Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others
Myths from Mesopotamia · Mitos de Mesopotamia
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Antología de diez relatos acadios —tres de ellos en dos versiones, trece textos en total— traducidos al inglés y anotados por Stephanie Dalley para Oxford World's Classics. La portada imprime «Myths from Mesopotamia Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others Edited and translated with an Introduction and Notes by STEPHANIE DALLEY Revised edition» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 4», y la página de derechos fecha las capas del volumen: «Translation, Introduction, Explanatory Notes, and other editorial matter © Stephanie Dalley 1989 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published 1989 by Oxford University Press First issued as a World's Classics paperback 1991 Reissued as an Oxford World's Classics paperback 1998 Revised edition 2000» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 5».
Lo que se traduce no es una obra sino un conjunto de textos sin autor declarado, escritos en tablillas de arcilla: «The stories were all written in Akkadian, a broad term which comprises the Semitic Babylonian and Assyrian dialects that were spoken and written for over two thousand years down to the time of Alexander's successors, the Seleucids» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 16», y los relatos tratan «the deities and people of Mesopotamia, a rich, alluvial country which lies between the great rivers Tigris and Euphrates in modern Iraq» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 16». Ni siquiera los títulos son antiguos: «Each epic was referred to in antiquity by its opening line or first words, so the early version of Gilgamesh has a different title from the standard version because the latter added a new prologue. The titles that are used in this book are modern» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 19».
El índice ordena el volumen en Atrahasis, la Epopeya de Gilgamesh en versión estándar y en versión paleobabilonia, el Descenso de Ishtar al Inframundo, Nergal y Ereshkigal en versión estándar y en versión de Amarna, Adapa, Etana, Anzu en versión estándar y en versión paleobabilonia, la Epopeya de la Creación, la Teogonía de Dunnu y Erra e Ishum, seguidos de glosario, bibliografía y pasajes suplementarios «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 12». Cada relato abre con una introducción firmada por Dalley y cierra con sus notas; las dos capas son aparato moderno, no voz del mito.
Dalley declara el propósito de la traducción: «This book is intended to give an accurate, up-to-date rendering of the best-preserved texts in current, readable English, avoiding the poetic mannerisms and archaisms that have often characterized translations in the past; but it is not intended as a substitute for proper editions in which difficulties can be aired at length» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 8». Y declara el criterio con que rotula las versiones: «The versions are labelled according to the period of the actual tablets on which they were written (see Sigla and Abbreviations), although it must be remembered that a tablet may be of a later date than the version of the story written upon it» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 9».
El aparato de lagunas es parte del texto y se lee con la página de siglas: «Square brackets indicate short gaps in text due to damage of tablet clay. Text inside brackets is restored, often from parallel versions» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 14», y «Omission dots indicate an unknown word or phrase» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 14». La propia traducción avisa cuánto falta: «Most of the stories have considerable gaps, for which estimated lengths are given where possible, to remind the reader of the fragmented nature of the source material» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 9». En esta ficha los corchetes, los paréntesis, las líneas de puntos y los avisos de laguna se conservan dentro del verbatim y se explican en la glosa.
La edición revisada añade material y lo dice: «Several important pieces of new text have come to light since the first edition was completed. They have surfaced from recent excavations of the Iraqi Department of Antiquities at Sippar, and from work done in the British Museum» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 10»; «The new passages which have been published in full editions have been added, partly at the end of the volume, if they were too long to be inserted into the existing pages; the point of insertion is clearly noted on the appropriate page» «Myths from Mesopotamia, ed. y tr. Stephanie Dalley (ed. revisada, 2000) · p. 10». Ese apéndice es el bloque de Supplementary Passages con que cierra el libro.
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738 entries — the work's own voice, with its passage«When the gods instead of man1 Did the work, bore the loads, The gods' load was too great, The work too hard, the trouble too much,Z The great Anunnaki made the Igigi Carry the workload sevenfold.» — Atrahasis, tablilla I, versión paleobabilonia: el poema abre con los dioses haciendo el trabajo del hombre, y los grandes Anunnaki cargando a los Igigi con siete veces la faena. Los numerales *1*, *Z* y *3* pegados a las palabras son las llamadas de nota del impreso, releídas en el crudo y conservadas dentro del verbatim
«Anu their father was king, Their counsellor warrior Ellil, Their chamberlain was Ninurta, Their canal-controller Ennugi. They took the box (of lots) ... , Cast the lots; the gods made the division. 4 Anu went up to the sky, (And Ellil (?)] took the earth for his people (?). The bolt which bars the sea Was assigned to far-sighted Enki.» — sigue el reparto del mundo por sorteo: Anu sube al cielo, Ellil toma la tierra y el cerrojo que cierra el mar queda para Enki el previsor. Los corchetes y paréntesis son las lagunas y las inserciones que la página de siglas explica, y el OCR imprime paréntesis redondos donde el impreso lleva corchetes
«The gods had to dig out canals, Had to clear channels, the lifelines of the land, The Igigi had to dig out canals, Had to clear channels, the lifelines of the land. The gods dug out the Tigris river (bed) And then dug out the Euphrates.» — el trabajo que los Igigi cargan es el del riego: cavar canales y despejar cauces, las líneas de vida de la tierra, y abrir los lechos del Tigris y del Éufrates
«For 3,6oo years they bore the excess, Hard work, night and day.» — el poema mide en tres mil seiscientos años la faena excesiva de los dioses menores; el OCR imprime la cifra como *3,6oo*, con oes por ceros
«They groaned and blamed each other, Grumbled over the masses of excavated soil: 6 'Let us confront our [ ] the chamberlain, And get him to relieve us of our hard work!» — la queja de los Igigi, en su propia voz: se culpan unos a otros sobre los montones de tierra excavada y deciden encarar al chambelán
«Now, cry battle! Let us mix fight with battle!» — la consigna con que los Igigi pasan de la queja al motín
«The gods listened to his speech, Set fire to their tools, Put aside their spades for fire, Their loads for the fire-god, They flared up.» — el acto del motín: los dioses prenden fuego a sus herramientas y entregan sus cargas al dios del fuego
«It was night, the middle watch, The house was surrounded, the god had not realized. It was night, the middle watch, Ekur was surrounded, Ellil had not realized.» — la noche del asedio a Ekur, con la fórmula repetida que Dalley señala como recurso de este verso: la casa cercada y el dios sin darse cuenta
«My lord, your house is surrounded, A rabble is running around your door!» — voz de Nusku despertando a Ellil: la casa cercada y la turba corriendo alrededor de la puerta
«0 my lord, your face is (sallow as) tamarisk!H Why do you fear your own sons? 0 Ellil, your face is (sallow as) tamarisk! Why do you fear your own sons? Send for Anu to be brought down to you, Have Enki fetched into your presence.» — voz de Nusku ante Ellil: le pregunta por qué teme a sus propios hijos y le pide llamar a Anu y a Enki. El troceo imprime el vocativo como cero y la llamada de nota como *tamarisk!H*
«Is it against me that they have risen? Shall I do battle ... ? What did I see with my own eyes? A rabble was running around my door!» — voz de Ellil ante los grandes dioses, en preguntas: si la revuelta va contra él y qué vio con sus propios ojos
«Ellil listened to that speech. His tears flowed.» — el poema registra el llanto de Ellil al oír el mensaje
«Noble one, take a decree IV With you to the sky, show your strength-While the Anunnaki are sitting before you Call up one god and let them cast him for destruction!» — voz de Ellil a Anu: que llame a un dios y lo eche a suertes para la destrucción. El *IV* que cae a media frase es el numeral de columna del impreso, conservado dentro del verbatim
«What are we complaining of? 1J Their work was indeed too hard, their trouble was too much. Every day the earth (?) [resounded (?)] . The warning signal was loud enough, we kept hearing the noise.» — voz de Anu ante los dioses sus hermanos: da la razón a los amotinados, el trabajo era demasiado duro y la señal de aviso bastante fuerte. El numeral *1J* y el *(?)* son aparato del impreso conservado dentro del verbatim
«Why are we blaming them? Their work was too hard, their trouble was too much. Every day the earth (?) [resounded (?)]. The warning signal was loud enough, [we kept hearing the noise.] There is [ ] Belet-ili the womb-goddess is present-Let her create primeval man So that he may bear the yoke [( )], So that he may bear the yoke, [the work of Ellil], Let man bear the load of the gods!» — voz de Ea en la versión estándar: propone que Belet-ili la diosa matriz cree al hombre primigenio para que lleve el yugo y la carga de los dioses. Los corchetes y paréntesis vacíos marcan las lagunas de la tablilla
«Every single one of us gods declared war! We have put [a stop] to the digging. The load is excessive, it is killing us! Our work is too hard, the trouble too much! So every single one of us gods Has agreed to complain to Ellil.» — respuesta de la asamblea de los Igigi por boca de todos: la guerra la declararon todos, han parado la excavación y la carga los está matando. El poema repite literalmente el parlamento cuando Nusku se lo refiere a Ellil en la plana siguiente, y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«You are the womb-goddess (to be the) creator of mankind! Create primeval man, that he may bear the yoke! Let him bear the yoke, the work of Ellil, Let man bear the load of the gods!» — voz de los grandes dioses a Mami, la partera de los dioses: que cree al hombre primigenio para que lleve el yugo, el trabajo de Ellil
«It is not proper for me to make him. The work is Enki's; He makes everything pure! If he gives me clay, then I will do it.» — voz de Nintu poniendo su condición: la obra es de Enki, que todo lo purifica, y ella actuará si él le da la arcilla
«On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the month I shall make a purification by washing. Then one god should be slaughtered. And the gods can be purified by immersion. Nintu shall mix clay With his flesh and his blood. Then a god and a man Will be mixed together in clay.» — voz de Enki dictando la receta de la creación: purificación por lavado en los días primero, séptimo y decimoquinto, la inmolación de un dios y la arcilla mezclada con su carne y su sangre, de modo que dios y hombre queden mezclados
«Let us hear the drumbeat forever after, 10 Let a ghost come into existence from the god's flesh, 11 Let her proclaim it as his living sign, 12 And let the ghost exist so as not to forget (the slain god).» — sigue la voz de Enki: del dios inmolado nace el fantasma, que la diosa proclamará como su signo viviente para que el dios muerto no se olvide. Las llamadas de nota *10*, *11* y *12* van pegadas a la palabra en el troceo y se conservan dentro del verbatim
«They answered 'Yes!' in the assembly, The great Anunnaki who assign the fates. On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the month He made a purification by washing. Ilawela who had intelligence,11 They slaughtered in their assembly. Nintu mixed clay With his flesh and blood.» — la ejecución de la receta: los Anunnaki que asignan los destinos consienten, e Ilawela, el dios que tenía inteligencia, es inmolado en la asamblea. El troceo imprime su llamada de nota como *intelligence,11*
«I have carried out perfectly The work that you ordered of me. You have slaughtered a god together with his intelligence. I have relieved you of your hard work, I have imposed your load on man. You have bestowed noise on mankind. I have undone the fetter and granted freedom.» — voz de Mami tras la creación: declara cumplida la obra, dice que los dioses inmolaron a un dios junto con su inteligencia, que ella les quitó el trabajo duro y lo impuso al hombre, y que ellos dieron al hombre el ruido
«We used to call you Mami But now your name shall be Mistress of All Gods.» — voz de los dioses cambiándole el nombre a la diosa tras la creación del hombre
«She pinched off fourteen pieces (of clay), (And set) seven pieces on the right, Seven on the left. Between them she put down a mud brick. 15 She made use of (?) a reed, opened it (?) to cut the umbilical cord, 16 Called up the wise and knowledgeable Womb-goddesses, seven and seven. Seven created males, Seven created females» — el procedimiento de la matriz: catorce trozos de arcilla, siete a la derecha y siete a la izquierda con un ladrillo de barro en medio, y las diosas matrices que crean siete machos y siete hembras
«In the house of a woman who is giving birth The mud brick shall be put down for seven days. Belet-ili, wise Mami shall be honoured.» — voz de Mami instituyendo el rito del parto: el ladrillo de barro puesto siete días en casa de la parturienta y el honor debido a Belet-ili
«Ishtar shall rejoice in the wife-husband relationship In the father-in-law's house. Celebration shall last for nine days, And they shall call Ishtar "Ishhara"» — el mismo bloque de reglas instituye la fiesta nupcial de nueve días y el nombre que Ishtar recibe en ella
«6oo years, less than 6oo, passed,22 And the country became too wide, the people too numerous. The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull. The God grew restless at their racket, Ellil had to listen to their noise.» — el motor del relato: pasados seiscientos años el país se vuelve demasiado ancho y demasiado ruidoso, y el ruido quita el sueño a Ellil. El OCR imprime las cifras como *6oo*, con oes por ceros, y el *22* es llamada de nota
«The noise of mankind has become too much, I am losing sleep over their racket. Give the order that suruppu-disease shall break out» — voz de Ellil ante los grandes dioses: ordena que estalle la enfermedad *suruppu* porque pierde el sueño por el estrépito de los hombres
«Now there was one Atrahasis Whose ear was open (to) his god Enki. He would speak with his god And his god would speak with him.» — la presentación del héroe: Atrahasis tenía el oído abierto a su dios Enki, y los dos se hablaban
«How long (?) (will the gods make us suffer]? Will they make us suffer illness forever?» — voz de Atrahasis a su señor, en pregunta: cuánto durará el sufrimiento y si la enfermedad será para siempre
«Call the elders, the senior men !23 Start [an uprising] in your own house, Let heralds proclaim . .. Let them make a loud noise in the land: Do not revere your gods,24 Do not pray to your goddesses, But search out the door of Namtara. Bring a baked loaf into his presence. May the flour offering reach him, May he be shamed by the presents And wipe away his "hand".» — voz de Enki instruyendo a su siervo: convocar a los ancianos, alzar el ruido en la tierra, no reverenciar a los dioses propios y llevar el pan cocido a la puerta de Namtara para avergonzarlo con los presentes. Las llamadas *23*, *24* y *25* van pegadas en el troceo
«The elders listened to his speech; They built a temple for Namtara in the city. Heralds proclaimed . . . They made a loud noise in the land. They did not revere their god, Did not pray to their goddess, But searched out the door of Namtara, Brought a baked loaf into his presence.» — la ejecución de la instrucción: los ancianos construyen templo a Namtara, hacen ruido en la tierra y dejan de rezar a su dios y a su diosa
«The suruppu-disease left them, [The gods] went back to their [(regular) offerings]» — el resultado de la maniobra: la enfermedad los deja y los dioses vuelven a sus ofrendas regulares, con las lagunas del impreso dentro
«Cut off food supplies to the people! Let the vegetation be too scant for their hunger !27 Let Adad wipe away his rain. Below (?) let no flood-water flow from the springs. Let wind go, let it strip the ground bare, Let clouds gather (but) not drop rain, Let the field yield a diminished harvest, Let Nissaba stop up her bosom. No happiness shall come to them.» — segunda ronda: voz de Ellil ordenando cortar el alimento, que Adad retenga la lluvia, que el viento pele el suelo y que las nubes se junten sin soltar agua. El *27* es llamada de nota pegada
«When he had sent the message by water, He sat facing the river, he wept (?), The man wept (?) facing the river As his plea went down to the Apsu. Then Ea heard his voice.» — el poema cierra la escena con el hombre llorando frente al río mientras su súplica baja al Apsu, y Ea que la oye
«Above, [rain did not fill the canals(?)] Below, flood-water did not flow from the springs. Earth's womb did not give birth, No vegetation sprouted ... People did not look [ ] The dark pastureland was bleached, The broad countryside filled up with alkali.» — el cuadro de la sequía: la matriz de la tierra no pare, no brota vegetación, el pastizal se blanquea y el campo se llena de álcali. El *30* es llamada de nota pegada
«Not three epochs had passed. The country became too wide, the people too numerous. The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull. The gods grew restless at their noise. Enlil organized his assembly again, Addressed the gods his sons: 'The noise of mankind has become too much, Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket. Command that Anu and Adad keep the (air) above (earth) locked, Sin and Nergal keep the middle earth locked.» — tercera ronda en la versión estándar: Enlil reúne otra vez su asamblea y ordena que Anu y Adad cierren el aire de arriba y que Sin y Nergal cierren la tierra media; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente
«As for the bolt that bars the sea, Ea with his lahmu-creatures shall keep it locked» — continuación: el cerrojo que cierra el mar queda a cargo de Ea con sus criaturas *lahmu*
«Then the very wise man Atra-hasis Wept daily. He would carry a massakku-offering along the riverside pasture, Although the irrigation-water was silent. Half-way through the night he offered a sacrifice.» — la respuesta de Atrahasis al cierre del mundo: llanto diario, ofrenda *massakku* por el pastizal de la ribera aunque el agua de riego callara, y sacrificio a media noche
«May the irrigation-water take it, may the river carry it, May the gift be placed in front of Ea my lord. May Ea see it and think of me! So may I see a dream in the night.» — voz de Atrahasis echando su ruego al agua de riego para que el río lo lleve y el don llegue ante Ea, y él vea un sueño en la noche
«Their faces covered with scabs (?) like malt. They stayed alive by . . . . .. life. Their faces looked sallow. They went out in public hunched, Their well-set shoulders slouched, Their upstanding bearing bowed.» — el cuerpo del hombre hambriento en la versión estándar: rostros con costras como malta, hombros caídos y porte encorvado en público
«Oh Lord, people are grumbling! Your [sickness] is consuming the country! Oh Lord Ea, people are grumbling! [Sickness] from the gods is consuming the country! Since you created us [You ought to] cut off sickness: headache, suruppu and asakku.» — voz de Atrahasis a Ea, con el argumento que le opone: puesto que ustedes nos crearon, deberían cortar la enfermedad. El *33* es llamada de nota pegada
«You are not to inflict disease on them again, (Even though) the people have not diminishedthey are more than before!» — voz de Ellil retirando la primera medida por ineficaz: la enfermedad no se repite porque la gente no ha disminuido y es más que antes. El impreso separa las dos cláusulas con una raya a fin de renglón (*diminished-they*) y *span()* las devuelve unidas
«Let the field decrease its yield, Let Nissaba turn away her breast, Let the dark fields become white, Let the broad countryside breed alkali Let earth clamp down her womb» — voz de Ellil dictando la sequía: menos cosecha, Nissaba que aparta su pecho, los campos oscuros vueltos blancos, el campo criando álcali y la tierra cerrando su matriz
«Let asakku be inflicted on the people, Let the womb be too tight to let a baby out!» — el cierre de la orden de Ellil: que el *asakku* caiga sobre la gente y que la matriz quede demasiado estrecha para dejar salir a la criatura
«When the sixth year arrived They served up a daughter for a meal, Served up a son for food. [ l Only one or two households were left.» — el sexto año: la antropofagia doméstica y una o dos casas en pie
«He left the door of his god, Put his bed right beside the river, (For even) the canals were quite silent.» — el gesto de Atrahasis ante el hambre: deja la puerta de su dios y pone su lecho junto al río, aunque los canales estuvieran callados
«We, the great Anunna, all of us, Agreed together on [a plan]. Anu and [Adad] were to guard [above], I was to guard the earth [below]. Where Enki (went], He was to undo the [chain and set (us) free], He was to release [produce for the people]. He was to exercise [control ( ?) by holding the balance ( ?)].» — voz de Ellil recordando el pacto de los grandes Anunna y acusando a Enki de haber soltado la cadena y liberado el producto para los hombres. El *34* es llamada de nota pegada
«You] imposed your loads on man, You bestowed noise on mankind, You slaughtered a god together with his intelligence, You must ... and [create a flood] . It is indeed your power that shall be used against [your people!] You agreed to [the wrong (?)] plan! Have it reversed! (?) Let us make far-sighted Enki swear» — voz de los dioses contra Enki: le echan en cara haber impuesto la carga al hombre, haberle dado el ruido y haber inmolado a un dios con su inteligencia, y le exigen juramento
«Why should you make me swear an oath? Why should I use my power against my people? The flood that you mention to mt.~ What is it? I don't even know! Could I give birth to a flood? That is Ellil' s kind of work!» — voz de Enki negándose, en preguntas: por qué usar su poder contra su gente, y qué es ese diluvio que ni siquiera conoce, si engendrar un diluvio es faena de Ellil. El troceo imprime *to mt.~* donde el impreso dice *to me*
«Let Shullat and [Hanish] march [ahead] [Let Erakal pull out] the mooring poles Let [Ninurta] march, let him make [the weirs] overflow.» — voz de Enki señalando a quién toca el trabajo del diluvio: Shullat y Hanish al frente, Erakal arrancando las amarras y Ninurta desbordando las presas
«Indicate to me the meaning of the dream, [ J let me find out its portent ( ?)» — voz de Atrahasis pidiendo a su señor que le descifre el sueño y su presagio
«The boat that you build [ [ Roof it like the Apsu So that the Sun cannot see inside it! Make upper decks and lower decks. The tackle must be very strong, The bitumen strong, to give strength. I shall make rain fall on you here, A wealth of birds, a hamper ( ?) of fish.» — la receta del arca: techarla como el Apsu para que el Sol no vea dentro, cubiertas altas y bajas, aparejo firme y betún fuerte
«He opened the sand clock and filled it, He told him the sand (needed) for the Flood was Seven nights' worth.» — el plazo del Diluvio medido con reloj de arena: siete noches
«My god is out of favour with your god. Enki and [Ellil (?)] have become angry with each other. They have driven me out of [my house]. Since I always stand in awe of Enki, He told (me) of this matter. I can no longer stay in [ J I cannot set my foot on Ellil's territory (again). [I must go down to the Apsu and stay] with (my) god(?). This is what he told me.» — voz de Atrahasis ante los ancianos, con la coartada que Enki le deja: su dios ha reñido con el de ellos y él debe bajar al Apsu, de modo que la partida se explica sin revelar el diluvio
«The carpenter [brought his axe,] The reed worker [brought his stone,] [A child brought] bitumen. The poor [fetched what was needed.]» — el reparto del trabajo en la construcción del arca: el carpintero con su hacha, el cañicero con su piedra, un niño que trae betún y los pobres lo que hiciera falta
«Let Namtar put an end to their noise straight away! Let sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku, Blow in to them like a storm.» — voz de Ellil en su asamblea: ordena que Namtar acabe con el ruido y que la enfermedad, jaqueca, *suruppu* y *asakku*, sople sobre los hombres como una tormenta
«When the second year arrived They had depleted the storehouse. When the third year arrived [The people's looks] were changed [by starvation]. When the fourth year arrived Their upstanding bearing bowed, Their well-set shoulders slouched, People went out in public hunched over.» — la cronología del hambre, año por año: el granero agotado al segundo, el semblante cambiado al tercero y el porte encorvado al cuarto. El poema repite el bloque entero unas planas más adelante, en la columna vi de la misma tablilla, y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«A daughter would eye her mother coming in; A mother would not even open her door to her daughter. A daughter would watch the scales (at the sale of her) mother, A mother would watch the scales (at the sale of her) daughter.» — el quinto año del hambre: la hija que vigila a la madre que entra, la madre que no le abre la puerta, y las dos mirando la balanza en la venta de la otra. El bloque se repite en la columna siguiente con los paréntesis colocados de otro modo, y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«Wall, listen constantly to me! Reed hut, make sure you attend to all my words! Dismantle the house, build a boat» — la instrucción central del relato, en voz de Enki y dirigida al muro y a la choza de cañas: desarmar la casa y construir un barco; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente
«Reject possessions, and save living things.» — continuación y cierre de la instrucción de Enki: despreciar las posesiones y salvar lo vivo
«The birds] that fly in the sky, Cattle [of Shak]kan, Wild animals (?) [ l [ ] of open country, he] put on board» — el embarque: aves del cielo, ganado de Shakkan y animales del campo abierto, con las lagunas del impreso dentro del verbatim
«The face of the weather changed. Adad bellowed from the clouds. When (?) he (Atrahasis) heard his noise, Bitumen was brought and he sealed his door. While he was closing up his door Adad kept bellowing from the clouds. The winds were raging even as he went up (And) cut through the rope, he released the boat.» — el arranque del Diluvio: Adad brama desde las nubes, Atrahasis sella su puerta con betún y corta la amarra
«The Flood roared like a bull, Like a wild ass screaming the winds [howled] The darkness was total, there was no sun.» — los símiles del Diluvio: brama como un toro, los vientos aúllan como un asno salvaje que grita, y la oscuridad es total
«As for Nintu the Great Mistress, Her lips became encrusted with rime.» — la diosa durante el Diluvio: los labios de Nintu se cubren de escarcha, lectura que la nota 37 explica como costra y supuración
«However could I, in the assembly of gods, Have ordered such destruction with them? Ellil was strong enough (?) to give a wicked order. 38 Like Tiruru he ought to have cancelled that wicked order!» — voz de Mami en su lamento, en pregunta: cómo pudo ella ordenar tal destrucción en la asamblea, y que Ellil, fuerte para dar una orden malvada, debió cancelarla como Tiruru
«I heard their cry levelled at me, Against myself, against my person. Beyond my control ( ?) my offspring have become like white sheep.» — sigue el lamento de la diosa: el clamor de sus criaturas dirigido contra ella, y la prole vuelta como ovejas blancas, que la nota lee como ovejas de sacrificio
«My noise has turned to silence. Could I go away, up to the sky And live as in a cloister(?)?» — el lamento vuelve sobre el ruido, que era la causa del castigo: el ruido de la diosa se ha vuelto silencio, y ella se pregunta si irse al cielo y vivir como en un claustro
«What was Anu's intention as decision-maker? It was his command that the gods his sons obeyed, He who did not deliberate, but sent the Flood, He who gathered the people to catastrophe» — voz de Mami contra Anu, que decidió sin deliberar y mandó el Diluvio
«She was sated with grief, she longed for beer (in vain). Where she sat weeping, (there the great gods) sat too, But, like sheep, could only fill their windpipes (with bleating). Thirsty as they were, their lips Discharged only the rime of famine.» — los dioses durante el Diluvio: saciados de dolor, con sed y sin poder más que balar como ovejas, los labios supurando la escarcha del hambre
«For seven days and seven nights The torrent, storm and flood came on.» — la duración del Diluvio, que es la que el reloj de arena había medido: siete días y siete noches
«The gods smelt the fragrance, Gathered like flies over the offering.» — el sacrificio tras el Diluvio y la imagen que lo fija: los dioses acuden a la fragancia como moscas sobre la ofrenda
«Whatever came over Anu who makes the decisions? Did Ellil (dare to) come for the smoke offering? (Those two) who did not deliberate, but sent the Flood, Gathered the people to catastrophe-You agreed the destruction. (Now) their bright faces are dark (forever).» — voz de Nintu reprochando a los dioses mientras comen la ofrenda: acordaron la destrucción y ahora sus rostros brillantes quedan oscuros
«Let these flies be the lapis lazuli of my necklace By which I may remember it (?) daily (?) [forever (?)].» — voz de Nintu instituyendo el recuerdo: las moscas que Anu hizo serán el lapislázuli de su collar para acordarse del Diluvio
«Who but Enki would do this? He made sure that the [reed hut] disclosed the order.» — voz de Anu señalando al culpable: Enki hizo que la choza de cañas revelara la orden
«I did it, in defiance of you! I made sure life was preserved» — voz de Enki asumiendo la desobediencia: lo hizo desafiándolos, y se aseguró de que la vida se preservara
«You are the womb-goddess who decrees destinies.» — voz de Ellil llamando a Nintu para el nuevo reparto: ella es la diosa matriz que decreta los destinos
«In addition let there be one-third of the people, Among the people the woman who gives birth yet does Not give birth (successfully); Let there be the pasittu-demon among the people, To snatch the baby from its mother's lap. Establish ugbabtu, entu, egi~ltu-women :45 They shall be taboo, and thus control childbirth.» — el remedio definitivo, en voz de la diosa: mujeres que paran sin lograr parto, el demonio *pasittu* que arrebata al bebé del regazo, y las clases de sacerdotisas declaradas tabú para controlar la natalidad
«How we sent the Flood. But a man survived the catastrophe. You are the counsellor of the gods; On your orders I created conflict. Let the Igigi listen to this song In order to praise you, And let them record (?) your greatness. I shall sing of the Flood to all people: 46 Listen!» — el cierre de la tablilla III: el canto del Diluvio que los Igigi deben oír para alabanza, y la fórmula de apertura oral que Dalley señala también en Gilgamesh, Anzu y Erra
«Third tablet, 'When the gods instead of man' 390 lines, Total1245 For the three tablets. Hand of Ipiq-Aya, junior scribe. Month Ayyar [x day], Year Ammi-?aduqa was king.» — el colofón de la tablilla III da la atribución que el propio texto hace: mano de Ipiq-Aya, escriba junior, en el mes de Ayyar del año en que Ammi-saduqa era rey, con el cómputo de 390 líneas y 1245 en total para las tres tablillas; el OCR imprime el nombre del rey como *Ammi-?aduqa*
«They were eating, they were drinking. But he went in and out, Could not stay still or rest on his haunches, His heart was breaking and he was vomiting bile.» — el banquete del embarque contado desde el cuerpo del héroe: mientras los suyos comen y beben, él entra y sale sin poder quedarse quieto, con el corazón rompiéndose y vomitando bilis
«The kasiisu-weapon went against the people like an army. No one could see anyone else, They could not be recognized in the catastrophe.» — el Diluvio descrito por sus efectos: el arma *kasusu* cae sobre la gente como un ejército y nadie puede reconocer a nadie en la catástrofe; el troceo imprime *kasiisu* por kasusu
«Anzu was tearing at the sky with his talons» — la imagen que abre el Diluvio en la tablilla III: Anzu desgarrando el cielo con sus garras, el mismo pájaro monstruoso al que otro relato del volumen dedica una epopeya entera
«Would a true father (?) have given birth to the [rolling (?)] sea» — voz de Nintu en el llanto, en pregunta: si un padre verdadero habría engendrado el mar que rueda; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente
«The warrior Ellil spotted the boat43 And was furious with the Igigi. 'We, the great Anunna, all of us, Agreed together on an oath! No form of life should have escaped! How did any man survive the catastrophe?» — voz de Ellil al descubrir el barco: los grandes Anunna habían jurado que ninguna forma de vida escapara, y pregunta cómo sobrevivió un hombre. El *43* pegado a *boat* es llamada de nota del impreso, releída en el crudo
«Of him who] found out all things, I [shall te]ll the land\ [Of him who] experienced everything, [I shall tea]ch the whole. He searched (?) lands (?) everywhere. He who experienced the whole gained complete wisdom. He found out what was secret and uncovered what was hidden, He brought back a tale of times before the Flood.» — el prólogo de la versión estándar, tablilla I: el que averiguó todas las cosas, ganó sabiduría completa, halló lo secreto, descubrió lo oculto y trajo un relato de los tiempos anteriores al Diluvio. Los corchetes marcan la restitución del texto dañado y los numerales son llamadas de nota
«He had journeyed far and wide, weary and at last resigned. He engraved all toils on a memorial monument of stone.» — sigue el prólogo: vuelve fatigado y al fin resignado, y graba todos sus trabajos en un monumento conmemorativo de piedra
«See its wall, which is like a copper band, Survey its battlements, which nobody else can match, Take the threshold, which is from time immemorial, Approach Eanna, the home of Ishtar, Which no future king nor any man will ever match!» — la invitación del prólogo a mirar la muralla de Uruk, el umbral inmemorial y el Eanna, casa de Ishtar, que ningún rey futuro igualará
«Go up on to the wall of Uruk and walk around! Inspect the foundation platform and scrutinize the brickwork! Testify that its bricks are baked bricks, And that the Seven Counsellors must have laid its foundations» — el prólogo manda subir a la muralla, inspeccionar la plataforma y atestiguar que los ladrillos son cocidos y que los Siete Consejeros pusieron los cimientos
«Look for the copper tablet-box, Undo its bronze lock, Open the door to its secret, Lift out the lapis lazuli tablet and read it, The story of that man, Gilgamesh, who went through all kinds of sufferings.» — el prólogo cierra su instrucción indicando dónde está el relato: la caja de cobre, el cerrojo de bronce, la puerta de su secreto y la tablilla de lapislázuli que hay que sacar y leer
«He was superior to other kings, a warrior lord of great stature,4 A hero born of Uruk, a goring wild bull. He marches at the front as leader, He goes behind, the support of his brothers, A strong net, the protection of his men, The raging flood-wave, which can destroy even a stone wall.» — el retrato del héroe en serie de imágenes: toro salvaje que embiste, red fuerte que protege a los suyos y ola de crecida capaz de derribar hasta un muro de piedra
«Who inspected the edges of the world, kept searching for eternal life, Who reached Ut-napishtim the far-distant, by force. Who restored to their rightful place cult centres (?) which the Flood had ruined.» — el prólogo anticipa la trama entera: inspeccionó los confines del mundo, buscó la vida eterna, alcanzó por fuerza a Ut-napishtim el lejano y restauró los centros de culto que el Diluvio arruinó
«Two-thirds of him was divine, and one-third mortal. Belet-ili designed the shape of his body/ Made his form perfect» — la fórmula que fija la naturaleza del héroe: dos tercios divino y un tercio mortal, con la forma del cuerpo diseñada por Belet-ili
«The gods often heard their complaints. The gods of heaven [ ] the lord of Uruk. 'Did [Aruru (?)] create such a rampant wild bull? Is there no rival? At the pukku His weapons rise up, his comrades have to rise up. Gilgamesh will not leave any son alone for his father. Day and night his [behaviour (?)] is overbearing. He is the shepherd of Uruk the Sheepfold, He is their shepherd, yet [ ] Powerful, superb, knowledgeable [and expert], Gilgamesh will not leave young girls [alone], The daughters of warriors, the brides of young men. Anu often hears their complaints.' They called upon great Aruru: 'You, Aruru, you created [mankind (?)]! Now create someone for him, to match (?) the ardour ( ?) of his energies! 9 Let them be regular rivals, and let Uruk be allowed peace!» — la queja de Uruk sube a los dioses y desemboca en el encargo a Aruru: que cree un rival a la medida del ardor de Gilgamesh para que la ciudad tenga paz; tramo largo de verso, releído entero en el crudo, donde el *9* suelto tras *energies!* es la llamada de nota de Dalley pegada al renglón
«When Aruru heard this, she created inside herself the word (?) of Anu. 10 Aruru washed her hands, pinched off a piece of clay, cast it out into open country.» — el acto de la creación de Enkidu: Aruru se lava las manos, pellizca un trozo de arcilla y lo arroja al campo abierto, con el mismo gesto de la arcilla que abre Atrahasis
«She created a [primitive man], Enkidu the warrior: offspring of silence (?), sky-bolt of Ninurta. 10 His whole body was shaggy with hair, he was furnished with tresses like a woman, His locks of hair grew luxuriant like grain.» — el retrato de Enkidu recién creado: cuerpo entero velludo, cabellera como de mujer y mechones que crecen exuberantes como el grano
«He knew neither people nor country; he was dressed as cattle are. With gazelles he eats vegetation, With cattle he quenches his thirst at the watering place. With wild beasts he presses forward for water.» — Enkidu antes de la cultura: no conoce gente ni país, va vestido como el ganado, come hierba con las gacelas y bebe con los animales
«He kept filling in the pits that I dug [ ] , He kept pulling out the traps that I laid. He kept helping cattle, wild beasts of open country, to escape my grasp. He will not allow me to work» — voz del cazador ante su padre: Enkidu rellena los pozos que cava y arranca las trampas que pone, y ayuda a escapar a las fieras
«She must take off her clothes and reveal her attractions.» — voz del padre del cazador dictando la estratagema: que la mujer se quite la ropa y descubra sus atractivos. El poema repite el verso en boca de Gilgamesh y en boca de la propia Shamhat
«Go, hunter, lead forth the harlot Shamhat» — voz de Gilgamesh nombrando por primera vez a la mujer que hará de Enkidu un hombre; el *14* pegado al nombre es llamada de nota del impreso
«Here he is, Shamhat, bare your bosom, Open your legs and let him take in your attractions! Do not pull away, take wind of him! He will see you and come close to you.» — voz del cazador instruyendo a Shamhat al borde del abrevadero
«Shamhat loosened her undergarments, opened her legs and he took in her attractions. She did not pull away. She took wind of him, Spread open her garments, and he lay upon her. 15 She did for him, the primitive man, as women do. His love-making he lavished upon her. For six days and seven nights Enkidu was aroused and poured himself into Shamhat.» — la escena de la seducción y su duración, seis días y siete noches, que es la medida con que el poema marca el paso de Enkidu del campo a la humanidad
«One square mile is city, one square mile is orchards, one square mile is claypits, as well as the open ground of Ishtar's temple. Three square miles and the open ground comprise Uruk.» — la medida de la ciudad en el prólogo: una milla cuadrada de ciudad, otra de huertos, otra de barreras, más el terreno abierto del templo de Ishtar. El poema repite el bloque entero como epílogo al final de la tablilla XI, y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«In Uruk the Sheepfold he would walk about, Show himself superior, his head held high like a wild bull.» — el poema presenta al rey joven paseándose por Uruk el Redil, mostrándose superior y con la cabeza alta como un toro salvaje
«Gilgamesh would not leave any son alone for his father. Day and night his [behaviour (?)] was overbearing.» — el abuso del rey joven, dicho por el poema en fórmula que se repetirá luego en boca de los dioses: no deja en paz a ningún hijo de su padre, y su conducta es prepotente día y noche
«Then his cattle, who have grown up in open country with him, will become alien to him.» — la fórmula que gobierna la seducción de Enkidu, repetida cuatro veces en el relato: tras yacer con la mujer, el ganado criado con él en campo abierto se le volverá ajeno. El verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición, en boca del padre del cazador
«The gazelles saw Enkidu and scattered, The cattle of open country kept away from his body. For Enkidu had stripped (?); his body was too clean. His legs, which used to keep pace with ( ?) his cattle, were at a standstill. Enkidu had been diminished, he could not run as before.» — el precio de la seducción, contado por el poema: las gacelas huyen de Enkidu, el ganado se aparta de su cuerpo, sus piernas ya no siguen el paso y no puede correr como antes
«Yet he had acquired judgement(?), had become WISer. He turned back (?), he sat at the harlot's feet.» — la ganancia que compensa esa pérdida: ha adquirido juicio y se ha vuelto más sabio; el troceo imprime *WISer* en versalitas por el corte de renglón
«You have become [profound] Enkidu, you have become like a god. Why should you roam open country with wild beasts?» — voz de Shamhat a Enkidu, en pregunta: se ha vuelto como un dios y por qué habría de vagar por el campo con las fieras
«Come, let me take you into Uruk the Sheepfold, To the pure house, the dwelling of Anu and Ish tar, Where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength, And is like a wild bull, more powerful than (any of) the people.» — voz de Shamhat invitándolo a Uruk el Redil, a la casa pura de Anu e Ishtar donde Gilgamesh es perfecto en fuerza. El poema repite el bloque en boca de Enkidu en la plana siguiente
«Knowing his own mind (now), he would seek for a friend.» — el verso que da el motor del relato: sabiendo ya su propia mente, Enkidu buscaría un amigo
«Go, Enkidu, into Uruk the Sheepfold Where young men are girded with sashes And every day is a feast day, Where the drums are beaten And girls (?) [show off] (their) figures, Adorned with joy and full of happiness.» — voz de Shamhat pintando la ciudad: mozos ceñidos con fajas, fiesta cada día, tambores batidos y muchachas engalanadas
«He is beautiful in manhood, dignified, His whole body is charged with seductive charm. He is more powerful in strength of arms than you! He does not sleep by day or night.» — voz de Shamhat describiendo a Gilgamesh: hermoso y digno, el cuerpo cargado de encanto seductor, más poderoso de brazos que Enkidu y sin dormir de día ni de noche
«0 Enkidu, change your plan for punishing him! Shamash loves Gilgamesh, And Anu, Ellil, and Ea made him wise!» — voz de Shamhat disuadiendo a Enkidu: Shamash ama a Gilgamesh, y Anu, Ellil y Ea lo hicieron sabio
«Mother, I saw a dream in the night. There were stars in the sky for me. And (something) like a sky-bolt of Anu kept falling upon me! I tried to lift it up, but it was too heavy for me. I tried to turn it over, but I couldn't budge it. The country(men) of Uruk were standing over [it]. 17 [The countrymen had gathered (?)] over it, The men crowded over it, The young men massed over it, They kissed its feet like very young children.» — el primer sueño de Gilgamesh, en su propia voz ante su madre: estrellas en el cielo, algo como un rayo de Anu que cae y que él no puede levantar ni voltear, y la gente de Uruk agolpada besándole los pies
«I loved it as a wife, doted on it, [I carried it], laid it at your feet, You treated it as equal to me.» — el cierre del primer sueño: lo amó como a una esposa, lo llevó y lo puso a los pies de su madre, y ella lo trató como igual a él. El poema repite el bloque al interpretar el sueño
«It means) a strong partner shall come to you, one who can save the life of a friend, He will be the most powerful in strength of arms in the land. His strength will be as great as that of a sky-bolt of Anu. You will love him as a wife, you will dote upon him. [And he will always] keep you safe (?). [That is the meaning] of your dream.» — voz de Ninsun interpretando el primer sueño: vendrá un compañero fuerte capaz de salvar la vida de un amigo, y Gilgamesh lo amará como a una esposa
«Mother, I have had a second dream. An axe was thrown down in the street (?) of Uruk the Sheepfold and they gathered over it, The country(men) of Uruk stood over it. The land gathered together over it, The men massed over it. [I carried it], laid it at your feet. I loved it as a wife, doted upon it. And you treated it as equal to me.» — el segundo sueño, en voz de Gilgamesh: un hacha arrojada en la calle de Uruk sobre la que la gente se agolpa, y que él ama como a una esposa
«The copper axe which you saw is a man. You will love it as a wife, you will dote upon it, And I shall treat it as equal to you. A strong partner will come to you, one who can save the life of a comrade. He will be the most powerful in strength of arms in the land. His strength will be as great as that of a sky-bolt of Anu.» — voz de Ninsun dando la clave del segundo sueño: el hacha de cobre es un hombre
