The poem begins with a prologue about the divine act of creation, the separation of earth and sky, the overthrow of the goddess Ereshkigal into the underworld, and the battle of Enki with the monster of the lower world. The following describes the huluppu tree (possibly willow), which grew on the banks of the Euphrates. It was uprooted by the merciless south wind, but Inanna found it and planted it in her garden. She looked after him, apparently hoping to make a throne and bed out of him in the future.
Years have passed. The tree grew and became stronger, but a snake settled in its roots, the bird Anzud built a nest at the top, and the ruthless maiden Lilith made a home for herself in the trunk. Inanna, seeing that her brainchild was dying, began to shed bitter tears and complain to her brother the sun god Utu. But Utu could do nothing to help her.
Then Inanna turned with her grief to Gilgamesh, and he did not remain deaf to her cry. He put on heavy armor, took a huge ax and with one swing cut off the snake's head. Seeing this, the giant bird Anzud picked up her cubs and took them to the mountains, and the maiden Lilith herself destroyed her home and left. Gilgamesh cut down the huluppa tree so that Inanna could make it into a throne and bed for her temple.
From the remains of the roots of the sacred tree, Gilgamesh created for himself a kind of musical instrument, perhaps a drum, called pukku in the poem, and from the top of the tree - mikku, drumsticks. And this drum turned out to be magical; people meekly submitted to Gilgamesh while he played it. The hero imagined himself equal to god and began to use the inhabitants of Uruk without any pity. He forced young people to work tirelessly, and tore young girls away from their mothers and grooms and kept them in his house for pleasure.
The young maidens raised a great cry, and the just god Utu heard it. In an instant, both Pukku and Mikku fell into the lower world. Gilgamesh tried in vain to get them. And so the hero sits down at the ganzir - the eye of the underworld - and begins to mourn his loss. His faithful servant Enkidu saw him in such grief and volunteered to go down to the lower world to bring pucca and mikku.
Gilgamesh was delighted and began to give Enkidu instructions on how not to remain in the “land of no return” forever. You cannot appear in the lower world in clean clothes, you cannot anoint yourself with oil, take a staff with you, put on sandals, you cannot kiss the woman you love, but you cannot hit the one you hate. It is obvious that only a person who has completely renounced earthly goods and power, who has conquered both love and hatred within himself, has a chance to return from the lower world.
Enkidu did not heed Gilgamesh's advice. He put on clean clothes, anointed himself with sweet oil, took a spear and a staff with him, kissed the one he loved and hit the one he hated. He violated all the prohibitions of the underworld and remained there forever.
Gilgamesh was saddened when he realized what had happened. He went to Nippur to pray to the all-powerful god Enlil to help him at least see his friend, but the great god did not heed his pleas. Then Gilgamesh went to Eridu to ask Enki, and the god of wisdom agreed to help. He ordered the sun god Utu to open the door of the lower world, and the shadow of Enkidu slipped into it.
The friends were delighted to meet, hugged, kissed, and Gilgamesh began to ask Enkidu about who was living in the lower world.
In eternal days, in endless days,
On eternal nights, on endless nights,
In the eternal years, in the endless years,
In those days of yore, when everything vital was revealed in radiance, that’s when,
In those days of yore, when everything vital was tenderly spoken, that's when,
When they began to eat bread in the houses of the Country, that’s when,
When they began to make melting crucibles in the furnaces of the Country, that’s when
When the heavens were separated from the earth, that's when,
When the earth moved away from the heavens, that's when,
When the name of men was established, that's when,
When An took away the sky, that's when,
And Enlil took the land for himself, that’s when,
When Ereshkigal was given as a wedding gift to the underworld, that's when,
When he set sail, when he set sail, that's when,
When the Father floated into the underground world, that's when,
When Enki floated into the underground world, that’s when,
The little ones rush to the master,
Huge ones are rushing towards Enki,
These little hands are stones,
Huge stones that make the reeds dance.
Around the keel of Enki's boat
They scatter like turtles
In front of the lord's boat
Water, like a wolf, devours everything,
Behind the stern of Enki's boat
The water, like a lion, is raging, -
Then, in those days, one tree
the only tree, the huluppu tree,
On the banks of the Euphrates pure planted,
It drinks the waters of the Euphrates,
The south wind blows with force,
It pulls out its roots, breaks its branches,
The Euphrates waves knock him down /
The wife, Ana, obedient to words, goes,
Enlila, obedient to words, goes,
He takes the tree with his hand and brings it to Uruk.
The blooming Inanna brings it into the garden.
The wife does not lay down her hands, she takes care of the tree
The wife does not take her eyes off, does not lay down her hands, and takes care of the tree.
“When will I sit on the magnificent throne?” - asks.
