inannidumuzi“The day was magnificent, of bright sun and aromatic winds. Within the town square of her Father’s domain Inanna danced; spinning and undulating leaving a trail of colour and laughter wherever she did step. She sang sweetly and of love and devotion, of her father and mother; the King and the Queen. Most of all she sang of her love, the fair Dumuzid.

The day drew forth and Inanna became as alone as a mountain; for all the songs of her love left an ache and a hollow in her heart. She banged the drum and played the bell; to drive away the feelings that saddened her, but to no avail.

She sang for her fair love; to come and ease the pain, the pass the day away with his tender devotions.

‘O come to me my sweet lad, for I am alone, I am alone and in need of your sweet mercy. O my fair sweet husband Dumuzid, come unto me and hold your goddess, hold your goddess unto the end.’

Her Dumuzid enters the square:

‘I am here, O love, O goddess and queen, I am here O queen of mine to embrace. Come embrace and let me kiss the holy lips, the holy lips of my maiden and queen.’

They embrace and become as one. The night draws forth and Inanna must think of home, for her Mother and Father, the King and the Queen and her place with them in the heavens.

Dumuzid sings to his Goddess:

‘Stay with me my maiden and queen, stay with your prince through the night. Stay with me my goddess, maiden, whore; let your love kiss thine lips and thine body, for all of the night and day.’

Inanna must fly, for her father Anu and mother Ningal surely do miss her; where could she be? To what ends was she there?

The sky grows darker and Nanna awakens, rising from the East. Looking down upon the lovers, Inanna grows melancholy for the parting with her sweet lad.

‘Inanna must leave thee, oh sweet nectar of mine, the nectar of your lips leaves Inanna bereft and alone, bereft and alone to be parted from her sweet lad, lord, her sweet lad who dances on the holy knees of Inanna.’

Dumuzid takes her hands, holding them to his heart he pleads:

‘O goddess, O goddess, do not leave your sweet lad alone, do not leave him lone and lonesome. Stay the night, for under the moon we will make love unto next, unto the next moon, which arise from the East.’

Inanna must decide whether to stay with her prince or leave. What must she tell to her father Anu, her mother Ningal. Nanna looks down on the lovers from up on high.

‘My honeyed lips, my Dumuzid, what must I say, what must I say to my Anu and his Ningal, what must Inanna say to spend the night with her love?’

Dumuzid does reply:

‘O my Goddess, my magnificent Inanna; let me tell you a woman’s deceit, a woman’s deceit that tells your Anu and Ningal you spent the night, dancing in the square, dancing and singing within this square. Tell not of your meeting, your tryst with Inanna’s prince; your tryst with your Inanna’s remain secret and forever the tender.’

Inanna looks for Nanna, for she has wisdom and cunning.

Inanna sings to her prince:

‘O Dumuzid, my lad and lord, my lad and my husband; your Inanna will stay. To make love through the night and throughout the day, unto the next moon arise, unto the next moon arises will we embrace. For Inanna will tell her Anu and his Ningal, that she did dance and sing within the square, she did dance and sing through to the new moon arise.’

The lovers do embrace, holding tight unto the new moon. Nanna looks down from below, Utu from above and the lovers do embrace.”

To Chapter Twenty-Four – Paterfamilias

Relief from:
Based upon a temple hymn: