The Epic of Gilgameš, Standard Version, Tablet XI, lines 8-44, read by Victor Hurowitz
Translation after A. R. George, The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic (Oxford, 2003), with minor modifications. Transcription based on George's transliteration.
| Original Transcript | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 8 ūta-napišti ana šâšumma izakkara ana gilgameš | 8 Ūta-napišti spoke to him, to Gilgamesh: |
| 9 lupteka gilgameš amāt niṣirti 10 u pirišti ša ilī kâša luqbika |
9 I will disclose to you, Gilgamesh, a secret matter, 10 and I will tell you a mystery of the gods. |
| 11 šurippak ālu ša tīdûšu atta 12 ā[lu ša ina kišā]d puratti šaknu 13 [āl]u šū labirma ilū qerbuššu 14 [an]a šakān abūbi ubla libbašunu ilī rabûti |
11 The city of Shuruppak — a city you yourself know, 12 the [city that] is situated on the [banks] of the Euphrates — 13 that city was old and the gods were inside it, 14 (when) the great gods decided to cause the Deluge. |
| 15 [it]mama abūšunu anum 16 mālikšunu qurādu enlil 17 [g]uzallâšunu ninurta 18 gugallâšunu ennugi |
15 Their father Anu took the oath, 16 (as did) their counsellor, the hero Enlil, 17 their chamberlain, Ninurta, 18 their inspector of waterways, Ennugi |
| 19 niššiku ea ittišunu tamima 20 amāssunu ušannâ ana kikkišu |
19 Prince Ea was likewise under oath with them, 20 (but) repeated their words to a reed fence: |
| 21 kikkiš kikkiš igār igār 22 kikkišu šimema igāru hissas 23 šuruppakû mār ubara-tutu 24 uqur bīta bini eleppa |
21 "Reed fence, reed fence! Brick wall, brick wall! 22 Listen, O reed fence! Pay heed, O brick wall! 23 O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubara-tutu, 24 demolish the house, build a boat! |
| 25 muššir mešrâmma še'i napšāti 26 [m]akkūru zērma napišti bulliṭ 27 šūlima zēr napšāti kalāma ana libbi eleppi |
25 Abandon riches and seek survival! 26 Spurn property and save life! 27 Put on board the boat the seed of all living creatures! |
| 28 eleppu ša tabannûši atta 29 lū mindudā minâtuša 30 [l]ū mithur rupussa u mūrakša 31 [k]īma apsî šâši ṣullilši |
28 "The boat that you are going to build, 29 her dimensions should all be matching: 30 her breadth and length shoudl be the same, 31 cover her with a roof, like the Apsû". |
| 32 [a]nāku īdema azakkara ana ea bēliya 33 [amg]ur bēlī ša taqbâ atta kī'am 34 [at]ta'id anāku eppuš 35 [kīm]i lūpul āla ummānu u šībūtu |
32 I understood and spoke to Ea my master: 33 "I hereby concur, my lord, with what you told me thus. 34 [I] have paid attention; I shall do it. 35 (But) how should I answer the city, the crowd and elders? |
| 36 ea pâšu īpušma iqabbi 37 izakkara ana ardišu yâtu |
36 Ea opened his mouth to speak, 37 saying to me, his servant: |
| 38 u atta kī'am taqabbâššunūti 39 [mi]ndema yâši enlil izērannima 40 [u]l uššab ina āli[ku]numa 41 [ina] qaqqar enlil ul ašakkan[a šēp]īyama 42 [urr]adma ana apsî itti ea [b]ēliya ašbāku |
38 "Then also you will say to them as follows: 39 'For sure the god Enlil has conceived a hatred of me! 40 I cannot dwell in your city! 41 I cannot tread on Enlil's ground! 42 [I shall] go down to the Apsû, to live with Ea, my master; |
| 43 [ana k]âšunu ušazna[n]akkunūši nuhšamma 44 [hiṣib] iṣṣūrāti puzur nūnimma |
43 "On you he will rain down plenty! 44 [An abundance] of birds, a riddle of fishes! |