“When I’m on a magnificent bed, will I lie down?” - asks.
Five years have passed, ten years have passed.
The tree has grown, its bark cannot be split.
In its roots a snake, ignorant of spells, made a nest.
In its branches, Anzud the bird hatched a chick.
In the middle of it, Lilith the Maiden built herself a dwelling.
White-toothed maiden, carefree heart.
Bright Inanna, how bitterly she cries!
At dawn, when the sky lit up,
When the birds began to rustle at dawn,
Utu left the bedchamber,
His bright sister Inanna,
She calls out to Utu the hero:
"My brother, in those primeval days when destinies were decided
When abundance poured out over the Country,
When An took away the heavens, that's when,
And Mullil took the land for himself, that’s when,
When Gashangal was given as a wedding gift to the underground Kur, that's when,
When he set sail, that's when,
When the Father swam underground to Kur, that’s when,
When Amanki swam underground to Kur, that’s when -
Little ones rush to the ruler,
The great ones rush to Amanki,
These little ones are the stones of the hand,
The great ones are the stones that make the reeds dance.
Around the keel of the Amanka boat
They scatter like turtles
Before the nose of the lord's boat
Water, like a wolf, devours everything,
Behind the stern of Amanka's boat
The water, like a lion, is raging, -
Then, in those days, one tree, one tree,
Huluppu tree,
On the banks of the Euphrates the pure one is planted,
It drinks the waters of the Euphrates,
The south wind blows with force, tears out its roots,
It breaks its branches,
The Euphrates waves knock him down,
Wifey, Ana, obedient to words, goes,
Mulilla is obedient to his words and goes.
She took the tree with her hand and brought it to Uruk,
Gashanna brought it into the blooming garden.
I, little wife, did not lay down my hands, I took care of the tree,
I, Gashanna, did not lay down my hands. She didn’t take her eyes off, she took care of the tree.
“When will I sit on the magnificent throne?” - she asked.
“When I’m on a magnificent bed, will I lie down?” - she asked.
Five years have passed, ten years have passed.
The tree has grown, its bark cannot be split.
In its roots a snake, ignorant of spells, made a nest.
In its branches Anzud the bird hatched a chick,
In the middle of it, Lilith the Maiden built herself a dwelling.
White-toothed maiden, carefree heart."
Bright Inanna, how bitterly she cries!
Her brother, the hero Utu, did not respond to these words.
At dawn, when the sky lit up,
When the birds began to rustle at dawn,
Utu left the bedchamber,
His bright sister Inanna,
She calls out to the mighty Gilgamesh:
"My brother, in those ancient days when destinies were decided,
When abundance poured out over the Country,
When An took away the heavens, that's when,
And Mullil took the land for himself, that’s when,
When Gashangal was given as a wedding gift to the underground Kur, that's when,
When he set sail, when he set sail, that's when,
When the Father swam underground to Kur, that’s when,
When Amanki swam underground to Kur, that’s when -
Little ones rush to the ruler,
The great ones rush to Amanki,
These little ones are the stones of the hand,
The great ones are the stones that make the reeds dance,
Around the keel of the Amanka boat
They scatter like turtles
Before the nose of the lord's boat
Water, like a wolf, devours everything,
Behind the stern of Amanka's boat
The water, like a lion, is raging, -
Then, in those days, one tree, one tree,
Huluppu tree,
On the banks of the Euphrates the pure one is planted,
It drinks the water of the Euphrates,
The south wind blows with force, tears out its roots,
It breaks its branches,
The Euphrates waves knock him down.
Wifey, Ana, obedient to words, goes,
Mulilla, obedient to words, goes,
He takes the tree with his hand and brings it to Uruk,
The blooming Gashapanna brings it to the garden,
The wife does not lay down her hands, she takes care of the tree,
Hashanna does not lay down her hands, does not lower her basin, and takes care of the tree.
“When will I sit on the magnificent throne?” - asks.
“When I’m on a magnificent bed, will I lie down?” - asks.
Five years have passed, ten years have passed.
The tree has grown, its bark cannot be split.
In its roots a snake, ignorant of spells, made a nest
In its branches, Anzud the bird hatched a chick.
In the middle of it, Lilith the Maiden built herself a dwelling.
White-toothed maiden, carefree heart.
I, bright Gashanna, how bitterly I cry!”
To the words that his sister said to him,
Her brother, the mighty Gilgamesh, responded to her words.
He girdled his waist with a pound belt,
It's a piece of cake, a piece of fluff.
Bronze axe, your road axe,
That twenty poods, and even a quarter, he took in his hand.
He killed the snake in the roots that knows no spells.
Anzud the bird grabbed her chick in the branches and flew to the mountains.
In the middle, Lilith the Maiden destroyed her house,
In ruin he flees for his life.
And the tree - he cut its roots, he split its branches.
His fellow citizens who were with him,
Its branches were cut off, tied,
And he gave his sister, pure Inanna, for the throne,
He gave it for the bed.
He made himself a magic drum from the roots, Pukku.
Mikku made magic drumsticks from branches.
The drum is loud, he is the drum
It takes you out into the spacious streets,
Loud, loud,
He takes it out onto the wide street.
The youths of his city began to play the drum.
They are a troop of widows' children who gallop tirelessly.
"Oh, my throat, oh, my thighs!" - so they cry loudly.
He who has a mother brings food to his son,
Whoever has a sister, she pours water for her brother.
When evening came,
He marked the place where the drum stood.
He erected a drum in front of him, he brought it into the house.
When morning came, where he had marked his place,
Where they danced
From curses, from widows,
From the cries of little girls - "Oh, Utu!" —
Drum with drumsticks
They fell to the dwellings of the underworld.
He tried, he didn't get them.
He pulled his hand, he didn’t get them.
He pulled his leg, he couldn’t reach them.
There, before the entrance gate of Ganzira, before the gate
Underworld they lie
Gilgamesh sheds tears, turning green with grief.
"Oh my drum, oh my sticks!
The drum, I haven’t had enough of its luxury,
I was not amused by its full sound!
If only my drum were still in the carpenter's house!
He would love a carpenter’s wife as if he were his own mother!
A carpenter's daughter that he would love a younger sister!
My drum has fallen into the underworld,
who will get it for me?
My sticks have fallen into the underworld,
who will get them for me?"
His servant Enkidu answers him:
“My lord, how you cry bitterly!
My heart, why are you sad?
Now I will return your drum from the underworld to you,
I will truly get your sticks from Ganzir for you!”
Gilgamesh says this to Enkidu:
"If now you descend into the underground world,
I will give you advice, take my advice,
Turn your mind to the words that I tell you!
Don't wear light clothes -
They will take you for a spirit wanderer.
Do not rub yourself with fresh sacrificial oil -
They will gather around you at its scent.
You should not take spears to Kur -
Those killed with a spear will gather around you.
Do not take the dogwood rod into your hand -
The spirits of the dead will certainly grab you
.
Don't put shoes on your feet -
Don't make any noise in the underworld.
Don't kiss your beloved wife,
Don't hit your wife, whom you don't love,
Don't kiss your beloved child,
Don’t hit your unloved child,
The cries of the underground world will seize you.
The one that lies, the one that lies,
From the mother of God Ninazu, from the one who lies,
Her beautiful thighs are not covered with clothes,
Her light breasts are not covered with linen.
Her voice rings like pure copper.
She ruffles her hair like straw."
Enkidu did not heed his master's words.
He put on clean, light clothes -
They take him for a wandering spirit.
Fresh sacrificial oil from a stone vessel
He anointed himself -
They gathered around him at the scents.
He throws a spear into the underground world -
Those killed surround him with spears.
He takes the dogwood rod in his hand -
The spirits of the dead grab him.
He puts shoes on his feet -
It makes cracks in the underground world.
He kisses his beloved wife,
He beats his unloved wife,
He kisses his beloved child,
He hits the unloved child,
The cry of the underworld grabs him.
She who lies, she who lies, mother of the god Ninazu, she who lies,
Her fair shoulders are not covered with clothes,
Her fair breasts are not covered,
Similar to incense vessels.
When Enkidu wanted to rise from the underworld,
Namtar did not grab him, Azag did not grab him,
The earth grabbed him.
Nergal's merciless guard did not catch him.
The earth grabbed him.
He did not fall on the battlefield of his husbands, the earth grabbed him.
Gilgamesh, mighty son of Ninsun,
Ekur wanders alone to the temple of Enlil,
Before Enlil he weeps:
"Father Enlil, my drum to the underworld has fallen,
My sticks fell to Ganzir.
Enkidu came down to return them, the underground world grabbed him
Namtar did not grab him, Azag did not grab him,
The underground world grabbed him.
Nergal's merciless guard did not catch him,
The underground world grabbed him.
He did not fall on the battlefield of his husbands,
The underground world grabbed him."
Father Enlil did not respond to his words,
And he wandered to Eredug,
I wandered alone to Eredug to Enki,
Before Enki he sobs:
"Father Enki, my drum has fallen to the underworld,
My sticks fell to Ganzir.
Enkidu came down to return them, the underground world grabbed him.
Namtar did not grab him, Azag did not grab him, the underworld grabbed him.
Nergal's merciless guard did not grab him, the underworld grabbed him.
He did not fall on the battlefield of his men; the underground world grabbed him."
Father Enkn responded to his words,
To the mighty Utu-hero, goddess Ningal
He addressed his born son:
“Come on, open the hole of the underworld!
