INANNA
I am the morning and evening star
I go down into darkness and rise dancing
I mount the sky to my high throne
The starry heavens are the robe upon my shoulders
And I am the loud-thundering storm
The rain upon the land
The shimmering midday heat
The welcome floods that feed the thirsty land
At the end of day, all creatures lift their eyes to me
make love in my name
And when sweet sleep has ended
I fill the bedchamber with day.
Once I went below
To the the Queen of Death, my sister, Ereshkigal
She took my lapis measuring rod
She took my life into herself, she hung me to rot.
But Ereshkigal could not bear the pain of living
She traded my corpse away for the promise of healing.
I rose up. I took back my rod, my crown
And every year my lover Dumuzzi,
Leaves me grieving to return to the halls of my sister
The land mourns, the rains do not fall.
But he is reborn, shepherd of the soil
To plough his seed into the Queen of Earth and Sky.
Oh, my people!
Parade before me
in all your finest robes
Sing to me with your drums
Make offerings to me
Of incense, sweet-smelling cedar
Fine, fat sheep, long-haired sheep
Butter, cheese, dates.
Return with Me from your shadowlands
Use my gifts with honor, enter My House
Eat from my table
Sleep in my bed
Take unimagined pleasures
By M. Macha Nightmare
I am the morning and evening star
I go down into darkness and rise dancing
I mount the sky to my high throne
The starry heavens are the robe upon my shoulders
And I am the loud-thundering storm
The rain upon the land
The shimmering midday heat
The welcome floods that feed the thirsty land
At the end of day, all creatures lift their eyes to me
make love in my name
And when sweet sleep has ended
I fill the bedchamber with day.
Once I went below
To the the Queen of Death, my sister, Ereshkigal
She took my lapis measuring rod
She took my life into herself, she hung me to rot.
But Ereshkigal could not bear the pain of living
She traded my corpse away for the promise of healing.
I rose up. I took back my rod, my crown
And every year my lover Dumuzzi,
Leaves me grieving to return to the halls of my sister
The land mourns, the rains do not fall.
But he is reborn, shepherd of the soil
To plough his seed into the Queen of Earth and Sky.
Oh, my people!
Parade before me
in all your finest robes
Sing to me with your drums
Make offerings to me
Of incense, sweet-smelling cedar
Fine, fat sheep, long-haired sheep
Butter, cheese, dates.
Return with Me from your shadowlands
Use my gifts with honor, enter My House
Eat from my table
Sleep in my bed
Take unimagined pleasures
By M. Macha Nightmare