...and Inanna Stood Unveiled Lyrics

“Behold, I’m Inanna, great Queen of
the Heavens
I open my ear to the Great Below
I seek to pity my misshapen sister
Into her bleak realm of
darkness I’ll go
And so Inanna donned her
worldly attire
And prepared herself for her
descent to Hell
Instructed her faithful servant
Ninshubur
On how to act if her mission
should fail
“Go to Eridu, the temple of Enki
The God of Wisdom knows the
food of life
He knows the water of life, he
knows the secrets
Surely he won’t let me die!”
And thus Inanna set for her
journey
To indulge herself on her
sisters fate
“Open the door!” she commanded
fiercely
As she stood before Arallu’s
gates
But at each of the seven bolted
doorways
She had to give a piece of her
gown to prevail
Naked she entered Ereshkigals
throne room
And Inanna stood unveiled
The Great Bitch rose from her
seat
In her eyes all anger’s glow
Accompanying her were the
Annuna
The judges of the Great Below
Ereshkigal:
“Hated sister
You have come
Did your arrogance now fade?
Bow down low
Listen closely
‘Cause your judgement has been
made!”
Yes, your judgement has been
made!
“In this trial
You’d been found guilty
Abandon hope, abandon faith
Condemned you are
My dearest sister
And your sentence shall be
Death!”
“Reduced to nothing but a
carcass
Her beauty and her life I took
As a piece of rotting meat
She’s dangling from a hook.”
Ninshubur:
“For three days and nights Inanna
did not return
The world shall hear my cries
of lament
But I must seek out my mistress’s
father
To fulfil the task on which I was
sent”
The wise god Enki pitied Inanna
And decided to answer
Ninshubur’s pleas
Although she had craved for
from where no one returns
He arranged for Inanna to be set
free
Inanna:
“Born again I return to the
sunlight
Renewed in vigour for all to see
But as I return to the Great
Above
The fiends of Arallu are
accompanying me”
The Daemons of the Underworld:
Inanna, you have to provide
Another soul as replacement
for thee
For no-one escapes from here
So give us your servant
Ninshubur
To continue your suffering!
-“No! She’d been loyal to me!”
Take a look at your husband
Dumuzi
On your throne in his finest
array
Now what doth’ thou say?
He never shed any tear
Cause he gained all your powers!
-“Yes, take Dumuzi away!”
“So take this lowly traitor
Remove his manhood and his pride
Until the end of days
He shall be at my sisters side!”
Dumuzi’s sister, Geshtianna
Begged that she might take his
place
Such compassion moved Inanna
And lightened up her hardened
face
“Each one must dwell in the deep
Abyss
For six months he’ll have to
stay
But at the change of the
seasons
The other goes the downward
way!”
“Behold, I’m Inanna, Great Queen of
the Heavens
But I had witnessed where all
Light would fail
And learned when there’s Light
there must also be Darkness
As I, Inanna stood unveiled”