-gin7 im-ma-an-niĝin2-niĝin2

73. 73

    šeš-ĝu10 aĝ2-gig-ga gal šu ga-de6 ĝa2-na me ga-an-te

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.