«Let it fall, then, according to the word of Ellil the great counsellor. I shall gain a friend to advise me.» — voz de Gilgamesh aceptando el presagio: que caiga según la palabra de Ellil el gran consejero, y ganará un amigo que lo aconseje
«The young man-how like Gilgamesh in build, Mature in build, as sturdy (?) as battlements. Why was he born in the mountains? He is just as powerful in strength of arms as a sky-bolt of Anu» — voz de los pastores al ver a Enkidu: semejante a Gilgamesh en talla, maduro y firme como almenas, y se preguntan por qué nació en las montañas
«Enkidu would not eat the food; he narrowed his eyes and stared.» — el detalle con que el poema marca que Enkidu aún no es hombre de ciudad: no come la comida que le ponen delante y entorna los ojos mirando fijo
«Enkidu stood, listened to him speaking, Pondered, and then sat down, began to cry. His eyes grew dim with tears. His arms slackened, his strength [( )] (Then) they grasped one another, And embraced and held (?) hands.» — el desenlace de la pelea: Enkidu se sienta a llorar, sus brazos se aflojan, y los dos se toman y se abrazan de la mano
«Ellil has destined him to keep the Pine Forest safe/0 To be the terror of people. Humbaba, whose shout is the flood-weapon, whose utterance is Fire, and whose breath is Death, Can hear for a distance of sixty leagues through (?) the . . . of the forest, so who can penetrate his forest» — la presentación de Humbaba: destinado por Ellil a guardar el Bosque de Pinos y a ser el terror de la gente, con el grito como arma de diluvio, la palabra como fuego y el aliento como muerte
«I am adamant: I shall take the road [to Humbaba]. I shall face unknown opposition, [I shall ride along an unknown] road. Give me your blessing, since I [have decided (?)] on the course» — voz de Gilgamesh ante los jóvenes de Uruk: está resuelto a tomar el camino, a enfrentar una oposición desconocida y a cabalgar por un camino desconocido
«Tell him not to go to the [Pine] Forest, That journey is not to be undertaken!» — el consejo de Enkidu a los ancianos, en la voz que el poema le da: que le digan que no vaya al Bosque de Pinos, porque ese viaje no ha de emprenderse
«You are [still young (?), Gilgamesh, you are impetuous to [ ], But you do not know what you will find» — voz de los grandes consejeros de Uruk oponiéndose: es joven todavía e impetuoso, y no sabe lo que va a encontrar
«Who, even among the Igigi, can face him? Ellil destined him to keep the Pine Forest safe, to be the terror of people.» — voz de los consejeros cerrando su objeción con una pregunta: quién, aun entre los Igigi, puede enfrentarse a Humbaba
«Ninsun is wise, all-knowing, she understands, She will set the steps of good advice at our feet.» — voz de Gilgamesh proponiendo consultar a su madre antes de partir
«Until the day when, having travelled far and wide, I finally reach the Pine Forest, Until I slay ferocious Humbaba, And exterminate from the land Something Evil, which Shamash hates.» — voz de Gilgamesh ante Ninsun declarando el propósito de la expedición: matar a Humbaba y exterminar de la tierra el Mal que Shamash odia. El poema repite el bloque en boca de Ninsun en la plana siguiente
«Ninsun entered her chamber. [ ] soap-plant. [She put on a garment (?)], adornment of her body, [Put on toggle-pins (?),] adornment of her breast, [ ], wore her crown on her head. [ l .. . [ ] she went up on to the roof.» — el rito de Ninsun antes de interceder: entra en su cámara, se lava con planta de jabón, se viste, se pone los broches y la corona y sube a la azotea
«Why did you single out my son Gilgamesh (and) impose a restless spirit on him?» — voz de Ninsun ante Shamash, en pregunta y como reproche: por qué escogió a su hijo y le impuso un espíritu inquieto
«Enkidu, you are a strong man, though not from my womb.» — voz de Ninsun adoptando a Enkidu: es hombre fuerte aunque no salido de su vientre
«In Uruk I shall be the strongest!" I shall go in and alter destiny» — voz de Enkidu declarando su propósito antes de conocer a Gilgamesh: será el más fuerte en Uruk y entrará a alterar el destino; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«One who was born in open country has [superior(?)] strength!» — continuación: el nacido en campo abierto tiene fuerza superior
«Enkidu blocked his access at the door of the father-in-law's house, He would not allow Gilgamesh to enter. They grappled at the door of the father-in-law's house, Wrestled in the street, in the public square.19 Doorframes shook, walls quaked.» — el encuentro de los dos héroes: Enkidu le corta el paso en la puerta de la casa del suegro, luchan en la calle y en la plaza pública, y los marcos tiemblan y los muros se cimbran. El *19* pegado a *square* es llamada de nota del impreso, releída en el crudo
«He who leads the way will save his comrade. He who knows the paths, he will (?) guard his friend. Let Enkidu go in front of you, He knows the way of the Pine Forest. He can look at the fight and instruct in the battle.» — sigue el consejo de los ancianos: que Enkidu vaya delante porque conoce el camino del Bosque de Pinos, y que quien conoce las sendas guarde a su amigo. El poema repite el bloque más adelante y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«Do not trust entirely, Gilgamesh, in your own strength.» — el consejo de los ancianos al abrir la tablilla III: no fiar del todo en la fuerza propia. La frase se corta en el cambio de plana, y el poema repite los dos versos más adelante en la misma tablilla; el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«When you have looked long enough, trust to your first blow.» — continuación: tras haber mirado bastante, fiar del primer golpe. Verso repetido más adelante en la misma tablilla, anclado en la primera aparición
«Priestesses have accepted the orphan, The daughters of gods have adopted a foundling. I hereby take Enkidu to be my son. Gilgamesh shall accept Enkidu» — voz de Ninsun al colgar los símbolos del cuello de Enkidu: las sacerdotisas han aceptado al huérfano, las hijas de los dioses han adoptado al expósito, y ella lo toma por hijo
«At twenty leagues they ate their ration. 32 At thirty leagues they stopped for the night. Fifty leagues they travelled during the day. The distance (took from) the new moon to the full moon, then three days more: they came to Lebanon.» — la fórmula de marcha que el poema repite en cada jornada del viaje al Bosque de Pinos, con la distancia medida de luna nueva a luna llena y tres días más; el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«Gilgamesh sat with his chin on his knees. Sleep, which spills out over people, overcame him.» — la imagen con que el poema introduce cada sueño: el héroe sentado con la barbilla en las rodillas y el sueño que se derrama sobre la gente venciéndolo; verso repetido en las tres escenas
«My friend, didn't you call me? Then why am I awake? Didn't you touch me? Why am I so upset? Didn't a god pass by? Then why is my flesh so feeble» — voz de Gilgamesh al despertar, en tres preguntas que el poema repite tras cada sueño: si no lo llamó, si no lo tocó y si no pasó un dios; anclado en la primera aparición
«My friend, your dream is favourable. The dream is very significant [ My friend, the mountain which you saw [( )] (means:) We shall seize Humbaba, sl[ay him], And cast his corpse on to waste ground. At the light of dawn we shall hear the favourable word of Shamash.» — voz de Enkidu interpretando el primer sueño de la marcha: apresarán a Humbaba, lo matarán y echarán su cadáver a un terreno baldío
«My friend, I had a third dream,36 And the dream that I had was extremely upsetting. Heaven cried out, earth groaned. Day grew silent, darkness emerged, Lightning flashed, fire broke out. [Flames] crackled, death rained down. 37 (Then) sparks were dimmed, and the fire was extinguished. [The coals which] kept falling turned to embers.» — el tercer sueño en voz de Gilgamesh: el cielo grita, la tierra gime, el día calla, sale la oscuridad, relampaguea, brota fuego y llueve muerte, hasta que las chispas se apagan y las brasas se vuelven rescoldo
«A three-stranded cord [is hardest to break (?)] A strong lion [cannot prevail over (?) two of its own cubs.» — el proverbio con que se arguye la fuerza de ir de dos en dos: la cuerda de tres hebras y el león fuerte que no puede con dos de sus propios cachorros. El poema lo repite en la tablilla V y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«Why, my friend, do we [talk (?)]like cowards? We can cross all the mountains [ ] [ ] to our face, before (?) we have cut down [pines (?)] My friend, experienced in conflict, who has [ ] battle, You have rubbed yourself with plants so you need not fear death. You shall have a double mantle of radiance like ... Your shout shall be as loud as a kettledrum. Paralysis shall leave your arms, and impotence shall leave your loins.» — voz de Gilgamesh animando a Enkidu paralizado: le promete doble manto de resplandor, grito como timbal y el fin de la parálisis en brazos e ingles
«Hold my hand, my friend, let us set off! Your heart shall soon burn (?) for conflict; forget death and [think only of] life (?). Man is strong, prepared to fight, responsible. He who goes in front (and) guards his (friend's) body, shall keep the comrade safe. They shall have established fame for their» — voz de Gilgamesh al emprender la entrada: que olvide la muerte y piense solo en la vida, y que quien va delante y guarda el cuerpo del amigo mantendrá a salvo al compañero
«They stood at the edge of the forest, Gazed and gazed at the height of the pines, Gazed and gazed at the entrance to the pines, Where Humbaba made tracks as he went to and fro. The paths were well trodden and the road was excellent. They beheld the Pine Mountain, dwelling-place of gods, shrine of Irnini. The pines held up their luxuriance even on the face of the mountain. Their shade was good, filling one with happiness. Undergrowth burgeoned, entangling the forest.» — la llegada al Bosque de Pinos: la altura de los pinos, las veredas trilladas de Humbaba, la Montaña de los Pinos como morada de dioses y santuario de Irnini, y la sombra buena que llena de dicha
«The fool Gilgamesh (and (?)) the brutish man ought to ask themselves, why have you come to see me? 41 Your [friend] Enkidu is small fry who does not know his own father!» — voz de Humbaba al recibirlos, en pregunta y con desprecio: por qué han venido a verlo, y Enkidu es pececillo que no conoce a su propio padre
«You are so very small that I regard you as I do a turtle or a tortoise Which does not suck its mother's milk, so I do not approach you.» — sigue el desprecio de Humbaba: los ve tan pequeños como una tortuga que no mama de su madre
«So I shall bite [through your/his] windpipe and neck, Gilgamesh, And leave [your/his body] for birds of the forest, roaring (lions), birds of prey and scavengers.» — voz de Humbaba amenazando con morder la tráquea y dejar el cuerpo a las aves del bosque, a los leones y a las carroñeras
«My friend, why do you talk like a coward? And your speech was feeble (?), and you tried to hide (?) . Now, my friend, he has drawn you out (?) With the (blow)pipe of the coppersmith for heating(?) To count back each league swollen ( ?) with the heat (?), each league of cold, To dispatch the flood-weapon, to lash with the whip! Don't retrace your footsteps! Don't turn back! [ ] Make your blows harder!» — voz de Enkidu reprendiendo el miedo de Gilgamesh y mandándole no volver sobre sus pasos y golpear más fuerte
«Remember what you said in Uruk! Stand there ( ?) and listen to me!» — voz de Gilgamesh llorando ante Shamash y recordándole su propia promesa de Uruk
«As soon as a loud voice from the sky calls down to him/4 Rush, stand up to him, let him not [enter the forest (?) J, Let him not go down to the wood, nor [ ]. [Humbaba] will [not] be clothed in seven cloaks,45 He will be wearing [only one]; six are taken off (?).» — voz de Shamash dando la clave táctica: que se le eche encima antes de que entre al bosque, porque Humbaba no estará vestido con sus siete mantos sino con uno solo
«He shouts only once, but fills one with terror.» — el verso que mide el poder del guardián: grita una sola vez y llena de terror
«Shamash summoned up great tempests against Humbaba, South Wind, North Wind, East Wind, West Wind, Moaning Wind, Gale, saparziqqu-Wind, imhullu-Wind, ... -Wind Asakku, Wintry Wind, Tempest, Whirlwind, Thirteen winds rose up at him and Humbaba's face grew dark.» — la intervención decisiva del dios: Shamash levanta trece vientos contra Humbaba, con sus nombres uno a uno, y el rostro del guardián se oscurece
«He could not charge forwards, he could not run backwards. Thus the weapons of Gilgamesh succeeded against Humbaba.» — el resultado del ataque de los vientos: Humbaba no puede cargar ni retroceder, y las armas de Gilgamesh se imponen
«You are young, Gilgamesh; your mother gave birth to you, And you are the offspring of [ ] You rose (?) at the command of Shamash, Lord of the Mountain And you are the scion of Uruk, king Gilgamesh.» — voz de Humbaba suplicando, con el reconocimiento del linaje del vencedor: joven, nacido de su madre, alzado por mandato de Shamash y vástago de Uruk
«I shall make (them) grow luxuriantly for you in [ ] As many trees as you [ I shall keep for you myrtle wood, [ ] Timbers to be the pride [of your palace (?) ].» — voz de Humbaba ofreciendo el rescate: hacer crecer los árboles para él y guardarle maderas de mirto para orgullo de su palacio
«They stirred up the ground with the heels of their feet, 47 Sirara and Lebanon were split apart at their» — el combate: los talones remueven el suelo y Sirara y el Líbano se parten con los giros. El *47* pegado a *feet* es llamada de nota del impreso, y el tramo se corta ahí porque la frase sigue tras el número
«White clouds grew black, Death dropped down over them like a fog.» — continuación: las nubes blancas se vuelven negras y la muerte cae sobre ellos como niebla
«mountain, bring me a dream, a favourable one!' Enkidu arranged it (?) for him, for Gilgamesh.» — la petición de sueño en la montaña, que Gilgamesh repite antes de cada uno de los tres sueños, y el gesto de Enkidu que la sigue. El impreso abre el vocativo con una O que el OCR rinde como cero, de modo que el verbatim arranca en la palabra siguiente; el bloque se repite tres veces y se ancla en la primera
«You have found out the nature of my forest, the nature [of my dwelling] And (now) you know all their . .. -s. I should have taken you (and) slain you at the entrance to my forest's growth, I should have given your flesh to be eaten by the birds of the forest, roaring (lions), birds of prey, and scavengers. But now, Enkidu, it is in your power(?) to ... , So tell Gilgamesh to spare my life (?)» — voz de Humbaba apelando a Enkidu: conocen ya la índole de su bosque y su morada, y él debió matarlos a la entrada; ahora está en manos de Enkidu pedir clemencia
«My friend, finish him off, slay him, grind him up, that [I may survive J Humbaba the guardian of the [Pine] Forest! Finish him off, slay him, grind him up that [I may survive] Humbaba, the guardian of the forest. (Do it) before the leader Ellil hears, [( )] [Lest (?)] the gods (?) be filled with fury at us [( )] Ellil in Nippur, Shamash in [Sippar]. Set up an eternal [memorial] To [tell] how Gilgamesh [slew] Humbaba!» — voz de Enkidu urgiendo la ejecución antes de que Ellil se entere, y proponiendo un memorial eterno que cuente cómo Gilgamesh mató a Humbaba
«Neither one of them shall outlive His friend! Gilgamesh and Enkidu shall never become ( ?) old men (?).» — la maldición que el poema pone en boca del guardián vencido y que gobierna todo lo que sigue: ninguno de los dos sobrevivirá al otro y no llegarán a viejos
«Gilgamesh was cutting down the trees; Enkidu kept tugging at the stumps.» — el saqueo del bosque tras la muerte del guardián: Gilgamesh talando y Enkidu arrancando los tocones
«Let the Euphrates carry [it] to Nippur» — el destino de la puerta: que el Éufrates la lleve a Nippur, la ciudad de Ellil, a quien el bosque pertenecía
«He washed his filthy hair, he cleaned his gear, Shook out his locks over his back, Threw away his dirty clothes and put on fresh ones. He clothed himself in robes and tied on a sash. Gilgamesh put his crown on his head And Ishtar the princess raised her eyes to the beauty of Gilgamesh.» — el aseo del héroe tras la victoria y el efecto que provoca: Ishtar alza los ojos a la hermosura de Gilgamesh
«Come to me, Gilgamesh, and be my lover! Bestow on me the gift of your fruit! You can be my husband, and I can be your wife.» — la propuesta de Ishtar, en su propia voz: que sea su amante y le dé el fruto de su cuerpo
«I shall have a chariot of lapis lazuli and gold harnessed for you, With wheels of gold, and horns of elmesu-stone52 You shall harness tlmu-demons as great mules! Enter into our house through the fragrance of pine! When you enter our house The wonderfully-wrought threshold shall kiss your feet! 53 Kings, nobles, princes shall bow down beneath you.» — sigue la oferta de Ishtar: carro de lapislázuli y oro, demonios uncidos como mulas, el umbral que besa los pies y los reyes inclinados
«Your goats shall bear triplets, your ewes twins, Your loaded donkey shall outpace the mule. Your horses shall run proud at the chariot, [Your oxJ shall be unrivalled at the yoke.» — el remate de la oferta, en fecundidad: cabras que paren trillizos, ovejas que paren mellizos y el asno cargado que gana al mulo
«What could I give you if I possessed you? I would give you body oil and garments, I would give you food and sustenance. Could I provide you with bread fit for gods? Could I provide you with ale fit for kings?» — voz de Gilgamesh rechazando, en preguntas: qué podría darle él que ella no tuviera, pan digno de dioses o cerveza digna de reyes
«A draughty door that can't keep out winds and gusts, A palace that [rejects (?)J its own warriors (?), II An elephant which [ J its covering Bitumen which [stains (?)J its carrier, A waterskin which [soaks (?)J its carrier, A juggernaut (?) which [smashes (?)J a stone wall,55 A battering ram which destroys [ J of war, A shoe which bites into [the foot} of its wearer.» — la serie de símiles con que Gilgamesh define a Ishtar: puerta que no detiene el viento, betún que mancha a quien lo lleva, odre que empapa al aguador y zapato que muerde el pie. El *II* que cae a media frase es el numeral de columna del impreso, conservado dentro del verbatim
«Which of your lovers [lasted} forever? Which of your masterful paramours went to heaven?» — la pregunta con que Gilgamesh pasa al catálogo de los amantes de la diosa
«For Dumuzi the lover of your youth You decreed that he should keep weeping year after year.» — el primero del catálogo: a Dumuzi, el amante de su juventud, le decretó llorar año tras año
«You loved the lion, whose strength is complete,57 But you dug seven and seven pits for him.» — el tercero del catálogo: el león de fuerza completa, para el que cavó siete y siete fosas
«You loved the horse, so trustworthy in battle, But you decreed the whip, goad, and lash for him, You decreed that he should gallop seven leagues (non-stop), You decreed that he should be overwrought and thirsty, You decreed endless weeping for his mother Sililu.» — el cuarto: el caballo fiel en la batalla, al que decretó látigo, aguijón y azote, siete leguas de galope sin parar y el llanto sin fin de su madre
«You loved the shepherd, herdsman, and chief shepherd Who was always heaping up the glowing ashes for you, And cooked ewe-lambs for you every day. 59 But you hit him and turned him into a wolf, His own herd-boys hunt him down And his dogs tear at his haunches.» — el quinto: el pastor que le amontonaba las brasas y le cocía corderas cada día, al que convirtió en lobo para que sus propios zagales lo cacen
«You loved Ishullanu, your father's gardener, Who was always bringing you baskets of dates. They brightened your table every day; You lifted your eyes to him and went to him "My own Ishullanu, let us enjoy your strength, So put out your hand and touch our vulva!» — el sexto: Ishullanu el jardinero de su padre, que le traía cestos de dátiles, y la proposición que ella le hizo
«Me? What do you want of me? Did my mother not bake for me, and did I not eat? What I eat (with you) would be loaves of dishonour and disgrace, Rushes would be my only covering against the cold.» — voz del jardinero rechazando a la diosa: lo que comiera con ella serían panes de deshonra y desgracia
«And you hit him, turned him into a frog (?), Left him to stay amid the fruits of his labours. But the pole (?) goes up no more, [his] bucket goes down no more. 61 And how about me? You will love me and then [treat me] just like them!» — el castigo del jardinero y la conclusión de Gilgamesh: ella lo amará y lo tratará igual que a todos ellos
«Father, Gilgamesh has shamed me again and again! Gilgamesh spelt out to me my dishonour, My dishonour and my disgrace.» — voz de Ishtar ante Anu y Antu, llorando la afrenta que Gilgamesh le deletreó
«Why(?) didn't you accuse Gilgamesh the king for yourself, Since Gilgamesh spelt out your dishonour, Your dishonour and your disgrace?» — voz de Anu devolviéndole la queja en pregunta: por qué no acusó ella misma al rey
«Father, please give me the Bull of Heaven, and let me strike Gilgamesh down! Let me . .. Gilgamesh in his dwelling! If you don't give me the Bull of Heaven, l shall strike (?) [ J l shall set my face towards the infernal regions, I shall raise up the dead, and they will eat the living,62 I shall make the dead outnumber the living!» — voz de Ishtar exigiendo el Toro del Cielo y amenazando con abrir el inframundo para que los muertos coman a los vivos y sean más que ellos
«On no account should you request the Bull of Heaven from me! There would be seven years of chaff in the land of Uruk, You would gather chalk (?) [instead of» — voz de Anu oponiéndose y dando la razón económica: siete años de tamo en la tierra de Uruk
«At the snorting of the Bull of Heaven a chasm opened up, and one hundred young men of Uruk fell into it, Two hundred young men, three hundred young men. At its second snorting another chasm opened up, and another hundred young men of Uruk fell into it, Two hundred young men, three hundred young men fell into it. At its third snorting a chasm opened up, And Enkidu fell into it.» — el efecto de los tres resoplidos del Toro: tres simas y cientos de jóvenes de Uruk que caen, y en la tercera Enkidu
«But Enkidu leapt out. He seized the Bull of Heaven by the horris. The Bull of Heaven blew spittle into his face, With its thick tail it whipped up its dung.» — la reacción de Enkidu: salta fuera, agarra al Toro por los cuernos y recibe el escupitajo y el estiércol batido con la cola
«My friend, we were too arrogant [when we killed Humbaba]. How can we give recompense [for our action]?» — voz de Enkidu reconociendo la desmesura de haber matado a Humbaba y preguntando cómo compensarla
«Then Gilgamesh, like a but[cher (?)] heroic and [ ] Plunged his sword in between the base of the horns and the neck tendons.» — la muerte del Toro del Cielo: Gilgamesh hunde la espada entre la base de los cuernos y los tendones del cuello mientras Enkidu lo sujeta por la cola
«That man Gilgamesh who reviled me has killed the Bull of Heaven!» — voz de Ishtar maldiciendo desde la muralla de Uruk
«And he pulled out the Bull of Heaven's shoulder and slapped it into her face: 'If I could only get at you as that does, I would do the same to you myself, I would hang its intestines on your arms!» — el ultraje de Enkidu a la diosa: le estrella en la cara el anca del Toro y le dice que le haría lo mismo y le colgaría las tripas de los brazos
«Ishtar gathered the crimped courtesans, Prostitutes and harlots. 64 She arranged for weeping over the Bull of Heaven's shoulder.» — la respuesta ritual de la diosa: reúne a las cortesanas rizadas, prostitutas y rameras, y dispone el llanto por el anca del Toro
«My friend, I have had a fully mature pine cut down» — voz de Enkidu anunciando el pino mayor que ha hecho talar; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente
«The crown of which butted against the sky. I made a door six poles high and two poles wide, Its doorpost is a cubit ... , its lower and upper hinges are (made) from a single» — continuación: la copa topaba con el cielo, y de ella sale una puerta de seis pértigas de alto y dos de ancho, con las bisagras hechas de una sola pieza
«You loved the colourful allallu-bird,56 But you hit him and broke his wing.» — el segundo del catálogo de amantes: el pájaro *allallu* de colores al que amó, golpeó y quebró el ala. El *56* pegado al nombre es llamada de nota del impreso
«He stays in the woods crying "My wing!"» — continuación en la plana siguiente: el pájaro se queda en el bosque gritando por su ala
«Who is finest among the young men? Who is proudest among the males?' 'Gilgamesh is finest among the young men! Gilgamesh is proudest among the males!» — el intercambio de alabanza tras la victoria: la pregunta de Gilgamesh a sus servidores y la respuesta que la repite palabra por palabra
«Ellil replied: "Let Enkidu die, but let Gilgamesh not die.» — la sentencia de Ellil, en su propia voz: que muera Enkidu y no Gilgamesh
«Was it not according to your word that they slew the Bull of Heaven and Huwawa? Should now innocent Enkidu die?» — voz de Shamash objetando la sentencia en pregunta: mataron al Toro y a Huwawa por palabra del propio Ellil
«The fact is), you accompanied them daily, like one of their comrades.» — la respuesta airada de Ellil a Shamash, que cierra la discusión sin responderla: los acompañó a diario como un camarada más
«Door, don't [you] remember the words? Are not . . . . .. [ ] ? I selected the timber for you over twenty leagues, Until I had found a fully mature pine. There is no other wood like yours!» — voz de Enkidu increpando a la puerta que él mismo hizo: eligió la madera a veinte leguas hasta hallar un pino maduro
«Now, door, it was I who made you, I who carried you to Nippur. But the king who shall arise after me shall go through you, Gilgamesh shall [go through] your portals And change (?) my name, and put on his own name!» — sigue el reproche a la puerta: él la hizo y la llevó a Nippur, y el rey que venga después pasará por ella y le cambiará el nombre
«You, who used to be reasonable, [now speak] otherwise! Why, my friend, did your heart speak otherwise ( ?) . The dream was very precious, and the warning awful; your lips buzzed like flies (?)! The warning was awful, the dream was precious.» — voz de Gilgamesh ante el delirio de su amigo: quien solía ser razonable habla ahora de otro modo, y sus labios zumbaron como moscas
«I hereby beseech you, Shamash, because my fate is different ( ?), [Because] the hunter, the brigand, Did not let me attain as much as my friend, m Let the hunter never attain as much as his friend! Make his advantage vanish, make his strength less! ] his share from your presence, Let [ ] not enter, let it go out through the window!» — la maldición de Enkidu contra el cazador, dirigida a Shamash: que nunca alcance tanto como su amigo y que su fuerza mengüe
«Come, Shamhat, I shall fix a fate for you! [Curses (?)] shall not cease for ever and ever. I shall curse you with a great curse! 75 Straight away my curses shall rise up against you! You shall never make your house voluptuous a gam, You shall not release [ ] of your young bulls, You shall not let them into the girls' rooms. Filth shall impregnate your lovely lap (?)» — el comienzo de la maldición contra la ramera: no volverá a hacer voluptuosa su casa ni dejará entrar a nadie en los cuartos de las muchachas
«The crossroads (?) shall be your only sitting place, Waste ground your only lying place, the shade of a city wall your only sitting place. 76 Thorns and spikes shall skin your feet, The drunkard and the thirsty shall slap your cheek» — sigue la maldición: el cruce de caminos como único asiento, el yermo como único lecho, la sombra del muro de la ciudad, las espinas que le desuellan los pies y la bofetada del borracho
«Because you defiled me when I was pure, Because you seduced me in the open country when I was pure.» — el motivo que Enkidu da a la maldición: ella lo profanó y lo sedujo en campo abierto cuando él era puro
«Enkidu, why are you cursing my harlot Shamhat, Who fed you on food fit for gods, Gave you ale to drink, fit for kings, Clothed you with a great robe, Then provided you with Gilgamesh for a fine partner?» — voz de Shamash desde el cielo objetando la maldición: fue ella quien lo alimentó con comida de dioses, le dio cerveza de reyes, lo vistió y le procuró a Gilgamesh
«Governors and princes shall love you, The single-league man shall smite his thigh (for you), The double-league man shall shake out his locks (for you). The herdsman shall not hold back for you, he shall undo his belt for you. He shall give you ivory, lapis lazuli, and gold, Rings (and) brooches (?) shall be presents for you. Rain shall pour down for him (?), his storage jars shall be heaped full. The diviner shall lead you into the palace (?) of the gods. Because of you, the mother of seven, the honoured wife, shall be deserted.» — la bendición que sustituye a la maldición: gobernadores y príncipes la amarán, recibirá marfil, lapislázuli y oro, y por ella será abandonada hasta la esposa honrada madre de siete
«He seized me, drove me down to the dark house, dwelling of Erkalla' s god, 81 To the house which those who enter cannot leave, On the road where travelling is one way only, To the house where those who stay are deprived of light, Where dust is their food, and clay their bread. They are clothed, like birds, with feathers, And they see no light, and they dwell in darkness.» — la descripción del inframundo en el sueño de Enkidu, que es el pasaje que el volumen empareja con el Descenso de Ishtar: la casa que nadie deja, el camino de una sola dirección, el polvo por comida, la arcilla por pan y los muertos vestidos de plumas como aves
«Belet-:,;eri, the scribe of Earth, was kneeling before her. She was holding [a tablet] and kept reading aloud to her. She raised her head and looked at me: "[Who (?) ] brought this man?» — la escena que cierra el sueño: la escriba de la Tierra arrodillada ante Ereshkigal leyéndole una tablilla, y la pregunta de quién trajo a este hombre. El OCR imprime el nombre de la escriba como *Belet-:,;eri*
«Remember me, my friend, and do not forget what I went through.» — voz de Enkidu pidiendo memoria a su amigo antes de morir
«From the day he saw the dream, his [strength] was finished. Enkidu lay there the first day, then [a second day.] [The illness] of Enkidu, as he lay in bed, [grew worse, his flesh weaker.» — la cuenta de los días de la enfermedad de Enkidu, del primero al duodécimo, con la fórmula repetida de la carne cada vez más débil
«my brother, my brother is so dear to me. But they are taking me from my brother.' And: 'I shall sit among the dead, I shall [ the threshold of the dead; Never again [shall I see] my dear brother with my own eyes.» — voz de Enkidu llorando ante Gilgamesh en la inserción hitita: se sentará entre los muertos y nunca volverá a ver a su hermano con sus propios ojos
«And now Gilgamesh, the friend who is a brother to you Will lay you to rest on a great bed And lay you to rest on a bed of loving care, And let you stay in a restful dwelling, the dwelling on the left.» — sigue Shamash anunciando el duelo: Gilgamesh lo tenderá en un gran lecho, en lecho de cuidado amoroso, y lo dejará en una morada de reposo
«Princes of the earth will kiss your feet. He will make the people of Uruk weep for you, mourn for you, Will fill the proud people with woe, And he himself will neglect his appearance after you(r death). Clothed only in a lionskin, he will roam the open country.» — continuación en la plana siguiente: los príncipes de la tierra le besarán los pies, Uruk llorará por él, y Gilgamesh descuidará su aspecto y vagará por el campo vestido solo con piel de león
«Sharnhat, I shall change your fate! My utterance, which cursed you, shall bless you instead.» — la retractación de Enkidu: la misma boca que la maldijo la bendecirá. El troceo imprime el nombre como *Sharnhat* y el vocativo *Come* como *Corne*, de modo que el verbatim arranca en el nombre
«Listen again, my friend! I had a dream in the night. The sky called out, the earth replied, I was standing in between them. There was a young man, whose face was obscured.» — el segundo sueño de Enkidu, en su voz: el cielo llama, la tierra responde, él está de pie entre los dos, y aparece un joven con el rostro velado
«His face was like that of an Anzu-bird. He had the paws of a lion, he had the claws of an eagle. He seized me by my locks, using great force against me. I hit him, and he jumped like a keppu-toy, 80 He hit me and forced me down like an [onager (?)], Like a wild bull he trampled on me, He squeezed my whole body.» — continuación del sueño: zarpas de león y garras de águila, el forcejeo, y el ser que lo pisotea como un toro salvaje y le aprieta el cuerpo entero
«I looked at the house that I had entered, And crowns were heaped up.» — sigue el sueño: en la casa del polvo se amontonan las coronas
«my brother, what a dream [I saw] last night! Anu, Ellil, Ea, and heavenly Shamash [were in the assembly] . And Anu said to Ellil, "As they have slain the Bull of Heaven» — el sueño de Enkidu en la inserción hitita que Dalley intercala: Anu, Ellil, Ea y Shamash en asamblea. El vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero, y el tramo se corta en el cambio de plana
«So too they have slain Huwawa, who [guarded] the mountains pla[nted] with pines." And Anu said, "One of them [must die].» — continuación: también mataron a Huwawa, que guardaba las montañas plantadas de pinos, y por eso uno de los dos debe morir
«Priests (?) of] Anu and Ellil regularly set out cooked meats, Set out baked (bread), set out cold water from waterskins.» — el culto que se hace en la casa del polvo: los sacerdotes de Anu y Ellil sirven con regularidad carnes cocidas, pan horneado y agua fría de odres
«In the house of dust that I had entered Dwelt the enu and lagaru-priests, Dwelt the isippu and lumahhu-priests» — el censo de los habitantes de la casa del polvo empieza por las clases sacerdotales, una por una; el tramo se corta en el cambio de plana
«Dwelt the gudapsu-priests of the great gods, Dwelt Etana, dwelt Shakkan82 Dwelt Ereshkigal, the Queen of Earth.» — continuación: los sacerdotes *gudapsu* de los grandes dioses, Etana, Shakkan y Ereshkigal la Reina de la Tierra
«Enkidu, my friend, your mother a gazelle, And your father a wild donkey sired you, Their milk was from onagers; they reared (?) you, And cattle made you familiar with all the pastures.» — el elogio fúnebre abre por el origen salvaje del muerto: una gacela por madre, un asno salvaje por padre, leche de onagros y el ganado que le enseñó los pastos
«They shall weep for you, [myrtle (?)], cypress, and pine, In the midst of which we armed ourselves (?) in our fury. They shall weep for you, the bear, hyena, leopard, tiger, stag, cheetah, Lion, wild bulls, deer, mountain goat, cattle, and other wild beasts of open country.» — el llanto convocado sobre el mundo no humano: el mirto, el ciprés y el pino del bosque, y la serie entera de fieras del campo abierto
«It shall weep for you, the holy river Ulaya, along whose bank We used to walk so proudly. It shall weep for you, the pure Euphrates, With whose water in waterskins we used to refresh ourselves.» — el llanto de los dos ríos por cuyas orillas caminaban y de cuya agua se refrescaban
«He shall weep for you, the ploughman at [his plough(?)] Who extols your name with sweet Alala.» — el llanto de los oficios, empezando por el arador que ensalza el nombre del muerto con el canto de trabajo
«Listen to me, young men, listen to me! Listen to me, elders of Uruk, listen to me! I myself must weep for Enkidu my friend, Mourn bitterly, like a wailing woman.» — voz de Gilgamesh declarando su propio duelo ante Uruk: él mismo llorará por su amigo y se lamentará amargamente como plañidera
«As for the axe at my side, spur to my arm, The sword in my belt, the shield for my front, My festival clothes, my manly sash: Evil [Fate (?)] rose up and robbed me of them.» — la serie de metáforas con que Gilgamesh nombra al muerto: el hacha a su costado, la espada en el cinto, el escudo delante, la ropa de fiesta y el fajín, todos arrebatados por el Destino
«Now, what is the sleep that has taken hold of you? Turn to me, you! You aren't listening to me! But he cannot lift his head. I touch his heart, but it does not beat at all.» — voz de Gilgamesh ante el cadáver, en pregunta: qué sueño es ese, y el gesto de tocarle el corazón sin hallar latido
«He circled over him like an eagle, Like a lioness whose cubs are [trapped] in a pit/ 0 He paced back and forth.» — los símiles del duelo: da vueltas sobre el cuerpo como un águila y como una leona a la que atraparon los cachorros en un foso
«When the first light of dawn appeared, Gilgamesh sent out a shout through the land. The smith, the [ ], the coppersmith, the silversmith, the jeweller (were summoned). He made [a likeness (?)] of his friend, he fashioned a statue of his friend.» — el encargo del monumento: al alba Gilgamesh convoca al herrero, al calderero, al platero y al joyero, y hace labrar una estatua del amigo
«The four limbs of the friend were [made of ], his chest was of lapis lazuli, His (?) skin was of gold» — la materia de la estatua: el pecho de lapislázuli y la piel de oro
«I will lay you to rest] on a bed [of loving care] 93 And will let you stay [in a restful dwelling, a dwelling of the left]. Princes of the earth [will kiss your feet]. I will make the people [of Uruk] weep for you, [mourn for you] . [I will fill] the proud people with sorrow for you. And I myself will neglect my appearance after you(r death) Clad only in a lionskin, I will roam the open country.» — voz de Gilgamesh cumpliendo lo que Shamash había anunciado, verso por verso: el lecho de cuidado amoroso, el llanto de Uruk y él mismo vagando con piel de león
«Gilgamesh mourned bitterly for Enkidu his friend, And roamed open country.» — el arranque de la tablilla IX, que da el giro del poema: el duelo amargo y el vagar por el campo abierto
«Shall I die too? Am I not like Enkidu? Grief has entered my innermost being, I am afraid of Death, and so I roam open country. 98 I shall take the road and go quickly To see Ut-napishtim, son of Ubara-Tutu.» — la pregunta que convierte el duelo en búsqueda: si él también morirá, el miedo a la Muerte y la decisión de ir a ver a Ut-napishtim
«The name (?) of the mountain [is (?)] Mashu. When he reached the mountain Mashu Which daily guards the coming out [of Shamash]- Their upper parts [touch (?)] the sky's foundation, Below, their breasts reach Arallu.» — la llegada al monte Mashu, que guarda a diario la salida del sol, con la cumbre tocando el cimiento del cielo y el pecho llegando al inframundo
«They guard its gate, Scorpion-men100 Whose aura is frightful, and whose glance is death. Their terrifying mantles of radiance drape the mountains. They guard the sun at dawn and dusk» — los guardianes de la puerta: los hombres escorpión, de aura espantosa y mirada que mata, con mantos de resplandor que cubren las montañas
«Someone has come to us. His body is the flesh of gods.' The Scorpion-man's woman answered him, 'Two-thirds of him is divine, and one-third of him mortal.» — el diálogo de los hombres escorpión al ver a Gilgamesh: la carne de dioses que reconocen y la fórmula de los dos tercios divinos que el prólogo ya había dado
«Concerning Ut-napishtim, my father [ ] Who stood in the gods' assembly and sought out eternal life.» — voz de Gilgamesh declarando a quién busca y por qué: el que estuvo en la asamblea de los dioses y buscó la vida eterna
«It is impossible, Gilgamesh, [ ] Nobody has passed through the mountain's inaccessible tract. For even after twelve leagues [ ] The darkness is too dense, there is no [light.]» — voz del hombre escorpión negándole el paso: nadie ha atravesado el tramo inaccesible de la montaña, y aun después de doce leguas la oscuridad es demasiado densa
«When he had achieved one league The darkness was dense, there was no light, It was impossible [for him to see] ahead or behind.» — la travesía del túnel, en la fórmula que el poema repite legua por legua: la oscuridad densa y la imposibilidad de ver delante o detrás. El verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«All kinds of [thorny, prickly], spiky bushes were visible, blossoming with gemstones. 104 Carnelian bore fruit Hanging in clusters, lovely to look at, Lapis lazuli bore foliage, Bore fruit, and was delightful to view.» — el jardín de piedras al salir del túnel: matorrales espinosos que florecen en gemas, la cornalina que da fruto en racimos y el lapislázuli que da follaje
«Perhaps this man is an assassin . Is he going somewhere in» — voz de la tabernera hablándose a sí misma al ver llegar al héroe: quizá sea un asesino
«Alewife, why did you look at me [and lock] your door, Lock your door, [lock it] with a bolt? I will smash the door, I will shatter [the bolt]» — voz de Gilgamesh ante la puerta cerrada, con la amenaza de romperla
«Now, alewife, which is the way to Ut-napishtim ?111 Give me directions (?), [whatever they are]; give me directions ( ?) . If it is possible, I shall cross the sea; Jf it is impossible I shall roam open country again.» — voz de Gilgamesh pidiendo el camino hacia Ut-napishtim y declarando la alternativa: cruzar el mar si es posible y seguir vagando si no
«There has never been a ferry of any kind, Gilgamesh, And nobody from time immemorial has crossed the sea. Shamash the warrior is the only one who has crossed the sea: apart from Shamash, nobody has crossed the sea.» — voz de Siduri negando el paso: nunca hubo transbordador y nadie desde tiempo inmemorial ha cruzado el mar salvo Shamash el guerrero
«The crossing is difficult, the way of it very difficult, And in between are lethal waters which bar the way ahead. m Wherever, then, could you cross the sea, Gilgamesh? And once you reached the lethal waters, what would you do?» — sigue Siduri con el obstáculo que sí importa: entre medio están las aguas letales que cierran el camino
«Yet) there is, Gilgamesh, a boatman of Ut-napishtim, Ur-shanabi, He--the "things of stone" identify him (?)-will be trimming a young pine in the forest. 113 Go, and let him see your face. If it is possible, cross with him. If it is impossible, retreat back.» — voz de Siduri dando la salida: el barquero Ur-shanabi, a quien identifican las cosas de piedra, estará desbastando un pino joven en el bosque
«Your own hands, Gilgamesh, have hindered [ ], You have smashed the "things of stone", you have [ ]. The "things of stone" are smashed, and their strings(?) are pulled out.» — voz del barquero declarando el daño que el propio héroe se hizo: rompió las cosas de piedra con sus manos
«Take up an axe, Gilgamesh, to your side, Go down to the forest, [cut] three hundred poles each thirty metres (long). Trim (them) and put "knobs" (on them); then bring them to me (?)» — voz del barquero dando el remedio: trescientas pértigas de treinta metros, desbastadas y con perillas
«Stay clear, Gilgamesh, take one pole at a time, Don't let the lethal water wet your hand! [Hold (?)] the knob! Take a second, a third, then a fourth pole, Gilgamesh. Take a fifth, a sixth, then a seventh pole, Gilgamesh. Take an eighth, a ninth, then a tenth pole, Gilgamesh. Take an eleventh, a twelfth pole, Gilgamesh.» — voz del barquero instruyendo la travesía de las aguas letales: una pértiga por vez, sin mojarse la mano, contadas una a una hasta la duodécima
«Within seven hundred and twenty metres (?) Gilgamesh had used up the poles. Then he undid his belt, [ Gilgamesh stripped himself; [ ] With his arms he lifted up (?) the thwart (?).» — el agotamiento de las pértigas y el recurso final: Gilgamesh se desnuda y alza el banco del bote como vela
«Why are the [things of stone(?)] broken, And the wrong gear aboard [ ]? Surely it can't be my man coming on? And on the right» — voz de Ut-napishtim mirando desde lejos y hablándose a sí mismo: por qué están rotas las cosas de piedra y va el aparejo equivocado a bordo
«The alewife looked at him and locked [her door], She locked her door, locked it [with a bolt].» — la reacción de Siduri al verlo: cierra la puerta y echa el cerrojo
«Why are your cheeks wasted, your face dejected, Your heart so wretched, your appearance worn out, And grief in your innermost being? Your face is like that of a long-distance traveller. Your face is weathered by cold and heat [ ] Clad only in a lionskin, you roam open country.» — la pregunta que la tabernera, el barquero y Ut-napishtim le hacen los tres con las mismas palabras: por qué tiene las mejillas consumidas, el rostro abatido y el corazón mísero. El verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición completa, la del barquero
«For six days and seven nights I wept over him: I did not allow him to be buried Until a worm fell out of his nose.» — el detalle con que el poema mide el duelo: seis días y siete noches sin dejar enterrarlo, hasta que un gusano cayó de su nariz. Anclado en la primera aparición completa
«My friend whom I love so much, who experienced every hardship with me], [Enkidu, whom I love so much, who experienced every hardship with me-] [The fate of mortals conquered him!» — el núcleo de la respuesta de Gilgamesh, repetido tres veces en la tablilla X ante la tabernera, el barquero y Ut-napishtim: el amigo que compartió toda fatiga, vencido por el destino de los mortales. Anclado en la primera aparición, la de la tabernera, con los corchetes de restitución dentro
«My friend whom I love has turned to clay : Enkidu my friend whom I love [has turned to clay]. Am I not like him? Must I lie down too, Never to rise, ever again?» — la pregunta que cierra el lamento y da su asunto al resto del poema: el amigo vuelto arcilla, y si él no es como él y habrá de acostarse para no levantarse nunca. Anclado en la primera aparición
«So I thought I would go to see Ut-napishtim the far-distant, of whom people speak. I searched, went through all countries, Passed through and through difficult lands, And crossed to and fro all seas. My face never had enough of sweet sleep, My fibre was filled with grief. I made myself over-anxious by lack of sleep. What did I gain from my toils?» — voz de Gilgamesh resumiendo su viaje ante Ut-napishtim y preguntando qué ganó con sus fatigas
«I killed a bear, hyena, lion, leopard, tiger, deer, mountain goat, cattle, and other wild beasts of open country. I ate meat from them, I spread out their skins.» — el precio del viaje contado por lo que comió y vistió: las fieras cazadas una a una, su carne y sus pieles
