Anonymous (Akkadian) · a new plain-English translation from the Akkadian
They stood and stared at the forest, gazing at the height of the cedars, gazing at the way into the woods, where Humbaba walked, a path was set. The roads ran straight and the going was good. They saw the Mountain of Cedar, dwelling of the gods, the throne-dais of Irnini. Facing the mountain the cedar bore up its abundance, its shade was good, full of delight, the branches were entwined and the thicket grown thick together. [...] the cedar and the ballukku-tree, and there was no way through. For a distance of one double-hour the cedar put forth its young shoots.
[...] the cypress for two-thirds of a double-hour. To a height of sixty cubits the cedar was encrusted with resin. Resin oozed out and the flow rained down like rain; it ran on and channels carried it away. Throughout the whole forest a bird chirped and cried; they answered one another, a hum of sound resounded. A cicada set off its shrill call and made the crowd of insects respond. [...] they sang, they made it resound, made it ring clear. The uršānu-bird moaned, the sukanninu-bird answered it. [...] the heron makes the forest glad; [...] the wild rooster makes the forest of abundance glad. The mother monkeys sing out, the young monkeys cry.
Like the din of drums and the tigi-instrument, day after day they kept up their clamor before Humbaba. The cedar cast its shade, and fear fell upon Gilgamesh; numbness seized his arms, and weakness fell upon his knees. Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "Let us go down into the forest together; open your hand, and let us raise the battle-cry." Gilgamesh opened his mouth to speak, saying to Enkidu: "Why, my friend, do we tremble like weaklings — [...] we have crossed all the mountains."
[...] before us. Before we go down [...]. My friend, one who knows battle, who has faced combat, does not fear death. You who are smeared with blood do not fear death either. Be angry, and like the apillu-priest change your mood; like the lilissu-drum let your voice be loud. Let the numbness leave your arms, let the weakness rise up out of your knees. Take hold, my friend, together [...]. Let your heart speak of battle; forget death and seek out life — the man who is watchful, whose comrade stands at his side,
the one who leads the way, who guards his own body — may he keep his comrade safe. For a far-off day the two of them made their name endure. [...] having come from far off, the two of them arrived together; they finished speaking their words, and they stood. They stood and stared at the forest. [...] From then on, swords [...] and from their sheaths [...]. Axes were laid hold of [...], axes and swords [...]. One [...] [...] they girded themselves [...].
Humbaba muttered to himself, spoke a word: "He did not come [...]. He did not come [...]. Why are they troubled [...]? Why is my own [...]? In weakness [...] to [...]. Why [...]? In my own bed [...]. Perhaps Enkidu [...]. In good fortune [...]. If the word to [...], may Enlil curse him [...]."
Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "My friend, Humbaba [...]. Friend, one is one, and two are two. Let one be weak, and let the two [...]. Let it be a twisted cord, and not [...] two [...]. Two strands tripled [...], a rope tripled and threefold. One strong dog — its two pups [...]. Your footing stands firm [...]. My friend, let the arrow go out [...]. You shall ride the road [...]. When we go down [...]."
[...] carries [...]. [...] two [...]. "My friend, above, the winds of Shamash [...]; behind him a storm, before him the wind." "Speak to Shamash, and let it be given to you [...]." Gilgamesh lifted up his head, [he wept before Shamash]; before the rays of Shamash [his tears flowed]. "You said of me that in the heart of Uruk — do not forget me. Now stand by me [...]. Over Gilgamesh, offspring of the heart of Uruk, set your protection." Shamash heard the words of his mouth, and from then on a cry [from heaven called out to him]:
"Do not fear him — stand against him, let him not enter his forest; let him not go down into the thicket, let him not raise up [...]. Let him not put on his seven cloaks of terrifying radiance. One he has put on, and six he has cast off." [...]. Like a raging wild bull they charged [...]. He gave a cry and was filled with terror; the guardian of the forest cries out [...]. Humbaba roars like Adad. Humbaba opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "Let them take counsel — fool, Gilgamesh, brute of a man — why have you come before me?"
"Come, Enkidu, son of a fish, who never knew a father, hatchling of turtle and tortoise, who never sucked a mother's milk! When you were small I watched you, but I did not come near you [...] it filled my belly [...] evilly you have brought Gilgamesh here before me, and you stand there like a stranger, an enemy! Let me cut Gilgamesh's throat and neck, let me feed his flesh to the shrieking bird, the vulture, and the jackal!" Gilgamesh opened his mouth to speak, saying to Enkidu: "My friend, Humbaba's face keeps changing! Though we came up boldly to his place to cut him down, still my heart, grown afraid, has not yet grown calm."
Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "Why, my friend, do you speak so faintly? Your own words unman you and sicken my heart. Now, my friend, one thing more [...] [...] At the smith's channel copper is smelted; for one double-hour let the furnace be fed, for one double-hour let it be poured out — to loose the flood, to wield the lash. Do not draw back your foot, do not turn back! Now, like a lion, make your blow stronger! [...] [...] Let the south wind watch [...]
[...] Whatever dreams you have seen [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] let them be driven down to the abyss.
