19. Six days and nights 20. passed, the wind, the whirlwind, (and) the storm, overwhelmed. 21. On the seventh day at its approach the rain was stayed, the raging whirlwind 22. which had smitten like an earthquake, 23. was quieted. The sea began to dry, and the wind and deluge ended. 24. I watched the sea making a noise, 25. and the whole of mankind was turned to clay, 26. like reeds the corpses floated. 27. I opened the window, and the light smote upon the fortress of my nostrils. 28. I was grieved and sat down; I weep, 29. over the fortress of my nostrils went my tears. 30. I watched the regions at the boundary of the sea, 31. towards all the twelve points of the compass (there was) no land. 32. In the country of Nizir rested the ship; 33. the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship, and to pass over it it was not able. 34. The first day, the second day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship. 35. The third day, the fourth day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship. 36. The fifth day, the sixth day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship. 37. On the seventh day at its approach —————————————————————————————————————— 38. I sent forth a dove and it left. The dove went, it returned, and 39. a resting-place it did not find, and it came back. 40. I sent forth a swallow and it left. The swallow went, it returned, and 41. a resting-place it did not find, and it came back. 42. I sent forth a raven and it left. 43. The raven went, and the carrion on the water it saw, and 44. it did eat, it swam, and turned away, it did not come back. 45. I sent (the animals) forth to the four winds, I sacrificed a sacrifice, 46. I built an altar on the peak[31] of the mountain, 47. by sevens vessels I placed, 48. at the bottom of them I spread reeds, pines, and juniper. 49. The gods smelt the savour, the gods smelt the good savour; 50. the gods like flies over the sacrificer gathered. 51. From afar also the great goddess at her approach 52. lifted up the mighty arches (_i.e._ the rainbow) which Anu had created as his glory. 53. The crystal of those gods before me (_i.e._ the rainbow) never may I forget; COLUMN IV. 1. those days I devised with longing that I might never forget. 2. ‘May the gods come to my altar, 3. may Bel never come to my altar, 4. for he did not consider and had made a whirlwind, 5. and my people he consigned to the abyss.’ 6. From afar also Bel at his approach 7. saw, the ship he stopped; Bel was filled with anger against the gods and the spirits of heaven: 8. ‘Let no one come out alive, never may a man live in the abyss.’ 9. Ninip his mouth opened, and spake; he says to the warrior Bel: 10. ‘Who is it except Hea that forms a resolution? 11. and Hea knows and all things he ...’ 12. Hea his mouth opened and spake, he says to the warrior Bel: 13. ‘Thou messenger of the gods, warrior, 14. as thou didst not consider a deluge thou madest.