| Atû mê petâ bābka | O gatekeeper! Open your gate for me! |
| šumma lā tapattâ bābu lā erruba anāku | If you do not open the gate, that I may enter |
| amahhaṣ daltum sikkūru ašabbir | I will break down the door, I will smash the bolt, |
| Amahhaṣ sippū-ma ušbalakkat dalāti. | I will break down the frame, I will topple the doors. |
| petâ bābka, petâ bābka-ma lūruba anāku. | Open your gate, open your gate, that I may enter! |
| — | — |
| ana bīti eṭê šubat irkalla | To the gloomy house, the seat of the netherworld |
| ana harrāni ša alaktaša lā tayyārat | to the road whose journey has no return, |
| ana kurnugi qaqqari lā târi | To the netherworld, land of no return. |
| — | — |
| Atû mê petâ bābka | O gatekeeper! Open your gate for me! |
| šumma lā tapattâ bābu lā erruba anāku | If you do not open the gate, that I may enter |
| amahhaṣ daltum sikkūru ašabbir | I will break down the door, I will smash the bolt, |
| Amahhaṣ sippū-ma ušbalakkat dalāti. | I will break down the frame, I will topple the doors. |
| petâ bābka, petâ bābka-ma lūruba anāku. | Open your gate, open your gate, that I may enter! |
| ušellâ mītūti ikkalū balṭūti | I will raise up the dead so that they devour the living, |
| eli balṭūti ima’’idū mītūti | and the dead will outnumber the living. |
| — | — |
| ša ina amšat ibluṭu | imūt uddiš | He who was alive yesterday | is dead today. |
| surriš uštādir | zamar uḫtabbar | For a minute someone is downcast, | then suddenly full of cheer. |
| ina ṣibit appi | izammur elīla | One moment | he sings in exaltation, |
| ina pīt purīdi | uṣarrap lallāriš | Another | he groans like a professional mourner. |
Extracted from “Ištar’s Descent to the Netherworld” and “Ludlul bēl nēmeqi”.
