Inana and Mt. Ebih

​Mistress of the ferocious divine powers, draped in terrifying splendour, riding astride the great divine powers, Inana, who is made perfect by the holy a-an-kar weapon, covered in blood, racing around in the greatest battles with shield lain aside, adorned with storm and tempest, great lady Inana, with skill and wise counsel in combat, with arrow and might you destroy and overpower lands.

Lion roaring in heaven and earth, you subjugate your enemy. As a great bull, you stand triumphant against hostile lands. As a fierce lion, you extinguish the vitriol of the insolent.

My lady, as you flourish like the heavens! Maiden Inana, as your majesty grows like the Earth! Like Utu, the king, you come forth and stretch out your arms, bearing a fierce aura as you enter into heaven. You bear your radiance upon the Earth, you walk among the mountains and bring the lapis lazuli, your light bathes the blossoms of the mountains, you fashion the dazzling mountains, the pure mountain lands.

Like the lords Enul and Enšar, you wield the mace, so that in battle, you may cause heads to roll just as the weapon that lays all around it to waste. Your black-headed people [=Sumerians] sing in exultation and all the lands chant their beautiful ilulama songs. Lady of battle, child of Nanna, maiden Inana, I will pour out your praises.

[Inana speaks:] When I, the mistress, went around the heavens, went around the Earth; indeed, when I, Inana, went around the heavens, went around the Earth, when I went around the lands of Elam and Subir, when I went around the land of Lulubi, when I went into the heart of the mountain lands, as I, the mistress, approached the mountain, it did not bow down before me. As I, Inana, approached the mountain, it did not bow down before me. As I approached Mount Ebih, it did not bow down before me.

As this mountain did not bow down before me, as it did not touch its nose to the ground before me, as it did not kiss the Earth before me, I shall seize this haughty mountain and cause it to know terror. Against its lofty sides, I shall send great bulls; against its smaller sides, I shall send smaller bulls. I shall rush to the mountain and play holy Inana's game.

I shall bring battle and plan conflict against this mountain. I will ready my arrows in their quiver, I will ready my rocks for their slingshot, I will polish my spear and ready my throwstick and my shield.

I will set fire to the forest, I will turn my axe against its wickedness. I will set Gibil, the pure, to work around its ponds, and the haughty mountain range of Arrata will bear witness to my fearsome radiance. Like a city cursed by An, it shall never be restored, and like one looked severely upon by Enlil, it will never raise its head again! May the mountain closely observe my work, and may Ebih sing my praises to the heavens.

Thus Inana, child of Nanna, put on her royal garments, draped herself in flowers, and adorned her forehead with a terrifying radiance. She wore cornelian of a ferocious red around her throat, and like a valiant and virile man, carried the seven-headed mace by her right side, strapping her feet with lapis lazuli.

In the evening, she came forth with authority and stood in the street before a wondrous gate. She made an offering of firstfruits to An and poured out a libation to him. An was delighted by Inana, and filled his place in the seat of honour of the heavens.

Inana spoke: An, my father, may peace be upon you. Hear my words! An, you have made me feared in the heavens. You have willed that my words have no equal in the heavens or on Earth. Even at the ends of heaven, my words are a terrifying sign, an emblem.

To level the foundations, to set the throne upon solid foundations, to carry weaponry that bends all before it like a mubum tree, to hold the road with six at the yoke, to pull the reins with four at the yoke, to ruin enemies' expeditions, to appear before kings in the moonlight, to swarm the fields with arrows that are like locusts, to harrow rebel lands, to strike off the locks and throw wide their city gates, king An, all this by your hand you have given to me.

I was placed at the right hand of the king that I may utterly destroy the rebel lands. At the foot of the mountain, may the king, through me, shatter skulls like a hawk, king An, and may I weave your name into the foundation of the land like a thread. May the lands tremble as before a snake in a crevice, may they scatter as before a snake rising from his lair. May I stand on the shining road of heaven, seize this mountain, and know it utterly, knowing every detail of its length and depth.

