Maqlu

Tablet VI

Incantation. Enlil is my head, the day my face,
Uraš the perfect god is my protecting face,
My neck is the necklace of Ninlil,
My arms are the divine curved sword of the western Sin,
5. My fingers are tamarisk, my bones the Igigi;
They do not let sorcery penetrate my body.
Lugaledinna and Latark are my breast,
My knees are Muhra, my feet which wander,
Are each Lahmu.
10. Who are you, evil god, whom my sorcerer and my sorceress,
Have sent to kill me?
When you awake, do not go!
When you lie in sleep, do not get up!
May your words be an apple, bitter for god and king!
15. I set Lugalgirra, the strong god, at my door;
Papsukkal, the messenger of the gods, also.
They may kill my sorcerer and my sorceress;
They may turn back their word in their mouth! Incantation formula.
Incantation. The sorceress is a qumqummatu.
20. The sorceress is a goldsmith.
My sorceress is a magic priestess.
My sorceress’ mother is a naršindatu-priestess.
Why do you bring life to the prince?
But I, to destroy your magic spells, hold up the … weed.
25. Chicory from the mountain …
Incantation. O chicory, chicory!
Chicory from the light pure mountains!
You, small tirhu-vessel of the priestess,
You, small pinecones of the hierodule,
30. Come: of my sorcerer and my sorceress,
Break the strong knots!
Turn their spells into storm wind, their words into wind!
May their trickery be blown away like chaff!
May they make them black like ashes!
35. May their spells break loose like tiles over the wall!
May the heart-muscle of my sorceress be melted!
Incantation. O chicory, chicory!
Chicory from the light pure mountains!
You, small tirhu-vessel of the priestess,
40. You, small pinecones of the hierodule,
Come: of my sorcerer and my sorceress,
Break the strong knots!
And all of your sorcery, we turn into wind!
Incantation. Hey, my sorceress, my nightmare!
45. … you have not given up the contradicting!
Why does smoke still smoke in your house?
I am sending you …
I destroy your tricks, I turn your words in your mouth!
Incantation. In front of Ningirsu in the mountains, began a divine song of jubilation,
50. In front of everybody, it went up to cut tamarisk.
… sorceress who gathered stone against N., son of N.,
And prepares evil,
I blow on you like the north wind, like the west wind!
I destroy your clouds, clear away your bad weather,
55. And I turn all of your sorcery into wind!
Incantation. Hey, the sorceress has cursed me!
… she has hexed me!
She … pulled away the earth from under my feet!
She … removed my shadow from the wall!
60. Šamaš, master of artisans, Ea, master of determination of fate,
Asarluhi, master of the art of incantation,
Strike the cheek, turn their word in their mouth,
The sorceress and the greater sorceress.
Like … tallow of incantation, cut away clothes,
65. Like a head of chicory,
To … do not come close,
So their trickery does not come close, their sorcery, their magic, their evil plottings.
Do not come close to me! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Hey you, who did all sorts of magic,
70. What you also cursed, me and my figure,
Chicory from the mountain will break your knot!
May the wind blow away what is left and right of you! Incantation formula.
Incantation. I am pure sulphur, daughter of the big sky,
Anu created me, Ea and Enlil brought me down.
75. My sorceress has cursed me so …
… Heaven … my feet …
… the incantation of the wise one of the gods is laid down! Incantation formula.
Incantation. Sulphur, sulphur …
The seven sorceresses have seven adversaries,
80. … will not be done.
My sorcerer … did not say …
Who is it, who does trickery against the sulphur sorceries?
Sulphur, with which seven have cursed me …
… you, but may I live! Incantation formula.
85. Incantation. Pure sulphur, kurkur-weed, I am the pure weed.
My sorcerer is the wise one of the Apsu.
My sorceress is the daughter of the sky-god Anu.
Although they have cast sorcery on me, they have not overwhelmed me.
But since they did bad magic, and sought evil,
90. Now rise like the fish in my water,
Like a pig in my mire,
Like the maštakal-weed in the meadow,
Like the grass on the bank of the canal,
Like the seed of the ebony tree on the sea shore,
95. Where is the divine support, where the divine support,
May you be emptied on the ground,
You who shook your head of hair against me!
Incantation. The god It is my head, sulphur of my figure,
My feet are the river whose inside nobody knows.
100. The anhulla-plant is my mouth, the sea of distant Tiamat is my hand.
Like the god It is my head, sulphur of my figure,
Like … …
My limbs … …
… …(about 15 lines missing; in this lacuna belong the following six lines)
105. Incantation. I have eaten, I have drunk …
Incantation. Hey, my sorceress, my nightmare!
… … your …
… … of the sky, the seat of the gods on Earth,
… … sulphur, daughter of the great gods,
110. Will … your … will dissolve your sorcery on the day of the new moon.
Incantation. You are the salt that was formed in the pure place,
Enlil has destined you for the meal of the great gods;
Without you there is no meal in Ekur,
Without you god, king, master and prince cannot smell the incense.
115. I, N., son of N., have held the sorcery,
I have let the plottings fester:
Break my spells, O salt! Dissolve my sorceries,
Take away the plotting from me! Like my creator,
I then want to adore you!
120. Incantation. Ha! My sorceress, my medicine-maker;
Who has lit a fire for one league,
Has repeatedly sent her emissary for two leagues.
I know, I have firm confidence;
I have put a watchman in my....., a protector at my gate,
125. I have wrapped a scarf around my bed,
I have sprinkled asafoetida at its head,
So the strong asafoetida will stop all your sorceries!
Incantation. Ha! My sorceress, my medicine-maker;
Who has lit a fire for one league,
130. Has repeatedly sent her emissary for two leagues.
I know, I have firm confidence;
I have put a watchman in my …, a protector at my gate;
I have put 12 ša’irri-wood figures,
… of the spirit of death, the product of Girra, your burners,
135. And of Nisaba, the queen who cuts off your fingers!
Incantation. Ha! My sorceress, my informer,
Who blows back and forth over all the lands,
Crosses to and fro over all the mountains,
I know, have firm confidence,
140. In my … I put a watchman, I have put a protector at my gate,
At the right and left of my gate,
I have set Lugalgirra and Meslamtaea;
May the guardian gods burst the kidneys of the one who steals reason!
May they kill the sorceress, but may I live!
145. Incantation. Ha! My sorceress, my informer,
Who blows back and forth over all the lands,
Crosses to and fro over all the mountains,
I know, have firm confidence;
In my … I have put a watchman, I have put a protector at my gate,
150. … …
(a few lines missing to the end)
Incantation. My hand is Manzad.
Tablet VI of Maqlu.