Gilg. OB II

col. i

1       Gilgameš arose and revealed a dream,

2       said to his mother:

3       “My mother, during the course of this night

4       I walked about lustily

5       in the company of young men.

6       The stars of the sky hid from me,

7       The flesh of Anum fell down before me.

8       I tried to lift it  but it grew too heavy for me,

9       I tried to push it but I could not move it.

10     The land of Uruk was gathered about it,

11     the young men kissing its feet.

12     I braced my forehead and

13     they supported me,

14     I picked it up and carried it off to you.”

15     The mother of Gilgameš, well versed in everything,

16     said to Gilgameš::

17     “For sure, Gilgameš, one like yourself,

18     was born in the wild and

19     the upland reared him.

20     You will see him and you will rejoice,

21     the young men will kiss his feet.

22     You will hug him and

23     bring him to me.

24     He lay down and saw another (dream).

25     He arose, talked to his mother:

26     “My mother, I have seen another (dream).

27     [...] ... in the street

28     of Uruk-Main-Street

29     an axe was lying and

30     (people) were gathered around it.

31     The axe itself, it’s appearance was strange.

32     I saw it and became glad.

33–34     I loved it, moaning over it as over a wife

35     I took it up and put it

36     at my side.”

37     The mother of Gilgameš, well versed in everything,

38     [said] to [Gilgameš:]

39–42 Lost.

col. ii

43     “because he will make himself your equal.”

44     As Gilgameš was relating the dream,

45     Enkidu was sitting before the harlot.

46     As the two of them were making love together,

47     he forgot the wild where he was born.

48     For seven days and seven nights

49     Enkidu was erect and

50     coupled with Šamkatum.

51     The harlot opened her mouth and

52     said to Enkidu:

53     “I look at you, Enkidu, you are like a god.

54     Why with the animals

55     do you range through the wild?

56     Come, I will lead you

57     to Uruk-Main-Street,

58     to the sacred temple, the home of Anum.

59     Enkidu, arise, I will take you

60     to E-anna, the home of Anum.

61     Where (men) are engaged in labours of skill,

62     you, too, [like a] true man,

63     will [make a place for] yourself.

64     You are going on a ground

66     He heard her words, he consented to what she said.

67     The woman’s counsel

68     struck home in his heart.

69     She stripped off her clothing,

70     dressed him in one part,

71     the other part

72     she put on herself.

73     She held his hand

74     like a god, leading him

75     to the shepherd’s camp,

76     the site of the sheep-pen.

77     The shepherds gathered about him,

78     like [...]

79     [...]

80     “[In build he is the equal of Gilgameš,]

81     [(but) shorter in stature,]

82     [sturdier of bone.]

83     [Surely it is he who was born]

84     [in the upland,]

col. iii

85     the milk of the animals

86     he used to suck.”

87     They put bread before him.

88     He narrowed (his eyes), gazing

89     and staring.

90     Enkidu did not know

91     the bread for eating,

92     the ale for drinking

93     he had never been shown.

94     The harlot opend her mouth and

95     said to Enkidu:

96     “Eat the bread, Enkidu,

97     the thing proper to life

98     drink the ale, the lot of the land.”

99     Enkidu ate the bread

100   until he was sated,

101   he drank the ale,

102   seven jugs (full).

103   His mood became free, he was singing,

104   his heart became merry and

105   his face shone bright.

106   The barber treated

107   his body so hairy,

108   he anointed himself with oil and

109   became a human being,

110   he put on a garment,

111   becoming like a man.

112   He took up his weapon,

113   fought with the lions.

114   Then the shepherds could rest at night (again).

115   He massacred the wolves,

116   chased off the lions.

117   Then the senior herdsmen could sleep (again).

118   Enkidu was their watchman,

119   a man wide awake,

120   a unique fellow.

121   To the wedding house he had been invited,

122   in ... [...]

123–127 Lost.

col. iv

135   while, with Šamkatum,

136   he was pleasuring himself.

137   He lifted his eyes and

138   saw a man.

139   He said to the harlot:

140   “Šamkatum, bring the man over:

141   why he came here,

142   I would hear his reason.”

143   The harlot hailed the man,

144   she went up to him and talked to him:

145   “Fellow, where do you hurry to?

146   What is your toilsome journey?”

147   The fellow opened his mouth and

148   said to Enkidu:

149   “I have been invited to a wedding ceremony

150   it is the lot of the people

151   to take a bride in marriage.

152   I shall load the ceremonial table

153   with tempting foods for the wedding feast.

154   For the king of Uruk-Main-Street,

155   the people’s net will be open for the one who has first pick.

156   For Gilgameš, the king of Uruk-Main-Street,

157   the people’s net will be open

158   for the one who has first pick.

159   He will couple with (the groom’s) allotted wife:

160   he first of all,

161   the bridegroom afterwards.

162   By divine consent it is ordained

163   when his navel-cord was cut

164   she was destined for him.”

165   At the fellow’s words

166   his face turned pale.

col. v

167–173 Lost.

174 ...

175   There goes [Enkidu]

176   with Šamkatum following him.

177   He entered Uruk-Main-Street,

178   a crowd gathered behind him.

179   He stood there in the street

180   of Uruk-Main-Street, and

181   the people were gathered and

182   talked behind him:

183   “In build he is the equal of Gilgameš,

184   (but) shorter in stature,

185   sturdier of bone.

186   For [sure he is one who] was born

187   in the upland,

188   the milk of the animals

189   he used to suck.”

190   Sacrifices were held regularly in Uruk:

191   the young men disported themselves.

192   The lušānum-instrument was ready

193   for the fellow with fair features.

194   For Gilgameš, like for a god,

195   an offering was presented.

