Anonymous (Akkadian) · a new plain-English translation from the Akkadian
Gilgamesh wept bitterly for Enkidu his friend and roamed the wild. "I too shall die — shall I not fare like Enkidu? Grief has entered my innermost being. I am afraid of death, and so I roam the wild. Toward Utnapishtim, son of Ubar-Tutu, I have set out on the road, and swiftly I go. I reached the mountain passes by night. I saw lions and I was afraid. I lifted my head and prayed to Sin. […] toward the light of the gods my prayers go out. Sin, and […], keep me safe."
Gilgamesh rose up — it had been a dream. […] before Sin he rejoiced in life. He lifted the axe to his side, he drew the sword from his belt; like an arrow he fell among them, he struck the lions, killed and scattered them. And […] […] he cast down […]. He marked out […]. The first […]. The second […]. He lifted his head and prayed to Sin.
To […] his prayers go, the light of the gods. Sin […]. May […]. When […]. Sin […]. The mountain — its name is Māšu. When he reached the mountain called Mashu, who each day guard the sun's rising, whose peaks reach the vault of heaven above and whose breast reaches the underworld below, scorpion-men guard its gate, whose dread terror is fearsome and whose glance is death.
Their fearsome radiance overwhelms the mountains; they guard the sun at its rising and its setting. When they saw him, terror and dread covered Gilgamesh's face; but he gathered his wits and drew near to them. The scorpion-man called to his wife: "He who comes to us — his body is the flesh of gods." The scorpion-man's wife answered him: "Two parts of him are god, and one part is human." The male scorpion-man cried out, and spoke a word to Gilgamesh the king, flesh of the gods: "How have you come so distant a road, […] drawing near before me?"
"How did you cross the rivers whose crossing is hard? […] let me learn. […] where your face is set, let me learn […]. […] the road to Utnapishtim my father, who took his stand in the assembly of the gods and found life; of death and life […]." The scorpion-man opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh: "There has never been, Gilgamesh, one like you; of the mountain no one […]."
For twelve leagues its interior extends; the darkness is thick, and there is no light there. Toward the sun's rising […]. Toward the sun's setting […]. Toward the sun's setting […]. They lead […] out. […]. […]. How you […]. You shall enter […]. […]. […]. […].
In grief […]. In frost and heat my face is scorched. In weariness […]. Now […]. The scorpion-man opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgamesh the king, flesh of the gods: "Go, Gilgamesh, […]. The mountain, its interior […]. The mountains, the peaks […]. Safely […]. The gate of the mountain […]." Gilgamesh heard this.
At the word of the scorpion-man he took the road of Shamash. One league he went; thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. A second league he went; thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. A third league he went; thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. A fourth league […].
Thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. A fifth league […]; thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. A sixth league […]; thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. A seventh league, on reaching it, […]; thick was the darkness, and there was no light; it did not let him see what lay behind him. An eighth league, and like […] he cried out.
The darkness was dense and there was no light; it would not let him look behind him. For nine leagues […] the north wind […] before him. The darkness was dense and there was no light; it would not let him look behind him. Ten leagues […] when he reached it, […] drew near. Eleven leagues […] the road of a league. Twelve leagues Gilgamesh […] came forth before the sun. […] brightness was set in place. […] the trees of the gods — at the sight of them he was made glad.
Carnelian bore its fruit, hung with clusters, lovely to look upon. Lapis lazuli bore foliage, and it too bore fruit, delightful to see. […] cypress […] cedar […]. Its fronds were of pappardillu-stone […]. Coral of the sea […] sasu-stone. Like thornbush and bramble there grew anzagulmu. He touched the carob and the abashmu-stone; shubu-stone, shadanu-stone, […] like […] and […] the wilderness.
Like […] agate. Of […] the shells of the sea. It had […]. Gilgamesh […] walking through it. He lifted his head and gazed upon it.