๐๐ถ๐๐ญ๐พ
The House of the Adornment of Heaven
Ode to Ninsiana
Marching to heaven, received in her glory,
Warrior priestess, exalted and storied,
Torch of the heavens, the light of the day,
Fierce and firm in her will and her way,
Splendid above all the skies and the lands,
Righteous authority filling her hands,
Sing of the Mistress, the Lady, the Queen,
Filling the heavens with grace so serene.
Supreme in the heavens and all of the lands,
Honoured by Enki and feared by An,
All of the lords and the ladies above,
Owe her their worship and honour and love,
Seat her in glory, the rites of the moon,
Portend that her crowning renewal is soon,
Her people, before her, they crave to exalt her,
Beyond every sea, every mountain and border.
Her people are proud of her work and her honour,
Lavishing tribute and worship upon her,
Hearken the rhythmic beating of drums,
Hearken the songs in myriad tongues,
Praising, exalting, the Lady sublime,
Litanies echoing backwards in time,
Call on the wonder and mystery of ages,
Adoring our Goddess through history's stages.
Once more her people assemble before her,
As at Uruk, parading before her,
The strong and resplendent, the brave and the proud,
Proud of their place in the gathering crowd,
Strike up the drums and the voices of praise,
Staunch and unbroken in view of her gaze,
Raise up her name and her power to change,
The strong for the weak in transgressive exchange.
Daughter of Suen, the evening star,
Ever exalted in passion and war,
Bold and subversive, ambitious and true,
Wrathful in battle and swift to pursue,
Marching in splendour to crown her with glory,
Whirling, ecstatic, all singing her story,
Her singers, attendants and drummers march by her,
Hers are their hearts, and hers their desire.
Echoing drums and the frenzy divine,
Ecstacy whirling in colours so fine,
Glimmer of spear and sword in the air,
Lustrous dance of battle so fair,
Flash of the dagger and splatter of blood,
Crimson, enticing, a furious flood,
Spatters the dais in reverent joy,
Lauding her power to raise and destroy.
Evening star and Venus supreme,
Honoured are those who call her their Queen,
Raising their hands to Venus on high,
Ever entranced by her dance in the sky,
Hers is the right to make the Land bloom,
Abundance and plenty are born of her womb,
Hers is the lust and the spark of love's play,
Hers is the night and hers the new day.
Hers is the storehouse and all it contains,
Hers are the deserts, the mountains and plains,
Hers is a place in her heart for the just,
Hers is to cut down the wicked to dust,
For setting the fates of the heavens and Earth,
For planting the hope of a world in rebirth,
Millions of voices ever be raised -
Grandeur of heaven, Inana, be praised!
๐ญ๐น๐ ๐ฉ
Ninsianaย ๐ญ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐พ ("Red Lady of Heaven") is an epithet of Inana in her aspect as the planet Venus. This composition is based on the Song of Ninsiana (ETCSL), written during the reign of Iddin-Dagan around the 19th century BCE. This modern rendering was dedicated in her honour on August 1, 2022 (= 4 Nenegar), on the occasion of the establishment of theย House of the Adornment of Heaven.