Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet I

He (it was) built up the ramparts; (and) he (it was) clamp’d the foundation, Like unto brass, of “E’-Anna3, the sacred, the treasury hallow’d, rStrengthen’d’ its base to grant wayleave to no ‘one’ eee the threshold which from ‘of old (?))

(About thirty lines wanting. The description of Gilgamish runs on to the beginning of the next Column).

Column II. 7

Two-thirds of him are divine, and “one-third of him human,?4 The form of his body …-2240.2- He hath forced to take

[A line here is broken in the scan.]

(Gap of about three lines).

NOTES. — 1Assyrian Version. 2Possibly to be restored at the end of the line. It is obwious that the hero’s name must be introduced before /. 5. SThe great temple of Anu, the Sky-god, and Ishtar, the goddess of

of love, in Erech, where the worship of the latter was carried on by bewies of dancing-girls and hetaerae. 4Restored from the Ninth Tablet.

(The Plaint of Erech(?) to the gods against the tyrant Gilgamish)

ZA. śmy row S of Erech ’tis he who hath ‘taken’,

PETZ (while) tow ‘reth “his? crest like an aurochs,

Ne’er hath the shock of “his? ’ weapons (its) “peer”; are driven “his? fellows Into the toils!, while cow ‘d are the heroes of Erech un- … . .. Gilgamish leaveth no son to ‘his’ father, “his? arrogance swelling (Each) day and ‘night’ ; “aye, he’ is the shepherd of Erech, the high-‘wall’d’, He is ‘our(?)’ shepherd … . “masterful, dominant, subtle’. . rGilgamish” leaveth no “maid to her mother, nor’ daughter to ‘hero’,

(Nay), nor a spouse to a husband’ ” (And so), to (th’ appeal of) their wailing

‘Gave ear th’ Immortals’: the gods of high heaven ‘address’d the god Anu’,2 (Him who was) Seigneur of Erech: “’Tis thou a son hast begotten, (Aye, in sooth, all) tyrannous, “while tow’reth his crest like an aurochs’, Ne’er hath ‘the shock of his weapons” (its) peer; are driven “his fellows? Into the toils, “while cow’d are the heroes of Erech un- … . 72. Gilgamish leaveth no son to his father, “his arrogance swelling’ (Each) day and night; aye, he is the shepherd of Erech, “the high-wall’d”, He is their shepherd … masterful, dominant, subtle . Gilgamish leaveth no maid to “her mother’, nor daughter to hero, (Nay), nor a spouse to a “husband”. ”

(And so), to (th’ appeal of) their wailing rAnu’2 gave ear, call’d the lady Aruru3: “’Twas thou, O Aruru, Madest “(primeval seed of) mankind(?)’: do now make its fellow, So that he “happen on Gilgamish’, yea, on the day of his pleasure, So that they strive with each other, and he unto Erech give ‘surcease’. ”

(The Creation of Enkidu).

So when the goddess Aruru heard this, in her mind she imagined (Straightway, this) Concept of Anu, and, washing her hands, (then) Aruru Finger’d some clay, on the desert she moulded (it): (thus) on the desert” Enkidu made she, a warrior, (as he were) born (and) begotten,

(Yea), of Ninurta5 the double, “and put forth’ the whole of his body Hair: in the way of a woman he snooded his locks (in a fillet) ; Sprouted luxuriant growth of his hair-like (the awns of) the barley, Nor knew he people nor land; he was clad in a garb like Sumuqane.

NOTES .—11.¢., captured and killed. cf. the beginning of the Twelfth Tablet, 2Uncertain restoration. 3A goddess, form of Nin-makh, especially as protectress of children. 4Or “cast.” SA god, son of Enlil, patron of war and hunting. 6God of cattle and agriculture.

THE EPIC OF GILGAMISH. 11

E en with gazelles did he pasture on herbage, along with the cattle Drank he his fill, with the beasts did his heart delight at the water.

(The Encounter of Enkidu with the Hunter).

(Then) did a hunter, a trapper, come face to face with this (fellow), Came on him ‘one’, two, three days, at the place where (the beasts) drank (their) water! ; (Sooth), when the hunter espied him, his face o’ermantled with terror, He and his cattle went unto his steading, “dismay ‘d’ (and) affrighted, Crying aloud, ‘distress’d in’ his heart, and) his face overclouded, [A line here is broken in the scan.] (Aye, and) his face was the same as of one “who hath gone’ a far “journey”. ©

Column III.

