Maqlu

Tablet V

 

 

Incantation. My enchanter and my enchantress,
Sit in the shade of a porch made of clay tiles.
She sits and does her tricks, makes images of me.
I send against you thyme and sesame;
5. I disperse your sorcery, send you word back into your mouth!
May the tricks that you have created turn themselves against you!
May the images which you made resemble you!
May the water that you scooped be your own!
Your magic shall not come close to me, your word shall not reach me!
10. Upon the order of Ea, Šamaš, and Marduk, and the princess Belit-ili! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Who has tried to bind the chaff after he tied the barley?
Who has ever used sorcery against Heaven, used magic against the Earth?
Against the Irri, the great gods, who has ever done magic,
Brought evil words?
15. As chaff cannot stand in a bundle,
Neither can magic be done against Heaven or Earth,
To the daughter of the great gods,
Magic, sorcery, baneful words, do not come close;
So, magic, sorcery, baneful words,
20. Do not come close to me! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Dunnanu, dunnanu, who makes our decision,
In front of Nusku, in front of Girra, my portrait is laid down.
Come, attack! Rage! Attack!
While you tear off the feet of my sorcerer,
25. And my sorceress, put your own feet down.
May the sorceress be dragged in front of a judge!
May her judge roar at her like a lion!
May he strike her cheek and turn her words back in her mouth!
Of the sorceress and the greater sorceress,
30. May her magic sting like mint!
May her magic scratch her like saffron!
May her magic penetrate her like mustard!
May her magic bind her like kurzisar-weed!
May her magic tie them up like cassia!
35. May her magic bind them like thyme!
May her magic cover them like alum!
May her magic tie them up like a pumpkin-vine!
May their lips swell up like with asafoetida!
Of the sorceress and the greater sorceress,
40. May the street and the path fall upon them!
May the room and its chair fall upon them!
May the god of the steppes and the city fall upon them!
May one chase the sorceress like a dog with a stick, like a lizard with a clod of earth!
Chase them to a sheep-path, and pass over them!
45. May on look upon them like upon a donkey’s ankle while crossing the street.
Of the sorceress and the greater sorceress,
May their headband dance between dogs,
May dogs dance within their headband!
May the axe dance down upon them!
50. May their breath be taken away as if by gazelle-shit! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Who are you, sorceress, who worked magic continuously for three months and ten and half days?
I raise the chicory, the pride of the mountains,
Thyme, the prepared food of the Earth,
Acorn, acorn of the hierodule, pinecone, pinecone which is full of seeds.
55. Yes, my sorcerer and my sorceress; break their knots,
Turn their tricks into storm wind, turn words to wind!
May their trickery be blown away like chaff, peeled away like garlic,
Beaten like dates, scattered like acorns!
Upon the order of Ištar, Tammuz, Nanaya, the mistress of love,
60. And of Kanisurra, the mistress of sorceresses! Incantation.
Incantation. The hate that you have created through your magic, you have created against yourself.
Also the murder that you have created, you have created against yourself; the injustice you have created, you have created against yourself; the paralysis of mouth you have
created, you have created against yourself;
The kushunga you have created, you have created against yourself; the calumny you have created, you have created against yourself!
The evil Utukku, you have let him seize me; may the evil Utukku seize you!
65. The evil Alu, you have let him seize me; may the evil Alu seize you!
The evil Etemmu, you have let him seize me; may the evil Etemmu seize you!
The evil Gallu, you have let him seize me; may the evil Gallu seize you!
The evil god, you have let him seize me; may the evil god seize you!
The evil Rabisu, you have let him seize me; may the evil Rabisu seize you!
70. The Lamaštu, the Labasu, the Ahhazu, you have let them seize me; may the Lamaštu, the Labasu and the Ahhazu seize you!
The Lilu, the Lilitu, the Ardat Lili, you have let them seize me; may the Lilu, the Lilitu, the Ardat Lili seize you!
You want to destroy me through oath and proclamation; may your body find its end through oath and proclamation!
You have made sure I would incur the anger of god, king, master and prince;
