| 1 | Unto the queen of the gods, |
| 2 | Unto the queen of the gods, |
| 3 | into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods, |
| 4 | unto the lady of Nineveh, |
| 5 | the queen of the gods, |
| 6 | the exhalted one, |
| 7 | unto the daughter of the moon-god, |
| 8 | the twin sister of the sun god, |
| 9 | unto her who ruleth all kingdoms, |
| 10 | unto the goddess of the world who deetermineth decrees, |
| 11 | unto the Lady of heaven and earth who recieveth supplication, |
| 12 | unto the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty, |
| 13 | who recieveth prayer, who loveth righteousness, |
| 14 | I make my prayer unto Ishtar to whom all confusion is a cause of grief. |
| 15 | The sorrows which I see I lament before thee. |
| 16 | Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation and let thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech. |
| 17 | Turn thy face unto me, O Lady, so that by reason there of the heart of thy servant may be made strong! |
| 18 | I, Ashur-nasir-pal, the sorrowful one, am thy humble servant; I, who am beloved of thee, make offerings unto thee and adore thy divinity . . . . |
| 19 | I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth; |
| 20 | I was without understanding and I prayed not of thy majesty. |
| 21 | Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept thy divinity. |
| 22 | But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods, |
| 23 | by the lifting up of thine eyes did teach me, |
| 24 | for thou didst desire my rule. |
| 25 | Thou didst take me from the mountains, and didst make me the Door of my peoples . . . |
| 26 | and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name! |
| 27 | As concerning that for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness. |
| 28 | Let thine anger be appeased, and let thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me. |
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Prayer to Ishtar