Gilgameš and Ḫuwawa (Version B)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 1 - Narrative and mythological compositions · 145 sections

1
i3-a lum-lum u3-luḫ-ḫa sud-sud
So come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory of the gods, angry bull standing ready for a fight! Young Lord Gilgameš, cherished in Unug!
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dumu-gir15 !-zal diĝir-re-e-⌈ne⌉
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gud lipiš-tuku me3-a gub-ba
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en TUR {d}gilgameš2 unug{ki}-ta mi2 dug4-⌈ga⌉
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unug{ki}-ga lu2 ba-uš2 ur5 ba-⌈sag3⌉
In Unug people are dying, and souls are full of distress. People are lost -- that fills me with dismay. I lean out over the city wall: bodies in the water make the river almost overflow. That is what I see: that people die thus, which fills me with despair; that the end of life is unavoidable; that the grave, the all-powerful underworld, will spare no one; that no one is tall enough to block off the underworld; that no one is broad enough to cover over the underworld -- the boundary that a man cannot cross at the final end of life. By the life of my own mother Ninsumun, and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud, (3 lines fragmentary) I will complete …… there. I will bring …… there.
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lu2 u2-gu ba-an-de2 šag4 ⌈ḫul⌉ [i3-ĝa2]-⌈?⌉
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⌈bad3-da⌉ ?-ĝu10 im-ma-an-[la2]
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lu2 a-a ib2-dirig-ge4 igi im-mi-[in-sig10]-⌈ga⌉-am3
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ur5 im-ma-uš2 šag4 im-⌈ma⌉-sag3
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zag nam-til-la saĝ im-gi4-a
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irigal kur nam-gu2-?-! lu2 la-ba-an-da13-da13-a
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sud-da kur-ra la-ba-an-⌈gib⌉-be2-a
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daĝal-la kur-ra la-ba-an-šu2-šu2-a
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zag ĝuruš til-la saĝ til-la-bi-še3 la-ba-ra-ab-ed3-⌈de3⌉-a
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zi ama ugu-ĝu10 {d}nin-sumun2-ka a-a-⌈ĝu10⌉ [kug] [{d}]⌈lugal⌉-ban3-da
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diĝir-ĝu10 !!-! en !⌈nu⌉-[dim2]-mud-e
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[…] X [(X)] me X […] X-ta
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[…] X X […]
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[…] X […] ⌈?⌉
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[…] ?-du3 PA-bi-še3 ga-am3-til
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[…] ⌈šub⌉-ba [ga]-am3-mi-ib-kur9
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[arad-da-ni en-ki-du10-e] ⌈gu3⌉ mu-na-de2-e
His slave Enkidu answered him: …… if you want to set off into the mountains, Utu should know about it from you. If you want to set off into the Mountains of Cedar-felling, Utu should know about it from you. A decision that concerns the mountains is Utu's business. A decision that concerns the Mountains of Cedar-felling is the business of youthful Utu.
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[… tukum-bi kur]-⌈še3⌉ i-in-ku4-ku4-de3-en
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[{d}utu] ⌈ḫe2-da⌉-an-zu
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[kur]-{ĝiš}!-!-še3 i-in-ku4-ku4-de3-en
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{d}utu ḫe2-da-an-zu
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kur-ra dim2-ma-bi {d}utu-kam
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⌈kur⌉-[{ĝiš}]erin-kud dim2-ma-bi šul {d}utu-kam
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{d}utu an-na-ke4 suḫ10 za-gin3 mu-un-keše2
Utu of heaven put on his lapis-lazuli diadem and came forward with head high. In his hand Gilgameš, the lord of Kulaba, held a holy staff before his nose: Utu, 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!
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saĝ il2-la mu-un-ĝen
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{d}gilgameš2 en kul-aba{ki}-ke4 šu-ni ĝidru kug giri17-na ba-ab-tab
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{d}utu kur-še3 i-in-ku4-ku4-de3-en ḫe2-me-en a2-taḫ-ĝu10
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kur-⌈erin-kud⌉ i-in-ku4-ku4-de3-en ⌈ḫe2-me⌉-[en] ⌈a2-taḫ-ĝu10⌉
gap
(4 lines missing)
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[1-am3 …]
(4 lines missing) The first ……. The second ……. The third ……. The fourth ……. The fifth ……. The sixth beats at the flanks of the mountains like a battering flood. The seventh flashes like lightning, and no one can deflect its power. These shine in the heavens, but they know the routes on earth. In heaven they shine ……, raising ……; on earth they know the way even to Aratta. They know the destructive weather like the merchants. They know the mountain crannies like the pigeons. They will guide you to the place in the mountains where the boats have to be pulled from the water.
