Elmallah, Bouk 3, image 6

I have been working for many months preparing the illustrations for an edition of Bouk 3 of The Song ov Elmallahz Kumming. Last night I completed the 6th image. It shows Dumuzee, the Sumerian shepherd king. Captured by Areyan invaders, his spirit has escaped into the sky. It is based on an Assyrian bas relief in the British Museum.

Here are the lines that accompany the illustration:

Awl hiz serven herd the kruel lamment.
Thay herd the dry north wind
Wining thru the fouthillz.
Thay herd the kish-kish russelling
Ov leevz along the foutpathz.
Thay saw the hunter-king
Fawl owt ov the nite-time sky.

Thay saw the ram assend
Tu skip along the star-kragz.

    "Dumuzee haz eskaept!"
Hiz serven awl howl.
Now the bitter lamment iz thaerz.  Thay say:
    "He haz gon free
    "Wile owr chieldz ar made slaevz by hiz kurs."

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And here are 4 variations of the completed image. Click on an image to expand it, and you should be able to scroll thru the images. That's the only way you'll be able to differentiate them. Your comments and preferences, as always, are much valued.