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kingofallkings) wrote2015-07-04 02:46 pm
kingofallkings) wrote2015-07-04 02:46 pm
Epic VIII: The Funeral of Enkidu❋
The Funeral of Enkidu
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn,
Gilgamesh began mourning his friend:
'O Enkidu, whom your mother, a gazelle,
And your father, a wild donkey, did raise,
'Whom the wild asses did rear with their milk,
Whom the beasts of the wild did teach all the pastures -
O Enkidu's paths led to the Forest of Cedar
May the paths mourn you without pause, by day and by night!
'May the elders of teeming Uruk-the-Sheepfold mourn you!
May the crowd who gave us their blessings mourn you!
The summit will bless us after our death,
May the high peaks of hills and mountains mourn you,
May the pastures lament like your mother!
'May boxwood, cypress and cedar mourn you,
Through whose midst we crept in our fury!
May the bear mourn you, the hyena, the panther, the cheetah, the stag and the jackal,
The lion, the wild bull, the deer, the ibex, all the beasts of the wild!
'May the sacred river Ulay mourn you,
Along whose banks we walked in our vigor!
May the pure Euphrates mourn you,
Whose water we poured in libation from skins!
'May the young men of Uruk-the-Sheepfold mourn you,
Who witnessed our battle when we slew the Bull of Heaven!
May the ploughman mourn you in his furrow,
When he extols your name with his sweet yodel!
'May the people of teeming Uruk-the-Sheepfold mourn you,
Who sends forth your name with the sweet Alala!
May the shepherd mourn you in his sheepfold,
Who made sweet for your mouth the milk and butter!
'May the brewer in his brewery mourn you,
Who provided the ale for your mouth!
'May the harlots and Shamhat mourn you,
Who once anointed you with sweet-smelling oil!
May those in the house of the wedding ceremony mourn you,
May the young men of Uruk mourn you like brothers!
May their tresses be loosed down their backs like sisters!
'On this very day I myself shall mourn you!
Hear me, O young men, hear me!
Hear me, O elders of teeming Uruk, hear me!
I shall weep for Enkidu, my friend,
Like a mourning woman I shall bitterly wail.
'The axe at my side, in which my arm trusted,
The dirk at my belt, the shield at my face,
My festive garment, my girdle of delight:
A wicked wind rose up and robbed me.
'O my friend, wild ass on the run, donkey of the uplands, panther of the wild,
My friend Enkidu, wild ass on the run, donkey of the uplands, panther of the wild!
Having joined forces we climbed the mountains,
Seized and slew the Bull of Heaven,
Destroyed Humbaba, who dwelt in the Forest of Cedar.
'Now what is this sleep that has seized you?
You've become unconscious, you do not hear me!'
But Enkidu, he lifted not his head.
Gilgamesh felt his heart, but it beat no longer.
He covered, like a bride, the face of his friend,
Like an eagle he circled around him.
Like a lioness whose cubs are trapped in a pit,
He paced to and fro, this way and that.
His curly hair he tore out in clumps,
He ripped off his finery, like something taboo he cast it away.
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn, VIII 65
Gilgamesh sent forth a call to the land:
'O forgemaster! Lapidary! Coppersmith! Goldsmith! Jeweller!
Fashion my friend in a statue of gold.'
He made a statue of his friend:
'The limbs of my friend shall be of [...]
'Your eyebrows shall be of lapis lazuli, your chest of gold,
'I shall lay you out on a magnificent bed,
I shall lay you out on a bed of honor.
I shall place you on my left, on a seat of repose;
The rulers of the underworld will all kiss your feet.
'The people of Uruk I shall have mourn and lament you,
The thriving people I shall fill full of woe for you.
After you are gone [my hair will be matted in mourning,
Clad in the skin of a lion I shall wander the wild.'
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn,
Gilgamesh arose and entered his treasury.
He undid its sealings, inspected the gems:
Obsidian, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and alabaster.
