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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LATUM SHIL GILGAMESH
EPIC OF GILGAMESH

Tablet 1:510
Tablet 2:1

510 Then they lay down. The young men were lying in bed for the shadow hour,
511 And Enkidu lay down and had a dream.
512 Enkidu got up and described the dream,
513 He said to his friend, my friend, why are the great Anunnagi consulting together?
514 Then daylight came and Enkidu said to Gilgamesh,
515 O my brother, what a dream I saw last shadow hour.
516 ANU, Enlil and Enqi and heavenly Shamash were in the assembly.
517 And ANU said to Enlil, as they have slain the bull of heaven,
518 So too they have slain Huwaawa, Humbaba, who guarded the mountains planted with pines.
519 And ANU said, one of them must die.
520 Enlil replied: let Enkidu die, but let Gilgamesh not die.
521 Then heavenly Shamash said to valiant Enlil,
522 Was it not according to your word that they slew the bull of heaven and Huwaawa? Should now innocent Enkidu die?
523 But Enlil turned in anger to heavenly Shamash, saying, the fact is, you accompanied them daily, like one of their comrades.
524 Enkidu lay down before Gilgamesh, his tears flow in like streams.
525 O my brother, my brother is so dear to me.
526 But they are taking me from my brother. And I shall sit among the dead.
527 Never again shall I see my dear brother with my own eyes.
528 Enkidu made his voice heard and spoke.
529 He said to his friend Gilgamesh, come in the door, Enkidu lifted up his face, he discussed with the door;
530 Door, don't you remember the words?
531 I selected the timber for you over twenty leagues, until I had found a fully mature pine.
532 There is no other wood like yours!
533 Your height is six poles, your width two poles, your doorpost, your lower and upper hinge are made from a single tree.
534 I made you, I carried you to Nippur be aware, door,
535 That this was a favor to you, and this was a good deed done for you.
536 I myself raised the axe, I cut you down,
537 Loaded you myself on to the raft,
538 I myself put you in temple of Shamash,
539 I myself set you in his gate,
540 I myself set you in Uruk.
541 Now, door, it was I who made you, I who carried you to Nippur.
542 But the ruler who shall arise after me shall go through you,
543 Gilgamesh shall go through your portals,
544 And change my name, and put on his own name.
545 He tore out the door and hurled.
546 He kept listening to his words, straight away,
547 Gilgamesh kept listening to the words of his friend Enkidu,
548 And his tears flowed.
549 Gilgamesh made his voice heard and spoke;
550 He said to Enkidu,
551 You, who used to be reasonable, the dream was very precious, and the warning awful!

Tablet Two
The Dream
(19x39=741)

Lo! Enkidu, your lips buzzed like flies,