I desire to prevail over the other gods. I, Inana, desire to stand foremost among the Anuna gods. Therefore, since the mountain did not tremble before me, in heaven or on Earth; since the mountain did not tremble before me, Inana, in heaven or on Earth; since Mount Ebih did not tremble before me, in heaven or on Earth, but reared up and stood haughtily, did not bow down before me, did not kiss the ground before me, may I seize this haughty mountain and cause it to know terror. Against its lofty sides, I shall send great bulls; against its smaller sides, I shall send smaller bulls. I shall rush to the mountain and play holy Inana's game.

I shall bring battle and plan conflict against this mountain. I will ready my arrows in their quiver, I will ready my rocks for their slingshot, I will polish my spear and ready my throwstick and my shield.

I will set fire to the forest, I will turn my axe against its wickedness. I will set Gibil, the pure, to work around its ponds, and the haughty mountain range of Arrata will bear witness to my fearsome radiance. Like a city cursed by An, it shall never be restored, and like one looked severely upon by Enlil, it will never raise its head again! May the mountain closely observe my work, and may Ebih sing my praises to the heavens.

An, king of all the gods, answered: My child, you desire this mountain, but what is your heart doing? Inana, you desire this mountain, but what is your heart doing? You desire Mount Ebih, but what is your heart doing? The dwelling of the gods is covered in its fearsome splendour. The dwelling of the Anuna gods trembles in fear before it. Its fearsome aura overwhelms the Land of Sumer and all the foreign lands. Its haughtiness reaches even to the heart of heaven. 

Its green orchards are resplendent with fruit, its magnificent trees, full of wonder, brush the heavens. Lions lie under the shade of its trees with wide branches, wild sheep and deer are abundant, and wild bulls stand among its grasses. Wild goats mate freely among the cypress trees. Its radiance is terrible, the aura of this mountain is fierce; maiden Inana, you cannot face up to it.

At this, the lofty woman's heart was given over to rage and anger; she opened up the arsenal, pushing open the lapis lazuli door. She brought out great battle and called up a ferocious storm. She readied her arrow and raised a terrifying flood of foul water, calling up winds that stirred up sharp fragments.

My mistress went up to confront the mountain, walking with long strides. She sharpened her two-edged dagger and seized Ebih by the neck, as if tearing up alfafa grass. She sank the teeth of her dagger into the heart of the mountain, roaring like thunder.

The boulders that formed the body of Ebih rolled down its slopes. Great snakes, spitting venom, crawled out of its cracks and crevices. She cursed its forests and condemned its trees, causing the oaks to wither away, and set fire to the forests, causing great plumes of smoke to rise. The mistress imposed her decree on that great mountain; holy Inana rejoiced in her works.

She stood before Mount Ebih and addressed it thus: Mountain, because of your loftiness, because of your haughtiness, because you stood in your richness and finery, because you have dared to dress yourself in a garment of holiness, because you have stretched out your hand to rival the heavens, because you did not bow down before me, nor did you kiss the ground before me, I have killed you, I have put you in your place.

Like a wild ox, I have seized your horns; like a great ox, I have pulled you to the ground by your horns; like an ox, I have pinned you to the ground. Tears have become your lot in life, and laments are in your heart. A bird of sorrow builds a nest on your side.

A second time, she rejoiced in dreadful splendour, saying: My father, Enlil, struck fear of me into the heart of all the nations; he set at my right side a mace, at my left side a seal. The teeth of my rage has torn this mountain apart.

I have built a palace superior to all others, and erected its throne on firm foundations. I have given a slender dagger to the kurgara, and a pleasant drum to the gala. By my hand, I have transformed the pilipili. Triumphantly, I charged towards Mount Ebih; I surged forward like a rising flood. Like a rising tide, I have scoured clean its face. I have imposed my victory upon that mountain; I have imposed my victory upon Mount Ebih.

For the destruction of Mount Ebih, may the great child of Nanna, maiden Inana, be praised!

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