THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

AN ENGLISH VERSION WITH AN INTRODUCTION

BY

N. K. Sandars

REVISED EDITION INCORPORATING

NEW MATERIå,¿

@
PENGUIN BOOKS
¿.CKNOWLBDG¡MXNTS

THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

*
PROLOGUB

GILGAMESH KING IN URUK

¿Lproclaim to the world the
deeds ofGilgamesh.
This
*l,om au,hú, *_;;;k;;#:;i:,
*¡t::
who knew rhe countries"of the was rhe
*Jj]-ïili,:::
v mysreries and knew secret things,
h" b-oglrt *
fl'o"d. n. *.r?;;; Ër,; j å.i**;"
th labour, returning he,rested,
es
o - --"Lvet he
u\
vll

n the
bodv
:Dody.
Adad
_ _- ,*z,gll:-Til
-_-_ndo*ã¿himwith
, the god ofih. srorm endowed him with
ht b.:i:rt-perfec, surpasin g
at wild buil. Two
.. _ thi.ã,
-arso th.i
u¡v/
) _ _ _-^* v'v _
ç¡¡¡¡s fflNf¡.
o
Uruk he built walls, a great
lamparr, and the temple
for the goã or tn.
i::-d ^T*"" nlãl,i.i, î",,
Ishtar.the soddess orïo""- roor;;
:r wall where the cornice runs, ir
",¿ äìil#;i,lil
,ù;;r" with the
a1d. the inner wall, i, fr",
;ï^"fr.""^n"ffî1
rne rbreshold, it is ancient. Approach ".'.q*f.
Eanna the
ling of Ishtar, our lady of love
h. no
¡¡v ¡dLULr_u¿y
;å-;; tie like of
latter-day king,
the wal of urukiw"lt
-"G^;;
Kms. no man alive can eorrrl
allve equal. r-t;*t_
Climb
iîrli.å".o ,n.
f:i] and
brick :.ï*. î:g,examine ,t'. å"rö,"i., ;, ,,o,
go.ai
6o
 TIIE E]pIC OF cILc¿q.MBSH
the .When
hea b9ôre him.
.Itrhy he
this ed at them.
did
mâvira.r+L^ L,. maythefüebeonv.r,
-'o¡r u'c.,re Þeol you¡f
Toyit eet the tt breao.
d'iok.'rh.;;;ñ*;:i1::,:t;,^^!.it¿.i"tir,.*
sÞlendours tl'o*
splendours that ( 3
theriver, andhe
to the m^,,-.^:-
lo themountainano
to: rhe s^, r ISHTAR AND GILGAMESH,
ot Hell-
thedreaded
à¡o^Å^) daughter
ofthe AND
THE DEA,TH OF ENKIDU
*fi-îi,-,ï'j,,TäîiÍåïiffiïi:Tfl.:*: ÀMEsH washed out his long
;ftFj?"
to hid,
""d
û;;#;äää.iïååi locks and cleaned his
r,"ir-.r.- iuïri.,,ä*,,
off hi¡ Lïr,b":k,H,
T?_T 1,"
stainid clothes *_d .h"ogJ"rñîi::*:
royal robes
l-:r"I',
;h had ".,¿ -.i.-ü.ä"äri*n* /nen
?ut, on the croy,n, glorious Ishtar lifted
seeing the beautv of Gilorr.î"L ci^ :;-;:
l---- r
Gilgamãsh, I

