This is the translation of a tablet from Ugarit with a narrative poem about Anat:
B
Col. ii
1. There comes she, bathed in the scent
2. of henna enough for seven maidens, in a scent
3. of coriander/saffron and ambergris/murex. Closes the gates
4. of the house does ´Anat and meets she the messengers
5. at the base of the mountain. And lo, ´Anat
6. gives battle in the valley; Mightily she cuts in pieces the people of
7. the two cities; She slaughters the people of the Western Shore;
8. She destroys the men of the Eastern Sunrise.
9. Beneath her like balls roll heads,
10. above her like locusts fly palms of hands; like avenging grasshoppers
11. are the hands of the quick warriors. She hangs
12. heads on her back; she binds
13. hands to her belt. Up to her knees she wades
14. in blood of the swift soldiers, to her thighs in the gore
15. of quick warriors. With her shafts she drives out
16. the enemies; with her bow-string the foes.
17. And lo, ´Anat to her house proceeds;
18. Betakes herself does the goddess to her palace.
19. But not sated is she with the fighting in the valley,
20. by her cutting down the sons of the (two) cities. She sets up
21. chairs for swift soldiers; she sets up tables
22. for troops; footstools for heroes.
23. Greatly she battles and beholds;
24. ´Anat hews & cleaves and observes;
25. Swelled are her innards with laughter, filled
26. is her heart with joy, the liver of ´Anat with
27. triumph. Up to her knees she wades in blood
28. of swift soldiers, to her thighs in the gore of quick warriors.
29. until she is sated she fights in the house.
30. she hews and cleaves amid the tables. Wiped
31. from the house is the blood of swift soldiers; Poured (out) is oil
32. of peace[-offering] (for peace & well-being) from a bowl. She washes her hands,
33. Batalat ´Anat, the Maiden; her fingers, Yabamat Li`imim: the Kindred of the Peoples (of Ugarit)/ Thousand (Deities);
34. She washes her hands of the blood of swift soldiers,
35. her fingers of the gore of quick warriors.
36. Puts back chairs with chairs, tables
37. with tables, footstools she puts back with footstools.
38. She scoops up water and washes,
39. in dew of the Heavens, oil of the Earth (i.e., fat of the land), rain
40. from Rider of the Clouds/which pour the clouds; dew that the heavens pour out,
41. rain the stars pour, spray the stars shed.
42. She adorns herself with murex/ambergris, one thousand tracts away
43. its source in the sea. |
