Gilgameš and the bull of heaven

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 319 sections

v2.A.37
ĝi6-par4 gu2-ĝu10 kaš mu-un-⌈bar⌉-[re] ⌈šu⌉ nu-mu-ni-bar-⌈re⌉
v2.A.38
e2-an-na an-na […] ki aĝ2-a-ni
v2.A.39
{d}gilgameš2 za-e ? [X] IM MA NI TA ĝe26-e KA ⌈?⌉ IM MA NI ⌈TA⌉
v2.A.40
ama ugu-ne-ra ur5-[gin7] mu-un-na-ab-be2-⌈?⌉-[ka]
When he had spoken thus to the mother who bore him, the mother who bore him replied to Gilgameš:
v2.A.41
ama ⌈ugu⌉-[ne {d}gilgameš2-ra mu-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4]
gap
(approx. 8 lines missing)
v2.B.1
⌈kug⌉ ⌈{d}⌉[inana] […]
Holy Inana ……. An ……. …… the bond of heaven. An …… to holy Inana: My child, ……. Inana replied ……:
v2.B.2
an-e […]
v2.B.3
dur an-na X […]
v2.B.4
an-e kug [{d}inana-ra …]-⌈e⌉
v2.B.5
lu2-[tur-ĝu10 …]-⌈e⌉
v2.B.6
{d}[inana] […]-⌈gi4⌉-gi4
v2.B.7
AN […]-⌈a⌉
v2.B.8
[…]-⌈a⌉
v2.B.9
[…]-be2
v2.B.10
[…]-⌈e⌉
v2.B.11
[…] ⌈?⌉
v2.B.12
[…] ⌈X⌉ MU
v2.B.13
[…] ⌈gi⌉
v2.B.14
[…] ⌈?⌉ ⌈?⌉ LA […]
v2.B.15
[…]-⌈gu7-e⌉
v2.B.16
[…] X X ⌈?⌉ ⌈?⌉
v2.B.17
[…] X-ab-be2
v2.B.18
[…] X sag3
v2.B.19
[… gud] mu-ra-ra [(…)]
v2.B.20
[…] X ⌈šum2-mu⌉
v2.B.21
[…] ⌈šum2-mu⌉
v2.B.22
[…] X
v2.B.23
[…] X
v2.B.24
[…]-⌈gu7⌉-e
v2.B.25
[…]-⌈gu7⌉-[e]
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v2.C.1
[…] ? X […]
(5 lines fragmentary)
v2.C.2
[…] X ? […]
v2.C.3
[…] X gu2 mu-un-[…]
v2.C.4
[…] mu-un-na-te X […]
v2.C.5
[…]-ga igi im-ma-an-[sig10]
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v2.D.1
[…] X […]
(4 lines fragmentary)
v2.D.2
[…] X X TUG2 ba-⌈ni⌉-[…]
v2.D.3
[…] a naĝ […]
v2.D.4
[…] X X X X X X […]
v2.D.5
nar-ĝu10 lugal-gaba-ĝar en3-du-zu da-ga-ab sa-a-⌈zu⌉ [si-bi2-ib]
My musician, Lugal-gabaĝar, perform your song, tune your strings! Give me beer to drink! Fill my bronze jug again! …… Lugal-gabaĝar replied to his master, Gilgameš: My master, you may eat, and you may drink -- but as for me, how does this matter concern me?
v2.D.6
kaš mu-un-! zabar sila3 gi4-bi-ib […]
v2.D.7
lugal-gaba-ĝar {d}gilgameš2 lugal-a-ni-⌈?⌉ [gu3 mu-na-ni-ib-gi4]
v2.D.8
lugal-ĝu10 za-e u2 da-an-gu7-e za-e ⌈a⌉ [da-an-na8-na8]
v2.D.9
ĝe26-e inim-bi a-na-am3 mu-[…]
v2.D.10
⌈gud⌉-e ra-ra-de3 […]
To defeat the Bull, ……, Gilgameš, to defeat the Bull, ……. …… his harness of minas. …… his sword weighing seven talents and thirty minas. …… his battle axe. My mother who bore me …….