r body, let

) -----*¡¡4vçru*a.uLv

wood, J:I.t*Ë'.Ë
1."Xrfl jï,:'fï:.'fi
_?"",o..."h
*¿ ti,'o". ;;ilk#;i#?.i
1 th¡eshold
r
u,,l^-*l^7^-'"'
wdown beforeyou; they
mountains and the plain.
your goers üiplets; your
yá* .;;;-rh"i'"t;J";
vqlrL^.¡ rnrues;
an{ your chariot horses,l"U
U. A-"ää.n ø.
swiftness.'
amesh opened his mouth
and answered glorious
,[]#:ryt-"'1"r..,y.h",
?'What oinrmenß
gifLs can igive in
ägtþeä;;ãl;ä;;
84 gladly "aa
give you bread and ¿ ,Lã.ir"ä¿it ro,
85 "
 THE EPIC OF GILG,{,MESII
ISHT.A.R AND GILGAMESII
to drink ût .o.
would îjÍ1,i:l:1,ï:'i:
*:1j poo, o,it b"il._, ,; t':tr.y,:tt
.;;"_,:_iì_l':
ror a quee
gt"n"ry; ?q
bot .,
q fr",Ti.? My mother has baked and I have earen;
should I corne to such as you for food
making you my *if.'Y.ti
*,i¡t *^> r¡
your
., : that I will not. How would
ir
that is tainterl
rotten? For when \¡zas a screen of rushes
with me? tovers h"". fò;;;;;i,Ëîrïii sufficient
:ction from frosts?" But when you had heard
liill*l:::1. b".kdoå,
:"1r, srorm,
squall of wind nor "
ã;.iiåp, our nei 3r you srruck him. He was changed
his
to a blind mole
a casde
that blackens rh. ú";r%
*hr.itt:ifi; in the earrh, one whose desire is"always beyond
his
:i:ä:î^p1tch. ;î"t.._,kin A:d if you and I should b. lov.rr,'rhori¿ ,rot I
il5:iJ.a'ier, " *:";, yhi.h äft ?å-.iïi; ed in the same fashion as all these oth.r,
*iorn yoo
ljiläi*.,,.^::":i:dl".k^fromthe.";;;,asandar
trþs the wearer. whichof
yo; bäd;í;,ìä:i
once?'
for ever?'What sheoh ren Ishtar heard this she fell into a bitter rage,
she
T icto- +^
rime? Listen
time? _-. 'îÍ of fo.yr1h"s
ro me'wfte,i
pt."r"d yoo fi
ijñäi.":öJå,: r I to high heaven. Her rears
poured down in front
'fathe¡ Anu, and,tntum he¡
åother. She saicl, ,My
lT:.":::*\1,o, th. r^o,.., ;;ff iooth, fo, ,..Gilgamesh has heaped insu_lts on me, he has told
my abominable bãhaviour, my foul and hideous
;a.ll
ä,:ü.'å",:$,Ë"¿îi',äî;:1.',J*ï"TÉ:f.'f,:r 'Anu_opened his mouth .Are
::I i"pythewing."
grove he sití and said, you a father of
.rio,*ii-0"*r, k"ppi ? Did not you quarrel with Gilgarn"ri,
you have"rd th. king, ,o
Itog, seven pits loved tlr. li ,r-tlr"_",r^, he has related your abominable ùehaviour,
strength: vou dug fò, il;;'ji':i]il; your-foul
ideous acts.'
1."::*t_:-::"llion
decreed
ágnifi.'.;;î;;;, ; lor
---"^'e ¡' u4LLrË' anc for lrm
him
whip and sp*o
by torce and to l"^åt!|"I.."þ
for his
hi. mother -,d;îå:11::"*j
h^d.^- Sili
c-'ri
shepherd of the flo
after day, he killed
frrñÃJ him
turned L:-:-
into a wolf;.now his own herd_boys
i

