Praise to Ishtar

(from an Akkadian hymn to Ishtar, translated by Ferris J. Stephens)

She is clothed with pleasure and love.

She is laden with vitality, charm,
and voluptuousness.
Ishtar is clothed with pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm,
an

Praise to Ishtar

(from an Akkadian hymn to Ishtar, translated by Ferris J. Stephens)

She is clothed with pleasure and love.

She is laden with vitality, charm,
and voluptuousness.
Ishtar is clothed with pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm,
and voluptuousness.
In lips she is sweet; life is in her mouth.
At her appearance rejoicing becomes full.
She is glorious; veils are thrown over her head.
Her figure is beautiful; her eyes are brilliant.
The goddess - with her there is counsel.
The fate of everything she holds in her hand.
At her glance there is created joy,
power, magnificence, the protecting deity and guardian spirit.
She dwells in, she pays heed to compassion and
friendliness.
Besides, agreeableness she truly possesses.
Be it slave, unattached girl, or mother, she
preserves (her).
One calls on her; among women one names her name.
Who - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
Ishtar - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
She is sought after among the gods;
extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.
Ishtar among the gods, extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.

INCANTATION TO ISHTAR

O heroic one, Ishtar; the immaculate one of the goddesses,

Torch of Heaven and earth, radiance of the continents,
The goddess ‘Lady of Heaven', first-begotten of Sin, first-born of Ningal,
Twin-sister of . . . the hero Shamash [the Sun-god];
O Ishtar, you are Anu [the supreme god], you rule the heavens;
With Enlil the Counsellor you advise mankind;
The Word, creator of liturgies and rituals of ‘Hand-washing'.
....................
Where conversation takes place, you, like Shamash, are paying attention,
....................
You alter the Fates, and an ill event becomes good;
I have sought you amongst the gods; supplications are offered to you;
To you amongst the goddesses I have turned, with intent to make entreaty,
Before you is a (protecting) shedu[a genie], behind you a (protecting) lamassu [another type of
genie],
At your right is Justice, at your left Goodness,
Fixed on your head are Audience, Favour, Peace,
Your sides are encompassed with Life and Well-being;
How good it is to pray to you, how blessed to be heard by you!
Your glance is Audience, your utterance is the Light.
Have pity on me, O Ishtar! Order my prospering!
Glance on me in affirmation! Accept my litany!
.....................
I have borne your yoke; set tranquility (for me)!
I have sought your brightness; may my face be bright.
I have turned to your dominion; may it be life and well-being for me.
May I (too) have a favourable shedu like that before you;
May I (too) have a lamassu like that which goes behind you.
May I garner the prosperity at your right hand,
May I attain to the favour at your left hand.
........................
Lengthen my days, bestow life!
Let me live, let me be well, let me proclaim your divinity.
Let me achieve what I desire . . . .

At the end of the prayer comes the instruction:

Wording of the ‘hand-raising to Ishtar'. Before Ishtar you shall set a censer with juniper-wood; you
shall pour a gruel-libation, you shall recite the ‘hand-raising' three times, you shall do obeisance.

FROM A HYMN TO INANNA

My father gave me the heavens, gave me the earth,

I am Inanna!
Kingship he gave me,
queenship he gave me,
waging of battle he gave me, the attack he gave me,
the floodstorm he gave me, the hurricane he gave me!
The heavens he set as a crown on my head,
the earth he set as sandals on my feet,
a holy robe he wrapped around my body,
a holy sceptre he placed in my hand.
The gods are sparrows -- I am a falcon;
the Anunnaki trundle along -- I am a splendid wild cow;
I am father Enlil's splendid wild cow,
his splendid wild cow leading the way!

Prayer to Ishtar

Unto the queen of the gods, into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods, unto
the lady of Nineveh,the queen of the gods, the exhalted one,unto the daughter of the moon-
god,the twin sister of the sun god, unto her who ruleth all kingdoms,unto the goddess of the world
who deetermineth decrees, unto the Lady of heaven and earth who recieveth supplication, unto
the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty, who recieveth prayer, who loveth
righteousness, I make my prayer unto Ishtar to whom all confusion is a cause of grief. The
sorrows which I see I lament before thee. Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation and let
thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech. Turn thy face unto me, O Lady, so that by
reason therEof the heart of thy servant may be made strong! I, Ashur-nasir-pal, the sorrowful one,
am thy humble servant; I, who am beloved of thee, make offerings unto thee and adore thy
divinity . . . . I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth; I was without understanding and
I prayed not of thy majesty. Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept
thy divinity. But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods, by the lifting up of thine eyes did
teach me, for thou didst desire my rule. Thou didst take me from the mountains, and didst make
me the Door of my peoples . . . and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name! As concerning that
for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness. Let thine anger be appeased, and let
thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me.

