With joyous heart the Sar comes from the shrine To bathe his brow in Samas' rays divine; Upon the pyramid he stands and views The scene below with its bright varied hues. A peerless pile the temple grandly shone With marble, gold, and silver in the sun; In seven stages rose above the walls, With archways vast and polished pillared halls. A marble portico surrounds the mass With sculptured columns, banisters of brass, And winding stairways round the stages' side, Grand temples piled on temples upward glide, A mass of colors like the rainbow hues, Thus proudly rise from breezy avenues. The brazen gates lead to the temple's side, The stairs ascend and up the stages glide. The basement painted of the darkest blue Is passed by steps ascending till we view From them the second stage of orange hue And crimson third! from thence a glorious view-- A thousand turrets far beneath, is spread O'er lofty walls, and fields, and grassy mead; The golden harvests sweep away in sight And orchards, vineyards, on the left and right; Euphrates' stream as a broad silver band Sweeps grandly through the glowing golden land, Till like a thread of silver still in sight It meets the Tigris gleaming in the light That spreads along the glorious bending skies, The brightest vault of all the emperies. Now rested from the cushioned seats we rise And to the stairway turn again our eyes; The fourth stage plated o'er with beaten gold We pass, and topaz fifth till we behold The sixth of azure blue; to seventh glide, That glows with silvery summit where reside The gods, within a shrine of silvery sheen Which brightly glows, and from afar is seen. Without the temple, burnished silver shines; Within, pure gold and gems in rare designs. [Footnote 1: "Assur Samas and Merodac" ("Unto the king, my lord, may they be propitious!"), the response of the priest to the prayer.] [Footnote 2: See "Records of the Past," vol. xi. p. 63. These oracles seem to be formulas which are filled in with the monarch's name, and may apply to any king.] COLUMN V EXPEDITION AGAINST KHUMBABA, AND BATTLE IN THE BLACK FOREST At early dawn the shining ranks are massed, And Erech echoes with the trumpet's blast; The chosen men of Erech are in line, And Ishtar in her car above doth shine. The blazing standards high with shouts are raised, As Samas' car above grand Sumir blazed. The march they sound at Izdubar's command, And thus they start for King Khumbaba's land; The gods in bright array above them shine, By Ishtar led, with Samas, moon-god Sin, On either side with Merodac and Bel, And Ninip, Nergal, Nusku with his spell, The sixty gods on chargers of the skies, And Ishtar's chariot before them flies.