Anonymous (Akkadian) · a new plain-English translation from the Akkadian
That day, would that I had left the pukku in the carpenter's house; the carpenter's wife, like the mother who bore me, would that I had left her; the carpenter's daughter, like my little sister, would that I had left her. That day the pukku fell down into the netherworld, my mikku fell down into the netherworld. Enkidu answered Gilgamesh: “My lord, why do you weep? Why is your heart [sick]? Today I myself will bring your pukku up out of the netherworld, I myself will bring your mikku up out of the netherworld.” Gilgamesh answered Enkidu: “If you go down into the netherworld, let me give you counsel, [take my instruction to heart].”
“Do not put on clean clothing, or they will single you out like a stranger. Do not anoint yourself with the good oil from the jar, or at its scent they will gather around you. Do not throw a throwing-stick into the netherworld, or those struck down by the throwing-stick will surround you. Do not carry a staff in your hand, or the spirits will tremble around you. Do not put sandals on your feet, and do not make any noise in the netherworld. Do not kiss the wife you love, and do not strike the wife you hate. Do not kiss the son you love, and do not strike the son you hate—
or the lament of the netherworld will seize you—the lament for her who lies, for her who lies, the mother of Ninazu who lies, whose holy shoulders no garment covers, whose breast is not draped like a bowl.” Enkidu went down into the netherworld, but he did not heed the counsel of Gilgamesh. He put on clean clothing, and they singled him out like a stranger. He anointed himself with the good oil from the jar, and at its scent they gathered around him.
He threw a throwing-stick into the netherworld, and the ghosts thronged about him; those struck down by the throwing-stick surrounded him. He carried a staff in his hand, and the spirits trembled around him. He put sandals on his feet, he made noise in the netherworld. He kissed the wife he loved, he struck the wife he hated; he kissed the son he loved, he struck the son he hated, and the lament of the netherworld seized him—
the lament for her who lies, for her who lies, the mother of Ninazu who lies, whose holy shoulders no garment covers, whose breast is not draped like a jug of oil. Enkidu tried to come up from the netherworld to the world above—the netherworld seized him. Namtar did not seize him, the demon Asakku did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. The pitiless watchman of Nergal did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. He had not fallen in a place where men do battle—the netherworld seized him. Then the king, the son of Ninsun, wept for his servant Enkidu; he went alone to the Ekur, the house of Enlil: “Father Enlil, my pukku fell down into the netherworld, my mikku fell down into the netherworld, and Enkidu, who went down to bring them up—the netherworld has seized him.”
“Namtar did not seize him, Asakku did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. The pitiless watchman of Nergal did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. He had not fallen in a place where men do battle—the netherworld seized him.” Father Enlil gave him no answer. He went alone to Ur, the house of Sin: “Father Sin, my pukku fell down into the netherworld, my mikku fell down into the netherworld, and Enkidu, who went down to bring them up—the netherworld has seized him. Namtar did not seize him, Asakku did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. The pitiless watchman of Nergal did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. He had not fallen in a place where men do battle—the netherworld seized him.” [Father Sin gave him no answer.]
He went alone to Eridu, the house of Ea: “Father Ea, my pukku fell down into the netherworld, my mikku fell down into the netherworld, and Enkidu, who went down to bring them up—the netherworld has seized him. Namtar did not seize him, Asakku did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. The pitiless watchman of Nergal did not seize him—the netherworld seized him. He had not fallen in a place where men do battle—the netherworld seized him.” Father Ea [...]. He said to the warrior, the young man Shamash: “O warrior, young Shamash, son of Ningal, [...] surely you can open a crack in the earth now, and bring up the spirit of Enkidu from the netherworld like a phantom of the wind.”
At his word [...]. The warrior, young Shamash, son of Ningal, [...]. He opened a crack in the earth, and brought up the spirit of Enkidu from the netherworld like a phantom of the wind. They embraced and kissed one another; they took counsel together, questioning each other. “tell me, my friend — speak, my friend—tell me the law of the netherworld that you have seen.” “I will not tell you, my friend, I will not tell you. If I tell you the law of the netherworld that I have seen—you would sit down and weep.” “Then let me sit down and weep.”
"My friend, the peg that you touched, and your heart rejoiced over it — [...] like an old beam, a worm devours it. My friend, the roof that you touched, and your heart rejoiced over it — like a crack in the ground, it is filled with dust." He cried "Woe!" and [in the dust he] crouched low; Gilgamesh cried "Woe!" and in the dust he crouched low. "The man who has one son — I saw him, I saw. A peg is driven into his wall, and bitterly over it he weeps." "The man who has two sons — I saw him, I saw. He sits upon two bricks and eats bread." "The man who has three sons — I saw him, I saw. From a waterskin of the hills he drinks water."
"The man who has four sons — I saw him, I saw. Like the owner of a yoked ass, his heart rejoices. The man who has five sons — I saw him, I saw. Like a fine scribe, his arm is quick, and he enters the palace with a steady step. The man who has six sons — I saw him, I saw. Like a farmer, his heart rejoices. The man who has seven sons — I saw him, I saw: [...] like the confidants of the gods he sits upon a throne, [and he listens...] [...] I saw one, I saw: he holds the corner of a fine standard. Like [...] [...]"
[...] [...] [...] The one whose [...] — I saw him, I saw. To[ward...] The one whose [...] — I saw him, I saw. To[ward...] [...] [...] "The one who was struck by a mooring pole — I saw him, I saw. Would that to his mother and his father, as the peg is torn out, he could still go about! The one who died the death that is his god's own — I saw him, I saw."
"He lies on the bed of the gods and drinks pure water. The one who was killed in battle — I saw him, I saw. His father and mother lift up his head, and his wife weeps over him. The one whose corpse is thrown out upon the steppe — I saw him, I saw: his spirit does not lie at rest in the earth. The one whose spirit has no one to care for it — I saw him, I saw: the scrapings of the pot, the crusts of bread thrown into the street — these he eats."