THE KING'S SECOND DREAM AND EARLY RIDE UPON SUMIR'S PLAIN, AND HAND-TO-HAND CONFLICT ON THE BANKS OF THE EUPHRATES The night is fleeing from the light of dawn, Which dimly falls upon the palace lawn; The King upon his royal _dum-khi_[1] sleeps, And to his couch again Queen Ishtar creeps. In spite his dream to dismal thoughts she turns, Her victim tosses, now with fever burns: He wildly starts, and from his _dum-khi_ springs, While loud his voice throughout the palace rings: "Ho! vassals! haste to me! your King!" he cries, And stamping fiercely while his passions rise. The _sukhu-li_[2] and _masari_[3] rush in: "What trouble, Sar? have foes here come within?" Then searching around they in his chamber rush, And eagerly aside the curtains push. The King yet paces on the floor with strides That show the trouble of his mind, and chides Them all as laggards; "Soon the sun will rise: My steed prepared bring hence!" he turning cries. He mounts and gallops through the swinging gates, Nor for attendance of his vassals waits. Nor turns his face toward the _nam-za-khi_,[4] Who quickly opened for the King to fly Without the gates; across the plains he rides Away unmindful where his steed he guides. The horse's hoofs resound upon the plain As the lone horseman with bewildered brain, To leave behind the phantoms of the night, Rides fiercely through the early morning light, Beyond the orange orchards, citron groves, 'Mid feathery date-palms he reckless roves. The fields of yellow grain mid fig-trees flash Unseen, and prickly pears, pomegranates, dash In quick succession by, till the white foam From his steed's mouth and quiv'ring flanks doth come; Nor heeds the whitened flowing mane, but flies, While clouds of dust him follow, and arise Behind him o'er the road like black storm clouds, While Zu[5] the storm-bird onward fiercely goads The seven[6] raven spirits of the air, And Nus-ku[7] opens wide the fiery glare Of pent-up lightnings for fierce Gibil's[8] hand, Who hurls them forth at Nergal's[9] stern command, And Rimmon[10] rides triumphant on the air, And Ninazu[11] for victims doth prepare, The King rides from the road into the wild, Nor thought of danger, his stern features smiled As the worn steed from a huge lion shied, Which turning glanced at them and sprang aside; Now Zi-pis-au-ni[12] fly before the King. And yellow leopards through the rushes spring. Upon Euphrates' banks his steed he reins, And views the rosy wilds of Sumir's plains.