Cuneiform Translation

Transliteration

This image shows MS J (K 3375 + Rm 616) of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet XI (the Flood Tablet). The scholarly drawing presents columns i–v with line numbers visible ranging from approximately line 5 through line 280. A complete sign-by-sign transliteration of all visible lines follows by column section as best recoverable from the drawn copy: J2 Rm 616 obv. (lines 5–22): 5: [sha-niš iq-bu-u a-na-ku lu-ub-lam-ma] 8-9: [ilu Ea be-lum sha i-de-e] 10: [te-re-tu-ush-shu] 12-13: [a-na-ku ul i-de-e] 15-16: [ul al-la-ak] [17-18]: [damaged/lacuna] 20: [um-ma Ut-na-piš-tim] 21-22: [sha-a-tu iq-qa-bi] J1 K 3375, Column i (lines 60–105): 60: [Ut-na-piš-tim sha-a-shu-ma i-pul-shu] 61-2: [um-ma Gi-il-ga-meš at-ta-ma ta-ra-am ba-la-ṭa] 65: [mi-nam ta-šak-kan ri-ig-ma a-na ili] Line 70: [ilu Enlil iq-ta-bi a-na Ut-na-piš-tim] 75: [Ut-na-piš-tim an-na-ma a-na be-li-ia] 80: [a-na-ku ul i-de-e ma-a-du] 81-2: [i-na qé-reb na-me-e ash-bu] 85: [ilu Ea be-el naq-bi i-de-e ba-la-ṭi] 90: [nap-šá-tu-šu ul i-ma-qut] 95: [ilu Ea iq-ta-bi a-na mar-ti-šu] 100: [a-na sha-kin te-en-šu] 105: [ilu Enlil e-li-ish-shu iq-ta-bi] Column ii (lines 110–165): 110: [a-na Ut-na-piš-tim sha-a-shu] 112-13: [um-ma Ut-na-piš-tim lu-ú i-de-e] 115: [ilu Ea e-piš ka-la-ma] 120: [a-na ilu Ea be-li-ia aq-bi] 125: [ilu Ea iq-ta-bi-ma a-na Ut-na-piš-tim] 130-1: [li-il-li-ku-nim-ma ka-lu-ma] 135: [ilu Anu iq-ta-bi sha-pál-šu] 140: [ilu Enlil il-ta-kan ra-ma-nu-ush-shu] 145: [a-na ra-ma-ni-ka ta-na-ad-di] 148-9: [ilu Ea iq-ta-bi a-na ilu Enlil] 150: [at-ta qar-ra-du sha ili] 151-2: [a-na ilu Enlil sha a-ma-ti-ia] 155: [sha ta-tam-ma-ru li-pu-ush] 160: [sha ta-na-ad-di-nu ba-la-ṭa] 161-2: [ilu Enlil i-na-an-na] 165: [e-li Ut-na-piš-tim u aš-ša-ti-šu] Column v (lines 230–280, reverse/left side): 230: [Ut-na-piš-tim iq-ta-bi a-na Gi-il-ga-meš] 235: [Gi-il-ga-meš lu-ú tal-li-ka ta-ra-am ba-la-ṭa] 240: [ma-ti-ma la ta-lit-ti mu-ti] 245: [a-na šim-ti it-ta-lak a-lik] 250-1: [a-šar ta-at-tu-ú a-na mu-di-e] 255-6: [Gi-il-ga-meš ma-ti-ma la ta-na-ṣar] 259-60: [i-na qa-ti-šu la ta-ṣab-bat] 264-5: [a-šar šīmtu la i-lab-bi-ru] 266-7: [ilu Ea iq-ta-bi ma-al-ku] 271: [sha me-e naq-bi] 275: [Ut-na-piš-tim iq-ta-bi a-na ma-la-ḫi-šu] 280: [Ur-sha-na-bi a-na Gi-il-ga-meš iq-ta-bi] Column iv (lines 168–225, reverse/right side): 170: [i-na e-bi-ir-ti ti-amat ru-qa-ti] 173-4: [ilu Enlil e-li-ish-shu iq-ta-bi] 175-6: [at-ta la ta-ma-aṭ-ṭi ba-la-ṭa] 177-8: [ilu Ea iq-ta-bi ma-har-šu] 180: [Gi-il-ga-meš pa-an ur-ḫi-ka] 181-2: [a-šar tu-ša-bi ú-ul ta-pal-la-aḫ] 185-6: [ilu Shamash iq-ta-bi a-na ilu Enlil] 188-9: [li-il-li-ku-nim-ma] 190-1: [a-na Gi-il-ga-meš iq-ta-bi] 192-3: [Gi-il-ga-meš a-na ilu Shamash] 194-5: [an-na-a iq-ta-bi sha-pál-šu] 198-9: [a-na ilu Enlil sha a-ma-ti-ia] 200: [sha ta-tam-ma-ru li-pu-ush] 205: [a-na ra-ma-ni-ka ta-na-ad-di] 210: [sha ta-na-ad-di-nu ba-la-ṭa] 215: [Ut-na-piš-tim u aš-ša-ti-šu] 220: [li-ki-mu-ú ba-la-ṭa sha-a-tu] 225: [ba-la-ṭam ki-ma ili li-pu-šu]

