From the Great Above she opened her ears to the Great Below.
From the Great Above the goddess opened her ears to the Great Below.
From the Great Above Inanna opened her ear to the Great Below.

My lady abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld.
Inanna abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld.
She abandoned her office of holy priestess to descend to the underworld.

In Uruk she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Badtibira she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Zabalam she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Nippur she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Kish she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Akkad she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.

She gathered together the seven me.
She took them into her hands.
With the me in her possession, she prepared herself:

She placed the sugurra, the crown of the steppe, on her head.
She arranged the dark locks of hair across her forehead.
She tied the small lapis beads around her neck,
Let the double strand of beads fall to her breast,
And wrapped the royal robe around her body.
She daubed her eyes with the ointment called "let him come, let him come"
Bound the breastplate called "come, man, come" around her chest,
Slipped the gold ring over her wrist,
And took the lapis measuring rod and line in her hand.

Inanna set out for the underworld.
Ninshubur, her faithful servant, went with her.
Inanna spoke to her, saying:

Inanna continued on her way to the underworld.
Then she stopped and said:

When Inanna arrived at the outer gates of the underworld,
She knocked loudly.

She cried in a fierce voice:

Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur, asked:

She answered:

Neti said:

Inanna answered:

Neti spoke:

Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur
Entered the palace of Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld, and said:

When Ereshkigal heard this,
She slapped her thigh and bit her lip.
She took the matter into her heart and dwelt on it.
Then she spoke:

Neti heeded the words of his queen.
He bolted the seven gates of the underworld.
Then he opened the outer gate.
He said to the maid:

When she entered the first gate,
From her head, the shugurra, the crown of the steppe, was removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

When she entered the second gate,
From her neck the small lapis beads were removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

When she entered the third gate,
From her breast the double strand of beads were removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

When she entered the fourth gate,
From her breast the breastplate called "come, man, come" was removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

When she entered the fifth gate,
From her wrist the gold ring was removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

When she entered the sixth gate,
From her hand the lapis measuring rod and line was removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

When she entered the seventh gate,
From her body the royal robe was removed.

Inanna asked:

She was told:

Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room.
Ereshkigal rose from her throne.
Inanna started from her throne.
The Anunna, the judges of the underworld, surrounded her.
They passed judgment against her.

Then Ereshkigal fastened on Inanna the eye of death.
She spoke against her the word of wrath.
She uttered against her the cry of guilt.

She struck her.

Inanna was turned into a corpse,
A piece of rotting meat,
And was hung from a hook on the wall.

When, after three days and three nights, Inanna had not returned,
Ninshubur set up a lament for her by the ruins.
She beat the drum for her in the assembly places.
She circled the houses of the gods.
She tore at her eyes; she tore at her mouth; she tore at her thighs.
She dressed herself in a single garment like a beggar.
Alone she set out for Nippur and the temple of Enlil.

When she entered the holy shrine
She cried out:

Father Enlil answered angrily:

Father Enlil would not help.

Ninshubur went to Ur and the temple of Nanna.
When she entered the holy shrine,
She cried out:

Father Nanna answered angrily:

Father Nanna would not help.

Ninshubur went to Eridu and the temple of Enki.
When she entered the holy shrine,
She cried out:

Father Enki said:

From under his fingernails Father Enki brought forth dirt.
He fashioned the dirt into a kurgarra, a creature neither male nor female.
From under the fingernails of his other hand he brought forth dirt.
He fashioned the dirt into a galatur, a creature neither male nor female.
He gave the food of life to the kurgarra.
He gave the water of life to the galatur.
Enki spoke to the kurgarra and galatur, saying:

The kurgarra and the galatur heeded Enki's words.
They set out for the underworld.
Like flies, they slipped through the cracks of the gates.
They entered the throne room of the Queen of the Underworld.

No Linen was spread over her body.
Her breasts were uncovered.
Her hair swirled around her like leeks.

Ereshkigal was moaning:

They moaned:

She moaned:

They moaned:

She groaned:

They groaned:

She groaned:

They groaned:

She sighed:

They sighed:

She sighed:

They sighed:

Ereshkigal stopped.
She looked at them.
She asked:

The kurgarra and galatur answered:

Ereshkigal said:

The kurgarra and galatur said:

Ereshkigal said:

They answered:

Ereshkigal said:

They said:

The corpse was given to them.

The kurgarra sprinkled the food of life on the corpse.
The galatur sprinkled the water of life on the corpse.
Inanna rose...

Inanna was about to ascend from the underworld

When the Annuna, the judges of the underworld, seized her.
They said:

As Inanna ascended from the underworld,
The galla, the demons of the underworld, clung to her side.
The galla were demons who know no food, who know no drink,
Who eat no offerings, who drink no libation,
Who accept no gifts.
They enjoy no lovemaking.
They have no sweet children to kiss.
They tear the wife from the husband's arms,
They tear the child from the father's knees,
They steal the bride from her marriage home.

The demons clung to Inanna.
The small galla who accompanied Inanna

Were like reeds the size of low picket fences.
The large galla who accompanied Inanna

Were like reeds the size of high picket fences.

The one who walked in front of Inanna was not a minister,
Yet he carried a scepter.
The one who walked behind her was not a warrior,
Yet he carried a mace.
Ninshubur, dressed in soiled sackcloth,
Waited outside the palace gates.
When she saw Inanna

Surrounded by the galla,
She threw herself in the dust at Inanna's feet.

The galla said:

Inanna cried:

The galla said:

In Umma, at the holy shrine,
Shara, the son of Inanna, was dressed in a soiled sackcloth.
When he saw Inanna
Surrounded by the galla,
He threw himself in the dust at her feet.

The galla said:

Inanna cried:

The galla said:

In Badtibira, at the holy shrine,
Lulal, the son of Inanna, was dressed in soiled sackcloth.
When he saw Inanna
Surrounded by galla,
He threw himself in the dust at her feet.

The galla said:

Inanna cried:

The galla said:

In Uruk by the big apple tree,
Dumuzi, the husband of Inanna, was dressed in his shining me-garments.
He sat on his magnificent throne; [he did not move]

The galla seized him by his thighs.
They poured milk out of his seven churns.
They broke the reed pipe which the shepherd was playing.

Inanna fastened on Dumuzi the eye of death.
She spoke against him the word of wrath.
She uttered against him the cry of guilt:

The galla, who know no food, who know no drink,
Who eat no offerings, who drink no libations,
Who accept no gifts, seized Dumuzi.
They made him stand up; they made him sit down.
They beat the husband of Inanna.
They gashed him with axes.

Dumuzi let out a wail.
He raised his hands to heaven to Utu, the God of Justice, and beseeched him:

The merciful Utu accepted Dumuzi's tears.
He changed the hands of Dumuzi into snake hands.
He changed the feet of Dumuzi into snake feet.
Dumuzi escaped from his demons.
They could not hold him...