Source: Black, J. A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E. and Zólyomu, G. The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature , Oxford University, 1998 - ©All rights reserved to authors. Text reproduced here for aid in research and study purposes
This composition seems to be an obituary to Gilgamesh and as such is a piece of literary value. Nevertheless, it does present some debating points in the light of the Epic itself. To start with, according to the present text, Gilgamesh dies as a young man seemingly right after returning from his quest for immortality, but neverthless a) he leaves behind a beloved wife and queen, a junior wife and children, who mourn for him with deep sorrow, together with Gilgamesh´s mother, the goddess Ninsun. It seems clear therefore to me that the death of Gilgamesh took place a little later than the text implies also because b) the so-called young king of Uruk is also deeply mourned by some of his closest officials, such as his cup-bearer (the ancient equivalent to the Minister of Treasury), his musician, barber and palace retainers, amongst others, demonstrating that the arrogant and feared young king of the days before the Quest for Immortality had grown in the respect and affection of his subjects; c) Gilgamesh is shown paying his respects to the deities of the Underworld and his ancestors by the offering of gifts and food, and d) he seems be have conquered the favour of the gods because of Ninsun, the Goddess and his mother, to become a judge of the living and the dead in the Underworld. Futhermore, as fragmented as the text reached us, it does not mention Gilgamesh´s extraordinary deeds as a king on his return to Uruk which are described at length in the Prologue of the Epic, such as the building of the great walls of the city, the palace and the maintenance of the temple precincts.Because it is the Prologue of the Epic, when Gilgamesh has achieved Self-Transcendence and Mastery over HimSelf, that we see that the king of Uruk has finally become wise by having deserved his Kingdom and consequently, his Crown.
A VERSION FROM NIPPUR
SEGMENT A
unknown no. of lines missing
1-14...... hero ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. He of well-proportioned limbs ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. He who ...... wickedness has lain down and is never to rise again. The young man ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. He who was perfect in ...... and feats of strength has lain down and is never to rise again. ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. The lord of Kulaba has lain down and is never to rise again. He who spoke most wisely has lain down and is never to rise again. The plunderer (?) of many countries has lain down and is never to rise again. He who climbed the mountains has lain down and is never to rise again. He has lain down on his death-bed and is never to rise again. He has lain down on a couch of sighs and is never to rise again.
15-38Unable to stand up, unable
to sit down, he laments. Unable to eat, unable to drink, he laments. Held fast
by the door-bolt of Namtar, he is unable to rise. Like a fish ......, he ......
ill. Like a gazelle caught in a trap, he ...... couch. Namtar, with no hands
or feet ......, Namtar .......
1 line fragmentary
6 lines missing
1 line fragmentary
...... great mountains ......
5 lines fragmentary
1 line missing
2 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT B
1-83
lines fragmentary
For six days, he ...... ill. ...... on his skin like resin. Lord Gilgamec ......
ill. ...... Unugand Kulaba. ...... the words spoken .......
9-14Then lord Gilgamec ......
lay down (?) on the death-bed. The king ...... sleep. ...... his dream .......
...... assembly .......
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT C
1-9
6 lines fragmentary
"...... you will be accounted a god. ...... render verdicts. ...... will be
as weighty as ...... of Dumuzid."
10-20...... Gilgamec .......
3 lines fragmentary
...... lord of Kulaba, ...... hero of the pristine mountain, ...... handiwork
of the gods,
1 line fragmentary
...... of Ninsumun, ...... Lugalbanda, ...... lord Nudimmud,
approx. 7 lines missing
SEGMENT D
1-11"......
having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched ...... from its
......, having killed ......, you set up ...... for future days ....... Having
founded ......, you reached ....... Having brought down the old ...... forgotten
forever and ......, he (?) carried out correctly ....... ...... the flood ......
the settlements of the Land."
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT E
1-11
"3 lines fragmentary
Sisig (a god of dreams), the son of Utu, will provide light for him
in the nether world, the place of darkness. When a funerary statue is made in
honour of someone, whoever they may be, for future days, mighty youths and ......
will form (?) a semicircle at the door-jambs and perform wrestling and feats
of strength before them (?). In the month Nenejar, at the festival of the ghosts,
no light will be provided before them without him (i.e. Gilgamec)."
12-27"Oh Gilgamec! Enlil, the Great Mountain, the father of gods, has made kingship your destiny, but not eternal life -- lord Gilgamec, this is how to interpret (?) ...... the dream. The ...... and ...... of life should not make you feel sad, should not make you despair, should not make you feel depressed. You must have been told that this is what the bane of being human involves. You must have been told that this is what the cutting of your umbilical cord involved. The darkest day of humans awaits you now. The solitary place of humans awaits you now. The unstoppable flood-wave awaits you now. The unavoidable battle awaits you now. The unequal struggle awaits you now. The skirmish from which there is no escape awaits you now. But you should not go to the underworld with heart knotted in anger. May ...... before Utu. ...... palm-fibre .......
28"Go ahead ......
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT F
1-14"
1 line fragmentary
...... Enkidu, your young comrade.
1 line fragmentary
...... is lying alone. ...... is lying alone. ...... the king .......
1 line fragmentary
...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ......
will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will come to you. ...... will
come to you. "
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT G
1-22
1 line fragmentary
...... Gilgamec ......
2 lines fragmentary
...... they answered him. ...... he weeps. Why is ...... made ......? ......
Nintud has not given birth yet.
2 lines fragmentary
1 line unclear
"The birds of the sky ...... cannot escape. The fish of the deep water cannot
see ....... Having spread his net, the young fisherman will catch you (?). Who
has ever seen anyone who could ascend ...... from (?) the ...... of the nether
world? No king has ever been destined a fate like yours. Who ...... anyone among
mankind, whoever they may be, ...... like you? ...... the governorship of the
nether world. You ...... your ghost ...... pass judgments ....... "
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT H
1-21Kulaba
....... As Unug rose ......, as Kulaba rose ....... Within the first month ......,
it was not five or ten days before they ...... the Euphrates. ...... its shells.
Then, as in the bed of the Euphrates, the earth cracked dry. ...... was built
from stone. ...... was built from stone. ...... were hard diorite. ...... its
latches were hard stone. ...... were cast in gold. ...... heavy blocks of stone.
...... heavy blocks of stone. ...... brought in ....... ...... for future days.
1 line fragmentary
...... should not find ....... ...... Gilgamec ...... has established in .......
22His beloved .......
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT I
1-9
2 lines fragmentary
...... opened .......
2 lines fragmentary
...... of lord Gilgamec ....... ...... scratched the nose for him, ...... pulled
out their hair for him.
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
ANOTHER VERSION FROM NIPPUR
(probably the final section of another version)
1-7His beloved wife, his beloved children, his beloved favourite and junior wife, his beloved musician, cup-bearer and ......, his beloved barber, his beloved ......, his beloved palace retainers and servants and his beloved objects were laid down in their places as if ...... in the purified (?) palace in the middle of Unug.
8-28 Gilgamec, the son of Ninsumun,
set out their audience-gifts for Ereckigala. He set out their gifts for Namtar.
He set out their surprises for Dimpikug. He set out their presents for Neti.
He set out their presents for Ninjiczida and Dumuzid. He ...... the audience-gifts
for Enki, Ninki, Enmul, Ninmul, Endulkuga, Nindulkuga, Enindacurima, Nindacurima,
Enmu-utula, Enmencara, the maternal and paternal ancestors of Enlil; for Cul-pa-ed,
the lord of the table, for Sumugan and Ninhursaja, for the Anunagods of the
Holy Mound, for the Great Princes of the Holy Mound, for the dead en
priests, the dead lagar priests, the dead lumah priests, the dead
nindijir priestesses, and the dead gudu, the linen-clad and ......
priests.
1 line fragmentary
He set out their presents for .......
29-36...... lie down ......
Ninsumun ....... Gilgamec, the son of Ninsumun, ...... poured water .......
1 line fragmentary
...... scratched the nose for him. The people ...... of his city ...... will
not ...... anymore. They spread out (?) their ...... in the dust.
37-42 Then the young lord,
lord Gilgamec, who never ceases to ...... for the ...... of Enlil -- Gilgamec,
the son of Ninsumun, ...... offshoot ......; no king who could match him has
ever been born,
1 line unclear
Gilgamec, lord of Kulaba, it is sweet to praise you!
A VERSION FROM ME-TURAN
SEGMENT A
1-12 The great wild bull has lain down and is never to rise again. Lord Gilgamechas lain down and is never to rise again. He who was unique in ...... has lain down and is never to rise again. The hero fitted out with a shoulder-belt has lain down and is never to rise again. He who was unique in strength has lain down and is never to rise again. He who diminished wickedness has lain down and is never to rise again. He who spoke most wisely has lain down and is never to rise again. The plunderer (?) of many countries has lain down and is never to rise again. He who knew how to climb the mountains has lain down and is never to rise again. The lord of Kulaba has lain down and is never to rise again. He has lain down on his death-bed and is never to rise again. He has lain down on a couch of sighs and is never to rise again.