Open ‘d “his mouth (then)” the hunter, and spake, addressing “his father’:

“Father, there is “a? great fellow come ‘forth from out of the mountains’,

(O, but) “his? strength is the greatest “(the length and breadth) of the country’,

rLike to a double’ of Anu’s own self “his strength’ is enormous,

Ever (?) “he rangeth at large’ o’er the mountains, “(and) ever” with cattle

rGrazeth on herbage (and) ever he setteth” his foot to the water,

“So that I fear? to approach him. The pits which I “myself” hollow d

r(With mine own hands)2 hath he fill’d in (again), (and) the traps of my rsetting”

‘Torn up, (and) out of my clutches hath holpen escape’ (all) the cattle,

Beasts of the desert : to work at my fieldcraft “he will not allow’ me.”

rOpen’d his mouth (then) his father, and spake’, addressing the hunter: “Gilgamish ‘dwelleth’ in Erech, “my son, whom no one’ hath vanquish’d, 3r(Nay, but) tis his strength is greatest (the length and breadth) of the country” ‘Like to a double of Anu’s own self”, his strength is ‘enormous’,

4°Go, set? thy face “towards Erech: and when he hears of! a monster,

śr He will say ‘Go, O hunter, a courtesan-girl, a hetaera’

NoOTRES.—iLiterally “A certain hunter, a trapper, met him at the drinking-place, [one], two, three days at the

drinking-place, ditto.” 2Probably supply anaku at the end of the line “I myself.” sIt is doubtful whether there is room for this line in the break. 4Fairly probable restoration.

Take “with thee” … like a strong one; 1r When he the cattle shall gather again” to the place of (their) drinking, rSo shall she put off? her “mantle? (the charm of) her beauty revealing’ ;

r(Then) shall he spy her, and (sooth) will embrace her, (and thenceforth) his cattle, “Which in? his very own deserts “were rear’d”, will (straightway) deny him.

» 99

(How Gilgamish first heard of Enkidu).

Unto the rede of his father the hunter “hath hearken’d, (and straightway)’

He will away “unto Gilgamish”!. Taking the road towards Erech

Turn’d he ‘his steps, and to’ Gilgamish “came, his speech thus addressing”: (Saying): “There is a great fellow “come forth from out of the mountains’, r(O, but) his strength? is the greatest, (the length and breadth) of the country, Like to a double of Anu’s own self “his strength’ is enormous, “Ever (?) he rangeth at large o’er the mountains, (and) ever with cattle rGrazeth on herbage, (and)! ever “he setteth’ his foot to the water, So that I fear to approach “him’. The pits which I “myself” hollow’d (With mine own hands) hath he fill’d in (again, and) the traps ‘of my “setting? Torn up, (and) out of my clutches hath holpen escape (all) the cattle, Beasts “of the desert? : to work at my fieldcraft he will not allow me.” Gilgamish unto him, unto the hunter made answer (in this wise) : “Go, (good) my hunter, take with thee a courtesan-girl, a hetaera, When he the cattle shall rgather” again to the place of (their) drinking, So shall she put off her mantle, (the charm of her) beauty ‘revealing’,

(Then) pore he spy her, and (sooth) will embrace her, (and thenceforth) his catt

Which in his very own deserts were rear’d will (straightway) deny him.2”

(The Seduction of Enkidu).

Forth went the hunter, took with him a courtesan-girl, a hetaera, (So) did they start on their travels, went forth on their journey (together), (Aye), at the term of three days arrived at the pleasaunce appointed. Sate they down in their ambush (?), the hunter and the hetaera, One day, two days they sat by the place where (the beasts) drank (their) water. (Then) at last came the cattle to take their fill in their drinking.

NoTES.—1Fairly probable restoration 2This belief in this loss of innocency has been common in the East since the . days of Adam and Eve. The proper person to peer into the ink-pool magic is a little boy ; few others are successful.

THE EPIC OF GILGAMISH. 13

Column IV.

