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Tablet VII
Translated from The Sin-LeqI-Unninni Version
John Gardner & John Maier 1982
Presented by
Alexander Heidel:
The following
fragment contains a speech by Gilgamesh, presumably addressed to his mother:
Column iv:
“[My] friend saw a
dream with ominous [ meaning….].
The day on which he
saw the dream was ended [….].
Enkidu lay stricken,
one day [….],
Which Enkidu on his
couch [….].
A third day and a
fourth day [….];
A fifth day, a sixth,
a seventh, an eighth, a ninth, [and a tenth day].
Enkidu’s illness
[grew worse and worse].
An eleventh and a
twelfth day [….].
Enkidu [ lay ] upon
[his [ couch [….].
He called Gilgamesh [
…. ]:
‘[My] friend, [ …. ]
has cursed me.
[I shall not die ]
like one who [ falls] in [ battle ].
I was afraid of the
battle and [ ….].
My friend, he who [
falls ] in bat [tle] is blessed( ?) ],
(But) I [ I shall
die in disgrace ( ? ) ].’”
Tablet VIII
Column ii
[As soon as ] the
first shimmer of [morning beamed forth],
Gilga [mesh opened
his mouth and said to ] his [ friend ]:
“ O En [kidu, …. like
(? ) a gazelle;
And it was thou [
whom ….] ;
It was thou whom the
[ …. ] reared.
And [ …. ] the
pasture.
Moun [tains we
ascended (?) and went down (/) to ] the cedar forest.”
In the next
fourteen lines, too fragmentary for translation, Gilgamesh apparently continues
the recital of the valiant deeds which the two heroes performed together. After
that the text breaks off. Gilgamesh is steeped in sorrow at the death of his
friend and turns to the elders of the city with these plaintive words:
 Column ii
From the new
English Translation Stephen Mitchell 2004
“Listen to me,
Elders. Hear me out, me
I [have been] to [you], Enkidu, you mother,
your father; I
will weep for you in the wilderness.
For Enkidu, for my
friend, I weep like a wailing woman,
howling bitterly.
[He was] the axe at
my side, the bow at my arm,
the dagger in my
belt, the shield in front of me,
my festive garment,
my splendid attire . . .
An evil has risen up
and robbed me.
Friend, you chased
the driving mule, the wild ass of the
mountain, panther of the steppe.
Enkidu, you chased
the driving mule, the wild ass of the mountain, panther of the steppe.
Then we came
together, we went up into the mountains; we caught the Bull of Heaven, we killed
it;
We brought down
Humbaba who lived in the cedar forest.
Now what is this
sleep that has taken hold of you?
You’ve become dark.
You can’t hear me.”
And he — he does not
lift his head.
“I touched his
heart, it does not beat.”
He covered the
friend’s face like a bride’s.
“Like and eagle I
circled over him.”
Like a lioness whose
whelps are lost he paces back and forth.
He tears and messes
his rolls of hair. He tears off and throws down his fine clothes like
things unclean.
As soon as the first
shimmer of morning beamed forth Gilgamesh ….
Column iii
“On a couch of honor
I let thee recline I let thee sit on a seat of ease the seat at my left,
So that the princes
of the earth kissed thy feet.
“Over thee I will
cause the people of Uruk to weep
Then Gilgamesh issued
a call through the land: “Artisan!
Metalworker,
goldsmith, engraver! Make for my friend . . .”
Then he fashioned an
image of his friend’s own Stature.
“[Enkidu], of lapis
lazuli is your chest, of gold your body.”
When something of
light had dawned, Gilgamesh . . .
Tablet X
Column iv
“My friend whom I
love dearly underwent with me all hardships.
Enkidu whom I love
dearly underwent with me all hardships.
The fate of mankind
overtook him. Six days and seven nights I wept over him until a worm fell
out of his nose.
Then I was afraid.
In fear of death I roam the wilderness. The case of my friend lies heavy in me.
On a remote path I
roam the wilderness. The case of my friend Enkidu lies heavy in me. On a long
journey I
wander the steppe. How can I keep still? How can I be silent?
The friend I loved has turned to clay. Enkidu,
the friend I love,
Has turned to clay.
Me, shall I not lie
down like him,
Never again to move?” |