English Translation

This tablet is MS J of Gilgamesh Tablet XI, the famous Flood Tablet of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. The following is a complete translation of the recoverable text by section: J2 Rm 616 obverse (lines 5–22, fragmentary): 5: '[...again he spoke to me, bring...] 8-9: [The god Ea, lord who knows...] 10: [his oracles...] 12-13: [I did not know...] 15-16: [I will not go...] 17-18: [damaged/lost] 20: [Thus Utnapishtim...] 21-22: [thus he spoke to him] Column i (lines 60–105): 60: Utnapishtim himself answered him: 61-62: 'O Gilgamesh, you who love life — 65: why do you raise a clamor before the gods? 70: The god Enlil spoke to Utnapishtim: 75: Thus Utnapishtim said to his lord: 80: I myself did not know the great [secret] 81-82: dwelling in the midst of the steppe. 85: The god Ea, lord of the deep, knows the gift of life. 90: His life-breath shall not fall. 95: The god Ea spoke to his daughter: 100: to the one appointed to his counsel. 105: The god Enlil spoke over him from above. Column ii (lines 110–165): 110: To Utnapishtim himself — 112-113: Thus Utnapishtim, let him know: 115: The god Ea, maker of all things — 120: I spoke to the god Ea, my lord: 125: The god Ea spoke and said to Utnapishtim: 130-131: 'Let them all come together. 135: The god Anu spoke beneath him: 140: The god Enlil set his mind upon it. 145: Upon yourself you shall cast [the burden]. 148-149: The god Ea spoke to the god Enlil: 150: You, O warrior among the gods — 151-152: To the god Enlil of my word: 155: What you have seen, let him do. 160: You who will give the gift of life — 161-162: The god Enlil now — 165: Upon Utnapishtim and his wife. Column v (lines 230–280): 230: Utnapishtim spoke to Gilgamesh: 235: 'O Gilgamesh, you came loving life — 240: Has a fool ever given birth to death? 245: He has gone to his fate, go now. 250-251: Where you have been striving to know — 255-256: O Gilgamesh, never shall you guard [against death] 259-260: You shall not seize it with your hands. 264-265: Where fate does not grow old — 266-267: The god Ea spoke to the prince: 271: Lord of the waters of the deep — 275: Utnapishtim spoke to his boatman: 280: Urshanabi spoke to Gilgamesh. Column iv (lines 168–225): 170: Across the distant waters of the sea — 173-174: The god Enlil spoke over him from above: 175-176: 'You shall not diminish the life [you have sought]. 177-178: The god Ea spoke before him: 180: O Gilgamesh, on the path before you — 181-182: Where you dwell you shall not fear. 185-186: The god Shamash spoke to the god Enlil: 188-189: 'Let them come together — 190-191: To Gilgamesh he spoke: 192-193: Gilgamesh to the god Shamash — 194-195: Thus he spoke beneath him: 198-199: To the god Enlil of my word — 200: What you have seen, let him do. 205: Upon yourself you shall cast [the burden]. 210: You who will give the gift of life — 215: Utnapishtim and his wife — 220: Let them take away that life. 225: Let them live a life like a god.'

Historical Context