d voluptuousness.
In lips she is sweet; life is in her mouth.
At her appearance rejoicing becomes full.
She is glorious; veils are thrown over her head.
Her figure is beautiful; her eyes are brilliant.
The goddess - with her there is counsel.
The fate of everything she holds in her hand.
At her glance there is created joy,
power, magnificence, the protecting deity and guardian spirit.
She dwells in, she pays heed to compassion and
friendliness.
Besides, agreeableness she truly possesses.
Be it slave, unattached girl, or mother, she
preserves (her).
One calls on her; among women one names her name.
Who - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
Ishtar - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
She is sought after among the gods;
extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.
Ishtar among the gods, extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.

INCANTATION TO ISHTAR

O heroic one, Ishtar; the immaculate one of the goddesses,

Torch of Heaven and earth, radiance of the continents,
The goddess ‘Lady of Heaven', first-begotten of Sin, first-born of Ningal,
Twin-sister of . . . the hero Shamash [the Sun-god];
O Ishtar, you are Anu [the supreme god], you rule the heavens;
With Enlil the Counsellor you advise mankind;
The Word, creator of liturgies and rituals of ‘Hand-washing'.
....................
Where conversation takes place, you, like Shamash, are paying attention,
....................
You alter the Fates, and an ill event becomes good;
I have sought you amongst the gods; supplications are offered to you;
To you amongst the goddesses I have turned, with intent to make entreaty,
Before you is a (protecting) shedu[a genie], behind you a (protecting) lamassu [another type of
genie],
At your right is Justice, at your left Goodness,
Fixed on your head are Audience, Favour, Peace,
Your sides are encompassed with Life and Well-being;
How good it is to pray to you, how blessed to be heard by you!
Your glance is Audience, your utterance is the Light.
Have pity on me, O Ishtar! Order my prospering!
Glance on me in affirmation! Accept my litany!
.....................
I have borne your yoke; set tranquility (for me)!
I have sought your brightness; may my face be bright.
I have turned to your dominion; may it be life and well-being for me.
May I (too) have a favourable shedu like that before you;
May I (too) have a lamassu like that which goes behind you.
May I garner the prosperity at your right hand,
May I attain to the favour at your left hand.
........................
Lengthen my days, bestow life!
Let me live, let me be well, let me proclaim your divinity.
Let me achieve what I desire . . . .

At the end of the prayer comes the instruction:

Wording of the ‘hand-raising to Ishtar'. Before Ishtar you shall set a censer with juniper-wood; you
shall pour a gruel-libation, you shall recite the ‘hand-raising' three times, you shall do obeisance.

FROM A HYMN TO INANNA

My father gave me the heavens, gave me the earth,

I am Inanna!
Kingship he gave me,
queenship he gave me,
waging of battle he gave me, the attack he gave me,
the floodstorm he gave me, the hurricane he gave me!
The heavens he set as a crown on my head,
the earth he set as sandals on my feet,
a holy robe he wrapped around my body,
a holy sceptre he placed in my hand.
The gods are sparrows -- I am a falcon;
the Anunnaki trundle along -- I am a splendid wild cow;
I am father Enlil's splendid wild cow,
his splendid wild cow leading the way!

Prayer to Ishtar

Unto the queen of the gods, into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods, unto
the lady of Nineveh,the queen of the gods, the exhalted one,unto the daughter of the moon-
god,the twin sister of the sun god, unto her who ruleth all kingdoms,unto the goddess of the world
who deetermineth decrees, unto the Lady of heaven and earth who recieveth supplication, unto
the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty, who recieveth prayer, who loveth
righteousness, I make my prayer unto Ishtar to whom all confusion is a cause of grief. The
sorrows which I see I lament before thee. Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation and let
thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech. Turn thy face unto me, O Lady, so that by
reason therEof the heart of thy servant may be made strong! I, Ashur-nasir-pal, the sorrowful one,
am thy humble servant; I, who am beloved of thee, make offerings unto thee and adore thy
divinity . . . . I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth; I was without understanding and
I prayed not of thy majesty. Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept
thy divinity. But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods, by the lifting up of thine eyes did
teach me, for thou didst desire my rule. Thou didst take me from the mountains, and didst make
me the Door of my peoples . . . and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name! As concerning that
for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness. Let thine anger be appeased, and let
thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me.