Anonymous (Akkadian) · a new plain-English translation from the Akkadian
He who saw the deep, the foundation of the land, who knew the ways, was wise in all things, Gilgamesh, who saw the deep, the foundation of the land, who knew the ways, was wise in all things. He explored everywhere the seats of power, and he came to know all matters of wisdom. He saw what was secret and uncovered what was hidden; he brought back a message from before the flood. He came a long distant road, and was weary but at peace. He set all his hardships on a monument of stone. He built the wall of ramparted Uruk, of hallowed Eanna, the sacred storehouse.
See its wall, which is like a strand of wool; gaze upon its parapet, which no one can equal. Take hold of the threshold, which is from ancient days; draw near to Eanna, the dwelling of Ishtar, which no later king, no man, can equal. Go up and walk on the wall of Uruk; inspect its foundation, examine its brickwork thoroughly. Is not its brick structure of fired brick, and did not the Seven Sages themselves lay its foundations? One square mile is city, one square mile is orchard, one square mile is claypit, and the open ground of Ishtar's temple: three square miles and the open ground comprise Uruk. Find the tablet-box of copper, undo its bronze lock.
Open the door to its secret, and take up the tablet of lapis lazuli and read it aloud — all that Gilgamesh went through, all his hardships. He surpassed all other kings, renowned in stature, a hero born of Uruk, a charging wild bull. He goes out in front, the leader, and he comes behind, the trust of his brothers, a mighty embankment, the protection of his troops, the raging flood-wave that destroys even walls of stone. Son of Lugalbanda, Gilgamesh, perfect in strength, son of the august Wild Cow, Ninsun. Gilgamesh is he, towering, perfect, terrible, who opened mountain passes, who dug wells on the flank of the mountain, who crossed the ocean, the wide sea, as far as the rising sun.
Gilgamesh is he, towering, perfect, terrible, who opened mountain passes, who dug wells on the flank of the mountain, who crossed the ocean, the wide sea, as far as the rising sun, who explored the world regions, seeking life, who reached by his strength Utnapishtim the distant, who restored the sanctuaries that the flood had destroyed, who established the proper rites for the teeming peoples. Who is there can rival him in kingship, and can say like Gilgamesh, 'I alone am king'? Gilgamesh was called by name from the day he was born; two-thirds of him is god, one-third of him is human.
The Lady of the Gods drew the shape of his body, the god Nudimmud brought his form to perfection. [...] his stature was majestic [...] his stature was eleven cubits, his chest was four cubits across. A nikkas-measure was the length of his foot, half a rod his stride, six cubits between his legs. His cheeks bore a beard three cubits long. His beard was thick as a field of barley, the hair of his head grew thick as barley too. When he grew tall, he was utterly perfect in beauty, perfectly formed for the standard of the earth.
In the sheepfold of Uruk he goes about, towering over all, lifting his head above them all like a wild bull. He has no rival; at the sound of his weapons his companions stand up. The young men of Uruk are gripped with dread in their chambers. Gilgamesh does not leave a son to his father; day and night he rages unchecked in his arrogance. Gilgamesh, the king of the wide peoples, is their shepherd, yet he does not leave a daughter to her mother — he is their wild bull, and they are the cows. Their complaint was heard again and again.
The mighty one, the renowned, the wise [...] does not leave the young bride to her bridegroom, the daughter of the warrior, the wife of the young man. The gods of heaven, the lords who possess understanding, kept hearing their lament [...]. They made a wild bull of arrogance rise up against him in ramparted Uruk. He has no rival; at the sound of his weapons his companions rise up. The young men of Uruk are gripped with dread in their chambers. Gilgamesh does not leave a son to his father; day and night he rages unchecked in his arrogance.
He is the shepherd of ramparted Uruk, Gilgamesh, the provider for the teeming peoples; he is their shepherd, and yet [...] them. The mighty one, the renowned, the wise [...] Gilgamesh does not leave the young bride to her bridegroom, the daughter of the warrior, the wife of the young man. The god Anu kept hearing their lament. They cried out to the great goddess Aruru: 'You, Aruru, you created mankind; now create the equal of him, let him match the storm of his heart. Let them contend with one another, so that Uruk may find peace.'
Aruru heard this and in her heart she conceived an image of Anu. Aruru washed her hands, pinched off clay, and threw it on the steppe. On the steppe she created Enkidu the warrior, offspring of silence, knit strong by Ninurta. Shaggy with hair was his whole body, he was endowed with locks like a woman, and the tresses of his hair sprouted thick like grain. He knew neither people nor land. He was clothed with a garment like the god of cattle, and with the gazelles he grazed on grass.
With the herds he jostled at the watering place, with the creatures of the water his heart was glad. A trapper, a hunting man, met him there, opposite the watering hole. One day, a second, and a third the trapper met him opposite the watering hole. The trapper saw him, and his face went rigid. He and his beasts came home, and he was frightened, he went stiff, he fell silent. […] his heart, his features grew wasted. There was grief in his belly, and his face was like one who has journeyed a long, distant road. The trapper opened his mouth and spoke, said to his father.
"Father, there is a fellow who has come down upon us — in the land his strength is the mightiest, his power is as hard as a meteorite of Anu. He roams continually over the mountain, continually he grazes with the herd, continually his feet are set toward the watering hole. I am afraid, and I dare not go near him. He filled in the pits that I had dug, he tore out the snares that I had laid, he let the beasts and creatures of the steppe slip from my hands — he will not let me do my work in the steppe." His father opened his mouth and spoke, said to the trapper.
"Go, my son, to Uruk, to the offspring of Gilgamesh's city […] over him […] his power is as hard as a meteorite of Anu. Take the road, set your face toward Uruk […] the might of a man. Go, my son, and take with you the harlot Shamhat. When the beasts draw near to the watering hole, let her strip off her garment and lay bare her ripeness. When he sees her he will draw close to her — and his beasts, who grew up on the steppe, will turn from him." For the counsel of his father […]
The trapper set out […] he took the road, he set his face toward Uruk. To King Gilgamesh he repeated his account: "There is a fellow who has come down upon us — in the land his strength is the mightiest, his power is as hard as a meteorite of Anu. He roams continually over the mountain, continually he grazes with the herd, continually his feet are set toward the watering hole. I am afraid, and I dare not go near him. He filled in the pits that I had dug, he tore out the snares that I had laid."
"He let the beasts and creatures of the steppe slip from my hands — he will not let me do my work in the steppe." Gilgamesh said to him, to the trapper: "Go, trapper, take with you the harlot Shamhat. When the beasts draw near to the watering hole, let her strip off her garment and lay bare her ripeness. When he sees her he will draw close to her, and his beasts, who grew up on the steppe, will turn from him." The trapper went with the harlot Shamhat, they took the road, they set out on the journey. On the third day they reached the appointed field. The trapper and the harlot sat down and waited there.
One day, a second day, they sat by the watering hole. The beasts came, they drank at the watering hole, the creatures came, his heart was glad in the water. And he, Enkidu, whose birthplace is the mountain, grazed on grass with the gazelles, jostled at the watering hole with the beasts, and with the creatures his heart was glad in the water. Shamhat saw him, the primitive man, the murderous fellow from the midst of the steppe. "There he is, Shamhat! Open your embrace, bare your ripeness, let him take your charms. Do not be afraid — take in his vigor."
"When he sees you he will draw close to you. Throw off your garment, and let him lie upon you. Perform for him, the primitive, the work of a woman — his beasts, who grew up on the steppe, will turn from him, and his desire will cling to you." Shamhat loosened her garments, she opened her embrace, and he took her charms. She did not draw back — she took in his vigor. She threw off her garment and he lay upon her. She performed for him, the primitive, the work of a woman, and his desire clung to her. For six days and seven nights Enkidu was roused, and he coupled with Shamhat.
