Classic Poem

Iltani to Sikku my friend: A terrible thing. A terrible thing. Baal Belânu has gone mad. The Demon Ti'u has entered into him with madness. He has sent me another poem calling me Queen and fish of fire. What may a man not do who thinks of such a thing as a fish of fire? What may he not do to her he calls fire-fish? My knees are loosed with fear. Great is my fear, O Sikku. By the life of the gods write to me with comfortable words, Sikku. In the name of the goddess Irnini send me a message of advice quickly. Damka my nurse has brought your letter. May all the highest Gods and the Igigi also, bless you, Sikku. I will perform your advice straightway. I will tell the lady Taram Sagila, my mother, of Baal Belânu. Since as you write to me, he has so many cows and slaves and a fine country seat near Borsippa, my mother may be moved to help his madness. Very wise is my mother in such things. For one who lives in a small city like Hish, you have large thoughts, Sikku. But in one thought you are mistaken. Baal Belânu might wish to kill me through the madness of love, but he means me no harm such as you think. For even in his madness he writes of making the marriage gift for me. And if you ask me why I call him Baal, I will say to you that I think he should be called Lord! None but a Baal could have such a beautiful beard, or write so beautifully, when Ti'u is torturing him. Be not afraid for me, Sikku, because you are married and I am not. In a great city like Babylon, things do not take place in the same manner as in a small city like Hish. How could Baal Belânu mean me wrong when I never walk abroad save with my mother or with my nurse Damka? He does not mean me wrong. Good are most of your thoughts, Sikku. I send you thanks for them. But I also have good thoughts. This is one of my thoughts. I will make a small clay image of Ti'u and set it in a little boat. I will fasten a long cord to the boat and I will go to the river side with Damka and place the boat on the river with Ti'u's image in it. Then I will overset the boat and drown the image of Ti'u, repeating for Baal Belânu the incantation which begins:
" Away, away, far away!
Be ashamed Ti'u, be ashamed!
Sink deep, deep where you cannot rise!
Out of Belinu's body away,
Out of his body far away. " Do you also make an image of Ti'u and do the same Sikku, for I would not that any man should be mad and call me fish of fire. I forgot to say that because of pity I sent by Damgula to Baal Belânu a small little rose of Babylon. I did not gather it for him. It was not a fresh rose. I bade Damgula say this message: " This rose was gathered by the lady Taram-Sa-gila to place with others on the house-altar before the image of Irnini. The lady Iltani allows Damgula to take it to you only because of pity for your fever. May Irnini cause it to cause Ti'u to depart from you. " I will also tell my mother that I did this thing, Sikku, so it will not be necessary for you to send me a message of advice about it, either against it or for it. Write again quickly, dear Sikku.