«Why do you prolong grief, Gilgamesh? Since [the gods made you] from the flesh of gods and mankind, Since [the gods] made you like your father and mother, [Death is inevitable (?)] at some time, both for Gilgamesh and for a fool, But a throne is set down» — voz de Ut-napishtim objetando el duelo: hecho de carne de dioses y de hombres, la muerte le toca igual que a un necio, aunque a él se le ponga un trono en la asamblea
«have you exerted yourself? What have you achieved ( ?) ? You have made yourself weary for lack of sleep, You only fill your flesh with grief, You only bring the distant days (of reckoning) closer.» — voz de Ut-napishtim en pregunta: para qué se ha fatigado, si con la falta de sueño solo llena de dolor su carne y acerca los días lejanos
«Mankind's fame is cut down like reeds in a reed-bed. A fine young man, a fine girl, [ ] of Death. Nobody sees Death, Nobody sees the face of Death, Nobody hears the voice of Death. Savage Death just cuts mankind down.» — el argumento central de Ut-napishtim sobre la muerte: nadie la ve, nadie ve su rostro, nadie oye su voz, y siega al hombre igual que se siegan las cañas del cañaveral
«Sometimes we build a house, sometimes we make a nest,120 But then brothers divide it upon inheritance. Sometimes there is hostility in [the land], But then the river rises and brings flood-water.» — los símiles de la impermanencia: la casa y el nido que los hermanos se reparten al heredar, y la enemistad que el río borra con la crecida
«Dragonflies drift on the river, 121 Their faces look upon the face of the Sun, (But then) suddenly there is nothing.» — la imagen de la libélula que el poema usa para la vida humana: flota en el río, mira el rostro del Sol, y de pronto no hay nada
«The sleeping (?) and the dead are just like each other, Death's picture cannot be drawn.» — el cierre del argumento: el que duerme y el muerto se parecen, y el retrato de la Muerte no se puede dibujar
«When they blessed me, The Anunnaki, the great gods, assembled; Mammitum who creates fate decreed destinies with them. They appointed death and life. They did not mark out days for death, But they did so for life.» — el reparto que los Anunnaki hicieron y que explica por qué Ut-napishtim es excepción: fijaron muerte y vida, y no marcaron los días de la muerte pero sí los de la vida
«I look at you, Ut-napishtim And your limbs are no different-you are just like me.» — voz de Gilgamesh al ver por fin al inmortal: sus miembros no son distintos, es igual que él
«Let me reveal to you a closely guarded matter, Gilgamesh, And let me tell you the secret of the gods.» — la fórmula con que Ut-napishtim abre el relato del Diluvio: le revelará un asunto celosamente guardado, el secreto de los dioses
«Shuruppak is a city that you yourself know, Situated [on the bank of] the Euphrates. That city was already old when the gods within it Decided that the great gods should make a flood.» — el arranque del relato: Shuruppak, ciudad ya vieja a orillas del Éufrates, donde los dioses decidieron hacer un diluvio
«Far-sighted Ea swore the oath (of secrecy) with them, 122 So he repeated their speech to a reed hut» — el ardid de Ea, que es la clave del relato: juró el secreto con ellos y por eso repitió su discurso a una choza de cañas
«Reed hut, reed hut, brick wall, brick wall, Listen, reed hut, and pay attention, brick wall: (This is the message:) Man of Shuruppak, son of Ubara-Tutu, Dismantle your house, build a boat. Leave possessions, search out living things. Reject chattels and save lives! Put aboard the seed of all living things, into the boat. The boat that you are to build Shall have her dimensions in proportion, Her width and length shall be in harmony, Roof her like the Apsu.» — la instrucción entera dirigida a la choza y al muro: desarmar la casa, construir un barco, dejar las posesiones, salvar lo vivo y meter a bordo la semilla de todo ser vivo
«But how can I explain myself to the city, the men and the elders?» — voz de Ut-napishtim planteando a Ea el problema práctico del secreto: cómo explicarse ante la ciudad, los hombres y los ancianos
«I think that Ellil has rejected me, And so I cannot stay in your city, And I cannot set foot on Ellil's land again. I must go down to the Apsu and stay with my master Ea. Then he will shower abundance upon you, A wealth of fowl, a treasure of fish.» — la coartada que Ea le dicta, la misma que Atrahasis usa en su propio relato: que Ellil lo ha rechazado y debe bajar al Apsu, y que por eso ellos recibirán abundancia
«On the fifth day I laid down her form. 125 One acre was her circumference, ten poles each the height of her walls, Her top edge was likewise ten poles all round. I laid down her structure, drew it out, Gave her six decks, Divided her into seven. Her middle I divided into nine, Drove the water pegs into her middle.» — las medidas del arca en voz de su constructor: una fanega de perímetro, paredes de diez pértigas, seis cubiertas y división en siete
«Three sar of bitumen I poured into the kiln,126 Three sar of pitch I poured into the inside. Three sar of oil they fetched, the workmen who carried the baskets. Not counting the sar of oil which the dust (?) soaked up, The boatman stowed away two more sar of oil.» — la cuenta del betún, la pez y el aceite, con lo que el polvo absorbió y lo que el barquero guardó aparte
«I gave the workmen ale and beer to drink, Oil and wine as if they were river water They made a feast, like the New Year's Day festival.» — la paga de los obreros: cerveza y birra, aceite y vino como si fueran agua de río, y un festín como el del Año Nuevo
«Enter into the boat and shut your door!» — la señal convenida con Shamash, en su voz: entrar al barco y cerrar la puerta
«I saw the shape of the storm, The storm was terrifying to see.» — el instante del embarque: vio la forma de la tormenta y era terrible de ver
«A black cloud came up from the base of the sky. Adad kept rumbling inside it. Shullat and Hanish were marching ahead, Marched as chamberlains (over) (?) mountain and country. 129 Erakal pulled out the mooring (?) poles, Ninurta marched on and made the weir(s) overflow. The Anunnaki had to carry torches, They lit up the land with their brightness.» — el cortejo del Diluvio, dios por dios: Adad retumbando en la nube negra, Shullat y Hanish al frente, Erakal arrancando las amarras, Ninurta desbordando las presas y los Anunnaki alzando antorchas
«The calm before the Storm-god came over the sky, Everything light turned to darkness.» — el verso que cierra el cortejo: la calma que precede al dios de la tormenta, y todo lo luminoso vuelto oscuridad
«No man could see his fellow, Nor could people be distinguished from the sky» — el efecto del Diluvio sobre la vista, con el mismo verso que trae Atrahasis: nadie podía ver a su prójimo
«Even the gods were afraid of the flood-weapon . They withdrew; they went up to the heaven of Anu. 131 The gods cowered, like dogs crouched by an outside wall.» — los dioses durante el Diluvio: temen el arma del diluvio, se retiran al cielo de Anu y se encogen como perros junto a un muro
«Ishtar screamed like a woman giving birth; The Mistress of the Gods, sweet of voice, was wailing, "Has that time really returned to clay, Because I spoke evil in the gods' assembly? How could I have spoken such evil in the gods' assembly? I should have (?) ordered a battle to destroy my people; 132 I myself gave birth (to them), they are my own people, Yet they fill the sea like fish spawn!» — el lamento de la Señora de los Dioses en su propia voz: se acusa de haber hablado mal en la asamblea y de haber pedido la batalla contra su propio pueblo, que ahora llena el mar como hueva de peces
«For six days and [seven (?)] nights The wind blew, flood and tempest overwhelmed the land; When the seventh day arrived the tempest, flood and onslaught Which had struggled like a woman in labour, blew themselves out (?).» — la duración del Diluvio y el símil con que cesa: al séptimo día la tempestad, que había pugnado como mujer de parto, se agota
«I looked at the weather; silence reigned, 134 For all mankind had returned to clay. The flood-plain was flat as a roof.» — el silencio tras el Diluvio: toda la humanidad había vuelto a la arcilla y la llanura quedaba lisa como un tejado
«I opened a porthole and light fell on my cheeks. I bent down, then sat. I wept. My tears ran down my cheeks. I looked for banks, for limits to the sea .» — el gesto del superviviente: abre el portillo, la luz le da en las mejillas, se sienta y llora buscando orillas
«The boat had come to rest on Mount Nimush. The mountain Nimush held the boat fast and did not let it budge.» — el encalle del arca en el monte Nimush, con la fórmula que se repite día a día
«Then I put (everything ?) out to the four winds, and I made a sacrifice, Set out a surqinnu-offering upon the mountain peak Arranged the jars seven and seven; 137 Into the bottom of them I poured (essences of ?) reeds, pine, and myrtle.» — el sacrificio sobre la cumbre: jarras dispuestas de siete en siete, con esencias de caña, pino y mirto en el fondo
«The gods smelt the fragrance, The gods smelt the pleasant fragrance, The gods like flies gathered over the sacrifice.» — la imagen que Atrahasis y el Gilgamesh comparten: los dioses acuden a la fragancia y se juntan sobre el sacrificio como moscas
«Behold, 0 gods, I shall never forget (the significance of) my lapis lazuli necklace, I shall remember these times, and I shall never forget.» — voz de la Señora de los Dioses instituyendo el recuerdo con el collar de lapislázuli, como en Atrahasis; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«To a fool is given dregs instead of butter, Rubbish and sweepings which like» — sigue Ut-napishtim con el contraste: al necio se le dan heces en vez de manteca, desechos y barreduras; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Because he has no [sense (?)] Has no word of advice» — continuación tras la laguna: el necio no tiene juicio ni palabra de consejo
«Loaded her with all the gold Loaded her with all the seed of living things, all of them. I put on board the boat all my kith and kin. Put on board cattle from open country, wild beasts from open country, all kinds of craftsmen.» — continuación: el oro, la semilla de todo ser vivo, la parentela entera, el ganado y las fieras del campo, y artesanos de todos los oficios
«I put out and released a dove. The dove went; it came back, For no perching place was visible to it, and it turned round.» — la primera de las tres aves: la paloma vuelve porque no halla posadero. El poema repite el bloque para la golondrina y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«I put out and released a raven. 136 The raven went, and saw the waters receding. And it ate, preened (?), lifted its tail and did not turn round.» — la tercera ave decide la prueba: el cuervo ve bajar las aguas, come, se acicala, levanta la cola y no vuelve
«I loaded her with everything there was, Loaded her with all the silver» — el cargamento del arca empieza por la plata; el tramo se corta en el cambio de plana
«Let other gods come to the surqinnu-offering But let Ellil not come to the surqinnu-offering, Because he did not consult before imposing the flood, And consigned my people to destruction!» — voz de la diosa excluyendo a Ellil de la ofrenda por no haber consultado antes de imponer el diluvio
«What sort of life survived? No man should have lived through the destruction» — voz de Ellil al ver el barco, en pregunta y furia: ningún hombre debió sobrevivir a la destrucción
«Who other than Ea would have done such a thing? For Ea can do everything!» — voz de Ninurta señalando al culpable ante Ellil, con el elogio dentro de la acusación
«You are the sage of the gods, warrior, So how, 0 how, could you fail to consult, and impose the flood?» — voz de Ea reprochando a Ellil en pregunta: siendo el sabio de los dioses, cómo pudo dejar de consultar e imponer el diluvio
«Punish the sinner for his sin, punish the criminal for his crime, But ease off, let work not cease; be patient, let not [ ] Instead of your imposing a flood, let a lion come up and diminish the people. Instead of your imposing a flood, let a wolf come up and diminish the people. Instead of your imposing a flood, let famine be imposed and [lessen] the land. Instead of your imposing a flood, let Erra rise up and savage the people.» — el principio de proporción que Ea opone al diluvio y las cuatro alternativas que propone: el león, el lobo, el hambre y Erra en vez del arma total
«I did not disclose the secret of the great gods, I just showed Atrahasis a dream, and thus he heard the secret of the gods.» — la defensa literal de Ea, que salva el juramento por un tecnicismo: no reveló el secreto, solo mostró un sueño a Atrahasis
«Until now Ut-napishtim was mortal, But henceforth Ut-napishtim and his woman shall be as we gods are. Ut-napishtim shall dwell far off at the mouth of the rivers.» — la bendición de Ellil que crea la excepción del poema: desde ahora Ut-napishtim y su mujer serán como los dioses y morarán lejos, en la boca de los ríos
«So now, who can gather the gods on your behalf, (Gilgamesh), That you too may find eternal life which you seek? for a start, you must not sleep for six days and seven nights.» — voz de Ut-napishtim planteando la prueba, en pregunta: quién reunirá a los dioses por Gilgamesh, y para empezar, que no duerma seis días y siete noches
«As soon as he was sitting, (his head?) between his knees, Sleep breathed over him like a fog. Ut-napishtim spoke to her, to his wife, 'Look at the young man who wants eternal life! Sleep breathes over him like a fog!» — el fracaso inmediato de la prueba y el comentario del inmortal a su mujer: el joven que quiere vida eterna y el sueño que lo cubre como niebla
«Man behaves badly: he will behave badly towards you. v for a start, bake a daily portion for him, put it each time by his head, And mark on the wall the days that he sleeps.» — voz de Ut-napishtim dictando la prueba material: hornear una ración diaria, ponerla junto a su cabeza y marcar en el muro los días que duerma
«No sooner had sleep come upon me Than you touched me, straight away, and roused me!» — voz de Gilgamesh al despertar, negando haber dormido
«How, 0 how could I have done it, Ut-napishtim? Wherever can I go? The Snatchers have blocked my (routes (?)]: Death is waiting in my bedroom, And wherever I set my foot, Death is there too.» — el desenlace de la búsqueda, en voz de Gilgamesh: los Arrebatadores le han cortado las rutas, la Muerte lo espera en su alcoba y está dondequiera que ponga el pie
«Ur-shanabi, the quay will cast you out, the ferry will reject you. Be deprived of her side, at whose side you once went.» — la sentencia contra el barquero por haber traído al vivo: el muelle lo echará y el transbordador lo rechazará
«Take him, Ur-shanabi, bring him to a wash-bowl, And let him wash in water his filthy hair, as clean as possible (?). Let him throw away his skins, and let the sea carry them off.» — voz de Ut-napishtim mandando lavar al héroe y tirar al mar las pieles con que vagaba
«Put a new headband on his head. Have him wear a robe as a proud garment Until he comes to his city, Until he reaches his journey's end. The garment shall not discolour, but stay absolutely new.» — el resto de la orden y el prodigio que la acompaña: manto nuevo que no se descolorará hasta el fin del viaje
«Gilgamesh came, weary, striving, What will you give him to take back to his country?» — voz de la mujer de Ut-napishtim, que es quien mueve el don final: el hombre vino fatigado y forcejeando, y algo habrá que darle para llevar
«There is a plant whose root is like camel-thorn, Whose thorn, like a rose's, will spike [your hands]. If you yourself can win that plant, you will find» — el don que sustituye a la inmortalidad negada: la planta de raíz como espino de camello y espina como de rosa
«When Gilgamesh heard this, he opened the pipe, He tied heavy stones to his feet. They dragged him down into the Apsu, and [he saw the plant]. He took the plant himself: it spiked [his hands]. He cut the heavy stones from his feet. The sea threw him up on to its shore.» — la cosecha de la planta: piedras atadas a los pies para bajar al Apsu, la planta que le pincha las manos y el mar que lo devuelve a la orilla
«Ur-shanabi, this plant is a plant to cure a crisis! With it a man may win the breath of life. I shall take it back to Uruk the Sheepfold; I shall give it to an elder to eat, and so try out the plant. Its name (shall be): " An old man grows into a young man". I too shall eat (it) and turn into the young man that I once was.» — voz de Gilgamesh nombrando la planta y declarando su plan: probarla primero en un anciano de Uruk, y ponerle el nombre que en la traducción dice *an old man grows into a young man*
«Gilgamesh saw a pool whose water was cool, And went down into the water and washed. A snake smelt the fragrance of the plant. It came up silently and carried off the plant. As it took it away, it shed its scaly skin.» — la pérdida de la planta, que es el descuido de un instante: el baño en el estanque, la serpiente que huele la fragancia, se la lleva y muda de piel
«For what purpose (?), Ur-shanabi, have my arms grown weary? For what purpose (?) was the blood inside me so red (?)? I did not gain an advantage for myself, I have given the advantage to the "lion of the ground''.» — el lamento final, en preguntas: para qué se le fatigaron los brazos, si la ventaja se la dio al león de la tierra
«Go up on to the wall of Uruk, Ur-shanabi, and walk around, 146 Inspect the foundation platform and scrutinize the brickwork! Testify that its bricks are baked bricks, And that the Seven Counsellors must have laid its foundations! One square mile is city, one square mile is orchards, one square mile is claypits, as well as the open ground of Ishtar's temple. Three square miles and the open ground comprise Uruk.» — el epílogo, que repite palabra por palabra el prólogo y así cierra el poema sobre la muralla en vez de sobre la inmortalidad
«If only I had left the pukku in the carpenter's house today!' TABLET XII 147 'If only I had left the pukku in the carpenter's house today !148 [I would have left (?)] the carpenter's wife like the mother who bore me, [I would have left (?)] the carpenter's daughter like my little sister. Today the pukku fell into the Earth149 And my mekku fell into the Earth.» — el arranque de la tablilla XII, que Dalley declara añadido posterior: el lamento por el *pukku* y el *mekku* caídos en la Tierra. El rótulo *TABLET XII* y su llamada de nota caen dentro del tramo porque el impreso repite el verso como reclamo antes del encabezado de la tablilla
«If you [go down] to the Earth/51 [You must follow] my instructions. [You must not put on] a clean garment, I2I For they will recognize that you are a stranger. You must not be anointed with perfumed oil from an ointment jar, For they will gather around you at the smell of it. You must not toss a throw-stick into the Earth, For those who are hit by the throw-stick will encircle you. You must not raise a club in your hands, For ghosts will flit around you. You must not put shoes on your feet Lest you make a noise in the Earth. You must not kiss the wife you love, You must not hit the wife you hate, You must not kiss the son you love, You must not hit the son you hate, For the Earth's outcry will seize you.» — las prohibiciones que Gilgamesh impone a Enkidu para bajar al inframundo: nada de ropa limpia, ni perfume, ni bastón arrojadizo, ni maza, ni sandalias, ni besar o golpear a quien se ama o se odia; tramo largo de verso, releído entero en el crudo, donde */51* e *I2I* son llamadas de nota de Dalley que el OCR pega al renglón
«He [did not follow his lord's instructions.] He put on a clean garment, So they recognized that he was a stranger. He was anointed with perfumed oil from an ointment jar So they gathered around him at the smell of it. He tossed a throw-stick into the Earth, So those who were hit by the throw-stick encircled him. He raised a club in his hands, So ghosts flitted around (him). He put shoes on his feet, He made a noise in the Earth.» — la desobediencia contada en la misma serie invertida: hace una a una todas las cosas prohibidas
«When Enkidu (tried] to go up again out of the Earth, Namtar did not seize him, nor did Asakku seize him: the Earth seized him.» — la fórmula de la retención: no lo prendió Namtar ni el Asakku ni Ukur el despiadado, ni cayó en pelea de varones, sino que lo prendió la Tierra
«Father Ellil, today the pukku fell into the Earth, And my mekku fell into the Earth, And the Earth seized Enkidu, who went down to bring them up.» — voz de Gilgamesh suplicando en Ekur, el templo de Ellil, por el amigo que bajó a recoger sus juguetes
«Father Ellil answered him not a word, so he went off alone to Sin's temple.» — la negativa silenciosa del primer dios, que obliga a la ronda de templos: Ellil no le responde palabra
«His first day's portion was dried out, The second was going bad, the third was soggy, The fourth had white mould on (?)» — el estado de las raciones, día por día, que es la prueba física del sueño; el tramo se corta en el cambio de plana
«I found (?) a door-thong (?) which must have» — el gesto con que Gilgamesh abandona la búsqueda: toma por presagio lo que halló al abrir la tubería; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«been set there as an omen for me. I shall give up. And I have left the boat on the shore.» — continuación: se rinde y deja el barco en la orilla
«Warlike young man Ukur [ ] You must open up a hole in the Earth now (?)/58 So that the spirit [of Enkidu can come out of the Earth like a gust of wind].» — voz de Ea dando la salida al drama: que Ukur abra un agujero en la Tierra para que el espíritu de Enkidu salga como ráfaga de viento
«And the spirit of Enkidu came out of the Earth like a gust of wind.160 They hugged and kissed (?), They discussed, they agonized.» — el reencuentro de los dos amigos, uno vivo y otro espíritu: se abrazan, se besan, discuten y se angustian
«Tell me, my friend, tell me, my friend, Tell me Earth's conditions that you found! ' 'I can't tell you, my friend, I can't tell you! If I tell you Earth's conditions that I found, You must sit (and) weep! I would sit and weep!» — el intercambio que da su asunto a la tablilla XII: la pregunta por las condiciones de la Tierra y la negativa de Enkidu, porque contarlas haría llorar a los dos
«I saw [the father of one (?) whom you (once) saw (?)p62 Covered [ He weeps bitterly over it (?). I saw [the father of two ( ?) whom you (once saw (?)] He eats bread [sitting on two bricks (?)] I saw [the father of three (?) whom you (once) saw(?)] He drinks water [from a waterskin] I saw [the father of four (?) whom] you (once) saw [ ] his heart is glad with a team of four! I saw [the father of five (?) whom] you (once) saw: Like a first-rate scribe he is open-handed, Enters the palace [as a matter of course].» — el catálogo del inframundo ordenado por número de hijos: el padre de uno llora amargamente, el de dos come pan sentado sobre dos ladrillos, y el de cinco entra en palacio como cosa corriente
«Your wife (?),] whom you touched, and your heart was glad, Vermin eat [like (?)] an old [garment]» — lo primero que Enkidu sí cuenta: la esposa que el vivo tocaba con alegría, comida por la sabandija como una prenda vieja; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Sits in a crevice (?)] full of dust. "Woe" she said, and grovelled in the dust.» — continuación: el hijo sentado en una grieta llena de polvo, y el lamento que los dos profieren revolcándose en el polvo
«I saw him, whom you saw [die] a sudden death: v1 He lies in bed and drinks pure water.» — el catálogo del inframundo por clase de muerte empieza por el de muerte súbita, que yace en cama y bebe agua pura; entre los dos versos cae el numeral de columna *v1* del impreso, conservado dentro del verbatim
«I saw him, whom you saw killed in battle: His father and mother honour him and his wife weeps over him. I saw him, whose corpse you saw abandoned in the open country: His ghost does not sleep in the Earth.» — sigue el catálogo: el caído en batalla es honrado por sus padres y llorado por su mujer, y el cadáver abandonado en el campo no deja dormir a su espíritu
«He feeds on dregs from dishes, and bits of bread that lie abandoned in the streets.» — continuación: come heces de platos y mendrugos de pan tirados en las calles
«I saw him whom you saw, whose ghost has nobody to supply it» — el último del catálogo, que es el que fija por qué importa el culto a los muertos: el espíritu sin quien lo provea. El tramo se corta aquí porque el troceo mete a continuación la llamada de nota y el folio impreso, y *pagina()* lo sitúa ya en la plana 148
«Mother, in the middle of (?) the night I was feeling lusty and walking around Among the young men. The stars of heaven gathered (?) to me, And a decoy (?) from Anum fell on to me. 2 I tried to lift it, but it was too heavy for me. I tried to budge it, but I could not budge it. The land of Uruk gathered around it, The young men kissed its feet, I took responsibility (?) for it, They loaded it on to me, I lifted it and brought it to you.» — el primer sueño en la versión paleobabilonia, que difiere de la estándar en el detalle: el héroe anda lascivo entre los jóvenes, y lo que cae sobre él no es un rayo sino un señuelo de Anum. Las dos versiones se consignan sin armonizar
«I imagine, Gilgamesh, it is your match. It was born in the open country And a mountain reared it. You saw it and you were glad/ The young men kissed its feet, You embraced it And brought it to me.» — la interpretación de la madre en esta versión, más breve que en la estándar: es tu igual, nació en campo abierto y lo crió una montaña
«An axe was thrown down, And they gathered around it. The axe looked somehow strange. I saw it and I was glad. I loved it as a wife. And I doted on it. I took it and placed it At my side.» — el segundo sueño de la versión paleobabilonia: el hacha que parecía extraña, amada como esposa y puesta a su lado
«Enkidu stayed with the harlot. 5 They made love together. He forgot the open country where he was born.» — el resultado del encuentro contado en cuatro versos por esta versión: Enkidu olvidó el campo abierto donde nació
«I am looking at you, Enkidu, you are godlike. Why do you go around open country With wild beasts?» — voz de la ramera en la versión paleobabilonia: lo ve semejante a un dios y pregunta por qué anda con las fieras
«She took off her garments, Clothed him in one, Dressed herself In a second garment, Took his hand» — el gesto que viste a Enkidu por primera vez: ella se quita sus ropas, lo viste con una y se pone la otra
«Enkidu knew nothing Of eating bread, Of drinking beer. He had never learned.» — el verso que mide la distancia entre el hombre salvaje y el de ciudad: no sabía nada de comer pan ni de beber cerveza
«Eat the food, Enkidu, The symbol of life. Drink the beer, destiny of the land.» — voz de la ramera instituyendo la comida y la bebida como la frontera: el pan es el símbolo de la vida y la cerveza el destino del país
«Enkidu ate the bread Until he had had enough. He drank the beer, Seven whole jars, Relaxed, felt joyful. His heart rejoiced, His face beamed» — el paso al lado humano, medido en siete jarras de cerveza: se relaja, se alegra, y el rostro le resplandece
«He anointed himself with oil And became like any man, Put on clothes.» — el remate de la humanización: se unge con aceite, se vuelve como cualquier hombre y se viste
«The shepherds could rest at night; He beat off wolves, Drove off lions. The older (?) herdsmen lay down; Enkidu was their guard, A man awake.» — el oficio que Enkidu toma en el redil: bate lobos, ahuyenta leones y vela mientras los pastores duermen
«It was ordered by the counsel of Anum And destined for him When his umbilical cord was severed.» — la justificación que el joven da de esa costumbre: la ordenó el consejo de Anum y se le destinó al rey al cortarle el cordón umbilical
«He is just like Gilgamesh in form, Shorter in shape, Very strong(?) bones (?). [Mountains (?)] gave (him) birth (?). He used to eat [ ] He used to suck The milk of wild animals.» — voz de la gente de Uruk al ver a Enkidu en la calle, con una diferencia que la versión estándar no trae: es igual en forma pero más bajo de talla
«A match is found at last For godlike Gilgamesh» — el grito con que la ciudad recibe al rival: por fin hay pareja para el Gilgamesh semejante a un dios
«Enkidu blocked the door With his foot, Did not let Gilgamesh enter. As wrestlers they grappled And crouched. They demolished the doorframe; The wall shook.» — la pelea en esta versión: Enkidu traba la puerta con el pie, se agarran como luchadores, derriban el marco y el muro se cimbra
«Gilgamesh went down (?), His foot on the ground. His rage subsided And he turned away.» — el desenlace, que esta versión resuelve de otro modo: Gilgamesh cae con el pie en el suelo, se le pasa la furia y se aparta
«Second tablet of 'He was superior to [other kings]» — el colofón de la tablilla II paleobabilonia, que da el poema por su primer verso: el incipit de esta versión no es el de la estándar
«Howls of grief, my friend, Have made my neck muscles stand out, My arms are weak And my strength is feeble.» — voz de Enkidu explicando su llanto: los aullidos de dolor le han tensado los músculos del cuello y lo han dejado sin fuerza
«Who can go up to heaven, my friend? Only the gods dwell (?) with Shamash forever. 16 Mankind can number his days. Whatever he may achieve, it is only wind.» — el verso que Dalley señala como el núcleo de esta versión: solo los dioses moran para siempre con Shamash, el hombre tiene sus días contados, y cuanto logre es solo viento
«Do you fear death on this occasion? Where is the strength of your heroic nature?» — voz de Gilgamesh replicando en pregunta al miedo de su amigo
«If I should fall, I shall have won fame. People will say, "Gilgamesh grappled in combat With ferocious Huwawa. He was (nobly ?) born.» — el cálculo con que Gilgamesh justifica el riesgo: si cae, habrá ganado fama, y la gente contará que luchó con el feroz Huwawa
«I shall set [to work] And cut down pines, Ensure fame that will last forever.» — la decisión que da su asunto a esta versión: talar pinos y asegurar una fama que dure para siempre
«The craftsmen sat, gave it thought, Cast large piiSum-axes, Cast hassinnum-axes three talents each, Cast gr~t swords, Blades two talents each, Rivets at their sides, thirty minas each, Gold [ ]s of the swords, thirty minas each.» — el armamento fundido para la expedición, pieza por pieza y con su peso: hachas grandes, espadas de hojas de dos talentos y remaches de treinta minas
«Your courage, Gilgamesh, leads you to foolhardiness. 18 You do not know what you are trying to do.» — voz de los ancianos de Uruk en esta versión: su valor lo lleva a la temeridad y no sabe lo que intenta hacer
«We hear that Huwawa's looks are alien : Who could face his weapons?» — sigue la objeción de los ancianos: dicen que el aspecto de Huwawa es ajeno, y preguntan quién podría enfrentar sus armas
«It is the people's destiny-For choosing daughters-in-law. I fill the table of ceremonies9 With delightful food of the father-in-law's city. For the king of spacious Uruk, Open the ... of people for bridegrooms !10 for Gilgamesh the king of spacious Uruk, Open the ... of people for bridegrooms ! He will impregnate the destined wife, He first, The husband afterwards.» — voz del joven que anuncia la costumbre que provoca la pelea: el rey de Uruk preña primero a la esposa destinada y el marido después. El verbatim arranca tras *fathers-in-law*, que el impreso parte a fin de renglón y que *span()* devolvería fundido
«Your mother bore you To be unique, The wild cow of the Sheepfold, 12 Ninsun,13 Raised your head above death (?). Ellil decreed for you Kingship over people.» — voz de Enkidu reconociendo al rey tras la pelea: Ninsun lo parió único, alzó su cabeza por encima de la muerte, y Ellil le decretó la realeza. Los numerales *12* y *13* pegados son llamadas de nota del impreso, releídas en el crudo
«Does my god not know its course? Must I live in security» — voz de Gilgamesh llorando antes de partir, en preguntas
«Do not rely, Gilgamesh, on your own strength. Keep your eyes sharp and guard yourself! Let Enkidu walk ahead of you; Watch the path, keep to the road. He knows the entrances to the forest, Every trick of Huwawa. He in the lead will keep a comrade safe. His eyes must be sharp, and he will guard you!» — el consejo de los ancianos en la versión paleobabilonia, más extenso que en la estándar: que Enkidu vaya delante porque conoce las entradas del bosque y cada treta de Huwawa
«Wash your feet In the river of Huwawa, as you intend. Dig a pit when you stop for the night. 21 Make sure there is always water in your waters kin. You must libate cool water for Shamash And you must recall Lugalbanda.» — la parte ritual del consejo: cavar un pozo al parar de noche, tener siempre agua en el odre, libar agua fría para Shamash y recordar a Lugalbanda
«My friend, catch a bird and where do its fledglings go? Let's look for the mantles of radiance afterwards. Just as fledglings, they are flitting about in the forest!» — voz de Enkidu apurando la matanza con un símil: atrapado el pájaro, adónde van sus polluelos; los mantos de resplandor se buscan después
«Gilgamesh slew him at the neck; Enkidu his friend struck at (?) the heart. At the third [blow] he fell.» — la muerte de Huwawa en esta versión, repartida entre los dos: Gilgamesh en el cuello, Enkidu en el corazón, y al tercer golpe cayó
«Gilgamesh cleaved the trees, Enkidu dug out the stumps.» — el mismo saqueo del bosque que trae la versión estándar, aquí en un solo verso
«Gilgamesh, where do you roam? You will not find the (eternal) life that you seek.» — voz de Shamash en esta versión, que dice de una vez lo que la estándar reparte: no hallarás la vida eterna que buscas
«While I go roaming (?) in the open country Sleeplessness (?) is less common (?) within the Earth. So should I sleep for all the years? Rather let my eyes see the sun, and let me have my fill of light! Darkness is empty; how much is light in comparison? Will a dead man see the sun's rays ever again (?) ?» — la respuesta de Gilgamesh a Shamash, que es uno de los pasajes que esta versión no comparte con la estándar: preferir la luz al sueño de todos los años, y preguntar si un muerto volverá a ver los rayos del sol
«He experienced all troubles with me; Enkidu, whom I love so much, Experienced all troubles with me. He suffered the fate of mankind. Day and night I wept over him, Did not allow him to be buried-Would that my friend could rise up at my voice!- Seven days and seven nights Until a worm fell from his nose. Since his death I have not found eternal life.» — el lamento por Enkidu en la versión paleobabilonia, con la misma imagen del gusano y la conclusión que mueve el viaje
«When the gods created mankind They appointed death for mankind, Kept eternal life in their own hands.» — el verso de la tabernera que fija la condición humana en esta versión: al crear al hombre los dioses le asignaron la muerte y guardaron para sí la vida eterna
«So, Gilgamesh, let your stomach be full, Day and night enjoy yourself in every way, Every day arrange for pleasures. Day and night, dance and play, Wear fresh clothes. Keep your head washed, bathe in water, Appreciate the child who holds your hand, Let your wife enjoy herself in your lap.» — el consejo de Siduri que la versión estándar no trae: comer, gozar cada día, bailar, vestir ropa fresca, lavarse la cabeza, atender al niño que da la mano y que la esposa goce en el regazo
«What are you saying, alewife? [ My heart is grieving for my friend: What are you saying, alewife? My heart is grieving for Enkidu» — la réplica de Gilgamesh a ese consejo, en pregunta repetida: su corazón está de duelo por su amigo
«Tell me what your name is! I am Sur-sunabu, belonging to Uta-na'ishtim the far-distant.» — el encuentro con el barquero, que aquí se llama Sur-sunabu y no Ur-shanabi, y el señor a quien pertenece, Uta-na'ishtim y no Ut-napishtim. Las dos versiones se consignan sin armonizar
«The "things of stone", Gilgamesh, bring me across So that I do not touch the lethal water: But in your fury you broke them!» — voz del barquero declarando para qué servían las cosas de piedra que el héroe rompió: cruzar sin tocar el agua letal
«To Kurnugi, land of [no returnV Ishtar daughter of Sin was [determined] to go; 2 The daughter of Sin was determined to go To the dark house, dwelling of Erkalla's god, To the house which those who enter cannot leave, On the road where travelling is one-way only, To the house where those who enter are deprived of light, Where dust is their food, clay their bread. They see no light, they dwell in darkness, They are clothed like birds, with feathers. 3 Over the door and the bolt, dust has settled.» — la apertura del Descenso: la tierra sin retorno, la casa que nadie deja, el camino de una sola dirección, el polvo por comida, la arcilla por pan y los muertos vestidos de plumas. Dalley señala que el pasaje aparece casi literal en Nergal y Ereshkigal y en el Gilgamesh
«Here gatekeeper, open your gate for me, Open your gate for me to come in! If you do not open the gate for me to come in, I shall smash the door and shatter the bolt, I shall smash the doorpost and overturn the doors/ I shall raise up the dead and they shall eat the living: The dead shall outnumber the living!» — voz de Ishtar ante la puerta, con la amenaza que el volumen repite en otros dos relatos: si no le abren, levantará a los muertos para que coman a los vivos
«Stop, lady, do not break it down! Let me go and report your words to queen Ereshkigal.» — voz del portero conteniendo a la diosa
«What brings her to me? What has incited her against me? Surely not because I drink water with the Anunnaki, I eat clay for bread, I drink muddy water for beer? I have to weep for young men forced to abandon sweethearts. 8 I have to weep for girls wrenched from their lovers' laps. For the infant child I have to weep, expelled before its time.» — voz de Ereshkigal en preguntas, con la queja de su propio oficio: bebe agua con los Anunnaki, come arcilla por pan, y le toca llorar por los jóvenes arrancados a sus amores y por la criatura expulsada antes de tiempo
«Go, gatekeeper, open your gate to her. Treat her according to the ancient rites.» — la orden que desencadena el despojo: que la traten según los ritos antiguos
«He let her in through the first door, but stripped off (and) took away the great crown on her head.» — el primero de los siete despojos: la gran corona de la cabeza. El poema repite la escena puerta por puerta con el mismo diálogo
«Go in, my lady. Such are the rites of the Mistress of Earth.» — la respuesta que el portero da siete veces, una por cada prenda arrancada, y que es la fórmula del relato
«He let her in through the seventh door, but stripped off (and) took away the proud garment of her body.» — el séptimo y último despojo: el manto orgulloso de su cuerpo, con lo que la diosa entra desnuda
«Go, Namtar [ ] of my [ Send out against her sixty diseases [ ] Ishtar: Disease of the eyes to her [eyes], Disease of the arms to her [arms], Disease of the feet to her [feet], Disease of the heart to her [heart], Disease of the head [to her head], To every part of her and to» — voz de Ereshkigal ordenando las sesenta enfermedades contra su hermana, órgano por órgano: ojos, brazos, pies, corazón y cabeza
«No bull mounted a cow, [no donkey impregnated a jenny], No young man impregnated a girl in [the street(?)], The young man slept in his private room, The girl slept in the company of her friends.» — el efecto del descenso sobre el mundo, que es lo que obliga a rescatarla: cesa toda cópula, y el joven duerme en su cuarto y la muchacha entre sus amigas
«Ishtar has gone down to the Earth and has not come up again.» — voz de Papsukkal ante Sin y Ea, dando la noticia que mueve el rescate
«Come, Good-looks, set your face towards the gate of Kurnugi. The seven gates of Kurnugi shall be opened before you. Ereshkigal shall look at you and be glad to see you. When she is relaxed, her mood will lighten. Get her to swear the oath by the great gods. Raise your head, pay attention to the waterskin, 14 Saying, "Hey, my lady, let them give me the waters kin, that I may drink water from it.» — la instrucción de Ea al enviado: dejarse querer, conseguir el juramento por los grandes dioses y pedir el odre para beber
«You have made a request of me that should n0• have been made!» — voz de Ereshkigal al advertir el engaño: la petición que le hicieron no debió hacerse; el tramo cruza de la plana 181 a la 182
«Come, Good-looks, I shall curse you with a great curse. 15 I shall decree for you a fate that shall never be forgotten. Bread (gleaned (?)) from the city's ploughs shall be your food, 16 The city drains shall be your only drinking place, The shade of a city wall your only standing place, Threshold steps your only sitting place, The drunkard and the thirsty shall slap your cheek.» — la maldición de Ereshkigal contra el enviado, que Dalley señala formulada casi igual que la de Enkidu contra Shamhat: pan de los arados de la ciudad, los desagües por bebedero, la sombra del muro por asiento y la bofetada del borracho
«Go, Namtar, knock (?) at Egalgina, Decorate the threshold steps with coral/7 Bring the Anunnaki out and seat (them) on golden thrones/ 8 Sprinkle Ishtar with the waters of life and conduct her into my presence.» — la orden que revierte el descenso: adornar los escalones con coral, sentar a los Anunnaki en tronos de oro y rociar a Ishtar con las aguas de la vida
«He let her out through the first door, and gave back to her the proud garment of her body» — la devolución de las prendas, en orden inverso al despojo, empezando por el manto orgulloso
«Wash (him) with pure water, anoint him with sweet oil, Clothe him in a red robe, let the lapis lazuli pipe play (?). 21 Let party-girls raise a loud lament (?)» — las instrucciones rituales con que cierra el relato, y que Dalley lee como el *taklimtu*: lavar, ungir, vestir de rojo y hacer sonar la flauta de lapislázuli
«You shall not rob me (forever) of my only brother! On the day when Dumuzi comes back up, (and) the lapis lazuli pipe and the carnelian ring come up with him,24 (When) male and female mourners come up with him, The dead shall come up and smell the smoke offering.» — voz de Belili, que cierra el poema con la promesa del retorno periódico: cuando Dumuzi suba, subirán con él los dolientes y los muertos olerán la ofrenda de humo
«Her face grew livid as cut tamarisk» — el primer símil con que el poema pinta la reacción de Ereshkigal; el segundo sigue en la plana siguiente, y Dalley los señala idénticos a los de Namtar en Nergal y Ereshkigal
«Her lips grew dark as the rim of a kunlnu-vessel.» — continuación: los labios oscurecidos como el borde de una vasija *kuninu*, que la nota explica untada de betún
«Ea, in the wisdom of his heart, created a person.12 He created Good-looks the playboy.» — el ardid de Ea, que vuelve a ser quien resuelve: crea a un ser para el caso, el galán Buena Facha. El *12* y el *13* pegados son llamadas de nota del impreso, releídas en el crudo
«Swear that (?) she has paid you her ransom, and give her back (in exchange) for him,20 For Dumuzi, the lover of her youth.» — la condición del rescate, que es el nudo del mito: se la devuelve a cambio de Dumuzi, el amante de su juventud. El *20* pegado a *him* es llamada de nota del impreso
«It is impossible for you to come up] . [In your year you cannot come up to see us] [And it is impossible for us to go down]. [In our month(s) we cannot go down to see you] . [Let your messenger come] [And take from the table, let him accept a present for you]. [I shall give something to him to present to you» — el mensaje de Anu que abre el relato y fija la cosmología del volumen: ni ella puede subir ni ellos bajar, de modo que el banquete se resuelve por mensajero
«He let the god Kakka in through the first gate, He let the god Kakka in through the second gate, He let the god Kakka in through the third gate, He let the god Kakka in through the fourth gate, He let the god Kakka in through the fifth gate, He let the god Kakka in through the sixth gate, He let the god Kakka in through the seventh gate.» — las siete puertas del inframundo, enumeradas una por una, con el mismo procedimiento del Descenso de Ishtar
«messenger of Anu our father, you who have come to us, May peace be with Anu, Ellil, and Ea, the great gods. May peace be with Nammu and Nash, the pure god(desse)s. 2 May peace be with the husband of the Lady of Heaven. 3 May peace be with Ninurta, [champion] in the land.» — voz de Ereshkigal devolviendo el saludo dios por dios; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«Namtar, go up the long stairway of heaven. Take from the table and accept a present (for me). Whatever Anu gives to you, you must present to me.» — voz de Ereshkigal despachando a su visir por la porción del banquete
«My son, you shall go on the journey you want (to make), ... grasp (?) a sword in your hand. Go down to the forest of mesu-trees. Cut down mesu-trees, tiiiru-trees, and juniper! Break off kanaktu-trees and simberru-trees.» — voz de Ea dando a Nergal la instrucción de la que sale la silla: bajar al bosque y cortar las maderas, árbol por árbol
«He painted it with [ as a substitute for silverj,S Painted it with yellow paste and red paste as a substitute for gold, Painted it with blue glaze as a substitute for lapis lazuli. The work was finished, the chair complete.» — la fabricación de la silla, que imita metales y piedras preciosas con pastas de color: amarillo y rojo por oro, vidriado azul por lapislázuli
«My son, (about) the journey which you want to make: from the moment you arrive, [Follow whatever instructions [ I give you]. From the moment they bring a chair to you, Do not go to it, do not sit upon it. (When) the baker brings you bread, do not go to it, do not eat the bread. (When) the butcher brings you meat, do not go to it, do not eat the meat. (When) the brewer brings you beer, do not go to it, do not drink the beer. (When they) bring you a foot bath, do not go to it, do not wash your feet. (When) she (Ereshkigal) has been to the bath And dressed herself in a fine dress,9 Allowing you to glimpse her body ... You must not [do that which] men and women [do].» — la serie entera de prohibiciones que Ea impone para volver del inframundo: no sentarse en la silla, no comer el pan, no comer la carne, no beber la cerveza, no lavarse los pies y no yacer con ella
«Namtar went and looked at Erra in the shadow of the door. Namtar's face went as livid as cut tamarisk. His lips grew dark as the rim of a kun!nu-vessel.» — el mismo par de símiles que el Descenso de Ishtar usa para Ereshkigal, aquí aplicado a Namtar al ver al visitante
«He let Nergal in through the first, the gate of Nedu. 13 He let Nergal in through the second, the gate of Kishar. He let Nergal in through the third, the gate of Endashurimma. He let Nergal in through the fourth, the gate of Enuralla. He let Nergal in through the fifth, the gate of Endukuga. He let Nergal in through the sixth, the gate of Endushuba. He let Nergal in through the seventh, the gate of Ennugigi.» — las siete puertas del inframundo con sus nombres propios, una por una, que es donde este relato precisa lo que el Descenso deja anónimo
«As soon as they brought him a throne (He said to himself) 'Don't go to it!' and did not sit on it. 14 (When) the baker brought him bread, 'Don't go to it!' and did not eat the bread. (When) the butcher brought him meat, 'Don't go to it!' and did not eat his meat. (When) the brewer brought him beer, 'Don't go to it!' and did not drink his beer15 (When) they brought him a footbath, 'Don't go to it!' and did not wash his feet.» — el cumplimiento de las prohibiciones, una por una y en el mismo orden en que Ea las dictó
«She went to the bath And dressed herself in a fine dress And allowed him to catch a glimpse of her body. He [gave in to] his heart's [desire to do what men and women do].» — la única prohibición que Nergal quebranta, y que es el nudo del relato: cede al deseo tras el baño de la diosa
«The two embraced each other17 And went passionately to bed. They lay there, queen Ereshkigal and Erra, for a first day and a second day. They lay there, queen Ereshkigal and Erra, for a third day and a fourth dayY They lay there, queen Ereshkigal and Erra, for a fifth day and a sixth day. When the seventh day arrived» — el amor de los dos dioses contado por pares de días hasta el séptimo, con la fórmula repetida
«Let me go now, and I will return to Kurnugi» — voz de Nergal pidiendo salida con la promesa de volver, que es la mentira con que escapa
«The messenger of Anu our father who came to see us Shall eat our bread and drink our water. ' Namtar made his voice heard and spoke, Addressed his words to Ereshkigal his lady, 'The messenger of Anu our father who came to see us-Before daylight he disappeared!» — voz de Namtar dando a su señora la noticia de la fuga
«Erra, the lover of my delight- ! did not have enough delight with him before he left! Erra, the lover of my delight- ! did not have enough delight with him before he left.» — el lamento de Ereshkigal, repetido dos veces: no tuvo bastante deleite con él antes de que se fuera
«Send me to Anu your father, and let me arrest that god! [Let me take him to you,] that he may kiss you again!» — voz de Namtar ofreciéndose a ir por el fugitivo
«My dear Namtar, you should not seek Ellil-power, Nor should you desire to do heroic deeds. (What,) come up and sit on the throne of the royal dais?» — voz de Ereshkigal poniendo a su visir en su sitio: no busque el poder de Ellil ni desee hazañas ni el trono del estrado real
«The son of Ishtar has come back to us,2° She (Ereshkigal) will search for him and» — voz de los grandes dioses al ver volver a Nergal, con la advertencia de que ella lo buscará. El *20* pegado es llamada de nota del impreso
«You, perform the judgements of the broad Earth? Should I go up to the heaven of Anu my» — sigue la réplica de Ereshkigal en preguntas que miden la distancia entre los dos mundos; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Should I eat the bread of the Anunnaki? Should I drink the water of the Anunnaki? Go and bring the god» — continuación: si ella comería el pan y bebería el agua de los Anunnaki, y la orden de traer al dios
«Ea his father must sprinkle him with spring water, and bareheaded» — el disfraz que los dioses le disponen para esconderlo: rociado por su padre Ea con agua de manantial y descubierto; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Blinking and cringing let him sit in the assembly of all gods.» — continuación: parpadeante y encogido, sentado en la asamblea de todos los dioses
«ever since I was a child and a daughter, I have not known the playing of other girls, I have not known the romping of children.» — voz de Ereshkigal declarando lo que le faltó, y que es el motivo humano del relato: nunca conoció el juego de otras niñas ni el retozo de los críos
«That god whom you sent to me and who has impregnated me-let him sleep with me again! Send that god to us, and let him spend the night with me as my lover!» — voz de Ereshkigal reclamando al dios que la preñó
«I am unclean, and I am not pure enough to perform the judging of the great gods, The great gods who dwell within Erkalla.» — el argumento de oficio con que refuerza la reclamación: está impura y no puede juzgar a los grandes dioses
«My lady, there was only one god who sat bareheaded, blinking and cringing at the assembly of all the gods.» — voz de Namtar dando por fin con el escondido: el único que estaba descubierto, parpadeando y encogido en la asamblea
«He struck down Nedu, the doorman [of the first] gate, and did not let him gr[apple with him (?)] .25 He struck down the second [doorman] (and did not let him grapple with him).» — la segunda bajada de Nergal, que invierte la primera: derriba a los siete porteros uno por uno sin dejar que ninguno forcejee
«He entered her wide courtyard, And went up to her and laughed. He seized her by her hairdo, And [pull]ed (?)her from [the throne].» — el asalto al trono: entra, ríe, la toma por el peinado y la baja del trono
«Kakka, I shall send you to Kurnugi, To the home of Ereshkigal who dwells within Erkalla, To say, "That god, whom I sent to you» — el mensaje de Anu con que el texto se corta al séptimo día, y del que no se conserva el desenlace
«When the gods organized a banquet, 1 They sent a messenger To their sister Ereshkigal. 'We cannot come down to you, And you cannot come up to us. So send someone to fetch a share of the food for you!» — la apertura de la versión de Amarna, que dice en seis versos lo que la otra reparte en decenas: ni ellos bajan ni ella sube, de modo que mande por su parte de la comida
«I shall give to you seven and seven [demons] To go with you: ... , ... , Flashes-of-Lightning, Bailiff, Croucher, Expulsion, Wind, Fits, Staggers, Stroke, Lord-of-the-Roof, Feverhot, Scab» — el catálogo de los catorce demonios que Ea da a Nergal, con sus nombres uno a uno: Relámpagos, Alguacil, Agachado, Expulsión, Viento, Ataques, Tambaleos, Derrame, Señor del Tejado, Ardor y Costra
«at the third, Flashes-of-Lightning at the fourth, 5 Bailiff at the fifth, Croucher at the sixth, Expulsion At the seventh, Wind at the eighth, Fits At the ninth, Staggers at the tenth, Stroke At the eleventh, Lord-of-the-Roof at the twelfth, feverhot at the thirteenth, Scab at the fourteenth» — el reparto de los demonios puerta por puerta, que es el ardid con que Nergal toma el inframundo en esta versión
«Inside the house, he seized Ereshkigal By her hair, pulled her from the throne To the ground, intending to cut off her head.» — el asalto en la versión de Amarna: la toma por el pelo, la baja del trono al suelo y va a cortarle la cabeza
«Don't kill me, my brother! Let me tell you something.» — voz de Ereshkigal deteniendo el golpe
«I will let you seize7 Kingship over the wide Earth! I will put the tablet Of wisdom in your hand! You can be master, I can be mistress.» — la oferta con que Ereshkigal compra su vida, y cuyo primer verso Dalley señala formulado con las mismas palabras que la propuesta de Ishtar a Gilgamesh: realeza sobre la ancha Tierra y la tablilla de la sabiduría en la mano
«To him he gave wisdom, but did not give eternal life.» — el verso que fija el destino del sabio desde el principio: Ea le dio sabiduría y no le dio vida eterna
«A sage-nobody rejects his word-Clever, extra-wise, he was one of the Anunnaki/ Holy, pure of hands, the pas!su-priest who always tends the rites. He does the baking with the bakers,3 Does the baking with the bakers of Eridu, He does the food and water of Eridu every day, Sets up the offerings table with his pure hands, Without him no offerings table is cleared away.» — el oficio de Adapa en Eridu, tarea por tarea: sacerdote *pashishu*, panadero con los panaderos, encargado de la comida y del agua y de la mesa de ofrendas
«No sooner had he uttered these words Than South Wind's wing was broken; For seven days South Wind did not blow towards the land.» — el efecto inmediato de la palabra del sabio: el ala rota y siete días sin viento del sur
«They will hold out for you bread of death, so you must not eat. 9 They will hold out for you water of death, so you must not drink. They will hold out a garment for you: so put it on. They will hold out oil for you: so anoint yoursel» — la instrucción exacta de Ea sobre las cuatro cosas que le ofrecerán: pan de muerte y agua de muerte que no debe tomar, manto y aceite que sí
«My lord, I was catching fish in the middle of the sea For the house of my lord (Ea). But he inflated (?) the sea into a storm (?)11 And South Wind blew and sank me! I was forced to take up residence in the fishes' home. In my fury I cursed South Wind.» — voz de Adapa ante Anu explicando su acto: pescaba para la casa de su señor cuando el mar se alzó en tormenta y el Viento del Sur lo hundió
«Why did Ea disclose to wretched mankind The ways of heaven and earth, Give them a heavy heart? It was he who did it! What can we do for him? Fetch him the bread of (eternal) life and let him eat!» — voz de Anu cambiando de ánimo, en preguntas, y ordenando lo contrario de lo que Ea había previsto: pan de vida eterna para el sabio
«They fetched him the bread of (eternal) life, but he would not eat. They fetched him the water of (eternal) life, but he would not drink. They fetched him a garment, and he put it on himself. They fetched him oil, and he anointed himself.» — el desenlace: rechaza el pan y el agua de la vida eterna, y acepta el manto y el aceite, exactamente como Ea le había mandado
«Come, Adapa, why didn't you eat? Why didn't you drink? Didn't you want to be immortal? Alas for downtrodden people!» — voz de Anu riéndose del sabio y preguntándole si no quería ser inmortal
«But) Ea my lord told me: "You mustn't eat! You mustn't drink!" Take him and send him back to his earth.» — la respuesta de Adapa, que cierra el relato con la obediencia como causa de la pérdida
«They had not established a king over all the teeming people.2 At that time the headband and crown had not been put together,3 And the lapis lazuli sceptre had not been brandished (?V At the same time ( ?) the throne-dais had not been made.» — el estado del mundo antes de la realeza, dicho por negaciones: sin rey, sin diadema y corona juntas, sin cetro de lapislázuli blandido y sin estrado del trono
«Ishtar [was looking for] a shepherd And searching high and low for a king.» — la búsqueda de Ishtar que abre el relato, con la fórmula repetida del pastor y el rey
«Come, let us be friends, Let us be comrades, you and I.» — voz del águila proponiendo la amistad a la serpiente, que es el pacto cuya ruptura mueve el relato
«You are wicked and you have grieved his heart. You have done unforgivable deeds, an abomination to the gods.» — voz de la serpiente objetando al águila antes de aceptar
«South Wind, though you send your brothers against me, however many there are» — la maldición de Adapa contra el Viento del Sur, que desencadena todo el relato; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«I shall still break your wing!» — continuación: le romperá el ala de todos modos
«Adapa, you are to go before king Anu. You will go up to heaven, And when you go up to heaven, When you approach the Gate of Anu, Dumuzi and Gizzida will be standing in the Gate of Anu, Will see you, will keep asking you questions» — el comienzo de las instrucciones de Ea: subir al cielo y encontrar a Dumuzi y Gizzida en la Puerta de Anu
«Two gods have vanished from our country, And that is why I am behaving like this." (They will ask) "Who are the two gods that have vanished from the country?" (You must answer) 'They are Dumuzi and Gizzida.» — la respuesta que Ea le pone en la boca, y que es la adulación con que gana a los dos porteros: los dos dioses desaparecidos son ellos mismos
«You must not neglect the instructions I have given you: Keep to the words that I have told you.» — el cierre de las instrucciones de Ea, que es lo que Adapa obedece al pie de la letra y le cuesta la inmortalidad
«Whoever oversteps the limit set by Shamash, Shamash shall deliver into the hands of the Smiter for harm.» — la cláusula del juramento ante Shamash, que es la ley del relato. El poema la repite al recordarla más adelante y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«The eagle would catch a wild bull or wild ass, And the serpent would eat, (then) turn away so that its young could eat.» — el pacto en funcionamiento, alternando las presas de cada uno: cada cual come y se aparta para que coman las crías del otro
«The eagle plotted evil in its heart, And in its heart it plotted evil, And made up its mind to eat its friend's young ones.» — el giro del relato: el águila, ya criados sus polluelos, trama comerse a las crías de su amigo
«Father, don't eat! The net of Shamash will ensnare you.» — voz del aguilucho más sabio oponiéndose al padre: la red de Shamash lo atrapará
«It would not listen to them, and would not listen to the word of its sons. It went down and ate the serpent's young.» — el verso que sella la culpa: no escuchó a sus hijos y bajó a comerse las crías de la serpiente
«I trusted in you, Shamash the warrior, And I was helpful (?) to the eagle who lives on the branches. 16 Now the serpent's nest [is grief-stricken] . 17 My own nest is not there, while its nest is safe. My young ones are scattered and its young ones are safe. It came down and ate my young ones! You know the wrong which it has done me, Shamash! Truly, 0 Shamash, your net is as wide as earth» — la demanda de la serpiente ante Shamash: confió en él, y su red es tan ancha como la tierra
«Your snare is as broad as the sky! The eagle should not escape from your net, As criminal as Anzu, who wronged his comrade.» — el cierre de la demanda: que el águila no escape de la red, tan criminal como Anzu, que agravió a su camarada; el tramo cruza de la plana 216 a la 217
«Go along the path, cross the mountain Where a wild bull [ ] has been bound for you.19 Open up its innards, slit open its stomach, Make a place to sit inside its stomach. All kinds of birds will come down from the sky and eat the flesh. The eagle too [will come down] with them. [Since] it will not be aware of danger to itself, It will search out the tenderest morsels, will comb the area ( ?), Penetrate to the lining of the innards. When it enters the innards, you must seize it by the wing, Cut its wings, feather and pinion, Pluck it and throw it into a bottomless pit, Let it die there of hunger and thirst!» — la sentencia de Shamash, que es también la instrucción del ardid: esconderse dentro del toro salvaje, prender al águila por el ala, cortarle las plumas y echarla a un pozo sin fondo
«If the birds felt any fear, How would they be eating the flesh so peacefully?» — el razonamiento con que el águila se convence a sí misma de bajar, en pregunta
«Spare me, and I shall give you, as one betrothed, a nudunnu-payment.» — voz del águila atrapada ofreciendo rescate, con el término del derecho matrimonial que la nota explica
«If I were to free you, how would I answer Shamash the Most High? The punishment due to you would revert to me, The punishment that I now inflict on you!» — voz de la serpiente negando el rescate en pregunta: soltarlo le acarrearía a ella el castigo
«Am I to die in the pit? Who realizes that it is your punishment I bear? Save my life for me, the eagle, So that I may broadcast your fame for eternity!» — voz del águila en el pozo, negociando con el dios: que le salve la vida para difundir su fama por la eternidad
«You are wicked, and you have grieved my heart. You did an unforgivable deed, an abomination to the gods. You are dying, and I shall not go near you ! But a man, whom I am sending to you, is coming-let him help you.» — la sentencia de Shamash sobre el águila, que repite las palabras de la serpiente al principio y a la vez abre la salida: él no se le acercará, pero manda a un hombre
«Go along the road, cross the mountain, Find a pit and look carefully at what is inside it. An eagle is abandoned down there. It will show you the plant of birth.» — la respuesta de Shamash que enlaza las dos historias: el pozo, el águila abandonada y la planta del parto
«My friend, we really are friends, you and I! Tell me what you wish from me, that I may give it to you.» — voz del águila restablecida, que devuelve el favor y restaura el pacto que ella misma había roto
«Change my destiny (?) and disclose what is concealed!» — la petición de Etana al águila, en la versión paleobabilonia
«Come, my friend, let me carry you up [to the sky], [Let us meet] with Ishtar, the mistress [of birth]. Beside Ish tar the mistress [of birth let us ] . Put your arms over my sides, Put your hands over the quills of my wings.» — la propuesta del vuelo: subir hasta Ishtar, la señora del parto, agarrado a los cañones de las alas
«The country has turned into a garden [ ], And the wide sea is no bigger than a bucket!» — el segundo tramo: el país vuelto un jardín y el mar no mayor que un cubo
«I am looking for the country, but I can't see it! And my eyes cannot even pick out the wide sea! My friend, I cannot go any further towards heaven. Retrace the way, and let me go back to my city!» — el tercer tramo y el fracaso del primer vuelo: ya no ve el país ni distingue el mar, y pide volver
«The eagle shrugged him off for one mile, Then dropped down and retrieved him on its wings.» — la caída contada milla a milla, con el águila que lo suelta y lo recoge sobre las alas
«I saw a house with a window that was not sealed. I pushed it open and went inside. Sitting in there was a girl Adorned with a crown, fair of face. A throne was set in place, and [ ] Beneath the throne crouched snarling lions. I came up and the lions sprang at me. I woke up terrified.» — el sueño que decide el segundo vuelo: la casa con la ventana sin sellar, la muchacha coronada en el trono y los leones que saltan desde abajo
«Come, let me carry you up to the heaven of Anu. Put your chest over my breast, Put your hands over the quills of my wings. Put your arms over my sides.» — la propuesta del segundo vuelo, con la postura corregida respecto del primero: el pecho contra el pecho del ave
«The sea has turned into a gardener's ditch!» — el remate de la segunda ascensión: el mar vuelto acequia de hortelano
«When they came up to the heaven of Anu, They went through the gate of Anu, Ellil, and Ea. The eagle and Etana bowed down together.» — la llegada al cielo de Anu, con las dos puertas y la reverencia de los dos juntos; el texto se corta ahí
«Shamash, you have enjoyed the best cuts of my sheep, Earth has drunk the blood of my lambs» — la oración de Etana, que es la otra mitad del relato: los mejores cortes de sus ovejas y la sangre de sus corderos bebida por la tierra. El vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero, y la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«I have honoured the gods and respected the spirits of the dead, The dream-interpreters have made full use of my incense. The gods have made full use of my lambs at the slaughter. 0 Lord, let the word go forth from your mouth And give me the plant of birth, Show me the plant of birth! Remove my shame and provide me with a son» — continuación: ha honrado a los dioses y respetado a los espíritus de los muertos, y pide la planta del parto para que se le quite la vergüenza y se le dé un hijo
«The eagle] took him upwards for a mile. 'My friend, look at the country! How does it seem?» — el primer tramo del vuelo, con la fórmula que se repite milla a milla
«The affairs of the country buzz (?) [like flies (?)F8 And the wide sea is no bigger than a sheepfold!» — la respuesta de Etana desde el aire: los asuntos del país zumban como moscas y el ancho mar no es mayor que un redil. El *28* pegado a *flies* es llamada de nota que el OCR desfigura
«I sing of the superb son of the king of populated lands, Beloved of Mami, the powerful god, Ellil's son» — el arranque en primera persona del cantor, que Dalley empareja con el de Erra e Ishum: canto al hijo del rey de las tierras pobladas
«Listen to the praise of the powerful one's strength, Who subdued, who bound the Mountain of Stones in his fury,2 Who conquered soaring Anzu with his weapon, Who slew the bull-man inside the Sea. 3 Strong warrior who slays with his weapon» — la invitación del proemio y el catálogo de hazañas del héroe: sometió la Montaña de Piedras, venció a Anzu y mató al hombre toro dentro del Mar
«Until now, no dais had been created for the Igigi; The Igigi would assemble for their Ellil-power. Rivers were formed-the Tigris, the Euphrates-But springs (?) had not yet sent their water to the land. Seas [ ] Clouds were still far away on the horizon» — el estado del mundo al empezar el relato, dicho por negaciones: sin estrado para los Igigi, con los ríos ya formados pero sin manantiales que llevaran agua a la tierra
«Surely water of the spate [begot Anzu], Holy water of the gods of Apsu. Broad Earth conceived him, And he was born from mountain rocks.» — voz de Ea explicando el origen de Anzu: engendrado por el agua de la crecida, concebido por la ancha Tierra y nacido de las rocas de la montaña
«Let him serve you and never [cease] ! In the hall let him bar the way to the innermost chamber, forever.» — voz de Ea proponiendo el destino de Anzu, que es el error del que nace el relato: ponerlo a guardar para siempre la entrada de la cámara interior
«His eyes would gaze at the trappings of Ellil-power: His lordly crown, his robe of divinity, The Tablet of Destinies in his hands.» — el objeto del deseo, pieza por pieza: la corona señorial, la túnica de divinidad y la Tablilla de los Destinos
«I shall take the gods' Tablet of Destinies for myself And control the orders for all the gods, And shall possess the throne and be master of rites! I shall direct every one of the Igigi» — el propósito de Anzu en su propia voz: tomar la Tablilla, controlar las órdenes de todos los dioses y poseer el trono y el dominio de los ritos
«While Ellil was bathing in the holy water, Stripped and with his crown laid down on the throne, He gained the Tablet of Destinies for himself, Took away the Ellil-power. Rites were abandoned, Anzu flew off and went into hiding.» — el robo: mientras Ellil se bañaba desnudo y con la corona en el trono, Anzu se lleva la Tablilla y el poder de Ellil, y los ritos quedan abandonados
«Radiance faded (?), silence reigned. Father Ellil, their counsellor, was dumbstruck, For he had stripped the chamber of its radiance.» — el efecto del robo, con el verso del silencio que Dalley señala también en el Gilgamesh: el resplandor se apaga y el padre Ellil queda mudo
«Whichever [god] slays Anzu Will make our name great in all populated lands!» — la oferta de Anu que abre la serie de candidatos
«Father, who could rush off to the inaccessible mountain? Which of the gods your sons will be Anzu's conqueror? For he has gained the Tablet of Destinies for himself, Has taken away the Ellil-power: rites are abandoned! Anzu flew off and went into hiding! His utterance has replaced that of Duranki' s god! He has only to command, and whoever he curses turns to clay! At his utterance the gods (must now) tremble!» — la fórmula de negativa que los tres candidatos repiten palabra por palabra: Anzu tiene la Tablilla, basta que mande y aquel a quien maldiga se vuelve arcilla. Anclada en la primera aparición, la de Adad
«The gods fell silent and despaired of advice. The lgigi grew despondent where they sat, troubled.» — el punto muerto tras las tres negativas, que es donde entra Ea
«Let me give orders and search among the gods, And pick from the assembly Anzu's conqueror.» — voz de Ea proponiendo buscar él mismo al vencedor entre los dioses
«Give Ninurta, your superb beloved, Broad of chest, who forms the battle array.» — voz de Ea pidiendo a la diosa el campeón: su amado de pecho ancho que forma la línea de batalla
«I gave birth to all] the Igigi, I created every [single one of the Anunnaki], And I created the [gods'] assembly.» — voz de Mami declarando su propia obra al instruir a su hijo: dio a luz a los Igigi, creó a los Anunnaki y creó la asamblea de los dioses
«Anzu has disrupted the kingship that I designated! He has obtained for himself the Tablet of Destinies [ ] He has robbed Ellil; he rejected your father, Stole the rites and turned them to his own use.» — voz de Mami formulando el agravio: Anzu ha trastornado la realeza que ella designó, ha robado a Ellil y ha vuelto los ritos a su propio uso
«Muster your devastating battle force, Make your evil winds flash as they march over him. Capture soaring Anzu And inundate the earth, which I created-wreck his dwelling. Let terror thunder above him, Let fear (of?) your battle force shake in (?) him, Make the devastating whirlwind rise up against him. Set your arrow in the bow, coat it with poison.» — las instrucciones de batalla de la diosa a su hijo, arma por arma: los vientos malos, el torbellino devastador y la flecha untada de veneno
«Powerful Adad, ferocious Adad, your attack cannot be deflected; Strike Anzu with lightning, your weapon!» — la fórmula de encargo que Anu repite ante cada candidato, aquí con el arma propia de Adad; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente y el poema la repite para Gerra y para Shara
«Then surely shall shrines be created! 5 Establish your cult centres all over the four quarters! Your cult centres shall enter Ekur! 6 Show prowess to the gods, and your name shall be Powerful!» — la segunda mitad de la fórmula de encargo: santuarios, centros de culto en los cuatro cuartos y el nombre de Poderoso. Anclada en la primera aparición
«Previously [we used to call you] Mami» — el cambio de nombre de la diosa, que es el mismo verso que trae Atrahasis tras la creación del hombre; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«On the mountainside Anzu and Ninurta met. Anzu looked at him and shook with rage at him, Bared his teeth like an ilmu-demon; his mantle of radiance covered the mountain» — el encuentro en la ladera: Anzu tiembla de furia, enseña los dientes como un demonio *ulmu* y su manto de resplandor cubre la montaña
«I have taken away every single rite And I am in charge of all the gods' orders! Who are you, to come to do battle against me? Give your reasons» — voz de Anzu en preguntas: se ha llevado todos los ritos y manda las órdenes de los dioses, y quién es este para pelearle
«I have come to ... to battle against you, to trample on you!» — la respuesta de Ninurta, breve y sin argumento: viene a pisotearlo
«Clouds of death rained down, an arrow flashed lightning, Whizzed, the battle force roared between them.» — la imagen de la batalla: nubes de muerte que llueven, una flecha que relampaguea y la fuerza de combate rugiendo entre los dos
«But it did not go near Anzu: the shaft turned back.» — el nudo de la batalla: la flecha no llega a Anzu, se vuelve
«You, shaft that came: return to your reed thicket! Bow-frame: back to your copse! Bow-string: back to the ram's gut! Feathers, return to the birds!» — la orden con que Anzu desarma la flecha en pleno vuelo, pieza por pieza, gracias a la Tablilla de los Destinos: la caña al cañaveral, el arco al soto, la cuerda a la tripa del carnero y las plumas a las aves
«He was holding the gods' Tablet of Destinies in his hand, And they influenced (?) the string of the bow; the arrows did not come near his body.» — la explicación que el poema da del prodigio: tenía en la mano la Tablilla de los Destinos
«Deadly silence came over the battle, and conflict ceased. Weapons stopped and did not capture Anzu amid the mountains.» — el empate: silencio de muerte sobre la batalla y armas que se paran sin capturar a Anzu
«Seize him by the throat (?), conquer Anzu And let the winds bring his feathers as good news To Ekur, to your father Ellil's house. Rush and inundate the mountain pastures And slit the throat of wicked Anzu.» — el remate del consejo: tomarlo por la garganta y que los vientos lleven sus plumas como buena nueva a Ekur
«Anzu grew weary and in the clash of tempests shed his pinions. He (Ninurta) took a throw-stick (?) to follow his arrows And cut off his pinions, detached both right and left.» — la ejecución del consejo, verso por verso: Anzu se cansa, muda las plumas y Ninurta le corta las alas
«And warrior Ninurta regained the gods' Tablet of Destinies for his own hand.» — la recuperación de la Tablilla de los Destinos, que es el desenlace del relato
«As a sign of his good news, The wind brought Anzu' s feathers.» — la señal convenida cumplida: el viento trae las plumas de Anzu como buena nueva
«Let him stand with the gods his brothers and hear (their) secrets, . . . the secrets of the gods.» — voz de Dagan proponiendo la recompensa: que el vencedor esté entre los dioses sus hermanos y oiga los secretos
«They give [your name as PABILSAG] in Egalmah, Call [your name . . . ] in Ur, Give your name as NIN-AZU in Ekurmah. [ ] Duranki was your birthplace. [In ... ] they speak of you as ISHTARAN, (In ... ] ZABABA. [ ] they call his name.» — sigue el catálogo de nombres por santuario y por ciudad, con los versos dañados marcados por los corchetes
«Your name in Kullab they call WARRIOR OF URUK, [ ] son of Belet-ili your mother, ( j LORD OF THE BOUNDARY-ARROW, ( j PANIGARA» — más nombres del mismo catálogo, incluido el de guerrero de Uruk
«He stole the Ellil-power; rites were abandoned, Father Ellil their counsellor was dumbstruck. Radiance faded (?), silence reigned, Every one of the Igigi was thrown into confusion, For he had stripped the chamber of its radiance.» — el arranque conservado de la versión paleobabilonia, que dice en cinco versos lo que la estándar reparte: el robo, el mutismo de Ellil y el resplandor apagado
«Whichever god slays Anzum, I shall make his name greatest of all!» — la oferta de Anum en esta versión, que difiere de la estándar en la forma del nombre del monstruo
«canal-controller, your battle force must never turn aside! Strike Anzum with lightning, your weapon! [Your name shall be great] among the great gods. You shall have no rival among the gods your brothers! Show prowess to the gods, and your name shall be Powerful!» — la fórmula de encargo en la versión paleobabilonia, más breve que la estándar; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«They called Cerra, Anunitum's son; The decision-maker spoke to him. (understand virtual repeat of the previous speech)» — el modo abreviado de esta versión, que Dalley señala en la introducción: el propio texto indica que se repita el parlamento en vez de copiarlo. El troceo imprime *Cerra* por Gerra
«May your shouted curse cast panic over him, May he grope through the darkness, let his vision weaken and fail.» — instrucciones que solo trae la versión paleobabilonia: que la maldición gritada lo llene de pánico y que tantee en la oscuridad
«Your face must keep changing, like a gallu-demon! Send out a fog, so that he cannot recognize your features.» — sigue el consejo propio de esta versión: cambiar de rostro como un demonio *gallu* y mandar niebla para que no lo reconozca
«May the moon's crescent not glow overhead, let broad daylight be as darkness for him.» — y el cierre: que la luna no brille y que el pleno día le sea oscuridad
«He (Anzu) saw his wings, and emitted his utterance; But as he shouted 'Wing to wing', a shaft came up (?) at him» — el instante en que el ardid funciona: mientras Anzu grita por sus alas, le llega el dardo; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«A dart passed through his very heart. He (Ninurta) made an arrow pass through pinion and wing, A dart passed through heart and lungs.» — continuación: el dardo le atraviesa el corazón, y otro la pluma y el ala, y otro el corazón y los pulmones
«They call your name in the furrow NINGIRSU. They designate for you the entire shepherding of peoples, Give your great ( ?) name as DUKU ( ?) for kingship. In Elam they give your name as HURABTIL» — el catálogo de nombres con que cierra la epopeya, uno por ciudad y por región, empezando por el que la versión paleobabilonia da al héroe
«Created the gods' assembly, I, Mammi» — voz de la diosa en esta versión, donde su nombre se escribe Mammi y no Mami; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Designated the Ellil-power for my brother, even kingship of heaven for Anum.» — continuación: designó el poder de Ellil para su hermano y la realeza del cielo para Anum
«When skies above were not yet named1 Nor earth below pronounced by name, Apsu, the first one, their begetter And maker Tiamat, who bore them alV Had mixed their waters together, But had not formed pastures, nor discovered reed-beds; When yet no gods were manifest, Nor names pronounced, nor destinies decreed, Then gods were born within them.» — la apertura de la Epopeya de la Creación, que Dalley señala del tipo que empieza por *When*: el cielo sin nombre, la tierra sin nombrar, Apsu y Tiamat mezclando sus aguas, sin pastos ni cañaverales y sin dioses manifiestos
«Lahmu (and) Lahamu emerged, their names pronounced. 3 As soon as they matured, were fully formed, Anshar (and) Kishar were born, surpassing them. They passed the days at length, they added to the years. Anu their first-born son rivalled his forefathers: Anshar made his son Anu like himsel£,4 And Anu begot Nudimmud in his likeness. He, Nudimmud, was superior to his forefathers: Profound of understanding, he was wise, was very strong at arms. Mightier by far than Anshar his father's begetter, He had no rival among the gods his peers.» — la genealogía de las primeras generaciones divinas, par por par, hasta Nudimmud, superior a sus antepasados y sin rival entre sus pares
«The gods of that generation would meet together And disturb Tiamat, and their clamour reverberated. They stirred up Tiamat' s belly, They were annoying her by playing inside Anduruna. Apsu could not quell their noise And Tiamat became mute before them; However grievous their behaviour to her, However bad their ways, she would indulge them.» — el motivo que vuelve en todo el volumen: el ruido de los jóvenes revuelve el vientre de Tiamat, y ella los consiente pese a todo
«Their ways have become very grievous to me, By day I cannot rest, by night I cannot sleep. I shall abolish their ways and disperse them! Let peace prevail, so that we can sleep.» — voz de Apsu ante Tiamat, con el mismo argumento con que Ellil pide el Diluvio en Atrahasis: no descansa de día ni duerme de noche
«How could we allow what we ourselves created to perish? Even though their ways are so grievous, we should bear it patiently.» — voz de Tiamat oponiéndose a la matanza, en pregunta: cómo permitir que perezca lo que ellos mismos crearon
«father, put an end to (their) troublesome ways, So that she may be allowed to rest by day and sleep at night.» — voz del visir Mummu inclinando la balanza contra el consejo de la madre; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«He held Apsu down and slew him; Tied up Mummu and laid him across him. He set up his dwelling on top of Apsu, And grasped Mummu, held him by a nose-rope.» — la muerte de Apsu y el destino de su visir: atado y llevado por una soga en la nariz
«And inside Apsu, Marduk was created; Inside pure Apsu, Marduk was born. Ea his father created him, Damkina his mother bore him.» — el nacimiento del héroe dentro del propio Apsu vencido
«His limbs were ingeniously made beyond comprehension, Impossible to understand, too difficult to perceive. four were his eyes, four were his ears; When his lips moved, fire blazed forth. The four ears were enormous And likewise the eyes; they perceived everything.» — el retrato del dios recién nacido: cuatro ojos y cuatro oídos, fuego que brota al mover los labios, y una percepción que lo abarca todo
«Anu created the four winds and gave them birth, Put them in his (Marduk's) hand, 'My son, let them play!' He fashioned dust and made the whirlwind carry it; He made the flood-wave and stirred up Tiamat.» — el juguete que provoca la guerra: los cuatro vientos puestos en la mano del niño dios, y la ola de crecida que revuelve a Tiamat
«Because they slew Apsu your lover and You did not go to his side but sat mute, He has created the four, fearful winds To stir up your belly on purpose, and we simply cannot sleep! Was your lover Apsu not in your heart? And (vizier) Mummu who was captured? No wonder you sit alone! Are you not a mother? You heave restlessly But what about us, who cannot rest? Don't you love us?» — voz de los dioses incitando a Tiamat, en preguntas: mataron a su amante y ella se quedó muda
«Mother Hubur, who fashions all things,8 Contributed an unfaceable weapon: she bore giant snakes, Sharp of tooth and unsparing of fang (?). She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood. She cloaked ferocious dragons with fearsome rays And made them bear mantles of radiance, made them godlike, (chanting this imprecation) 'Whoever looks upon them shall collapse in utter terror! Their bodies shall rear up continually and never turn away!' She stationed a horned serpent, a mushussu-dragon, and a lahmu-hero, 9 An ugallu-demon, a rabid dog, and a scorpion-man, Aggressive ~lmu-demons, a fish-man, and a bull-man Bearing merciless weapons, fearless in battle.» — el ejército de Tiamat, monstruo por monstruo: serpientes gigantes con veneno por sangre, dragones con mantos de resplandor, la serpiente cornuda, el dragón *mushussu*, el hombre escorpión, el hombre pez y el hombre toro
«I have cast the spell for you and made you greatest in the gods' assembly! I have put into your power rule over all the gods! You shall be the greatest, for you are my only lover! Your commands shall always prevail over all the Anukki! ' Then she gave him the Tablet of Destinies and made him clasp it to his breast. 'Your utterance shall never be altered! Your word shall be law!» — voz de Tiamat entronizando a Qingu y entregándole la Tablilla de los Destinos, con la fórmula del poder absoluto de la palabra
«First tablet, 'When skies above'. [Written] like [its] original [and inspected]. Tablet of Nabu-balatsu-iqbi son of Na'id-Marduk» — el colofón de la tablilla I, que nombra al escriba que la copió y a su padre, y declara la copia hecha conforme a su original
«Take a throw-stick (?) to follow your arrows20 And cut off his pinions, detach both right and left.» — sigue el consejo de Ea: seguir las flechas con un bastón arrojadizo y cortarle las alas a derecha e izquierda. El *20* pegado es llamada de nota del impreso, y el poema repite el bloque cuando Sharur lo transmite
«Ea who knows everything found out their plot, Made for himself a design of everything, and laid it out correctly» — el ardid de Ea, que vuelve a ser quien resuelve: descubre el plan y traza un designio; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Made it cleverly, his pure spell was superb. He recited it and it stilled the waters.» — continuación: el conjuro puro de Ea aquieta las aguas
«My son, you who started the fight, You remain responsible for what you have done. You went and slew Apsu, And Tiamat, whom you enraged-where else is an opponent for her?» — voz de Anshar echando en cara a Ea el origen del conflicto: él mató a Apsu y él enfureció a Tiamat
«Father, you are the unfathomable fixer of fates! The power to create and to destroy is yours!» — la fórmula de deferencia con que Ea responde a su padre, repetida enseguida con el otro nombre
«Will no (other) god come forward? Is [fate] fixed 7 Will no one go out to face Tiamat with» — la pregunta de la asamblea muda, que abre el turno del tercero: ningún otro dios se adelanta
«Marduk, take my advice, listen to your father! You are the son who sets his heart at rest! Approach Anshar, drawing near to him, And make your voice heard, stand your ground: he will be calmed by the sight of you.» — voz de Ea enviando a su hijo ante Anshar; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«What kind of man has ordered you out (to) his war? My son, (don't you realize that) it is Tiamat, of womankind, who will advance against you with arms?» — voz de Anshar advirtiendo a Marduk, en pregunta: quien avanzará contra él es Tiamat, del sexo femenino
«Father, my creator, rejoice and be glad I You shall soon set your foot upon the neck of Tiamat!» — voz de Marduk aceptando el reto, con la promesa del pie sobre el cuello de Tiamat
«Kakka, vizier who pleases me! 1 shall send you to Lahmu and Lahamu. You know how to probe, you are skilled in speaking. Have the gods my fathers brought before me; Let all the gods be brought to me. Let there be conversation, let them sit at a banquet, Let them eat grain, let them drink choice wine, (And then) let them decree a destiny for Marduk their champion.» — voz de Anshar despachando a su visir a convocar a los dioses primordiales a un banquete donde se decrete el destino del campeón; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«I sent Anu, but he was unable to face her. Nudimmud panicked and turned back. Then Marduk, sage of the gods, your son, came forward. He wanted of his own free will to confront Tiamat.» — el resumen que el mensaje hace de los dos fracasos anteriores, antes de nombrar al tercero
«How terrible! Until he (Anshar) decided to report to us, We did not even know what Tiamat was doing.» — voz de los Igigi al enterarse, que mide cuánto tiempo estuvieron sin saber nada
«There was conversation, they sat at the banquet, Ate grain, drank choice wine, Let sweet beer trickle through their drinking straws. Their bodies swelled as they drank the liquor; They became very carefree, they were merry» — el banquete que precede a la elección: grano, vino escogido, cerveza dulce por cañas de beber y los cuerpos hinchados de licor
«We hereby give you sovereignty over all of the whole universe.» — la fórmula de entrega de la soberanía, que es el centro político del poema
«May your decree, 0 lord, impress the gods! Command to destroy and to recreate, and let it be so! Speak and let the constellation vanish! Speak to it again and let the constellation reappear.» — la prueba que la asamblea impone al candidato: hacer desaparecer y reaparecer una constelación con la sola palabra
«He spoke, and at his word the constellation vanished. He spoke to it again and the constellation was recreated.» — el resultado de la prueba, dicho dos veces: la palabra basta
«They rejoiced, they proclaimed : 'Marduk is King» — la aclamación de los dioses tras la prueba
«He made a net to encircle Tiamat within it, Marshalled the four winds so that no part of her could escape» — la red y los cuatro vientos apostados para que ninguna parte de ella escape
«He created the imhullu-wind (evil wind), the tempest, the whirlwind/7 The Four Winds, the Seven Winds, the tornado, the unfaceable facing wind.» — el catálogo de los vientos creados para la batalla, uno por uno
«He had yoked to it a team of four and had harnessed to its side 'Slayer', 'Pitiless', 'Racer', and 'Flyer'; Their lips were drawn back, their teeth carried poison. They know not exhaustion, they can only devastate.» — el tiro del carro de tormenta, con los nombres de los cuatro corceles y los labios retraídos sobre dientes que llevan veneno
«In his lips he gripped a spell, In his hand he grasped a herb to counter poison.» — el equipo no marcial del dios: un conjuro en los labios y una hierba contra el veneno en la mano
«The Lord drew near and looked into the middle of Tiamat: 19 He was trying to find out the strategy of Qingu her lover.» — la escena del reconocimiento: el dios mira dentro de Tiamat buscando la estrategia de Qingu
«As he looked, his mind became confused, 20 His will crumbled and his actions were muddled.» — el instante de flaqueza del campeón, que el poema no oculta: la mente confusa y la voluntad deshecha
«However strong a woman's strength, it is not equal to a man's.» — voz de Ea al volver derrotado, con la sentencia que el propio relato pone en su boca. El verso se repite en el pasaje suplementario del final del volumen y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«You are honoured among the great gods. Your destiny is unequalled, your word (has the power of) Anu» — la proclamación del poder de Marduk por la asamblea: honrado entre los grandes dioses, con destino sin igual y palabra con el poder de Anu
«From this day onwards your command shall not be altered. Yours is the power to exalt and abase.» — sigue la proclamación: desde ese día su mando no se altera, y suyo es el poder de exaltar y de abatir
«Go, and cut off the life of Tiamat!» — la orden de la asamblea al campeón; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Let the winds bear her blood to us as good news!» — continuación, con la misma fórmula de la buena nueva traída por los vientos que trae Anzu
«He fashioned a bow, designated it as his weapon, feathered the arrow, set it in the string. He lifted up a mace and carried it in his right hand» — el armamento del dios, que Dalley usa para contrastar el estilo de esta epopeya con el del Gilgamesh: arco, flecha emplumada y maza en la diestra
«Slung the bow and quiver at his side, Put lightning in front of him, His body was filled with an ever-blazing flame.» — sigue el armamento: arco y aljaba al costado, el relámpago delante y el cuerpo lleno de llama siempre encendida
«Tiamat screamed aloud in a passion, Her lower parts shook together from the depths. She recited the incantation and kept casting her spell.» — la respuesta de Tiamat, que pelea con conjuro y no con arma: recita el encantamiento y sigue lanzando su hechizo
«The Lord spread his net and made it encircle her, To her face he dispatched the imhullu-wind, which had been behind: Tiamat opened her mouth to swallow it, And he forced in the imhullu-wind so that she could not close her lips.» — el ardid decisivo del combate: la red y el viento *imhullu* metido en la boca abierta de Tiamat para que no pueda cerrarla
