The Epic of Gilgamesh

First Tablet

1Who saw everything (?),[...] of the land,

2Who [...] learned to know, understood (?) every- thing,

3[... all together...]

4The mysteries of wisdom, everything [...]

5The mysterious he saw, the concealed [he looked upon],

6Tidings of the time before the deluge did he bring.

7A far journey did he make, wearying himself and [.. •]

8And upon a stone tablet did write all sufferings.

9He built the wall of peace-loving Uruk.

10Two thirds of him is God, one third of him is man.

11Column II:

12When Aruru heard this, she made in her heart a man after the likeness of Anu.

13Aruru washed her hands, took a piece of clay, and spat upon it

14Engidu^ she created, the hero, a lofty offspring, a ruler of Ninib.

Second Tablet

15Column IV: "My friend, a dream saw I in the night,

16The heaven [thundered], the earth answered Before a mighty one I stood [...] sombre was his visage.

17"To that dwelling, which one enters, but comes not forth again,

18To that road, whose course returns not again.

19To that dwelling to whose inhabitants light is denied,

20Where earth is their food, clay their repast;

21Covered are they, like birds, with feathers,

22And the light they behold not, in darkness they dwell."

Third Tablet

23Column I:

24Gilgamesh opened his mouth and spoke.

25He said to Engidu: ''My friend let us go to the great palace,

26To the servant of Nin-sun, the great queen,

27To Rishat-Ninlil,* who is mistress of all knowledge."

Fourth Tablet

28Column V:

29To guard safely the cedars,

30To affright the peoples Ellil had appointed him,

31Khumbaba, his voice is a trumpet, his mouth like the gods, his breath a wind.

Fifth Tablet

32Column I:

33They stood still and looked at the Forest,

34The height of the cedars they regarded,

35They contemplated the entrance to the Forest The high door, where Khumbaba enters.

36Well made are the roads, well made the path.

37They view the cedar mountain, home of the god^, sanctuary of Irnini.

Sixth Tablet

38Column I:

39Come, Gilgamesh, be (my) lover.

40Give me thy fruit, yea, give me,

41Be thou my husband, I thy wife,

42I will harness for thee a chariot of lapislazuh and gold;

43Its wheels of gold; its horns of diamond (?) Daily shalt thou span great horses to it.

44Enter into our house amid the scent of cedars,

45When thou enterest into our house

46They that sit on thrones shall kiss thy feet;

47Before thee shall bow kings, lords, princes,

48The gifts of mountain and land shall they bring thee in tribute.

49Which of thy lovers hast thou always [loved]?

50To which one of thy shepherds went all things well?

51Gome, I will unfold the misfortunes thou hast sent (?)

52Set the sum to the reckoning.

53Who is beautiful among men?

54Who is glorious among heroes? and hears the mighty response from the women,

55Gilgamesh is beautiful among men,

56Gilgamesh is glorious among heroes.

Eighth Tablet

57Column II: ''Engidu, my young friend, thou tiger of the desert,

58After everything possible we [...] and the moun- tain have climbed.

59Have taken and slain Heaven's bull.

60Have slain Khumbaba, who dwelt in the cedar forest,

61Now, what is this sleep that has seized thee?

62Sombre art thou, and thou hearkenest not to me."

63But he lifted not his eyes,

64He (Gilgamesh) touched his heart; it beat no more Then he draped his friend like a bride [...]

65As a Uon, which cries [...]

66As a lioness deprived of her whelps [...]

67He turned away [...]

Ninth Tablet

68Column I:

69Gilgamesh for Engidu, his friend,

70Wept bitterly and wandered through the desert: "Shall not I also, die like Engidu?

71Sorrow has come within my vitals,

72I fear death, therefore do I wander in the desert."

73I take my way, I shall go quickly To the defiles of the mountains, I shall come by night:

74If I see lions and fear

75I shall lift my head and invoke Sin."

Tenth Tablet

76Column II:

77Sabitu said to him, to Gilgamesh, "There hath never been passage (thither),

78And none, from the days of old hath crossed that sea.

79Only the hero Shamash hath crossed that sea, but, except for him, who shall pass it?

80The crossing is difficult, painful the way And deep are the waters of death, which lie before it, hindering.

Eleventh Tablet

81Gilgameshn said to him, to Ut-napishtim, the far- away: "I consider thee, O Ut-napishtim,

82Thy appearance is not changed, thou art like me,

83Thou art not different, even as I am, thou art.

84Thy heart is in perfect state, to make combat.

85Thou dost Ue down upon thy side, and upon thy back.

86Tell me, how hast thou been exalted, and amid the assembly of the gods hast found life?"

87Ut-napishtim spoke to him, to Gilgamesh I will reveal to thee, O Gilgamesh, the hidden word,

88And the decision of the gods will I announce to thee.

89Shurippak, a city which thou knowest.

90Which Ues on the bank of the Euphrates,

91That city was very old, and the heart of the gods Within it drove them to send a flood, the great gods;

92... their father Anu,

93Their counsellor the warrior EUil,

94Their messenger Ninib,

95Their prince Ennugi.

96The lord of Wisdom, Ea, counselled with them

97And repeated their word to the reed hut:

9820a "0 reed hut, reed hut, O, wall, wall,

99reed hut hearken, O wall attend!*

100man of Shurippak, son of Ubaratutu,

101Pull down thy house, build a ship,

10223a Leave thy possessions, take thought for thy life.

103Thy property abandon save thy life,

104Bring living seed of every kind into the ship.

105The ship, that thou shalt build So shall be the measure of its dimensions.

106Thus shall correspond its breadth and height... the ocean, cover it with a roof.

107I understood it, and spake to Ea, my lord,

108[...] my lord, as thou hast commanded

109will observe, and I will execute it.

110But what shall I say to the city, the people and the elders?

111Ea opened his mouth and spake.

11234a He said unto me his servant,

113'Thou shalt so say unto them,

114Because EUil hates me,

115No longer may I dwell in your city, nor remain on Ellil's earth,

116Into the ocean must I fare, with Ea, my lord to dwell.

117Upon you will he then rain fullness.

118[A catch] of birds, a catch of fish [ rich] hai'vest [A time has Shamash appointed], on an evening the senders of rain Shall rain upon you a mighty rain-storm.

119The strong one [...] brought what was necessary On the fifth day I set up its form.

120Column II:

121In its [plan] 120 cubits high on each of its side- walls.

122By 120 cubits it corresponded on each edge of the \ roof.

123I laid down its hull, I enclosed it.

124I built it in six stories.

125Column II:

126I divided it outside (?) in seven parts.

127Its interior I divided into nine parts.

128Water-plugs I fastened within it.

129I prepared a rudder, and laid down what was neces- sary.

130Three sars of bitumen I poured over the outside (?) 9a Three sars of bitumen I poured over the inside,

131Three sars of oil the stevedores brought up.

132Besides a sar of oil which men use as a libation,

133The shipbuilder stowed away two sars of oil.

134For the people I slaughtered bullocks,

135I slew lambs daily.

136Of must, beer, oil and wine I gave the people to drink like water from the river,

137A festival [I made], like the days of the feast of Akitu,

138I opened a box of ointment; I put ointment in my hand.

139[At the rising] of the great Shamash the ship was finished.

140With all that I had, I filled it (the ship).

141With all that I had of silver, I filled it.

142With all that I had of gold I filled it.

143With all that I had of living things I filled it.

144I brought up into the ship my family and household.

145The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, crafts- men all of them I brought in.

146A fixed time had Shamash appointed (saying), "When the sender of rain sends a heavy rain in the evening,

147Then enter into the ship and close thy door."

14830a The appointed time came near.

149The senders of the rain in the evening sent heavy rain.

150The appearance of the weather I observed,

151I feared to behold the weather,

152I entered the ship and closed the door.

153To the ship's master, to Puzur-Amurri the sailor,

154I entrusted the building with its goods.

155When the first flush of dawn appeared,

156There came up from the horizon a black cloud.

157Adad thundered within it,

158While Nebo and Sharru (Marduk) went before.

159They go as messengers over mountain and valley.

160Nergal tore away the foundations.^ Ninib advances, the storm he makes to descend.

161The Anunnaki lifted up their torches,

162With their brightness they light up the land.

163Adad's storm reached unto heaven All light was turned into darkness It [flooded] the land like...

164One day the deluge...

165Column III:

166Raged high, [the waters covered (?)] the mountains.

167Like a besom of destruction they brought it upon men.

168No man beheld his fellow,

1693a No more were men recognized in heaven.

170The gods feared the deluge,

171They drew back, they cUmbed up to the heaven of Anu.

172The gods crouched like a dog, they cowered by the walls.

173Column III:

174Ishtar cried like a woman in travail,

175Loudly cried the queen of the gods with her beauti- ful voice, "The former time is turned into clay,

176Since I commanded evil, in the assembly of the gods.

177Because I commanded evil in the assembly of the gods For the destruction of my people I commanded battle.

178I alone bore ni}^ people.

179[And now] like the spawn of fish they fill the sea."

180The gods of the Anunnaki wept with her.

181The gods sat bowed and weeping,

182Covered were their lips [...]

183Six days and [six] nights Blew the wind, the deluge and the tempest over- whelmed the land.

184When the seventh day drew nigh, the tempest spent itself in the battle,

185Which it had fought like an army.

186Then rested the sea, the storm fell asleep, the flood ceased.

187I looked upon the sea, there was silence come.

188And all mankind was turned to clay.

189Like a roof the plain lay level,

190I opened the window and the light fell upon my face,

191I bowed, I sat down, I wept,

192And over my face ran my tears.

193I looked in all directions, terrible (?) ivas the sea.

194After twelve days, an island arose.

195To the land of Nisir the ship made its way,

196The raven flew away, she saw the abatement of the waters, I'/l' She drew near, she waded, she croaked (?) and came not back.

197Then I sent everything forth to the four quarters of heaven, I offered sacrifice,

198I made a libation upon the mountain's peak.

199By sevens I set out the sacrificial* vessels,

200Beneath them I heaped up reed and cedar wood and myrtle The gods smelt the savor,

20146a The gods smelt the sweet savor,

202Thegods gathered like flies over the sacrificer.

203When at last the Lady of the gods drew near Column IV:

204— She raised the great jewel, which Anu according to her wish had made. "Oh^ye gods, here — even as I shall not forget the jewels of my neck Upon these days shall I think, I shall never forget them.

205Let the gods come to the offering,

206Column IV:

207But let Ellil not come to the offering,

208For he took not counsel, and sent the deluge And my people he gave to destruction."

209When at last Ellil drew near.

210He saw the ship; then was Ellil wroth.

211He was filled with anger against the gods the Igigi:

212"Who then has escaped with life?

21311a No man must hve in the destruction!"

214Then Ninib opened his mouth and spake,

21512a He said to the warrior Ellil, "Who but Ea can plan aught.

216And Ea knoweth every matter."

217Ea opened his mouth, and spake,

21815a He spake to the warrior Elhl, "Thou wise among the gods, warrior Ellil,

219Why couldst thou, without thought, send a flood?

220On the sinner lay his sin,

22118a On the slanderer lay his slander,

222Forbear, let not [all] be destroyed, have mercy, that men be not destroyed (?)

223Instead of thy sending a deluge?

224Had a lion come and mankind lessened!

225Instead of thy sending a deluge?

22622a Had a wolf come and mankind lessened!

227Instead of thy sending a deluge?

22823a Had a famine come and the land...!

229Instead of thy sending a deluge?

23024a Had Urra^ come and mankind [slain]!

231I have not divulged the decision of the great gods.

232I made Atrakhasis see a dream and so he discovered the secret of the gods.

233Now take counsel for him."

234Ea went up into the ship.

235He took my hand, [and] brought me forth,

236He brought forth my wife, and made her kneel at my side.

237He turned us toward each other, he stood between us, he blessed us: "Formerly Ut-napishtim was only a man, but Now let Ut-napishtim and his wife be Uke the gods even us.

238Let Ut-napishtim dwell afar off at the mouth of the rivers."

239They took me and afar off, at the mouth of the rivers they made me to dwell.

240/ Gome, lie not down to sleep six days and seven nights"

241Gilgamesh said to him, to Ur-shanabi, the sailor:

242Ur-shanabi, this plant is a plant of renown.

243I will carry it to walled Uruk, there will I make to eat of it [...]

244Its name is: 'When old shall man become young again.' I myself will eat it, to return to my youth."

Twelfth Tablet

245Column HI:

246When the bold and noble Nergal [heard this]

247He opened a hole in the earth and Caused the spirit of Engidu, Uke a wind, to come out of the earth.

248[Behold] the time I will announce to thee. "Enter into the ship, close again the door of the ship.

249Bring within thy grain, thy hve stock and thy possessions.

250Thy [wife], thy kinsfolk, and thy craftsmen,

251The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, as many as eat the grass,

252Will I send thee, that they may keep thy door."* Atra-khasis opened his mouth, and spoke,

253(And) said to Ea, his Lord: "I have never built a ship [..,]

254Mark out [for me] upon the earth, a plan of one.

255[The plan] will I examine, and [build] the ship thereby.

256[ ] draw upon the earth [...]

257[ as thou hast commanded [...] "

258Column I:..] did not go [...]

259[In] the land I will send lightning, the people [...]

26010. it rained,.] their cry.] the great.] the men. the people...]

261Adad slay! broken^... to (?) our river went (?) [Lines 13-15 illegible]

262May the clouds rain,

263May they not drop [...] the field, its produce

264Column I:

265[Lines 13-15 illegible]

266Column II:

267That he may slay! That he may destroy,

268On the morrow that he may rain pestilence...

269That he may prolong in the night.

270That he may cause it to rain.

271He increases (?) the field, the land the city [...]

272They constructed the... of Adad in the city;

273They spoke, they shouted They sent up a cry [...]

274[...] they feared not [...]

275Column VII:

276[... Opened his mouth And said to [...]

277Why dost thou slay the [people?]

278I will stretch out my hand (?) The flood which thou art bringing, [...]

279Who he may be, I [...]

280I alone bear^ [my people...]

281His work is [...]

282Column VII:

283That they may see, he [...]

284And I bear [.,.]

285They may go in [the ship...]

286The ship's bolts [...]

287They may go Column VIII:

288[ perfect...]

289[ he made men Atrakhasis opened his mouth

290Column VIII:

291[For over all living beings] however many in^^ will I bring overthrow, destruction, annihilation.

292[ ] build a great ship and [ ] total height shall be its structure.

293[ ] a ship shall it be, carrying what has been saved of life.

294[ ] with a strong roof cover [it.]

295[... the ship] which thou shalt make,

296[into it br]ing the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven,

297[ *] the whole number,

298[ and the family...]