v2.D.11
{d}gilgameš2 gud-e ⌈ra⌉-[ra-de3 …]
v2.D.12
ib2-ba-ru 50!(5/6) ma-na-am3 […]
v2.D.13
⌈ĝiri2 7 gu2-un⌉ 30 ⌈ma⌉-[na-am3 …]
v2.D.14
ḫa-⌈zi-in⌉ X X […]
v2.D.15
ama ugu-⌈ĝu10⌉ […]
v2.D.16
nin9-a-ni ⌈X⌉ […]
His sister ……. His mother who bore him ……. Peštur, his little sister ……. Gilgameš …… My mother who bore me, in the house (?) of Enki (?) ……. Peštur, the little sister, ……, will bring back the cattle to their tethering stakes ……, will bring back the sheep to their tethering stakes …….
v2.D.17
ama ugu-ni […]
v2.D.18
{d}peš3-tur nin9 [ban3-da …]
v2.D.19
{d}gilgameš2 AN X […]
v2.D.20
ama ugu-ĝu10 ⌈? {d}en-?⌉ X […]
v2.D.21
{d}peš3-tur nin9 ban3-da e2-⌈?⌉-[ni …]
v2.D.22
gud dur-be2-eš i-in-⌈?⌉ […]
v2.D.23
udu dur-be2-eš i-in-⌈?⌉ […]
v2.D.24
gud an-na za-e za-e […]
Bull of Heaven, you -- you, ……, yes, you! You crush them ……, and I crush them ……. If you crush them, …… They shall consign your hide to the streets ……. They shall consign your intestines to the broad square ……. The widows' sons of my city shall each take their share of your meat in baskets. They shall consign your carcass to the knacker's, and I shall turn your two horns into flasks for pouring fine oil to Inana in E-ana.
v2.D.25
u3 za-e ba-an-ze2-ge-eš […]
v2.D.26
u3 ĝe26-e ba-an-ze2-ge-eš […]
v2.D.27
tukum-bi ba-an-ze2-⌈ge⌉ […]
v2.D.28
kuš-! sila-še3 ḫe2-em-⌈ma⌉-[ab-šum2-mu]
v2.D.29
⌈šag4⌉-maḫ-! sila daĝal-la ⌈ḫe2⌉-[em-ma-ab-šum2-mu]
v2.D.30
uzu-zu dumu mu-un-! [iri-ĝa2-ke4-ne] {ĝiš}dusu-[ta ḫe2-em-ta-ba-e-ne]
v2.D.31
kuš-! su-sig-še3 ḫe2-[em-ma-ab-šum2-mu]
v2.D.32
si-! 2(MIN)-ab2-bi ⌈šaĝan⌉ [i3 dug3-ga-še3 {d}inana-ra] e2-an-⌈na⌉-[ka] [ḫe2-em-ta-bal-e]
v2.D.33
gud-e saḫar-ra […]
The Bull …… in the dust. Gilgameš …… and Enkidu ……. Their fellow-citizens ……. …… with dust, like a young calf unused to the yoke. Enkidu stood by (?) the Bull's head and spoke to Gilgameš:
v2.D.34
{d}gilgameš2 […]
v2.D.35
{d}en-ki-du3 […]
v2.D.36
dumu iri{ki}-na […]
v2.D.37
amar ĝeštug2-zu-gin7 saḫar-ra [(X)] X […]
v2.D.38
{d}en-ki-du3 saĝ gud-kam bi-ib-gub en [{d}gilgameš2] gu2 mu-un-na-de2-⌈a⌉ [(…)]
v2.D.39
ia4 lum-lum u2-luḫ-ḫa sud-[sud]
Ho, magnificent one, extending your staff of office, born of noble lineage, splendour of the gods, furious-hearted bull, standing ready for battle, warrior, …… your hand ……! The people ……, the people …….
