The myth begins with the fact that a shepherd from Uruk, Dumuzi, receives news that he is about to die. Sobbing and groaning, he goes into the valley.
His heart filled with tears.
He went straight into the valley,
The shepherd - his heart was filled with tears,
He went straight into the valley,
Dumuzi - his heart was filled with tears,
He went straight into the valley,
Did he put it on??? on your neck
Gave vent to suffering:
Sing a mournful song, sing a mournful song,
O valley, sing a mournful song!
O valley, sing a mournful song, compose a lament!
Between the crayfish in the river, sing a mournful song!
Between the frogs in the river, sing a mournful song!
May my mother speak the words of tears,
May my mother Sirtur speak words of weeping.
May my mother, who does not have five loaves, speak words of lamentation,
May my mother, who does not have ten loaves, be filled with words of lamentation!
The day I die there will be no one to take care of her,
On the plain, like my mother, may my eyes shed tears,
On the plain, like my little sister, may my eyes shed tears!
Dumuzi falls asleep exhausted and has a divine prophetic dream.
Between the buds he lay, between the buds he lay,
Shepherd, he lay between the buds,
And when he lay between the buds, he had a dream,
He arose from sleep - it was a dream,
He trembled - it was a vision,
He rubbed his eyes with his hands, he was stunned.
The amazed Dumuzi turns to his sister Geshtinanna and tells her his wonderful vision.
My dream, oh sister, my dream,
This is the heart of my dream!
Reeds grow around me
The reed entwines me all over,
Reed. Standing alone, bowing her head towards me,
Of all those standing in pairs, one went to me,
In the grove the tall trees surrounded me terribly,
Water pours onto my sacred hearth,
The support has been knocked out from under my sacred churn,
The sacred cup hanging on the hook fell,
My shepherd's staff hit
Owl holding......
The falcon clutched the lamb in its talons,
My little goats drag their azure beards in the dust,
The sheep of my flock walk on the ground on bent legs,
My butter churn lies (broken), there is no milk in it,
The cup lies (broken), Dumuzi is no longer alive,
The flock of sheep is abandoned to the wind.
Geshtinanna, deeply shocked by her brother’s dream, begins to interpret it.
O my brother, your evil dream that you told me!
O Dumuzi, the dream that you told me is evil!
The reed grows around you, the reed entwines you all,
Then the outcasts will rise up against you.
The reed, standing alone, bows its head towards you,
Of the herbs that come in pairs, but one does not -
Then you and I, and one of us will leave...
Geshtinanna continues to interpret the dream step by step and at the end warns Dumuzi that the demons of the lower world - the Galla - will close a ring around him. She advises her brother to immediately hide. Dumuzi agrees and asks her not to reveal his hiding place to anyone.
My friend, I will hide among the plants,
Don't open that place to anyone
I will hide among small plants,
Don't open that place to anyone
I'll hide among the big plants,
Don't open that place to anyone
I will hide between the canals of Arallu,
Don't open that place to anyone.
Geshtinanna responds to his pleas:
If I open that place, then let your dogs devour me,
Black dogs, dogs of your shepherd,
Wild dogs, dogs of your dominion,
Let your dogs eat me.
And then the demons of the underworld appear. These are creepy creatures that:
They don't eat food, they don't know water,
Don't eat sifted flour
Do not drink blessed water
They do not accept gifts that soften (the heart),
They are not satisfied with the joy in their wives' breasts,
They don't kiss cute children...
The demons go in search of Dumuzi, but cannot find him. Then they grab Geshtinanna and, through bribery and threats, try to find out from her where her brother is hiding. But the devoted sister remains true to her word and does not tell anything. Dumuzi, realizing the danger that threatens Geshtinanna, cannot stand it and returns to the city himself in the hope of saving her. The demons immediately grab him, knock him down and are about to drag him into the lower world. Then Dumuzi turns to the sun god Utu, the brother of his wife Inanna.
Utu, you are my wife's brother,
I am your sister's husband
I am the one who brings food to Eanna (temple of Inanna).
In Uruk I brought wedding gifts,
I kissed the sacred lips
Caressed the sacred knees, the knees of Inanna, -
Turn my hands into the hands of a gazelle
Turn my legs into the legs of a gazelle.
Let me get away from the demons of the gala,
Let me take your soul to Shubirilu (place not established)
The Sun God heeded Dumuzi's pleas.
Utu accepted his tears as a gift,
Merciful, he showed him mercy,
He turned his hands into the hands of a gazelle.
He turned his legs into the legs of a gazelle,
And he left the demons of the gala,
He took his soul to Shubirilu.
However, the demons again overtook the unfortunate man, beat and tortured him again. Dumuzi again appeals to Utu and asks for help to take his soul to the house of the goddess Belili, the wise old lady. Utu saves him a second time. Arriving at Belili’s house, Dumuzi began to ask her:
Wise lady, I am not a man, I am the husband of a goddess,
Give me some holy water to drink,
Give me some sifted flour to eat.
He barely had time to taste the gifts of the goddess when he was overtaken by demons for the third time. Again Utu turns the fugitive into a gazelle and Dumuzi hides in the sheep herd of Gestinanna. But all is in vain - the demons find him and hit him on the cheek with a nail and stick. Dumuzi dies.
The first gala entered the herd,
He hits Dumuzi on the cheek with a sharp nail,
The second one penetrates the herd,
He hits Dumuzi on the cheek with a shepherd's crook,
The third one penetrates the herd,
The support has been knocked out from under the sacred churn,
The fourth penetrates the herd,
A bowl hanging on a hook. Fell off the hook
The fifth one penetrates the herd,
The sacred churn lies (broken), there is no milk in it,
The cup lies (broken), Dumuzi is no longer alive,
The flock of sheep is abandoned to the wind
(Translation based on the book by S. Kramer “Sumerians. The First Civilization on Earth”)
Second translation of the myth
In the complaints of his heart he runs across the plain.
The young man runs across the plain in his heart's complaints.
Dumuzi runs across the plain in his heart's complaints.
He threw the staff over his shoulders and began to cry:
"Cry, oh, cry, oh, cry, plain!
Cry, plain, weep, swamp!
Crayfish in the river, cry and cry!
Frogs in the river, scream loudly!
My mother should cry for me!
Mother Turtur - cry for me!
Mother - where are her five loaves? - shout for me!
Mother - where are her ten loaves? - vote for me!
If they don't know about my death,
Tell me, O plain, to my dear mother!
May he and his little sister mourn for me!”
As if in oblivion, as in oblivion,
The shepherd lay as if in oblivion,
The shepherd lay as if in oblivion - he was dreaming.
He jumped up - it was a dream! He is trembling - a vision!
He rubs his eyes. In silence there is confusion.
“Bring her, bring her, my sister, bring her!
My Geshtinanna, bring her, my sister,
Bring her!
My little girl, bring her, my sister, bring her!
My singer, bring her, my sister, bring her!
My sorceress, my youngest, my sister, bring her!
My witch, my prophet, my sister, bring her!
My dream! I'll tell you my dream!
In a dream, my sister, in a dream, in my dream - a vision!
The reeds have sprung up around me,
the reeds around me have grown!
A lonely reed bent its tip over me!
Of the four reeds that grow together, one has moved away!
The trees surrounded me in a crowd!
Water is pouring onto my sacred hearth!
The sacred butter churn is chopped by an ax!
My sacred cup has fallen off the nail!
My shepherd's crook flees from me!
The eagle grabbed the lamb in the pen!
The hawk grabbed the sparrow on the fence!
My little goats' blue beards are dragging in the dust!
My sheep are beating with their crooked hoofs in the sheepfold!
The butter churn is intact, but the milk does not pour out,
The cup is intact, but Dumuzi is not alive!
The reed paddock is blown away by the wind!"
Geshtinanna Dumuzi answers:
"Brother! Your dream is not good! Here is my interpretation!
Dumuzi! Your dream is not good! Here's my interpretation:
The reeds have sprung up around you,
The reeds around you have grown -
The killers are waiting for you!
A lonely reed bends its top over you -
Then dear mother will bend over you!
Of the four reeds that grow together, one has gone away -
It's you and me, and one of us will retire!
The trees surrounded you in a crowd -
Then the villains in hiding will catch you!
Water pours onto your sacred hearth -
The paddock will become a house of silence!
The sacred butter churn is chopped by an ax -
The villains are reaching out to her!
Your sacred cup fell off the nail -
You will fall from the knees of your dear mother!
Your shepherd's staff runs away from you -
Small "galas" will break it!
The eagle grabbed the lamb in the pen -
The villains will hit you on the cheek.
The hawk grabbed the sparrow on the fence -
The big galas will drag you away from the barn!
The butter churn is intact, but the milk does not pour out.
The cup sang, but Dumuzi does not live.
The reed paddock is blown away by the wind!
Your hands will embrace the shackles!
Your hands will be entangled in fetters!
Your little goats' blue beards are dragging in the dust -
I'll scatter my braids in a whirlwind to the skies!
Your sheep are beating with crooked hoofs in the sheepfold -
With nails, like a sharp comb,
I’ll scratch my cheeks because of you!”
As soon as she said that,
"My sister, go up the hill!
My sister, go up the hill!
Sister, when you climb the hill,
Like those who climbed the hill,
Calm your heart, calm your face,
Straighten your clothes on your hips.
My sister, go up the hill!
Sister, when you climb the hill,
Look from the hill, look around!
My villains, hated by people,
Can't you see those floating in the river in the distance?!
They carry hand pads!
They have neck pads with them! Remove and untie them
Nobody can!"
Amageshtinanna climbed the hill,
Geshtinanna craned her neck.
Gepggindudua, his friend, she gives him advice.
“Those who grab you by the throat, they rush in a crowd!”
“My friend, my adviser, are they rushing?”
“Those who grab you by the throat, I see them!
Brother! Your demons have come for you
Hide in the bushes!
Dumuzi! Your demons have come for you
Hide in the bushes!"
"Sister! I'll hide in the bushes, don't give me away!
I'll hide in the thick bushes, don't give me away!
I'll hide in the thick foliage, don't give me away!
I will hide in the canals of the Aralli, don’t give me away!”
"If I tell you where you are, let your dogs devour me!
Your black dogs, shepherd dogs,
Your evil dogs, master's dogs,
Let your dogs devour me!
Tell your friend about it
Let your friend give you advice!"
"My brother, my friend, my comrade!
May my friend not become my enemy!
My demons have come for me!
I want to tell you the word!
My friend! I'll hide in the bushes, don't give me away!
I'll hide in the thick bushes, don't give me away!
I'll hide in the thick foliage, don't give me away!
I will hide in the canals of the Aralli, don’t give me away!”
"If I tell you where you are, let your dogs devour me!
Your black dogs, shepherd dogs,
Your evil dogs, master's dogs,
Let your dogs devour me!"
And they, those who followed the king,
A great multitude followed him,
They know no hunger, they know no thirst,
They don’t eat sifted flour,
They don't drink running water,
They do not take softening gifts,
They don’t give joy to a wife’s womb,
They don't kiss sweet children
They don't chew bitter garlic
They do not eat fish and onions.
Two of them came to the residents of Adab for the king.
They are thorns in the shallow waters,
They are thorns in the stinking waters.
Hands are tables, tongue is a big house.
Two of them came to the residents of Akshak for the king.
A stone idol hangs around their neck.
Two of them came to the people of Uruk for the king.
The sword - the head from the shoulders - hangs on the hips.
Two of them came to the people of Ur for the king.
Clothes of battle are quick on them.
Two of them came to the people of Nippur for the king.
They say to each other: “Get into the pen and stable!”
They seized Geshtinanna from the paddock and stable.
They give her river water, but she doesn’t take it.
They give her the grain of the field, but she does not take it.
Small demons say to big demons:
"Wise demons, living demons!
Great demons in the prime of life!
Lines 136-137 destroyed
The sister who opened her brother's hideout! -
Who saw this and when?!
Well, let’s go to his friend!”
And here they are to his friend
They give him river water, and he takes it.
They give the grain of the field, and he takes it.
“My friend disappeared into the bushes, but I don’t know where he is!”
They looked for Dumuzi in the thickets, but they did not find him.
“He disappeared into the thick bushes, but I don’t know where he is!”
In the thick bushes they looked for Dumuzi,
They didn't find him.
"He disappeared into the thick foliage, but I don't know where he is!"
They looked for Dumuzi in the thick foliage, but did not find him.
"He disappeared into the canals of Aral, but I don't know where he is!"
They found Dumuzi in the canals of the Aral.
Dumuzi sobs, turns green:
"My sister saved my life, my friend took my life!
The sister will send her son outside,
Everyone will greet him with greetings!
A friend will send his son outside,
No one will greet him with greetings!"
They surrounded him and threw him into a puddle.
They threw a lasso, they threw a net,
They tied it with a strong rope,
His shepherd's staff was broken.
