The Babylonian World - Historia Antigua

— Tzvi Abusch —
May the son of Ea, the exorcist, scatter your cohort.
May the smoke of Girra cover your face,
Like an oven through your cracks,
Like a pot through your mud,
May fierce Girra scatter you.
May your witchcraft and evil spells not approach me.
I rise up like fish in my water,
Like a pig from my mud,
Like a soap plant at the edge of the (inundated) meadow,
Like sassatu-grass at the canal bank,
Like seed of an ebony tree at the seashore.
By pure Ishtar (Venus), who illumines fate,
I have been designated for the design of life (i.e., “inscribed for life”).
By the command pronounced by awesome Girra
And blazing Girra, son of valiant Anu.
Subsequent to burning, the smoldering remains of the effigies are doused with
water; in V 139–148, we hear how the evil beings are thereby deprived of the power
to perform evil:
Fierce, raging, powerful, furious,
Overbearing, tough, hostile, wicked are you!
Who but Ea can dampen you?
Who but Asalluh ˘ i can cool you?
May Ea dampen you,
May Asalluh ˘ i cool you.
My mouth is water, your mouth is fire:
May my mouth extinguish your mouth,
May the curse of my mouth extinguish the curse of your mouth,
May the plots of my heart extinguish the plots of your heart!
Finally, in V 166–184, the dead witches are expelled and commanded never to
return:
Be off, be off, begone, begone,
Depart, depart, flee, flee!
Go off, go away, be off, and begone!
May your wickedness like smoke rise ever heavenward!
From my body be off!
From my body begone!
From my body depart!
From my body flee!
From my body go off!
From my body go away!
To my body turn back not!
To my body approach not!
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