May you suffer the anger of god, king, master and prince!
75. Pain, famine, breaking and cutting up of the body, trembling,
Fear and depression you have laid in store for me;
May pain, famine, breaking and cutting up of the body, trembling,
Fear and depression be laid in store for you!
I have burned you with pure sulphur and salt from the west;
80. I have taken away your breath, a blotch on the sky;
Your plottings are turned against you! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Whoever you are, O sorceress, who blows in like the south wind on the 15th day,
Whose storm cloud gathered for nine days, whose shower fell for a year,
Who has formed clouds against me and stood over me:
85. I rise up against you like the shearer of the Heavens, the north wind!
I scatter your clouds, I destroy your storm!
I scatter your witchcraft that you piled up over me night and day,
And the emissaries of murder that you repeatedly sent against me!
Incantation. Powerful is my figure,
90. Strong … …
Who destroys … …
Who makes … …
The sorcerer … …
To the god … …
95. Incantation. You tied up my muscles …
You crossed, tied up the images …
The knot which they tied …
May the burning Girra …
The judge Nusku …
100. The sorcery you have worked against …
Undone is my magic …
Through the healing water …
I become pure, I become shining …
Incantation. You are the waters …
105. You … …
You … …
Waters … …
Waters … …
… …
110. Seven Apkallu dwell in Eridu …
On her cheeks … I …
As I on her cheek …
The heart of my sorcerer and my sorceress …
But I, upon the order of the god …
115. I overpower your heart …
I overpower your glow … Upon the order of Ea, Šamaš, Marduk, and the princess Belit-ili. Incantation formula.
Incantation. O warlock and witch,
O sorcerer and sorceress,
120. Whose heart conceived evil,
Who sought out evil sorcery,
Who bound my knees with accursed incantations.
To break my spell and my enchantment, I turned,
To the word of Ea and Asarluhi, the fire-god Girra,
125. In the spring water I have calmed your heart;
I have soothed your angry liver;
I drove away your heated temper;
I confused your mind;
I destroyed your plan;
130. I burned your spells;
I have numbed your hearts.
The Tigris and Euphrates, you will not cross!
The moat and canal, you will not pass!
You will not climb over the inner wall or the outer wall!
135. You will not come in through the gate or the entryway!
Your spells will not come close to me!
Your word will not reach me!
By the order of Ea, Šamaš, Marduk, and the princess Belit-ili! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Fierce, raging, furious,
140. Overbearing, violent, evil are you!
Who but Ea can dampen you?
Who but Asarluhi can cool you?
Ea, may he dampen you!
Asarluhi, may he cool you!
145. My mouth is water, you mouth is fire:
May my mouth extinguish your mouth!
May the curse of my mouth extinguish the curse of your mouth!
May the plot of my heart extinguish the plot of your heart!
Incantation. I have kicked my enemy down …
150. I have killed my adversary …
In front of the hero, Girra …
Incantation. Drop, flow and drift away!
May your breath float to the sky!
May the sun extinguish the glow of your ashes!
155. May the son of Ea, the magician, cut away your spy! Incantation formula.
Incantation. May the mountain cover you!
May the mountain retain you!
May the mountain calm you down!
May the mountain overpower you!
160. May the mountain eat you up!
May the mountain reject you!
May the mountain kill you!
May the mountain make you thin!
May the powerful mountain fall upon you!
165. You shall indeed be cast off from my body! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Be off, be off! Be gone, be gone!
Depart, depart! Flee, flee!
Get off, go away, be off, and be gone!
Your evil like smoke, may it rise ever skyward!
170. From my body be off!
From my body be gone!
From my body depart!
From my body flee!
From my body get off!
175. From my body go away!
Do not turn back to my body!
Do not approach my body!
Do not come near my body!
Do not touch my body!
180. By the life of Šamaš, the honoured, be commanded!
By the life of Ea, lord of the deep, be commanded!
By the life of Asarluhi, magus of the gods, be commanded!
By the life of Girra, your executioner, be commanded!
You shall indeed be cast from my body!
185. Incantation. Enlil is my head, the day my face.
Tablet V of Maqlu.

 

 
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