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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LATUM SHIL GILGAMESH
EPIC OF GILGAMESH

Tablet 2:100
Tablet 2:151

100 Remember me, my friend, and do not forget what I went through.
101 My friend saw an indescribable dream.
102 From the day he saw the dream, his strength was finished.
103 Enkidu lay there the first day, then a second day.
104 The illness of Enkidu, as he lay in bed, grew worse, his flesh weaker.
105 A third day and a fourth day, the illness of Enkidu grew worse, his flesh weaker,
106 A fifth, sixth and seventh day, eighth, ninth and tenth.
107 The illness of Enkidu grew worse, his flesh weaker.
108 An eleventh and twelfth day his illness grew worse, his flesh weaker.
109 Enkidu, as he lay in bed grew worse, Gilgamesh cried out,
110 My friend is cursing me, I was afraid of the fight.
111 My friend, who was so strong in the fight, cursed me,
112 When the first light of dawn appeared Gilgamesh said to his friend,
113 Enkidu, my friend, your mother a gazelle,
114 And your father a wild donkey sired you,
115 Their milk was from onagers; they reared you,
116 And cattle made you familiar with all the pastures.
117 Enkidu's paths led to the pine forest.
118 They shall weep for you shadow hour and day, never fall silent,
119 Weep for you, the elders of the broad city, of Uruk the sheepfold.
120 The summit will bless us after our death.
121 They shall weep for you, the mountains.
122 They shall mourn in the open country as if it were your father, the field as if it were your mother.
123 They shall weep for you, myrtle, cypress, and pine,
124 In the midst of which we armed ourselves in our fury.
125 They shall weep for you, the bear, hyena, leopard, tiger, stag, cheetah,
126 Lion, wild bulls, deer, mountain goat, cattle, and other wild beasts of open country.
127 It shall weep for you, the holy river Ulaya, along whose bank,
128 We used to walk so proudly.
129 It shall weep for you, the pure Euphrates,
130 With whose water in waterskins we used to refresh ourselves.
140 They shall weep for you; the young men of the broad city, of Uruk the sheepfold,
141 Who watched the fighting when we struck down the bull of heaven.
142 He shall weep for you, the ploughman at his plough who extols your name with sweet Alala.
143 He shall weep for thou, of the broad city of Uruk the sheepfold,
144 Who will extol your name in the first...
145 He shall weep for you, the shepherd, the herdsman,
146 Who used to make the beer mixture for your mouth.
147 She shall weep for you, the wet nurse who used to put butter on your lower parts.
148 He shall weep for you, the elder who used to put ale to your mouth.
149 She shall weep for you, the harlot Shamhat, by whom you were anointed with perfumed oil.
150 They shall weep for you, your parents in law who comfort the wife of your loins. They shall weep for thou, the young men, like brothers.
151 They shall weep for you and tear out