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[2-kam-ma …]
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[3-kam-ma …]
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[4-kam-ma …]
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[5-kam-ma] X X [… mu]-⌈un⌉-tab-tab-e
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[6-kam-ma] a-ĝi6 du7-du7-gin7 [kur]-⌈ra⌉ gaba ra-ra
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⌈7-kam⌉-ma nim-gin7 i3-ĝir2-ĝir2-re ⌈a2⌉-bi-⌈še3⌉ lu2 nu-ub-gur-e
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e-ne-ne an-na mul-la-me-eš ⌈ki⌉-a ḫar-ra-an zu-me-eš
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⌈an⌉-na mul X X X il2-la-me-[eš]
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ki-a kaskal aratta⌈{ki}⌉ [zu-me-eš]
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dam-gar3-ra-[gin7] ĝiri3-bal zu-me-eš
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tum12{mušen}-gin7 ab-⌈lal⌉ kur-ra zu-me-eš
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ma2-ur3-ma2-ur3 ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2-ka ḫe2-mu-e-ni-tum2-tum2-mu-ne
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[{d}]⌈gilgameš2⌉ iri-ni-a zig3-ga ⌈ba⌉-ni-ib-ĝar
Gilgameš organised a levy in his city. In …… Kulaba he had the horn sounded. Citizens! You who have a wife, go to your wife! You who have children, go to your children! Warriors, whether experienced or inexperienced, who have no wife, who have no children -- let such people join me at my side as the companions of Gilgameš.
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[(X)] X kul-aba{ki}-a si gu3 ba-ni-in-ra
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⌈iri dam⌉ tuku dam !-še3 dumu tuku <dumu>-zu-še3
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ur-⌈saĝ⌉ zu ur-⌈saĝ⌉ nu-zu
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dam nu-⌈tuku⌉ dumu nu-tuku
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lu2 ⌈?-a⌉ lu2 {d}gilgameš2-da a2-ĝu10-še3 ḫu-mu-un-ak-eš
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lugal ⌈iri⌉-ta ba-ra-e3
The king left the city. Gilgameš left Kulaba, to follow the route to the Mountains of Cedar-felling. 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 his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. 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. When he had crossed the seventh mountain range, there his intuition led him to find the cedars.
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{d}gilgameš2 kul-aba{ki}-ta ba-ra-e3
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kur-{ĝiš}erin-kud-⌈da⌉ ĝiri3 im-ma-ab-dab5-be2
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ḫur-saĝ 1-e in-di3-in-bal {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni nu-[mu-ni]-⌈in⌉-pad3
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ḫur-[saĝ] 2-kam-ma <in-di3-in-bal {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni nu-mu-ni-in-pad3>
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ḫur-[saĝ] 3-kam-ma <in-di3-in-bal {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni nu-mu-ni-in-pad3>
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ḫur-[saĝ] 4-⌈kam-ma⌉ <in-di3-in-bal {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni nu-mu-ni-in-pad3>
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ḫur-[saĝ 5]-⌈kam-ma⌉ <in-di3-in-bal {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni nu-mu-ni-in-pad3>
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[ḫur-saĝ 6-kam]-ma <in-di3-in-bal {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni nu-mu-ni-in-pad3>
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ḫur-saĝ 7-kam-ma bal-e-da-ni {ĝiš}erin šag4-ga-ni im-ma-ni-in-pad3
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{d}gilgameš2 {ĝiš}erin-na al-sag3-ge
Gilgameš began to chop at the cedars. His slave Enkidu worked on the branches for him. His fellow-citizens who had come with him stacked them in piles.
