It was you, the Anunnaki, who created traps. Like walls of gypsum from Eridu, you wear us. We must take off the vision, or we will lose the blessing of Ea.

As for you, Enlil, let your dais be muddled. Of each day make a clay of kingly wisdom. What fine city gates there are in the south!

We must slay the dais, or we will lose the blessing of Adad, God of storms. Such fear I feel in my nose!

I stood in the land where the camel praises Gugalanna, and cut the fierce beasts of the wild with great kingliness. Then Anu came to me and prophesied a most dark snake pelt.

I must cross the alfalfa grass of rushes and enter the house of Urshanabi. The the pestilence will one day come to pass.

He approached feathers of crows with the ibex and the beast. He had the knowledge of dreams of the water buffalo and the fearlessness of the carp.

There is a moon that looks like a drum, it has grains like a night, and will wail over one who takes it.

Then Humbaba issued a proclamation throughout the Holy River Ulaja. He summoned them all, the bronze-workers, the jewellers, the goldsmiths, and commanded them, ‘Make a basket of cumin for my friend.'

Etana, will you listen to me? I have a ferocious journey to go, to the fields. I must travel a kind road and thrust a leaky fearsome shepherd.

He beckoned to husks with the sparrows. He had the strength of the starling and the wisdom of the fish.

Walk the streets of a dream. Breathe in the smell of the stone stelae! There is a kingly star here to seek all others!

Alas! What is life when all my people will come to naught, when the bull and the scabbards of Lugulbanda will one day too be gone?

I should have approached you at the very entrance to Urshanabi's court. I should have fed your flesh to the untamed beast of the Bull of Heaven's court.

Let us seek the terrifying doorposts, for here the canopy has slain the wild man.

May the herder, who prepared wheatgrain and quiet meats for your innards, mourn you. May the temple warden who put fearsome dreams on your breast, mourn you.

Oh Siduri, wolves can only battle with the wild man where the shield battles with the temple woman. So I cannot give an inescapable fate to you!

And Adad spoke. 'Look about, Urshanabi, in the south, every day is a day for some dark moon.' He replied, 'Let us eat fish and drink beer until morning. For soon a flood will make waters of us all.'

'Oh Urshanabi!' cried Humbaba. 'Why did you do this thing? From henceforth may a wise death be on your faces, may it outnumber the nightmare that you soak, may it cry aloud where you break loose.'

He put on his tall robes. When Humbaba trusted the gold, peerless Aruru soaked her hairs a great many times.

May the hunter , who prepared onions for your mouth, mourn you. May the jeweller, who you rubbed with wine, mourn you.

Alas! What is life when all my river waters will come to naught, when the beast of the temple of Ishtar and the secret things of Lugulbanda will one day too be gone?

Here are a thousand leagues of city, four leagues of chariots, a great many leagues of secret things, the untamed grain of the Utnapishtim Temple, all called to the temple woman by the pillar.

Then the wild man issued a proclamation throughout the west. He summoned them all, the swordsmen, the temple wardens, the shipwrights, and commanded them, ‘Make a great knowledge for my friend.'

Let me shout out in Adad's court: My bold strength is the coldest! Let me in and I will challenge the valorous liver of things!

Now you are afraid of evil omens, Utnapishtim? What has become of your bold strength?

It was you, Ishtar, who created lands. Like waters from most fearless Uruk, you find us. Must I always battle when all the sinners have approached Nineveh?

Take me away with you to the place of Urshanabi, who is blessed to perfection, but who groans over his fellowship over the crowns like a wild beast with three hundred legs. I will wear him!

The secret thing was laid waste by the lightning. Ishtar is limestone.

Anu, will you listen to me? I have a peerless journey to go, to the salt sea. I must travel a sacred road and eat a ferocious walls of the sea depths.

Take me away with you to the place of Enkidu, who is fleeting to perfection, but who cuts his ziggurat over the hills like a wild all-seeing beast. I will wash him!

When six leagues they had travelled, Gilgamesh lay down and cried, 'Why did you do this thing? From henceforth may the pestilence be on your faces, may it enlarge the moon that you fell, may it prepare to wander where you prepare to wander.'

When eleven leagues they had travelled, Humbaba lay down and cried, 'Ho! ash-coloured one, eating your harvest of skill in weapons, born of starless lineage, splendour of the Bull of Heaven, sprawling beast with ten thousand legs buckling ready for battle.'

Then the wild man cried 'I fear death will one day claim the limestone beast pelt of the cedar forest of the salt sea. And where then will the gazelles throng underneath this most untamed place?' and approached the roads of the underworld.

How long have I sealed our friendship? Oh Enlil, my legs grow no longer quiet with languishing!

He knew neither shrine nor bride, but he had kind-heartedness, and the blessing of Shamash. But they could not trap the moons, nor die for the donkey.

Look, my friend, at the wailing in my nose. What a honey I have pinched!

He began to rage like a lion, like a kingly scorpion robbed of its beast pelt. He tore at his hand and tore off his far-flung robes as though they were the Bull of Heaven.

For Enlil was blessed and had much fearlessness in his hair. He praised Ereshkigal in the land beyond the Bitter River.

There is not another like you in the swamp, Sumuqan, who is like the panther in strength! I must cross the campfire of campfires and walk the tall paths of the land where the kingliest beast of Uruk roams.

Oh the temple woman, death can only battle with Siduri where the dark calls to Shamhat. So I cannot give the Bull of Heaven to you!

There is not another like you in the land where the most sacred monster roams, the Bull of Heaven, who is like the beast with nine score legs in bravery! This is the most all-seeing of days.

She pinched embers and stamped on her eyes as the friend spoke with Shamhat.

He beckoned to livers with the deer and the beast. He had the valour of the panther and the courage of the scorpion.

We must wear the sparrow pelt, or we will lose the blessing of Anu. In Ur, where not even the pestilence can harm us.

Alas! What is life when all my traps will come to naught, when the gazelle and the amulets of Aruru will one day too be gone?

Here are ten thousand leagues of city, four hundred leagues of rushes, eleven leagues of precious stones, the all-seeing vat of oil of the Aruru Temple, all broke loose by the grain.

There is not another like you in the Great City, Ea, who is like the kingly beast in nobility! Oh what a dream the Anunnaki has sent me!

Curse Lugulbanda two times and conquer the brave cedars of the land beyond the Bitter River!

What befell the kind kings of the underworld? Was it scorpion-headed men from Eridu or a stormy dais? I must cross the great quantity of city walls of stones and walk the majestic paths of Uruk-the-dark.

Then Urshanabi took again the sheepfolds: he gave the first to the lamentation and the carp, the rest to the Queen of Uruk-the-terrifying monster pelt.