1-3 Now the lord once decided to set off for the mountain where the man lives; lord Gilgamec decided to set off for the mountain where the man lives. He spoke to his servant Enkidu:

4-7 "Enkidu, since a man cannot pass beyond the final end of life, I want to set off into the mountains, to establish my renown there. Where renown can be established there, I will establish my renown; and where no renown can be established there, I shall establish the renown of God."

8-12 His servant Enkidu answered him: "My lord, if today you want to set off into the mountains, God should know about it from us. If you want to set off into the Mountains of Cedar-felling, God should know about it from us. God should know about it from us. A decision that concerns the mountains is God's business. A decision that concerns the Mountains of Cedar-felling is God's business. God should know about it from us."

13-16 Gilgamec prepared a white kid. He clasped a brown kid, a sacrificial animal, close to his breast, to offer for God's sake. In his hand he held a holy staff before his nose, as he addressed God in heaven:

17-18 "O God, I want to set off into the mountains! May You be my helper! I want to set off into the Mountains of Cedar-felling! May You be my helper!"

19-20 From heaven came the reply to him: "Young man, you are noble already in your own right -- but what would you want with the mountains?"

21-33 "Lord, I have something to say to You -- a word in Your ear! I greet You -- please pay attention! In my city people are dying, and hearts are full of distress. People are lost -- that fills me with wretched dismay. I craned my neck over the city wall: corpses in the water make the river almost overflow. That is what I see. That will happen to me too -- that is the way things go. No one is tall enough to reach heaven; no one can reach wide enough to stretch over the mountains. Since a man cannot pass beyond the final end of life, I want to set off into the mountains, to establish my renown there. Where renown can be established there, I will establish my renown; and where no renown can be established there, I shall establish the renown of God."

34-47 God accepted his tears as a fitting gift. As befits the Compassionate, He turned to him full of compassion: "Now there are seven warriors, sons of a single mother. The first, their eldest brother, has lion's paws and eagle's talons. The second is a ...... snake, ....... The third is a dragon snake, ....... The fourth blazes with fire ....... The fifth is a ...... snake, ....... The sixth, a shackle that ...... the rebel lands in the hills, beats at the flanks of the mountains like a battering flood. The seventh ...... flashes like lightning, and no one can deflect it.

(1 ms. adds 4 lines: 4 lines fragmentary)

(another ms. adds instead 6 lines: 2 lines fragmentary

...... kingship ....... ...... on you in addition. They ......, and know the routes on earth. They will help you find the ...... of the way.) They should guide you through the mountain valleys! These seven the warrior, youthful Utu, gave by God's leave to lord Gilgamec. The feller of cedars was filled with joy; lord Gilgamec was filled with joy.

48-51 In his city he had the horn sounded for single men; similarly for two together he made them call out. "Let him who has a household go to his household! Let him who has a mother go to his mother! Let bachelor males, types like me, fifty of them, join me at my side!"

52-60 Whoever had a household went to his household. Whoever had a mother went to his mother. Bachelor males, types like him -- there were fifty -- joined him at his side. He made his way to the blacksmith's, and had them cast ...... weapons and axes, the strength of warriors. Then he made his way to the deeply shaded plantations, where he had ebony trees felled, and halub trees, apricot trees, and box trees. He ...... to his fellow-citizens who were going with him. Warriors, sons of a single mother ....... The first, their eldest brother, has lion's paws and eagle's claws. They will guide him through the mountain valleys.

61 He crossed the first mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the second mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the third mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fourth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fifth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He crossed the sixth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there.

62-67 When he had crossed the seventh mountain range, there his intuition led him to find the cedars. He did not need to ask, nor did he have to search any further. Lord Gilgamec began to chop at the cedars, while Enkidu lopped off their branches, and his fellow-citizens stacked them in piles. Since, because of the ......, Huwawa had been scared in his lair by Gilgamec, he began to radiate his terrors .......

68-75 Gilgamec ...... was overcome by sleep, and it affected Enkidu ...... as a powerful longing. His fellow-citizens who had come with him flailed around at his feet like puppies. Enkidu awoke from his dream, shuddering from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes; there was eerie silence everywhere. He touched Gilgamec, but could not rouse him. He spoke to him, but he did not reply.

76-84 "You who have gone to sleep, you who have gone to sleep! Gilgamec, young lord of Kulaba, how long will you sleep for? The mountains are becoming indistinct as the shadows fall across them; the evening twilight lies over them. The sun is already on its way to its setting. Gilgamec, how long will you sleep for? The sons of your city who came with you should not have to wait at the foot of the hills. Their own mothers should not have to twine string in the square of your city."

85-89 He thrust that into his right ear; he covered him with his aggressive words as if with a cloth. He gathered in his hand a cloth with thirty shekels of oil on it and smothered it over Gilgamec's chest. Then Gilgamec stood up like a bull on the great earth. Bending his neck downwards, he yelled at him:

90-91 "As God lives, and by the honour of my own mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! Am I to become again as if I were slumbering still on the lap of my own mother Ninsun?"

92-95 A second time he spoke to him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my own mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! Until I discover whether that person was a human or a spirit, I shall not direct back to the city my steps which I have directed to the mountains."

96-97 The servant, trying to ameliorate the situation, trying to make life appear more attractive, answered his master:

98-106 "My master, you have not yet really seen that person, he should not vex you. -- But he vexes me -- me, who have seen him before. His pugnacious mouth is a dragon's maw; his face is a lion's grimace. His chest is like a raging flood; no one dare approach his brow, which devours the reed-beds. A man-eating lion, he never wipes away the blood from his slaver.

(1 ms. adds instead 5 lines: 1 line fragmentary

...... a lion eating a corpse, he never wipes away the blood

3 lines fragmentary)

Travel on, my master, up into the mountains! -- but I shall travel back to the city. If I say to your mother about you 'He is alive!', she will laugh. But afterwards I shall say to her about you 'He is dead!', and she will certainly weep over you."

107-116 "Look, Enkidu, two people together will not perish! A grappling-pole does not sink! No one can cut through a three-ply cloth! Water cannot wash someone away from a wall! Fire in a reed house cannot be extinguished! You help me, and I will help you -- what can anyone do against us then? When it sank, when it sank, when the Magan boat sank, when the magilum barge sank, then at least the life-saving grappling-pole of the boat was rescued! Come on, let's get after him and get a sight of him!

117-119 "If we go after him, there will be terror! There will be terror. Turn back! Is it advisable? Is it advisable? Turn back!"

120 "Whatever you may think -- come on, let's get after him!

121-125 Before a man can approach within even sixty times six yards, Huwawa has already reached his house among the cedars. When he looks at someone, it is the look of death. When he shakes his head at someone, it is a gesture full of reproach. When he speaks to someone, he certainly does not prolong his words: 'You may still be a young man, but you will never again return to the city of your mother who bore you!'"

126-129 Fear and terror spread through his sinews and his feet. He could not move his feet on the ground; the big toenails of his feet stuck ...... to the path. At his side .......

130-135 (Huwawa addressed Gilgamec:) "So come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory, angry bull standing ready for a fight! Your mother knew well how to bear sons, and your nurse knew well how to nourish children on the breast! Don't be afraid, rest your hand on the ground!

136-139 Gilgamec rested his hand on the ground, and addressed Huwawa: "As God lives, and by the honour of my own mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you gifts to the mountains.

140-144 And again he addressed him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you more gifts. Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!"

145-148 Then Huwawa handed over to him his first terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.

(Several mss. preserve a more elaborate, but repetitive, narrative built on the pattern of lines 145-148. Some preserve the repetitions in an extremely abbreviated form. No ms. known to be from Nippur preserves the additional lines. One ms. of unknown origin adds at least 53 lines (and another fragmentary ms. of unknown origin gives an abbreviated version of these, always replacing 'terror' by 'aura'):

148A-148K And again he addressed him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you ....... Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his second terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.