ï#,:1:r;"I:lî h.,ú;;;öH
<

no t I o ve_ rshulanu,
ä",r". And did
g;.¡.;rh.
He brought you "brrk.t,
;T öi'rà ril"r,:iJ
,g:::.? fi -, Ë,;;,t,Jä;##
;:i; :J:ï"oiLTj{:f r:*' ü;;;"'*;
your eyes on him and said, ,iD""r.rt,ú"ìñ;:;#
to me, let us eniov -
I,rl<e me, tr ^* ,_^-._ I ,,r:o,tt,.-"nJrood, come forward
take
t
-o "m yoirí., 1"11""äffi ;r.r::;iiï:
86
 THB EPIC OF GILGAMESII
ISHTÂR AND GILGÀMESH
When Anu heard wh¿rt,Ishtar
had said he gave her
rJl of Heaven
Bull l¡-^*^_ ¿^ r b, ,t,.-ä*"d'åiï::
to iead .was
six measures, wbich-he_gave to his guardian
god,
y:::-"* :î:h:d^ú" s";.,';;
the river; with
ü,ï;: Buil r
lbanda. But he carried the Èorn, into tie p"I".å.rá
them on the wall. Then they washed their hands in
his ûrsr snon,cracks opene","#t
rf u's -.o r.r iìïì^"ilä*.
il 'ates, they embraced each
other and went eway.
li1-"r1ï91
second snort cracks -ç¿Lu. *t
wl drove through rhe streers of Uruk where the herol
o
death.wlrhhlr;t;" red feil do
Ënkidudo
gathced ro see them, and Gilgamesh called to the
over bur i,";;1"';.,9y g girls, ''Who is mosr gloriousãf the heroes, who is
nn
on rho
,:
R,,ll and aside and emin-ent among men?' 'Gilgamesh is the most
theBull ^_ _: séized
- ,
r.t by-trre horns. Th.å;ii.ä t:r1
3Í1*-_rF å:., ,,þÉü
heroes, Gilgamesh is rnost eminenr among
tail. Enkidu cried to
ffiï,i-å. *.0
cifg"_.rfr^,î;ä;:ä, H.i
",fnow there
.' And wasJeasting, and celebrations and
reave endunns ---gh. palace, till the heroes lay down saying, .Now
*::":,:::.-T1 names
behind us. will rest for the night.
th¡ust in your sword b;;; il;* #ü:#;) 'When
the daylighr came Enkidu gor up and cried to
f:if":.':l*tl:.Y:Í,"'n"dË'.'i"5iti.'tt'i.torit,t
he th¡ust the sword be.rween
th. rr"p."ã"ä:i:ïi
lg"TrlÌ: 'O -y b-ro$er, such a dtãam Iiacl last night.
w¡en ,h.y l;Jr.,ilJ;,rå,i1,rr , Enlil, Ea and heavenly Shamash took couisel
:1.^: *:- l:l'. it'
t""'t *ä';;ïï.'iLä;:orH",
;*ir::J ;i:
But Ishtar rose uD and mounred
ii ther, and Anu said to Enlil, "Because they have killed
Bull ofHeaven, and because they have kiilåd Humbaba
c guarded the Cedar Mountain one of the rwo must
the great wall of Un
* .;;;;i;ä;.ä';";. i,l,il
.å-'.,- :." Then glorious Shamash answered the hero Enlil,
#"',l:it
Gilgamesh, for he has.scorned : . woe
_. i. r.ilil'jtï.
t was by your command they killed the Bull of Heaven.
killed Humbaba, and must Enkidu die although
i:;-. yl.-"-j"f,d,,il; ;il.#:ä he rore
;i:ft iffi
åj rffi ïrilt ffilîT
åräi
o, :ent?" Enlil flung round in rage at glorious Shamajr,
ou dare to say this, you who went about with them
day like one of themselves !"'
So.Enkidu lay srretched out before Gilgamesh; his rears
n down in srreams and he said to Gi[amesh, ,O
-y
ther, so dear as- you are to me, brothãr, yet they wiú
Bur : me from you.' Again he said, 'I musr sit down óo the
and the affiourers¡
of the d of the dead and never again will I see my dear
horns.
horns. Ene immensity of
the- rmmensiry of. with my eyes.'
rh.y*... thid rää ää iï jL'#: ff ,ffiXT W-hile Enkidu lay alone in his sickness he cursed the
as though it was living flesh, 'you there, wood of the
88
8g
 TIIE ¡PIC OF GILGÀMESII
THE DE.A,TH OF ENKIDU
gate, clull and insensible, witless, I searched for you o
twenty leagues until I saw rhe rowering cedar. TÉere is tear your feet, the drunk and the dry will strike
your
k and.your mouth will ache. I..,
woocl like you in or.rr land. Sevenry-two cubits high fá" U. ,iripp.d of
twerìty-four wicle, the pivot and thå ferrule thei, ,P*.pl: dyes, for I roo once in the wilde.rr.r, *irh-y
are perfect. A master craftsman from Nippur "nd had all dre rreasure I wished.,
has
you; but O, if I had known the conclusio" iIf I n"¿ t hen Shamash heard the words of
Enkidu he called to
that this was all the good that woulcl come of it, I wo from heaven: 'Enkidu, whv th.
have raisecl the axe and split you into little pieces and an, the mistress "r";;;;;,^ino
up here a gate of wattle instead. ,th, if onlv some f and drink wine
king had brought you here, or some god lad fashi ificent garmen
you. Let him obliterate my name and write his own, companio
i::h
own Íô'your
brother,
the curse fall on him insteacl of on Enkidu.'
'With _madè you rest on a royal bed and
: on a couch at his left hand? He has
.head the first brightening of dawn Enkidu raised madl the princes
and wepr before the Sun God, in the brilliance earth kiss-your feer, and now all
the people of Uruk
the sunlight his tears srreamed clown. ,Sun God, I I t and wail over you. When you are
ä."å t . *itt 1.,
you, about that vile Trapper, that Trapper of n o.ïj,':*,trng for-your r"k", h. *i[;;;; hooì p.ii
because of whom I was toãtch less than'riy comradei
. wander through the deserc.,
him catch least, make his game scarce, m"[e him feei æn Enkidu
S]o1"us Shamash his angry heart
ll.itdback
takìng the smaller ofevery share, let his quarry escape quiet, he called rhe curse and said, ,\ffoman, I
his ners.' Tse anorher destiny. The mouth which
lou
'When shall bless you! Kings, pri ces
he hacl cursed the Trapper to his hearr,s con rrobl."lal "orrád
adore
..O1your eccount "rrd
he turned on d1e harlot. He waì roused to curse her -"r, though rwelve otr*ill
'As for you, woman, with a great curse I curse you ! I
¿

