Yale University Press
Chapter Title: Who saw the deep
Book Title: Gilgamesh
Book Subtitle: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic
Book Author(s): SOPHUS HELLE
Published by: Yale University Press. (2021)
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1z9n19k.4
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Gilgamesh
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g i l ga mes h
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ta b le t i
Who saw the deep
There was a man
who saw the deep, the bedrock of the land, 1
who knew the ways and learned all things:
Gilgamesh saw the deep, the bedrock of the land,
he knew the ways and learned all things.
He sought out rulers everywhere 5
and came to grasp all wisdom in the world.
He discovered a secret, revealed a hidden matter,
and brought home a story from before the Flood.
He came back from far roads, exhausted but at peace,
as he set down all his trials on a slab of stone. 10
He built the wall around Uruk the Sheepfold
and around that holy treasury, the Temple of Heaven.
See that wall—white as wool!
Behold the bulwark that cannot be rivaled.
Step across the ancient threshold and up 15
to the Temple of Heaven, home of Ishtar,
that no king will ever outdo.
Climb the wall of Uruk, walk its length.
Survey the foundation, study the brickwork.
There—is it not made of oven-baked bricks? 20
Did the Seven Sages not lay its cornerstone?
—3—
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gilgamesh
Look: Two thousand acres for the city,
two thousand acres for the orchards,
two thousand acres for the pits of clay,
and one thousand acres for the temple of Ishtar.
Seven thousand acres is the size of Uruk.
Now look for the cedarwood box,
undo its locks of bronze, 25
open the door to its secrets,
take up the tablet of lapis lazuli and read aloud:
read of all that Gilgamesh went through,
read of all his suffering.
He surpassed all kings, that splendid man of muscle,
heroic son of Uruk, the goring aurochs.1 30
When he marched at the front, he was the leader of his army,
when he marched at the back, the trust of his troops.
A mighty riverbank, the shield of his soldiers,
and a furious flood that crushes walls of stone.
The calf of Lugalbanda, superb in strength, 35
nursed by Ninsun, the holy aurochs!
Gilgamesh the great, magnificent and terrible!
He cut passes through the mountains,
he dug wells in the hillsides,
he traveled toward sunrise, crossing sea after sea, 40
he searched in all directions for life without end,
he reached, through his toils, the faraway Uta-napishti,
he rebuilt the temples that the Flood had destroyed
and established the right rituals for vast humankind.
Who can compete with him in kingship 45
and claim, like Gilgamesh, “I am the king”?
From the day that Gilgamesh was born and named,
—4—
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tablet i. who saw the deep
he was two-thirds god and only one-third human.
The mother goddess Belet-ili designed his body,
the wise god Ea brought his figure to perfection 50
so that he brimmed with strength and shining beauty.
He was a giant in height, eighteen feet tall,
and his chest was six feet broad. 55
His feet were five feet long, and twice that his leg,
and the length of his stride was the same.
His beard, too, was five feet long. 58
UGARITIC VERSION
His locks curled thick like ears of corn, Ug1 31
his teeth glistened like the rising sun,
his hair glowed dark like lapis lazuli. 33
STANDARD BABYLONIAN VERSION
He grew up to be superb in charm, 61
as stunning as any mortal can be.
But he was stomping through Uruk the Sheepfold
with head held high, overbearing like an aurochs.
He was unmatched when the weapons were unsheathed, 65
and the swing of his bat kept his team on their toes.2
He darkened the youth of Uruk with despair,
Gilgamesh let no son go home to his father.
Day and night, he stormed around in fury,
King Gilgamesh, leader of the many. 70
This is how he tended to the Sheepfold of Uruk!
Gilgamesh let no daughter go home to her mother.
Month after month, the women prayed to their goddesses,
again and again, they gave voice to their sorrows:
that powerful, splendid, clever king! 75
—5—
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gilgamesh
Gilgamesh let no bride go home to her groom.
The warriors’ daughters and the young men’s wives:
the goddesses listened to their sorrows.
The gods of heaven, lords of words,
said to Anu, the god of the skies: 80
“Why did you unleash this savage aurochs in Uruk?
“He is unmatched when the weapons are unsheathed,
and the swing of his bat keeps his team on their toes.
He has darkened the youth of Uruk with despair,
Gilgamesh lets no son go home to his father. 85
“Day and night, he storms around in fury,
this is how he tends to the Sheepfold of Uruk!
