I say, "Hail!" to the Holy One who appears in the heavens!
I say, "Hail!" to the Holy Priestess of Heaven!
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, Great Lady of Heaven!
Holy Torch! You fill the sky with light
You brighten the day at dawn!
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, Great Lady of Heaven!
Awesome Lady of the Annuna Gods! Crowned with great horns,
You fill the heavens and earth with light!
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, First Daughter of the Moon!
Mighty, majestic, and radiant,
You shine brilliantly in the evening,
You brighten the day at day,
You stand in the heavens like the sun and moon,
Your wonders are known both above and below,
To the greatness of the holy priestess of heaven,
To you, Inanna, I sing!
Proud Queen of the Earth Gods, Supreme Among the Heaven Gods,
Loud Thundering Storm, you pour your rain over all the lands and all the people.
You make the heavens tremble and the earth quake.
Great Priestess, who can soothe your troubled heart?
You flash like lightning over the highlands; you throw your firebrands across the earth.
Your deafening command, whistling like the South Wind, splits apart great mountains.
You trample the disobedient like a wild bull; heaven and earth tremble.
Holy Priestess, who can soothe your troubled heart?
Your frightful cry descending from the heavens devours its victims.
Your quivering hand causes the midday heat to hover over the sea.
Your nighttime stalking of the heavens chills the land with its dark breeze.
Holy Inanna, the riverbanks overflow with the flood-waves of your heart...
On the seventh day when the crescent moon reaches its fullness,
You bathe and sprinkle your face with holy water.
You cover your body with the long woolen garments of queenship.
You fasten combat and battle to your side;
You tie them into a girdle and let them rest.
In Eridu you received the me from the God of Wisdom,
Father Enki presented the me to you at his holy shrine in Eridu.
He placed queenship and godship in your hands.
You mount the steps to your high throne.
In all majesty you sit there
With your beloved husband, Dumuzi, at your side.
The gods of the land, wishing to hear their fate, come before you.
The gods of heaven and earth kneel before you.
The living creatures and the people of Sumer come before you.
The people of Sumer who parade before you
Are caught in your gaze,
and held in your holy yoke.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
They play the sweet ala-drums before you.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, Great Lady of Heaven!
They beat the holy drum and timpani before you.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, Great Lady of Heaven!
They play the holy harp and timpani before you.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, First Daughter of the Moon!
The male prostitutes comb their hair before you.
They decorate the napes of their necks with colored scarfs,
They drape the cloak of the gods about their shoulders.
The righteous man and woman walk before you.
They hold the soothing harp by their sides.
Those who follow wear the sword belt.
They grasp the spear in their hands.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
The women adorn their right side with men’s clothing.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, Great Lady of Heaven!
The people compete with ropes and colored cords.
The people of Sumer parade before you.
I say, "Hail!" to Inanna, First Daughter of the Moon!
The young men, who carry hoops, sing to you.
The maidens and coiffured priestesses walk before you,
They carry the sword and double-edged ax.
The ascending kurgarra priests raise their swords before you.
The priest, who covers his sword with blood, sprinkles blood,
He sprinkles blood over the throne of the court chamber.
The tigi-drum, the sem-drum, and the ala-tambourine resound!
In the heavens the Holy One appears alone.
My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
She looks in sweet wonder on all the lands
And on the people of Sumer as numerous as sheep.
Honored Counselor, Ornament of Heaven, Joy of An!
When sweet sleep has ended in the bedchamber,
You appear like bright daylight.
When all the lands and the people of Sumer assemble,
Those sleeping on the roofs and those sleeping by the walls,
When they sing your praises, bringing their concerns to you,
You study their words.
You render cruel judgment against the evildoer;
You destroy the wicked.
You look with kindly eyes on the straightforward;
You give that one your blessing.
My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
The people of Sumer parade before the holy Inanna.
Inanna, the Lady of the Morning, is radiant.
I sing your praises, holy Inanna.
The Lady of the Morning is radiant on the horizon.
My Lady, the Amazement of the Land, the Lone Star,
The Brave One who appears first in the heavens
All the lands fear her.
In the pure places of the steppe,
On the high roofs of the dwellings,
On the platforms of the city,
They make offerings to her:
Piles of incense like sweet-smelling cedar,
Fine sheep, fat sheep, long-haired sheep,
Butter, cheese, dates, fruits of all kinds.
They purify the earth for My Lady.
They celebrate her in song.
They fill the table of the land with the first fruits.
They pour dark beer for her.
They pour light beer for her.
Dark beer, emmer beer,
Emmer beer for My Lady.
The sagub-vat and the lamsari-vat make a bubbling noise for her.
They prepare gug-bread in date syrup for her.
Flour, flour in honey, beer at dawn.
They pour wine and honey for her at sunrise.
The gods and the people of Sumer go to her with food and drink.
They feed Inanna in the pure clean place.
My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
The people of Sumer parade before the holy Inanna.
Inanna, the Lady Who Ascends into the Heavens, is radiant.
I sing your praises, holy Inanna.
The Lady Who Ascends into the Heavens is radiant on the horizon.
The people of Sumer assemble in the palace,
The house which guides the land.
The king builds a throne for the queen of the palace.
He sits beside her on the throne.
In order to care for the life of all the lands,
The exact first day of the month is closely examines,
And on the day of the disappearance of the moon,
On the day of the sleeping of the moon,
The me are perfectly carried out
So that the New Year’s Day, the day of rites,
May be properly determined,
And a sleeping place be set up for Inanna.
The people cleanse the rushes with sweet-smelling cedar oil,
They arrange the rushes for the bed.
They spread a bridal sheet over the bed.
A bridal sheet to rejoice the heart,
A bridal sheet to sweeten the loins,
A bridal sheet for Inanna and Dumuzi.
The queen bathes her holy loins,
Inanna bathes for the holy loins of Dumuzi,
She washes herself with soap.
She sprinkles sweet-smelling cedar oil on the ground.
The king goes with lifted head to the holy loins,
Dumuzi goes with lifted head to the holy loins of Inanna.
He lies down beside her on the bed.
Tenderly he caresses her, murmuring words of love:
"O my holy jewel! O my wondrous Inanna!"
After he enters her holy vulva, causing the queen to rejoice,
After he enters her holy vulva, causing Inanna to rejoice,
Inanna holds him to her and murmurs:
"O Dumuzi, you are truly my love."
The king bids the people enter the great hall.
The people bring food offerings and bowls.
They burn juniper resin, perform laving rites,
And pile up sweet-smelling incense.
The king embraces his beloved bride,
Dumuzi embraces Inanna.
Inanna, seated on the royal throne, shines like daylight.
The king, like the sun, shines radiantly by her side.
He arranges abundance, lushness, and plenty before her.
He assembles the people of Sumer.
The musicians play for the queen:
They play the loud instrument which drowns out the southern storm,
They play the sweet algar-instrument, the ornament of the palace,
They play the stringed instrument which brings joy to all people,
They play songs for Inanna to rejoice the heart.
The people spend the day in plenty.
The king stands before the assembly in great joy.
He hails Inanna with the praises of the gods and the assembly:
"Holy Priestess! Created with the heavens and earth,
Inanna, First Daughter of the Moon, Lady of the Evening!
“I sing your praises."
My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
The people of Sumer parade before the holy Inanna.
The Lady Who Ascends into the Heavens, Inanna is radiant.
Mighty, majestic, radiant, and ever youthful -
To you, Inanna, I sing!