Classic Poem

Iltani, the bride, to her Lord the bridegroom, Belânu:
A little song of belief and unbelief on the day after
Marriage.
I believe in love,
I believe in my lord Belânu:
I believe in joy,
I believe in my lord Belânu:
I believe in light,
I do not believe in darkness:
I believe in Ishtar the loving,
I do not believe in Ereshkigal the implacable:
I believe in life,
I do not believe in Arala the place of death;
I believe in my lord Belânu
And in the new-found God of Belânu
The God beyond gods,
Whose name is Love-beyond-love:
I believe that he will deal with us the greatly loving,
As Enlil with Ut-napishtim and his beloved
When after the terrible flood had abated,
Taking them by the hand he led them up,
Touching their foreheads, blessing them,
Saying: " Hitherto Ut-napishtim was only a man,
Now he and the wife of his love shall be as gods.
They shall dwell in the high distance,
At the confluence of heavenly waters
In the shining land above the earth,
At the meeting of the rivers of everlastingness. "
This I believe, I the joyous apostate Iltani,
Who have turned from the dark god,
From the dark goddess,
From Nergal terrible king of Arala,
From Ereshkigal terrible queen of Arala,
To worship the God of Belânu
Because of my love for Belânu,
Because of my faith in Belânu,
Because of my worship for Belânu
Who himself is as a god to me!

Such are the beliefs and the unbeliefs of Iltani,
The happy apostate, Belânu's bride, Iltani!