King Gilgamesh, leader of the many,
meant to be their shepherd and protector.
“This powerful, splendid, clever king! 90
Gilgamesh lets no bride go home to her groom.”
The warriors’ daughters and the young men’s wives:
Anu listened to their sorrows.
They summoned the mighty Aruru:
“You, Aruru, created this man, 95
now create his counterpart!
Let him be a match for the storm of his heart,
let them rival each other and leave Uruk at peace.”
When Aruru heard this,
Anu’s idea found form in her heart. 100
Aruru washed her hands,
she took a lump of clay and threw it down into the wild.
—6—
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tablet i. who saw the deep
In the wild she created the hero Enkidu,
a son of silence, woven for war.
All his body was covered with fur, 105
his hair was as long as a woman’s,
and his locks curled thick like ears of corn.
He knew no people and no country.
Naked like an animal,
with the gazelles he grazed on grass, 110
with the herd he rushed to drink,
with the beasts he quenched his thirst.
One day by the waterhole,
he locked eyes with a hunter, a woodsman.
One day, and a second, and a third, 115
Enkidu and the hunter locked eyes by the waterhole.
The hunter looked at him and froze with fear,
then he headed home with his catch.
The hunter was troubled, speechless, and still,
his heart was heavy, and his face full of gloom.
There was sorrow in his mind, 120
and he looked like one who had traveled far.
The hunter worked his words, saying to his father:
“Father, there was a man by the waterhole,
a man all muscle, the mightiest in the land,
as mighty as a meteorite fallen from the sky.3 125
“I see him roaming through the mountains,
always grazing with the herd,
always standing by the waterhole.
I am afraid to go near him!
—7—
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gilgamesh
“Each pit I dig he fills, 130
each trap I set he breaks.
He helps his herd escape my grasp,
he will not let me do the work of the wild.”
His father worked his words, saying to the hunter:
“My son, · · to Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. 135
· · before him,
for he is mighty as a meteorite fallen from the sky.
“Take the road and head toward Uruk,
· · a man’s muscles.
Go, my son, and bring back a priestess of Ishtar, 140
· · as strength.
“When the herd comes to the waterhole,
make her strip and show her charms.
He will see her and run to her,
then he will abandon the herd of his youth.” 145
The hunter listened to the advice of his father,
and went to · ·
He took the road and headed toward Uruk.
He said to King Gilgamesh:
“There is a man by the waterhole, 150
a man all muscle, the mightiest in the land,
as mighty as a meteorite fallen from the sky.
“I see him roaming through the mountains,
always grazing with the herd,
always rushing to the waterhole. 155
I am afraid to go near him!
“Each pit I dig he fills,
each trap I set he breaks.
—8—
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tablet i. who saw the deep
He helps his herd escape my grasp,
he will not let me do the work of the wild.” 160
Gilgamesh said to him, to the hunter:
“Go, my hunter, and bring with you Shamhat, a priestess of Ishtar.
When the herd comes to the waterhole,
make her strip and show her charms.
He will see her and run to her, 165
then he will abandon the herd of his youth.”
The hunter went and brought with him Shamhat, a priestess of Ishtar.
They took the road and set out on the journey;
after three days they reached their destination.
The hunter and the priestess sat down to wait. 170
One day and a second they sat by the waterhole,
then the herd arrived at the waterhole.
The beasts came and quenched their thirst,
and so did Enkidu, child of the mountains.
With the gazelles he grazed on grass, 175
with the herd he rushed to drink,
with the beasts he quenched his thirst.
Shamhat saw him, the man of the wild,
this brute born in the wasteland’s womb.
“There he is, Shamhat! Bare your breasts 180
and spread your legs, work your charm!
Be brave and smell his scent,
he will see you and run to you,
throw off your clothes and bring him down.
“Show this wild man what women can do, 185
and his lust will wrap him around your body.
Then he will abandon the herd of his youth.”
—9—
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gilgamesh
Shamhat untied her skirt,
spread her legs and worked her charm.
She was brave and smelled his scent, 190
threw off her clothes and brought him down.
She showed the wild man what women can do
and his lust wrapped him around her body.
For six days and seven nights Enkidu was aroused
and made love to Shamhat.
When he had had his fill of her delights, 195
he turned back to the herd.
But the gazelles saw him and ran,
the herd of the wild fled from him.
Enkidu had sullied his spotless body.
The herd was running, his knees were stuck; 200
Enkidu was weakened and could not keep up,
but now he could reason and think.
