Hell's gate they guard with Death's remorseless face, And hurl the sun around the realms of space E'en swifter than the lightning, while it goes Along its orbit, guided by their blows. Dire tempests rise above from their dread blows, And ever round a starry whirlwind glows; The countless stars thus driven whirl around, With all the circling planets circling round.
The King astounded lifts his staring eyes, Into his face gray fear, with terror flies; As they approach, his thoughts the King collects, Thus over him one of the gods reflects. "Who cometh yonder with the form of gods?" The second says: "He comes from man's abodes, But with a mortal's feebleness he walks; Behold upon the ground alone he stalks."
One lifts his mighty arm across the sky, And strikes the sun as it goes roaring by; The fiery world with whiter heat now glows, While a vast flood of flame behind it flows, That curling, forms bright comets, meteors, And planets multiplies, and blazing stars; The robe of flames spreads vast across the sky, Adorned with starry gems that sparkling fly Upon the ambient ether forming suns That through new orbits sing their orisons; Their pealing thunders rend the trembling sky, The endless anthem of eternity.
The monster turning to the King then says, When nearer now his awful form doth blaze: "So thus you see, my son, the gods are strong, And to provoke great power, is foolish, wrong; But whither goest thou, thou sad-eyed King, What message hast thou;--to us here would bring?"
The King now prostrate to the monsters prayed: "Ye gods or demons, I within your glade Of horrors, have unwilling come to seek Our Khasisadra, who a spell can make To turn the anger of the gods away. Immortal lives the seer beside the sea, He knoweth death and life, all secret things; And this alone your servant to you brings. The goddess sought my hand, which I denied, And Anu's fury thus I have defied; This all my troubles caused, show me the way To Khasisadra, this I ask and pray."
The god's vast face broke out with wondrous smiles, And laughing, ripples rolled along for miles; His mouth wide opened its abyss and yawned, As earthquake gulf, far spreading through the ground. His roaring laughter shakes the earth around, "Ho! ho! my son! so you at last have found The Queen can hate, as well as love her friends, And on thy journey Ishtar's love thee sends? A mortal wise thou wast, to her refuse, For she can do with man what she may choose. A mortal's love, in truth, is wondrous strong, A glorious thing it is, Life's ceaseless song! Within a cave upon the mountain side, Thou there thy footsteps must to Hades guide, Twelve _kaspu_ go to yonder mountain gates, A heart like thine may well defy the fates. A darkness deep profound doth ever spread Within those regions black,--Home of the Dead. Go, Izdubar! within this land of Mas, Thy road doth lead, and to the west[2] doth pass, And may the maidens sitting by the walls Refresh thee, lead thee to the Happy Halls."