The Epic of Gilgamish: A Fragment of the Gilgamish Legend in Old-Babylonian CuneiformLangdon, Stephen
General
The Epic of Gilgamish: A Fragment of the Gilgamish Legend in Old-Babylonian Cuneiform
Langdon, Stephen
Epic poetry, Assyro-Babylonian -- Translations into English
[ ] forgot where he was born.
Six days and seven nights
came forth Enkidu
and cohabited with the courtesan.
The hierodule opened her mouth
speaking unto Enkidu.
"I behold thee Enkidu; like a god thou art.
Why with the animals
wanderest thou on the plain?
Come! I will lead thee
into the midst of Erech of the wide places,
even unto the holy house, dwelling place of Anu.
Oh Enkidu, arise, I will conduct thee
unto Eanna dwelling place of Anu,
where Gilgamish [_oppresses_] the souls of men(?)
And as I ............
thou shalt ........ thyself.
Come thou, arise from the ground
unto the place yonder (?) of the shepherd."
He heard her speak and accepted her words with favor.
The advice of the woman
fell upon his heart.
She tore off one garment
and clothed him with it.
With a second garment
she clothed herself.
She clasped his hand,
guiding him like ..............
unto the mighty presence of the shepherd,
unto the place of the ... of the sheepfolds.
In ......... to shepherd
.............................
(About two lines broken away.)
COL. III
Milk of the cattle
he drank.
Food they placed before him.
He broke bread [58]
gazing and looking.
But Enkidu understood not.
Bread to eat,
beer to drink,
he had not been taught.
The hierodule opened her mouth
and said unto Enkidu:--
"Eat bread, oh Enkidu!
It is the conformity of life,
of the conditions and the fate of the land."
Enkidu ate bread,
until he was satiated.
Beer he drank
seven _times_(?).
His thoughts became unbounded and he shouted loudly.
His heart became joyful,
and his face glowed.
He stroked.................
_the hair of the head_. [59] His body
with oil he anointed.
He became like a man.
He attired himself with clothes
even as does a husband.
He seized his weapon,
which the panther and lion
fells in the night time cruelly.
He captured the wild mountain goats.
The panther he conquered.
Among the great _sheep for sacrifice_
Enkidu was their guard.
A man, a leader,
A hero.
Unto .......... he elevated
...........................
(About five lines broken away.)
REVERSE I
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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