v2.D.40
dumu-gir15 giri17-zal diĝir-re-e-ne
v2.D.41
gud lipiš šag4 tuku me3 an-gub-ba
v2.D.42
⌈ur-saĝ⌉ X X X-ĝu10-ne-še3 šu-zu šu mu-ni-[…]
v2.D.43
⌈lu2-ulu3⌉ X […]
v2.D.44
lu2-? lu2 ? X […]
v2.D.45
{d}⌈en-ki-du {d}gilgameš2⌉-ra ur5-gin7 ḫu-mu-un-na-ab-e2-ak-ke4
When Enkidu had spoken thus to Gilgameš, Gilgameš himself smote its skull with his axe weighing seven talents. The Bull reared up so high, so high that it overbalanced. It spattered like rain, it spread itself out like the harvested crop.
v2.D.46
{d}[gilgameš2] [ḫa-zi]-⌈? 7 ?-?⌉-am3 ugu-bi e-ne ba-an-sag3
v2.D.47
gud-e saĝ il2-la il2-la im-ma-ab-dirig
v2.D.48
im-gin7 mu-⌈lu3-lu3⌉ buru14-gin7 ⌈im⌉-šu2-šu2
v2.D.49
lugal-e muḫaldim gal nu-me-a ĝiri2 šu-ni ba-an-dab5
The king took his knife in his hand, just as if he were a master chef. He hit Inana with a haunch, he made her flee away like a pigeon, and demolished those ramparts. Standing by (?) the Bull's head, the king wept bitter tears: Just as I can destroy you, so shall I do the same to her (?).
v2.D.50
{d}inana-ke4 zag dib-ba ba-an-sag3 tum12-gur4⌈{mušen}⌉-gin7 ba-an-dal-dal bad3-bi i3-gul-e
v2.D.51
lugal-e saĝ gud-kam bi2-in-gub er2 gig i3-šex(IGI×A)-šex(IGI×A)
v2.D.52
ur5-ra-ta ĝe26-e mu-un-da-gul-e ur5-ra-am3 ⌈i3-kiĝ2-de3⌉
v2.D.53
bi2-in-dug4-ga-gi-na
As he spoke, he consigned its hide to the streets, he consigned its intestines to the broad square, and the widows' sons of his city each took their share of its meat in baskets. He consigned its carcass to the knacker's, and turned its two horns into flasks for pouring fine oil to Inana in E-ana. For the death of the Bull of Heaven: holy Inana, it is sweet to praise you!
v2.D.54
kuš-bi sila-še3 im-ma-ab-šum2-mu
v2.D.55
šag4-maḫ-bi sila daĝal-la im-ma-ab-šum2-mu
v2.D.56
uzu-! dumu nu-mu-un-! iri{ki}-na!(ĝa2)-ke4-ne {ĝiš}dusu-ta ḫe2-em-ta-ba-e-ne
v2.D.57
kuš-bi su-si-ig-še3 im-ma-ab-šum2-mu
v2.D.58
si-bi 2(MIN)-a-bi {ĝiš}šaĝan i3 dug3-ga-ke4 kug {d}inana-ke4 e2-an-na-ke4 ḫe2-em-ta-da-bal-e
v2.D.59
gud an-na ug5-ga kug {d}inana-ke4 za3-mi2-zu dug3-ga
head
Fragment of an earlier version from Nibru, dating to the Ur III period
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v3.A.1
a ĝi6-⌈par3⌉ […] si-[ki …]
……; he sat on the ……; that which was in the marsh, my king, to bend that which was in the marsh with the oar, the lord covered it with water with the oar, as if they were flourishing reeds. That which exceeded, as if it was a reed (?) ……, he covered with water. In the wide courtyard …… of the temple of Inana Gilgameš …….

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.