Column I

(The Argument)

He who has proven the heart of all matters, let him teach the nation;

he who possesses all knowledge, let him school all the people therein;

let him impart his wisdom, and so let them share it together.

Gilgamesh was a master of wisdom, with knowledge of all things.

He discovered the secret that was concealed,

and handed down the tradition relating to things before the Flood.

He went on a journey afar, aweary and worn with his toiling,

and graved on a tablet of stone all the travail.

Of Erech, the high-walled:

he it was who built up the ramparts, and he it was who clamped the foundation,

like unto brass, of the sacred house, the hallowed treasury;

he strengthened its base, to grant wayleave to no one.

Column II

He was a man of mighty stature, and strength was given him beyond other men.

(The Plaint of Erech against the tyrant Gilgamesh)

"Of Erech it is he who has taken the sons;

his crest towers like an aurochs.

Never has the shock of his weapons found its peer; his fellows are driven into the toils,

while cowed are the heroes of Erech.

Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father, his arrogance swelling day and night.

He is the shepherd of Erech, the high-walled;

he is our shepherd, masterful, dominant, subtle.

Gilgamesh leaves no maid to her mother, nor daughter to hero,

nor a spouse to her husband."

And to the appeal of their wailing the Merciful gave ear.

The people of the city cried out to God, the Lord of the heavens, against the tyrant,

and the angels of heaven addressed their Lord:

"It is Thou who hast created him, and he is tyrannous;

his crest towers like an aurochs.

Never has the shock of his weapons found its peer; his fellows are driven into the toils,

while cowed are the heroes of Erech.

Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father, his arrogance swelling day and night.

He is the shepherd of Erech, the high-walled; he is their shepherd, masterful, dominant, subtle.

Gilgamesh leaves no maid to her mother, nor daughter to hero,

nor a spouse to her husband."

And to the appeal of their wailing God gave ear, and He willed:

"It was I who created mankind in the beginning; now I shall create his fellow,

that he may meet Gilgamesh on the day of his pleasure,

that they may strive with each other, and Erech may have surcease."

(The Creation of Enkidu)

So God, the Creator, decreed it, and it was done.

He took clay, and in the desert He formed Enkidu, a warrior, as though born and begotten,

and put forth upon the whole of his body hair;

the hair of his head grew long like a woman's, bound in a fillet;

it sprouted luxuriant like the awns of the barley.

He knew neither people nor land; he was clad in a garb of skins.

Even with gazelles did he pasture on herbage, along with the cattle;

he drank his fill, and with the beasts his heart delighted at the water.

(The Encounter of Enkidu with the Hunter)

Then a hunter, a trapper, came face to face with him.

He came on him one day, two, three days, at the place where the beasts drank their water.

When the hunter espied him, his face was overmantled with terror;

he and his cattle went to his steading, dismayed and affrighted,

crying aloud, distressed in his heart, his face overclouded,

woe in his belly, and his face as of one who has gone a far journey.

Column III

The hunter opened his mouth and spoke, addressing his father:

"Father, there is a great fellow come forth from out of the mountains;

his strength is the greatest in the length and breadth of the country.

Like a double of the mightiest his strength is enormous.

He ranges at large over the mountains, ever with cattle

he grazes on herbage, ever he sets his foot to the water,

so that I fear to approach him. The pits which I myself hollowed

with mine own hands he has filled in again, and the traps of my setting

he has torn up, and out of my clutches he has helped escape all the cattle,

beasts of the desert; to work at my fieldcraft he will not allow me."

His father opened his mouth and spoke, addressing the hunter:

"Gilgamesh dwells in Erech, my son, whom no one has vanquished;

his strength is the greatest in the length and breadth of the country.

Like a double of the mightiest his strength is enormous.

Go, set thy face towards Erech, and when he hears of a monster,

he will say, 'Go, O hunter, and take with thee a woman,

and when he shall gather the cattle again to the place of their drinking,

she shall put off her mantle, and he shall see her beauty,

and he will take her to himself, and thenceforth his cattle,

which in his own deserts were reared, will deny him.'"

(How Gilgamesh first heard of Enkidu)

Unto the counsel of his father the hunter hearkened, and straightway

he took the road towards Erech, and to Gilgamesh he came, his speech thus addressing:

"There is a great fellow come forth from out of the mountains;

his strength is the greatest in the length and breadth of the country.

Like a double of the mightiest his strength is enormous.

Ever he ranges at large over the mountains, ever with cattle

he grazes on herbage, ever he sets his foot to the water,

so that I fear to approach him. The pits which I myself hollowed

with mine own hands he has filled in again, and the traps of my setting

he has torn up, and out of my clutches he has helped escape all the cattle,

beasts of the desert; to work at my fieldcraft he will not allow me."

Gilgamesh made answer to the hunter in this wise:

"Go, good hunter, take with thee a woman;

when he shall gather the cattle again to the place of their drinking,

let her put off her mantle, and he shall see her beauty,

and he will take her to himself, and thenceforth his cattle,

which in his own deserts were reared, will deny him."

(The Meeting of Enkidu with the Woman)

Forth went the hunter, and took with him a woman.

