19. What is it to me that my heart lives?
21. and yet the lion of the earth does good (to himself).
22. Again for 20 kaspu (140 miles) alone I take the way, and
23. when I had opened the .... I heaped up the tackling,
24. the sea against its long wall I urged.
25. And he left the ship by the shore, 20 kaspu (140 miles) they journeyed the stage.
26. For 30 kaspu (210 miles) they performed the labour, they came into the midst of Erech the lofty. —–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–—
27. Izdubar to him also says, even to Nis-Hea the boatman:
28. Ascend, Nis-Hea, over the fortress of Erech go;
29. the foundation-stone is scattered, the bricks of its interior are not made,
30. and its foundation is not laid to thy height (?);
31. 1 _saros_ (is) thy city, 1 _saros_ the plantations, 1 _saros_ the boundary of the temple of Nantur the house of Istar,
32. 3 _sari_ together the city of Erech ... —–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–—
The opening line of the next tablet is preserved, it reads: “The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.” After this the story is again lost for several lines, and where it reappears Izdubar is mourning for Hea-bani.
1. The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.
1. Izdubar (lamented thus over Hea-bani his friend:)
6. Fat (and) goodly food thou dost not share;
7. to (come to) its savour they do not choose thee.
8. The bow against the ground thou dost not aim,
10. the staff to thy hands thou dost not lift,
12. sandals to thy feet thou dost not bind,
13. a thrust against the ground thou dost not make.
14. Thy wife whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss,
15. thy wife whom thou hatest thou dost not strike;
16. thy child whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss,
17. thy child whom thou hatest thou dost not strike.
18. The destruction of the earth has seized thee.
19. Ninazu, of darkness the mother, of darkness, of darkness,
20. her illustrious stature as his mantle covers him, and
21. her feet like a deep well beget [_or_ darken] him.
This is the bottom of the first column. The next column has lost all the upper part: it appears to have contained the remainder of this lament, an appeal to one of the gods on behalf of Hea-bani, and a repetition of the lamentation, the third person being used instead of the second. The fragments commence in the middle of this: