The Gates of Nineveh (1928)
by Robert Ervin Howard

These are the gates of Nineveh: here
Sargon came when his wars were won
Gazed at the turrets looming clear
Boldly etched in the morning sun

Down from his chariot Sargon came
Tossed his helmet upon the sand
Dropped his sword with its blade like flame
Stroked his beard with his empty hand

“Towers are flaunting their banners red
The people greet me with song and mirth
But a weird is on me,” Sargon said
“And I see the end of the tribes of earth”

“Cities crumble, and chariots rust
I see through a fog that is strange and gray
All kingly things fade back to the dust
Even the gates of Nineveh”

Ancient text from Mesopotamia – poetics of pain/angst

This is an ancient poetic religious text from Mesopotamia (from www.sacred-texts.com) – such texts always speak of negatively I find, without exception, of human need in sensuous mimesis. I reckon psychosis is the contemporary ur-form of the religion, i.e. within it there is an embryonic social religion, a seed of it that today gets sponged out, along with the personality, by anti-psychotics. I don’t know when this was made but probably around 1,200 BC, and I need to familiarise myself with some of the history of Mesopotamia as there is a lot of existential angst and intimations of lost greatness, wisdom, piece and so forth. This kind of writing is pain that gives birth to itself into imagination out of somatic need I think. This has really hypnotic poetics, even in translation I find, animated by pre-linguistic musicality which must have been original to the text as they are evoked through repetition of form and phrase, animating waves of somatic negativity – in parts its a bit like Paul Celan’s Todesfuge…
The Seven Evil Spirits

“Raging storms, evil gods are they
Ruthless demons, who in heaven’s vault were created, are they,
Workers of evil are they,
They lift up the head to evil, every day to evil
Destruction to work.
Of these seven the first is the South wind…
The second is a dragon, whose mouth is opened…
That none can measure.
The third is a grim leopard, which carries off the young …
The fourth is a terrible Shibbu …
The fifth is a furious Wolf, who knoweth not to flee,
The sixth is a rampant … which marches against god and king.
The seventh is a storm, an evil wind, which takes vengeance,
Seven are they, messengers to King Anu are they,
From city to city darkness work they,
A hurricane, which mightily hunts in the heavens, are they
Thick clouds, that bring darkness in heaven, are they,
Gusts of wind rising, which cast gloom over the bright day, are they,
With the Imkhullu the evil wind, forcing their way, are they,
The overflowing of Adad mighty destroyers, are they,
At the right of Adad stalking, are they,
In the height of heaven, like lightning flashing, are they,
To wreak destruction forward go they ,
In the broad heaven, the home of Anu, the King, evilly do they arise, and none to oppose.
When Enlil heard these tidings, a plan in his heart he pondered,
With Ea, exalted Massu of the gods, be took counsel. Sin, Shamash, and Ishtar, whom he had set to order the vault of heaven,
With Anu he divided the lordship of the whole heaven,
To these three gods, his offspring
Day and night, without ceasing, he ordained to stand,
When the seven evil gods stormed the vault of heaven,
Before the gleaming Sin, they set themselves angrily,
The mighty Shamash, Adad the warrior, they brought on their side,
Ishtar, with Anu the King, moved into a shining dwelling, exercising dominion over the heavens