...Cedar trees... agate... of the sea... lapis lazuli, Like thorns and briars... carnelian,
Rubies, hematite... I like... emeralds...
He [rais]... Of the sea, Gilgamesh... on walking past…opened his eyes and saw…
Tablet X
The inn-keeper Siduri who lives by the seashore, she lives...
The pot-stand was made for her. The golden fermenting vat was made for her.
She is covered with a veil... Gilgamesh would wander around...
Wearing a lion’s skin... he had the flesh of the gods in his body.
But deep down he was sad. He looked like one who has traveled a long way.
The inn-keeper would gaze in the distance, at a total loss.
She said, wondering to herself:
That guy is a murderer for sure.
Where is he heading for? As soon as the inn-keeper saw him, She bolted her gate, closed the lock and locked her door.
But at her noise, Gilgamesh would listen carefully.
He lifted his chin to look around and then zoomed his eye on her.
Gilgamesh spoke to the inn-keeper, saying:
Inn-keeper, what have you seen
That made you bolt your gate, bolt your door and close the lock?
If you do not let me in I will break your door, And smash the lock! ...The wilderness.
...Gilgamesh. The inn-keeper Siduri, who lives by the seashore, She lives...the pot-stand was made for her.
The golden fermenting vat was made for her. She is covered with a veil...
Gilgamesh roved around... He wears a skin...
He has the flesh of the gods in him, but deep down he is sad.
He looked like one who traveled a long way.
The inn-keeper gazed in the distance.
Puzzled, she said wondering:
That guy is a murderer for sure. Where is he heading?
As soon as the inn-keeper saw him, she bolted her gate.
She bolted her door. She closed the lock.
But at her noise Gilgamesh pitched his ears.
He lifted his chin to look around and then laid his eyes on her.
Gilgamesh spoke to the inn-keeper, saying:
Inn-keeper, what have you seen that compelled you To bolt your door bolt your gate and bolt your lock!
If you do not let me in I will break your door.
And I will smash the lock! ...The wilds.
... Gilgamesh ... gate... Gilgamesh said to the inn-keeper:
I am Gilgamesh. I killed the Guardian!
I destroyed Humbaba, who lived in the Cedar Forest.
I slew lions in the mountain passes. I fought with the Bull That came down from heaven, and I killed it.
The inn-keeper spoke to Gilgamesh, saying:
If you are Gilgamesh, the one that killed the Guardian, if you are
The one that killed Humbaba — the monster that lived in the Cedar Forest — If you are the one that slew lions in the mountain passes, if you are the one That fought with the Bull that came down from heaven and killed it,
Then why are your cheeks shrunken and your look gloomy?
Why is your heart so wretched, your skin tone so pale?
Why is there such sadness deep within you?
Why do you look like one who traveled a long distance?
Has ice and heat scorched your face while you roamed the wilds?
Gilgamesh spoke to the inn-keeper. He said:
Inn-keeper, should not my cheeks be dried up?
Should my heart not be wretched?
Should my facial appearance not look tired?
Should there not be sadness deep within me?
Should I not look like one who traveled a long distance?
And should ice and heat not have scorched my face?
Should I not roam the wilds? My friend,
The wild ass that chased the wild donkey and panther of the wilds, Enkidu, the wild ass who chased the wild donkey, panther of the wilds, We joined together, and went up into the mountain.
We fought and slaughtered the Bull of Heaven, We killed Humbaba that lived in the Cedar Forest,
We slew lions in the mountain passes. My friend, whom I love deeply
And who went through every hardship with me, Enkidu, whom I love so much,
The man that went through every hardship with me, The fate of mankind took him by surprise.
Six days and seven nights I mourned over him.
And until a maggot fell out his nose I did not allow that him should be buried.
I was terrified by his looks.
I began to fear death, and so I roamed the wilds.
The issue of my friend oppresses me.
So I roamed long trails through the wilds.
The issue of Enkidu, my friend, oppresses me.
So I roamed long trails through the wilds.
How can I stay silent, how can I be still!
My friend whom I love has turned into clay.
Am I not like him?
Will I lie down, never to get up again?
Gilgamesh spoke to the inn-keeper, saying:
So now, inn-keeper, what is the way to Overseas?
What are its maps? Give the maps to me. Give me the maps.
If possible, I will cross the sea.
If not, I will roam through the wilds.
The inn-keeper spoke to Gilgamesh, saying:
There has never been any crossing at all.
No one crossed the sea since the days of yore.
The only one that crosses the sea is the valiant Sun.
