Epic of Gilgamesh:Tablet I
He who has seen everything, I will make known (?) to the
lands.
I will teach (?) about him who experienced all
things,
... alike,
Anu granted him the totality of knowledge of
all.
He saw the Secret, discovered the Hidden,
he brought
information of (the time) before the Flood.
He went on a distant
journey, pushing himself to exhaustion,
but then was brought to
peace.
He carved on a stone stela all of his toils,
and built the
wall of Uruk-Haven,
the wall of the sacred Eanna Temple, the holy
sanctuary.
Look at its wall which gleams like
copper(?),
inspect its inner wall, the likes of which no one can
equal!
Take hold of the threshold stone--it dates from ancient
times!
Go close to the Eanna Temple, the residence of Ishtar,
such
as no later king or man ever equaled!
Go up on the wall of Uruk and
walk around,
examine its foundation, inspect its brickwork
thoroughly.
Is not (even the core of) the brick structure made of
kiln-fired brick,
and did not the Seven Sages themselves lay out its
plans?
One league city, one league palm gardens, one league lowlands,
the open area(?) of the Ishtar Temple,
three leagues and the open
area(?) of Uruk it (the wall) encloses.
Find the copper tablet
box,
open the ... of its lock of bronze,
undo the fastening of its
secret opening.
Take and read out from the lapis lazuli tablet
how
Gilgamesh went through every hardship.
Supreme over other kings, lordly in appearance,
he is the hero, born
of Uruk, the goring wild bull.
He walks out in front, the
leader,
and walks at the rear, trusted by his companions.
Mighty
net, protector of his people,
raging flood-wave who destroys even walls
of stone!
Offspring of Lugalbanda, Gilgamesh is strong to
perfection,
son of the august cow, Rimat-Ninsun;... Gilgamesh is
awesome to perfection.
It was he who opened the mountain passes,
who dug wells on the flank of the mountain.
It was he who crossed
the ocean, the vast seas, to the rising sun,
who explored the world
regions, seeking life.
It was he who reached by his own sheer strength
Utanapishtim, the Faraway,
who restored the sanctuaries (or: cities)
that the Flood had destroyed!
... for teeming mankind.
Who can
compare with him in kingliness?
Who can say like Gilgamesh: "I am
King!"?
Whose name, from the day of his birth, was called "Gilgamesh"?
Two-thirds of him is god, one-third of him is human.
The Great
Goddess [Aruru] designed(?) the model for his body,
she prepared his
form ...
... beautiful, handsomest of men,
... perfect
...
He walks around in the enclosure of Uruk,
Like a wild bull he makes
himself mighty, head raised (over others).
There is no rival who can
raise his weapon against him.
His fellows stand (at the alert),
attentive to his (orders ?),
and the men of Uruk become anxious in
...
Gilgamesh does not leave a son to his father,
day and night he
arrogant[y(?) ...
[The following lines are interpreted as rhetorical, perhaps spoken by the oppressed citizens of Uruk.]
Is Gilgamesh the shepherd of Uruk-Haven,
is he the shepherd.
...
bold, eminent, knowing, and wise!
Gilgamesh does not leave a
girl to her mother(?)
The daughter of the warrior, the bride of the
young man,
the gods kept hearing their complaints, so
the gods of
the heavens implored the Lord of Uruk
[Anu]
"There is no rival who can raise a weapon against him.
"His fellows stand (at the alert), attentive to his (orders !),
"Gilgamesh does not leave a son to his father,
"day and night he arrogantly ...
"Is he the shepherd of Uruk-Haven,
"is he their shepherd...
"bold, eminent, knowing, and wise,
"Gilgamesh does not leave a girl to her mother(?)!" The daughter of the warrior, the bride of the young man,
Anu listened to their complaints,
and (the gods) called out to Aruru:
"it was you, Aruru, who created mankind(?),
now create a zikru to it/him.
Let him be equal to his (Gilgamesh's) stormy heart,
let them be a match for each other so that Uruk may find peace!"
When Aruru heard this she created within herself the zikrtt of Anu.
Aruru washed her hands, she pinched off some clay, and threw it into the wilderness.
In the wildness(?) she created valiant Enkidu,
born of Silence, endowed with strength by Ninurta.
His whole body was shaggy with hair,
he had a full head of hair like a woman,
his locks billowed in profusion like Ashnan.
He knew neither people nor settled living,
but wore a garment like Sumukan."