«Fierce winds distended her belly; Her insides were constipated and she stretched her mouth wide. He shot an arrow which pierced her belly, Split her down the middle and slit her heart, Vanquished her and extinguished her life.» — la muerte de Tiamat: el vientre distendido por los vientos, la flecha que lo atraviesa, el corazón hendido y la vida apagada
«The Lord trampled the lower part of Tiamat, With his unsparing mace smashed her skull, Severed the arteries of her blood, And made the North Wind carry it off as good news.» — el remate sobre el cadáver: la maza que rompe el cráneo, las arterias cortadas y el Viento del Norte que se lleva la sangre como buena nueva
«He divided the monstrous shape and created marvels (from it). He sliced her in half like a fish for drying: Half of her he put up to roof the sky, Drew a bolt across and made a guard hold it. Her waters he arranged so that they could not escape.» — el acto de creación propiamente dicho: parte el cuerpo como un pescado puesto a secar, con la mitad techa el cielo y pone un cerrojo y un guardián para que las aguas no escapen
«He fashioned stands for the great gods. As for the stars, he set up constellations corresponding to them. He designated the year and marked out its divisions, Apportioned three stars each to the twelve months. When he had made plans of the days of the year, He founded the stand of Neberu to mark out their courses, So that none of them could go wrong or stray.» — la organización del cielo: constelaciones para los grandes dioses, el año dividido, tres estrellas por cada uno de los doce meses y el puesto de Neberu para marcar los rumbos
«He made the crescent moon appear, entrusted night (to it) And designated it the jewel of night to mark out the days.» — la creación de la luna, encargada de la noche y designada joya que marca los días
«Go forth every month without fail in a corona, At the beginning of the month, to glow over the land. You shine with horns to mark out six days; On the seventh day the crown is half. The fifteenth day shall always be the mid-point, the half of each month.» — la instrucción a la luna, día por día del mes: cuernos seis días, media corona al séptimo y el punto medio al decimoquinto
«He opened the Euphrates and the Tigris from her eyes/1 Closed her nostrils, [ ]. He piled up clear-cut mountains from her udder, Bored waterholes to drain off the catchwater.» — la geografía hecha del cuerpo de la diosa: los dos ríos de sus ojos, las montañas de su ubre y los pozos abiertos para drenar
«He laid her tail across, tied it fast as the cosmic bond, And [ ] the Apsu beneath his feet. He set her thigh to make fast the sky, With half of her he made a roof; he fixed the earth.» — el cierre de la obra cósmica: la cola atada como vínculo del cosmos y el muslo puesto a asegurar el cielo
«Made images of them and had them set up at the door of Apsu 33 'Let this be a sign that will never in future be forgotten!» — el destino de los once monstruos vencidos: imágenes suyas puestas a la puerta del Apsu como señal que no se olvide
«Previously Marduk was (just) our beloved son But now he is your king. Take heed of his command.» — voz de Lahmu y Lahamu ante los Igigi, que formaliza el cambio de régimen
«I hereby name it Babylon, home of the great gods. We shall make it the centre of religion.» — la fundación de Babilonia en boca de Marduk, que es lo que el poema existe para decir
«Let one who is hostile to them be surrendered (up), Let him be destroyed, and let people be created (from him). Let the great gods assemble, Let the culprit be given up, and let them convict him.» — voz de Ea enmendando el plan: que se entregue a un enemigo, se le destruya y de él se cree a la gente
«It was Qingu who started the war, He who incited Tiamat and gathered an army!» — la respuesta de los Igigi señalando al culpable
«Now, 0 Lord, that you have set us free, What are our favours from you? We would like to make a shrine with its own name. We would like our night's resting place to be in your private quarters, and to rest there. Let us found a shrine, a sanctuary there. Whenever we arrive, let us rest within it.» — la petición de los Anunnaki tras la liberación: un santuario con nombre propio donde descansar
«Create Babylon, whose construction you requested! Let its mud bricks be moulded, and build high the shrine!» — la orden de Marduk que pone a trabajar a los dioses en su propia ciudad
«The Anunnaki began shovelling. For a whole year they made bricks for it. When the second year arrived, They had raised the top of Esagila in front of ( ?) the Apsu; They had built a high ziggurrat for the Apsu.» — la construcción de Babilonia medida en años de trabajo: un año entero haciendo ladrillos, y al segundo el Esagila y el zigurat
«He kissed the bow. 'May she go far!' .lY He gave to the bow her names, saying, 'May Long and Far be the first, and Victorious the second; Her third name shall be Bowstar, for she shall shine in the sky.» — el arco convertido en constelación, con sus tres nombres dados por Anu
«Come, let us call him by his fifty names! His ways shall be proclaimed, and his deeds likewise!» — la fórmula que abre las dos últimas tablillas: los cincuenta nombres del dios, que es la parte que Dalley separa del cuerpo del poema
«MARUKKA-he is the god who created them. 42 He pleases the Anunnaki and gives rest to the lgigi.» — una entrada del catálogo de nombres, con la glosa que cada nombre lleva pegada
«MERSHAKUSHu-fierce yet considerate, furious yet merciful. '13 Generous is his heart, controlled are his emotions.» — otra entrada del catálogo, que define al dios por pares de contrarios
«Second, they called him Asarluhi as NAMTILA, the god who gives life,44 Who restored all the damaged gods as if they were his own creation. 45 BeL who revives dead gods with his pure incantation» — la entrada del nombre que hace del dios el que da vida y restaura a los dioses dañados
«ASARE, bestower of ploughland, who fixes (its) boundaries,47 Creator of grain and linseed, producer of vegetation.» — el arranque de la tablilla VII, con el nombre que hace del dios el dador de tierra de labor y el creador del grano y el lino
«As for Qingu, who had once been the greatest among them, He defeated him and counted him among the dead gods,24 Wrested from him the Tablet of Destinies, wrongfully his/ 5 Sealed it with (his own) seal and pressed it to his breast.» — la suerte de Qingu: contado entre los dioses muertos y despojado de la Tablilla de los Destinos, que Marduk sella con su propio sello. El *24* y el *25* pegados son llamadas de nota del impreso
«Let me put blood together, and make bones too. Let me set up primeval man: Man shall be his name.» — el plan de Marduk para crear al hombre: juntar sangre y hacer también huesos, y llamarlo Hombre; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente
«Let me create a primeval man. The work of the gods shall be imposed (on him), and so they shall be at leisure.» — continuación, con el mismo fin que trae Atrahasis: el trabajo de los dioses recae en el hombre y ellos quedan ociosos
«They bound him and held him in front of Ea, Imposed the penalty on him and cut off his blood. He created mankind from his blood,35 Imposed the toil of the gods (on man) and released the gods from it.» — la ejecución de Qingu y la creación del hombre de su sangre, con la carga de los dioses traspasada. El *35* pegado a *blood* es llamada de nota del impreso
«Fourthly, let the people glorify Tutu as AGAKU, Lord of the pure incantation, who revives the dying, Who showed mercy even to the captured gods, Who removed the yoke imposed upon the gods his enemies, Who created mankind to set them free, The merciful one who has the power to give life» — una entrada del catálogo de los cincuenta nombres: el señor del conjuro puro que revive a los moribundos y que creó al hombre para liberar a los dioses
«He is SHAZU, aware of the gods' intentions, who can see emotions, Who does not allow evil-doers to escape him, Establisher of the gods' assembly, gratifier of their wishes, Who makes the arrogant kneel beneath his wide canopy. Director of justice, who plucks out crooked speech, In whose place lies can be distinguished from truth.» — otra entrada: el que conoce las intenciones de los dioses, endereza la justicia y en cuyo lugar la mentira se distingue de la verdad
«He is ENBILULU, the lord, their enricher; Their deity is mighty, responsible for sacrificial omens, Who looks after pasturage and watering places, establishes them for the land, Who opens up wells (?) and apportions the waters of abundance.» — la entrada del nombre que hace del dios el señor de los pastos, los abrevaderos y los pozos
«He is SIRSIR, who piled a mountain over Tiamat, And took as booty the corpse of Tiamat, by his force of arms. Governor of the land, their righteous shepherd, Whose gifts are cultivation, garden plots and ploughland, Who waded into the broad Sea-Tiamat in his fury: Like a bridge he spanned her battlefield.» — una entrada que vuelve sobre el combate: el que amontonó una montaña sobre Tiamat y vadeó el ancho Mar como un puente
«Secondly, they named Sirsir as MALAII ("Boatman")-may she, Tiamat, Be his barque forever, and he her sailor.» — la entrada que convierte a la diosa vencida en la barca del vencedor
«GISH-NUMUN-AB, creator of all people, maker of the world's quarters, Destroyer of Tiamat' s gods, maker of people in their entirety.» — una entrada que reúne las dos caras del dios: creador de toda la gente y destructor de los dioses de Tiamat
«He who kept crossing inside Tiamat without respite, Shall have Neberu as his name, grasping her middle. May he establish the paths of the heavenly stars, And may he shepherd all the gods like sheep.» — la entrada del nombre Neberu, que enlaza el combate con la astronomía: el que fija los caminos de las estrellas del cielo y apacienta a los dioses como ovejas
«He whose fathers have given him such a splendid name Shall have the name Ea, just like me. He shall have mastery over the arrangement of all my rites, And shall direct every one of my decrees.» — voz de Ea cediendo su propio nombre al vencedor, que es el remate del catálogo
«With fifty epithets the great gods Called his fifty names, making his way supreme.» — el verso que cierra la lista y declara su número: cincuenta epítetos y cincuenta nombres
«May they always be cherished, and may the older explain (to the younger). Let the wise and learned consult together, Let the father repeat them and teach them to the son.» — la instrucción de transmisión con que acaba la epopeya: que el mayor los explique al menor y el padre se los enseñe al hijo
«He (the scribe?) wrote down the secret instruction which older m en had recited in his presence, And set it down for future men to read.» — el colofón narrativo del poema: el escriba puso por escrito la instrucción secreta que los mayores recitaron en su presencia
«We shall break up the virgin soil of the land into clods.» — la primera frase del relato en boca de los dos primeros: romper en terrones el suelo virgen de la tierra
«The Furrows, of their own accord, begot the Cattle God.» — la generación siguiente en esta cosmogonía: los Surcos engendran por sí mismos al dios del Ganado
«Then Earth raised her face to the Cattle God his son And said to him, 'Come and let me love you!» — voz de la Tierra a su propio hijo, que abre la serie de incestos del relato
«The Cattle God married Earth his mother, And killed Plough his father, And laid him to rest in Dunnu, which he loved.» — el patrón que el relato repite generación por generación: casarse con la madre, matar al padre y enterrarlo en Dunnu
«Then Sea slew Earth her mother. On the sixteenth day of Kislimu, he took over dominion and rule.» — la variante matricida del mismo patrón, fechada en el día decimosexto de Kislimu
«The Herdsman God son of the Flocks God married his sister Pasture-and-Poplar, And made Earth's verdure abundant, Supported sheepfold and pen To feed (?)creatures of field and fen, And [ ] for the gods' requirements.» — una generación que añade obra propia al patrón: hace abundante la verdura de la Tierra y sostiene el redil y el corral
«At the New Year he took over his father's dominion, But did not kill him, and seized him alive. He ordered his city to imprison his father» — el cambio de costumbre con que el texto se corta: en el Año Nuevo el hijo toma el dominio pero no mata al padre, sino que lo prende vivo y manda encarcelarlo
«I sing of the son of] the king of all populated lands, creator of the world/ Of Hendursanga, Ellil' s heir, Holder of the lofty sceptre, herder of the black-headed people, shepherd of [populations], Of Ishum, pious slaughterer whose hands are adept at carrying his furious weapons And making his fierce axes flash!» — el proemio en primera persona del cantor, que Dalley empareja con los de Anzu y Gilgamesh: canta a Ishum, el matarife piadoso de manos diestras con las armas furiosas
«Erra, warrior of gods was stirring at home; 2 His heart urged him to make war.» — el arranque de la trama: el dios se remueve en casa y su corazón lo empuja a hacer guerra
«Yet Err a himself felt as weak as a man short of sleep, Saying to himself, 'Should I rise or sleep?» — el contrapunto que define al personaje: se siente flojo como quien no ha dormido y se pregunta si levantarse o dormir
«Different is the divine nature of the Sebitti, unrivalled warrior; Their birth was strange and full of terrible portents. Anyone who sees them is smitten with terror, for their breath is lethal; People are petrified and cannot approach them.» — la presentación de los Siete: nacimiento extraño y lleno de presagios terribles, aliento letal y gente que se petrifica sin poder acercarse
«When Anu, king of the gods, impregnated Earth, She bore the Seven Gods for him and he named them Sebitti. When they stood before him, he decreed their destiny.» — el origen de los Siete: engendrados por Anu en la Tierra y con su destino decretado ante él
«He summoned the first and gave him orders, 'Wherever you band together and march out, you shall have no rival. ' 6 He spoke to the second, 'Ignite like Gerra and blaze like a flame!' He said to the third, 'You must put on the face of a lion, so that anyone seeing you will crumble in terror.' He spoke to the fourth, 'Let the mountain flee before the one who bears your fierce weapons !' 7 He ordered the fifth, 'Blow like the wind, and seek out the rim of the world!' He commanded the sixth, 'Go through above and below, and do not spare anyone'' The seventh he filled with dragon's venom, and 'Lay low living things!» — los destinos de los Siete, uno por uno: sin rival, ardiente como Gerra, con cara de león, que la montaña huya ante él, soplar como el viento, atravesar arriba y abajo, y el séptimo lleno de veneno de dragón
«Why do you stay in town like a feeble old man? How can you stay at home like a lisping child? Are we to eat women's bread, like one who has never marched on to the battlefield? Are we to be fearful and nervous as if we had no experience of war?» — voz de los Siete provocando a Erra, en preguntas: por qué se queda en la ciudad como un viejo achacoso
«To go on to the battlefield is as good as a festival for young men! Anyone who stays in town, be he a prince, will not be satisfied with bread alone; Ile will be vilified in the mouths of his own people, and dishonoured. How can he raise his hand against one who goes to the battlefield? However great the strength of one who stays in town, How can he prevail over one who has been on the battlefield? City food, however fancy, cannot compare with what is cooked on the embers.» — el elogio de la vida de campaña en boca de los Siete: el campo de batalla como fiesta, y la comida de ciudad que no compara con lo cocido en las brasas
«Best beer, however sweet, cannot compare with water from a water-skin. A palace built on a platform cannot compare with the shelters of [a camp.]» — sigue el mismo elogio: la mejor cerveza no compara con el agua del odre, ni el palacio con los cobertizos de un campamento
«Make your noise so loud that those above and below quake, So that the lgigi hear and glorify your name, So that the Anunnaki hear and fear your word, So that the gods hear and submit to your yoke, So that kings hear and kneel beneath you, So that countries hear and bring you their tribute, So that demons hear and avoid (?) you, So that the powerful hear and bite their lips» — la serie de efectos que los Siete prometen al grito de guerra, escalón por escalón: los Igigi, los Anunnaki, los dioses, los reyes, los países, los demonios y los poderosos
«Sleep no longer pours over the Anunnaki, because of people's noise.» — el motivo que los Siete ponen por delante, y que es el mismo de Atrahasis: el ruido de la gente no deja dormir a los Anunnaki
«Spiders' webs arc spun over our campaign gear. Our trusty bows have rebelled and become too tough for our strength. The points of our sharp arrows are blunt. Our daggers are corroded with verdigris for lack of butchery.» — la queja material de los Siete: telarañas sobre el equipo de campaña, arcos rebeldes, puntas romas y dagas con cardenillo por falta de matanza
«In heaven I am a wild bull, on earth I am a lion. In the country I am king, among the gods I am fierce. Among the Igigi I am the warrior, among the Anunnaki I am powerful. Among cattle I am the smiter, in the mountains I am a wild ramY In the reed-thicket I am Cerra, in the grove I am the magsaru-axe. In the course of a campaign I am the standard.» — la serie de autodefiniciones de Erra, esfera por esfera, que es el pasaje más citado del poema
«I shall make prince Marduk angry, and I shall summon him from his dwelling, and I shall overwhelm (his) people.» — el plan de Erra declarado en su propia voz
«Why does the finery, your lordship's adornment which is full of splendour like the stars of heaven, grow dirty 7 The crown of your lordship which made E-halanki shine like E-temen-anki-its surface is tarnished!» — el ardid retórico de Erra ante Marduk: le señala que sus galas están sucias y su corona deslustrada
«A long time ago, when I was angry and rose up from my dwelling and arranged for the Flood,15 I rose up from my dwelling, and the control of heaven and earth was undone. The very heavens I made to tremble, the positions of the stars of heaven changed, and I did not return them to their places.» — voz de Marduk recordando el Diluvio como algo que él mismo dispuso, y el desarreglo del cielo que siguió
«I made those (original) Craftsmen go down to the Apsu, and I said they were not to come back up. 19 I changed the location of the mesu-tree (and of) the elmesu-stone, and did not reveal it to anyone.» — voz de Marduk declarando por qué no puede repetirse la restauración: mandó a los Artesanos originales al Apsu sin permitirles volver, y cambió de sitio el árbol *mesu* y la piedra *elmesu*
«Where is the mesu-wood, the flesh of the gods, the proper insignia of the King of the World,21 The pure timber, tall youth, who is made into a lord,22 Whose roots reach down into the vast ocean through a hundred miles of water, to the base of Arallu, 23 Whose topknot above rests on the heaven of Anu?» — la serie de preguntas de Marduk por lo que ya no existe, empezando por la madera *mesu*, carne de los dioses, con raíces en el océano y copa en el cielo de Anu
«Where are the Seven Sages of the Apsu, the holy carp, who are perfect in lofty wisdom like Ea their lord, who can make my body holy?» — el remate de la serie, que enlaza con Adapa: los Siete Sabios del Apsu, las carpas santas, perfectos en sabiduría como Ea su señor
«I shall rise up from my dwelling, and the control of heaven and earth will be undone. The waters will rise and go over the land. Bright day will turn into darkness. A storm will rise up and cover the stars of heaven.» — voz de Marduk describiendo lo que pasaría si dejara su sitio, que es el chantaje cósmico del poema
«Whenever the hubbub of settled people becomes unbearable to you, 8 And you want to wreak destruction, To kill off some black-headed people and lay low Shakkan' s cattle» — la condición de uso de los Siete, que vuelve sobre el ruido de los hombres como motivo del castigo, igual que en Atrahasis; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«These shall act as your fierce weapons, and march at your side!» — continuación: los Siete serán sus armas feroces y marcharán a su lado
«Lord, Erra, why have you planned evil for the gods? You have plotted to overthrow countries and to» — voz de Ishum objetando en pregunta, que es su papel en todo el poema; el tramo se corta ahí y la frase sigue
«destroy their people, but will you not turn back?» — continuación y remate de la objeción: destruir a su gente, y aun así no volverse atrás
«Where is Nin-ildu the great carpenter-god of my Anu-power, Who carries the pure axe of the sun, and knows . .. timbers» — sigue la serie de preguntas de Marduk: el dios carpintero que lleva el hacha pura del sol
«Where is Gushkin-banda, creator of god and man, whose hands are pure? Where is Ninagal, who carries the hammer and anvil Who chews hard copper like hide and manufactures tools?» — y los otros dos artesanos divinos: el orfebre creador de dios y de hombre, y el herrero que masca el cobre duro como si fuera cuero
«I shall go up into heaven, and give orders to the Igigi; I shall go down to the Apsu and direct the Anunnaki» — voz de Erra ofreciéndose a sustituir a Marduk mientras se limpian sus galas, que es el ardid con que consigue el poder
«Prince Marduk listened to him, And the speech that Erra made was pleasing to him.» — el verso que cierra la tablilla I y que sella la trampa: a Marduk le agrada lo que Erra propone
«Because (?)] he had set his face towards another place and no longer [ ] the earth, [The winds (?)] rose up, and bright day was turned into darkness.» — el efecto inmediato de la ausencia de Marduk, que el poema declara como causa del desastre
«Why, because of foam on the surface of water, did Marduk Give the [ created ] of mankind, whom I myself To bring promptly the taklimu-offerings of the Anunnaki, At the wrong time? He plotted evil, to devastate the land, to destroy people» — voz de Erra en pregunta, revolviéndose contra el propio acuerdo que había propuesto
«He bestowed on them wisdom and made their handiwork beautiful. They made that finery radiant, and more choice ( ?) than before.» — la restauración de las galas divinas por los Artesanos, con el resultado más escogido que antes
«Pay attention, all of you, go into your private quarters; Cover your lips. Did you not smell the qut[rinnu-offering (?)] In the presence of Prince Marduk, nor give advice, nor bese» — voz de Innina en la asamblea, reprochando a los dioses no haber intercedido ante Marduk
«The word Marduk spoke is like a mountain where trees ( ?) (grow]; he does not change» — la sentencia sobre la palabra del dios: es como una montaña donde crecen árboles, y no la cambia
«He who grows up in times of plenty shall be buried in times of deprivation. I Ie who travels out on a path with water shall return along a way of dust-storms.» — el principio de inversión con que Erra resume su obra, en dos sentencias
«I shall finish off the land and count it as ruins. I shall devastate cities and make of them a wilderness. I shall destroy mountains and fell their cattle. I shall stir up oceans and destroy their produce.» — la serie de destrucciones prometidas: el país en ruinas, las ciudades vueltas yermo, las montañas destruidas y los océanos revueltos
«A son will not ask after the health of his father, nor the father of his son. A mother will happily plot harm for her daughter.» — el desmoronamiento del parentesco, que es la forma que el desastre toma en este poema
«I shall make their words wicked, and they will forget their god, Will speak great insolence to their goddess.» — sigue el programa: palabras malvadas, olvido del dios propio e insolencia contra la diosa
«I shall cut off the garment from a man's body And I shall make the young man walk naked in the city square. I shall make the young man go down into the Earth unshrouded.» — el despojo hasta la muerte: el joven que anda desnudo por la plaza y baja a la Tierra sin mortaja
«Woe to my people against whom Erra rages and [ ] Whom the warrior Nergal, as in the moment of battle, [ ] Asakku 37 His arms, like those which (slew(?)) the ruined god, are not too weak to slay them/8 His net, like that (which overwhelmed) wicked Anzu, is spread to overwhelm them.» — voz de Ishum compadeciéndose de su gente, con las dos imágenes que enlazan este poema con Anzu: los brazos que mataron al dios arruinado y la red que envolvió al malvado Anzu
«How could you plot evil for gods and men? Even though you have plotted evil against the black-headed people, will you not turn back!» — voz de Ishum objetando otra vez en pregunta, con la misma fórmula del primer intento
«The king of gods has risen up from his dwelling So how can all the lands stay firm? He has taken off his lordly crown: King and princes [ ] will forget their rites. He has undone his girdle: The belt of god andman is loosened and cannot be retied.» — el argumento de Erra, que traslada la culpa a Marduk: quitada la corona y desatado el cinturón, el lazo de dios y de hombre queda suelto y no se puede volver a atar
«Warrior Erra, you hold the nose-rope of heaven,40 You control the whole earth, and you rule the land. You made the sea rough and encompass mountains, You govern people and herd cattle. Esharra is at your disposal; E-engurra in your hands. You look after Shuanna and rule Esagila, You control all the rites and the gods respect you. The lgigi revere you, the Anunnaki fear you, Ellil agrees with you. Does conflict happen without you, Or warfare take place in your absence?» — el elogio con que Ishum aplaca a Erra, que es el mecanismo del poema entero: le reconoce el dominio del cielo y de la tierra y le pregunta si hay conflicto sin él
«The armoury of war belongs to you And yet you say to yourself, "They despise me!» — el remate de ese elogio, que señala el motivo del dios: la armería de la guerra es suya y aun así se dice que lo desprecian
«warrior Erra, did you not fear prince Marduk' s name? TABLET IV 0 warrior Err a, did you not fear prince Marduk' s name? You have untied the bond of Dimkurkurra, city of the king of gods, the bond of lands! You have changed your divine nature and become like a human» — voz de Ishum en el reproche más fuerte del poema: cambió su naturaleza divina y se volvió como un humano; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero. El rótulo *TABLET IV* cae dentro del tramo porque el impreso repite el verso como reclamo antes del encabezado de la tablilla
«He who is ignorant of weapons is unsheathing his dagger, He who is ignorant of bows is stringing his bow, He who is ignorant of battle is making war, He who is ignorant of wings is flying like a bird.» — la serie de inversiones con que el poema pinta la guerra civil en Babilonia: el que no sabe de armas desenvaina y el que no sabe de alas vuela
«Their hands have dammed up the city gate of Babylon, the artery of their wealth. They have thrown firebrands into the shrines of Babylon like looters of the country.» — el destrozo concreto: la puerta de Babilonia cegada y las teas arrojadas a los santuarios por los propios hijos de la ciudad
«The star of Erra is twinkling and carries rays, [ J of Anunitu» — el presagio astral del desastre, leído en el cielo por los propios dioses; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«His mantle of radiance will be activated ( ?) and all people will perish.» — continuación: su manto de resplandor se activará y toda la gente perecerá
«I promise that I shall destroy the rays of the Sun; I shall cover the face of the Moon in the middle of the night.» — el programa de destrucción en boca de Erra: los rayos del Sol destruidos y la cara de la Luna cubierta a media noche
«I shall say to Adad, "Hold back [your] well-springs, Drive away the clouds and cut out snow and rain.» — sigue el programa: los manantiales retenidos, las nubes ahuyentadas y la nieve y la lluvia suprimidas
«I shall change the minds of people, so that the father will not listen to the son» — el desmoronamiento del parentesco en la tablilla III: el padre que no escucha al hijo; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«The daughter will speak words of rejection to the mother.» — continuación: la hija que dirige palabras de rechazo a la madre
«Ellil has cried "Woe!" and clutched at his heart. [He has risen up from J his dwelling. An irredeemable curse is set in his mouth, He has sworn not to drink the river's waters, He shuns their blood and will not enter into Ekur.» — continuación: Ellil clama y jura no beber las aguas del río ni entrar en Ekur
«Woe to Babylon, which I made as lofty as a date-palm's crown, but the wind shrivelled it.» — el lamento de Marduk por Babilonia, imagen por imagen, empezando por la palmera que el viento marchitó
«Woe to Babylon, which I have taken in my hands like the Tablet of Destinies and will not deliver to anyone else.» — el remate del lamento: Babilonia tomada en sus manos como la Tablilla de los Destinos, que no entregará a nadie
«Even Sippar, the eternal city, which the Lord of Lands did not allow the Flood to overwhelm, because it was so dear to him; You destroyed its wall without Shamash's permission and dismantled its parapet» — el agravio concreto contra Sippar, la ciudad eterna que el Señor de las Tierras no dejó anegar por el Diluvio
«Even Uruk, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, city of prostitutes, courtesans, and call-girls, Whom Ishtar deprived of husbands and kept in her (lit. their) power: Sutean men and women hurl their abuse; They rouse Eanna, the party-boys and festival people Who changed their masculinity into femininity to make the people of Ishtar revere her. The dagger-bearer, bearers of razors, pruningknives, and flint blades Who frequently do abominable acts to please the heart of Ishtar» — el agravio contra Uruk, con el censo de sus servidores de culto: los que cambiaron su masculinidad en feminidad y los portadores de daga, navaja y hoja de pedernal. El impreso parte *pruning-knives* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«You set over them an insolent governor who will not treat them kindly. He persecuted them and violated their rites.» — la causa del castigo de Uruk: un gobernador insolente puesto sobre ellos, que los persiguió y violó sus ritos
«You have made the city of Der into a wilderness; You have snapped the people within it like reeds ! Like scum ( ?) on the surface of water you have stopped their hubbub, And you did not spare me; you delivered me up to the Suteans.» — voz de Angal reclamando por su propia ciudad, con la queja de haber sido entregado él mismo a los suteos
«Anyone who has not died in battle will die in an epidemic. Anyone who has not died in the epidemic, the enemy will carry off as spoil. Anyone whom the enemy has not carried off as spoiL thieves will murder. Anyone whom thieves have not murdered, the king' s weapon will overcome.» — la cadena de muertes sucesivas con que el poema describe la catástrofe, eslabón por eslabón: batalla, epidemia, enemigo, ladrones y el arma del rey
«Anyone who goes up into the heights will die of thirst, Anyone who goes down into the depths will die by water, For you encompass the heights and the depths alike.» — el cierre de esa cadena, que no deja salida: morir de sed arriba o ahogado abajo, porque el dios abarca las alturas y las honduras
«Would that I had been obstructed in your womb on the day you bore me, Would that my life had ended and that we had died together» — voz del gobernador de la ciudad a su madre, con el deseo de no haber nacido
«He who sired a son will say, "This is my son And I reared him and he does good in return,"- Yet shall I put the son to death and his father shall bury him. Afterwards I shall put the father to death, and he shall have nobody to bury him.» — la inversión del orden natural de los entierros, dicha como sentencia: el hijo muerto y enterrado por el padre, y después el padre sin quien lo entierre
«warrior Erra, you have put the just to death, You have put the unjust to death. You have put to death the man who sinned against you, You have put to death the man who did not sin against you. You have put to death the en-priest who made taklzmu-offerings promptly, You have put to death the courtier who served the king, You have put old men to death on the porch, You have put young girls to death in their bedrooms.» — el inventario que Ishum pone ante Erra, par por par: el justo y el injusto, el que pecó y el que no, el sacerdote puntual, el cortesano, los viejos en el porche y las muchachas en su alcoba; el vocativo abre con una O que el OCR rinde como cero
«I shall dry out the breast so that the baby cannot live, I shall block springs, so that small channels cannot bring the waters of fertility.» — el programa de esterilización que Ishum cita en boca de Erra: el pecho seco y los manantiales cegados
«Sea (people) shall not spare sea (people), nor Subartian (spare) Subartian, nor Assyrian Assyrian, 51 Nor shall Elamite spare Elamite, nor Kassite Kassite, Nor Sutean spare Sutean, nor Gutian Gutian, Nor shall Lullubean spare Lullubean, nor country country, nor city city, Nor shall tribe spare tribe, nor man man, nor brother brother, and they shall slay one another.» — la guerra de todos contra todos que Erra decreta, pueblo por pueblo y hasta el hermano contra el hermano; el tramo cruza de la plana 331 a la 332
«He finished off the cities and made of them a wilderness, Destroyed mountains and struck down their cattle, Stirred up the seas and destroyed their produce, Devastated reed-beds and groves, and burnt them like Cerra Cursed the cattle and turned them into clay.» — la ejecución del programa por Ishum, que repite verso por verso lo que Erra había prometido
«Keep quiet, all of you, and learn what I have to say! What if I did intend the harm of the wrong I have just done? When I am enraged, I devastate people!» — voz de Erra ante los dioses tras la matanza, sin arrepentimiento y en pregunta: qué importa que haya querido el daño del mal que acaba de hacer
«Like one who plunders a country, I do not distinguish just from unjust, I fell (them both).» — la autodefinición de Erra que resume la lógica del poema: como el que saquea un país, no distingue justo de injusto y derriba a los dos
«What would happen if Ishum, who goes before me, were not there? Where would your provider be, wherever would your en-priest be? Where would your nindabu-offerings be? You would not (even) smell the qutrinnu-offering» — la pregunta con que Erra reconoce el papel de su consejero, y con ella el mecanismo entero del relato
«Warrior, be still and listen to my words I What if you were to rest now, and we would serve you? We all know that nobody can stand up to you in your day of wrath!» — la fórmula de aplacamiento de Ishum, que consiste en concederle todo: nadie puede enfrentarlo en su día de ira
«May the reduced people of the land become numerous again, May the short man and the tall man go along its paths, May the weak man of Akkad fell the strong Sutean, May one man drive away seven (of them) as if they were flocks!» — el decreto de restauración que Ishum pronuncia, que es el final del poema: que el pueblo mermado vuelva a ser numeroso y el débil de Acad derribe al fuerte
«For countless years shall the praises of the great lord Nergal and the warrior Ishum (be sung): How Erra became angry and set his face towards overwhelming countries and destroying their people, But Ishum his counsellor placated him so that he left a remnant!» — el resumen que el propio poema hace de sí mismo: cómo Erra se enfureció y cómo Ishum su consejero lo aplacó para que dejara un resto
«The one who put together the composition about him was Kabti-ilani-Marduk son of Dabibis s (Some god) revealed it to him in the middle of the night, and when he recited it upon waking, he did not miss anything out, Nor add a single word to it.» — la atribución que el propio texto hace, y que es única en el volumen: el que compuso la obra fue Kabti-ilani-Marduk hijo de Dabibi, a quien un dios se la reveló a media noche y que al recitarla al despertar no omitió ni añadió palabra
«Wealth shall be piled up in the shrine of the god who praises this song! 56 But whoever discards it shall never smell the qutrinnu-offering!» — la bendición y la maldición con que el poema se protege a sí mismo
«The king who magnifies my name shall rule the world, The prince who recites the praise of my valiant deeds shall have no rival, The musician who sings it shall not die in an epidemic. The words of it will find favour with kings and princes. The scribe who learns it will survive even in enemy country, and will be honoured in his own.» — la lista de beneficios prometidos a quienes transmitan el poema: el rey, el príncipe, el músico y el escriba
«In the house where this tablet is placed, even if Erra becomes angry and the Sebitti storm, The sword of judgement shall not come near him, but peace is ordained for him.» — el verso que explica por qué el texto se copiaba en amuletos: en la casa donde esté esta tablilla, la espada del juicio no se acercará
«But afterwards a man of Akkad shall rise up and» — el verso que Dalley lee como pseudoprofecía: después un hombre de Acad se alzará; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«fell them all and shepherd all (the rest) of them.» — continuación: los abatirá a todos y apacentará al resto
«You shall put the country's gods who were angry safely back into their dwellings» — la restauración en boca de Ishum: los dioses del país que estaban airados devueltos a sus moradas; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«You shall let Shakkan and Nissaba go down into the country, You shall let the mountains bear their wealth and the sea its produce, You shall let the meadowlands, which you allowed to be devastated, bear their produce!» — continuación: Shakkan y Nissaba bajando al país, las montañas dando su riqueza, el mar su producto y los prados devastados su fruto
«1. Anzu 2. The Bull-man J· The Horned serpent 4· Two lahmu-heroes 5· Head of Humbaba 6. The mushussu-dragon 7· The Scorpion-man 8. The ugallu-demon» — el pie de la segunda lámina del volumen enumera los monstruos míticos que las traducciones nombran, uno por uno: Anzu, el hombre toro, la serpiente cornuda, dos héroes *lahmu*, la cabeza de Humbaba, el dragón *mushussu*, el hombre escorpión y el demonio *ugallu*
«This man whose [prayers reach me(?)]- Do go quickly and bring me news of him, And ask him to give me a report about his country.» — el pasaje suplementario 1, que la edición revisada añade a Atrahasis: voz de Ea mandando a sus criaturas por noticias del hombre que reza
«Are you the man who is weeping? Is it your plea that went down to the Apsu? Ea has heard your voice And he has sent us to you.» — voz de las criaturas de Ea ante Atrahasis, y el mecanismo de la ofrenda echada al agua que ya traía el cuerpo del poema
«The state of the country is according to the behaviour of its people.» — la sentencia que este pasaje añade al relato, y que es lo que la edición revisada aporta: el estado del país corresponde a la conducta de su gente
«The country is like a young man who falls flat on his face, He has fallen down [and is not nourished] from the teats [of the sky].» — el símil con que el pasaje pinta la sequía: el país caído de bruces, sin mamar de las tetas del cielo
«An unpublished fragment with 2 7 lines of text continues the speech of Ninsun. She invokes the help of Aya to persuade Shamash, to send 13 winds against Humbaba so that the weapons of Gilgamesh will prevail, and to remind Shamash to look after Gilgamesh at every moment of danger. She prays that Gilgamesh may win a place among the great gods of sky, earth and underworld. Aya was the daughter-in-law of Shamash, so she was well-placed to intercede for Ninsun.» — el suplemento 2 no trae texto traducido sino el resumen de Dalley de un fragmento inédito: Ninsun invoca a Aya para que persuada a Shamash de mandar trece vientos contra Humbaba
«Within column vi of Tablet III which contained up to 35 lines, an unpublished fragment with 4 lines of text contains the last two lines of a speech, perhaps Gilgamesh addressing the city elders, telling them to maintain law and order in his absence, then a farewell in which the elders gather and address Gilgamesh» — el suplemento 3 declara qué contiene el fragmento inédito y de qué columna procede antes de dar el texto
«He went, he searched for Tiamat's strategy, But then stayed silent and turned back. He entered into the presence of the ruler Anshar, In supplication he addressed him.» — el regreso de Anu sin haber hecho nada, con los mismos versos que el cuerpo del poema da para Ea. El texto suplementario y el cuerpo atribuyen el mismo fracaso a dos dioses distintos, y se consignan sin armonizar
«Anshar shouted furiously, He addressed Anu his son: 'Steadfast son, heroic kasusu-weapon, Whose strength is mighty, whose attack is unfaceable, Go against Tiamat and stand your ground! Let her anger abate, let her fury be quelled.10 If she will not listen to your word, Speak words of supplication to her, that she may be calmed.» — el suplemento 4 restituye el episodio que falta en la Epopeya de la Creación: Anshar manda a Anu contra Tiamat con palabras de súplica si no atiende a la orden. El *10* pegado a *quelled* es llamada de nota del impreso, releída en el crudo
«He brought out carnelian, flint, alabaster, ] kept making (?) ] for his friend ] ditto ] minas of gold for his friend ditto ] minas of gold for his friend ditto ] minas of gold for his friend ditto ] minas of gold for his friend ditto ] in which thirty minas of gold were held.» — el inventario del tesoro abierto para el ajuar funerario de Enkidu; el impreso usa el signo de ídem para las líneas repetidas, que Dalley rinde como *ditto* y que aquí se conservan dentro del verbatim
«Gilgamesh spoke to him, to Ut-napishtim], ['How would my cheeks not be wasted, nor my face dejected],» — el arranque de la respuesta de Gilgamesh ante Ut-napishtim, restituido entero por corchetes a partir de las repeticiones anteriores del mismo bloque
«Gerra answered the speech, Addressed his words to Anu his father, 'Father, who could rush off to the inaccessible mountain? Which of the gods your sons will be Anzu's conqueror?» — el segundo candidato repite palabra por palabra la negativa del primero, que es el procedimiento con que el poema construye la tensión
«Bring Birdu into my presence.' Nusku went outside, Brought Birdu into Ellil's presence. Ellil made his voice heard and spoke, Addressed his words to Birdu, 'Birdu, I shall send you, I shall» — voz de Ellil despachando un mensajero a su hijo tras la victoria, en la parte más dañada de la tablilla III
«Your name] PAPSUKKAL who marches in front. [ ] surpassing are your names among the gods by far! [ ] you are thoughtful, capable, awesome, Your (counsellor (?)] the far-sighted one, your father Anu.» — el cierre del catálogo de nombres de Ninurta, con el reconocimiento de que sus nombres superan por mucho a los de los demás dioses
«The Great Goddess] who harnesses the seven demons of wind ( ?) Mustered his devastating battle force.» — la diosa misma armando la fuerza de batalla de su hijo en la versión paleobabilonia, donde el papel de la madre es más activo que en la estándar
«Tiamat assembled his creatures And collected battle-units against the gods his offspring. Tiamat did even more evil for posterity than Apsu. It was reported (?) to Ea that she had prepared for war. Ea listened to that report, And was dumbfounded and sat in silence.» — el arranque de la tablilla II: la madre primordial junta sus criaturas, y Ea al enterarse queda atónito y en silencio
«Anshar your son has sent me. He has told me to report his personal message» — la fórmula con que el mensajero se presenta ante los dioses primordiales, con una variante mínima respecto de la orden que recibió, *personal* por *heart's*
«I have cast the spell for you, and have made you greatest in the gods' assembly» — la tercera copia del parlamento de Tiamat a Qingu dentro del mismo mensaje, con la variante *and have made* frente al *and made* de las dos anteriores
«They swore an oath for themselves, And swore on water and oil, touched their throats 4 0 Thus they granted that he should exercise the kingship of the gods And confirmed for him mastery of the gods of heaven and earth.» — el juramento con que los dioses sellan la realeza de Marduk: sobre agua y aceite, tocándose la garganta, gesto que la nota documenta en los tratados paleobabilonios
«KINMA, director of all the gods, giver of counsel, At whose name the gods themselves quake in fear as in a tempest.» — otra entrada del catálogo de los cincuenta nombres: el director de todos los dioses ante cuyo nombre ellos mismos tiemblan
«Their bodies shall rear up continually and never turn away!" She stationed a horned serpent, a mushussu-dragon, and a lahmu-hero, An ugallu-demon, a rabid dog, and a scorpion-man, Aggressive ~imu-demons, a fish-man, and a bull-man Bearing merciless weapons, fearless in battle. Her orders were so powerful, they could not be disobeyed.» — la segunda copia literal del catálogo de monstruos, dentro del informe que Ea lleva a Anshar; es el procedimiento de repetición con que esta epopeya avanza, y la comilla doble de cierre delata la copia distinta
«So that) they could clog the river like dragonflies» — continuación del llanto de Nintu: los muertos atascando el río como libélulas. El tramo se corta ahí porque el troceo mete a continuación el folio impreso de la plana a media frase
«They are washed up (?) like a raft on [a bank (?)], They are washed up like a raft on a bank in open country! I have seen, and wept over them! Shall I (ever) finish weeping for them?» — sigue el llanto: los muertos varados como balsas en la orilla, en campo abierto, y la pregunta de si terminará alguna vez de llorarlos
«Siduri the alewife, who lives down by the sea/06 Lives and» — la presentación de Siduri la tabernera, que vive junto al mar. El tramo se corta antes del folio impreso que el troceo mete a media plana, y el *06* pegado es llamada de nota
«Vat-stands are made for her» — el detalle de oficio que el poema añade a la tabernera: le hacen soportes de tinaja y cubas de fermentación
«The fifth had discoloured, The sixth was stinking» — continuación de la prueba de las raciones: la quinta descolorida y la sexta apestosa. El tramo se corta antes del folio impreso que el troceo mete a media plana
«The seventh-at that moment he touched him and the man woke up.» — el remate de la prueba: a la séptima ración lo toca y el hombre despierta
«It was dark (?), my friend, on the mountain, When I used to go with the cattle.» — voz de Enkidu oponiéndose a la expedición con lo que sabe por haber vivido en la montaña. El tramo se corta antes del folio impreso que el troceo mete a media plana
«The forest extended (?) for sixty leagues in each direction. Who can penetrate to its depths? Huwawa's shout is the flood-weapon, His utterance is Fire,15 His breath is Death. Why do you want To do this? Huwawa's home Is an impossible challenge!» — sigue la objeción de Enkidu: sesenta leguas de bosque en cada dirección, y un guardián cuyo grito es el arma de diluvio, la palabra fuego y el aliento muerte
«You named Qingu as your lover, You appointed him to rites of Anu-power, wrongfully his.» — el desafío de Marduk a Tiamat empieza por el reproche de haber nombrado amante a Qingu y haberle dado ritos que no le tocaban. El tramo se corta antes del folio impreso que el troceo mete a media plana
«You sought out evil for Anshar, king of the gods, So you have compounded your wickedness against the gods my fathers! Let your host prepare! Let them gird themselves with your weapons! Stand forth, and you and 1 shall do single combat!» — sigue el desafío: la maldad compuesta contra los dioses padres y el reto a combate singular
«The land has been shaken off like a dried fig on to [the ground]. Above, the teats of the sky are sealed» — el remate del símil del pasaje suplementario: la tierra sacudida como un higo seco y las tetas del cielo selladas. El tramo se corta antes del folio impreso que el troceo mete a media plana
«And below, the water from the depths is bolted, it does not flow. (That is why) the dark ploughland has whitened, (That is why) in the pastureland grass does not sprout.» — continuación: el agua de abajo atrancada, la labranza oscura blanqueada y el pasto sin brotar
«They are fierce, scheming restlessly night and day. They are working up to war, growling and raging.» — la tercera copia del mismo informe, con los verbos en presente donde las dos anteriores llevan pasado. El tramo se corta antes del folio impreso que el troceo mete a media plana
About the work
492 entries — what the apparatus and scholarship say about it«Ninurta attacks Anzu to regain the stolen Tablet of Destinies. From a stone sculpture found in the temple of Ninurta at Ntmrud, Iraq. (Layard, Monuments of Nineveh, ii, plate 5)» — el pie del frontispicio nombra la escena que abre el volumen y remite a la lámina de Layard; el OCR imprime *Ntmrud* donde el libro dice Nimrud, lectura que el propio glosario sostiene al definir Kalah como la moderna Nimrud
«Inscriptions here of various names I view' d, The greater part by hostile time subdu' d; Yet wide was spread their fame in ages past, And Poets once had promis' d they should last. The Temple of Fame» — el epígrafe del volumen es de Alexander Pope y habla de inscripciones que el tiempo hostil borró; el troceo rinde los apóstrofos del impreso como *view' d*, *subdu' d* y *promis' d*
«STEPHANIE DALLEY has worked on various excavations in the Middle East and has published cuneiform tablets found there by the British Archaeological Expedition to Iraq as well as a book for the general reader about those discoveries» — la solapa de Oxford World's Classics presenta a la traductora por sus excavaciones en Oriente Medio y por las tablillas cuneiformes que publicó para la expedición arqueológica británica a Iraq; es texto editorial de la colección, no voz de la obra, y el tramo se corta antes del año de *Mari and Karana* que la guarda anticosido señala
«She has taught Akkadian at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford and is now Shillito Fellow in Assyriology at the Oriental Institute, Oxford, and a Senior Research Fellow of Somerville College. She is editor and main author of The Legacy of Mesopotamia» — sigue la solapa: docencia de acadio en Edimburgo y Oxford, el cargo de Shillito Fellow in Assyriology en el Oriental Institute y la edición de *The Legacy of Mesopotamia*; continuación del tramo anterior
«Such huge strides have been made in our understanding of the cuneiform script and the Akkadian language during the past three decades, and so many new day tablets have come to light, that new translations need no justification.» — Dalley abre el prefacio de 1988 fundando la traducción nueva en tres decenios de avance en el cuneiforme y el acadio y en las tablillas recién aparecidas; el OCR imprime *day tablets* donde el libro dice clay tablets
«In the same measure, scholarship will continue in future to improve on present efforts, so these translations offer by no means a final or definitive work, although the recent completion of von Soden's superb dictionary means that an era of struggling misinterpretation is drawing to a close.» — Dalley acota su propio trabajo: las traducciones no son definitivas y la erudición seguirá mejorándolas, aunque con el diccionario de von Soden terminado da por cerrándose una era de malinterpretación
«When the first stumbling but brilliant attempts were made, about a century ago, to translate these most ancient of stories, an excited public demanded confirmation of biblical truth to uphold religious beliefs based on the Old Testament in the face of evolutionary theory.» — Dalley traza para qué se usaron estos relatos hace un siglo: un público excitado pedía confirmación de la verdad bíblica frente a la teoría evolutiva
«Today ancient Mesopotamian stories are used less to bolster fundamentalism, more to provide comparative material for biblical and early Greek traditions, as well as for wider studies in the cultural development of mankind.» — y para qué se usan hoy, según ella: menos para apuntalar el fundamentalismo y más como material comparativo bíblico y griego
«Few would now deny that ancient Mesopotamia lies at the roots of our own civilization, but only as part of widespread contributory factors.» — Dalley pone el límite en la misma frase en que concede la raíz mesopotámica de la civilización propia: solo como parte de factores contributivos amplios
«The language in which the stories were written is flexible in different ways from English. In particular the range of meaning found in a single word, and the varying use of tenses in verbs, as well as punning and alliteration, cannot be conveyed by strict equivalence in English, so they are indicated mainly in the notes, although a few crucial puns are given by alternative translations in the main text.» — Dalley declara qué se pierde al traducir —el abanico de sentido de una palabra, el uso de los tiempos verbales, los retruécanos y la aliteración— y dónde lo repone: en las notas, y algunos juegos cruciales por traducción alternativa en el cuerpo
«However, the notes to translations are meant only as a guide for the general reader, and are not intended to be comprehensive.» — Dalley acota el alcance de sus notas: guía para el lector general, no aparato exhaustivo
«Names are variously spelt according to the form used on tablets of various periods, so, for example, Anum is the older form of Anu, Huwawa is the older form of Humbaba.» — Dalley enuncia por qué un mismo personaje aparece con dos grafías: cada tablilla se sigue en su forma de época, y da los dos pares que más reaparecen en el volumen
«The work does not aim to be original, and depends very heavily upon more than a century's scholarly effort by many brilliant and perceptive minds, but no one translator could agree with every reading or interpretation, and discarded interpretations are not aired in the notes.» — Dalley declara la dependencia de un siglo de erudición ajena y avisa que las lecturas descartadas no se discuten en las notas
«A few original contributions by this translator are included: recognition that the Tale of Buluqiya in the Arabian Nights is related to the Epic of Gilgamesh; connection of an episode in Nergal and Ereshkigal to a ritual practice; and a few small points which are indicated in the notes by the author's initials.» — Dalley nombra sus aportes propios y el modo de reconocerlos en el aparato: la relación del Tale of Buluqiya de las Mil y una noches con la epopeya de Gilgamesh, y la conexión de un episodio de Nergal y Ereshkigal con una práctica ritual
«I am deeply indebted both to Dr Jeremy Hughes, with whom I read most of the texts in detail over several years, and to Henrietta McCall, whose patient checking and positive criticism have improved the work immeasurably. Without their support and encouragement the book could not have been contemplated, let alone completed with enjoyment.» — Dalley nombra a quienes leyeron los textos con ella y revisaron el trabajo, Jeremy Hughes y Henrietta McCall
«Finally, Hilary Feldman of Oxford University Press commissioned the translations for which I owe her many thanks.» — Dalley cierra el prefacio nombrando a quien encargó las traducciones por la editorial; el troceo parte el apellido a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido, releído en el crudo como *Feld- man*
«One piece reveals at last how The Epic of Gilgamesh began, in its Standard Version.» — Dalley anuncia el hallazgo que motiva la edición revisada: una pieza que muestra por fin cómo empezaba la epopeya de Gilgamesh en su versión estándar
«These include a major episode in Atrahasis, and one in The Epic of Creation. Smaller improvements have been incorporated in the appropriate place, often filling a gap due to damaged text, from a new duplicate.» — Dalley enumera dónde entra el texto nuevo: un episodio mayor en Atrahasis y otro en la Epopeya de la Creación, más mejoras menores que rellenan lagunas desde un duplicado nuevo
«The name of the scribe who wrote a main version of Atrahasis has been reread for the fourth time.» — Dalley consigna que el nombre del escriba de una versión principal de Atrahasis se ha releído por cuarta vez; es el dato de atribución que el volumen no fija
«As a result of improved understanding, I have added a paragraph to the end of the introduction to Atrahasis, replaced note 44 on p. 38, and changed my translation of lullu from 'mortal man' to 'primeval man', a coherent set of changes which are particularly significant for understanding the myth.» — Dalley declara el cambio de traducción que más pesa en Atrahasis: *lullu* pasa de hombre mortal a hombre primigenio, con la nota 44 sustituida y un párrafo añadido a la introducción
«The important new evidence for the storm-god of Aleppo as hero of a cosmic battle against the Sea in the time of Hammurabi is detailed in note 52 on p.» — Dalley señala la novedad sobre el dios de la tormenta de Alepo como héroe de una batalla cósmica contra el Mar en tiempos de Hammurabi; el folio que cierra la frase sale del OCR con un punto medio
«I would like to thank Martin L. West for making his criticisms of the first edition available to me, and to Helge Kvanvig for useful discussion of Wilcke's 'Weltuntergang als Anfang'.» — Dalley agradece a Martin L. West sus críticas a la primera edición y a Helge Kvanvig la discusión del artículo de Wilcke
«A translation of the first edition into Arabic by Dr Najwa Nasr of the Faculty of Letters, Lebanese University, Beirut, was published by Beisan Press in» — Dalley consigna la existencia de una traducción árabe de la primera edición, hecha por Najwa Nasr en la Universidad Libanesa de Beirut; el año sale del OCR como *1:998*
«Two interesting new fragments from The Epic of Gilgamesh have not yet been published, but are given in translation by George (1999). They concern the formal adoption of Enkidu by Ninsun, and the grave-goods made for Enkidu.» — Dalley remite a la traducción de George de 1999 para dos fragmentos aún inéditos del Gilgamesh, sobre la adopción de Enkidu por Ninsun y sus ajuares funerarios; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido, que dispara por el año de la referencia bibliográfica dentro de la prosa
«In note 21 on p. 275 an important collation of one damaged sign has required a change showing» — Dalley registra un cambio de lectura por cotejo de un signo dañado en la nota 21; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente y el verbatim se corta en el cambio de plana
«that Ashur's chariot contained not the king Sennacherib but the god's victorious weapons in the cosmic battle celebrated in Assyria at the New Year Festival.» — continuación de lo anterior: lo que el carro de Ashur llevaba no era al rey Senaquerib sino las armas victoriosas del dios en la batalla cósmica de la fiesta asiria del Año Nuevo
«Round brackets indicate words inserted to give a better rendering in English, or explanatory insertions.» — la página de siglas explica el segundo signo del aparato: los paréntesis redondos marcan palabras insertadas para que la traducción funcione en inglés, o inserciones explicativas
«Square brackets enclosing round brackets indicate uncertainty as to whether or not there is a gap in the text.» — tercer signo: los corchetes que encierran paréntesis marcan que no se sabe si hay laguna o no; es el grado de duda que el volumen distingue del corchete simple
«Old Babylonian Version, i.e. text from the early second millennium BC.» — la primera de las cuatro siglas de versión, OBV: texto del segundo milenio temprano. En esta plana el OCR entrevera las dos columnas de la página y las siglas caen sueltas entre sus glosas
«Middle Assyrian Version, i.e. text from the late second SBV LV millennium found in Assyria.» — MAV, texto del segundo milenio tardío hallado en Asiria; el tramo sale contiguo en el troceo porque el OCR entrevera la columna de siglas con la de glosas, y entre *second* y *millennium* el impreso tiene las siglas SBV y LV de la columna izquierda
«Standard Babylonian Version, i.e. the form of a work that was current in fairly standardized version in libraries of both Assyria and Babylonia in the early to mid-first millennium BC.» — SBV, la forma de una obra que circulaba en versión bastante estandarizada en las bibliotecas de Asiria y de Babilonia; es la sigla que rotula las versiones estándar del Gilgamesh, de Nergal y Ereshkigal y de Anzu
«Late Version, i.e. text dating between 612 BC and the end of the Seleucid era, from Babylonia.» — LV, texto fechado entre 612 a. C. y el fin de la era seléucida, de Babilonia
«Upper case roman numerals are used for tablet numbers within AHw CAD RIA an epic; lower case for columns within a tablet.» — la convención de numeración que rige todas las citas del volumen: romanas mayúsculas para las tablillas dentro de una epopeya, minúsculas para las columnas dentro de una tablilla; el tramo sale contiguo aunque en el impreso las siglas AHw, CAD y RIA caen entre *within* y *an epic*
«LIST OF FIGURES 1. Map of the Near East showing where Akkadian myths have been found, and places named in the myths» — la lista de figuras declara las dos ilustraciones del volumen; la primera es el mapa de los sitios donde aparecieron los mitos acadios, y el mismo texto se repite al pie del mapa en la plana 23
«2. Mythical monsters referred to in the translations 316» — la segunda figura del volumen es la lámina de monstruos míticos que las traducciones nombran, anunciada con su folio impreso 316, que es la plana 339
«Their background is that of a very ancient, largely urban society, supported by agriculture and pastoralism, in which prosperity was assured by firm government capable of controlling irrigation for agriculture, and by extensive trading.» — Dalley describe el fondo social de los relatos: sociedad urbana muy antigua, sostenida por la agricultura y el pastoreo, cuya prosperidad dependía de un gobierno capaz de controlar el riego
«Unpredictable weather scarcely affected life, and the forces of nature could be held in check, so the gods were usually compliant and democratic, taking their decisions by discussion in an assembly.» — Dalley enlaza el clima con la figura de los dioses en estos relatos: como la naturaleza se dejaba contener, los dioses salen normalmente complacientes y democráticos, y deciden discutiendo en asamblea
«Less predictable elements tended to be associated with sea and with mountains, both of which lie beyond the boundaries of Mesopotamia proper, and with incursions of nomads from deserts and mountainous tracts.» — y el reverso de la misma idea: lo imprevisible se asocia al mar y a la montaña, que quedan fuera de Mesopotamia propiamente dicha, y a las incursiones de nómadas
«Leisure at the courts of kings or on long trading caravans gave time and opportunity for telling stories, which even in their earliest written forms show the influence of 'contest' literature, one of the earliest Sumerian literary forms known, in a spirit of inventive competition for the sake of entertainment.» — Dalley sitúa el ocio de las cortes y de las caravanas como el lugar del relato, y les ve desde sus formas escritas más antiguas la huella de la literatura de *contest* sumeria
«Clay tablets, which are excavated in great quantities on archaeological sites in the Middle East, yet so often are extricated in a damaged and fragmentary condition, were the chief medium for the wedge-shaped (cuneiform) writing of Akkadian. So it may never be possible to understand all the stories completely; most of them are over four thousand years old, and have come to us in fragments of friable clay from complex literary traditions written in an ambiguous and exceptionally complicated writing system.» — Dalley enuncia por qué la comprensión completa puede no llegar nunca: los relatos vienen en fragmentos de arcilla friable, de tradiciones literarias complejas y de un sistema de escritura ambiguo
«Royal epics relating the exploits of known, historical kings are not included here because they are not yet extant in a sufficiently coherent form for translation» — Dalley declara el criterio de exclusión del volumen: las epopeyas reales de reyes históricos quedan fuera porque no se conservan en forma bastante coherente para traducirlas
«their existence shows that the epic tradition continued to be creative throughout the history of that civilization.» — Dalley lee esos fragmentos de epopeya real como prueba de que la tradición épica siguió siendo creativa a lo largo de la historia de esa civilización
«Through the study of several versions of one story, it has become clear that one version may omit an episode crucial to the sequence, or it may be so elliptical or telescoped as to be unintelligible without the help of another, more explicit version.» — Dalley traza el rasgo que gobierna todo el volumen: una versión puede omitir un episodio necesario, o ser tan elíptica que no se entienda sin otra más explícita
«A later version is not necessarily fuller than an earlier one: for example, the latest version of Ishtar' s Descent from Nineveh is slightly briefer than the earlier version from Assur, and less than half the length of the Sumerian story, which is even earlier.» — Dalley niega que lo posterior sea más lleno, con el caso medido del Descenso de Ishtar: la versión de Nínive es algo más breve que la de Assur y menos de la mitad que la sumeria
«We should probably understand some of the abrupt changes of theme as bare skeletons which were fleshed out in practice by skilled narrators, rather as early musical notation gave only the guidelines needed to remind the musician of appropriate melody and rhythms, leaving embellishments and flourishes to his own skills and to popular taste.» — Dalley propone leer los saltos bruscos de tema como esqueletos que el narrador diestro rellenaba, con el símil de la notación musical temprana; la reserva va dentro de la propia frase, *probably*
«So oral tradition continued to develop alongside written literature, and the primary purpose of recording stories in writing was not necessarily to supply individual readers with a coherent and connected account.» — Dalley sostiene que la tradición oral siguió su curso junto a la escrita y que poner un relato por escrito no buscaba necesariamente dar al lector una versión coherente y seguida
«Ancient stories were used for a multitude of purposes, often in extracts: attached to a ritual, to give authenticity or to provide an aetiology; to give the weight of some ancient tradition to a custom or to an incantation.» — Dalley enumera los usos del relato antiguo: extractado, pegado a un ritual para autentificarlo o para dar una etiología, o para prestar el peso de lo antiguo a una costumbre o a un encantamiento
«Some of the most famous author-scribes were also incantation-priests.» — Dalley señala el solapamiento entre el escriba autor y el sacerdote de encantamientos
«Many of the most famous, named scribes from whom later scribes claimed descent, lived during the Kassite period (c.:r650-:1:150 Be) in the Late Bronze Age, a time which is now recognized as one of particular scribal activity, both in collecting and composing literature.» — Dalley sitúa en el periodo casita, dentro del Bronce Reciente, a los escribas nombrados de quienes los posteriores decían descender, y da ese tiempo por uno de actividad escribal particular; el OCR imprime las cifras del paréntesis como *c.:r650-:1:150 Be*
«Metre, in the strict sense in which Greek and Latin literature is composed, may be absent, but more basic groups of main beats in a line are certainly the rule.» — Dalley acota qué tiene y qué no tiene de métrica este verso: puede faltar el metro en sentido grecolatino, pero los grupos de acentos principales por línea son la regla
«Punning and wordplay are revelled in, and sometimes they are crucial to the plot; at other times they are highly esoteric and would only have been appreciated by expert scribes.» — Dalley señala el retruécano como recurso central, a veces decisivo para la trama y a veces tan esotérico que solo un escriba experto lo apreciaría. El impreso parte *word-play* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«Length of line on a tablet is not directly connected to the concept of a metrical line, as various arrangements in different versions show. At all periods the concept of metre and poetic structure was a highly flexible one which allowed for alteration and development by subsequent narrators, making composition a fluid and adaptable art.» — Dalley niega la correspondencia entre la línea de la tablilla y la línea métrica, y da la estructura poética por flexible, abierta a la alteración de los narradores posteriores
«Plagiarism and adaptability are characteristics of written literature in ancient Mesopotamia, and modern attempts to define closely and exclusively different categories of composition have only limited validity.» — Dalley pone el plagio y la adaptabilidad como rasgos de esta literatura y da por poco válidos los intentos modernos de definir géneros con exclusión
«Thus it is rash to attempt grand generalizations about the definition of myth, epic, or legend, or about the priority of myth over ritual. Individual examples must speak for themselves; many kinds of combinations can be found, but all are entertaining stories.» — Dalley objeta las generalizaciones sobre la definición de mito, epopeya o leyenda y sobre la prioridad del mito respecto del rito: cada caso habla por sí mismo
«There is, to some extent, a concept of canonization in that a particular version of an epic might be well-written, deposited in a library, and copied by later scribes for other libraries.» — Dalley admite un concepto de canonización con su límite dentro: hasta cierto punto, en la medida en que una versión bien escrita se depositaba en biblioteca y se copiaba
«Because of the looting and copying, tablets found in the cities of Assyria and of Babylonia contain more or less identical versions of myths, and this has led some scholars to deduce widespread conservatism of scribal practice in which texts were faithfully transmitted and variation is all accidental and unintentional.» — Dalley expone la lectura que otros derivan de la homogeneidad entre tablillas asirias y babilonias: un conservadurismo escribal en que toda variación sería accidental
«Such homogeneity within Mesopotamia gives a false impression, however, for if one looks further afield, to Tell el-Amarna or to Bogazkoy, one sees that great variation did indeed exist, to which in particular the two versions of Nergal and Ereshkigal bear witness, and the divergence cannot possibly be explained by scribal error.» — Dalley objeta esa lectura con el caso de Tell el-Amarna y Bogazkoy, y con las dos versiones de Nergal y Ereshkigal, cuya divergencia no cabe en el error de copia
«The newly found third tablet of Anzu with its colophon giving Hanigalbat (far to the north-west of Assyria) as the original source of the text contributes a healthy reminder that independent cuneiform libraries existed outside Assyria and Babylonia.» — Dalley apoya lo anterior en el colofón de la tercera tablilla de Anzu, que da Hanigalbat como fuente original del texto: hubo bibliotecas cuneiformes independientes fuera de Asiria y Babilonia
«Some were definitely told in Sumerian, Hittite, Hurrian, and Hebrew; the story itself flourishes beyond the boundaries of any particular language or ethnic group.» — Dalley declara que estos relatos no estaban atados al acadio: se contaron también en sumerio, hitita, hurrita y hebreo
«This happened partly because Akkadian was the language of diplomacy throughout the ancient Near East from the mid-second to mid-first millennium BC, even in Egypt, Anatolia, and Iran, and trainee scribes in those far-flung countries practised their skills on Akkadian literary texts; also because strong nomadic and mercantile elements in the population travelled enormous distances, because national boundaries frequently changed, and because trading colonies abroad were ubiquitous.» — Dalley da las razones de esa difusión: el acadio como lengua de la diplomacia, los escribas en formación que practicaban con textos literarios acadios, y el movimiento de población nómada y mercantil
«Authorship of the oldest, traditional works was attributed to» — Dalley enuncia a quiénes adjudicaba la tradición la autoría de las obras más antiguas; la frase se corta aquí porque el troceo mete a continuación, dentro del cuerpo, la nota al pie sobre la cronología larga, y sigue en la plana siguiente
«1 Dates earlier than the mid-second millennium BC are given according to the 'long' chronology, which takes the first year of Hammurabi's reign in Babylon as 1848 BC, 56 years longer than the 'middle' chronology, following Huber 1982, Hassan and Robinson 1987, Clayden 1989.» — la nota al pie de esa misma plana declara la cronología que el volumen usa: la larga, con el primer año de Hammurabi en 1848 a. C., cincuenta y seis años más que la media; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido, que dispara por los años de las referencias
«sages who were sent before the Flood by the god Ea to bring civilization to mankind, and authors after the Flood were honoured with sage-like status.» — continuación de la frase cortada por la nota: la autoría se adjudicaba a los sabios enviados antes del Diluvio por el dios Ea para traer la civilización, y los autores posteriores al Diluvio recibían estatus de sabio
«Therefore Akkadian stories share common ground with tales in» — Dalley empareja estos relatos con otros del Mediterráneo antiguo; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana y sigue en la siguiente
«the Old Testament, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the works of Hesiod, and the Arabian Nights; they were popular with an international audience at the dawn of history.» — continuación y cierre de la introducción: el Antiguo Testamento, la Ilíada, la Odisea, Hesíodo y las Mil y una noches, con un público internacional en el alba de la historia
«CHRONOLOGICAL CHART RC Periods in Assyria and Periods outside Events that may be relevant for literary» — el cuadro cronológico de Dalley declara sus tres columnas: periodos en Asiria y Babilonia, periodos fuera de Mesopotamia y sucesos que pueden importar para la transmisión literaria; el OCR entrevera las columnas del cuadro y las rinde seguidas, con *RC* por BC
«Hittites raid Babylon u651. Mitrani Empire ' 5"" (Hanigalbat) Hanigalbat rules Assyria Amarna Age Akkadian is language of diplomacy» — la franja del segundo milenio del cuadro: la incursión hitita en Babilonia, el imperio mitanio de Hanigalbat gobernando Asiria y la edad de Amarna, con el acadio como lengua de la diplomacia; el OCR imprime *u651* por 1651 y *Mitrani* por Mitanni
«Neo-Babylonian Fall of Babylon to Cyrus 539 _500 Achacmcnid Persian Greek Return of jews to Judah Fall of Babylon to Alexander» — la franja del primer milenio: la caída de Babilonia ante Ciro en 539, el periodo aqueménida, el retorno de los judíos a Judá y la caída de Babilonia ante Alejandro; el OCR imprime *Achacmcnid* por Achaemenid
«Seleucid G reck Bcrossus writes Habyloniaca c.281» — el cuadro llega hasta el mundo helenístico y registra a Beroso escribiendo la *Babyloniaca* hacia 281; el OCR imprime *G reck* por Greek, *Bcrossus* por Berossus y *Habyloniaca* por Babyloniaca
«Parthian Roman AD Sassanian Byz<~ntine Arab influx 500 Islamic Damascius at court of Chosroe-s I c.550» — el tramo final del cuadro pasa por parto, romano, sasánida, bizantino y la entrada árabe hasta el islámico, y cierra con Damascio en la corte de Cosroes I hacia 550; el OCR imprime *Byz<~ntine* por Byzantine y *Aramacan* por Aramaean unas líneas antes
«Atrahasis the wise man, who built an ark and saved mankind from destruction, is a figure of immense prestige and antiquity to whom various literary and religious traditions were attached.» — Dalley abre la introducción a Atrahasis presentando al héroe como figura de prestigio y antigüedad inmensos a la que se pegaron tradiciones literarias y religiosas diversas
«He was known by a variety of names and epithets which were translated into different languages, sometimes with reinterpreted meanings, sometimes abbreviated, and in this way his fame spread over huge distances through a span of some five thousand years.» — Dalley traza el mecanismo de la difusión: los nombres y epítetos se tradujeron a otras lenguas, a veces con el sentido reinterpretado y a veces abreviados
«In Mesopotamian literature he was the survivor of the Flood, together with his wife, and was granted a form of immortality by the great gods.» — Dalley fija el papel del personaje en la literatura mesopotámica: superviviente del Diluvio junto con su esposa, al que los grandes dioses concedieron una forma de inmortalidad
«The story of the Flood was one of the most popular tales of ancient times, and is found in several ancient languages, reworked to suit different areas and cultures so that different settings and details are found in each version.» — Dalley da el relato del Diluvio por uno de los más populares de la antigüedad, rehecho para cada área y cultura, de modo que cada versión trae escenario y detalles propios
«According to one version of the Sumerian king list, in the years just before the Flood swept over the earth, Ubara-Tutu (who is named as the father of Atrahasis in Gilgamesh) was king of Shuruppak, modern Tell Fara in central southern Mesopotamia, where some of the earliest writings known in the whole world have been unearthed.» — Dalley sigue la lista real sumeria: antes del Diluvio, Ubara-Tutu, a quien el Gilgamesh nombra padre de Atrahasis, reinaba en Shuruppak, la moderna Tell Fara
«According to a different version of the Sumerian king list, Atrahasis, called there by his Sumerian name Ziusudra, himself ruled the city Shuruppak, preceded by his father who was named like the city, Shuruppak and who was presumably regarded as the eponymous ancestor of the citizens there.» — y la variante que la propia lista ofrece en otra versión: allí Atrahasis, llamado por su nombre sumerio Ziusudra, gobernaba él mismo Shuruppak, precedido por un padre homónimo de la ciudad. Las dos versiones se consignan sin armonizar
«'Extra-wise' is the meaning of his name in Atrahasis; he is Ut-napishtim and Uta-na'ishtim in Gilgamesh, a name which can mean 'He found life'.» — Dalley da el sentido de los nombres: Atrahasis significa extra-sabio, y en el Gilgamesh el mismo personaje es Ut-napishtim o Uta-na'ishtim, nombre que puede significar que halló la vida
«Sumerian Ziusudra is an approximate translation of Akkadian Ut-napishtim together with his epithet, in which the element sudra corresponds to Atrahasis' epithet ruqu, 'the far-distant'.» — Dalley cruza las dos lenguas: Ziusudra traduce aproximadamente Ut-napishtim con su epíteto, y el elemento *sudra* corresponde al epíteto *ruqu*, el lejano
«The name used by Berossus2 for the survivor of the Flood is Xisuthros, probably a phonetic rendering of Ziusudra.» — Dalley identifica el Xisuthros de Beroso como versión fonética probable de Ziusudra
«Prometheus, Deucalion's father, may possibly be an approximate Greek translation ofAtrafiasis, and-it is just possible that an abbreviation of (Uta)-na'ish(tim) was pronounced 'Noah' in Palestine from very early times.» — Dalley propone dos equivalencias con la reserva dentro: Prometeo podría ser traducción griega aproximada de Atrahasis, y una abreviación de Uta-na'ishtim podría haberse pronunciado Noé en Palestina; el troceo imprime *Atrafiasis* y *and-it is just pos- sible*
«Atrahasis is also found as the name or epithet of a man who features in a Hittite story about Kumarbi.» — Dalley registra el mismo nombre en un relato hitita sobre Kumarbi
«It has been suggested that the name Ulysses, used by the Romans for Odysseus, comes from the Hittite ullu(ya)s, as a translation of Atrahasis' epithet 'the far-distant', and that the names Odysseus and Outis may be based on a pronunciation of the logogram for Ut-napishtim, which is UD.ZI.» — Dalley consigna, sin hacerla suya, la sugerencia de que Ulises venga del hitita *ullu(ya)s* como traducción del epíteto que significa el lejano, y de que Odiseo y Outis salgan de una pronunciación del logograma UD.ZI
«The name or epithet Atrahasis is used for the skilful god of craftsmanship Kothar-wa-hasis in Ugaritic mythology, and is abbreviated to Chousor in the Greek account of Syrian origins related by Philo of Byblos.» — Dalley extiende la serie a Ugarit y a Filón de Biblos: el mismo epíteto nombra al dios artesano Kothar-wa-hasis y se abrevia en Chousor
«A similar abbreviation is used in the name of the Islamic sage Al-khiqr (also called al-Khaqir), who guarded the Fountain of Life, and gave water from it to King Sakhr (meaning 'rock') who thus became immortal.» — Dalley continúa la serie hasta el islam: Al-Khidr, guardián de la Fuente de la Vida, dio de su agua al rey Sakhr, que así se hizo inmortal; el troceo imprime *Al-khiqr* y *al-Khaqir*
«In all these appellations it is impossible to distinguish a 'real' name from an epithet.» — Dalley cierra la serie de nombres con su límite: en ninguna de estas apelaciones cabe distinguir un nombre propiamente dicho de un epíteto
«Clay tablets inscribed with the Old Babylonian version of the epic can be dated around 1 700 BC. Each tablet is divided into eight columns, four on the obverse and four on the reverse.» — Dalley data las tablillas de la versión paleobabilonia hacia 1700 a. C. y describe su disposición en ocho columnas
«Some passages in Late Assyrian versions, discovered in the palace library of the great king Assurbanipal, appear to follow the Old Babylonian version fairly closely, but with additions and considerable alteration in phrasing and vocabulary, as far as can be ascertained from the small quantity of text that survives.» — Dalley coteja las versiones neoasirias de la biblioteca de Asurbanipal con la paleobabilonia: siguen de cerca pero con añadidos y alteración considerable de fraseo y vocabulario
«Rarely is an author named for such an early text. Ipiq-Aya was writing during the reign of Ami-~aduqa , king of Babylon (1702-1682 sc), on eight-column tablets, each column comprising about fifty-five lines, and he probably lived in Sippar, where the tablets almost certainly originated.» — Dalley subraya lo excepcional del caso de Atrahasis: rara vez se nombra un autor para un texto tan antiguo, y aquí es Ipiq-Aya, escriba del reinado de Ammi-saduqa; el OCR imprime *Ami-~aduqa* y la nota al pie declara que el nombre se había leído antes Ku-Aya, Nur-Aya y Kasap-Aya
«Ipiq-Aya was presumably the compiler and arranger of traditional material, and the extent of his personal contribution to it cannot be assessed.» — Dalley acota esa autoría en la misma frase en que la consigna: Ipiq-Aya sería el compilador y ordenador de material tradicional, y su aporte personal no se puede medir
«To understand his role, we may look to Enheduana, daughter of Sargon of Agade (2390-2335 sc), holder of the most prestigious temple office at Ur, and traditionally the authoress of the Sumerian Collection of Temple Hymns. We now know much of that work existed long before her lifetime, and was revised and augmented after her death; this did not undermine her credibility as an author in antiquity, but rather enhanced it.» — Dalley ofrece el paralelo de Enheduana para explicar qué significaba ser autor en la antigüedad: la obra que se le adjudica existía antes y se aumentó después de su muerte, y eso no minaba su crédito de autora sino que lo realzaba
«This version of Atrahasis may have been composed in order to justify their enforced infertility since it presents the myth as justifying a social phenomenon which was prevalent at that period.» — Dalley propone, con reserva, que esta versión se compusiera para justificar la infertilidad forzosa de las sacerdotisas del claustro de Shamash en Sippar
«According to Atrahasis, the mother goddess Mami, with the help of the wise god Ea, created men out of clay mixed with the blood of a slain god called Ilawela:l man's purpose in life was to relieve the gods of hard labour.» — Dalley resume la creación del hombre en Atrahasis: la diosa madre Mami, ayudada por Ea, hizo a los hombres de arcilla mezclada con la sangre de un dios inmolado, y su fin era relevar a los dioses del trabajo duro
«This account of man's creation may be compared with that in the Epic of Creation, in which Marduk used the blood of Qingu, the evil leader of the enemy gods whom he had slain, to create mankind with the help of Ea; clay is not mentioned, and no birth-goddess takes part, but the purpose of man's creation is again to toil on the gods' behalf.» — Dalley coteja esa creación con la de la Epopeya de la Creación, donde Marduk usa la sangre de Qingu y no se menciona arcilla ni diosa partera, y donde el fin del hombre vuelve a ser trabajar por los dioses
«Neither account mentions the creation of animals, which is an important preliminary to man's creation in Genesis (Priestly source).» — Dalley señala lo que las dos versiones acadias no traen y el Génesis sí: la creación de los animales como preliminar de la del hombre
«The account in Genesis describes God using earth (adamah) to create the first man (Adam), animating him with the breath of life.» — Dalley pone al lado el relato del Génesis, con la tierra *adamah* y el aliento de vida
«In Hesiod's Works and Days, written in Boeotia in Greek around the late eighth century BC, the gods incite the smith-god Hephaistos to make Pandora out of clay and water; both in Greece and Mesopotamia deities associated with birth and fertility are also patrons of mining, smelting, and coppersmith's craft, because they create new forms from basic materials.» — Dalley añade a Hesíodo y da la razón que empareja las dos áreas: en Grecia y en Mesopotamia las deidades del parto y de la fertilidad patrocinan también la minería, la fundición y el trabajo del cobre, porque crean formas nuevas a partir de materias básicas
«A wisdom composition known as The Instructions of Shuruppak is now attested on clay tablets from the Early Dynastic period in the early third millennium Be, and contains» — Dalley enlaza una composición sapiencial atestiguada en tablillas del Dinástico Antiguo con el mismo linaje; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana y sigue en la siguiente
«sage advice given by Shuruppak to his son Ziusudra. Thus Atrahasis was a notable figure at the dawn of history, and literary tradition was attached to him at an extremely early period.» — continuación: el consejo de Shuruppak a su hijo Ziusudra, de donde Dalley concluye que Atrahasis era figura notable en el alba de la historia
«This episode is related, in one of the Arabian Nights, to the Gilgamesh of Islamic narrative, Buluqiya, who, having travelled through many lands, lost his faithful adviser Affan in a fruitless attempt to obtain the ring of Suleiman, with which he might travel to the» — Dalley enlaza el episodio de Al-Khidr con Buluqiya, el Gilgamesh de la narrativa islámica en las Mil y una noches, que perdió a su consejero Affan buscando el anillo de Suleimán; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«Fountain of Life and drink the water of immortality. The name Al-Khi4r here bears a new etymology, 'the green one'.» — continuación: la Fuente de la Vida y el agua de la inmortalidad, y la etimología nueva que el nombre recibe ahí, la del verde; el OCR imprime *Al-Khi4r* y *Al-khi4r*
«Atrahasis, the hero of the Flood story, was a citizen of Shuruppak in lower Mesopotamia. An extensive flood as a natural event sometimes took place in that region, where the Euphrates in spate can overflow and spill across the intervening land into the lower-lying Tigris, which itself often breaks its own banks in sudden spate, but a flood would be impossible on a similar scale in Palestine, Syria, Anatolia, or Greece.» — Dalley acota geográficamente la verosimilitud del relato: la crecida que describe es posible en la baja Mesopotamia, donde el Éufrates desborda hacia el Tigris, e imposible a esa escala en Palestina, Siria, Anatolia o Grecia
«That evidence does not, however, disclose whether one particular flood was more catastrophic than others; it only shows that no unusual break in cultural continuity was caused by such a deposit, and that the layer of flood silt found in excavations at Uris certainly much earlier in date than the flood deposit found at Shuruppak.» — Dalley pone el límite de esa evidencia: no dice si una inundación fue más catastrófica que otras, y los depósitos de Ur y de Shuruppak no son contemporáneos
«No flood deposits are found in third millennium strata, and Archbishop Usher's date for the Flood of 2349 sc, which was calculated by using numbers in Genesis at face value and which did not recognize how highly schematic Biblical chronology is for such early times, is now out of the question.» — Dalley da por descartada la fecha de 2349 a. C. que el arzobispo Usher calculó tomando al pie de la letra las cifras del Génesis, y dice por qué: esa cronología bíblica es altamente esquemática para tiempos tan antiguos
«In Atrahasis the Flood was sent by the gods in order to reduce overpopulation, a situation which has been compared with an early Greek poem, the Cypria (loosely attributed to Homer in antiquity and known mainly from allusions and quotations), in which Zeus planned to reduce overpopulation by war. In Atra~ hasis, war is not used for this purpose.» — Dalley fija el motivo del Diluvio en Atrahasis, la superpoblación, y lo compara con la *Cypria*, donde Zeus planea reducirla por la guerra; la diferencia queda consignada sin armonizar
«In the Priestly account of the Flood in Genesis, and in Ovid's Metamorphoses, man's wickedness is the cause of divine anger which results in the Flood.» — Dalley pone al lado el motivo del relato sacerdotal del Génesis y el de las *Metamorfosis* de Ovidio: la maldad del hombre como causa de la ira divina
«In Gilgamesh the Flood story is reused out of its original context, to mark the time in history after which it was no longer possible for a mortal to win immortality.» — Dalley señala el reuso del relato en el Gilgamesh: fuera de su contexto original, para marcar el momento a partir del cual un mortal ya no pudo ganar la inmortalidad
«The Flood is also important for Mesopotamian tradition because it marks the end of the period when true sages lived on earth and brought to mankind the arts of civilization from the gods.» — Dalley da al Diluvio un segundo valor en la tradición mesopotámica: marca el fin del tiempo en que los sabios verdaderos vivían en la tierra y traían al hombre las artes de la civilización
«In Erra and Ishum, the god Marduk claims responsibility for sending the Flood and the Seven Sages, thus adapting two traditional themes which were closely connected.» — Dalley registra que en Erra e Ishum el propio Marduk se adjudica el envío del Diluvio y de los Siete Sabios, adaptando dos temas tradicionales
«There are indications that the story of the Flood as related in the Old Babylonian Atrahasis, and with considerable variation in the Ninevite recension of Gilgamesh, was not the only one in circulation in Babylonia.» — Dalley señala indicios de que el relato del Diluvio de Atrahasis y el del Gilgamesh ninivita no eran los únicos en circulación en Babilonia
«Notable items are that the survivor of the Flood (Xisuthros, Noah) is the tenth antediluvian king in both Berossus and Genesis (Priestly source), that the month in which the Flood happened is named, and that the ten antediluvian kings whom Berossus cites ruled for 432,ooo 'years' (i.e. 86,400 X 5, five years being sixty months) and in Genesis (Priestly source) for 1,656 'years' (i.e. 86t4oo weeks), so the two accounts may originally have shared a common chronological scheme.» — Dalley coteja Beroso y el Génesis sacerdotal por sus coincidencias: el superviviente es el décimo rey antediluviano en los dos, se nombra el mes del Diluvio y las cifras de reinado admiten un mismo esquema cronológico
«Berossus' account of the Flood story must be derived from a Sumerian version of the story, since he names the hero as Xisuthros (Ziusudra) rather than Atrahasis or Ut-napishtim, and this version connects the Flood with genealogical information.» — Dalley deriva el relato de Beroso de una versión sumeria por el nombre del héroe, Xisuthros, y no Atrahasis ni Ut-napishtim
«A Sumerian story of Ziusudra and the Flood, still largely incomplete, appears to be a relatively late composition based on an Akkadian version of the story, and it lists the antediluvian cities in the same way as the Sumerian king list does.» — Dalley data la historia sumeria de Ziusudra como composición relativamente tardía basada en una versión acadia
