Tablet IV.

Column I.

1. .... mu ....
2. .... thy ....
3. .... me, return
4. .... the birds shall rend him
5. .... in thy presence
6. .... of the forest of pine trees
7. .... all the battle
8. .... may the birds of prey surround him
9. .... that, his carcass may they destroy
10. .... to me and we will appoint thee king,
11. .... thou shalt direct after the manner of a king
—–———–———–———–
12. [Izdubar] opened his mouth and spake,
13. and said to Hea-bani:
14. ... he goes to the great palace
15. .... the breast of the great queen
16. ..... knowledge, everything he knows
17. ...... establish to our feet
18. ....... his hand
19. ....... I to the great palace
20. ......... the great queen
(Probably over twenty lines lost here.)

Column II.

1. .... enter
2. .... he raised
3. .... the ornaments of her ....
4. .... the ornaments of her breast
5. .... and her crown I divided
6. .... of the earth he opened
7. he .... he ascended to the city
8. he went up to the presence of Samas he made a sacrifice?
9. he built an altar. In the presence of Samas he lifted his hands:
10. Why hast thou established Izdubar, in thy heart thou hast given him protection,
11. when the son .... and he goes
12. on the remote path to Khumbaba.
13. A battle he knows not he will confront,
14. an expedition he knows not he will ride to,
15. for long he will go and will return,
16. to take the course to the forest of pine trees,
17. to Khumbaba of [whom his city may] he destroy,
18. and every one who is evil whom thou hatest ...
19. In the day of the year he will ....
20. May she not return at all, may she not ...
21. him to fix ....

(About ten lines lost here.)

Here we see that Izdubar, impressed with the magnitude of the task he had undertaken, makes a prayer and sacrifice to Samas to aid him in his task. The next fragment appears also to belong to this column, and may refer to preliminaries for sacrificing to Istar, with a view also to gain her aid in the enterprise.

This fragment of Column II. reads

1. .... neighbourhood of Erech ....
2. .... strong and ...
3. he burst open the road ....
4. and that city ....
5. and the collection ....
6. placed the people together ....
7. the people were ended ....
8. like of a king ....
9. which for a long time had been made ....
10. to the goddess Istar the bed ....
11. to Izdubar like the god Sakim ....
12. Hea-bani opened the great gate of the house of assembly ....
13. for Izdubar to enter ....
14. .... in the gate of the house ............

Column III.

1. the corpse of ....
2. to ....
3. to the rising of ....
4. the angels ....
5. may she not return ....
6. him to fix ....
7. the expedition which he knows not ....
8. may he destroy also ....
9. of which he knows ....
10. the road ....

Five more mutilated lines, the rest of the column being lost.

This fragment shows Izdubar still invoking the gods for his coming expedition. Under the next column Mr. Smith placed a fragment, the position and meaning of which are quite unknown.

Column IV.—Uncertain Fragment.

1. he was heavy ....
2. Hea-bani was ....
3. Hea-bani strong not rising ....
4. When ....
5. with thy song? ....
6. the sister of the gods faithful ....
7. wandering he fixed to ....
8. the sister of the gods lifted ....
9. and the daughters of the gods grew ....
10. I Hea-bani .... he lifted to ....

Somewhere here should be the story, now lost, of the starting of Izdubar on his expedition accompanied by his friend Hea-bani. The sequel shows they arrive at the palace or residence of Hea-bani, which is surrounded by a forest of pine and cedar, the whole being enclosed by some barrier or wall, with a gate for entrance. Hea-bani and Izdubar open this gate where the story reopens on the fifth column.

Column V.

1. the sharp weapon
2. to make men fear him ....
3. Khumbaba poured a tempest out of his mouth ....
4. he heard the gate of the forest [open]
5. the sharp weapon to make men fear him [he took]
6. and in the path of his forest he stood and [waited]
—–———–———–———–
7. Izdubar to him also [said to Hea-bani]

Here we see Khumbaba waiting for the intruders, but the rest of the column is lost; it appears to have principally consisted of speeches by Izdubar and Hea-bani on the magnificent trees they saw, and the work before them. A single fragment of Column VI., containing fragments of six lines, shows them still at the gate, and when the next tablet, No. V., opens, they had not yet entered.