He ate grasses with the gazelles,
and jostled at the watering hole with the animals;
as with animals, his thirst was slaked with (mere) water.
A notorious trapper came face-to-face with him opposite the watering
hole.
A first, a second, and a third day
he came face-to-face with
him opposite the watering hole.
On seeing him the trapper's face went
stark with fear,
and he (Enkidu?) and his animals drew back home.
He
was rigid with fear; though stock-still
his heart pounded and his face
drained of color.
He was miserable to the core,
and his face looked
like one who had made a long journey.
The trapper addressed his father
saying:"
He is the mightiest in the land,
his strength is as mighty as the meteorite(?) of Anu!
He continually goes over the mountains,
he continually jostles at the watering place with the animals,
he continually plants his feet opposite the watering place.
I was afraid, so I did not go up to him.
He filled in the pits that I had dug,
wrenched out my traps that I had spread,
released from my grasp the wild animals.
He does not let me make my rounds in the wilderness!"
The trapper's father spoke to him
saying:
"My son, there lives in
Uruk a certain Gilgamesh.
There is
no one stronger than he,
he is as
strong as the meteorite(?) of
Anu.
Go, set off to
Uruk,
tell Gilgamesh of this Man of
Might.
He will give you the harlot
Shamhat, take her with you.
The
woman will overcome the fellow (?) as if she were
strong.
When the animals are
drinking at the watering place
have
her take off her robe and expose her
sex.
When he sees her he will draw
near to her,
and his animals, who
grew up in his wilderness, will be alien to him."
He heeded his father's advice.
The trapper went off to Uruk,
he
made the journey, stood inside of Uruk,
and declared to ...
Gilgamesh:
"There is a certain
fellow who has come from the
mountains--
he is the mightiest in
the land,
his strength is as mighty
as the meteorite(?) of Anu!
He
continually goes over the
mountains,
he continually jostles
at the watering place with the
animals,
he continually plants his
feet opposite the watering place.
I
was afraid, so I did not go up to
him.
He filled in the pits that I
had dug,
wrenched out my traps that
I had spread,
released from my
grasp the wild animals.
He does not
let me make my rounds in the wilderness!"
Gilgamesh said to the
trapper:
"Go, trapper, bring the
harlot, Shamhat, with you.
When the
animals are drinking at the watering
place
have her take off her robe
and expose her sex.
When he sees
her he will draw near to her,
and
his animals, who grew up in his wilderness, will be alien to him."
The trapper went, bringing the harlot, Shamhat, with him.
They set
off on the journey, making direct way.
On the third day they arrived at
the appointed place,
and the trapper and the harlot sat down at their
posts(?).
A first day and a second they sat opposite the watering
hole.
The animals arrived and drank at the watering hole,
the wild
beasts arrived and slaked their thirst with water.
Then he, Enkidu,
offspring of the mountains,
who eats grasses with the gazelles,
came
to drink at the watering hole with the animals,
with the wild beasts he
slaked his thirst with water.
Then Shamhat saw him--a primitive,
a
savage fellow from the depths of the
wilderness!
"That is he, Shamhat!
Release your clenched arms,
expose
your sex so he can take in your
voluptuousness.
Do not be
restrained--take his energy!
When
he sees you he will draw near to
you.
Spread out your robe so he can
lie upon you,
and perform for this
primitive the task of
womankind!
His animals, who grew up
in his wilderness, will become alien to
him,
and his lust will groan over
you."
Shamhat unclutched her bosom, exposed her sex, and he took in her
voluptuousness.
She was not restrained, but took his energy.
She
spread out her robe and he lay upon her,
she performed for the
primitive the task of womankind.
His lust groaned over her;
for six
days and seven nights Enkidu stayed aroused,
and had intercourse with
the harlot
until he was sated with her charms.
But when he turned
his attention to his animals,
the gazelles saw Enkidu and darted
off,
the wild animals distanced themselves from his body.
Enkidu ...
his utterly depleted(?) body,
his knees that wanted to go off with his
animals went rigid;
Enkidu was diminished, his running was not as
before.
But then he drew himself up, for his understanding had
broadened.
Turning around, he sat down at the harlot's feet,
gazing
into her face, his ears attentive as the harlot spoke.
The harlot said
to Enkidu:
"You are beautiful,"
Enkidu, you are become like a
god.
Why do you gallop around the
wilderness with the wild
beasts?
Come, let me bring you into
Uruk-Haven,
to the Holy Temple, the
residence of Anu and Ishtar,
the
place of Gilgamesh, who is wise to
perfection,
but who struts his
power over the people like a wild bull."
What she kept saying found
favor with him.
Becoming aware of himself, he sought a
friend.
Enkidu spoke to the
harlot:
"Come, Shamhat, take me
away with you
to the sacred Holy
Temple, the residence of Anu and
Ishtar,
the place of Gilgamesh, who
is wise to perfection,
but who
struts his power over the people like a wild
bull.
I will challenge him
...
Let me shout out in Uruk: I am
the mighty one!'
Lead me in and I
will change the order of things;
he
whose strength is mightiest is the one born in the
wilderness!"
[Shamhat to
Enkidu:]
"Come, let us go, so he
may see your face.
I will lead you
to Gilgamesh--I know where he will
be.
Look about, Enkidu, inside
Uruk-Haven,
where the people show
off in skirted finery,
where every
day is a day for some
festival,
where the lyre(?) and
drum play continually,
where
harlots stand about
prettily,
exuding voluptuousness,
full of laughter
and on the couch
of night the sheets are spread
(!)."
Enkidu, you who do not know,
how to live,
I will show you
Gilgamesh, a man of extreme feelings
(!).
Look at him, gaze at his
face--
he is a handsome youth, with
freshness(!),
his entire body
exudes voluptuousness
He has
mightier strength than you,
without
sleeping day or night!
Enkidu, it
is your wrong thoughts you must
change!
It is Gilgamesh whom
Shamhat loves,
and Anu, Enlil, and
La have enlarged his mind."
Even
before you came from the
mountain
Gilgamesh in Uruk had
dreams about you.""
Gilgamesh got up and revealed the dream, saying to his
mother:
"Mother, I had a dream last
night.
Stars of the sky
appeared,
and some kind of
meteorite(?) of Anu fell next to
me.
I tried to lift it but it was
too mighty for me,
I tried to turn
it over but I could not budge
it.
The Land of Uruk was standing
around it,
the whole land had
assembled about it,
the populace
was thronging around it,
the Men
clustered about it,
and kissed its
feet as if it were a little baby
(!).
I loved it and embraced it as
a wife.
I laid it down at your
feet,
and you made it compete with
me."
The mother of Gilgamesh, the wise, all-knowing, said to her
Lord;
Rimat-Ninsun, the wise, all-knowing, said to
Gilgamesh:
"As for the stars of the
sky that appeared
and the
meteorite(?) of Anu which fell next to
you,
you tried to lift but it was
too mighty for you,
you tried to
turn it over but were unable to budge
it,
you laid it down at my
feet,
and I made it compete with
you,
and you loved and embraced it
as a wife."
"There will come to you
a mighty man, a comrade who saves his
friend--
he is the mightiest in the
land, he is strongest,
his strength
is mighty as the meteorite(!) of
Anu!
You loved him and embraced him
as a wife;
and it is he who will
repeatedly save you.
Your dream is
good and propitious!"
A second time Gilgamesh said to his mother:
"Mother, I have had another
dream:
"At the gate of my marital
chamber there lay an axe,
"and
people had collected about it.
"The
Land of Uruk was standing around
it,
"the whole land had assembled
about it,
"the populace was
thronging around it.
"I laid it
down at your feet,
"I loved it and
embraced it as a wife,
"and you
made it compete with me."
The mother of Gilgamesh, the wise,
all-knowing, said to her son;
Rimat-Ninsun, the wise, all-knowing, said
to Gilgamesh:
""The axe that you
saw (is) a man.
"... (that) you
love him and embrace as a
wife,
"but (that) I have compete
with you."
"" There will come to
you a mighty man,
"" a comrade who
saves his friend--
"he is the
mightiest in the land, he is
strongest,
"he is as mighty as the
meteorite(!) of Anu!"
Gilgamesh spoke to his mother
saying:
""By the command of Enlil,
the Great Counselor, so may it to
pass!
"May I have a friend and
adviser, a friend and adviser may I
have!
"You have interpreted for me
the dreams about him!"
After the harlot recounted the dreams of
Gilgamesh to Enkidu
the two of them made love.
| Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet I | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet II | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet III |
| Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet IV | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet V | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet VI |
| Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet VII | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet VIII | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet IX |
| Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet X | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet XI | Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet XII |