The Epic of Gilgameš, Standard Version, Tablet XI, lines 8-44, read by Victor Hurowitz

Translation after A. R. George, The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic (Oxford, 2003), with minor modifications. Transcription based on George's transliteration.

Original Transcript English Translation
8 ūta-napišti ana šâšumma izakkara ana gilgameš 8 Ūta-napišti spoke to him, to Gilgamesh:
9 lupteka gilgameš amāt niṣirti
10 u pirišti ša ilī kâša luqbika
9 I will disclose to you, Gilgamesh, a secret matter,
10 and I will tell you a mystery of the gods.
11 šurippak ālu ša tīdûšu atta
12 ā[lu ša ina kišā]d puratti šaknu
13 [āl]u šū labirma ilū qerbuššu
14 [an]a šakān abūbi ubla libbašunu ilī rabûti
11 The city of Shuruppak — a city you yourself know,
12 the [city that] is situated on the [banks] of the Euphrates —
13 that city was old and the gods were inside it,
14 (when) the great gods decided to cause the Deluge.
15 [it]mama abūšunu anum
16 mālikšunu qurādu enlil
17 [g]uzallâšunu ninurta
18 gugallâšunu ennugi
15 Their father Anu took the oath,
16 (as did) their counsellor, the hero Enlil,
17 their chamberlain, Ninurta,
18 their inspector of waterways, Ennugi
19 niššiku ea ittišunu tamima
20 amāssunu ušannâ ana kikkišu
19 Prince Ea was likewise under oath with them,
20 (but) repeated their words to a reed fence:
21 kikkiš kikkiš igār igār
22 kikkišu šimema igāru hissas
23 šuruppakû mār ubara-tutu
24 uqur bīta bini eleppa
21 "Reed fence, reed fence! Brick wall, brick wall!
22 Listen, O reed fence! Pay heed, O brick wall!
23 O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubara-tutu,
24 demolish the house, build a boat!
25 muššir mešrâmma še'i napšāti
26 [m]akkūru zērma napišti bulliṭ
27 šūlima zēr napšāti kalāma ana libbi eleppi
25 Abandon riches and seek survival!
26 Spurn property and save life!
27 Put on board the boat the seed of all living creatures!
28 eleppu ša tabannûši atta
29 lū mindudā minâtuša
30 [l]ū mithur rupussa u mūrakša
31 [k]īma apsî šâši ṣullilši
28 "The boat that you are going to build,
29 her dimensions should all be matching:
30 her breadth and length shoudl be the same,
31 cover her with a roof, like the Apsû".
32 [a]nāku īdema azakkara ana ea bēliya
33 [amg]ur bēlī ša taqbâ atta kī'am
34 [at]ta'id anāku eppuš
35 [kīm]i lūpul āla ummānu u šībūtu
32 I understood and spoke to Ea my master:
33 "I hereby concur, my lord, with what you told me thus.
34 [I] have paid attention; I shall do it.
35 (But) how should I answer the city, the crowd and elders?
36 ea pâšu īpušma iqabbi
37 izakkara ana ardišu yâtu
36 Ea opened his mouth to speak,
37 saying to me, his servant:
38 u atta kī'am taqabbâššunūti
39 [mi]ndema yâši enlil izērannima
40 [u]l uššab ina āli[ku]numa
41 [ina] qaqqar enlil ul ašakkan[a šēp]īyama
42 [urr]adma ana apsî itti ea [b]ēliya ašbāku
38 "Then also you will say to them as follows:
39 'For sure the god Enlil has conceived a hatred of me!
40 I cannot dwell in your city!
41 I cannot tread on Enlil's ground!
42 [I shall] go down to the Apsû, to live with Ea, my master;
43 [ana k]âšunu ušazna[n]akkunūši nuhšamma
44 [hiṣib] iṣṣūrāti puzur nūnimma
43 "On you he will rain down plenty!
44 [An abundance] of birds, a riddle of fishes!