«An Akkadian account of the Flood has also been found at Ugarit, a Late Bronze Age city on the Syrian coast.» — Dalley consigna el testimonio de Ugarit: un relato acadio del Diluvio hallado en esa ciudad del Bronce Reciente
«The variety of detail found in them illustrates the kaleidoscopic character of the folk tale, in which certain basic elements are widely used in new combinations and are adapted to national interests and different literary settings. For instance, in Genesis the dove brings back to Noah an olive leaf, which belongs to the flora of Palestine; olive trees do not grow in Mesopotamia.» — Dalley explica la variedad de detalle por el carácter caleidoscópico del cuento popular y lo prueba con la hoja de olivo que la paloma lleva a Noé: el olivo no crece en Mesopotamia
«Although Atrahasis emphasizes the catastrophic nature of the Flood, the ancient Babylonians were well aware that not everything was destroyed; Erra and Is hum makes it clear that the city of Sippar survived, a belief echoed by Berossus, who says that ancient writings were buried there before the Flood and later retrieved.» — Dalley registra que los babilonios sabían que no todo se destruyó: Erra e Ishum deja claro que Sippar sobrevivió, y Beroso dice que allí se enterraron escritos antiguos antes del Diluvio
«commonly in Iraq, and strata of silt deposits on Early Dynastic sites of the fourth millennium sc, found there by archaeologists, can be interpreted as recording various different floods in remote antiquity.» — Dalley remite a los estratos de limo hallados por los arqueólogos en yacimientos del Dinástico Antiguo y los lee como registro de inundaciones diversas en la antigüedad remota; la frase empieza en la plana anterior con *Such floods occur quite*
«diluvian sages were sometimes authors or literary figures who worked for known kings of historical times, but they were not regarded as immortal, and were additional to the original seven.» — Dalley acota la condición de los sabios posdiluvianos: a veces autores o figuras literarias al servicio de reyes históricos conocidos, pero no tenidos por inmortales y añadidos a los siete originales. El impreso parte *post-diluvian* a fin de renglón con una tilde que el OCR conserva, y el verbatim arranca en la segunda mitad
«It is probable that these ancient Near Eastern flood stories are» — Dalley propone el origen común de estos relatos del Diluvio; el tramo se corta aquí porque el troceo cierra un chunk en mitad de la plana 29 y reemite el marcador, y la frase sigue en el siguiente
«versions of a tale which originated in lower Mesopotamia, though not necessarily in a single devastation.» — continuación, con la reserva dentro: versiones de un cuento originado en la baja Mesopotamia, y no necesariamente a partir de una sola devastación
«Various stories relating a catastrophic flood are told by Classical authors, focusing upon cities which lie far beyond Mesopotamia, and featuring Ogyges or Deucalion as the hero who survived.» — Dalley pasa a los autores clásicos: relatos de inundación catastrófica centrados en ciudades lejos de Mesopotamia, con Ogiges o Deucalión como héroe
«Lucian of Samosata (Assyrian Samsat) who wrote The Syrian Goddess in the second century AD describes a tradition popular in Hierapolis (modern Membidj) in central Syria, in which Deucalion was the hero, and it was claimed locally that the flood waters vanished down a natural cleft in the bedrock directly beneath the temple of the great goddess.» — Dalley recoge de Luciano la tradición de Hierápolis: las aguas del diluvio se habrían ido por una grieta natural bajo el templo de la gran diosa; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido, que dispara por el largo
«This claim gave the city a focal role in formative cosmic events, and enhanced its prestige and authority.» — Dalley lee esa reclamación como operación de prestigio: daba a la ciudad un papel focal en los sucesos cósmicos formativos
«Apollodorus in the first century BC relates the tale of Deucalion, son of Prometheus, who survived a flood that began in Thessaly, in a floating chest or ark, and after nine days and nights drifted on to Mount Parnassus; the account links the flood, as does Genesis and the Sumerian king list, to early genealogies.» — Dalley resume a Apolodoro: Deucalión, hijo de Prometeo, sobrevive en un arca flotante y encalla tras nueve días en el Parnaso, con el relato ligado a genealogías tempranas como en el Génesis y en la lista real sumeria
«Ovid in Metamorphoses, Vlll alluded to an account of the Flood from Phrygia, which can be traced through scattered allusions and a motif on coins to two cities: Apamea Kibotos and lconium (Konya), two major caravan centres of extreme antiquity.» — Dalley rastrea por alusiones y por un motivo de monedas un relato frigio del Diluvio hasta Apamea Kibotos e Iconio; el troceo imprime el número de libro como *Vlll*
«At Apamea the local hill claimed to be Mount Ararat, where the ark came to rest.» — Dalley consigna la reclamación local de Apamea: su colina sería el monte Ararat donde encalló el arca
«All these flood stories may be explained as deriving from the one Mesopotamian original, used in travellers' tales for over two thousand years, along the great caravan routes of Western Asia: translated, embroidered, and adapted according to local tastes to give a myriad of divergent versions, a few of which have come down to us.» — Dalley propone, con el *may* dentro, una sola derivación mesopotámica difundida dos mil años por las rutas de caravanas de Asia occidental, traducida, bordada y adaptada al gusto local
«However, the possibility of several independent origins cannot be dismissed, for the idea of a universal flood may well have arisen to explain observations in different places of marine fossils in rocks high above sea level.» — Dalley no cierra la alternativa: varios orígenes independientes caben, porque la idea de un diluvio universal pudo surgir para explicar los fósiles marinos en rocas muy por encima del nivel del mar
«At a time when there was no conception of how geological change took place, nor of how vast was the time-scale of evolution, moreover when the creation of man was generally supposed to have accompanied the creation of the earth in its present form, an enormous flood which man by chance survived would be the only way to account for the presence of such marine fossils, and may have been thought up by more than one inquiring mind.» — Dalley cierra el argumento: sin noción del cambio geológico ni de la escala del tiempo, un diluvio enorme sería el único modo de dar cuenta de esos fósiles, y pudo ocurrírsele a más de una mente
«In Phrygia, where the hero is named on coins as Noah, the tale may have become popular when Jews settled there, and may have been attached at a later date to heroes of much greater antiquity.» — Dalley data la popularidad frigia del relato por el asentamiento judío y la ve pegada más tarde a héroes mucho más antiguos
«Where Flood stories are found in other parts of the world, missionaries and early Christian travellers may have disseminated them; there is no reason to suppose that they are indigenous.» — Dalley niega que los relatos de diluvio del resto del mundo sean necesariamente autóctonos: pudieron difundirlos misioneros y viajeros cristianos tempranos
«When the gods created the first, primeval male and female human beings, they did not allot a life-span for them. This meant that everyone remained alive for centuries, continuing to reproduce until the earth was overcrowded.» — Dalley expone el nudo de Atrahasis: al crear a la primera pareja humana los dioses no le asignaron duración de vida, y todos seguían vivos y reproduciéndose hasta abarrotar la tierra
«People died only when the gods were forced to relieve the pressure by sending, intermittently, plague, famine, or flood.» — Dalley sigue: solo se moría cuando los dioses aliviaban la presión mandando peste, hambre o diluvio de manera intermitente
«Scholars now agree that damaged text near the end of the Epic refers to the gods' decision to institute death as a normal end to human life; the restoration is supported by a newly discovered piece of Sumerian text.» — Dalley declara el consenso sobre el texto dañado del final de la epopeya: registra la decisión de los dioses de instituir la muerte como final normal de la vida humana, restitución apoyada por un fragmento sumerio recién hallado
«This late decision rectified the mistake the gods made in the initial creation of man. In OBV Gilgamesh Siduri refers to this decision. The gods also decided to prevent some people breeding, and to institute infant and child mortality.» — Dalley lee esa decisión tardía como rectificación del error inicial de los dioses, y añade las otras dos medidas: impedir que algunos procreen e instituir la mortalidad infantil
«Although the Flood story was known at Ugarit in Syria and Bogazkoy in central Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age, it may not have survived the Dark Ages in that area, and so may be a late» — Dalley propone que el relato del Diluvio no sobreviviera a las Edades Oscuras en Siria y Anatolia; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana con la palabra partida a fin de renglón
«comer into Greek mythology, for it is not mentioned by Homer or Hesiod.» — continuación: llegaría tarde a la mitología griega, con la prueba negativa de que ni Homero ni Hesíodo lo mencionan. El impreso parte *latecomer* entre las dos planas y el verbatim arranca en la segunda mitad
«When a speech in the translations breaks off because of a gap in the tablet, inverted commas are not closed so as not to imply the precise point at which the speech ends. Indentation shows, when the text resumes after a gap, whether the speech is thought to continue. The original texts have no punctuation, and since it is not always clear when a speech begins or ends even in a perfectly preserved text, the translator occasionally has to make an arbitrary decision.» — Dalley declara en las notas a Atrahasis una convención que rige todo el volumen: cuando un parlamento se corta por laguna, las comillas no se cierran, y la sangría indica si el discurso continúa tras el hueco
«Words and phrases which require detailed philological argument have not been discussed: oversimplification from a scholarly point of view is inevitably the result. These remarks apply to all translations in this book.» — Dalley declara el costo de la decisión editorial: lo que exige argumento filológico detallado queda fuera, y la simplificación excesiva es inevitable desde el punto de vista erudito
«The meaning of this line is disputed. The translation in the original edition as 'When the gods like men' was justified by a supposed grammatical comparison with a line in II. ii, which is invalid; but it finds support in a recension of the» — Dalley consigna la disputa sobre el primer verso del poema y enmienda su propia traducción anterior: la comparación gramatical que justificaba la lectura anterior, *When the gods like men*, no es válida, aunque una recensión mil años posterior la apoya
«Land was divided for inheritance among sons in ancient Mesopotamia by casting lots. Burkert 1983,53 has pointed out similarities with Iliad, XV. 187- 193, Poseidon's speech to Iris telling how the earth was originally divided by lot into three domains.» — la nota 4 de Dalley enlaza el sorteo del poema con la práctica mesopotámica de repartir la herencia entre los hijos por suertes, y recoge de Burkert el paralelo del discurso de Poseidón a Iris en la Ilíada
«This common formulaic phrase says literally 'made/did his mouth', commonly translated 'opened his mouth'. However, it is clear from related phrases in the Epic of Creation and Anzu (see note 23 to Anzu) that the verb implies 'to utter', never 'to open', and 'mouth' has an extended meaning 'speech', attested in various contexts. The Akkadian phrase is alliterative» — la nota 7 de Dalley enmienda la traducción habitual de la fórmula de apertura de parlamento: el verbo implica proferir y nunca abrir, y *boca* tiene el sentido extendido de discurso
«Perhaps a play on the words efemmu 'ghost' and (emu 'intelligence'.» — la nota 11 de Dalley apunta un posible retruécano entre fantasma e inteligencia en la receta de la creación del hombre; el troceo imprime *efemmu* y *(emu* por etemmu y temu
«Moran 1970 translates: 'Let her inform him while alive of his token, And so that there be no forgetting, the ghost shall remain.' The meaning of the lines is ambiguous.» — la nota 12 de Dalley pone al lado la traducción de Moran para esos mismos versos y declara ambiguo el sentido, sin arbitrar entre las dos
«Wording identical to these four lines occurs in Anzu, I. iii.» — la nota 13 de Dalley señala que cuatro versos de Atrahasis se repiten idénticos en Anzu
«The brick may symbolize the prototype of man's creative ability. One of the names of the mother goddess Belet-ili is 'lapis lazuli brick', and it may be relevant that the bun-shaped 'plano-convex' brick used in early dynastic Mesopotamia resembles the bulge of pregnancy and was widely used for building despite its inappropriate shape. See Woolley/Moorey 1982,45-6. There is no evidence to support the suggestion (Lambert and Millard 1969, 153) that a brick structure used as a birth stool is intended.» — la nota 15 de Dalley propone el ladrillo como prototipo de la capacidad creadora del hombre y objeta la sugerencia de Lambert y Millard de que se trate de un asiento de parto, por falta de evidencia; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido, que dispara por los años de las referencias
«Six hundred years is a round number in the sexagesimal system used by the ancient Mesopotamians. As a numerical unit, 6oo was the simple noun neru in Akkadian. Repetition of a number seems to occur as a literary device, e.g. in Gilgamesh, VI. ii. 'you dug seven and seven pits for him', or XI. 'arranged the jars seven and seven'» — la nota 22 de Dalley explica el seiscientos del poema como número redondo del sistema sexagesimal y lee la repetición de cifras como recurso literario
«Probably refers to the concept which was prevalent in Mesopotamia of a personal god and goddess for each person.» — la nota 24 de Dalley glosa el *tus dioses* del poema por el concepto mesopotámico de un dios y una diosa personales para cada persona
«'Hand (of a god)' is a common Akkadian expression for a disease.» — la nota 25 de Dalley traduce la expresión que el poema repite: la mano de un dios es en acadio una manera corriente de decir enfermedad
«The structure of Tablet II is difficult to see. OBV and SBV may diverge, and the point at which they overlap is uncertain. Particularly mystifying is the repeated description of six years of famine in SBV v. and vi.» — la nota 26 de Dalley declara el muro del propio texto: la estructura de la tablilla II es difícil de ver, las dos versiones divergen y el punto en que se solapan es incierto, con la repetición de los seis años de hambre como lo más desconcertante
«These lines refer to salination, the crystallization of salts on the topsoil when drainage of irrigation water is inadequate.» — la nota 30 de Dalley lee el campo blanqueado del poema como salinización por drenaje insuficiente del agua de riego
«Note the literary strategem which defies literal chronology by featuring Atrahasis as the same mortal in recurrent crises 6oo years apart.» — la nota 32 de Dalley señala el artificio que desafía la cronología literal: Atrahasis figura como el mismo mortal en crisis separadas por seiscientos años
«The symbolism of the flies is not certain. According to Parpola :1983, 3:16, fly-shaped beads were used in self-flagellation by devotees of Ishtar to induce ecstasy, but he quotes no evidence. Kilmer 1987 takes them as symbolic of death and of bravery in battle. A text fragment included in Campbell Thompson 1930, plate 59, says that all the gods of Uruk turned into flies when they abandoned Uruk, so possibly there is an allusion in this passage to a previous event when the gods abandoned mankind.» — la nota 42 de Dalley declara incierto el simbolismo de las moscas y pone tres lecturas al lado sin arbitrar: cuentas con forma de mosca para la flagelación de las devotas de Ishtar, símbolo de muerte y de valor en batalla, y los dioses de Uruk vueltos moscas al abandonar la ciudad; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«The word used for 'boat' here, makurru, implies a large cargo vessel shaped like the gibbous moon.» — la nota 43 de Dalley precisa qué clase de nave nombra el poema: *makurru*, un carguero grande con forma de luna gibosa
«At this juncture the gods replaced lullu, primeval man who had no natural life-span, with mortal man. Therefore the Flood marks the transition from primeval men who lived for centuries, to men whose lives decline in old age, as now.» — la nota 44 de Dalley fija lo que el Diluvio significa en el relato: los dioses reemplazan al hombre primigenio sin duración de vida por el hombre mortal, y el Diluvio marca el paso de vivir siglos a envejecer
«These are classes of female devotees attached to temples who were not usually allowed to bear children.» — la nota 45 de Dalley identifica a las tres clases de mujeres consagradas del final del poema: adscritas a templos y no autorizadas por lo común a tener hijos
«This type of line is often found at the start of oral narrative: cf. Gilgamesh, Anzu, and Erra and lshum.» — la nota 46 de Dalley señala el verso final como fórmula de apertura de narrativa oral, con los mismos ejemplos que reaparecen en el volumen
«Brief colophons also exist for the first and second tablets of Atrahasis. Elsewhere in this volume the translator has selected colophons arbitrarily, particularly if they are well preserved and interesting, in order to illustrate the kinds of information which they can provide.» — la nota 47 de Dalley declara el criterio con que el volumen reproduce colofones: la traductora los seleccionó arbitrariamente, sobre todo si estaban bien conservados y eran interesantes
«The Epic of Gilgamesh is the longest and greatest literary composition written in cuneiform Akkadian. It narrates a heroic quest for fame and immortality, pursued by a man who has an enormous capacity for friendship, for endurance and adventure, for joy and sorrow, a man of strength and weakness who loses a unique opportunity through a moment's carelessness.» — Dalley abre la introducción al Gilgamesh dando la obra por la composición literaria más larga y mayor escrita en acadio cuneiforme, y resume su asunto: la búsqueda heroica de fama e inmortalidad de un hombre que pierde una ocasión única por un descuido de un instante
«Our interest lies not only in the story and its characters, but also in the unique opportunity the epic provides for tracing earlier, independent folk-tales which were combined in the creation of the whole work, and we can see how the whole work in written form never became fossilized, but was constantly altered through contact with a continuing oral narrative tradition.» — Dalley declara el interés doble del texto: rastrear los cuentos independientes anteriores que se combinaron en la obra, y ver que la obra escrita nunca se fosilizó sino que cambió por contacto con una tradición oral viva
«It is particularly difficult for the modern student of Gilgamesh to come to grips with the subject, for no new edition of the epic has appeared for half a century. In that time many new fragments of the epic have been discovered on a variety of archaeological sites and in museums, and our understanding of the historical background has improved very considerably.» — Dalley declara el muro de la erudición actual: no hay edición nueva del poema desde hace medio siglo, mientras han aparecido muchos fragmentos nuevos
«But the new information has made it increasingly apparent that we cannot often use one fragment to restore another, because each period and area had its own version of the story, so we cannot simply reconstruct a master version with variants in the way that Hebrew and Classical texts can be edited, and a new fragment may perplex us rather than elucidating an old problem.» — Dalley enuncia por qué no cabe reconstruir una versión maestra con variantes como se editan los textos hebreos y clásicos: cada periodo y cada área tuvo su versión, y un fragmento nuevo puede desconcertar más que aclarar
«In fact, the more text fragments come to light, the harder it becomes to produce one coherent edition.» — Dalley cierra esa idea con su forma más aguda: cuantos más fragmentos aparecen, más difícil resulta producir una edición coherente
«The work is classed as an epic because it features the heroic exploits of a dimly historical figure with, on the sidelines, gods and goddesses who sometimes take a part in the action, and occasionally direct mortal affairs; nevertheless, we gain an overall impression of the free will of man which can fashion its own destiny and occasionally thwart the wishes of heaven.» — Dalley razona la clasificación del poema como epopeya y pone dentro la impresión que la matiza: se desprende del conjunto el libre albedrío del hombre, capaz de labrar su destino y de frustrar a veces los deseos del cielo
«There is no suggestion anywhere that the epic was performed or recited as part of a ceremony or ritual.» — Dalley consigna una negativa: nada indica en ninguna parte que la epopeya se representara o recitara como parte de una ceremonia o de un rito
«We now know for certain that Gilgamesh was considered in antiquity to be a historical character. For a long time it was not clear whether the earlier parts of the Sumerian king list, in which superhuman lengths of reign were attributed to all rulers, were entirely fictional or mythical. Historical inscriptions of a king of Kish, Enmebaragesi, who belongs to the same era, have now come to light.» — Dalley declara lo que sí se sabe con certeza: que en la antigüedad se tuvo a Gilgamesh por personaje histórico, y remite a las inscripciones de Enmebaragesi, rey de Kish de la misma era
«There are two different traditions concerning the parentage of Gilgamesh. The epic itself says that one Lugalbanda was his father, a man who is known from the Sumerian king list to have occupied the throne of Uruk two kings before Gilgamesh and to have been a shepherd» — Dalley abre las dos tradiciones sobre la paternidad de Gilgamesh: la epopeya dice que su padre fue Lugalbanda, dos reyes antes que él en Uruk y pastor según la lista real
«In spite of extensive and thorough excavations at Uruk, no contemporary inscriptions are yet known for Gilgamesh or for Lugalbanda. Precise dates cannot be given for the lifetime of Gilgamesh, but they are generally agreed to lie between z8oo and 2500 Be.» — Dalley consigna la negativa arqueológica y lo que se deja decir pese a ella: pese a excavaciones extensas en Uruk no hay inscripciones contemporáneas de Gilgamesh ni de Lugalbanda, y las fechas solo se acuerdan por aproximación. El OCR imprime *z8oo* por 2800
«Another tradition of parentage for Gilgamesh comes, curiously enough, from the king list itself, which mentions parenthetically that the father of Gilgamesh was a lillu (a man with demonic qualities), and a high priest of Kullab, which is a part of Uruk.» — la segunda tradición, que la propia lista real trae entre paréntesis: el padre de Gilgamesh era un *lillu*, hombre de cualidades demoníacas, y sumo sacerdote de Kullab
«We could, of course, try to reconcile the two traditions by claiming that Lugalbanda must have started life as a lillu-man who became a priest at Kullab before he became king of Uruk, but other discrepancies in the epic which cannot be reconciled show two quite different traditions at work.» — Dalley se niega a armonizar las dos tradiciones: la conciliación sería posible, pero otras discrepancias irreconciliables de la epopeya muestran dos tradiciones distintas trabajando
«Possibly Gilgamesh conquered Uruk as an outsider, and then 'adopted' as his father a famous ruler of the usurped dynasty. Subsequent usurpers in ancient Mesopotamia often acted in this way.» — Dalley propone, con la reserva dentro, que Gilgamesh conquistara Uruk como forastero y adoptara luego como padre a un gobernante famoso de la dinastía usurpada
«Tablets dating not long after Gilgamesh's probable lifetime show that he was regarded as a god in Mesopotamia.» — Dalley consigna que tablillas poco posteriores a su tiempo probable lo tratan ya como dios
«The city originally consisted of two separate towns on either side, probably, of a canal. In one town the chief, patron deity was the sky god An (or Anu); in the other it was Inanna (Ishtar) the goddess of love and war.» — Dalley describe Uruk como dos poblaciones separadas, cada una con su deidad patrona: An el dios del cielo en una e Inanna, la diosa del amor y de la guerra, en la otra
«According to traditions that emanate from Uruk, as does this epic, Inanna was the daughter of An, and the great temple which she inhabited was called Eanna, which could be translated as 'House of An (or, the sky)'. So there is a close connection between the two deities, and together they play a part at a crucial moment in the epic.» — Dalley enlaza las dos deidades por la tradición local: Inanna hija de An, y el templo Eanna traducible como casa de An o del cielo
«But this fact cannot be connected with the epic as written literature, for there is no evidence that any of the Gilgamesh stories were written down before about 2150 sc.» — Dalley pone el límite a la antigüedad de la escritura de estos relatos: la literacidad temprana de Uruk y de Shuruppak no se puede enlazar con la epopeya escrita, porque no hay evidencia de que se pusieran por escrito antes de hacia 2150
«The so-called 'Gilgamesh figure', a hero shown grappling masterfully with wild animals on cylinder seals and sculptures, is attested much earlier than any of the written Gilgamesh stories, earlier even than the putative existence of the hero as king of Uruk.» — Dalley separa la iconografía del texto: la llamada figura de Gilgamesh, el héroe que domina fieras en sellos y esculturas, se atestigua mucho antes que cualquier relato escrito y que la existencia misma del héroe como rey
«Perhaps at times this powerful, traditional image was associated with Gilgamesh, but other associations, for instance with Nergal, Enkidu, or Shakkan, were probably also valid at different periods of extreme antiquity in Mesopotamia.» — Dalley consigna la asociación de esa imagen con Gilgamesh como posible entre otras igualmente válidas, con Nergal, Enkidu o Shakkan
«Around 2150 sc, there existed in written form three groups of stories about kings of Uruk. One group featured the exploits of Enmerkar, who was perhaps the grandfather of Gilgamesh. Another group featured the exploits of Lugalbanda, and a third group featured Gilgamesh.» — Dalley sitúa hacia 2150 los tres grupos de relatos escritos sobre reyes de Uruk: Enmerkar, Lugalbanda y Gilgamesh
«they were all written in Sumerian, and some of them showed the background influence of 'contest' literature, a form of entertainment in which opposing points of view are aired, whether the merits of two deities, two people, two different animals, or two metals, for example. Such verbal contests were popular at royal courts even in medieval times, and can be found among the Arabian Nights.» — Dalley describe la literatura de *contest* que se transparenta en esos relatos cortos: se airean dos puntos de vista opuestos, de dos deidades, dos personas, dos animales o dos metales
«Until quite recently, it was supposed that Sumerian was the indigenous, spoken language of Ur and Uruk at that time, but we now think that this may not have been the case; it has even been suggested that Gilgamesh himself would have spoken in Akkadian, not Sumerian.» — Dalley consigna el cambio de opinión sobre la lengua hablada en Ur y Uruk y recoge la sugerencia, sin hacerla suya, de que el propio Gilgamesh hablara acadio y no sumerio
«Many problems concerned with the Sumerian language have yet to be solved, but it should be noted that we do not possess any evidence for groups of Sumerian stories about kings of cities other than Uruk.» — Dalley declara la negativa que sí se puede sostener: no hay evidencia de grupos de relatos sumerios sobre reyes de ciudades que no sean Uruk
«The great king Shulgi, who ruled Ur from c.2150 to 2103 BC, as the second king of the third dynasty, took a keen interest in the Gilgamesh stories. He claimed that Ninsun was his own mother, and that Gilgamesh was thus his brother. His reign was a time of innovative composition, and many Sumerian hymns were written about Shulgi, who was regarded as a god during his own lifetime.» — Dalley registra el interés del rey Shulgi por los relatos de Gilgamesh y su reclamación de parentesco: decía que Ninsun era su madre y Gilgamesh su hermano
«The specific purpose for which it was composed is a difficult question, but the general» — Dalley declara cuestión difícil el propósito específico de la composición; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«purpose for which the epic and its constituent stories existed in oral form is very probably entertainment, whether in royal courts, in private houses, around the camp-fires of desert caravans, or on the long sea voyages between the Indus and the head of the Arabian Gulf.» — continuación: el propósito general de la epopeya y de sus relatos en forma oral es muy probablemente el entretenimiento, en cortes reales, en casas particulares, en torno a las hogueras de las caravanas del desierto o en las travesías largas entre el Indo y el golfo Arábigo
«The mother of Gilgamesh plays a part in the early episodes of the epic; she is Ninsun, the goddess Lady Wild Cow, from whom he» — Dalley presenta a la madre del héroe, Ninsun, la diosa Señora Vaca Salvaje; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«inherited divinity as two-thirds of his nature.» — continuación: de ella heredó Gilgamesh la divinidad que hace dos tercios de su naturaleza
«Some of the Sumerian tales about Gilgamesh were incorporated, with considerable changes, into the Akkadian epic, but at least one was not.» — Dalley declara la relación de los relatos sumerios con la epopeya acadia: algunos se incorporaron con cambios considerables y al menos uno no. El impreso parte *incorporated* a fin de renglón
«A part of the story was used in Tablet XII of the Akkadian epic, some time after the epic had been composed as an essentially eleven-tablet composition. In the process of adaptation, the story was changed enough that we cannot regard all of it as a direct translation, but should perhaps consider that a different version of the story, not yet attested in Sumerian sources, was used.» — Dalley acota el caso de Gilgamesh y el árbol *halub*: la tablilla XII usa parte del relato, pero la adaptación cambió tanto que no cabe tenerla por traducción directa
«The Sumerian version of the story seems to be set in the Zagros mountains on the border of Elam (south-west Iran) to the east of Mesopotamia, but the Akkadian versions say distinctly that the location was Lebanon, west of Mesopotamia.» — Dalley pone frente a frente las dos localizaciones del bosque: los Zagros en la versión sumeria y el Líbano en las acadias
«There is no way in which we can reconcile the two sources; instead, they should be considered as variant versions of the same story which a flourishing oral tradition was continually changing in order to fit in with local interests and relate to the experience of particular audiences.» — Dalley se niega a armonizar: no hay manera de conciliar las dos fuentes, y la salida es tenerlas por versiones variantes que una tradición oral viva iba cambiando según el interés local
«The Sumerian story is very fragmentary, but shows the theme of a man's quest for immortality which is denied by the gods.» — Dalley señala en la Muerte de Gilgamesh sumeria el tema que recorre toda la epopeya acadia: la búsqueda de inmortalidad que los dioses niegan
«Both in content and in structure, the story resembles a composition known as The Death of Ur-Nammu (ruler of Ur 2168-21y1 sc), a liturgical hymn recited in honour of the deceased monarch.» — Dalley empareja ese relato con la Muerte de Ur-Nammu, himno litúrgico recitado en honor del monarca muerto
«This story seems to have been an independent tale in Sumerian. It was used not only as an episode in the final version of this epic, but was also incorporated, perhaps more effectively, into Atrahasis, as one method by which the gods tried to reduce overpopulation.» — Dalley declara el Diluvio relato independiente en sumerio, usado como episodio en esta epopeya y, quizá con más eficacia, dentro de Atrahasis
«It had no connection originally with Uruk or with Gilgamesh, and may not have been included in the Old Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The hero is a man of Shuruppak, a city not far from Uruk.» — Dalley consigna que el Diluvio no tenía enlace original con Uruk ni con Gilgamesh y pudo faltar en la versión paleobabilonia de la epopeya
«The Flood story in two of its versions contains conflicting geographical detail: the Sumerian version says that Ziusudra ended up on the island of Dilmun (Bahrain) in the Gulf, but the Akkadian story says that Ut-napishtim ended up at 'The mouth of the rivers'.» — Dalley pone frente a frente el detalle geográfico discordante: Ziusudra acaba en Dilmun según la versión sumeria y Ut-napishtim en la boca de los ríos según la acadia
«The Akkadian version names Mount Nimush, the Greek source of Berossus names Armenia, and Genesis names Mount Ararat.» — Dalley alinea los tres nombres del monte del arca sin arbitrar: Nimush en acadio, Armenia en Beroso y Ararat en el Génesis
«In any case, the two mountains which are named, Ararat in Genesis and Nimush in Akkadian Gilgamesh, are definitely different places.» — Dalley fija el resultado de ese cotejo: Ararat y Nimush son lugares definitivamente distintos
«The story continued to exist independently after some of its opening lines were incorporated into Gilgamesh, VII.» — Dalley consigna que el Descenso de Inanna siguió existiendo por su cuenta después de que algunos de sus versos iniciales entraran en la tablilla VII del Gilgamesh
«It has no original connection either with Uruk or with the hero Gilgamesh.» — Dalley niega también para el Descenso todo enlace original con Uruk o con Gilgamesh
«Gilgamesh and Agga is a Sumerian tale of confrontation between the hero and his contemporary Agga, who was king of Kish, to the north of Uruk. It was not used in any way in the Akkadian epic.» — Dalley cierra la lista de relatos sumerios con el único que la epopeya acadia no usó de ningún modo
«Seldom indeed do extant fragments of different versions cover the same episodes.» — Dalley declara el muro material del estudio: rara vez los fragmentos conservados de versiones distintas cubren los mismos episodios
«Some tablets were written by schoolboys whose muddles and omissions reveal their immaturity and, perhaps, the speed of dictation, rather than true textual variation.» — Dalley distingue lo que parece variante de lo que es error de aprendiz: enredos y omisiones de escolares que delatan inmadurez y quizá la prisa del dictado
«The Sumerian stories are now thought to be separate entities rather than forming a single epic, although it is possible that they were sometimes narrated as one series of tales. They were popular in the early second millennium but are almost certainly earlier.» — Dalley consigna el cambio de opinión sobre los relatos sumerios: entidades separadas más que una epopeya única, aunque quizá se narraran a veces como serie
«They may have formed a single, integrated epic, but this is uncertain; they definitely lacked the prologue and may have lacked the Flood story.» — Dalley acota lo que se puede decir de las tablillas paleobabilonias: quizá formaran una epopeya integrada, pero es incierto, y les faltaba con certeza el prólogo
«The standard version is the best known, mainly from tablets found at Nineveh which include more than one copy of the work (each with different arrangements of tablets and columns).» — Dalley sitúa la versión estándar en las tablillas de Nínive, con más de una copia y disposiciones distintas de tablillas y columnas
«The standard version uses and adapts some known Sumerian stories as well as others for which written forerunners are not known, such as Enkidu's seduction by Shamhat, and the aetiological story which tells why snakes shed their old skins. But it also contains other material, particularly in the first part of the epic, which may never have existed independently.» — Dalley declara que la versión estándar usa relatos sumerios conocidos y otros sin antecedente escrito, y añade material que quizá nunca existiera por separado
«With considerable skill a single work is created out of diverse elements. The methods used to stitch the pieces together are several.» — Dalley enuncia la operación que la versión estándar realiza y anuncia los cuatro procedimientos de costura que enumera a continuación
«First, the hero Gilgamesh is present almost the entire time, although sometimes as the silent audience to another man's tale. Second, the theme of searching for fame early in the story develops into a quest for immortality in the latter part.» — los dos primeros procedimientos: la presencia casi continua del héroe, a veces como oyente callado del relato de otro, y el tema de la fama que se vuelve búsqueda de inmortalidad
«Third, the main eleven tablets are introduced by a prologue which is repeated as an epilogue at the end. Fourth, the three dreams of Gilgamesh in Tablet IV and of Enkidu in Tablet VII are probably used to heighten tension, perhaps using wilful misinterpretation that would have been recognized as such by an audience that foresaw the approach of disaster and death.» — los procedimientos tercero y cuarto: el prólogo repetido como epílogo, y los tres sueños de Gilgamesh y de Enkidu como tensión, quizá con una malinterpretación deliberada que el público reconocería
«Set phrases, in particular the formulaic introduction to direct speech, also give a certain cohesion, although they are not quite standardized throughout the epic and help to betray its composite nature.» — Dalley señala que las frases fijas dan cohesión y a la vez delatan la naturaleza compuesta del poema, porque no están del todo estandarizadas
«Huwawa (Humbaba) was a monster who» — Dalley presenta al guardián del bosque de pinos con sus dos nombres; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«guarded the pine forest. His face resembled coiled intestines, and he possessed killer rays.» — continuación: rostro como intestinos enroscados y rayos que matan
«Bahrain lies some 300 miles from the delta where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow into the sea, but we can reconcile the accounts by using a belief known from Arab» — Dalley mide la distancia entre Bahréin y el delta y anuncia la conciliación de las dos versiones por una creencia de tradición árabe; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«tradition : that the Tigris and Euphrates flow beneath the sea and then surface in Bahrain and Failake, bringing their water to islands which are famed for their miraculous supply of sweet water.» — continuación: el Tigris y el Éufrates correrían bajo el mar para aflorar en Bahréin y Failaka, islas famosas por su provisión milagrosa de agua dulce
«Another problem in the story concerns the location of the mountain on which the ark eventually came to rest. No mountain is named in the Sumerian version» — Dalley plantea el segundo problema del relato del Diluvio y consigna que la versión sumeria no nombra montaña. El impreso parte *mountain* a fin de renglón
«in spite of gaps in the text, it looks as if the sun comes out and dries up the water and the ark does not come to rest on anything but the emerging flat» — continuación, con la reserva dentro: pese a las lagunas parece que el sol sale, seca el agua y el arca no encalla más que en la tierra llana que emerge
«Now, Mount Nimush is elsewhere attested in the annals of the Assyrian king Assurna?irpal II in the tenth century BC, in a region that could just be described as southern Armenia, but definitely not as far north as Mount Ararat.» — Dalley localiza el monte Nimush por los anales de Asurnasirpal II en una región que podría llamarse Armenia meridional, pero de ningún modo tan al norte como el Ararat; el troceo imprime *Assurna?irpal*
«The version with Mount Nimush may be no earlier than the date of the seventhcentury text in which alone it is attested, or it could have been inspired by Assurnasirpal's famous campaign, or it could be earlier still.» — Dalley deja abiertas las tres dataciones posibles de la versión con el monte Nimush sin escoger entre ellas. El impreso parte *seventh-century* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«The widest geographical spread of tablets occurs in the mid- to late second millennium, but all the evidence is extremely fragmentary : an Akkadian tablet from Megiddo in Palestine, one from Emar on the Middle Euphrates (south of Carchemish), and versions in the Akkadian, Hittite, and Hurrian languages found at Hattusas, the Hittite capital in northern Anatolia.» — Dalley mide la dispersión geográfica mayor de las tablillas en el segundo milenio medio y tardío: Megido, Emar y las versiones acadia, hitita y hurrita de Hattusas
«The palace library at Nineveh was begun by Sennacherib and completed by Assurbanipal in the first half of the seventh century BC, but there was also a library in the temple of Nabu the god of writing, and some tablets from Nimrud may have been incorporated into the Nineveh collection, since the excavator, Sir Henry Austin Layard, thought that Nimrud was a part of Nineveh.» — Dalley traza la historia de la biblioteca ninivita y la confusión heredada: Layard tomaba Nimrud por parte de Nínive, y algunas tablillas de allí pudieron entrar en la colección
«Cuneiform tablets found at Ugarit and at Hattusas show that the training of scribes in cities outside the control of Babylon or of Assyria was by no means a standard one. Each court may have used local, existing written or oral material for its own purposes, adapting it to its needs.» — Dalley lee las tablillas de Ugarit y Hattusas como prueba de que la formación de escribas fuera del control de Babilonia o Asiria no era ni de lejos uniforme
«This is quite distinct from principles of scholarly scribal tradition within one particular kingdom or empire, which demanded that temple tablets be copied with scrupulous accuracy for a new library, as one of the prerogatives of conquest.» — Dalley distingue esa práctica local de la tradición escribal erudita dentro de un reino, que exigía copiar las tablillas del templo con exactitud escrupulosa para una biblioteca nueva
«Mesopotamian tradition ascribed the authorship of the seventhcentury version found at Nineveh to one Sin-leqe-unnini, a master scribe and incantation-priest of the Kassite period, and it seems on the whole acceptable to treat this tradition without undue suspicion.» — Dalley consigna la única atribución de autoría que la epopeya recibe, y la deja como tradición: la tradición mesopotámica adjudicaba la versión de Nínive a Sin-leqe-unnini, escriba maestro y sacerdote de encantamientos del periodo casita, y a ella le parece aceptable en conjunto tratarla sin sospecha indebida. El impreso parte *seventh-century* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«But we shall probably never know to what extent he took a ready-formed oral narrative and just divided the text up into eleven tablets.» — Dalley acota esa atribución en la frase siguiente: nunca se sabrá probablemente hasta qué punto ese escriba tomó una narración oral ya formada y solo la repartió en once tablillas
«It is recognized increasingly that a surge of literary invention, collection, and recording in Mesopotamia took place under the Kassite kings of the mid-second millennium, and that libraries were collected together in subsequent periods by copying from originals dating to that time and largely preserved in the temple libraries of Ur, Uruk, Sippar (the sun god's temple recently excavated with its library intact by Iraqi archaeologists), Nippur, and Babylon.» — Dalley sitúa bajo los reyes casitas el estallido de invención, recogida y registro literario del que las bibliotecas posteriores copiaron
«Tablet XII, which describes Enkidu's visit to the Underworld, was appended after the prologue and epilogue had been added, perhaps during the seventh or late eighth centuries, for reasons which are still not clear.» — Dalley declara la tablilla XII añadido posterior al prólogo y al epílogo, por razones que siguen sin estar claras
«The Odyssey of Homer includes as a late addition a story about a man's direct contact with the Underworld, and it is possible that the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the Odyssey shared in part a common background.» — Dalley propone, con el *possible* dentro, un fondo común parcial entre el Gilgamesh, la Ilíada y la Odisea, apoyándose en que la Odisea también añade tarde un contacto directo con el inframundo
«This suggestion arises partly from the fact that echoes of stories from both the Greek and the Akkadian compositions are found in the Arabian Nights. The Tale of Buluqiya bears resemblances to the Epic of Gilgamesh which are too close to be dismissed as coincidental.» — Dalley funda esa propuesta en los ecos de las dos literaturas dentro de las Mil y una noches, y da los parecidos del Cuento de Buluqiya con el Gilgamesh por demasiado estrechos para descartarlos como coincidencia
«These fragments do not reveal whether substantially different versions were current in written» — Dalley declara lo que esos fragmentos no dejan saber sobre las versiones escritas; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«form nor whether the prologue or the Flood story had yet been incorporated.» — continuación: tampoco dejan saber si el prólogo o el relato del Diluvio ya se habían incorporado
«A small amount of a late version from Uruk, possibly as late as the Seleucid period, mainly covers an episode which is not yet extant in the standard version, so it is uncertain to what extent the Akkadian epic remained unchanged in its written form after» — Dalley describe el poco texto conservado de una versión tardía de Uruk, quizá seléucida, que cubre un episodio aún ausente de la versión estándar; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC.» — continuación: la incertidumbre llega hasta la caída de Nínive en 612 a. C.
