The Epic of Gilgameš (Standard Babylonian)
A king who would not die learns the hardest wisdom — eternal life is the gods' alone, but a name endures.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the most celebrated work of Mesopotamian literature and one of the oldest great poems in the world. Its hero, Gilgamesh, the overbearing king of Uruk, is matched by the gods with a wild man, Enkidu, who becomes his beloved friend. Together they journey to the Cedar Forest to kill its guardian Humbaba and slay the Bull of Heaven sent by the spurned goddess Ishtar. As punishment the gods condemn Enkidu to die, and his death shatters Gilgamesh, who — now terrified of his own mortality — sets out to find the one man granted eternal life, the Flood-survivor Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim tells him the Flood story and shows him that immortality cannot be won; even a rejuvenating plant Gilgamesh finds is stolen by a snake. He returns home empty-handed but wiser, his enduring achievement the great walls of Uruk. The epic's answer to death is sober and humane: accept mortality, and live well.
Key passages(8)
Survey [... ] and [... ]! [... ] its brickwork is not kiln-fired brick, [... ] the 7 [... ] did [... ] lay [... ]! [... ] is date-grove, a šāru - measure is clay-pit, a pitru - measure is [... ]: [...
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(Šamhat said to Enkidu:)' Why with the animals [... ]?' Taking his own counsel... [... ], on his initiative... [... ]. His very wise heart [... ], of Šamhat [... ]. The first garment [... ] herself, a
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Humbaba opened his mouth to speak, saying to Gilgameš: ' Let idiots, Gilgameš, consult a very stupid man. Why did you come into my presence? ' Come, Enkidu, spawn of a fish, who did not know his fathe
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At the first glimmer of dawn, Gilgameš [... ]: ' [... ] your mother, a gazelle, your father, a wild donkey,... [... ]; ' [... ] reared with their milk, [... ] ' taught all the pastures! The paths, o E
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[... ] roof, [... ] she (Ninsun) put. [... ] she lifted (saying to Šamaš): ' [... ] resting [... ]? ' [... ] he (Gilgameš) will go ' [... ] Humbaba. ' [... ] he (Gilgameš) will ride. ' [... ] he comes
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(Gilgameš said to Enkidu:)' Let... [... ]. ' Let them smash [... ], ' the dust storms [... ].' Enkidu [... ] his mouth [... ]: ' How can we go [... ]? ' That road [... ]. ' The guardian of the forest
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(Enkidu speaks:)' [... ] your thickness, ' [... ] are from a single (piece); ' [... ] I hung you up. ' [... ], o door, that this would be your reward,: ditto ([... ], o door, that this) would be your
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[... ] her (Aruru's) hearing [... ], she created [... ] for her heart. [... ] she washed her hands, [... ] she threw down in the open country. [... ] hero, (the hunter said to Gilgameš:)' he (Enkidu)
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