Prayer to Ishtar
Unto the queen of the gods,into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods,
unto the lady of Nineveh, the queen of the gods, the exhalted one,
unto the daughter of the moon-god, the twin sister of the sun god,
unto her who ruleth all kingdoms,
unto the goddess of the world who deetermineth decrees,
unto the Lady of heaven and earth who recieveth supplication,
unto the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty,
who recieveth prayer, who loveth righteousness,
I make my prayer unto Ishtar to whom all confusion is a cause of grief.
The sorrows which I see I lament before thee.
Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation
and let thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech.
Turn thy face unto me, O Lady, so that by reason thereof the heart of thy servant may be made strong!
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...
I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth;
I was without understanding and I prayed not of thy majesty.
Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept thy divinity.
But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods,
by the lifting up of thine eyes did teach me, for thou didst desire my rule.
Thou didst take me from the mountains,
and didst make me the Door of my peoples...
and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name!
As concerning that for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness.
Let thine anger be appeased,
and let thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me.