r,-:å,': " -it.,

his hiir *if *irA. For you
promise you a clestiny to a.l eremiry. My curse ihall c
I;ill ï* lht*h,and
undo his belr and open his ffeasure
anj-you shall
on you soon ancl sudden. you shall be without a your desire; lapis lazufi, gold and camelian'fro_
th.
your commerce, for you shall not keep house with in the ffeasury. A ring foiyour h""¿;;ã;;;be
shall
girls in the tavern, but do your business in places fou urs. I'he priest will lead you into the
presence of rhe
the vomit of the drunkard. Your hire *ill b. 01 your account wiie, a mother'oir*, *",
eerth,.your thievings will be flung into the hovel, y:ou
"
sit at the cross-roacls in the dust of the potter's quarter, Enkidu slept alone in his sickness, in
bitterness of
will make your bed on the dungliill at night, and by ne poured out L' t
take your stand in the wall's shadow. Braribles and tl the..d"r, was I who
,Hji.T
9o
and nows Listen, my
9r
 THE ÈPIC OF GILG,TMESII
THE DEATE OF BNKIDU
fiend, this is the dream I dreamed last niqht. ined of blood who wanders alone in a weste
The hea of rushes;
roared, and earth ¡umbled back
an
"rrr*.?,
I before an awfirl being, th. ,o-lråced
t.*..o, one whom the bailift^has seized and his heart
pounds
-stood man_bi terror.
he had directed on me his
p;;;r.. Hrsã, i .rr"_pir. f Gilgamesh had peeled offhis clorhes, he listened
l]i 1_.:
** a tion's foot,l¡ À*J *", r"too. rrcls and wept quick tears, Gilgamesh listened
to his
and hìs
fell on me and his claws w.r. ",i.igt.,r
i";;l;;;,"t. _.
h.ld flowed. He oþened his mo,rti and spoke io f,rt i¿o,
*d I. smorhered; then he ,r"rrrøí-.J';;;
À;i ¡ is there in strong-walled Uruk *ho h",
arms beeame wings covered *ith wisdom
f."ti.rr.'U. ro*.d :this? Strange things have been spoken, why
does your
stare rowards me, and he led
me av/ay to the p"1".. rt speak strangely? The drearn *",
hkalla, the eueen of Da ness, r; -".,oellous bui the
,i. io.i,. from wh orwas great; we must treasure the drearn whateve¡
none who enters ever returns, down terror; for the dream has shown that misery comes
the road from
theìe is no coming back. at
t to the healthy man, rhe end of life is sor¡ow.' And
'There is the house whose
_ people sit in darkness; dus lgamesh lamenred, 'N9* I will pray to the great
th:i fo?d and clay their meai. til./"r. .f.rfred gods,
lilcebi my friend had an ominous d..*r.;
with wings for covering, th.y-r; fiffrr, ,h.r;; This day on which Enkidu dreamed came ro an
darknes. I entered the house of dust". end and
lay stricken with sickness. One whole day he l"y
and I saw the ki¡ on
of the eardr, thei¡ cro.wns put av/ay for his suffering increased. He said to'Gilgamcsh,
ever; rulers a
princes, all those who on_ceïor"
kúgly .-wns and ¡ul *Í
tnend"idon whose
account he had left the wilãerness,
the world jn the days of old. Th.y
;lro h"d stood in r :e I ran for you, for the water of life, and I
now havc
plece ot the gods like A¡u and Enlil. .ï"g;' A second. day-he lay on his bed and Gilgamesh
srood now li
servants to fetch baked meaß in the tched over him but the sickness increased. a tlírd
house of dust, to cr d"y
cooked meat and cold water frorn
th" *"t.._rkir. fo lay on his bed, he called our to Gilgamesh, rousing
him
house of dust which I enre¡ed *Ã ruin pri.rtr-, , Now he was weak and hi, ey-es were blind with
acolytes, priests of the incanradon ping. Ten days he lay and his suftèring increased,
oTecsrasy; th(
were servers of the temple, and there""¿ e1 ald
was Etana, tirat ki
of Kish whom the eagie carried ,o t."rr.o
th. d"y,
ry*. days he lay o-n his bed oípain. Then
called to Gilgamesh, 'My friend, the grår goddess
old. I saw also S"mu-q"n, god of cattlf - sed me and I must die in ihame. I shall íot
and there r die lik. ,
Ereshkigal the eueen th."Urrd.r*o.l¿, and Belit- fâllen in battle; I
"f she
squatted in front of her, who l, ,..orå., of the who falls in the b
and keeps the book of death. sh.
iliJ; ,Ål;;f#;thl cilrymesll y.,p.r o
t¿ sl,re
has brought 1¡ed
1!:
heråead,.sh. ,;;; ;;å ,pok. ,,, w- dawn he raised fus vorce and said to th.e counsellors
rhis one h.r.i,i ü.;;;;î.ïk. , Uruk:
92 93
 TIIE EPIC OF GILGÄMESE
TIIE DEÀTII OF ENKIDU
' Hear me, great ones of (Jruk,
Tlte warríors of strong-walled Uruþ
I weepfor Enkidu, myfríend,
Where the BuIl of Heauen was killed,
Bitterly moaning líke a womalt mournîng
Weep for you.
Iweep for my brother.
O Enkidu, my brother,
All the people of Erída
Weepfor youEnkidu.
You were the axe at my síde,
Those who brought graínfor your eatíng
My hand's strength, the sword in my belt,
lulourtfor you now;
The sh¡eld before me,
Who rubbed oil on your back,
A glorious roþe, myfairest ornament;
Mournfor younow;
An euil Fate has robbed me.
Who poured beufor your drinhìng
The wild ass and the gazelle
That øere father and mothu,
Mournfor you now. .