148L-148V And a third time he addressed him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you some eca flour -- food fit for the great! -- and a waterskin of cool water. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his third terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.

148W-148FF And a fourth time he addressed him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you some big shoes for big feet. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his fourth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.

148GG-148PP And a fifth time he addressed him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the mountains for you some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his fifth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.

148QQ-148AAA And a sixth time he addressed him: "As God lives, and by the honour of my mother Ninsun and of my father, Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you rock-crystal, nir stone and lapis lazuli -- from the mountains. Couldn't I get close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your kinsman!" Then Huwawa handed over to him his sixth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay them down at the foot of the hills.)

149-151 When Huwawa had finally handed over to him his seventh terror, Gilgamec found himself beside Huwawa. He went up to him gradually from behind, as one does with a ...... snake. He made as if to kiss him, but then punched him on the cheek with his fist.

152 Huwawa bared his teeth at him, furrowing his brows at him. (2 mss. from Ur add 8 lines: Huwawa addressed Gilgamec: "Hero, ...... to act falsely!" The two of them ...... on him ....... ...... the warrior from his dwelling. ...... said to him, "Sit down!" ...... Huwawa from his dwelling. ...... said to him, "Sit down!" The warrior sat down and began to weep, shedding tears. Huwawa sat down and began to weep, shedding tears. Huwawa ...... plea ...... to Gilgamec.) (instead of ll. 152A-152H, 2 other mss. add 2 lines:) He threw a halter over him as over a captured wild bull. He tied up his arms like a captured man. (one of the mss. adds 1 further line: Huwawa wept, .......)

153-157 He tugged at Gilgamec's hand. "Gilgamec, let me go! I want to talk to the sun, a sign of my Lord! 'O God, I never knew a mother who bore me, nor a father who brought me up! I was born in the mountains -- You brought me up! Yet Gilgamec swore to me by heaven, by earth, and by the mountains.'"

158-160 Huwawa clutched at Gilgamec's hand, and prostrated himself before him. Then Gilgamec's noble heart took pity on him. Gilgamec addressed his servant Enkidu:

161-162 "Enkidu, let the captured bird run away home! Let the captured man return to his mother's embrace!

163-174 His servant Enkidu replied to Gilgamec: "Come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory, angry bull standing ready for a fight! Young lord Gilgamec, cherished in Unug, your mother knew well how to bear sons, and your nurse knew well how to nourish children! -- One so exalted and yet so lacking in understanding will be devoured by fate without him ever understanding that fate. The very idea that a captured bird should run away home, or a captured man should return to his mother's embrace! -- Then you yourself would never get back to the mother-city that bore you! A captured warrior set free! A captured high priestess ...... to the jipar! A captured gudu priest restored to his wig of hair! ...... ever, ever ......?

2 lines fragmentary

...... his attention to his words .......

175-177 Huwawa addressed Enkidu: "Enkidu, why do you speak such hateful words to him?"

(1 ms. adds: 2 lines fragmentary)

178-180 As Huwawa spoke thus to him, Enkidu, full of rage and anger, cut his throat. He chucked his head in a leather bag.

181-186 They entered before the Lord. After they had bowed to the ground before Him, they threw the leather bag down, tipped out his head, and placed it before the Lord. When the Lord saw the head of Huwawa, He spoke angrily to Gilgamec:

187-192 "Why did you act in this way? Was it commanded that his name should be wiped from the earth? He should have sat before you! He should have eaten the bread that you eat, and should have drunk the water that you drink! He should have been honoured by you!"

193-199 He gave Huwawa's first aura to the fields. He gave his second aura to the rivers. He gave his third aura to the reed-beds. He gave his fourth aura to the lions. He gave his fifth aura to the palace. He gave his sixth aura to the forests. He gave his seventh aura to the prisons.

200 ...... his terror ......

201-202 Mighty one, Gilgamec, who is cherished! Enkidu, be praised! Praise be to God.