Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

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READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION
30. a-ḫu-lap-ki be-let ta-ḫa-zi ka-li-šú-nu tam-ḫa-ri
31. šu-pu-ú-tu 4 la-ab-bat d í-gì-gì mu-kan-ni-šat DINGIR.MEŠ ! sab-su-ti
32. le-eʾ-a-at ka-li-šú-nu ma-al-ku ṣa-bi-ta-at (erasure) ṣer-ret LUGAL.MEŠ
33. pe-ta-a-at pu-su-um-me šá ka-li-ši-na KI.SIKIL.MEŠ
34. na-an-še-a-at na-an-di-a-at qa-rit-ti d 15 ra-bu-ú qur-di-ki
Line 30: Tāḫāzī (gen. pl.), “battles, combats.” bēlet tāḫāzī is a construct chain.
Tamḫārī (gen. pl.), “battles, combats”, is a second nomen rectum. Kalîšunu, “all of them,”
breaks the chain and is probably related to both recta.
aḫulapki bēlet tāḫāzī kalîšunu tamḫārī
Line 31: The MEŠ sign is actually a ME on the tablet; the exclamation point marks
the correction. Šūpūtu is the fem. sg. form of šūpû, for which see line 8. Labbatu (lābatu),
“lioness.” Kunnušu (D of kanāšu), “to subject, to force submission.” Sabsu (šabsu), “angry.”
Mukannišat ilī sabsūti is an important epithet for the course of the prayer because it corresponds
to several petitions: compare the use of sabsu in line 86 and the combination of
sabsu and kanāšu (D stem) in line 98 (Zgoll, 94; Zernecke, 149). In lines 31–33, Ishtar’s
rule over all humankind is detailed depending on their social rank.
šūpūtu labbat Igigî mukannišat ilī sabsūti
Line 32: Lēʾû (m), lēʾītu (f; also lēʾātu, see CAD L, 160), “powerful, capable.” Malku,
“prince.” We expect the oblique plural to be malkī. Ṣabātu, “to hold, to seize.” Ṣerretu,
“nose-rope,” was a rope tied to a ring that pierced the nose of an animal in order to control
it. The same method was used on captive humans (see CAD Ṣ, 136–37 for a brief discussion).
LUGAL = šarru, “king.”
lēʾāt kalîšunu malkū ṣābitat ṣerret šarrī
Line 33: Petû, “to open.” Pētât is a fs participle, bound form. Pusummu, “veil.” KI.SIKIL
= (w)ardatu, “girl, young woman.” This (and possibly line 39) is the only reference to
Ishtar’s otherwise prominent function as erotic goddess.
pētât pusummē ša kalîšina ardāti
Line 34: Nanšû (N of našû), “to be raised.” Nandû (N of nadû), “to be laid down.” The
first two words of the line can be understood as 3fs predicatives, uncontracted nanšeat for
expected nanšât and uncontracted nandiat for nandât (see GAG §102c). The content is difficult
to understand. Since a reference to defeat is hardly probable in such a hymnic context,
an astral interpretation, relating to the different positions of the planet Venus, seems to be
most plausible (Zgoll, 50, n.130; Zernecke, 80, n.36). The CAD offers two other alternatives.
On the one hand, CAD N/2, 111 cautiously interprets the words as 2fs predicative
forms of našû and nadû and translates them with a military interpretation: “whether you
have been elevated or brought down, heroic Ištar (your warlike deeds are great).” CAD E,
379, 413, on the other hand, takes the words as forms of ešû and eṭû and translates, “(Ishtar)
is disturbed, gloomy.”
Nanšeat nandiat qaritti Ištar rabû qurdīki