The hailot who arcinted you wíthfragrant oíntment

AII long-tailed ûeatures that nourished you
Lamentsfor you rlou;
Weepfor you,
The women of the palace, who brought you a wife,
AI.l the wild things of the plaín and pastures;
The
A chosen ing ofgiod aduíce,
that yotr loued ín the foràst of cedars
-paths Lament.for you now.
Night and day murmur.
,And the young men your brothers
Let the great ones of strong-walled Uruk
,4s though they were uomen
Weepfor you;
G_o long-haired ín mourning.
Let thefinger of blessing
Be stretclted out in mourníng;
What is thß sleep whichhltds you now?
Enhídu, young brother. Haik, You are lost in the darþ and cainot hear me.,
Th-ere ß an,echo rhrough all the counfiy
Like a mother mourning. He touched his heart but it did nor bear, nor did he lift
is eyes again. 'When Gilgamesh touched
Weep,all the paths øhere we walþed together; his heart it rlirl
And the beasts we hunted, the bear ondhyeno, not b€et.^So G. ilgamesh hìd a veil, as one veils the bride,
Tiger and Ttanther, leopard and líon, over his
tt_."d. He began ro rage like a lion, like a lioness
The stag and the ibex, the bull and the doe. red of her whelps. This w"!, and that há paced
round
The riuer along whose banl<s we used to walk, bed, he tore out his hair and strewed it around. He
Weepsfoi you, agged off his splendid robes and flung them down as
Ula of EIam and dear Euphrates
ough they were abominations.
Where once we ilrew waterJor the uater-sþíns.
ln the first light of dawn Gilgamesh cried ouq ,I made
The mountaín we climbed where ue slew the Wøtchman,
a royal bed. you reclined on a couch ar my
Weepsfor you. I?:,t.rt,ol
lett hand, the princes of the earrh kissed your feet. I wiÍl
95
 TEB B?IC OF GILGAMBSE
câuse ell the Þeoole of U-rulc to u¡eep
over you and
*:j::q::íii::::l
anf whl you ¡ù
¡;v;"i i.inì.îl,,..n
l:T.*r h"vegå". . ,ti .rr;hì;;llï.;
4
iï3:."i"i:isr^-:i,I.ï'*.,1:;iuwandgrth,ough
wildemess
-;;ä"
io th. skå ofa lio".; inì;:;;äö;:,;
HE SEARCH FOR EVERLASTING LIFE
5:1,.l¡r.1,,_c1tsy.¡,1"-*ã¿ ; and se
nights he wepifor Enkidu, *rii *;;Jl #äJ;
lT._-"P the r*"
¡. s1"9 seized ,L*.*r,¡, nnr-v Gilgamesh wept for his friend Enkidu; he
Anwrnaki, ¡t.."
judge{had ti_-."pî
"..- ø,
ered over the wilderness as a hunter, he roamed over
Oissued,aproclamationth¡orghth. plains; in his bitterness he cried, .How can I rest, how
,-1,ï1"^lq1f
he summoned them all, ,h.'..pt;;;ril,îöä ,I be at peace? Despair is in my heart. What my biothe¡
th^e sroneworkers, and
c"r"-ili;d ,hä,iu"k. , that shall I be when I am dead. Because I ám afraid
ofmy friend.' The sÞrue was fashioneá ath Iwill go as best I can ro fìnd Utnapishtim whom
Jril g..", "*.;
t*",, -J"igãH'ä," the body
.,i1*:lf* l:l.
cable of hard-wood was ser out, and ."'n"i U"J
*]1.ú: FlL"*"y, for he has entered tËe assembly of
gpds.' So Gilgamesh travelled over rhe wilderness, he