[a long and almost indecipherable list of things Gilgamesh gathered for Enkidu's statue and funeral]
For the great queen Ishtar he displayed to the Sun God:
'May the great queen Ishtar accept this,
May she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For the god Namra-it, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Namra-it accept this,
My he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
A flask of lapis lazuli for Ereshkigal,
The queen of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Ereshkigal, the queen of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
My she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
A flute of carnelia for Dumuzi,
The shepherd beloved of [Ishtar, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Dumuzi, the shepherd beloved of Ishtar, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Namtar, the vizier of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Namtar, the vizier of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Hushbisha, the stewardess of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Hushbisha, the stewardess of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Qassu-tabat, the sweeper of Ereshkigal, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Qassu-tabat, the sweeper of Ereshkigal, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!
'May my friend not mourn , nor become sick at heart!'
[A tablet] of alabaster, the inside inlaid with lapis lazuli and carnelian,
Depicting an image of the Cedar Forest, inlayed with carnelian
For Ninshuluhha the cleaner of the house, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Ninshuluhha the cleaner of the house, accept this,
May she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
A double-edged dagger with a haft of lapis lazuli,
Sdorned with an image of the pure Euphrates,
For Bibbu, the butcher of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Bibbu, the butcher of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Dumuzi-abzu, the scapegoat of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Dumuzi-abzu, the scapegoat of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May he welcome my [friend] and walk at his side!'
[Not sure what this is, but when we come back, someone is talking. And then...]
Gilgamesh heard these words,
He conceived the idea of damming the river.
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn,
Gilgamesh opened his gate.
He brought out a great table of elammaku-wood,
He filled with honey a dish of carnelian.
He filled with ghee a dish of lapis lazuli,
He decorated and displayed it to the Sun God.
[All of these things] he displayed to the Sun God.
[The rest of the tablet is lost.]
SYNOPSIS: After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh is fraught. He calls on all the people of Uruk, as well as the wild beasts and the land itself to mourn for Enkidu. He describes in detail his own personal pain, and feels Enkidu's chest to find no heartbeat. He orders a statue of gold built in commemoration, and performs the funeral rites, which include various offerings to the gods and entreaties that they care for Enkidu and welcome him, and that Enkidu's heart never grows sad.
Gilgamesh began mourning his friend:
'O Enkidu, whom your mother, a gazelle,
And your father, a wild donkey, did raise,
'Whom the wild asses did rear with their milk,
Whom the beasts of the wild did teach all the pastures -
O Enkidu's paths led to the Forest of Cedar
May the paths mourn you without pause, by day and by night!
'May the elders of teeming Uruk-the-Sheepfold mourn you!
May the crowd who gave us their blessings mourn you!
The summit will bless us after our death,
May the high peaks of hills and mountains mourn you,
May the pastures lament like your mother!
'May boxwood, cypress and cedar mourn you,
Through whose midst we crept in our fury!
May the bear mourn you, the hyena, the panther, the cheetah, the stag and the jackal,
The lion, the wild bull, the deer, the ibex, all the beasts of the wild!
'May the sacred river Ulay mourn you,
Along whose banks we walked in our vigor!
May the pure Euphrates mourn you,
Whose water we poured in libation from skins!
'May the young men of Uruk-the-Sheepfold mourn you,
Who witnessed our battle when we slew the Bull of Heaven!
May the ploughman mourn you in his furrow,
When he extols your name with his sweet yodel!
'May the people of teeming Uruk-the-Sheepfold mourn you,
Who sends forth your name with the sweet Alala!
May the shepherd mourn you in his sheepfold,
Who made sweet for your mouth the milk and butter!
'May the brewer in his brewery mourn you,
Who provided the ale for your mouth!
'May the harlots and Shamhat mourn you,
Who once anointed you with sweet-smelling oil!
May those in the house of the wedding ceremony mourn you,
May the young men of Uruk mourn you like brothers!
May their tresses be loosed down their backs like sisters!
'On this very day I myself shall mourn you!
Hear me, O young men, hear me!
Hear me, O elders of teeming Uruk, hear me!
I shall weep for Enkidu, my friend,
Like a mourning woman I shall bitterly wail.
'The axe at my side, in which my arm trusted,
The dirk at my belt, the shield at my face,
My festive garment, my girdle of delight:
A wicked wind rose up and robbed me.
'O my friend, wild ass on the run, donkey of the uplands, panther of the wild,
My friend Enkidu, wild ass on the run, donkey of the uplands, panther of the wild!
Having joined forces we climbed the mountains,
Seized and slew the Bull of Heaven,
Destroyed Humbaba, who dwelt in the Forest of Cedar.
'Now what is this sleep that has seized you?
You've become unconscious, you do not hear me!'
But Enkidu, he lifted not his head.
Gilgamesh felt his heart, but it beat no longer.
He covered, like a bride, the face of his friend,
Like an eagle he circled around him.
Like a lioness whose cubs are trapped in a pit,
He paced to and fro, this way and that.
His curly hair he tore out in clumps,
He ripped off his finery, like something taboo he cast it away.
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn, VIII 65
Gilgamesh sent forth a call to the land:
'O forgemaster! Lapidary! Coppersmith! Goldsmith! Jeweller!
Fashion my friend in a statue of gold.'
He made a statue of his friend:
'The limbs of my friend shall be of [...]
'Your eyebrows shall be of lapis lazuli, your chest of gold,
'I shall lay you out on a magnificent bed,
I shall lay you out on a bed of honor.
I shall place you on my left, on a seat of repose;
The rulers of the underworld will all kiss your feet.
'The people of Uruk I shall have mourn and lament you,
The thriving people I shall fill full of woe for you.
After you are gone [my hair will be matted in mourning,
Clad in the skin of a lion I shall wander the wild.'
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn,
Gilgamesh arose and entered his treasury.
He undid its sealings, inspected the gems:
Obsidian, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and alabaster.
[a long and almost indecipherable list of things Gilgamesh gathered for Enkidu's statue and funeral]
For the great queen Ishtar he displayed to the Sun God:
'May the great queen Ishtar accept this,
May she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For the god Namra-it, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Namra-it accept this,
My he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
A flask of lapis lazuli for Ereshkigal,
The queen of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Ereshkigal, the queen of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
My she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
A flute of carnelia for Dumuzi,
The shepherd beloved of [Ishtar, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Dumuzi, the shepherd beloved of Ishtar, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Namtar, the vizier of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Namtar, the vizier of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Hushbisha, the stewardess of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Hushbisha, the stewardess of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Qassu-tabat, the sweeper of Ereshkigal, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Qassu-tabat, the sweeper of Ereshkigal, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!
'May my friend not mourn , nor become sick at heart!'
[A tablet] of alabaster, the inside inlaid with lapis lazuli and carnelian,
Depicting an image of the Cedar Forest, inlayed with carnelian
For Ninshuluhha the cleaner of the house, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Ninshuluhha the cleaner of the house, accept this,
May she welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
A double-edged dagger with a haft of lapis lazuli,
Sdorned with an image of the pure Euphrates,
For Bibbu, the butcher of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Bibbu, the butcher of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May he welcome my friend and walk at his side!'
For Dumuzi-abzu, the scapegoat of the Netherworld, he displayed to the Sun God:
'May Dumuzi-abzu, the scapegoat of the teeming Netherworld, accept this,
May he welcome my [friend] and walk at his side!'
[Not sure what this is, but when we come back, someone is talking. And then...]
Gilgamesh heard these words,
He conceived the idea of damming the river.
At the very first glimmer of brightening dawn,
Gilgamesh opened his gate.
He brought out a great table of elammaku-wood,
He filled with honey a dish of carnelian.
He filled with ghee a dish of lapis lazuli,
He decorated and displayed it to the Sun God.
[All of these things] he displayed to the Sun God.
[The rest of the tablet is lost.]
SYNOPSIS: After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh is fraught. He calls on all the people of Uruk, as well as the wild beasts and the land itself to mourn for Enkidu. He describes in detail his own personal pain, and feels Enkidu's chest to find no heartbeat. He orders a statue of gold built in commemoration, and performs the funeral rites, which include various offerings to the gods and entreaties that they care for Enkidu and welcome him, and that Enkidu's heart never grows sad.