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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LATUM SHIL GILGAMESH
EPIC OF GILGAMESH

Tablet 2:656
Tablet 2:700

656 Gilgamesh spoke to him, to Urshanabi, the boatman, go up on to the wall of Uruk, Urshanabi, and walk around. Inspect the foundation platform and scrutinize the brickwork! Testify that its bricks are baked bricks and that the seven counselors must have laid its foundations!
657 One square mile is city, one square mile is orchards, one square mile is claypits, as well as the open ground of Ishtar's temple. Three square miles and the open ground comprise Uruk.
658 If only I had led the pukku in the carpenter's house today!
659 I would have left the carpenter's wife like the mother who bore me, I would have left the carpenter's daughter like my little sister.
660 Today the pukku fell into the Earth and my mekku fell into the Earth.
661 Enkidu asked Gilgamesh, my ruler, what did you weep for, and your heart grow sad?
662 I shall bring up the pukku and mekku from the Earth today.
663 Gilgamesh said to Enkidu, if you go down to the Earth, you must follow my instructions.
664 You must not put on a clean garment, for they will recognize that you are a stranger.
665 You must not be anointed with perfumed oil from an ointment jar, for they will gather around you at the smell of it.
666 You must not toss a throw-stick into the Earth, for those who are hit by the throw-stick will encircle you.
667 You must not raise a club in your hands,
668 For ghosts will flit around you.
669 You must not put shoes on your feet,
670 Lest you make a noise in the Earth.
671 You must not kiss the wife you love,
672 You must not hit the wife you hate,
673 You must not kiss the son you love,
674 You must not hit the son you hate,
675 For the Earth's outcry will seize you.
676 She who sleeps and sleeps, the mother of Ninazu who sleeps.
677 Her pure shoulders are not covered with a garment,
678 Her breasts are not pendulous like an ointment jar in a Sappatu-Basin.
679 He did not follow his ruler's instructions.
680 He put on a clean garment,
681 So they recognized that he was a stranger.
682 He was anointed with perfumed oil from an ointment jar.
683 So they gathered around him at the smell of it.
684 He tossed a throw-stick into the Earth,
685 So those who were hit by the throw-stick encircled him.
686 He raised a club in his hands,
687 So ghosts flitted around him.
688 He put shoes on his feet,
689 He made a noise in the Earth.
690 He kissed the wife he loved,
691 He hit the wife he hated,
692 He kissed the son he loved,
693 He hit the son he hated,
694 And the Earth's outcry did seize him.
695 She who sleeps and sleeps, the mother of Ninazu who sleeps.
696 Her pure shoulders were not covered with a garment,
697 Her breasts were not pendulous like an ointment jar in a Sikkatu-basin.
698 When Enkidu tried to go up again out of the Earth,
699 Namtar did not seize him, nor did Asakku seize him: the Earth seized him.
700 The croucher, Ukur the merciless, did not seize him, the Earth seized him.