:**:fledwithhoney, and" ú";l tazulifit rdered over the grasslands, a long journey, in search of
with butter. These he exposed "i;pis pishtim, wþm the gods took aker thå deluge; and
weeping he went ewey. -¿;fi";;äffiä; set him to live in the land of Dilmun, in the"garden
sun; and to him alone ofmen they gave everLsting

passes Gilga-
ng ago I saw
the moon; I
yed and my prâyers went up to the gods, so now, O
on god Sin, protect me.''When he hád prayed he lay
to sleep, trntil he was woken from oùt of dr."m.
saw the lions round him glorying in life; then" he took
axe in his hand, he drew his swotã from his belt, and he
upon them like an aïrow from the string, and struck
destroyed and scartered them.
at length Gilgamesh came ro Mashu, t}re great
tains about which he had heard many things, whi.h
96 97
 THB DE¿.TH OF GILGÀMESII
On the.bed of he líes, he wiII not rise agaín,
fate
From the couch of many colours he will nolcome agaín.
7
Th-e-people of the ciry, great and srnall, ere nor silent;
THE DEATH OF GILGAMESH ey lift up the lamenr, all men of flesh and blood lift up
Tnr úe lament. Fate has spoken; like a hoolced frsh he hå
de^stiny was fulfilled which the father of the g
stretchedon thebed, likãagazellethatis caughtin anoose. In-
.f ,hi ToTr?in,
lllt had..dec,..d fb;-cilg"me,hl
nether-carth the darkness will show him
a ligit, of n
n Namtar is heavy upon him, Namtar that has neither

kind, all that are known, none will leave a nor fooq that drinks no water and eats no meer.
monument For Gilgamesh, son of Ninsun, they weished out their
generetrons to come to compare with
his. The heroes, oflerings; his dear wife, his son, his .orr".riio., his mu-
1,1'-.,j.î;
e. .:1" ".y_3:on
,,.W'ho
have their waxing icians, his jester, and all his household; his servanrs, his
wa3inq..Men will say, has ever ruled with äi ste\^/ards, all who lived in the palace weighed out their
and wrth-power like him?,, As in the
dark month, offerings for Gilgamesh the son of Ninsuã, the heart of
monrh of shadows, so without him therels
no liglrt. I]ruk. They weighed out their offerings to Ereshkigal, the
Gìlgamesh, this was the_meaning ofyour
dream. youw
given the kingship, such was yJ*ã.rtirrf, Queen of Death, and to all the goãs of the deád. To
.,r..l"rtiog lif. Namtar, who is fate, they weighed out the offering. Bread
yt.oo,, your,destiny. Becruse of thi" 'Å^ ^^* L^ ^:r ^. forNeti the Keeper of the Gate, bread for Ningiãida the
heart, do not be griwed or
god ofthe serpenr, rhe lord ofthe Tree oflife; for Dumuzi
power to bind and to loose, t
nf*^-L:-J rr^ has
r- - also, the young shepherd, for Enli and Ninki, for Endu-
He given unexanlpted supremacy over
:Îf91
people, vrctory in batle from which
rhe kugg" and Nindukugga, for Enmul and Ninmul, all the
no-fugitive ÀLlqUJi
returns, ancltra! gods, forbears of Enlil. A feast for Shulpae the
rs no going back. But
god of feasting. For Samuqan, god of the herds, for the
with your servants mot}rer Ninhursag, and the gods of creation in the place
f^re oi rhe Sun., . of creation, for the host of heaven, priest and priãstess
weighed out the offering of the dead.
!, lW-t't"t laid hinself down anil wíll not rise agaín,
ô Gilgamesh, the son of Ninsun,lies in the tomb. At the
The Lord of Kullab wili not rise
again; place ofofferings he weighed the bread-offering, ar rhe place
He ouercame euil, he wíll not ,o*7
ogoin;
Though he was strong of arm t , of libation he poured out the wine. In those ãays the lord
*¡tiloi'r*e agaín;
Gilgamesh departed, the son of Ninsun, theking,peerless,
He had wisãorn and a comely
face, he will not come agan; without an equal among men, who did not neglect Enlil
He is gone ínto the mountoinihe
*ltt n"t,o*rî|oin; his master. O Giigamesh, lord ofKullab, grear is tþ praise.
rr8 I19