They raised them up to the distant sky. It struck the ground, and the stone-hail battered it against it. On the soles of their feet the earth split open. On their spinning they clove Sirara and Lebanon apart. The white cloud turned black; death rained down upon them like a mist. Shamash roused against Humbaba the great tempests: south wind, north wind, east wind, west wind, moaning wind, gale, blizzard, evil wind, wind of the demon Asakku, wind of the demon Simurru, wind of dissolution, whirlwind, wind of drought and heat — thirteen winds rose up against him, and Humbaba's face grew dark. He could not lunge forward, and he could not draw back.
And Gilgamesh's weapons overtook Humbaba. Humbaba, seeking his life, said to Gilgamesh: "You are young yet, Gilgamesh — your mother bore you, and you are the offspring of Rimat-Ninsun. By the command of Shamash you have flattened the mountains. O scion of the heart of Uruk, King Gilgamesh! ... Gilgamesh, never has a dead man [...] a lord. A living [servant] would return to his master." "Gilgamesh, spare my life! [...] Let me dwell for you in [...] As many trees as you command [...] I will guard for you, aromatic wood [...]
trees, the pride of your palace [...]" Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "My friend, do not listen to what Humbaba says! [...] his pleading [...] [...] should not be let go and [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [Humbaba lifted up his head and wept before Shamash,] [before the rays of Shamash his tears were flowing.] [...] You have seen the fate that I decreed for my forest, the fate I decreed [...]
and you know all that is said. I would have raised you, I would have hanged you at the entrance of my forest's approach; I would have fed your flesh to the shrieking bird, the vulture, and the jackal. Now, Enkidu, my release lies with you: speak to Gilgamesh, that he spare my life!" Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "My friend, Humbaba, guardian of the forest of cedar — finish him, kill him, destroy his authority! Humbaba, guardian of the forest — finish him, kill him, destroy his authority, before Enlil the foremost hears of it! The great gods will fill with fury against us: Enlil in Nippur, Shamash in [Larsa ...]
Establish forever [...] how Gilgamesh [slew] Humbaba [...] Humbaba heard [...] [Humbaba lifted up his head, weeping before Shamash,] [before the rays of Shamash his tears were flowing.] [...] [...] Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "My friend, catch a bird, and where [will its young go]? [...] Humbaba [...] Where do [its young] go [...]
Where do [its young] go [...] Humbaba heard [...] Humbaba lifted up his head, [weeping before Shamash,] before the rays of Shamash [his tears were flowing]: "May you enter, Enkidu, [...] in the fury of the weapon, the counselor [...] and as for the one who dwells in his house, the outcries [...] you sat before him like a shepherd, and like a hired man his mouth [...] Now, Enkidu, my release lies with you: speak to Gilgamesh, that he spare my life!" Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying [to Gilgamesh]:
"My friend, Humbaba, guardian of the forest — finish him, kill him, blot out his very memory! Humbaba, guardian of the forest — finish him, kill him, blot out his very memory, before Enlil the foremost hears of it!" — lest the great gods be filled with wrath against us: Enlil in Nippur, Shamash [stationed] in Larsa, forever […] how Gilgamesh and Humbaba […] kill. Humbaba heard […] … […] he lifted [his head], Humbaba [wept before Shamash], before the rays [of Shamash his tears ran down]. […] … […] […] … […]
"[…] … […] … […] Let it not […], let the two of them not grow old together, let Gilgamesh not find a grave for his friend Enkidu." Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "My friend, I tell you and you do not listen to me — […] until the curse […] […] to his mouth. [Gilgamesh heard] the wor[d] of his friend, he drew [the sword at] his side. Gilgamesh [struck him] on the n[ec]k, […] Enkidu [touched his heart], drove it in as far as the lungs.
[…] … it convulses. [Fro]m the head ( ) he tore out the teeth. […] abundance fell upon the mountain, […] abundance fell upon the mountain. […] … […] … […] … […] … […] … [G]ilgamesh flattened the forest. […] the fragrant cedarwood he carried [to …] … Enlil. [Enkidu] opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "[My friend,] we have reduced the forest to a wasteland.
"[Wh]at shall we answer Enlil in Nippur? [With your st]rength you struck down the guardian. [W]hat was your fury, that you flattened the forest?" After they had slain the seven of them, his sons — zizanu, na'eru, simurru, shasu, emqu, […] ugallu — their axes weighed two talents, their hatchets […]; the sunginnu-weapon, […] … they had cut it apart; the load, fifteen fingers thick, of their throwing-weapon. Gilgamesh cuts down the trees, and Enkidu keeps searching through the stump-litter. Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "My friend, we have cut down the towering cedar,"
whose top scraped the sky. Make a door six rods high, two rods wide; let its thickness be one cubit; let its pivot and its frame and its threshold be of a single piece. [Let] the Euphrates carry it [to the temple] of E[llil in Nippu]ri; [let] the shrine [of Nippur] rejoice over it." […] … cypress, together with […] they bound it, a raft they set afloat […] […] … Enkid[u …] Enkidu rode […] and Gilgamesh rode upon the head of Humbaba […]