He came back to sit at the priestess’s feet,
he looked at the priestess’s face
and heard what she had to say. 205
The priestess said to him, to Enkidu:
“You are beautiful, Enkidu! You look like a god.
Why do you roam the wild with the beasts?
“Come, I will take you to Uruk the Sheepfold,
to the holy temple where Anu and Ishtar live 210
and where Gilgamesh is superb in strength,
overbearing like an aurochs among the young men.”
The words she spoke agreed with him;
his wise heart told him to find a friend.
Enkidu said to her, to the priestess: 215
— 10 —
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tablet i. who saw the deep
“Come, Shamhat, take me with you,
to the holy sacred temple where Anu and Ishtar live
and where Gilgamesh is superb in strength,
overbearing like an aurochs among the young men.
“I will be the one to challenge him, subdue him by force, 220
I will stand in Uruk and cry out: ‘I am the greatest!’
· · I will change · · the fight
Those born in the wild are mighty, full of muscle.”
“No · · let him see your face,
I know · · that exist. 225
“Come, Enkidu, to Uruk the Sheepfold,
where the men are dazzlingly dressed,
where every day is a party,
where the drums thunder on
and the priestesses are ravishing, 230
their faces full of charm and hearts full of joy,
so that even old men are lured into the night.
“Enkidu, you know nothing of life!
Let me show you Gilgamesh, this man about town.
Look at him, see that face: 235
the dignity he has, the beauty of youth!
“His whole body is full of charm,
his strength is greater than yours.
He never sleeps, day or night—
oh Enkidu, forget your wicked plan! 240
“Gilgamesh is the darling of the Sun God,
and Anu, Enlil, and Ea have made him wise.
Long before you came down from the mountains,
Gilgamesh was dreaming of you.
— 11 —
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gilgamesh
“One day, Gilgamesh got up to interpret his dream 245
and said to his mother:
“‘Mother, in my dream tonight
the stars of the skies blazed up
and one of them fell to the ground like a meteorite.
I tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy,
I tried to push it over, but it would not budge. 250
“‘All of Uruk was there.
The whole country flocked to it,
they thronged around in crowds.
The young men rushed
to kiss its feet, like a baby’s. 255
“‘I wrapped my arms around it
and loved it like a wife,
then I picked it up and set it at your feet.
And you declared it my equal!’
“Gilgamesh’s mother was clever and wise,
she knew everything. She spoke to her son.
The goddess Ninsun, the aurochs, was clever and wise, 260
she knew everything. She spoke to Gilgamesh:
“‘The stars of the skies blazed up
and one of them fell to the ground like a meteorite.
You tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy,
you tried to push it over, but it would not budge.
“‘You picked it up and set it at my feet, 265
and I declared it your equal.
You wrapped your arms around it
and loved it like a wife.
“‘A strong ally is coming, a friend in times of need,
a man all muscle, the mightiest in the land,
— 12 —
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tablet i. who saw the deep
as mighty as a meteorite fallen from the sky. 270
“‘You will wrap your arms around him
and love him like a wife,
and mighty as he is, he will save your life.’
“He had another dream. He got up
and went to his mother, the goddess.
Gilgamesh said to her, to his mother: 275
“‘Mother, I’ve had another dream!
In the streets of Uruk the Marketplace
there was an ax, and people gathered round.
“‘All of Uruk was there.
The whole country flocked to it, 280
they thronged around in crowds,
and the young men rushed to it.
“‘I picked it up and set it at your feet,
I wrapped my arms around it
and loved it like a wife.
And you declared it my equal!’ 285
“Gilgamesh’s mother was clever and wise,
she knew everything. She spoke to her son.
The goddess Ninsun, the aurochs, was clever and wise,
she knew everything. She spoke to Gilgamesh:
“‘My son, the ax you saw is a man.
You will wrap your arms around him
and love him like a wife,
and I will declare him your equal. 290
“‘A strong ally is coming, a friend in times of need,
a man all muscle, the mightiest in the land,
as mighty as a meteorite fallen from the sky.’
— 13 —
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gilgamesh
“Gilgamesh said to her, to his mother:
“‘Oh mother, let it be so! By the will of Enlil! 295
I will have a friend and adviser,
a friend and adviser all mine.’
“That is what he saw in his dreams.”
When Shamhat had told Enkidu about Gilgamesh’s dreams,
the two of them began to make love again. 300
— 14 —
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