Except for him who else can cross the sea?
The crossing is difficult, its ways are treacherous.
And in between are the Waters of Death that hinder one’s tactics.
And even if you could cross the sea,
When you reach the Waters of Death what would you do?
Over there is Urshanabi, the ferryman of the far away.
The stone things are with him. He is in the woods picking mint.
Go on let him see your face. If possible, cross the sea with him.
If not, you can turn back. When Gilgamesh heard all this, He raised the axe in his hand, drew the dagger from his belt, And slipped stealthily away. He followed the stone things.
Like an arrow he fell among the stone things.
From the middle of the woods their noise could be heard.
Urshanabi, the sharp-eyed, saw...
When he heard the axe, he ran towards it.
He struck his head ... Gilgamesh.
He clapped his hands and ... his chest,
While the stone things... the boat ... Waters of Death ... broad sea In the Waters of Death...
To the river... the boat... on the shore...
Gilgamesh spoke to Urshanabi, the ferryman. ...you.
Urshanabi spoke to Gilgamesh, saying:
Why are your cheeks shrunken and your look gloomy?
Why is your heart so wretched, your facial appearance so tired?
Why is there such sadness deep within you?
Why do you look like one who traveled far away?
Has the ice and heat scorched your face?
Why do you roam the wilds?
Gilgamesh spoke to Urshanabi, saying:
Should my cheeks not be shrunken and my look gloomy?
Should my heart not be wretched, my facial appearance not tired?
Should there not be sadness deep within me?
Should I not look like one who traveled a long distance?
And should ice and heat not scorch my face?
Should I not roam the wilds?
My friend who chased wild asses in the mountain — The panther of the wilds —
Enkidu, my friend, who chased wild asses in the mountain — The panther of the wilds —
We joined together and went up into the mountain.
We fought and slaughtered the Bull of Heaven.
We killed Humbaba that lived in the Cedar Forest.
We slew lions in the mountain passes!
My friend, whom I love deeply, he went through every hardship with me.
Enkidu, my friend that I love deeply, he went through every hardship with me.
The fate of mankind took him by surprise.
Six days and seven nights I mourned over him
And I would not allow to burry his body until a maggot fell out of his nose.
I was terrified by his appearance.
I began to fear death, and so I roamed the wilds.
The issue of my friend oppresses me.
So I roamed on long trails through the wilds.
The issue of Enkidu, my friend, oppresses me.
So I have been roaming long roads through the wilds.
How can I stay silent? How can I stay still?
My friend that I love has turned into clay.
Enkidu, my friend that I love, has turned into clay.
Am I not like him? Will I lie down too, never to get up again?
Gilgamesh spoke to Urshanabi, saying:
Now, Urshanabi! Which one is the way to Utanapishtim?
Which ones are its maps? Give the maps to me. Give me the maps.
If possible, I will cross the sea.
If not, I will roam through the wilds!
Urshanabi spoke to Gilgamesh, saying:
It is your hands that prevent the crossing.
You have smashed the stone things.
You have pulled out their holding ropes.
The stone things have been smashed.
Their retaining ropes have been pulled out.
Take the axe in your hand and go down into the woods.
Cut down three hundred punting poles each sixty cubits in length.
Strip them, attach caps and bring them to the boat!
When Gilgamesh heard this he took up the axe in his hand,
He drew the dagger from his belt, and went down into the woods.
He cut three hundred punting poles, each sixty cubits in length.
He stripped them and affixed caps.
And he brought them to the boat.
Gilgamesh and Urshanabi boarded the boat.
Gilgamesh launched the magillu-boat and they sailed away.
By the third day they had trekked a stretch that normally
Takes of a month and a half. Urshanabi came to the Waters of Death.
Urshanabi said to Gilgamesh:
Hold back, Gilgamesh, take a punting pole,
But your hand must not get into the Waters of Death...
Gilgamesh, take a second, a third, and a fourth pole.
Take a fifth, a sixth, and a seventh pole.
Take an eighth, a ninth, and a tenth pole.
Take an eleventh, and a twelfth pole!
Double sixty rods, Gilgamesh had used up all punting poles.
Then he loosened his waist-cloth for...
Gilgamesh removed his garment.
He held it up on the mast with his arms.
Utanapishtim looked into the distance.
Puzzled, he said wondering:
Why are the stone things on the boat smashed to pieces!
And why someone who is not its master sails on it?
The one who is coming is not one of my men...
I keep looking but not... I keep looking but not...
I keep looking...