Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven: translation

A version of unknown provenance, supplemented from Nippur mss.

Segment A

^A1-A4I will sing the song of the man of battle, the man of battle. I will sing the song of lord Gilgamec, the man of battle, I will sing the song of him with the well-proportioned limbs, the man of battle. I will sing the song of the mighty ...... lord, the man of battle.

^A5-A11I will sing the song of the lord with the very black beard, the man of battle. I will sing the song of ...... athletic strength, the man of battle. ...... the king, the man ......; my king ......, my lord ...... garden ....... ...... courtyard, ...... jipar; (1 ms. has instead: ...... his mother who bore him spoke to the lord: "My king ...... in the river, my lord ...... your garden."
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Segment B

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^B3-B6In the great courtyard, without there being any combat, a man ....... She perceived the canopy, the canopy ......, holy Inana perceived the canopy, from the palace of the abzu, she perceived the canopy ......:

^B7-B12"My wild bull, my ...... man, I shall not let you go! Lord Gilgamec, my wild bull, my ...... man, I shall not let you go! I shall not let you go to dispense justice in the E-ana! I shall not let you go to pronounce verdicts in my holy jipar! I shall not let you go to dispense justice in the E-ana beloved by An! Gilgamec, may you be ......, may you be ......!"

^B13-B18 (Gilgamec speaks:) "I shall certainly not try to take over the portion of Inana in your jipar. Ninegal will not ...... because of my valorous strength. But Inana, lady, don't you block my way, either! My wish is to catch (?) mountain bulls, to fill the cow-pens. I wish to catch (?) mountain sheep, to fill the sheepfolds. I wish to ...... silver and cornelian."

^B19-B30The queen spoke with a snort; Inana spoke with a snort: "...... say to you. ...... say to you. ......, Gilgamec."
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^B31-B36 (An speaks:) "Its entrails (?)....... Its hide ....... Its blood ......."
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"Inana, it will muddy the waters; it will ...... cowpats. My one beloved by An, ......."

^B37-B41 He let her hold the leash. An ....... "My child, who does it belong to?" (1 ms. has instead:"My child, what use would it be?") "It will stir up the waters, it will leave ...... cowpats ......! If the great bull is let loose, ...... Unug! If the great bull is let loose against Gilgamec, ...... Unug! I will not give her that which bears my own name."

^B42-B45 (Inana speaks:) "Maybe it will muddy the waters, and will leave gigantic cowpats -- but let my father give me the Bull of Heaven, so I can kill the lord, so I can kill the lord, so I can kill the lord, lord Gilgamec!"

^B46-B49 Great An replied to holy Inana: "My child, the Bull of Heaven would not have any pasture, as its pasture is on the horizon. Maiden Inana, the Bull of Heaven can only graze where the sun rises. So I cannot give the Bull of Heaven to you!"

^B50-B51 Holy Inana replied to him: "I shall shout, and make my voice reach heaven and earth!"

^B52-B54He was frightened, he was frightened. (1 ms. adds here: ...... was frightened of Inana.) Great An replied to holy Inana: "I shall give her the Bull of Heaven." (instead of approx. lines 52-54, 1 ms. has: She made her voice reach heaven ......, she made her voice reach earth; she made her voice reach heaven ......, she made her voice reach earth. It covered them like a woollen garment, it was spread over them like a linen garment. ...... who could speak to her? ...... who could speak to her? ...... gave .......)

^B55-B63 In masculine fashion, the maiden Inana grasped it by the lapis-lazuli tether. Holy Inana brought the Bull of Heaven out (1 ms. has instead: down). At Unug, the Bull devoured the pasture, and drank the water of the river in great slurps. With each slurp it used up one mile of the river, but its thirst was not satisfied. It devoured the pasture and stripped the land bare. It broke up the palm trees of Unug, as it bent them to fit them into its mouth. When it was standing, the Bull submerged Unug. The very presence (1 ms. has instead: the name) of the Bull of Heaven submerged Kulaba.

^B64-B67His musician ....... As he looked up ......, leaning (?) ......
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(1 ms. has instead: Then lord Gilgamec ...... his musician.) (a second ms. has instead: Gilgamec ...... his musician Lugal-gabajal. "My musician, tune your strings, ...... give me a drink, ....... ...... bronze ...... in your hand ....... His musician .......") (a third ms. has instead: ...... replied to Lugal-gabajal, "Lugal-gabajal, tune your strings; I wish to have a drink!" (Lugal-gabajal answers:) "...... drink, that is why nothing of yours is important." ...... replied to Lugal-gabajal.) (instead of approx. lines 64-67, a fourth ms. has:
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...... drink, lord ....... ...... drink, lord .......
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...... Unug .......)

^B68-B83Lord Gilgamec ....... Inana ...... the Bull of Heaven. At Unug, the Bull ......, and drank the water of the river in great slurps. With each slurp it used up one mile of the river, but its thirst was not satisfied. It devoured the pasture and stripped the land bare. (1 ms. adds here: His lady ....... Gilgamec ...... said, "My mother ......, my sister ......, will ...... the cattle to their tethering stakes, will ...... the sheep to their tethering stakes, will ...... to their tethering stakes." Gilgamec ......, "Bull of Heaven, you, yes you, ......; you, yes you -- you do not ......." Gilgamec .......)
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"They will throw your corpse in the deserted streets, and throw your intestines in the broad square. They will send your carcass to the knacker's, and I shall share out your meat in baskets to the widows' sons who are citizens of my city ....... I shall make flasks of your two horns for pouring fine oil to Inana in E-ana."

^B84-B90Inana watched from the top of the ramparts. The Bull bellowed in the dust, and Gilgamec walked (?) at its head as Enkidu climbed up the rope of its ....... Their fellow-citizens came along ....... It covered them with dust, like a young calf unused to the yoke. Enkidu stood behind the Bull and went round ....... (1 ms. has instead: He put ...... and seized its tail.) He spoke to his master Gilgamec:

^B91-B103"Ho! magnificent one, extending your staff of office, born of noble lineage, splendour of the gods, furious bull standing ready for battle, who is respected as the great lord Gilgamec of Unug! Your mother was truly skilled in bearing children, and your nurse was truly skilled in suckling her charges! (1 ms. adds: Lord born of noble lineage, ......) Do not fear -- the warrior without strength ...... himself (?). There where the road is straight ....... ...... axe ....... "
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A version from Me-Turan

Segment A

^A1-A7I will sing the song of the man of battle, the man of battle. I will sing the song of lord Gilgamec, the man of battle, I will sing the song of the lord with the very black beard, the man of battle. I will sing the song of him with the well-proportioned limbs, the man of battle. I will sing the song of him in his prime (?), the man of battle. I will sing the song of him who batters the wicked, the man of battle. The king, the lord, having ...... as his mother who bore him ......, wishing to wash (?) in the river.

^A8-A18My lord, entering the garden planted with junipers, as you set to work; the lord, coming from the jipar, sheared the wool of the fleecy sheep ......; ...... he sat down ....... The king ...... bending ...... with the oar; the prince covered ...... with the oar, as if it was of flourishing reed. You covered their wicked ones, as if ......, with water. He gave ...... to his mother who bore him. In the wide courtyard ......, Gilgamec .......
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In the great courtyard .......

^A19-A21Then ...... the canopy ....... Holy Inana perceived the canopy, from the palace of the abzu, she perceived the canopy:

^A22-A27"My wild bull, my man, I shall not let you ......! Gilgamec, I shall not let you ......! I shall not let you dispense justice in my E-ana! I shall not let you pronounce verdicts in my holy jipar! I shall not let you dispense justice in the E-ana beloved by An! Gilgamec, may you ......, may I ......."

^A28-A39 The king ...... these words, the king ...... to his mother who bore him. Gilgamec ...... to Ninsun ......: "O mother who bore me, how ......! By the door of the great gate ...... From the crenellations of the wall ......: "My wild bull, my man, I shall not let you go ......! Gilgamec, I shall not let you go ......! You dispensed justice in my E-ana -- I shall not let you go! You pronounced verdicts in my holy jipar -- I shall not let you go, in his beloved ...... E-ana!"

^A40-A41 When he had spoken thus to the mother who bore him, the mother who bore him replied to Gilgamec:

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Segment B

^B1-B6Holy Inana ....... An ....... ...... the bond of heaven. An ...... to holy Inana: "My child, ......." Inana replied .......:

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Segment C

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Segment D

^D1-D44 lines fragmentary

^D5-D9"My musician, Lugal-gabajar, perform your song, tune your strings! Give me beer to drink! Fill my bronze jug again! ......" Lugal-gabajar replied to his master, Gilgamec: "My master, you may eat, and you may drink -- but as for me, how does this matter concern me?"

^D10-D15To defeat the Bull, ......, Gilgamec, to defeat the Bull, ....... ...... his harness of fifty (text: five-sixths) minas. ...... his sword weighing seven talents and thirty minas. ...... his battle axe. "My mother who bore me ......."

^D16-D23 His sister ....... His mother who bore him ...... Pectur, his little sister ....... Gilgamec ...... "My mother who bore me, in the house (?) of Enki (?) ....... Pectur, the little sister, ......, will bring back the cattle to their tethering stakes ......, will bring back the sheep to their tethering stakes ......."

^D24-D32 "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."

^D33-D38The Bull ...... in the dust. Gilgamec ...... 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 Gilgamec:

^D39-D44"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 ......."

^D45-D48When Enkidu had spoken thus to Gilgamec, Gilgamec 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.

^D49-D52The 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 (?)."

^D53-D59As 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!

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Fragment of an earlier version from Nippur, dating to the Third Dynasty of Ur

Segment A

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^A1-A8Seed of the jipar (= Gilgamec?) ......; 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 Gilgamec .......

^A9-A13My king, entering the garden of junipers, as you set to work, the seed of the jipar ...... the sheep of the queen (?) ...... sheared (?) the wool; he sat on the ....... He leant (?) over the marsh; my king leant (?) over the marsh; he bent it with the oar.

^A14-A15The lord covered it with water as if they were flourishing reeds; that which exceeded, as if it was a reed (?) ......, he covered it with water.

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Segment B

^B1-B4I (?) shall not try to take over the portion of Inana in the jipar; ...... shall not cover my valiant arm with a garment (?)!

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Revision history

25.vii.1998-06.viii.1998 : JAB : adapting translation
20.viii.1998 : GZ : proofreading
01.ix.1998 : JAB : minor corrections
28.iv.1999 : JAB : minor corrections
30.iv.1999 : JAB : tagging
21.v.1999 : ER : proofreading SGML
21.v.1999 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0