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RA 22, 170f. (Ištar Ammī-ditāna)

SEAL no. 7495 · AO 4479 · Hymns and Prayers · Unknown · 60 lines · 232 words · 868 signs · 6 Sumerograms

Transliteration

1           [i]l-ta-am zu-um-ra-a ra-šu-ub-ti i-la-tim

2           li-it-ta-i-id be-le-et ni-ši ra-bi-it I-gi-gi

3           Iš8-⌈tár⌉ zu-um-ra ra-šu-ub-ti i-la-tim li-it-ta-i-id

4           be-le-et i-ši-i ra-bi-it I-gi-gi

 

5           ša-at me-le-ṣi-im ru-à-ma-am la-ab-ša-at

6           za-aʾ-na-at in-bi mé-qí-a-am ù ku-uz-ba-am

7           Iš8-tár me-le-ṣi-im ru-à-ma-am la-ab-ša-at

8           za-ʾ-na-at in-bi mé-qí-a-am ù ku-uz-ba-am

 

9           [ša]-ap-ti-in du-uš-šu-pa-at ba-la-ṭú-um pí-i-ša

10          si-im-ti-iš-ša i-ḫa-an-ni-i-ma ṣi-ḫa-tum

11          šar-ḫa-at i-ri-mu ra-mu-ú re-šu-uš-ša

12          ba-ni-à-a ši-im-ta-à-ša bi-it-ra-a-ma i-na-ša ši-it-a-ra

 

13          el-tu-um iš-ta-à-ša i-ba-aš-ši mi-íl-ku-um

14          ši-ma-at mi-im-ma-mi qá-ti-iš-ša ta-am-ḫa-at

15          na-ap-la-su-uš-ša ba-ni bu-a-ru-ú

16          ba-aš-tum ma-aš-ra-ḫu la-ma-as-su-um še-e-du-um

 

17          ta-ar-ta-mi te-eš-me-e ri-tu-ú-mi ṭú-ú-bi

18          ù mi-it-gu-ra-am te-be-el ši-i-ma

19          ar-da-at ta-at-ta-du! um-ma ta-ra-aš-ši

20          i-za-ak-ka-ar-ši i-ni-ši i-na-ab-bi šu-um-ša

 

21          a-ia-um na-ar-bi-à-aš i-ša-an-na-an ma-an-nu-um

22          ga-aš-ru ṣi-i-ru šu-ú-pu-ú pa-ar-ṣú-ú-ša

23          Iš8-tár na-ar-bi-à-aš i-ša-an-na-an ma-a[n]-nu-um

24          ga-aš-ru ṣi-i-ru šu-ú-pu-ú pa-ar-ṣú-ú-ša

 

25          pí-a-at i-ni-li a-ta-ar na-az-za-zu-uš

26          ka-ab-ta-at a-⌈ma⌉-as-sà el-šu-nu ḫa-ap-ta-at-ma

27          Iš8-tár i-ni-li a-ta-ar na-az-za-zu-uš

28          ka-ab-ta-at a-ma-as-sà el-šu-nu ḫa-ap-ta-at-ma

 

29          šar-ra-as-su-un uš-ta-na-ad-da-nu si-iq-ri-i-ša

30          ku-ul-la-as-su-nu ša-aš ka-am-su-ú-ši

31          na-an-na-ri-i-ša i-la-ku-ú-ši-im

32          iš-šu-ú ù a-wi-lum pa-al-ḫu-ši-i-ma

 

33          pu-uḫ-ri-iš-šu-un e-te-el qá-bu-ú-ša šu-tu-úr

34          a-na AN-nim šar-ri-šu-nu ma-la-am aš-ba-as-su-nu-<ši>

35          uz-na-am ne-me-qé-em ḫa-si-i-sa-am er-še-et

36          im-ta-al-li-⌈i⌉-ku ši-i ù ḫa-mu-uš

 

37          ra-mu-ú-ma iš-té-ni-iš pa-ra-ak-ka-am

38          i-ge-e-gu-un-ni-im šu-ba-at ri-ša-tim

39          mu-ut-ti-iš-šu-un i-lu-ú na-zu-iz-zu-ú

40          ep-ši-iš pí-šu-nu ba-ši-à-a uz-na-šu-un

 