The one who goes first hits him,
The last one grabbed him by the elbows and dragged him.
His hands were wrapped in shackles.
His hands were entangled in fetters.
The young man cried out to Utu in heaven:
“Utu, you are my brother-in-law, I am your son-in-law!
I carried herbs to the temple of Eanu,
He brought a wedding gift to Uruk.
I kissed the bright lips!
Caressed Inanna's bright bosom!
Turn my hands into the legs of a gazelle
Turn my legs into gazelle legs!
I'll run away from the demons!
I’ll bring my soul to Kubiresh-Dildaresh!”
Utu listened favorably to his pleas.
How a benefactor showed him mercy.
Turned his arms into gazelle legs.
Turned his legs into gazelle legs.
And he ran away from the demons,
He brought his soul to Kubiresh-Dildaresh
.
Demons are looking for him, demons don't find him.
"Come on, let's go to Kubiresh!"
In Kubiresh they captured Dumuzi.
They surrounded him, threw him into a puddle,
They threw a lasso, they threw a net,
They tied it with a strong rope,
His shepherd's staff was broken.
The one who goes first hits him,
The last one grabbed him by the elbows and dragged him.
His hands were wrapped in shackles.
His hands were entangled in fetters
.
The young man prayed to Utu in heaven:
"Utu! You are my brother-in-law, I am your son-in-law!
I carried herbs to the temple of Eanu,
He brought a wedding gift to Uruk.
I kissed bright lips
He caressed Inaina's bright bosom.
Turn my hands into the legs of a gazelle
Turn my legs into the legs of a gazelle,
I’ll bring my soul to Mother Belili!”
Utu listened favorably to his pleas.
Turned his arms into gazelle legs,
Turned his legs into the legs of a gazelle.
And he ran away from the demons,
He brought his soul to Mother Belili.
Belili approached the temple.
“Mother, I am not a mere mortal, I am the husband of a goddess!
If only I drank running water!
I wish I could eat the sifted flour!”
She poured water, sifted the flour, and he sat down inside the temple.
Mother Belili left the temple.
When mother left the temple,
The gala demons saw her.
If the mother of Dumuzi's refuge did not know,
She wouldn't look that way
She wouldn't have screamed like that.
“Come on, let’s go to the temple of Mother Belili!”
In the temple of Mother Belili they captured Dumuzi.
They surrounded him and threw him into a puddle.
They threw a lasso, they threw a net,
They tied it with a strong rope,
His shepherd's staff was broken.
The one who goes first hits him,
The last one grabbed him by the elbows and dragged him.
His hands were wrapped in shackles,
His hands were entangled in chains,
The young man prayed to Utu in heaven:
"Utu! You are my brother-in-law, I am your son-in-law!
I carried herbs to the temple of Eanu,
He brought a wedding gift to Uruk.
I kissed bright lips
He caressed Inanna's bright bosom.
Turn my hands into the legs of a gazelle
Turn my legs into the legs of a gazelle
To the sacred enclosure, to my sister's enclosure
I'll bring my soul!"
Utu listened to his pleas favorably,
Turned his arms into gazelle legs,
Turned his legs into the legs of a gazelle.
To the sacred enclosure, to the sister's enclosure
He brought his soul.
He approached the sacred enclosure, the sister’s enclosure.
Geshtinanna raised her gaze to the heavens.
Geshtinanna bowed to the ground.
With a loud cry heaven and earth
Like she covered me with a cloak, wrapped her in a blanket.
She scratched her face, tore her mouth,
Ears, cheeks - open to gaze - tormented,
The womb, the womb - hidden from view - was damaged.
"Brother! Run into the alley and hide!"
If Geshtinanna had not known her brother's refuge,
She wouldn't look that way
She wouldn't have screamed like that.
“Come on, let’s go to the corral and stable!”
The first demon entered the pen and stable,
He set the barn bars on fire.
The second demon entered the pen and stable,
The shepherd's staff was put on fire.
The third demon entered the pen and stable,
He hits the sacred butter churn with an axe.
The fourth demon entered the pen and stable,
He threw the sacred cup off the nail.
The fifth demon entered the pen and stable.
The butter churn is intact, but the milk does not pour out.
The cup is intact, but Dumuzi is not alive.
The reed paddock is blown away by the wind.
Song kal-kal about the death of Dumuzi."
(translation by V.K. Afanasyeva)
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru