Gilgameš and Aga

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 117 sections

1
lu2-kiĝ2-gi4-a ag-ga dumu en-me-barag-ge4-si-ke4
Envoys of Aga, the son of En-me-barage-si, came from Kiš to Gilgameš in Unug. Gilgameš presented the issue before the elders of his city, carefully choosing his words: There are wells to be finished, many wells of the Land yet to be finished; there are shallow wells of the Land yet to be finished, there are wells to deepen and hoisting gear to be completed. We should not submit to the house of Kiš! Should we not smite it with weapons? Let us smite it with weapons!
2
kiš{ki}-ta {d}gilgameš2 unug{ki}-še3 mu-un-ši-re7-eš
3
{d}gilgameš2 igi ab-ba iri{ki}-na-še3
4
inim ba-an-ĝar inim i3-kiĝ2-kiĝ2-e
5
tul2 til-le-da tul2 kalam til-til-le-da
6
tul2 niĝ2 ban3-da kalam til-til-le-da
7
tul2 buru3-da eš2 la2 til-til-le-da
8
e2 kiš{ki}-še3 gu2 nam-ba-an-ĝa2-ĝa2-an-de3-en {ĝiš}tukul nam-ba-an-sag3-ge-en-de3-en ga-am3-ma-sag3-ge-en-de3-en
9
unken ĝar-ra ab-ba iri-na-ka
In the convened assembly, his city's elders answered Gilgameš: There are indeed wells to be finished, many wells of the Land yet to be finished; there are shallow wells of the Land yet to be finished, there are wells to deepen and hoisting gear to be completed. So we should submit to the house of Kiš. We should not smite it with weapons! So should we not submit to the house of Kiš? Should we smite it with weapons?
10
{d}gilgameš2 mu-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
11
tul2 til-le-da tul2 kalam til-til-le-da
12
tul2 niĝ2 ban3-da kalam til-til-le-da
13
tul2 buru3-da eš2 la2 til-til-le-da
14
e2 kiš{ki}-še3 gu2 ga-am3-ĝa2-ĝa2-an-de3-en {ĝiš}tukul nam-ba-sag3-ge-en-de3-en gu2 nam-ba-ĝa2-ĝa2-an-de3-en [{ĝiš}tukul] ga-am3-ma-sag3-ge-en-de3-en
15
{d}gilgameš2 en kul-aba4{ki}-a-ke4
Gilgameš, the lord of Kulaba, placing his trust in Inana, did not take seriously the advice of his city's elders. Gilgameš , the lord of Kulaba, presented the issue again, this time before the able-bodied men of his city, carefully choosing his words: There are wells to be finished, many wells of the Land yet to be finished; there are shallow wells of the Land yet to be finished, there are wells to deepen and hoisting gear to be completed. Never before have you submitted to the house of Kiš. Should you not smite it with weapons? We should not submit to the house of Kiš. We should smite it with weapons!
16
{d}inana-ra nir-ĝal2-la-e
17
inim ab-ba iri-na-ke4 šag4-še3 nu-mu-na-gid2
18
2-kam-ma-še3 {d}gilgameš2 en kul-aba{ki}-a-ke4 igi ĝuruš iri{ki}-na-še3
19
inim ba-an-ĝar inim i3-kiĝ2-kiĝ2-e
20
tul2 til-le-da tul2 kalam til-til-le-da
21
tul2 niĝ2 ban3-da kalam til-til-le-da
22
tul2 buru3-da eš2 la2 til-til-le-da
23
e2 kiš{ki}-še3 gu2 nam-ba-an-ĝar-re-en-ze2-en {ĝiš}tukul nam-ba-an-sag3-ge-en-ze2-en gu2 ⌈nam-ba-ĝa2-ĝa2-an-de3⌉-[en] ⌈{ĝiš}⌉tukul ga-am3-ma-sag3-⌈ge-en-de3-en⌉
24
unken ĝar-ra ĝuruš iri{ki}-na-ka {d}gilgameš2 mu-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
In the convened assembly, his city's able-bodied men answered Gilgameš: Standing on duty and sitting in attendance, escorting the king's son, and forever grasping the donkey's reins -- who has that much breath?, as the saying goes. You old men should not submit to the house of Kiš! Should we young men not smite it with weapons?
