Persian Literature, Ancient and Modern. Elizabeth A. Reed

of the people shall crown thee!24.Meats the first in the city shall be thy food.25.Wine the most delicious in the city shall be thy drink.26.A royal palace shall be thy dwelling.27.A throne of state shall be thy seat.28.Magician and conjurer shall kiss the hem of thy garment.29.Nin-ci-gal opened her mouth and spake30.to Namtar her messenger, a command she gave:31.Go Namtar! clothe the Temple of Justice!32.Adorn the images and the altars.33.Bring out Anunnaka.^[111] Seat him on a golden throne.34.Pour out for Ishtar the waters of life and let her depart from my dominions.35.Namtar went; and clothed the Temple of Justice;36.he adorned the images and the altars;37.he brought out Anunnaka; on a golden throne he seated him;38.he poured out for Ishtar the waters of life.39.Then the first gate let her forth, and restored to her the first garment of her body.40.The second gate let her forth and restored to her the diamonds of her hands and feet.41.The third gate let her forth and restored to her the emerald girdle of her waist.42.The fourth gate let her forth and restored to her the small lovely gems of her forehead.43.The fifth gate let her forth and restored to her the precious stones of her head.44.The sixth gate let her forth and restored to her the earrings of her ears.45.The seventh gate let her forth and restored to her the crown of her head.”^[112]

      Surely here is poetry—the haughty queen of love and beauty imperiously demands an entrance into the land of shadows that she may recover her beloved. She threatens to break down the very gates of hades and raise the dead to devour the living if her wish is refused. She shrinks at no sacrifice which her love-lighted mission may cost. A great crown is taken from her head, but she stays not. Her jewels and precious stones—her girdle of priceless gems—is taken from her, and still she presses forward in quest of her love.

      But when at last the seven gates of hades have closed upon her luxurious form, the world misses her joyous presence—the splendor is stolen from Beauty’s eyes—the crimson touch of life has faded from her lips—the doves and sun-birds no longer chant their love songs in the crowns of the palm trees, and the sorrowing night bird trills the plaintive tale to the closed and weeping roses. Nay, even the sky seems to forget to light up the couch of the dying sun with draperies of crimson and gold, and all the world is shrouded in darkness and cold despair. But Hea, in his ocean home, hears the wail of the gods who mourn the absence of Ishtar, and he comes to the rescue. The seven gates of hades swing again upon their hinges, and with crowns and jewels and girdle restored, the imperial goddess comes forth to resume her sway amid the flowers of a love-lighted earth.