(translation by Nikolai Gumilyov)
The people of Uruk said to King Gilgamesh:
“Next to you is Eabani, faithful friend,
Against you is Humbaba, guardian of the cedar,
You have chosen a great job for yourself.
We will honor you with this meeting, sir,
And for the meeting you will honor us, lord!”
Gilgamesh opens his mouth and says to Eabani:
“My friend, let's go through the high door
To the maidservant Ninsun, the great queen,
To my mother, who knows secrets."
Rimat-Belit listened for a long time
With sadness the speeches of my son Gilgamesh.
She entered the temple of the goddess hastily,
She placed her jewelry on her body
And jewelry on your chest too,
She crowned her curls with her tiara,
She walked up the wide steps to the terrace.
Got up. And she laid incense before Shamash,
She laid down the sacrifices and raised her hands to Shamash:
“Why did you give Gilgamesh a vigilant heart,
Why did you conquer my son?
You touched him and he goes away
To Humbaba on a distant road,
He enters into a battle that is unknown to him,
Now I have started an unknown business.
Until the day he leaves and comes back,
Until the day he reaches the cedars,
Smite the mighty, smite Humbaba
And the evil that hates you will destroy you,
You, when he turns to the sky,
He will turn to you, Aya, bride, remember!”
She extinguished the incense burner, took off her tiara,
She called Eabani and addressed him
“Eabani, strong, my joy; listen to me:
Now you and Gilgamesh will defeat Humbaba,
With an offering for Shamash, with a prayer for Aya.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru