Inana's descent to the nether world (I)

["sshiskom" <tinuviel@sparcs.kaist.ac.kr>]

"Inana's descent to the nether world" is a Sumerian mythological
narrative, concerning goddess's descent, like Persephone's
in the Greek mythology.

I love the story. It is beautiful. It has repetitive rhythm,
even hypnotic repetitive rhythm, repetitive rhythm which let you
fall in love with it. (In the last sentence I tried to imitate
such repetitive rhythm. :-)

You can read English translation, with Sumerian original[!]
at ETCSL: The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature.

http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/

Without further ado, here's my try at translation:

doi .enlil. po'u le patfu
.i .e'o ko na curmi le nu catra
le do tixnu tu'i le nitmu'e
.i .e'o ko na curmi le nu naljisygau
le do dirba jimcai le dertu be le nitmu'e
.i .e'o ko na curmi le nu katna
le do dirba jemnrlapislazuli
tai tu'a le rokci gau le rokyka'apre
.i .e'o ko na curmi le nu katna
le do dirba tricrbuksuso
tai tu'a le mudri gau le mudyka'apre
.i .e'o ko na curmi le nu catra
la .inanas. po'u le nolxli tu'i le nitmu'e

English translation is quoted below for your convinience:

Father Enlil,
Don't let anyone kill your daughter in the underworld.
Don't let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the
underworld.
Don't let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason's
stone.
Don't let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter's wood.
Don't let young lady Inana be killed in the underworld.
-- Inana's descent to the nether world, 41-47

mi'e sanxiyn.