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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LATUM SHIL GILGAMESH
EPIC OF GILGAMESH

Tablet 1:2/75
Tablet 1:318

275 The pines held up their luxuriance even on the face of the mountain.
276 Their shade was good, filling one with happiness.
278 Undergrowth burgeoned, entangling the forest. Humbaba made his voice heard and spoke; he said to Gilgamesh,
279 The fool Gilgamesh and Enkidu brutish man ought to ask themselves, why have you come to see me?
280 Your friend Enkidu is small fry who does not know his own father!
281 You are so very small that I regard you as I do a turtle or a tortoise.
282 Which does not suck its mother's milk, so I do not approach you.
283 Even if I were to kill you, would I satisfy my stomach?
284 Why, oh, Gilgamesh, have you let him reach me?
285 So I shall bite through his windpipe and neck, Gilgamesh!
286 And leave his body for birds of the forest, roaring lions, birds of prey and scavengers.
287 Gilgamesh made his voice heard and spoke; he said to Enkidu,
288 My friend, Humbaba has changed his mood.
289 And fear has come upon him.
290 And my heart trembles lest he change suddenly!
291 Enkidu made his voice heard and spoke; he said to Gilgamesh,
292 My friend, why do you talk like a coward?
293 And your speech was feeble? and you tried to hide?
294 Now, my friend, he has drawn you out.
295 With the blow pipe of the coppersmith for heating will he deal with you.
296 To count back each league swollen once with the heat of a dry day you will feel, each league of cold,
297 To dispatch the flood-weapon, to lash with the whip!
298 Don't retrace your footsteps! Don't turn back!
299 Make your blows harder!
300 Gilgamesh's tears flowed before Shamash remember what you said in Uruk!
301 Stand there and listen to me!
302 Shamash heard the words of Gilgamesh, scion of Uruk, and said,
303 As soon as a loud voice from the sky calls down to him,
304 Rush, stand up to him, let him not enter the forest,
305 Let him not go down to the wood,
306 Humbaba will not be clothed in seven cloaks, he will be wearing only one; six are taken off of him.
307 Like a charging wild bull which pierces any in its way.
308 He shouts only once, but fills one with terror.
309 The guardian of the forests will shout only once.
310 Humbaba like a bull will shout.
311 As soon as the swords were removed from the sheaths streaked with verdigris, and the dagger, sword.
312 Humbaba made his voice heard and spoke to them saying:
313 He will not go, he will not go may Enlil bless me. He struck his head, and matched him.
314 They stirred up the ground with the heels of their feet.
315 Sirara and Lebanon were split apart at their gyrations, white clouds grew black.
316 Death dropped down over them like a fog.
317 Shamash summoned up great tempests against Humbaba,
318 South wind, north wind, east wind,