A balbale to Inana and Dumuzid (Dumuzid-Inanna C): translation

^1-2"My sister, what have you been doing in the house? Little one, what have you been doing in the house?"

^3-8"I was bathing, I was rubbing myself with soap. I was washing myself with water from the holy kettle, I was rubbing myself with the soap from the white stone bowl. I was anointing myself with good oil from the stone bowl, and dressing myself in the formal dress proper to Inana. That is how I was busying myself in the house.

^9-18"I have put lots of kohl on my eyes, I have arranged ...... the nape of my neck. I have washed my dangling hair, I have tested my weapons that make his reign propitious. I have straightened my tousled head of hair, I have combed out my untied locks, I have let them fall down the back of my neck. I have put a golden bracelet on my wrist. I have put little lapis-lazuli beads round my neck, and arranged their buttons over my neck muscles."

^19-26"Sister! I will bring you whatever you desire. I will bring the loving heart of your heart. Your goddess has given you good looks. Sister, shining bright, you are the honey of your own mother. My sister, to whom I shall bring five things, my sister, to whom I shall bring ten things, she has perfected your appearance for you; sister, shining bright, she has really made it a delight."

^27-31"When my brother enters from the palace, the singers shall ......, and I shall pour wine into his mouth. That should gladden his heart, should please his heart.

^32-41"Let him bring, let him bring, now let him bring pats of butter and cream!" "My sister, I will bring them with me to the house." "Let him bring, let him bring me lambs like ewes." "My sister, I will bring them with me to the house." "Let him bring, let him bring me kids like goats." "My sister, I will bring them with me to the house!" "Let the lambs be as comely as ewes!" "My sister, I will bring them with me to the house!" "Let the kids be as fine as goats!" "My sister, I will bring them with me to the house!"

^42-48"See now, our (1 ms. has instead: my) breasts stand out; see now, hair has grown on our (1 ms. has instead: my) genitals, signifying (?) my progress to the embrace of a man. Let us be very glad! Dance, dance! O Bau, let us be very glad about my genitals! Dance, dance! Later on it will delight him, it will delight him!"

⁴⁹A balbale of Inana.

^50-51"Let him bring, let him bring, come let him bring pats of butter and cream!"

⁵²Its jicgijal.

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Revision history

24.ix.1998-26.ix.1998 : JAB : adapting translation
30.xi.1998 : GZ : proofreading
05.viii.1999 : GC : minor corrections
16.x.1999 : GZ : SGML tagging
20.iv.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
20.iv.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0
7.ix.2001 : ER : header and footer reformatted; substantive content of file not changed