41          šar-ru-um mi-ig-ra-šu-un na-ra-am li-ib-bi-šu-un

42          šar-ḫi-iš it-na-aq-qí-šu-nu-ut ni-qí-a-šu el-la-am

43          Am-mi-di-ta-na el-la-am ni-qí-i qá-ti-i-šu

44          ma-aḫ-ri-i-šu-un ú-še-ep-pé li-i ù ia-li na-am-ra-i-i

 

45          iš-ti AN-nim ḫa-we-ri-i-ša te-te-er-ša-aš-šu-um

46          da-ri-a-am ba-la-ṭa-am ar-ka-am

47          ma-da-a-tim ša-na-at ba-la-à-ṭí-im a-na Am-mi-di-ta-na

48          tu-ša-at-li-im Iš8-tár ta-at-ta-di-in

 

49          si-iq-ru-uš-ša tu-ša-ak-ni-ša-aš-šu-um

50          ki-ib-ra-at er-bé-e-em a-na še-pí-i-šu

51          ù na-ap-ḫa-ar ka-li-šu-nu da-ad-mi

52          ta-aṣ-ṣa-mi-su-nu-ti a-ni-ri-i-ši-ú

 

53          bi-be-el li-ib-bi-i-ša za-ma-ar la-le-e-ša

54          na-ṭú-um-ma a-na pí-i-šu si-iq-ri É-a i-pu-is-si

55          ìš-me-e-ma ta-ni-it-ta-a-ša i-ri-us-su

56          li-ib-lu-uṭ-mi šar-ra-šu li-ra-am-šu ad-da-ri-iš

 

57          Iš8-tár a-na Am-mi-di-ta-na šar-ri ra-i-mi-i-ki

58          ar-ka-am da-ri-a-am ba-la-ṭa-am šu-úr-ki

59          {⌈li-ib-lu⌉} li-ib-lu-uṭ

 

60          giš-gi4-gál-bi

Translation

1           Sing of the goddess, (most) awe-inspiring of goddesses;

2           Let the mistress of people, great(est) of the Igigi be praised;

3           Sing of Ištar, (most) awe-inspiring of goddesses; Let

4           the mistress of women, great(est) of the Igigi be praised.

 

5           She of joy is clothed in charm;

6           She is adorned with seductiveness, cosmetics and appeal;

7           Ištar of joy is clothed in charm;     

8           She is adorned with seductiveness, cosmetics and appeal.

 

9           She is sweet-lipped, her mouth is life;

10          Laughter blooms on her features;

11          She is glorious, carcanets placed upon her head;

12          Beautiful are her colors, splendid her eyes (and) iridescent.

 

13          The goddess – with her there is (good) advice;

14          She holds the destinies of all in her hands;

15          At her glance prosperity is created –

16          Dignity, splendor, protective spirit (and) genius.

 

17          She alone controls mutual love, obedience, passion, good will

18          and harmony;

19          A girl who ... will acquire a mother;

20          One mentions her among the people/women, calls her name.

 

21          Who is it? Who can equal her greatness?

22          Strong, august (and) brilliant are her divine powers;

23          Ištar – Who can equal her greatness?

24          Strong, august (and) brilliant are her divine powers.

 

25          She is the spokeswoman among the gods, her position is foremost;

26          Weighty is her word, she/it prevails over them;

27          Ištar – her position is foremost among the gods;

28          Weighty is her word, she/it prevails over them.

 

29          They give thought to the orders of her queen.

30          All of them kneel before her;

31          They proceed towards her luminary;

32          Women and men revere her.

 

rev.

33          Noble in their assembly is her speech, foremost;

34          She sits among them as an equal to Anum, their king;

35          In intelligence, wisdom (and) understanding she is wise;

36          They take counsel with each other, she and her family head.

 

37          They dwell together on the dais;

38          In the temple, an abode of joy,

39          the gods stand before them;

40          They eagerly wait for their speech to begin.

 

41          The king, their favourite, their hearts’ beloved

42          does ever proudly perform for them his pure offering.