When he was sated with her charms, he set his face toward his herd. But when they saw him, Enkidu, the gazelles bolted away, and the wild beasts of the steppe shied from his body. Enkidu had spent himself, his body was weary; his knees stood still, though his herd had run on. Enkidu was diminished, he could not run as before; but now he had understanding, wide was his mind. He turned back and sat at the feet of the harlot, watching the harlot's face, and to what the harlot spoke his ears listened. The harlot said to him, to Enkidu:
"You are handsome, Enkidu, you are like a god — why do you range the steppe with the wild creatures? Come, let me lead you into Uruk-the-Sheepfold, to the holy temple, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, the place where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength and, like a wild bull, towers over the young men." She spoke to him, and her words found favor; his own heart, knowing itself, sought out a friend. Enkidu said to her, to the harlot: "Come, Shamhat, take me with you,"
"to the holy, consecrated temple, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, the place where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength and, like a wild bull, towers over the young men. I will challenge him, and boldly … I will cry out within Uruk: I am the mighty one! […] I will alter destinies; he who was born on the steppe is mighty, he has strength. Let the people see your face … it shall be, I myself will know it. Go, Enkidu, to Uruk-the-Sheepfold, where the young men are girded with sashes,
where every day is made into a festival, where the drums resound, and the young women are comely of figure, full of allure and rich with delight; even the great ones are roused from their beds in the night. Enkidu, who does not know life, let me show you Gilgamesh, a man of joy. Look at him, gaze upon his face: he is beautiful in manhood, full of vigor, his whole body is charged with allure. He has strength greater than yours; he never rests by day or night. Enkidu, set aside your recklessness;
Gilgamesh — Shamash loves him, and Anu, Enlil, and Ea have made his understanding vast. Even before you came from the mountains, Gilgamesh saw you in dreams within Uruk. Gilgamesh rose and related the dream, saying to his mother: "My mother, in my dream that I saw this night, the stars of heaven appeared, and something like a meteor of Anu fell down upon me. I tried to lift it — it was too heavy for me; I tried to turn it over — I could not move it. The land of Uruk stood around it, the whole land gathered about it,
the people crowded around it, the young men clustered upon it, kissing its feet like a little child; I loved it as a wife, I embraced it. I lifted it up and laid it down before you, and you made it equal to me." The mother of Gilgamesh, wise, all-knowing, said to her son; Rimat-Ninsun, wise, all-knowing, said to Gilgamesh: "That which appeared to you like the stars of heaven, like a meteor of Anu that fell upon you — you tried to lift it, and it was too heavy for you; you tried to turn it over, and you could not move it;
you lifted it up and laid it down before me, and I made it equal to you; you loved it as a wife and embraced it — this means a strong companion will come to you, one who saves his friend, for he is mighty in strength throughout the land. His strength is as mighty as a meteor of Anu. That you loved him as a wife and embraced him means he, the mighty one, will deliver you." He dreamed a second dream; he rose and went in before the goddess, his mother, and Gilgamesh said to her, to his mother: "My mother, I saw yet another dream:
in the wide street of Uruk an axe lay, and they gathered around it; the land of Uruk stood around it, the whole land gathered about it, the people crowded around it, the young men clustered upon it. I loved it as a wife and embraced it, and you made it equal to me." The mother of Gilgamesh, wise, all-knowing, said to her son; Rimat-Ninsun, wise, all-knowing, said to Gilgamesh: "My son, the axe that you saw is a man —"
"You will love him as a wife, you will caress him, and I too will treat him as your equal. A mighty companion will come to you, one who saves his friend. In the land his strength is great; his strength is as mighty as a meteorite of Anu." Gilgamesh spoke to her, to his mother: "My mother, may it fall to me by the word of Enlil the great counselor — may I get a friend and counselor, may I get a friend and counselor!" He beheld his dreams. From Shamhat's words Gilgamesh recounted his dreams to Enkidu, and the two of them fell in love.