So they started on their travels, and went forth on their journey together,

and at the term of three days arrived at the place appointed.

They sat down in their ambush, the hunter and the woman;

one day, two days they sat by the place where the beasts drank their water.

Then at last came the cattle to take their fill in their drinking.

Column IV

Thither the animals came that their hearts might delight in the water;

and there was Enkidu also, he whom the mountains had engendered.

Even with gazelles did he pasture on herbage, along with the cattle;

he drank his fill, with the beasts his heart delighted at the water.

So the woman beheld him, the lusty great fellow,

a savage from out of the depths of the desert.

"It is he, O woman! Unveil thyself, show him thy comeliness,

that he may know thee; be in no wise bashful.

As soon as his eye on thee falls, he will approach thee,

and thou shalt speak to him with the wisdom of a woman;

his animals, bred in his desert, will deny him,

since he has drawn near to thee."

And the woman showed him her comeliness, and he was drawn to her,

and she was not bashful. She spoke to him with the wisdom of a woman,

and Enkidu stayed with her six days and seven nights.

(How Enkidu was drawn into Erech to meet Gilgamesh)

Then, when he turned his face to his cattle,

the gazelles scampered away as soon as they saw him;

Enkidu—the beasts of the desert fled from his presence!

Enkidu had lost his innocence; so, when the cattle fled from him,

his knees failed, and he slackened in his running, not as aforetime.

Nevertheless he had attained his full growth, and had broadened his understanding.

He sat again at the feet of the woman, watching her features,

and his ears heard the words she was saying:

"Comely thou art, Enkidu, and wise. Why with the beasts of the field

dost thou ever range over the desert?

Up! for I will lead thee to Erech, the high-walled, to the sacred house,

the dwelling of the king, where, highest in power,

Gilgamesh is, and prevails over men like an aurochs."

Her counsel found favour, for he was conscious of his longing

to seek some companion; so he spoke to the woman:

"Up then, O woman, to the sacred house, take me,

to the dwelling of the king, where, highest in power,

Gilgamesh is, and prevails over men like an aurochs—for I too

Column V

I will summon him, challenging boldly, and crying through Erech,

'I too am mighty! Nay, I will even alter destiny!'

Truly it is he who is born in the desert whose vigour is greatest."

"Enkidu, come then to Erech, the high-walled, where people array themselves

gorgeous in festal attire, and each day the day is a feast.

Joy in thy life to its fullest thou shalt taste;

I will show thee a man who is happy, Gilgamesh!

View him, look on his face, how comely his manhood!

Dowered with lustiness is he, the whole of his body with power

brimming; his vigour is stronger than thine, restless by day and night.

Enkidu, temper thine arrogance. Gilgamesh—God loves him,

and the Most High has dowered his wisdom with largesse.

(How Gilgamesh dreamt of Enkidu)

"Or ever from out of thy mountains thou camest, in Erech

Gilgamesh had beheld thee in a dream; so Gilgamesh, coming,

spoke to his mother, the dream to reveal.

'O my mother, a vision

which I beheld in my night-time: there were stars of the heavens,

when something like a mighty one fell down on my shoulders.

Though I heaved him, he was overstrong for me, and though I loosed his grapple,

I was unable to shake him from off me; and all the meanwhile

people from Erech were standing about him, the artisans pressing

on him behind, while the heroes thronged him; my very companions

kissing his feet; and I, I held him to my breast like a brother,

then I presented him at thy feet, that thou mightest account him as mine own equal.'

"She who knows all wisdom thus to her lord made answer;

she who knows all wisdom thus answered Gilgamesh:

'Lo, by the stars of the heavens are represented thy comrades.

That which was like a mighty one, which fell on thy shoulders,

which thou didst heave, but he was overstrong for thee, though his grapple

thou didst unloose, but to shake him from off thee thou wert unable,

so didst thou present him at my feet, that as thine own equal

I might account him—and thou didst hold him to thy breast like a brother:

Column VI

This is a stout heart, a friend, one ready to stand by a comrade,

one whose strength is the greatest in the length and breadth of the country,

like a double of the mightiest his strength is enormous.

Since thou didst hold him to thy breast like a brother,

this is a sign that he is the one who will never abandon thee.

This of thy dream is the meaning.'

Again he spoke to his mother:

'Mother, a second dream did I see: into Erech, the high-walled,

hurtled an axe, and they gathered about it; the meanwhile, from Erech

people were standing about it, the people all thronging before it,

artisans pressing behind it, while I at thy feet did present it;

I held it to me like a brother, that thou mightest account it

as mine own equal.'

She, the all-wise, who knows all wisdom, thus answered her offspring;

she, the all-wise, who knows all wisdom, answered Gilgamesh:

'The axe thou didst see is a man; like a brother thou didst hold him

unto thy breast, that as thine own equal I might account him.

This is a stout heart, a friend, one ready to stand by a comrade,

one whose strength is the greatest in the length and breadth of the country,

like a double of the mightiest his strength is enormous.'

Gilgamesh opened his mouth, and addressing his mother, spoke:

'Though great danger befall, a friend shall I have.'"