{"collection":"Ancient Near East","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/ane/iai/iai05.htm","path":"ane/iai/iai05.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/ane/iai/iai05.htm","text":"A crowd of maidens led a glorious van;\n With roses laden the fair heralds ran,\n With silver-throated music chant the throng,\n And sweetly sang the coronation song:\n And now we see the gorgeous cavalcade,\n Within the walls in Accad's grand parade\n They pass, led by the maidens crowned with flowers,\n Who strew the path with fragrance;--to the towers\n And walls and pillars of each door bright cling\n The garlands. Hear the maidens joyful sing!\n\"Oh, shout the cry! Accadians, joyful sing\n For our Deliverer! Oh, crown him King!\n Then strew his path with garlands, tulips, rose,\n And wave his banners as he onward goes;\n Our mighty Nin-rad comes, oh, raise the cry!\n We crown Tar-u-ma-ni iz-zu sar-ri!\nAway to Samas' temple grand, away!\n \u00a0\u00a0For Accad crowns him, crowns him there!\n He is our chosen Sar\u00a01 this glorious day,\n \u00a0\u00a0Oh, send the Khanga\u00a02 through the air!\nThen chant the chorus, all ye hosts above!\n O daughters, mothers, sing for him we love!\n His glory who can sing, who brings us joy?\n For hope and gladness all our hearts employ.\n He comes, our hope and strength in every war:\n We crown him as our king, our Izdubar!\nAway to Samas' temple grand, away!\n \u00a0\u00a0For Accad crowns him, crowns him there!\n He is our chosen Sar this glorious day,\n \u00a0\u00a0Oh, send the Khanga through the air!\nToward the temple filed the long parade,\n The nobles led while Accad's music played;\nThe harps and timbrels, barsoms, drums and flutes\n Unite with trumpets and the silver lutes.\n Surrounded by his chieftains rides the Sar\n In purple robes upon his brazen car.\n Bedecked with garlands, steeds of whitest snow\n The chariot draw in state with movement slow,\n Each steed led by a kisib, nobleman,\n A score of beauteous horses linked in span.\n The army follows with their nodding plumes,\n And burnished armor, trumpets, rolling drums,\n And glistening spears enwreathed with fragrant flowers,\n While scarfs are waving from the crowded towers.,\n And shouts of joy their welcome loud proclaim,\n And from each lip resounds their monarch's name.\nAnd now before the holy temple stands\n The chariot, in silence cease the bands.\n Around an altar stand the waiting priests,\n And held by them, the sacrificial beasts.\n The hero from his chair descends,\n And bowing to the priests, he lowly bends\n Before the sacred altar of the Sun,\n And prays to Samas, Accad's Holy One.\n\u00a03\"O Samas, I invoke thee, throned on high!\n \u00a0\u00a0Within the cedars' shadow bright thou art,\n Thy footing rests upon immensity;\n \u00a0\u00a0All nations eagerly would seek thy heart.\n Their eyes have turned toward thee, O our Friend!\n \u00a0\u00a0Whose brilliant light illuminates all lands,\n Before thy coming all the nations bend,\n \u00a0\u00a0Oh, gather every people with thy hands!\n For thou, O Samas, knowest boundaries\n \u00a0\u00a0Of every kingdom, falsehood dost destroy,\n And every evil thought from sorceries\n \u00a0\u00a0Of wonders omens, dreams that do annoy,\n And evil apparitions, thou dost turn\n \u00a0\u00a0To happy issue; malice, dark designs;\nAnd men and countries in thy might o'erturn,\n \u00a0\u00a0And sorcery that every soul maligns.\n Oh, in thy presence refuge let me find!\n \u00a0\u00a0From those who spells invoke against thy King,\n Protect one! and my heart within thine, oh, bind!\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a04 Thy breath within mine inmost soul, oh, bring!\n That I with thee, O Samas, may rejoice.\n \u00a0\u00a0And may the gods who me created, take\n Thy hands and lead me, make thy will my choice,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a05 Direct my breath, my hands, and of me make\n They servant, Lord of light of legions vast,\n \u00a0\u00a0O Judge, thy glory hath all things surpassed!\"\nThe King then rises, takes the sacred glass,\u00a06\n And holds it in the sun before the mass\n Of waiting fuel on the altar piled.\n The centring rays--the fuel glowing gild\n With a round spot of fire and quickly. spring\n Above the altar curling, while they sing!\n\u00a07 \"Oh, to the desert places may it fly,\n \u00a0\u00a0This incantation holy!\n O spirit of the heavens, us this day\n \u00a0\u00a0Remember, oh, remember!\n O spirit of the earth, to thee we pray,\n \u00a0\u00a0Remember! Us remember!\n\"O God of Fire! a lofty prince doth stand,\n \u00a0\u00a0A warrior, and son of the blue sea,\n Before the God of Fire in thine own land,\n \u00a0\u00a0Before thy holy fires that from us free\n Dread Darkness, where dark Nuk-khu reigns.\n \u00a0\u00a0Our prince, as monarch we proclaim,\n His destiny thy power maintains,\n \u00a0\u00a0Oh, crown his glory with wide fame!\n\"With bronze and metal thou dost bless\n \u00a0\u00a0All men, and givest silver, gold.\nThe goddess with the horn\u00e8d face\n \u00a0\u00a0Did bless us with thee from of old.\n From dross thy fires change gold to purity;\n \u00a0\u00a0Oh, bless our fire-king, round him shine\n With Heaven's vast sublimity!\n \u00a0\u00a0And like the earth with rays divine,\n \u00a0\u00a0As the bright walls of Heaven's shrine.\"\n17:1 \"Sar,\" king.\n17:2 \"Khanga,\" chorus.\n18:3 One of the Accadian psalms is here quoted from \"Chaldean Magic,\" by Lenormant, pp. 185, 186. See also \"Records of the Past,\" vol. xi. Pl. 17, col. 2.\n19:4 Literally, \"Right into my marrow, O Lords of breath.\"\n19:5 Literally, \"Direct the breath of my mouth!\"\n19:6 Sacred glass, sun-glass used to light the sacred fire.\n19:7 Incantation to Fire \"Records of the Past,\" vol. xi. p. 137). The Accadian and Assyrian text is found in \"C. I. W. A.,\" vol. iv. p. 14, and on tablet K. 49,002, in the British Museum.","title":"Ishtar and Izdubar: Alcove I: Column IV. Coronation of Izdubar","type":"page"}