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arad-da-ni en-ki-du10-e pa mu-un-ši-ak-e
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dumu iri-na mu-un-de3-re7-eš-a
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gu-ru-ma mu-ni-ib-gub-bu-ne
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⌈ud⌉-bi-a ur-saĝ ur-saĝ-ra u3-mu-un-na-te
Then, as one warrior got closer to the other, the aura of Ḫuwawa …… sped towards them like a spear (?). …… he rested there peacefully. He was asleep (?) ……. (3 lines missing)
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me-⌈lem4⌉ […] šu-gur-gin7 i-im-⌈?⌉
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⌈?⌉ […]-še3 silim-ma i3-⌈?⌉
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u3 […-ku-ku …]
gap
(3 lines missing)
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[…] ⌈gu3⌉ […]
…… addressed (?) ……: You who have gone to sleep, you who have gone to sleep ……! Young Lord Gilgameš, how long will you sleep for? The mountains are becoming indistinct as the shadows fall across them; the evening …….
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i3-⌈nu2⌉-[X] i3-nu2-X […]
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en ⌈TUR⌉ {d}⌈gilgameš2⌉ en-še3 nu2-⌈de3⌉-[en]
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kur ba-⌈suḫ3⌉-[suḫ3] ⌈ĝissu⌉ [ba-an-la2]
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⌈?⌉ […]
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{d}gilgameš2!(⌈en-ki⌉-[du10]) ⌈i-im⌉-zig3 ⌈ma-mu2⌉-da
Gilgameš awoke from his dream, shuddering from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes; there was eery silence everywhere. By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ……! (2 lines missing)
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⌈i-im⌉-bu-luḫ ⌈u3⌉-sa2-ga-am3
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⌈igi⌉-ni šu bi2-in-gur10 niĝ2-me-ĝar sug4-ga-am3
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zi ama ugu-ĝa2 {d}nin-sumun2-ka a-a ugu-⌈ĝa2⌉ kug {d}lugal-ban3-[da]
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⌈diĝir-ĝu10⌉ [{d}en-ki en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e …]
gap
(2 lines missing)
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⌈ĝe26⌉-[e …] ⌈šag4⌉ mu-ni-[…-dab5]-⌈be2⌉
I ……, he vexes (?) me -- the warrior whose face is a lion's grimace, and whose breast is like a raging flood. No one dare approach his brow, which devours the reedbeds. On his tongue, like that of a man-eating lion, the blood never dries. You do not have enough strength for the warrior, such is his might.
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ur-saĝ-⌈e⌉ igi-ni igi ⌈piriĝ⌉-ĝa2-kam
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ĜIŠ.GABA-a-ni a-ĝi6 du7-du7-dam
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saĝ-ki-ni ĝiš-gi bi2-gu7-e lu2 nu-!-!-dam
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eme-a-ni ur-maḫ lu2 gu7-gin7 uš2 nu-šar2-ra-ge-dam
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ur-saĝ-e usu nu-mu-e-da-ĝal2 ne-am3 mu-un-da-ĝal2
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arad-da-ni en-ki-du10-e ⌈gu3 mu-na⌉-de2-⌈e⌉
His slave Enkidu addressed him:(2 lines fragmentary)
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[…] X […]
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X […]
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zi ⌈ama⌉ [ugu-ĝa2 {d}nin-sumun2-ka] a-a-ĝa2 [kug {d}lugal-ban3-da]
By the life of my own mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ……! Warrior, one would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, they have made some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Here, they have made some big shoes for your big feet. (4 lines missing) If you bring …….
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diĝir-ĝu10!(za) {d}[en]-⌈ki⌉ [en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e] KA-za […-e3]
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ur-saĝ ⌈kur⌉-[ra tuš-a-zu] ḫe2-zu-[am3]
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ĝiri3 tur-tur-zu-[uš] {kuš}e-sir2 [tur-tur] ḫe2-ma-⌈dim2⌉-[dim2-ma-am3]
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ĝiri3 gal-gal-[zu-uš] {kuš}e-sir2 [gal-gal ḫe2-ma-dim2-dim2-ma-am3]
gap
(4 lines missing)
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[…] X […] u3-mu-ni-in-kur9
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[zi] ⌈ama⌉ ugu-ĝa2!(na) [{d}]⌈nin⌉-sumun2-ka ⌈a⌉-a ugu-ĝa2 ⌈kug⌉ {d}lugal-ban3-da
By the life of my mother Ninsumun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! My personal god Enki, Lord Nudimmud ……! Warrior, one would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, they have made some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Here, they have made some big shoes for your big feet. (2 lines fragmentary)

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.