13-19 Unable to stand up, unable to sit
down, he laments. Unable to eat, unable to drink, he laments. Held fast by the
door-bolt of Namtar, he is unable to rise. Like a ...... fish ...... in a cistern,
he ...... ill. Like a captured gazelle buck, he ...... couch. Namtar with no
hands or feet, who ...... one by night,
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT B
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-5Then the young lord, lord
Gilgamec,
4 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT C
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-9 4 lines fragmentary
Then the young lord, lord Gilgamec,
4 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT D
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-11 11 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT E
(The sequence of Segments B, C, D, and E is uncertain)
1-7 5 lines fragmentary
Gilgamec ......
1 line fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT F
1-22
2 lines fragmentary
Then the young lord, lord Gilgamec, lay down on his death-bed.
2 lines fragmentary
After lord Gilgamec had arrived at the assembly, the pre-eminent place of the
gods, they said to lord Gilgamec concerning him: "As regards your case: after
having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched cedar, the unique
tree, from its mountains, having killed Huwawa in his forest, you set up many
stelae for future days, for days to come. Having founded many temples of the
gods, you reached Zi-ud-sura in his dwelling place (1 ms. has instead:
place). Having brought down to the Land the divine powers of Sumer, which at
that time were forgotten forever, the orders, and the rituals, he (?) carried
out correctly the rites of hand washing and mouth washing .......
1 line fragmentary "
3 lines missing
23-37 2 lines fragmentary
Enlil's advice was given to Enki. Enki answered An and Enlil: "In those days,
in those distant days, in those nights, in those distant nights, in those years,
in those distant years, after the assembly had made the Flood sweep over to
destroy the seed of mankind, among us I was the only one who was for life (?),
and so he remained alive (?) -- Zi-ud-sura, although (?) a human being, remained
alive (?). Then you made me swear by heaven and by earth, and ...... that no
human will be allowed to live forever (?) any more. Now, as we look at Gilgamec,
could not he escape because of his mother?"
38-41 (Another god speaks:) "Let Gilgamec as a ghost, below among the dead, be the governor of the nether world. Let him be pre-eminent among the ghosts, so that he will pass judgments and render verdicts, and what he says will be as weighty as the words of Ninjiczida and Dumuzid."
42-62Then the young lord Gilgamec
became depressed because of (?) all mankind. "You should not despair, you should
not feel depressed.
1 line fragmentary
Mighty youths and ...... a semicircle .......
14 lines missing
63-81"Go ahead to the place
where the Anuna gods, the great gods, sit at the funerary offerings, to the
place where the en priests lie, to where the lagar priests lie,
to where the lumah priests and the nindijir priestesses lie, to
where the gudu priests lie, to where the linen-clad priests lie, to where
the nindijir priestesses lie, to where the ...... lie, to the place where
your father, your grandfather, your mother, your sisters, your ......, to where
your precious friend, your companion, your friend Enkidu, your young comrade,
and the governors appointed by the king to the Great City are, to the place
where the sergeants of the army lie, to where the captains of the troops lie,
3 lines missing
From the house of ......, the ...... will come to meet you. Your jewel will
come to meet you, your precious one will come to meet you. The elders of your
city will come to meet you. You should not despair, you should not feel depressed."
82-86"He will now be counted among the Anuna gods. He will be counted a companion of the (1 ms. adds: great) gods. ...... the governor of the nether world. He will pass judgments and render verdicts, and what he says will be as weighty as the words of Ninjiczida and Dumuzid."
87-99And then the young lord,
lord Gilgamec, woke up ....... ...... his eyes, ....... ...... a dream ......!
...... a dream ......!
3 lines fragmentary
"Am I to become again as I were ...... on the lap of my own mother Ninsumun?
...... who makes the great mountains tremble (?). Namtar with no hands or feet
takes away ......."
1 line fragmentary
100-115Lord Nudimmud made (?)
him see a dream: After lord Gilgamec had arrived at the assembly, the pre-eminent
place of the gods, they said to lord Gilgamecconcerning him: "As regards your
case: after having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched cedar,
the unique tree, from its mountains, having killed Huwawa in his forest, you
set up many stelae for future days ....... Having founded many temples of the
gods,
1 line fragmentary
Having brought down to the Land the divine powers of Sumer, which at that time
were forgotten forever, the orders, and the rituals, he (?) carried out correctly
the rites of hand washing and mouth washing. ...... the settlements of the countries."