43          Ammī-ditāna makes a pure offering from his hands

44          resplendent before them: fat bulls and rams.

 

45          From Anum, her husband, she has requested for him

46          a life long and everlasting.

47          Numerous years of life for Ammī-ditāna

48          has Ištar granted (and) given.

 

49          Due to her order she subjugated for him

50           the four regions of the world at his feet

51          and the whole of the inhabited world

52          she has harnessed to his yoke.

 

53          Her heart's desire, the song of her beauty

54          are suitable for his mouth, he executed Ea's words for her.

55          He has heard her praise and rejoiced in him;

56          "May his king live! May his king love him forever!"

 

57          O Ištar, grant Ammī-ditāna, the king who loves you

58          a long, everlasting life!

59          May he live!

 

60          (Its antiphon)

Commentary

5: We interprete šāt/Ištar mēleṣim as genitive construction, parallel to šarrat me-le-ṣi “queen of joy” KAR 158 ii 15.; cf. Hecker 1989, 722 “Sie/Ištar (voll) schwellender Pracht”, CAD Š/II 184 šāt b “she/Ishtar of joy”, Edzard 2004, 511 “die Freudenreiche/Freuden-Ištar”. How Foster 2005, 85 (“She/Ishtar is the joyous one”) understands the grammar, is unclear to us. The alternative interpretation sees in mēleṣem an accusative object of labšat (with exceptional accusative ending -em): see von Soden 1931, 195f., who understands šāt as a “Determinativum” exceptionally used instead of šī; AHw. 1199a šāt 2 where von Soden interpretes šāt as relative pronoun exceptionally used before the main clause; Mayer 1997, 169 who admits that a genitive construction would be possible but “im Kontext” prefers an interpretation of mēleṣem as accusative. However, the parallel for šāt in l. 25 is difficult (see below) so that only ša-tu VS 10, 215: 3 can be adduced as a “parallel” for this use of šāt (which can be understood as an acccusative in the function of a casus pendens). An accusative in -em is admittedly attested in l. 35 (nēmeqem, see below), but on the whole this is a very rare phenomenon. The context offers no argument for one or the other interpretation. (MPS).
10: For the plene spelling i-ḫa-an-ni-i-ma cf. im-ta-al-li-⌈i⌉-ku l. 36. (MPS).
17: For tartāmū “mutual love” see Streck 2012b, 353–354.
19: The tablet presents ta-at-ta-AB. The form is unclear: von Soden 1981, 199 derives it from nadûm (G-stem). Hecker 1989, 722 translates “das ausgesetzt wurde” and seems to analyze the form as N-stem from nadûm (tattaddû). Edzard 2004, 511f. leaves the interpretation open. Foster 2005, 86 “who invokes(?)” seems to derive the form from nabûm. (MPS).
20: i-ni-ši: either in-nišī (von Soden 1981, 199; Hecker 1989, 722; Edzard 2004, 512) or in-iššī (cf. Foster 2005, 86 and 88). (MPS).
25: Literally “she is the mouth”(?). Admittedly, pûm is not yet attested in this sense. von Soden 1981, 199 with n. 75, followed by Foster 2005, 86 and 88, emends to ša!-a-at which is also grammatically difficult (cf. commentary to l. 5. above). Hecker 1989, 722 translates “grausig ist sie” (reading ga!-ṣa!-at), but cf. the collation of Foster 2005, 88. (MPS).
31: See the discussion in Wasserman 2003, 86 n. 113. (MPS).
35: For nēmeqem cf. commentary on l. 5, above.
44: Most translators analyze ú-še-eB-BI as a form of šebûm “to satisfy with, to fill”, though a double accusative would be expected. We derive it from wapûm Š, though not yet attested with offerings as an object. (MPS).

Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman, Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL), seal.huji.ac.il. No commercial use is allowed. Published under CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives). Reproduced unmodified. Cite as SEAL no. 7495; view on seal.huji.ac.il.