(2) My Master yet had uttered not a word While the first whiteness into wings unfolded; But when he clearly recognised the pilot, He cried: "Make haste, make haste to bow the knee! Behold the Angel of God! fold thou thy hands! Henceforward shalt thou see such officers! See how he scorneth human arguments, So that nor oar he wants, nor other sail Than his own wings, between so distant shores. See how he holds them pointed up to heaven, Fanning the air with the eternal pinions, That do not moult themselves like mortal hair!" Then as still nearer and more near us came The Bird Divine, more radiant he appeared, So that near by the eye could not endure him, But down I cast it; and he came to shore With a small vessel, very swift and light, So that the water swallowed naught thereof. Upon the stern stood the Celestial Pilot; Beatitude seemed written in his face, And more than a hundred spirits sat within. "In exitu Israel de Aegypto!" They chanted all together in one voice, With whatso in that psalm is after written.

(16) Hail, N. , thine enemies are no more, in the great hall the scales are right concerning thee, thou makest long strides like Osiris the lord of the arrivals in the Amenta. He arrives when he likes, he sees the great god in his creations, life is given to his nostrils, he is triumphant over his enemies

(15) Hail, N. , thy figure is that which thou hadst on earth, thou art living and renewed every day. Thy face is unveiled, and thou seest the lord of the horizon; he gives bread to N. at his hour of the day and at his appointed time in the night. Horus has avenged thee, he has smashed the jawbones of thy enemies, he has smitten the violent one at the door of his fortress

(26) " me. "..." [The following twenty-two lines are taken from K. 3,449a, and probably form part of the Fifth Tablet.] (66 ). (67) (68 ) From (69) In E-sagil (70) To establish (71) The station of (72) The great gods (73) The gods (74) He took and (75) The gods [his fathers] beheld the net which he had made, (76) They beheld the bow and how [its work] was accomplished. (77) They praised the work which he had done (78) Then Anu raised [the ...] in the assembly of the gods. (79) H e kissed the bow, (saying), "It is !" (80) And thus he named the names of the bow, (saying), (81) "'Long-wood' shall be one name, and the second name [shall be ...] (82) "And its third name shall be the Bow-star, in heaven [shall it ...]" (83) Then he fixed a station for it (84) Now after the fate of (85) [He set] a throne (86) in heaven (87) ... [The following traces of the last thirteen lines of the Fifth Tablet are taken from the reverse of K. 11,641 and from the reverse of K. 8,526.] (128) " him " (129) " them " (130) " him " (131) " them " (132) " their may " (133) the gods spake, (134) the heavens : 1 (135) "[... your] son " (136) " our hath he " (137) " he hath caused to live " (138) " splendour " (139) " not !" (140) " we !"

(1) 'Twas now the hour that turneth back desire In those who sail the sea, and melts the heart, The day they've said to their sweet friends farewell, And the new pilgrim penetrates with love, If he doth hear from far away a bell That seemeth to deplore the dying day, When I began to make of no avail My hearing, and to watch one of the souls Uprisen, that begged attention with its hand. It joined and lifted upward both its palms, Fixing its eyes upon the orient, As if it said to God, "Naught else I care for." "Te lucis ante" so devoutly issued Forth from its mouth, and with such dulcet notes, It made me issue forth from my own mind. And then the others, sweetly and devoutly, Accompanied it through all the hymn entire, Having their eyes on the supernal wheels. Here, Reader, fix thine eyes well on the truth, For now indeed so subtile is the veil, Surely to penetrate within is easy. I saw that army of the gentle-born Thereafterward in silence upward gaze, As if in expectation, pale and humble;

(1) To run o'er better waters hoists its sail The little vessel of my genius now, That leaves behind itself a sea so cruel; And of that second kingdom will I sing Wherein the human spirit doth purge itself, And to ascend to heaven becometh worthy. But let dead Poesy here rise again, O holy Muses, since that I am yours, And here Calliope somewhat ascend, My song accompanying with that sound, Of which the miserable magpies felt The blow so great, that they despaired of pardon. Sweet colour of the oriental sapphire, That was upgathered in the cloudless aspect Of the pure air, as far as the first circle, Unto mine eyes did recommence delight Soon as I issued forth from the dead air, Which had with sadness filled mine eyes and breast. The beauteous planet, that to love incites, Was making all the orient to laugh, Veiling the Fishes that were in her escort. To the right hand I turned, and fixed my mind Upon the other pole, and saw four stars Ne'er seen before save by the primal people.

(58) the ... of] the gods, N[u]di[mmud] [A gap of about ten lines occurs here.] (69) (70) (71) (72) [Anshar unto] his son addressed [the word]: (73) " ... my mighty hero, (74) "[Whose] strength [is great] and whose onslaught cannot be withstood, (75) "[Go] and stand before Tiamat, (76) "[That] her spirit [may be appeased], that her heart may be merciful. (77) "[But if] she will not hearken unto thy word, (78) "Our [word] shalt thou speak unto her, that she may be pacified." (79) [He heard the] word of his father Anshar (80) And [he directed] his path to her, towards her he took the way. (81) Anu [drew nigh], he beheld the muttering of Tiamat, (82) [But he could not withstand her], and he turned back. (83) Anshar (84) he spake unto him: (85) " upon me [A gap of about twenty lines occurs here.] (104) (105) an avenger (106) va[liant] (107) in the place of his decision (108) he spake unto him: (109) " thy father (110) "Thou art my son, who maketh merciful his heart. (111) " to the battle shalt thou draw nigh, (112) " he that shall behold thee shall have peace." (113) And the lord rejoiced at the word of his father, (114) And he drew nigh and stood before Anshar. (115) Anshar beheld him and his heart was filled with joy, (116) He kissed him on the lips and his fear departed from him. (117) "[O my father], let not the word of thy lips be overcome, (118) "Let me go, that I may accomplish all that is in thy heart. (119). "[O Anshar], let not the word of thy lips be overcome, (120) ". [Let me] go, that I may accomplish all that is in thy heart." (121) "What man is it, who hath brought thee forth to battle? (122) " Tiamat, who is a woman, is armed and attacketh thee." (123) " ... rejoice and be glad; (124) "The neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot. (125) " ... rejoice and be glad; (126) "[The neck] of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot. (127) "O my [son], who knoweth all wisdom, (128) "Pacify [Tiama]t with thy pure incantation. (129) "Speedily set out upon thy way, (130) "For [thy blood (?)] shall not be poured out, thou shalt return again." (131) The lord rejoiced at the word of his father, (132) His heart exulted, and unto his father he spake: (133) "O Lord of the gods, Destiny of the great gods, (134) "If I, your avenger, (135) "Conquer Tiamat and give you life, (136) "Appoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it. (137) "In Upshukkinaku seat yourselves joyfully together, (138) "With my word in place of you will I decree fate. (139) "May whatsoever I do remain unaltered, (140) "May the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail."

(1) Abreast, like oxen going in a yoke, I with that heavy-laden soul went on, As long as the sweet pedagogue permitted; But when he said, "Leave him, and onward pass, For here 'tis good that with the sail and oars, As much as may be, each push on his barque;" Upright, as walking wills it, I redressed My person, notwithstanding that my thoughts Remained within me downcast and abashed. I had moved on, and followed willingly The footsteps of my Master, and we both Already showed how light of foot we were, When unto me he said: "Cast down thine eyes; 'Twere well for thee, to alleviate the way, To look upon the bed beneath thy feet." As, that some memory may exist of them, Above the buried dead their tombs in earth Bear sculptured on them what they were before; Whence often there we weep for them afresh, From pricking of remembrance, which alone To the compassionate doth set its spur; So saw I there, but of a better semblance In point of artifice, with figures covered Whate'er as pathway from the mount projects.

(1) I have come to an end for the Lord of Heaven. I am written down as sound of heart, and I rest at the table of my father Osiris, King of Tattu, and my heart is stirred by his country. I breathe the eastern breeze by its hair; I grasp the north wind by its side lock; I grasp the south wind by the skin as I make the circuit of heaven on its four sides; I seize the east wind by the skin, and I give the breezes to the faithful dead amid those who eat bread

(3) O thou who art called aloud, thou who art called aloud, thou the lamented, thou art glorified, thou art exalted, thou art glorious, thou art strong

(1) The concubine of old Tithonus now Gleamed white upon the eastern balcony, Forth from the arms of her sweet paramour; With gems her forehead all relucent was, Set in the shape of that cold animal Which with its tail doth smite amain the nations, And of the steps, with which she mounts, the Night Had taken two in that place where we were, And now the third was bending down its wings; When I, who something had of Adam in me, Vanquished by sleep, upon the grass reclined, There were all five of us already sat. Just at the hour when her sad lay begins The little swallow, near unto the morning, Perchance in memory of her former woes, And when the mind of man, a wanderer More from the flesh, and less by thought imprisoned, Almost prophetic in its visions is, In dreams it seemed to me I saw suspended An eagle in the sky, with plumes of gold, With wings wide open, and intent to stoop, And this, it seemed to me, was where had been By Ganymede his kith and kin abandoned, When to the high consistory he was rapt.