Thither the animals came that their hearts might delight in the water, (Aye), there was Enkidu also, he whom the mountains had gender’d, E’en with gazelles did he pasture on herbage, along with the cattle Drank he his fill!, with the beasts did his heart delight at the water, So beheld him the courtesan-girl, the lusty great fellow, (O but) a monster (all) savage from out of the depths of the desert! “Tis he, O girl! O, discover thy beauty, thy comeliness shew (him), So that thy loveliness he may possess—(O), in no wise be bashful, Ravish the soul of him—(certes), as soon as his eye on thee falleth, He, forsooth, will approach thee, and thou—O, loosen thy mantle, So that he clasp thee, and (then) with the wiles of a woman shalt ply him; (Wherefore) his animals, bred in his desert, will (straightway) deny him, (Since) to his breast he hath held thee. ”

The girl, displaying her bosom, Shew’d him her comeliness, (yea) so that he of her beauty possess’d him, Bashful she was not, (but) ravish ‘d the soul of him, loosing her mantle, So that he clasp’d her, (and then) with the wiles of a woman she plied him, Holding her unto his breast.

(‘Twas thus that) Enkidu dallied Six days, (aye) seven nights, with the courtesan-girl in his mating.

(How Enkidu was invetgled into Erech to fight with Gilgamish).

Sated at length with her charms, he turn d his face to his cattle, O the gazelles, (how) they scamper’d away, as soon as they saw him! Him, yea, Enkidu,—fled from his presence the beasts of the desert! Enkidu losing his innocence2—so, when the cattle fled from him, Failed his knees, and he 3slack d in his running, (not) as aforetime:

Natheless he (thus) hath attain’d his full growth and hath broaden’d (his) wisdom.

Sat he again at the feet of the woman, the woman his features5

Scanning, and, while she6 was speaking, his ears heard (the words) she7 was saying:

“Comely thou art, e en like to a god, O Enkidu, shalt be, Why with the beasts (of the field) dost thou (ever) range over the desert ? Up! for I’ll lead thee to Erech, the high-wall’d—(in sooth), to the Temple Sacred, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, where, highest in power, Gilgamish is, and prevaileth o er men like an aurochs. ”

Norzs.—10r “of thedrinking-place.” 2Lit. either “the innocence of his body,” or, “the excellence of his bodily

(strength).” sLit. “Enkidu.” 4The word is curiously spelt, if this is right. SVariant: “the woman, he her features watching.” Lit. “[The woman) spake unto him, yea, unto Enkidu.” 7Lit. “the woman ”

14 THE EPIC OF GILGAMISH.

Column V.

I, I will summon him, challenging boldly (and) crying through Erech, ‘I, too, am mighty!’ Nay, I, forsooth I’, will (e en) destiny alter— (Truly), ‘tis he who is born in the desert whose vigour “is greatest!” sa ee ee ee eee I will “please” thee, D- 0 4 Gh tk i oh ‘whatever’ there be, that would I know.” “Enkidu, come (then) to “Erech’, the high-wall’d, “where” people “array! them rGorgeous’ in festal attire, (and) each day the day is a revel, 10. “Eunuch”-priests ‘clashing’ (their) cymbals, and “dancing”-girls… … flown with their wantoning, gleeful, and keeping the nobles Out of their beds?! (Nay), Enkidu, “joy? in thy life (to its fullest) “Thou shalt? taste—(forsooth) will I shew thee a man who is happy, 15. Gilgamish! View him, O look on his face, (how) comely his manhood! Dower ‘d with lustiness is he, the whole of his body with power Brimming, “his? vigour is stronger than thine, (all) day and night restless! 20. Enkidu, temper thine arrogance—Gilgamish, loveth him Shamash, Anu ,(and) Enlil3, and Ea4 have dower’d his wisdom with largesse.

(How Gilgamish dreamt of Enkidu).

(Sooth), or ever from out of thy mountains thou camest, in Erech 25. Gilgamish thee had beheld in a dream; so, Gilgamish coming Spake to his mother, the dream to reveal. ‘O my mother, a vision Which I beheld in my night-time. (Behold), there were stars of the heavens, When something like unto Anu s own self fell down on my shoulders, 30. (Ah, though) I heaved him, he was o erstrong for me, (and though) his grapple

Loosed I, I was unable to shake him (from off me): (and now, all the mean- while),

People from Erech were standing about “him5, the’ artisans “pressing”. NoTES.—1ILit. “Enkidu.” 2The Text is mutilated and the translation of these two lines may not be exact,

8The god Bel. 4The god of the great waters. 5Perhaps there is an additional line to be supplied in the small gap which exists here “[the people (all) thronging before him].”

THE EPIC OF GILGAMISH. 15