[Footnote 1: "Hea," god of the ocean.]
[Footnote 2: "Zir-ri," spirits of the river, the sea-daughters of Hea.]
[Footnote 3: "Zir-ru," water-nymph.]
[Footnote 4: "Mandrake," the "love-plant.">[
[Footnote 5: "Dud'im" or "dudaim," [Hebrew: dud'im] or Chald. [Hebrew: ibduchin] and Syr. [Hebrew: ibduch'] the "love-plant" or mandrake; perhaps also originally from "du-du" ("love") or ex. [Hebrew: du] ("particula"), Arab. "possessorem designante," et ex rad. Arab. [Hebrew: ddy] ("ægrotavit"), or [Hebrew: dud] or "amare." See Simoni's Lex. Man. Heb. et Chald. et Lat., pp. 204-206, and Park's Heb. Lex., p. 113, note +.]
[Transcriber's Note: The above "+" is my rendering of a footnote "cross" common in older books.]
[Footnote 6: "An-nu-na-ci," spirits of the earth.]
TABLET II—COLUMN I
ISHTAR'S MIDNIGHT COURTSHIP IN THE PALACE OF IZDUBAR.
As Samas' car sank in the glowing west,
And Sin the moon-god forth had come full drest
For starry dance across the glistening skies,
The sound of work for man on earth now dies,
And all betake themselves to sweet repose.
The silver light of Sin above bright flows,
And floods the figures on the painted walls,
O'er sculptured lions, softly, lightly falls;
Like grim and silent watch-dogs at the door
They stand; in marble check their leaping roar.
The King within his chamber went his way,
Upon his golden jewelled couch he lay.
The silken scarlet canopy was hung
In graceful drapery and loosely clung
Around his couch, and purple damask cloths
Embroidered with rare skill, preserved from moths
By rich perfumes, to the carved lintel clung
In graceful folds; thus o'er the entrance hung.