Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet XI (the Flood): tablet K.8517

(The Cause of the Flood).

^{T 1}Gilgamish unto him spake, to Uta-Napishtim the Distant:
"Uta-Napishtim, upon thee I gaze, (yet) in no wise thy presence
Strange is, (for) thou art like me, and in no wise different art thou;

^{T 5}Thou art like me; (yea) a stomach for fighting doth make thee consummate,
[Aye, and to rest (?)] on thy back thou dost lie. [O tell me (?)], how couldst thou
Stand in th’ Assemblage of Gods to petition for life (everlasting)?"
Uta-Napishtim (addressing him thus) unto Gilgamish answer'd:
"Gilgamish, I unto thee will discover the (whole) hidden story,

^{T 10}Aye, and the rede of the Gods will I tell thee.
The City Shurippak —
(O ’tis) a city thou knowest!—is set [on the marge] of Euphrates,
Old is this city, with gods in its midst. (Now), the great gods a deluge
Purposed to bring: . . . . . . there was Anu, their sire; their adviser
Warrior Enlil; Ninurta , their herald; their leader(?) Ennugi;
Nin-igi-azag—’tis Ea—, (albeit) conspirator with them,

^{T 20}Unto a reed-hut their counsel betray’d he: "O Reed-hut, O Reed-hut!
Wall, wall! Hearken, O Reed-hut, consider, O Wall! O thou Mortal,
Thou of Shurippak, thou scion of Ubara-Tutu, a dwelling

^{T 25}Pull down, (and) fashion a vessel (therewith); abandon possessions,
Life do thou seek, (and) thy hoard disregard, and save life; every creature
Make to embark in the vessel. The vessel, which thou art to fashion,

^{T 30}Apt be its measure; its beam and its length be in due correspondence,
(Then) [on] the deep do thou launch it." And I—sooth, I apprehending,
(This wise) to Ea, my lord, did I speak: '[See], Lord, what thou sayest

^{T 35}Thus, do I honour, I'll do—(but) to city, to people, and elders
Am I, forsooth, to explain?' (Then) Ea made answer in speaking,
Saying to me—me, his henchman!—'Thou mortal, shalt speak to them this wise:
"’Tis me alone (?) whom Enlil so hateth that I in your city

^{T 40}No (more) may dwell, nor turn my face unto the land which is Enlil's.
[I will go] down to the Deep, (there) dwelling with Ea, my [liege] lord,
(Wherefore) [on] you will he shower down plenty, yea, fowl [in great number(?)],

Thompson's numbered block(s) extend after the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

^{T 55}Pitch did the children  provide, (while) the strong brought [all] that was needful.
(Then) on the fifth day (after) I laid out the  shape (of my vessel),
Ten gar each was the height of her sides, in accord with her planning(?),
Ten gar to match was the size of her deck (?), and the shape of the forepart (?)

Thompson's numbered block(s) extend before the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

^{T 60}Did I lay down, (and) the same did I fashion; (aye), six times cross-pinn’d her,
Sevenfold did I divide her . . . ., divided her inwards
Ninefold: hammer’d the caulking within her, (and) found me a quant-pole,

^{T 65}(All) that was needful I added; the hull with six  shar of bitumen
Smear’d I, (and) three shar of pitch [did I smear] on the inside; some people,
Bearing a vessel of grease, three shar of it brought (me); (and) one shar
(Out of this) grease did I leave, which the tackling (?) consumed; (and) the boatman

^{T 70}Two shar of grease stow’d away; (yea), beeves for the . . . I slaughter’d,
Each day lambs did I slay: mead, beer, oil, wine, too, the workmen
[Drank] as though they were water , and made a great feast like the New Year,
(Five mutilated lines "I added salve for the hand(s)," "the vessel was finish’d . . . Shamash the great." "was difficult," " . . ? I caused to bring above and below," "two-thirds of it"):

^{T 80}[All I possess’d I] laded aboard her; the silver I laded
All I possess'd; gold, all I possess’d I laded aboard her,
All I possess’d of the seed of all living [I laded aboard] her.
Into the ship I embark’d all my kindred and family (with me),

^{T 85}Cattle (and) beasts of the field (and) all handicraftsmen embarking.
(Then) decreed Shamash the hour: " . . . . (?)
Shall in the night let a plentiful rainfall(?) pour down . . . .
(Then) do thou enter the vessel, and (straightway) shut down thy hatchway."

^{T 90}Came (then) that hour (appointed), . . . . . . (?)
Did in the night let a plentiful rainfall(?) pour down . . . . (?)
View’d I the aspect of day: to look on the day bore a horror,
(Wherefore) I enter’d the vessel, and (straightway) shut down my hatchway,
(So, too) to shut down the vessel to Puzur-Amurri (?), the boatman,

^{T 95}Did I deliver the poop (of the ship), besides its equipment.
(Then), when something of dawn had appear’d, from out the horizon
Rose a cloud darkling; (lo), Adad (the storm-god) was rumbling within it,

^{T 100}Nabu and Sharru were leading the vanguard, and coming as heralds
Over the hills and the levels: (then) Irragal wrench’d out the bollards;
Havoc Ninurta let loose as he came, th’ Anunnaki their torches

Thompson's numbered block(s) extend after the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

^{T 220}"(Tell me), I pr’ythee (?), was 't thou, who when sleep was shower’d upon me
All on a sudden didst touch me, and (straightway) rouse me (from slumber)?"
Uta-Napishtim to Gilgamish [spake, (yea), unto him spake he]:
"Gilgamish, told was the tale of thy meal . . . and (then) did I wake thee:

^{T 225}['One'—was collected] thy flour: [(then) 'two']—it was sifted; (and) 'thirdly'—
Moisten’d: (and) 'fourthly'—she kneaded thy dough [(and) 'fifthly'] the leaven
Added: (and) 'sixthly'—’twas baked: [(and) 'seventh'] —’twas I on a sudden
Touch’d thee and thou didst awake." To Uta-Napishtim, the Distant,

Thompson's numbered block(s) extend before the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

^{T 230}Gilgamish answer'd: "O, [how] shall I act, (or) where shall I hie me,
Uta-Napishtim? A Robber  (from me) hath ravish’d my [courage,]
Death [in] my bed-chamber broodeth, and Death is wherever I [listen] ."
[Spake] to [him, (yea),] to the boatman Ur-Shanabi Uta-Napishtim:

^{T 235}"’Tis thou, Ur-Shanabi . . . the crossing, will hate thee,
(Sooth), to all those who come to its marge, doth its marge set a limit:
(This) man for whom thou wert guide—are stains to cover his body,
Or shall a skin hide the grace of his limbs? Ur-Shanabi, take him,

^{T 240}Lead him to where he may bathe, that he wash off his stains in the water
(White) as the snow: let him cast off his pelt(s) that the sea may remove (them);
Fair let his body appear: of his head be the fillet renewéd,
Let him, as clothes for his nakedness, garb himself in a mantle,

^{T 245}Such that, or ever he come to his city, and finish his journey,
No (sign of) age shall the mantle betray, but preserve (all) its freshness."
Wherefore Ur-Shanabi took him, and where he might bathe did he lead him,
Washing his stains in the [water] like snow, his pelt(s), [too], discarding,

^{T 250}So that the sea might bear them away; (and) his body appearéd
Fair; [of] his head he [the fillet] renewed, and himself in a mantle
Garb’d, as the clothes for his nakedness, [such that or ever his city
Reach he], or ever he finish his journey, [the mantle betray not

^{T 255}Age, but] preserve [(all) its freshness].
(So) into their vessel embarkéd
Gilgamish, (aye), and Ur-Shanabi, launching (their) craft [on the billow],
They themselves riding aboard (her).

(The magic gift of restored youth).

To Uta-Napishtim, the Distant ,
Spake (then) his wife: "Came Gilgamish (hither) aweary with rowing,

^{T 260}What wilt thou give wherewith he return to his land?" and the meanwhile
Gilgamish, lifting his pole, was pushing the boat at the seashore.
(Then answer'd) Uta-Napishtim to him, (yea), [to] Gilgamish [spake he]:
"Gilgamish, (hither) didst come (all) aweary with rowing; (O, tell me),

Thompson's numbered block(s) extend after the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

^{T 280}(Erech), the high-wall’d, and give it to eat [unto . . . .].
'Greybeard-who-turneth-to-man-in-his-prime' is its name and I'll eat it
I myself, that again I may come to my youthful condition."

(The Quest ends in Tragedy).

Broke they their fast at the fortieth hour: at the sixtieth rested.

^{T 285}Gilgamish spied out a pool of cool water, (and) therein descending
Bathed in the water. (But here was) a serpent who snuff’d the plant's fragrance,
Darted he up [from the water (?)], and snatch’d the plant, uttering malison

Thompson's numbered block(s) extend before the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

^{T 290}As he drew back. Then Gilgamish sate him, (and) burst into weeping.
Over his cheeks flow’d his tears: to the boatman Ur -Shanabi [spake he(?)]
"(Pr’ythee), [for] whom have toiléd mine arms, O Ur-Shanabi, (tell me),

^{T 295}(Pr’ythee), for whom hath my heart's blood been spent? (yea), not for mine own self,
Have I the guerdon achieved; (no), ’tis for an earth-lion (only)
Have I the guerdon secured—(and) now at the fortieth hour
(Such an) one reiveth (it)—O, when I open’d the sluice and . . .ed the attachment,
(Aye), I noted the sign (?) which to me was vouchsafed as a warning,

^{T 300}Would I had turn’d and abandon’d the boat at the marge (of the ocean)!"
Broke they their fast at the fortieth hour: at the sixtieth rested,
(So in the end) to the middle of Erech, the high-wall’d, arrivéd.

(The Pride of the Architect).

Gilgamish spake to him, (yea), to the boatman Ur-Shanabi (this wise):
"Do thou, Ur-Shanabi, go up and walk on the ramparts of Erech,
Look on its base, and take heed of its bricks, if its bricks be not kiln-burnt,

^{T 305}(Aye), and its ground-work be not bitumen, e’en seven courses,
One shar the city, (and) one shar the gardens, and one shar the (2)
. . . . the Temple of Ishtar, amass’d I three shar and . . . (?) of Erech .