Some twenty _kaspu_ they have passed this day, At thirty _kaspu_ they dismount to pray And raise an altar, Samas to beseech That they their journey's end may safely reach. The tent now raised, their evening meal prepare Beneath the forest in the open air; And Izdubar brought from the tent the dream He dreamed the festal night when Ishtar came To him;--he reads it from a written scroll: "Upon my sight a vision thus did fall: I saw two men that night beside a god; One man a turban wore, and fearless trod. The god reached forth his hand and struck him down Like mountains hurled on fields of corn, thus prone He lay; and Izdubar then saw the god Was Anatu,[2] who struck him to the sod. The troubler of all men, Samu's fierce queen, Thus struck the turbaned man upon the plain. He ceased his struggling, to his friend thus said: 'My friend, thou askest not why I am laid Here naked, nor my low condition heed. Accursèd thus I lie upon the mead; The god has crushed me, burned my limbs with fire.' "The vision from mine eyes did then expire. A third dream came to me, which I yet fear, The first beyond my sight doth disappear. A fire-god thundering o'er the earth doth ride; The door of darkness burning flew aside; Like a fierce stream of lightning, blazing fire, Beside me roared the god with fury dire, And hurled wide death on earth on every side; And quickly from my sight it thus did glide, And in its track I saw a palm-tree green Upon a waste, naught else by me was seen." Heabani pondering, thus explained the dream: "My friend, the god was Samas, who doth gleam With his bright glory, power, our God and Lord, Our great Creator King, whose thunders roared By thee, as through yon sky he takes his way; For his great favor we should ever pray. The man thou sawest lying on the plain Was thee, O King,--to fight such power is vain. Thus Anatu will strike thee with disease, Unless thou soon her anger shalt appease; And if thou warrest with such foes divine, The fires of death shall o'er thy kingdom shine. The palm-tree green upon the desert left Doth show that we of hope are not bereft; The gods for us their snares have surely weft,[3] One shall be taken, and the other left." [Footnote 1: "Ni-takh-garri," "the helpers," or soldiers of Khumbaba.] [Footnote 2: "Anatu," the consort of Anu.] [Footnote 3: "Weft," weaved.] COLUMN II CONTEST WITH THE DRAGONS IN THE MOUNTAINS--THE SEER IS MORTALLY WOUNDED-- HIS CALM VIEW OF THE HEREAFTER [1]"O Mam-mitu, thou god of fate and death! Thou spirit of fierce hate and parting breath, Thou banisher of joy! O ghastly Law, That gathers countless forces in thy maw! A phantom! curse! and oft a blessing, joy! All Heaven and earth thy hands shall e'er employ. With blessings come, or curses to us bring, The god who fails not with her hovering wing; Nor god, nor man thy coming e'er may ken, O mystery! thy ways none can explain."