2 lines fragmentary
116-130 1 line fragmentary
...... Gilgamec ....... Enlil's advice was given to Enki. Enki answered An and
Enlil: "In those days, in those distant days, in those nights, in those distant
nights, in those years, in those distant years, after the assembly had made
the Flood sweep over to destroy the seed of mankind ......, among us I was the
only one who was for life (?). He remained alive (?); Zi-ud-sura alone, although
(?) a human being, remained alive (?). Then you made me swear by heaven and
by earth, and I swore that no human will be allowed to live forever (?) any
more. Now, as we look at Gilgamec, could not he escape because of his mother?"
131-134 (Another god speaks:) "Let Gilgamec as a ghost, below among the dead, be the governor of the nether world. Let him be pre-eminent among the ghosts, so that he will pass judgments and render verdicts, and what he says will be as weighty as the words of Ninjiczida and Dumuzid."
135-142Then the young lord,
lord Gilgamec, became depressed because of (?) all mankind. "You should not
despair, you should not feel depressed.
1 line fragmentary
Mighty youths and ...... a semicircle ....... Without him (i.e. Gilgamec).......
Sisig(a god of dreams), the son of Utu, will provide light for him
in the place of darkness.
143-153"You must have been told (?) that this is what your being (?) a human involves. You must have been told (?) that this is what the cutting of your umbilical cord involved. The darkest day of humans awaits you now. The solitary place of humans awaits you now. The unstoppable flood-wave awaits you now. The unequal struggle awaits you now. The unavoidable battle awaits you now. The evil (?) from which there is no escape awaits you now. But you should not go to the underworld with heart knotted in anger. May it be ...... before Utu. Let it be unravelled like palm-fibre and peeled (?) like garlic.
154-167"Go ahead to the place
where the Anuna gods, the great gods, sit at the funerary offerings, to the
place where the en priests lie, to where the lagar priests lie,
to where the lumah priests and the nindijir priestesses lie, to
where the gudu priests lie, to where the linen-clad priests lie, to where
the nindijir priestesses lie, to where the ...... lie, to the place where
your father, your grandfather, your mother, your sisters, your ......, to where
your precious friend, your companion, your friend Enkidu, your young comrade,
and the governors appointed by the king to the Great City are, to the place
where the sergeants of the army lie, to where the captains of the troops lie.
...... the Great City Arali ......
1 line fragmentary
168-172"From the house of the sisters, the sisters will come to meet you. From the house of ......, ...... will come to meet you. Your jewel will come to meet you, your precious one will come to met you. The elders of your city will come to meet you. You should not despair, you should not feel depressed."
173-174"He ...... the Anuna
gods. He will be counted a companion of the great gods.
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT G
1-5 5 lines fragmentary
SEGMENT H
1-9
5 lines fragmentary
His architect (?) designed his tomb like ....... His god Enki showed him where
the solution of the dream lies by ....... No one but the ...... of the king
could solve the vision.
10-32The lord imposed a levy
on his city. The herald made the horn signal sound in all the lands: "Unug,
arise! Open up the Euphrates! Kulaba, arise! Divert the waters of the Euphrates!"
Unug's levy was a flood, Kulaba'slevy was a clouded sky. Meanwhile not even
the first month had passed (1 ms. has instead: ......), it was not
five or ten days before they had opened up the Euphratesand diverted its high
water. Utu looked at its shells with admiration. Then as soon as the water in
the bed of the Euphrates had receded, his tomb was built there from stone. Its
walls were built from stone. Its door leaves were installed in the sockets (?)
of the entrance. Its bolt and thresholds were hard stone. Its door-pivots were
hard stone. They installed its gold beams. Heavy block of stone were moved to
....... ...... was covered with a thick layer of(1 ms. has instead:
was covered (?) with) dark soil. ...... for future days.
1 line fragmentary
...... who are searching for it should not find its precinct (?). He set up
a solid house in the middle of Unug.
33-41His beloved wife, his
beloved children, his beloved favourite and junior wife,
7 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT I
1-7......
Gilgamec ......
3 lines fragmentary
...... entered, ...... its entrance. ...... opened up the Euphrates, ......
its water.
1 line fragmentary
8-10Then the young lord, lord
Gilgamec,
2 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT J
1-11
2 lines fragmentary
...... Gilgamec ......
8 lines fragmentary
unknown no. of lines missing
SEGMENT K
1-2...... to the city ....... ...... smeared with dust .......
3-12...... lord Gilgamec despaired and felt depressed. For all the people, whoever they may be, funerary statues are made for future days, and set aside in the temples of the gods. Their names, once uttered, do not sink into oblivion. Aruru, the older sister of Enlil, provides them with offspring for that purpose (?). Their statues are made for future days and they are mentioned in the Land. Ereckigala, mother of Ninazu, it is sweet to praise you!