(3) The Twinklers fall away from the Mount of Glory at the East of Heaven, at the voice of Nut as she buildeth up the paths of Rā, before the Ancient one who goeth round

(2) Even thus, relieved from the delay of waiting, That murmuring of the eagle mounted up Along its neck, as if it had been hollow. There it became a voice, and issued thence From out its beak, in such a form of words As the heart waited for wherein I wrote them. "The part in me which sees and bears the sun In mortal eagles," it began to me, "Now fixedly must needs be looked upon; For of the fires of which I make my figure, Those whence the eye doth sparkle in my head Of all their orders the supremest are. He who is shining in the midst as pupil Was once the singer of the Holy Spirit, Who bore the ark from city unto city; Now knoweth he the merit of his song, In so far as effect of his own counsel, By the reward which is commensurate. Of five, that make a circle for my brow, He that approacheth nearest to my beak Did the poor widow for her son console; Now knoweth he how dearly it doth cost Not following Christ, by the experience Of this sweet life and of its opposite.

(7) In rear of all they shouted: "Sooner were The people dead to whom the sea was opened, Than their inheritors the Jordan saw; And those who the fatigue did not endure Unto the issue, with Anchises' son, Themselves to life withouten glory offered." Then when from us so separated were Those shades, that they no longer could be seen, Within me a new thought did entrance find, Whence others many and diverse were born; And so I lapsed from one into another, That in a reverie mine eyes I closed, And meditation into dream transmuted.

(4) And even as birds uprisen from the shore, As in congratulation o'er their food, Make squadrons of themselves, now round, now long, So from within those lights the holy creatures Sang flying to and fro, and in their figures Made of themselves now D, now I, now L. First singing they to their own music moved; Then one becoming of these characters, A little while they rested and were silent. O divine Pegasea, thou who genius Dost glorious make, and render it long-lived, And this through thee the cities and the kingdoms, Illume me with thyself, that I may bring Their figures out as I have them conceived! Apparent be thy power in these brief verses! Themselves then they displayed in five times seven Vowels and consonants; and I observed The parts as they seemed spoken unto me. 'Diligite justitiam,' these were First verb and noun of all that was depicted; 'Qui judicatis terram' were the last. Thereafter in the M of the fifth word Remained they so arranged, that Jupiter Seemed to be silver there with gold inlaid.

(5) For 'twere not fitting that the eye o'ercast By any mist should go before the first Angel, who is of those of Paradise. This little island round about its base Below there, yonder, where the billow beats it, Doth rushes bear upon its washy ooze; No other plant that putteth forth the leaf, Or that doth indurate, can there have life, Because it yieldeth not unto the shocks. Thereafter be not this way your return; The sun, which now is rising, will direct you To take the mount by easier ascent." With this he vanished; and I raised me up Without a word, and wholly drew myself Unto my Guide, and turned mine eyes to him. And he began: "Son, follow thou my steps; Let us turn back, for on this side declines The plain unto its lower boundaries." The dawn was vanquishing the matin hour Which fled before it, so that from afar I recognised the trembling of the sea. Along the solitary plain we went As one who unto the lost road returns, And till he finds it seems to go in vain.

(5) Now, at the close of day he turneth down his eyes to Rā; for there cometh a standing still in the Bark and a deep slumber within the ship. And now he swalloweth three cubits of the Great Water

(6) Thy son Horus avenges thee, he destroys all that is wrong in thee; he has fastened to thee thy flesh, he has set thy limbs and joined thy bones; he has brought thee.... Arise, Osiris, thy hands have been given thee, stand up living for ever

(5) So he with greater strides departed from us; And on the road remained I with those two, Who were such mighty marshals of the world. And when before us he had gone so far Mine eyes became to him such pursuivants As was my understanding to his words, Appeared to me with laden and living boughs Another apple-tree, and not far distant, From having but just then turned thitherward. People I saw beneath it lift their hands, And cry I know not what towards the leaves, Like little children eager and deluded, Who pray, and he they pray to doth not answer, But, to make very keen their appetite, Holds their desire aloft, and hides it not. Then they departed as if undeceived; And now we came unto the mighty tree Which prayers and tears so manifold refuses. "Pass farther onward without drawing near; The tree of which Eve ate is higher up, And out of that one has this tree been raised." Thus said I know not who among the branches; Whereat Virgilius, Statius, and myself Went crowding forward on the side that rises.

(4) "O happy dead! O spirits elect already!" Virgilius made beginning, "by that peace Which I believe is waiting for you all, Tell us upon what side the mountain slopes, So that the going up be possible, For to lose time irks him most who most knows." As sheep come issuing forth from out the fold By ones and twos and threes, and the others stand Timidly, holding down their eyes and nostrils, And what the foremost does the others do, Huddling themselves against her, if she stop, Simple and quiet and the wherefore know not; So moving to approach us thereupon I saw the leader of that fortunate flock, Modest in face and dignified in gait. As soon as those in the advance saw broken The light upon the ground at my right side, So that from me the shadow reached the rock, They stopped, and backward drew themselves somewhat; And all the others, who came after them, Not knowing why nor wherefore, did the same. "Without your asking, I confess to you This is a human body which you see, Whereby the sunshine on the ground is cleft.