196   For Išḫara the bed

197   was laid out,

198   Gilgameš would meet

199   with the young woman by night.

200   He came forward and

201   stood in the street

202   he blocked the path

203   of Gilgameš,

204   while [the young men] were discussing him.

col. vi

205–207 Lost.

208   He was growing [angry ...]

209   Gilgameš [...] (the doorway).

210   Behind him [...]

211   he was growing angry [...]

212   Enkidu moved

213   towards him,

214   they confronted each other in the Main-Street-of-the-Land.

215   Enkidu blocked the doorway

216   with his foot,

217   he did not allow Gilgameš to enter.

218   The grappeled each other, like a bull

219   bending their backs,

220   they smashed the door jamb,

221   the wall quaked.

222   Gilgameš and Enkidu

223   grappeled each other,

224   bending their backs like a bull,

225   they smashed the door jamb,

226   the wall quaked.

227   Gilgameš knelt,

228   his (other) foot on the ground,

229   his anger subsided and

230   he turned his breast away.

231   After he had turned away his breast,

232   Enkidu said

233   to him, to Gilgameš:

234   “As one unique your mother

235    has born you,

236   the wild cow of the fold,

237   Ninsuna.

238   You are exalted over men:

239   the kingship of the people

240   Enlil fixed you as your lot.”

241   (Colophon:) Tablet II,

242   “Surpassing all other [kings]”.

243   240 (lines).

         General: Unless noted, the transliteration and translation follow George 2003. Divergent interpretations and translations of the relatively frequent present tense iPaRRaS with past time reference (cf. Streck 1995 and Streck 2007, 406) are not always commented on. The same is true for some minor divergences in transliteration and translation.

         1: The present tense ipaššar is interpreted here and elsewhere as introducing the following direct speech. Cf. the commentary of George 2003, 180.

         4: George 2003 “was walking about” but the simple here adequately past renders the Akkadian present tense.

         6: The reading ip-⌈zi?-ru-nim⌉-ma is supported by Ištar Louvre v 44’–47’, cf. Wasserman in press.

         7: Perhaps a wordplay on šērum “morning”, šerrum “baby” and šeʾrum “hairy”, cf. Wasserman in press.

         8–9: Cf Hecker 1994, 649, Dalley 1989, 136 and Streck 2007, 406 for a conative interpretation of the preterite. For the second half of the line cf. George 2004.

         20–26: The line-grouping follows Hecker 1994, 649. George 2003 groups l. 20–21, 22–24 and 25–26 together.

         33: In spite of the long commentary in George 2003, 796f. on Gilg. SB I 186, the best translation of ḫabābu in sexual contexts seems to be “to moan”, cf. Streck 1999, 77 no. 52. The simile probably belongs to the second clause, cf. Streck 2007, 406.

         51–52: For the translation of verba dicendi introducing direct speech cf. Streck 2007, 406f.

         64: Wasserman in press prefers the older reading al-ka ti-ba, but the vocalic contraction in the latter form, instead of expected *tibeʾa(m), would be unusual. qaqqaru “ground” stresses that the shepherd has no bed.

         65: ma-a-ak /majjak/, from niʾāku, not adopted by George 2003 in his transliteration and translation but acknowledged as a possible reading in his commentary p. 184.

         73–74: Cf. Streck 1999, 61–62 no. 14. Or, with George 2003, “leading him like a god”.

         88: For piʾāqu “to narrow” cf. Streck 2007, 407 and Wasserman in press.

         90–93: The construction of edûm with ana is unusual (C.W. Hess). The same is true for lummudu: a construction with ana seems to be attested only rarely in Nuzi Akkadian (CAD L 58 lamādu 7b). One would rather expect *ul īdē E. akāl aklim and ana šatê šikarim lā lummud.Therefore, Bottéro 1992, 224 („Ne connaissait pas de pain, pour s’alimenter et la bière, pour boire, il n’y avait pas été accoutumé”) and Hecker 1994, 651 (“Brot zum Essen”) are probably right when they translate adnominally rather than adverbially. The point is not that Enkidu, although he knows bread and ale, does not know how to eat and drink it but that he doesn’t know bread and ale, meant to be eaten and drunk, at all.

         112–117: For the syntax and transliteration of these lines cf. Streck 2007, 407: l. 114 belongs to l. 112–113, l. 117 to l. 115–116.

         113: ú-ge-er-ri parallels uktaššid l. 115 and is therefore more probably a preterite than a present, cf. Streck 2007, 407.

         115: There is no need to analyze uttappiṣ and uktaššid as preterites Gtn as did George 2003. Between the perfect G issakpū l. 114 and the perfect ittīlū l. 117, these verbal forms are likewise more probably perfects.

         120: George 2003 takes the phrase to describe the man who is seen by Enkidu in l. 137– 138. However, his main argument that l. 120–121 form a poetic line is doubtful, since l. 120 can well belong to l. 118–119 as was assumed here. The description of Enkidu as “unique” corresponds to the same description of Gilgameš in l. 234.

         138: George 2003 “the man”, assuming that he has been mentioned already in l. 120 and in the lacuna between l. 122 and 134. But cf. our commentary to l. 120.

         155, 157: George 2003, 188 understands “net” literally as “bride’s veil”. But then the specification “people’s” (or “family”) hardly yields sense. For pūgu as conventional metaphor for “group of people brought together by force” cf. Streck 1999, 111 no. 141.

         159: For this interpretation cf. Wasserman in press.

         178, 181: George 2003 translates ina ṣērišu “around him” and “about him”. Our translation follows Hecker 1994, 652 in a literal interpretation “hinter seinem Rücken”.

         186: George 2003 “For [sure it is he] who”.

         204: For the restoration cf. Wasserman in press.