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June 29, 2008

The Letter of Gilgamesh: A Translation

While I work my way through a bunch of other texts, I thought I'd post my working translation of the whole Letter of Gilgamesh. It's what started me down a seemly endless path. I've posted on this text a few times before. I offer the translation without any philological notes. I may post them in a PDF file later. But I want to reserve the right to change my mind without needing to focus on the details of the reasons for what I post here. There are places where the text becomes almost incomprehensible. Sometimes this is caused by the lacunose nature of the three tablets from which Gurney reconstructed it and sometimes this is caused by the difficulty of an otherwise sound text. Take my question marks seriously and insert a few more more of your own. I've indicated the line number of every fifth line by putting that number in parentheses.

To Ti[ . . . .. . . . . .]?u king of Ashramnumma(?), speak: thus (says) G[ilgamesh kin]g of Ur, son (citizen) of Kullab, creation of Anu, Enlil and Ea, favorite of Shamash, beloved of Marduk, who, as (with) a cord, rules all the lands from the base of heaven (the horizon) to the top of heaven (the zenith), (5) and the kings occupying daises kiss his feet, the king who has, as (with) a cord, gathered from all the countries from [the rising of the sun (Shamash ) to the set]ting of the sun (Shamash). Ac[cording to the comman]d (??) of Enlil, (lord of) destruction.

[ . . . . . . . . .] I wrote you, "Let 600 good(?) men bring me [ . . thousand] large [. . .]s of red ochre (and) lapis lazuli inlayed with solid gold." (10) I wrote to you (concerning) the binding [for the brea]st of Enkidu, my friend, but you said, "There is none."

[So now,] I have written to you (again): On the day when you receive this letter, [. . . . . . .] and go to the high mountain (?) and take with you horses to the country [ ? thousand] (some kind of) dogs, whose attack is as fierce as lions', [ ? thousan]d white horses with black blazes, (15) 70 thousand black horses with white blazes, 100 thousand mares whose bodies are marked with the face of the mountain kanaktu (some kind of a plant), 40 thousand young calves which never stop frolicking, 50 thousand teams of piebald mules, 50 thousands [???] calves with sound hooves and intact horns, (20) 20 thousand jars of cream(?), 30 thousand jars of butter/ghee, 80 thousand kuttu-jars of wine, 80 thousand bundles of (some particular) onion like (plant), 90 thousand large table tops from the dark (part) of an oak (?) tree, 100 thousand full donkey (loads) of leeks(?) (and) juniper. Send (them) a head of you, and come (yourself).

I will bind one lump of ruddy(?) gold, let it be 30 minas in weight, on the breast of Enkidu, my friend, [ . . from ] a thousand Gaz-stones, jasper, lapis lazuli; from every kind of stone of the country (genuine stone?), I will also prepare beautiful charms.

40 thousand ???? of white tin for the lamb of the great lord Marduk; (25) 90 thousand talents of pure iron of high quality, choice, tempered, proven, precious, [ . . . .] beaten, without flaw(?), the smith will make(?) a stag of it. 120 thousand talents of good [????], the smith will build the construction(??, a part of?) of the temple with it.

Fresh ????, out of season, [anything r]are (or) exotic, which my eyes have never seen; look for [palac]e(??) personnel, working or unemployed(?), and gather them together. (30) Fill [a boat? with?] that (stuff) (and) with silver and gold. With silver and gold let them float down the river Euphrates. [To the po]rt of Babylon send (them) and my gods(?) (eyes?) shall see it and my heart shall be confident.

I[f ]on the fiftieth day of Teshrit, I do not meet you in the gate of my city Ur, (then) I swear by the great gods, whose oath can not to be revoked, (and) I swear by my gods, Lugalbanda, Sin, Shamash, Palil, Lugalgirra and Meslamtaea, (that) I will send (35) to you Zamana, and the divine lord of my person ('head,' my personal god?), the aggressor(?), whose name you honor. He will pulverize your cities. Your [palac]es he will pillage (and) your orchards he will [plunder(?)].

I will place a fence(?) at the opening of your canals. I will enter the ????s your fortress. Who speaks of its [????] I, Gilgamesh, will dwell (in its) midst (heart) therein. Let no one claim that I am evil.

[ . . . . . . . . ] your children, your possessions and your offspring, (40) [ . . . . . . . . ] at the gate of Ur, I will [ . . . . ] and you I will introduce into the house of the ha[ted] place(???). [ . . . . . . . tal]ents of copper [ . ] and [ . ] 12 [. . ] I will s[end you] and [ . . . . . .] I will write.

[. . . . . the people(?)] of Ur, with a protective spirit ??????. I will make you stand, [and the people] of Ur will be vie with one another(?) during your reign.

Quickly send [ a reply? ] and come. Then you will not receive(?) (anything from?) me.

(45) Message of G[ilgamesh], the mighty king, who has no rival.

I've not included either of the two surviving colophons which launched me on the journey in the first place.

If you read the translation carefully and even more if you work your way through the Akkadian text, you will find a raft of (should I say "100 thousand"?) abnormally interesting issues. There are rather direct parallels with several other Akkadian texts scattered around. There are possible allusions to even more. And there are possible allusions to it. There are themes one can see in the Hebrew Bible here and there. Great stuff!

Reference:

Posted by Duane Smith at June 29, 2008 6:26 PM | Read more on Akkadian |

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Posted by: Carl Feagans at June 29, 2008 7:34 PM

Posted by: Duane at June 29, 2008 7:58 PM

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