Raise his servant from the underworld to him!”
He opened a hole in the underworld.
With a gust of wind, his servant rose from the underworld.
They hug and kiss.
They sigh while talking.
"Have you seen the laws of the underworld?"
“I won’t tell you, my friend, I won’t tell you!
If I tell you about the laws of the underworld,
You will sit down sobbing." - “Let me sit down, sobbing.”
"My body, which you touched,
made my heart happy,
Like an old rag, filled with worms,
Like a crevice, filled with dust."
"Oh, woe!" - he cried and sat down on the ground.
“Did you see the one who has one son?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“He is the one who, in front of a peg driven into the wall, weeps bitterly.”
“Have you seen the one with two sons?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“He is the one who sits on two bricks and eats bread.”
“Have you seen the one who has three sons?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"He is like one who drinks water from a wineskin in the steppe,
brought by a weak youth."
“Have you seen the one who has four sons?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“Like one who harnesses four donkeys, his heart is glad.”
“Have you seen the one who has five sons?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"Like a good scribe whose hand is skillful,
who enters the palace boldly."
“Have you seen the one who has six sons?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"Like a good farmer, he is merry at heart."
“Have you seen the one who has seven sons?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"Like a friend of the gods, sits in a chair,
enjoys the music of dancing."
“Have you seen the one who has no heir?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“He eats bread like a brick broken by the wind,”
“I saw the palace eunuch, what is it like for him there?”
“Like an overseer standing in the corner, shouting at him.”
“Have you seen your nulliparous wife?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for her there?"
“Like a fool’s broken pot, her life was thrown away,
brings no joy to anyone."
"The young lad, who from the womb of his wife
didn’t take off his clothes, did you see?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“I gave him a rope to help him, over the rope he sobs.”
"A young girl who did not tear off her husband's clothes,
did you see?
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for her there?"
"I gave her a reed to help,
she weeps over the reed."
"He is deprived of food, he is deprived of water, he eats garbage,
he drinks slop
lives behind the city wall."
"He's covered in sores, like a bull being eaten by horseflies."
“Did you see someone who fell in battle?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“His father has his head in his hands and is crying over him.”
“Have you seen the spirit of someone who has no one to take care of?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"Pieces of picked up bread that were thrown into the street,
he feeds."
“Have you seen a man knocked down with a support pile and covered with it?*
"Woe to my mother!" - he shouted,
when the pile cut it!”
“He breaks the crumbs of his bread with a club.”
“Did you see the one who died in his prime?”*
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"Where the bed of the gods is, and there he lies."
"My babies are stillborn,
who doesn’t know himself, has he seen it?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for them there?"
"Around tables of gold and silver,
where there is honey and fine cream, they frolic."
“Did you see someone thrown into the fire?” - “No, I didn’t see him.
He doesn’t have a ghost spirit; his smoke ascended to heaven.”
Praise!
Additions to the Akkadian version and the Sumerian fragment
“Did you see the one whose body was thrown into the field?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"His spirit does not sleep in the underworld."
“Did you see the one who fell from the roof?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"His bones, his hands are not..."
“Did you see the one who was knocked down by the flood of Ishkur?”*
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“Like a bull, he shakes, horse flies eat him.”
“Did you see the one who was thrown into the dust?”*
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"He is deprived of food, he is deprived of water, he eats garbage,
he drinks slop
He lives behind the city wall."
“Did you see the one who did not honor the words of his mother and father?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"He drinks muddy water, he drinks bitter water,
does not receive enough food."
“Have you seen the one who is cursed by mother and father?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
“He has no heir, his spirit wanders alone.”
“Did you see the one who died in his prime?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"His words..."
“Have you seen the spirit of someone who has no one to take care of?”*
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"Pieces of picked up bread that were thrown into the street,
he feeds."
"My babies are stillborn,
who doesn’t know himself, has he seen it?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for them there?"
"Around tables of gold and silver,
where honey and fine cream frolic"
“Did you see the one thrown into the fire?” - “No, I didn’t see him.”
"His smoke rose to the heavens,
his ghost does not live in the Earth."
"The one who swore by Sumukan's false oath,
I broke my oath, did you see?
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for him there?"
"In the watering places of the underworld... he drinks."
“Have you seen the sons of Girsu in the Earth... their fathers, their mothers?”
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for them there?"
"To the sons of Martha, who roam the mountain tops, -
there, in the Earth, I saw
Have you seen the Sumerians, Akkadians?"
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for them there?"
"The water of false places, they drink dark water..."
"My father, my mother... have you seen?"
"Yes, I saw it."
"What's it like for them there?"
"...they drink (?)"
Translation by V. K. Afanasyeva
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru