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© 1995-2002 Untangle Incorporated
Last Updated: Monday February 18, 2002
Tablet VII
Enkidu Dies
Column I
Enkidu's dream went like this:
In council did the gods sit and speak.
Anu said:
"Huwawa and the Bull of Heaven have they killed.
Both offenses to heaven's decree so one of them must die.
The first to strike a cedar in cedar forest far must die."
Enlil said:
"Enkidu must die, and thereby punish Gilgamesh his friend."
Shamash said:
"Both went together to follow my word.
Both went together to cedar forest far on my command.
Why should either die?"
Enlil said:
"I sent Hawawa to protect cedar forest far.
You spited me and with these two friends did go
To stand as friend when into the cedar forest far they did go
And kill my guardian Hawawa."
Column II
So with these words made decree, Enkidu fell sick.
Gilgamesh on him looked, and fell to weeping like a child.
"Why am I too live when my brother dies?
What spares me and takes him away?"
Enkidu then spoke:
"Is it true that now I go to sit with the dead all about me
To sit alone without my friend around?"
Gilgamesh then said:
Must I sit no closer to Enkidu then outside the door of dead-land
While within sits my friend with only shadows for companions?
Enkidu then cursed the door made of wood from cedar forest far
"Deaf ignorant door,
I searched 20 long marches to find the tallest cedar
With which to adorn our city with useful monument
Of demon bested in cedar forest far.
If i had but known this would be the result
I would to kindling this cedar tree have chopped
Let some future king, or god on high
Destroy this gate so that the name of Enkidu is no more."
"Gilgamesh heard and weeping like a child did say
"Enkidu's wild heart does make final struggle
With his god given fate.
To struggle against god given fate is futile.
What Enlil does decree be writ can not be erased.
And that was told in a dream shall I Gilgamesh beg through prayers
That Enkidu my friend my companion shall from this be spared.
And if Gilgamesh prays be heard then shall I the king build
A statue to the gods to celebrate the fame of Enkidu."
Column III
In the next morning's early dawn
Did sleepless, weeping Enkidu make this cry to Shamash.
"As for the hunter who saw me in grasslands running with herds,
May he always see these beasts flee from him scot free.
Fill his hunting pits, destroy his snares.
May he starve for having brought me here."
As the first light of the creeping dawn lit the sky above,
Did sleepless, weeping Enkidu make this cry to Shamash.
Let the sacred temple girl who did come to civilize me,
Eat from the garbage in the streets,
Drink from the cesspools and foul streams in the streets,
May you get no lovers, though hard you walk in the streets,
May vomit on your clothes in the doorways where you sleep,
Repulse each man who come quite and instead
Make them revile you and turn away in disgust.
All this for bring me to civilizing ways.
All this for causing the herds with which I ran."
Shamash then spoke to Enkidu, saying thus:
"Why curse the sacred temple girl?
Because of her fine palace food and drink do you partake.
Because of her fine princely clothes do you wear.
Because of her you sit next to your friend Gilgamesh.
Because of her Gilgamesh is your friend.
Because of her Gilgamesh will build you a statue to celebrate your fame.
Realize now that Gilgamesh shall you mourn.
Realize now that Gilgamesh shall order wailing in your name.
Realize now that Gilgamesh shall wander as a wild beast for you.
Enkidu heard the words of Shamash
And for a time his tormoil did abate.
He denounced his curses on the sacred temple girl, and said:
"Bless Shamhat.
Let no one revile you, curse you or turn away from you.
May the young and the old show respect to you while with you they take joy.
May your house be gift-laden,
May your house be full of crystal, gold, carnelian and lapis lazuli.
May your house be rich with finely shaped gold, finely made clothes.
May the priests honor with their invitation to the temple.
Column IV
As the dawn deepened into morning bright
Enkidu told with this dream with gut clenched with fear
To Gilgamesh:
"In the heavens was a noise.
From the earth was a noise.
Alone on a dark plain did I hear.
Then I saw one man with talons of an eagle
Come and seize me and hold me fast no matter how hard I hit him
No matter how hard I struggled to escape his grasp.
He dragged me down to Ereshkigal's house
Darkness and Despair enveloped me.
There the awful goddess does command
The dark, and closes off from me
the bright light leading back.
Now my companions were only the dead and helpless.
Even dead kings lay prostate there.
Even priests lay prostate there.
Kneeling before Ereshkigal was her scribe Geshtinanna
Holding the Tablets of Destinies.
And on it was writ that my time here in this awful place was now.
Gilgamesh then said:
"This dream is truly horrible."
Enkidu continued:
"We killed together the demon Hawawa of the cedar forest far.
We killed together the Bull of Heaven rampaging over Uruk's holy ground.
We said to each other that
'Life is short
But standing together friends can prevail.'
And now I die small piece by small piece"
Not like a hero should.
I ask my friend Gilgamesh to stand with me and help me prevail
But he cannot."
And after 12 days
Gilgamesh turned to the virgin Ninsun and said
This hero has died. I shall mourn.
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