DIU 1:1 To the land of no return, the land of darkness,
DIU 1:2 Ishtar, the daughter of Sin directed her thought,
DIU 1:3 Directed her thought, Ishtar, the daughter of Sin,
DIU 1:4 To the house of shadows, the dwelling, of Irkalla,
DIU 1:5 To the house without exit for him who enters therein,
DIU 1:6 To the road, whence there is no turning,
DIU 1:7 To the house without light for him who enters therein,
DIU 1:8 The place where dust is their nourishment, clay their food.'
DIU 1:9 They have no light, in darkness they dwell.
DIU 1:10 Clothed like birds, with wings as garments,
DIU 1:11 Over door and bolt, dust has gathered.
DIU 1:12 Ishtar on arriving at the gate of the land of no return,
DIU 1:13 To the gatekeeper thus addressed herself:
DIU 1:14 "Gatekeeper, ho, open thy gate!
DIU 1:15 Open thy gate that I may enter!
DIU 1:16 If thou openest not the gate to let me enter,
DIU 1:17 I will break the door, I will wrench the lock,
DIU 1:18 I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors.
DIU 1:19 I will bring up the dead to eat the living.
DIU 1:20 And the dead will outnumber the living."
DIU 1:21 The gatekeeper opened his mouth and spoke,
DIU 1:22 Spoke to the lady Ishtar:
DIU 1:23 "Desist, O lady, do not destroy it.
DIU 1:24 I will go and announce thy name to my queen Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:25 The gatekeeper entered and spoke to Ereshkigal:
DIU 1:26 "Ho! here is thy sister, Ishtar ...
DIU 1:27 Hostility of the great powers ...
DIU 1:28 When Ereshkigal heard this,
DIU 1:29 As when one hews down a tamarisk she trembled,
DIU 1:30 As when one cuts a reed, she shook:
DIU 1:31 "What has moved her heart what has stirred her liver?
DIU 1:32 Ho there, does this one wish to dwell with me?
DIU 1:33 To eat clay as food, to drink dust as wine?
DIU 1:34 I weep for the men who have left their wives.
DIU 1:35 I weep for the wives torn from the embrace of their husbands;
DIU 1:36 For the little ones cut off before their time.
DIU 1:37 Go, gatekeeper, open thy gate for her,
DIU 1:38 Deal with her according to the ancient decree."
DIU 1:39 The gatekeeper went and opened his gate to her:
DIU 1:40 Enter, O lady, let Cuthah greet thee.
DIU 1:41 Let the palace of the land of no return rejoice at thy presence!
DIU 1:42 He bade her enter the first gate, which he opened wide, and took the large crown off her head:
DIU 1:43 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the large crown off my head?"
DIU 1:44 "Enter, O lady, such are the decrees of Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:45 The second gate he bade her enter, opening it wide, and removed her earrings:
DIU 1:46 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove my earrings?"
DIU 1:47 "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:48 The third gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed her necklace:
DIU 1:49 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove my necklace? "
DIU 1:50 "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:51 The fourth gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed the ornaments of her breast:
DIU 1:52 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the ornaments of my breast? "
DIU 1:53 "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:54 The fifth gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed the girdle of her body studded with birthstones.
DIU 1:55 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the girdle of my body, studded with birth-stones?"
DIU 1:56 "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:57 The sixth gate, he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed the spangles off her hands and feet.
DIU 1:58 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the spangles off my hands and feet?"
DIU 1:59 "Enter, O lady, for thus are the decrees of Ereiihkigal."
DIU 1:60 The seventh gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed her loin-cloth.
DIU 1:61 "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove my loin-cloth ?"
DIU 1:62 "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal."
DIU 1:63 Now when Ishtar had gone down into the land of no return,
DIU 1:64 Ereshkigal saw her and was angered at her presence.
DIU 1:65 Ishtar, without reflection, threw herself at her [in a rage].
DIU 1:66 Ereshkigal opened her mouth and spoke,
DIU 1:67 To Namtar, her messenger, she addressed herself:
DIU 1:68 "Go Namtar, imprison her in my palace.
DIU 1:69 Send against her sixty disease, to punish Ishtar.
DIU 1:70 Eye-disease against her eyes,
DIU 1:71 Disease of the side against her side,
DIU 1:72 Foot-disease against her foot,
DIU 1:73 Heart-disease against her heart,
DIU 1:74 Head-disease against her head,
DIU 1:75 Against her whole being, against her entire body."
DIU 1:76 After the lady Ishtar had gone down into the land of no return,
DIU 1:77 The bull did not mount the cow, the ass approached not the she-ass,
DIU 1:78 To the maid in the street, no man drew near
DIU 2:1  The man slept in his apartment,
DIU 2:2  The maid slept by herself.
DIU 2:3  The countenance of Papsukal, the messenger of the great gods, fell, his face was troubled.
DIU 2:4  In mourning garb he was clothed, in soiled garments clad.
DIU 2:5  Shamash  went to Sin, his father, weeping,
DIU 2:6  In the presence of Ea, the King, he went with flowing tears.
DIU 2:7  "Ishtar has descended into the earth and has not come up. The bull does not mount the cow, the ass does not approach the she-ass.
DIU 2:8  The man does not approach the maid in the street,
DIU 2:9  The man sleeps in his apartment,
DIU 2:10  The maid sleeps by herself."
DIU 2:11  Ea, in the wisdom of his heart, formed a being,
DIU 2:12  He formed Asu-shu-namir the eunuch.
DIU 2:13  Go, Asu-shu-namir, to the land of no return direct thy face!
DIU 2:14 The seven gates of the land without return be opened before thee,
DIU 2:15  May Eresbkigal at sight of thee rejoice!
DIU 2:16  After her heart has been assuaged, her liver quieted,
DIU 2:17  Invoke against her the name of the great gods,
DIU 2:18  Raise thy head direct thy attention to the khalziku skin.
DIU 2:19  "Come, lady, let them give me the khalziku skin, that I may drink water out of it."
DIU 2:20  When Ereshkigal heard this, she struck her side, bit her finger,
DIU 2:21  Thou hast expressed a wish that can not be granted.
DIU 2:22  Go, Asu-sbu-iaamir, I curse thee with a great curse,
DIU 2:23  The sweepings of the gutters of the city be thy food,
DIU 2:24  The drains of the city be thy drink,
DIU 2:25  The shadow of the wall be thy abode,
DIU 2:26  The thresholds be thy dwelling-place;
DIU 2:27  Drunkard and sot strike thy cheek!"
DIU 2:28  Ereshkigal opened her mouth and spoke,
DIU 2:29  To Namtar, her messenger, she addressed herself.
DIU 2:30  "Go, Namtar, knock at the strong palace,
DIU 2:31  Strike the threshold of precious stones,
DIU 2:32  Bring out the Anunnaki, seat them on golden thrones.
DIU 2:33  Sprinkle Ishtar with the waters of life and take her out of my presence.
DIU 2:34  Namtar went, knocked at the strong palace,
DIU 2:35  Tapped on the threshold of precious stones.
DIU 2:36  He brought out the Anunnaki and placed them on golden thrones,
DIU 2:37  He sprinkled Ishtar with the waters of life and took hold of her.
DIU 2:38  Through the first gate he led her out and returned to her her loin-cloth.
DIU 2:39  Through the second gate he led her out and returned to her the spangles of her hands and feet
DIU 2:40  Through the third gate he led her out and returned to her the girdle of her body, studded with birth-stones.
DIU 2:41  Through the fourth gate he led her out and returned to her the ornaments of her breast.
DIU 2:42  Through the fifth gate he led her out and returned to her her necklace.
DIU 2:43  Through the sixth gate he led her out and returned her earrings.
DIU 2:44  Through the seventh gate he led her out and returned to her the large crown for her head.
DIU 2:45  "If she will not grant thee her release,
DIU 2:46  To Tammuz, the lover of her youth,
DIU 2:47  Pour out pure waters, pour out fine oil;
DIU 2:48  With a festival garment deck him that he may play on the flute of lapis lazuli,
DIU 2:49  That the votaries may cheer his liver.
DIU 2:50  Belili had gathered the treasure,
DIU 2:51  With precious stones filled her bosom.
DIU 2:52  When Belili heard the lament of her brother, she dropped her treasure,
DIU 2:53  She scattered the precious stones before her,
DIU 2:54  "Oh, my only brother, do not let me perish!
DIU 2:55  On the day when Tammuz plays for me on the flute of lapis lazuli, playing it for me with the porphyry ring.
DIU 2:56  Together with him, play ye for me, ye weepers and lamenting women!
DIU 2:57  That the dead may rise up and inhale the incense."