25
gub-gub-bu-de3 tuš-tuš-u3-de3
26
dumu lugal-la da ri-e-de3
27
zib2 anše dab5-dab5-be2-e-de3
28
a-ba zi-bi mu-un-tuku-e-še
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e2 kiš{ki}-še3 gu2 nam-ba-an-ĝar-re-en-ze2-en {ĝiš}tukul nam-ba-an-sag3-ge-en-de3-en
30
unug{ki} ĝiš-kiĝ2-ti diĝir-re-e-ne-ke4
The great gods created the structure of Unug, the handiwork of the gods, and of E-ana, the house lowered down from heaven. You watch over the great rampart, the rampart which An founded its great rampart, a cloudbank resting on the earth , the majestic residence which An established. You are its king and warrior, an exuberant person, a prince beloved of An. When Aga comes, what terror he will experience! That army is small, and scattered at the rear. Its men will be incapable of confronting us.
31
e2-an-na e2 an-ta ed3-de3
32
diĝir gal-gal-e-ne me-dim2-bi ba-an-ak-eš-am3
33
bad3 gal bad3 an-ne2 ki us2-sa muru9 ki us2-sa-a-ba
34
ki-tuš maḫ an-ne2 ĝar-ra-ni ĝar-ra-a-ba
35
saĝ mu-e-sig10 za-e lugal ur-saĝ-bi
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saĝ lum-lum nun an-ne2 ki aĝ2
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du-a-ni-ta a-gin7 ni2 ba-an-te
38
erin2-bi al-tur a-ga-bi-ta al-bir-re
39
lu2-be2-ne igi nu-mu-un-da-ru-gu2-uš
40
ud-bi-a {d}gilgameš2 en kul-aba4{ki}-ke4
Then Gilgameš, the lord of Kulaba, rejoiced at the advice of his city's able-bodied men and his spirit brightened. He addressed his servant Enkidu: On this account let the weaponry and arms of battle be made ready. Let the battle mace return to your side. May they create a great terror and radiance. When he comes, my great fearsomeness will overwhelm him. His reasoning will become confused and his judgment disarrayed.
41
inim ĝuruš iri-na-še3 šag4-ga-ni an-ḫul2 ur5-ra-ni ba-an-zalag
42
šubur-a-ni en-ki-du10-ra gu3 mu-na-de2-e
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ne-eš2 {ĝiš}šu-kar2 a2 me3 sa ḫe2-em-mi-gi4
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{ĝiš}tukul me3 a2-zu-še3 ḫe2-em-mi-gi4
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ni2 gal me-lem4-ma ḫe2-em-dim2-dim2-e
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e-ne du-a-ni-ta ni2 gal-ĝu10 ḫe2-eb-šu2
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dim2-ma-ni ḫe2-suḫ3 ĝalga-a-ni ḫe2-bir-re
48
ud nu-5-am3 ud nu-10-am3
Not five, not 10 days had passed when Aga, the son of En-me-barage-si, laid siege to Unug with his men. Unug's reasoning became confused. Gilgameš, the lord of Kulaba, addressed its warriors: My warriors shall have the choice. My warriors, choose! Let someone with courage volunteer I shall go to Aga , and I will send him to Aga .
49
ag-ga dumu en-me-barag-ge4-si-ke4 unug{ki} zag-ga ba-an-dab5-be2-eš
50
unug{ki}-ga dim2-ma-bi ba-an-suḫ3
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{d}gilgameš2 en kul-aba{ki}-ke4
52
ur-saĝ-be2-ne-er gu3 mu-ne-de2-e
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ur-saĝ-ĝu10-ne igi mu-un-suḫ-suḫ-u3-ne saĝ5-saĝ5-en-ze2-en
54
šag4 tuku ḫe2-en-zi-zi-i ag-ga-še3 ga-an-ši-ĝen ga-an-gi4
55
BIR-ḪAR-tur-ra lu2-saĝ-lugal-a-ni
Birḫar-tura, his royal guard, spoke in admiration to his king: My king, I shall go go prancing (?) to Aga so that his reasoning will become confused and his judgment disarrayed.
56
lugal-a-ni-ir za3-mi2 mu-un-na-ab-be2
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lugal-ĝu10 ĝe26-e ag-ga-še3 ga-an-ši-ĝen ⌈ga⌉-na-gud-gu4-ud
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dim2-ma-ni ḫe2-suḫ3 ĝalga-a-ni ḫe2-bir-re
59
BIR-ḪAR-tur-ra abul-la ba-ra-e3
Birḫar-tura went out through the city gate. As soon as Birḫar-tura went out through the city gate, they captured him at the gate's entrance, and then beat Birḫar-tura's entire length. He came into the presence of Aga and then spoke to Aga. Before he had finished speaking, an officer of Unug climbed up on the rampart and leaned out over the rampart. Aga saw him and then spoke to Birḫar-tura: Slave, is that man your king?
60
BIR-ḪAR-tur-ra abul-la ed2-da-ni
61
kan4 abul-la-ka mu-ni-in-dab5-be2-eš
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BIR-ḪAR-tur-ra sukux(SUKUD)-ra2-ni mu-ni-in-gum-gum-ne
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igi ag-ga-še3 mu-ni-in-?
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ag-ga-še3 gu3 mu-na-de2-e
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inim-ma-ni nu-un-til zabar-dab5 unug{ki}-ga-ke4 bad3-še3 im-me-ed3-de3
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bad3-da gu2-na im-ma-an-la2
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ag-ga igi im-ma-ni-in-du8
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BIR-ḪAR-tur-re gu3 mu-na-de2-e
69
arad2 lu2 še lugal-zu-u3
70
lu2 še lugal-ĝu10 in-nu
That man is not my king! Were that man my king, were that his angry brow, were those his bison eyes, were that his lapis lazuli beard, were those his elegant fingers, would he not cast down multitudes, would he not raise up multitudes, would multitudes not be smeared with dust, would not all the nations be overwhelmed, would not the land's canal-mouths be filled with silt, would not the barges' prows be broken, and would he not take Aga, the king of Kiš, captive in the midst of his army?
71
⌈lu2⌉ še lugal-ĝu10 ḫe2-me-a
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saĝ-ki ḫuš-a-ni ḫe2-me-a
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igi alim-ma-ka-ni ḫe2-me-a
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! {na4}za-gin3-na-ka-a-ni ḫe2-me-a
75
šu-si sag9-ga-ni ḫe2-me-a
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šar2-ra la-ba-an-šub-bu-uš šar2-ra la-ba-an-zig3-ge-eš
77
šar2-ra saḫar-ra la-ba-an-da-šar2-re-eš
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kur-kur du3-a-bi la-ba-an-da-šu2-a
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ka ma-da-ka saḫar-ra la-ba-da-an-si
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si {ĝiš}ma2-gur8-ra-ka la-ba-ra-an-kud
81
ag-ga lugal kiš{ki}-a šag4 erin2-na-ka-ni šaĝa-a la-ba-ni-in-ak
82
mu-ni-ib-ra-ra-ne mu-ni-ib-sag3-sag3-ge-ne
They hit him, they struck him. They beat Birḫar-tura's entire length. Gilgameš climbed up on the rampart after the officer of Unug. His radiance overwhelmed Kulaba's young and old. He armed Unug's able-bodied men with battle maces and stationed them on the causeway at the city gate's door. Only Enkidu went out through the city gate. Gilgameš leaned out over the rampart. Looking up, Aga saw him: Slave, is that man your king?
83
BIR-ḪAR-tur-re sukux(SUKUD)-ra2-ni mu-ni-in-gum-gum-ne
84
eĝer zabar-dab5 unug{ki}-ga-ke4 {d}gilgameš2 bad3-še3 im-me-ed3-de3
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ab-ba di4-di4-la2 kul-aba4{ki}-a-ke4 me-lem4 bi2-ib-šu2-šu2
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ĝuruš unug{ki}-ga-ke4 {ĝiš}tukul me3 a2-ne-ne bi2-in-si
87
{ĝiš}ig abul-la-ka sila-ba bi2-in-gub
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en-ki-du10 abul-la dili ba-ra-e3
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{d}gilgameš2 bad3-da gu2-na im-ma-an-la2
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igi bar-re-da-ni ag-ga igi ba-ni-in-du8
91
arad2 lu2 še lugal-zu-u3
92
lu2 še lugal-ĝu10 i3-me-a
That man is indeed my king. It was just as he had said: Gilgameš cast down multitudes, he raised up multitudes, multitudes were smeared with dust, all the nations were overwhelmed, the land's canal-mouths were filled with silt, the barges' prows were broken, and he took Aga, the king of Kiš, captive in the midst of his army. Unug's able-bodied men …… that army.
93
bi2-in-dug4-ga-gin7-nam
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šar2-ra ba-an-šub-bu-uš šar2-ra ba-an-zig3-ge-eš
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šar2-ra saḫar-ra ba-an-da-šar2-re-eš
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kur-kur du3-a-bi ba-an-da-šu2-am3
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ka ma-da-ka saḫar-ra ba-da-an-si
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si {ĝiš}ma2-gur8-ra-ke4 ba-⌈ra-an-kud⌉
99
ag-ga lugal kiš{ki}-a šag4 erin2-na-ka-ni šaĝa-a ba-ni-in-ak
99A
⌈ĝuruš⌉ unug{ki}-ga-ke4 erin2-bi X ⌈A⌉ X ⌈?⌉ X

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.