«young king Buluqiya (whose name may be a hypocoristic form of Sumerian or Hurrian Bilgamesh) sets out with a bosom friend to search for immortality, to obtain Solomon's ring (which replaces the Humbaba episode). His friend dies an untimely death at the moment when success is within their reach.» — Dalley traza el paralelo de Buluqiya con el Gilgamesh: sale con un amigo del alma a buscar la inmortalidad, y el amigo muere a destiempo justo cuando el éxito está al alcance
«Buluqiya's subsequent travels lead him through a subterranean passage (cf. Gilgamesh, IX. v.), reaching a kingdom where the trees have emerald leaves and ruby fruit (d. IX. v. ), and meeting a far-distant king Sakhr who has obtained immortality in a way that is impossible now for Buluqiya, by drinking from the Fountain of Life which is guarded by Al-Khiqr (the Islamic sage for whom Atrahasis has long been recognized as forerunner). King Sakhr expounds to Buluqiya the early history of the world (cf. XI. 1o-197), and then Buluqiya is spirited straight back home. The story is used to foretell the coming of Mohammed.» — Dalley enumera los puntos de contacto siguientes: el pasaje subterráneo, el reino de árboles con hojas de esmeralda y fruto de rubí, el rey Sakhr inmortal por la Fuente de la Vida y el relato de la historia temprana del mundo; el troceo imprime *Al-Khiqr* y *d.* por cf.
«The story of Odysseus and Calypso in Odyssey, V is recognized to have some close resemblances to the episode of Gilgamesh and Siduri: the lone female plies the inconsolable hero-wanderer with drink and sends him off to a place beyond the sea reserved for a special class of honoured people. To prepare for the voyage he has to cut down and trim timbers. Atrahasis at the mouth of the rivers is replaced by Alkinoos and the blessed isle of the Phaeacians, kinsmen of the gods.» — Dalley alinea el episodio de Odiseo y Calipso con el de Gilgamesh y Siduri: la mujer sola que da de beber al héroe errante inconsolable y lo despacha a un lugar de ultramar reservado a una clase de honrados
«Two of the stories of Sin bad the Sailor bear close resemblances to tales in the Odyssey. The third voyage of Sinbad is in essence that of the Cyclops, a giant who lives on an island and eats captive sailors one by one until Sinbad blinds him with a red-hot iron, whereupon the remnant escapes as the blinded giant gropes around enraged. He hurls a rock into the sea and drowns all but two of the sailors. The fourth voyage of Sinbad can be compared with the Circe story: the sailors, captured on an island, are tempted into gluttony by magic food and driven out to the meadows like cattle by a herdsman. Only Sin bad, like Odysseus, resists temptation.» — Dalley empareja el tercer y el cuarto viaje de Simbad con el Cíclope y con Circe; el troceo imprime *Sin bad* partido
«These points of contact between stories of Gilgamesh, of Odysseus, and of Sinbad and Buluqiya in the Arabian Nights show clearly that traditional tales were reused and adapted for different ethnic and geographical settings by ancient and medieval story-tellers, by Semites and by Greeks.» — Dalley concluye de esos contactos que los cuentos tradicionales se reusaban y adaptaban a escenarios étnicos y geográficos distintos, por narradores antiguos y medievales, semitas y griegos
«Under such conditions of transmission, it is no surprise to find that different versions of a favourite story contain a variety of details that cannot and should not be reconciled on the theory of a single ancestry.» — Dalley extrae de esas condiciones la regla que aplica en todo el volumen: las variantes de detalle entre versiones no pueden ni deben conciliarse bajo la teoría de un antepasado único
«Instead, we may interpret different versions as displaying an endless variety due to the inventive imagination and embroidery of three or four millennia's worth of travelling raconteurs who were highly prized professionals.» — Dalley ofrece la lectura alternativa: variedad sin fin por la imaginación inventiva y el bordado de tres o cuatro milenios de narradores viajeros, profesionales muy apreciados
«Among the king's duties were military leadership, priestly functions, law-giving, and citybuilding. Whenever kingship broke down, so did law and order, with terrible consequences.» — Dalley enumera los deberes del rey y la consecuencia de su quiebra: mando militar, funciones sacerdotales, legislación y construcción de ciudades. El impreso parte *city-building* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«Gilgamesh as a young king behaved badly, but this was no reason to depose him, and eventually he became wise, thanks to the gods' help through Enkidu. For the ancient Mesopotamians, The Epic of Gilgamesh showed that kingship must be supported even though individual kings are imperfect.» — Dalley fija la lectura política del poema: el rey joven se portó mal y no por eso había que deponerlo, y la epopeya mostraba que la realeza debe sostenerse aunque los reyes concretos sean imperfectos
«It is traditional in the Near East for desert people who travel» — Dalley describe el canal de transmisión de estos relatos; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«with trading caravans to nurture the skills of the musician-poet, and we know that such people travelled with trading caravans from at least the Middle Bronze Age up until modern times. It is also traditional for ships' captains to acquire and treasure the services of musician-poets for the long voyage from Basra to India, Ceylon, and Indonesia.» — continuación: el poeta músico que viaja con las caravanas desde al menos el Bronce Medio, y el que los capitanes contratan para la travesía larga de Basora a la India, Ceilán e Indonesia
«Kingship was the only form of government in ancient Mesopotamia, ordained by the gods for the guidance and» — Dalley declara la única forma de gobierno de la antigua Mesopotamia y su justificación declarada; el troceo cierra un chunk en mitad de la plana 72 y reemite el marcador, de modo que el tramo se corta aquí
«prosperity of people and cities, to maintain order and to protect the weak in society.» — continuación: la realeza ordenada por los dioses para la prosperidad de gentes y ciudades, para mantener el orden y proteger al débil
«The translation is made up from many clay tablet fragments. Most of them date from the eighth century BC onwards, and many of them were found at Nineveh. They are all SBV unless otherwise indicated» — Dalley declara de qué está hecha la traducción del Gilgamesh: muchos fragmentos de tablilla, en su mayoría del siglo VIII en adelante y hallados en Nínive
«Among the versions, the text is differently divided, both as to columns and as to individual tablets. Thus, for instance, Tablet IV, column vi in one version may only overlap to a small extent with Tablet IV, column vi in another version, and a single site like Nineveh may have yielded up more than one version; Tablet VI has much shorter columns in the second half than in the first. Therefore, to estimate accurately the length of gaps, where a disjointed text is made up of fragments, is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible.» — Dalley declara el muro que impide medir las lagunas: el texto se divide de otro modo en cada versión, en columnas y en tablillas, hasta hacer extremadamente difícil y a veces imposible estimar la extensión de un hueco
«For the purposes of this book, a rule-of-thumb has been adopted: gaps arc reckoned at forty-five lines per column except in the case of Tablets III and IX, and parts of V, for which the reckoning is thirty-five lines per column. Thus the line numbers given for gaps are intended only as a very rough guide, and may in some instances prove to be misleading.» — Dalley declara la regla de cálculo que aplica y su alcance: cuarenta y cinco líneas por columna salvo en las tablillas III y IX, con los números de línea solo como guía muy aproximada
«A full edition of the Akkadian text is being prepared by A. George and I. Finkel.» — Dalley remite a la edición completa del texto acadio que preparan A. George e I. Finkel, y que a la fecha de este volumen no existía
«Opening lines following Kwasman 1999. The opening is of a type characteristic of oral narrative. Cf. the opening lines of Anzu and Erra and Ishum.» — la nota 1 de Dalley clasifica el arranque del poema como característico de la narrativa oral, con los mismos paralelos que señala en otros relatos del volumen
«The Hittite version attributes Gilgamesh's superior form to both the sun-god and to the storm-god, and refers to Gilgamesh as 'gods' in the plural; this may be a Phoenician usage.» — la nota 5 de Dalley consigna una variante de la versión hitita que no armoniza con la acadia: allí la forma superior del héroe viene del dios sol y del dios de la tormenta, y se le llama *gods* en plural
«In a Hittite version of Gilgamesh, he is described as a giant, :l1 cubits (about 5 m.) tall» — la nota 7 de Dalley da la estatura que la versión hitita atribuye al héroe, once codos, unos cinco metros; el OCR imprime la cifra como *:l1*
«it refers to the game of pukku and mekka, variously interpreted as 'drum and drumstick', 'hoop and driving-stick', and as a hockey-type of game played at weddings and having significance for fertility. The two objects are elsewhere used to describe the clash of battle, and are one of Ishtar's toys or games. Orphans, widows, and young girls are affected by its use, for which they lament and cry out against injustice.» — la nota 8 de Dalley recoge las tres lecturas propuestas para el juego del *pukku* y el *mekku* sin escoger entre ellas: tambor y baqueta, aro y palo, o juego de tipo hockey jugado en las bodas
«The three metaphorical words used to describe Enkidu: 'word(?) of Anu', 'sky-bolt of Ninurta/ Anu', 'axe', all may be puns on termsfor cult personnel of uncertain sexual affinities who were found particularly in Uruk, associated with Ishtar's cult» — la nota 10 de Dalley lee las tres metáforas de Enkidu como posibles retruécanos sobre nombres de personal de culto de afinidad sexual incierta, particulares de Uruk
«Shamhat is used as personal name here; it means 'voluptuous woman, prostitute', in particular as a type of cultic devotee of Ishtar in Uruk.» — la nota 14 de Dalley traduce el nombre de la mujer y lo sitúa como tipo de devota cúltica de Ishtar en Uruk
«The usual translation of erenu as 'cedar' is almost certainly wrong. The main grounds for a translation as 'pine' arc: that roof-beams thus named in texts have been excavated and analysed invariably as pine, and that the wood was obtained in antiquity not only from the Lebanon mountains, but also from the Zagros and the Amanus ranges, where cedars do» — la nota 20 de Dalley enmienda la traducción habitual del nombre del árbol, cedro por pino, y da dos razones: las vigas así llamadas y analizadas son siempre de pino, y la madera venía también de los Zagros y el Amanus
«The word translated 'leagues' is a double hour. The Mesopotamians divided the day into 12 hours corresponding to our 24, and they calculated distances according to the time a journey would take rather than its linear measurement.» — la nota 21 de Dalley explica la medida de camino del poema: las distancias se calculaban por el tiempo que llevaba recorrerlas y no por su medida lineal
«My friend': the relationship of Enkidu and Gilgamesh as friends of equal status contrasts with their roles as servant and master in the Sumerian stories.» — la nota 22 de Dalley contrasta la relación de los dos héroes en la epopeya acadia, amigos de igual rango, con la de siervo y amo de los relatos sumerios
«New break' is a comment made by a scribe copying the text from a damaged tablet.» — la nota 23 de Dalley explica el aparato que aparece dentro del verbatim: el aviso de rotura es un comentario del escriba que copiaba de una tablilla dañada
«During the festival, the king' s officials would swear an oath of allegiance for the coming year, and the king, if not abroad, probably took part, representing a god in a ceremony of sacred marriage with a priestess.» — la nota 24 de Dalley describe la fiesta del Año Nuevo que el poema nombra: juramento de fidelidad de los oficiales y participación probable del rey en una ceremonia de matrimonio sagrado
«The word used for 'fool' is lillu, and may be a scathing and punning reference to the tradition in which Gilgamesh's father was a lillu of Kullab» — la nota 41 de Dalley enlaza el insulto de Humbaba con la tradición sobre el padre del héroe: *lillu* sería referencia hiriente y con retruécano
«George 1987 has suggested that this passage gives an aetiology for the Rift Valley (Beqa'a) in Lebanon.» — la nota 47 de Dalley recoge de George la propuesta de que el combate dé una etiología del valle del Rift en el Líbano; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido, que dispara por el año de la referencia
«The Sumerian story has seven winds, the Hittite version eight.» — la nota 48 de Dalley consigna las tres cuentas de vientos sin armonizarlas: siete en la sumeria, ocho en la hitita y trece en la acadia
«Ereshkigal's proposal to Nergal in Nergal and Ereshkigal is expressed in identical terms.» — la nota 51 de Dalley señala que la proposición de Ishtar a Gilgamesh y la de Ereshkigal a Nergal están formuladas con las mismas palabras
«This metamorphosis has been compared to the Greek myth of Actaeon.» — la nota 60 de Dalley empareja el pastor vuelto lobo con el mito griego de Acteón
«Ishtar makes this threat to the doorkeeper of the Underworld in the Descent of lshtar; and Ereshkigal makes the same threat in Nergal and Ereshkigal, for Namtar to relay to the goddess. It has been compared to Odyssey, XII. 374, in which Helios threatened Zeus that he would give light to the Underworld.» — la nota 62 de Dalley rastrea la amenaza de abrir el inframundo en los tres relatos del volumen donde aparece y la compara con la de Helios a Zeus en la Odisea
«Thirty minas is about :15 kg., 2 minas about :1 kg. Lapis lazuli was one of the most highly prized gemstones in ancient Mesopotamia. It was obtained from mountains in north-east Afghanistan.» — la nota 65 de Dalley convierte las medidas del poema y sitúa la procedencia del lapislázuli en las montañas del nordeste de Afganistán; el OCR imprime las cifras como *:15* y *:1*
«Lugalbanda was Gilgamesh's father. This line implies that Gilgamesh kept a statue or statuette of him in his bedroom where he anointed it regularly. In certain parts of the Ncar East at certain periods, deceased ancestors were referred to as goqs.» — la nota 68 de Dalley deduce del verso una práctica de culto doméstico: Gilgamesh guardaba una estatuilla de su padre en la alcoba y la ungía con regularidad, y en ciertos lugares y épocas del Próximo Oriente los antepasados muertos se llamaban dioses; el OCR imprime *goqs* por gods
«The Seven Counsellors' probably refers to the Seven Sages who brought» — la nota 3 de Dalley identifica a los Siete Consejeros del prólogo con los Siete Sabios; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«skills and crafts to mankind. Baked bricks were only used for top-quality work; unbaked mud bricks were commonly used.» — continuación: los Sabios trajeron oficios y artes al hombre, y el ladrillo cocido era solo para obra de primera calidad
«These lines contain proverbial expressions to illustrate the truth that 'two are stronger than one'. In the Sumerian tale Gilgamesh and Huwawa a similar speech containing proverbs is made by Gilgamesh to Enkidu. Comparison has been made with Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12: 'Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a three-fold cord is not quickly broken.» — la nota 39 de Dalley empareja los proverbios del poema con Eclesiastés 4 y cita el pasaje entero, hasta la cuerda de tres hebras que no se rompe pronto; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«Statues were made to stand in temples, representing their originals by standing constantly in the gods' presence; or they were made for distinguished people at their death to be the recipients of funerary rites, particularly anointing.» — la nota 74 de Dalley explica para qué se hacían las estatuas: para estar constantemente en presencia de los dioses, o para recibir los ritos funerarios, sobre todo la unción
«The dwelling on the left' : a parallel is found in the myth of the hero Er, son of Armenius, which Socrates related at the end of Plato's Republic. When the souls of men were judged at death, the just ascended to heaven via an opening on the right of the judges, and the unjust descended to the lower regions via an opening on the left.» — la nota 78 de Dalley empareja la morada de la izquierda del poema con el mito de Er en el final de la República de Platón, donde los justos suben por la abertura de la derecha y los injustos bajan por la de la izquierda
«The old interpretation of keppii as a skipping rope was based on a misinterpretation of a glyptic scene, and should be abandoned.» — la nota 80 de Dalley enmienda una lectura recibida: la interpretación antigua del *keppu* como cuerda de saltar se fundaba en una escena glíptica mal leída
«No myths yet uncovered account for the presence in the Underworld of either Etana the king of Kish or Shakkan the cattle-god.» — la nota 82 de Dalley consigna una negativa: ningún mito hallado hasta ahora explica por qué Etana y Shakkan están en el inframundo
«This may be a reference to an incident which is referred to again in IX. i, and which may have been related fully in a still missing episode in IV, or later, in between the slaying of Humbaba and of the Bull of Heaven. A possible reconstruction is: Gilgamesh and Enkidu were attacked by lions at night in the mountain passes on their way to the Pine Forest. Gilgamesh was afraid and prayed to Sin; Enkidu killed the lions and reproached Gilgamesh; and when they slept, Enkidu had a dream portending his own death. In VII. vi. and IX. i. Gilgamesh interpreted the episode to mean that his cowardice caused Enkidu's death.» — la nota 83 de Dalley reconstruye, marcándolo como reconstrucción posible, el episodio perdido de los leones en los pasos de montaña, y concluye que Gilgamesh lo interpretó como que su cobardía causó la muerte de su amigo
«This opening stock line, which recurs in Tablet XI, has been compared to the stock line in the Odyssey: 'As soon as rosyfingered dawn appeared'.» — la nota 84 de Dalley empareja el verso formular del alba con el de la Odisea. El impreso parte *rosy-fingered* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«The simile has been compared with iliad, XVIII. 318: 'As a deep-bearded lion, whose whelps some stag-hunter has snatched away out of a deep wood; and the lion coming afterwards grieves and ranges through many glens» — la nota 90 de Dalley pone al lado el símil de la leona del poema y el de la Ilíada, y cita el pasaje griego; el troceo imprime *iliad* en minúscula
«Grave goods were 'shown' to Shamash before they were placed in the grave with the body (McGinnis 1987). The procedure is that of the taklimtu ritual of lying-in-state.» — la nota 95 de Dalley identifica el rito que el poema describe: los ajuares se mostraban a Shamash antes de ponerlos en la tumba, procedimiento del ritual *taklimtu* de capilla ardiente
«It is not certain whether there was a single pair of scorpion people or many of them.» — la nota 100 de Dalley declara incierto si los hombres escorpión eran una sola pareja o muchos
«It was suggested by Gressmann I926 that this episode is based on a twomile rock tunnel near the source of the Tigris, which is described by Lehmann-Haupt I910. An episode similar to this is found in several stories in the Arabian Nights.» — la nota 101 de Dalley recoge la propuesta de que el túnel del poema se base en un túnel rocoso de tres kilómetros cerca de la fuente del Tigris. El impreso parte *two-mile* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«It is almost certainly misguided to try to identify such semi-mythological settings with precision.» — la nota 104 de Dalley pone el límite a toda esa clase de identificaciones: querer localizar con precisión escenarios semimitológicos es casi con certeza equivocado
«The profession 'ale-wife', female seller of beer, is well known from its occurrence in several laws in the Code of Hammurabi and the Edicts of Ammi-saduqa which concern long-distance trade in the early second millennium BC. She seems to have lived outside the normal protection of male members of a family, and to have served beer, the staple drink of ancient Mesopotamia, to travellers. Her supplies were provided by the palace that sponsored her.» — la nota 106 de Dalley sitúa el oficio de la tabernera por el código de Hammurabi y los edictos de Ammi-saduqa: vivía fuera de la protección normal de los varones de una familia y servía cerveza a los viajeros
«An Akkadian list describes Siduri as 'Ish tar of wisdom» — la misma nota recoge la definición que una lista acadia da de Siduri; el troceo parte el nombre de la diosa como *Ish tar*
«Lethal waters' : literally 'waters of death'. This phrase has been connected with the Classical view that the Underworld was encircled by a river, which is also found in some Akkadian texts (see Glossary, s. v. Hubur). However, Gilgamesh is journeying not to the Underworld, but to the Mouth of the Rivers. There seem to have been two different traditions about the Underworld, with and without a surrounding river.» — la nota 112 de Dalley acota el paralelo clásico del río que rodea el inframundo y consigna dos tradiciones distintas sin armonizarlas, porque aquí el héroe no viaja al inframundo sino a la Boca de los Ríos
«Things of stone': meaning uncertain. 'Anchors' or 'stone stern-poles' have been suggested. According to OBV they bring Ur-shanabi safely over the lethal water. 'Identify him': possibly '(are) with him' rather than '(are) his mark of identification'. 'A young pine': probably timber stripped for poles. The previous translation, as some kind of snake, is definitely wrong» — la nota 113 de Dalley declara incierto el sentido de las cosas de piedra y descarta por errónea la traducción anterior como una especie de serpiente
«The ancient Mesopotamians were builders of rafts and reed boats for use on rivers, not builders of timber-frame vessels. The ark as described here seems to be a tub of' quffah' type, which consists mainly of a framework of reed matting liberally coated with bitumen and oil to make it waterproof, fitted inside with benches and supporting poles.» — la nota 125 de Dalley describe qué clase de nave cabía en esa tradición técnica: una tina de tipo *quffah*, armazón de estera de caña recubierta de betún y aceite, y no un casco de cuaderna de madera
«These lines are loaded with double meanings and puns. The puns are indicated in the translation: kukku, 'a kind of cake' and kukku, 'darkness'; kibtu, 'wheat' and kibittu, 'heaviness'.» — la nota 123 de Dalley desglosa los retruécanos del anuncio del Diluvio: pastel y oscuridad, trigo y pesadez
«The Mesopotamians thought that there were three heavens: upper, middle, and lower. The upper was the domain of Anu.» — la nota 131 de Dalley da la cosmología que el verso supone: tres cielos, superior, medio e inferior, y el superior dominio de Anu
«The text is corrupt, possibly because the word for 'scab, rime', pulhltu, had fallen out of common usage and was 'reinterpreted'.» — la nota 133 de Dalley explica una corrupción del texto por desuso del término, y remite a la misma palabra en Atrahasis
«The text says 'my raven' where the writing is syllabic; the logograms in the preceding lines could be read as 'my dove' and 'my swallow'.» — la nota 136 de Dalley señala el posesivo que la escritura silábica conserva para el cuervo y que los logogramas permitirían leer también para la paloma y la golondrina
«This episode is an aetiological story explaining why snakes can shed their old skins.» — la nota 144 de Dalley clasifica el episodio de la serpiente como relato etiológico de la muda de piel
«This passage adapts the opening lines of Gilgamesh to Ur-shanabi's visit, thus forming an epilogue, to which the short Tablet XII is clearly an addition.» — la nota 146 de Dalley declara epílogo la repetición del prólogo y añadido la tablilla XII
«The Sumerian account begins by describing primeval times when a single halub-trec grew beside the Euphrates. lnanna planted it in her temple garden. It housed a snake and the Anzu-bird. Gilgamesh cut it down to make a chair and bed for lnanna, and a pukku and mekku for himself. The latter accidentally fell into the Underworld while still new. Gilgamesh lamented their loss» — la nota 147 de Dalley resume el relato sumerio que falta para entender la tablilla XII: el árbol *halub* junto al Éufrates, la serpiente y el pájaro Anzu que lo habitaban, y los juguetes hechos de su madera
«Thus the opening to XII cannot be understood without knowledge of an independent Sumerian tale» — la conclusión de esa nota: el arranque de la tablilla XII no se entiende sin conocer un relato sumerio independiente
«My lord': at this point the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is that of master and servant, as in the Sumerian stories of Gilgamesh, whereas in the rest of the Akkadian epic they are equal comrades.» — la nota 150 de Dalley señala el cambio de relación dentro del mismo volumen: en la tablilla XII son amo y siervo como en los relatos sumerios, y en el resto de la epopeya camaradas iguales
«This implies that Enkidu has not yet died, thus contradicting Tablet VII.» — la nota 151 de Dalley consigna la contradicción sin armonizarla: la tablilla XII supone a Enkidu vivo y contradice la VII
«This episode has been compared with Iliad, XXIII, when Achilles dreams that Patroklos' ghost visits him, and they try in vain to embrace; and with Odysseus' attempt to hug his mother's ghost in Odyssey, XI.» — la nota 160 de Dalley empareja el abrazo de los dos amigos con el de Aquiles y Patroclo y con el intento de Odiseo de abrazar a su madre
«The ghosts of Enkidu and of Patroklos are both compared to a gust of wind.» — la misma nota cierra con el detalle que empareja los dos textos: los dos espíritus se comparan con una ráfaga de viento
«In a ritual text (Ebeling :l9J:l, :l32-3) Gilgamesh as judge of the Underworld is invoked to placate such spirits: 'Incantation. You, ghost belonging to nobody, who have nobody to bury you or speak your name, whose name nobody knows ... before Shamash, Gilgamesh, the Anunnaki, (and) the ghost(s) of my family you hereby receive a present, you are honoured with a gift.» — la nota 164 de Dalley trae un texto ritual donde Gilgamesh, como juez del inframundo, es invocado para aplacar a los espíritus sin dolientes, y cita el conjuro entero; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«One Sumerian version ends: 'Did you see my stillborn children who never knew life? Did you see them? How are they?' 'They play at a gold and silver table laden with butter and honey.' 'Did you see him who was set on fire? Did you see him? How was he?' 'His ghost is not there. His smoke went up to the sky.» — la nota 165 de Dalley da el final de una versión sumeria que el texto acadio no trae: los nacidos muertos que juegan en mesa de oro y plata, y el quemado cuyo espíritu no está porque su humo subió al cielo
«Four OBV tablets are translated here. They are known as the Pennsylvania (see von Soden 1981), Yale (see Tigay "1982, 281- 3), Ishchali (Greengus 1979, pl. 92), and Meissner (Millard 1964) tablets, and occur in that order.» — Dalley declara qué se traduce bajo el rótulo de versión paleobabilonia: cuatro tablillas conocidas por los lugares donde se conservan, Pensilvania, Yale, Ishchali y Meissner
«The various tablets of the OBV do not overlap, but the Pennsylvania and Yale tablets were probably written by the same scribe, and Tigay 1977, 215-18 has argued that the epic already formed an integrated whole.» — Dalley consigna que esas cuatro tablillas no se solapan, y recoge de Tigay el argumento de que la epopeya ya formaba un todo integrado
«The beginning of an Old Babylonian version of the Akkadian epic is not yet attested. This tablet forms the second in the series, and the colophon at the end of it gives the opening lines as 'He was superior to other ... ', which corresponds to line 27 of SBV, and shows that this OBV did not contain the prologue and epilogue.» — Dalley declara la negativa y lo que de ella se deduce: no hay principio atestiguado de la versión paleobabilonia, y el colofón muestra que esta versión no llevaba prólogo ni epílogo
«The exact number of lines per column is not known, so that the estimates given are uncertain. They are based on the assumption of a sixty-line column.» — Dalley declara el supuesto con que calcula las lagunas de esta versión, columna de sesenta líneas, y que las estimaciones son inciertas
«Compare Ecclesiastes 1: 14 'I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is wind and vexation of spirit.» — la nota 17 de Dalley empareja el verso del viento con Eclesiastés 1, y cita el versículo
«Upright': probably a double entendre with 'penis', both isaru.» — la nota 11 de Dalley declara el doble sentido de una palabra del texto, que la traducción no puede rendir
«These are presumably the regular funerary rites, kispum, that could be carried out when a man was travelling. The two main features were: pouring a libation of cool water, and reciting the names of dead ancestors.» — la nota 22 de Dalley identifica el rito que los ancianos mandan hacer en viaje: los ritos funerarios *kispum*, con libación de agua fría y recitación de los nombres de los antepasados muertos
«In the Sumerian tale The Death of Huwawa, Gilgamesh offers gifts, including his two sisters, to Huwawa, and asks to enter his family(?) . Huwawa then presents Gilgamesh with his mantles of radiance(?), which Gilgamesh's friends then cut to pieces, leaving Huwawa defenceless.» — la nota 24 de Dalley trae el desenlace sumerio que no coincide con el acadio: allí Gilgamesh ofrece regalos a Huwawa y recibe sus mantos de resplandor, que sus amigos despedazan
«In the Sumerian poem Shulgi, Ninsun, and Ar1, Gilgamesh is represented as the generous victor who spared Huwawa's life.» — la nota añade una tercera versión que tampoco se armoniza: en un poema sumerio Gilgamesh es el vencedor generoso que perdonó la vida a Huwawa
«Compare Ecclesiastes 9: 7-9 ' ... Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; ... Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest» — la nota 26 de Dalley empareja el consejo de la tabernera con Eclesiastés 9 y cita el pasaje
«The Akkadian story is first attested in Late Bronze Age texts, in in both Babylonia and Assyria, and later from the palace library at Nineveh. It is a short composition of some 140 lines, and seems to end with ritual instructions for the taklimtu, an annual ritual known from Assyrian texts, which took place in the month of Dumuzi (Tammuz =June/July) and featured the bathing, anointing, and lying-in-state in Nineveh of a statue of Dumuzi.» — Dalley data el relato acadio y lee su final como instrucción ritual del *taklimtu*, la ceremonia anual del mes de Dumuzi con el baño, la unción y la capilla ardiente de una estatua del dios
«The Sumerian version, The Descent of Inanna, is attested earlier, and is much longer, consisting of some 410 lines. It is a fuller, more detailed account, and shows clearly that Dumuzi periodically died and rose, causing seasonal fertility, a fact which had been doubted until 196.3, when a newly published fragment disclosed the crucial evidence.» — Dalley compara la versión sumeria, más larga y detallada, y fija la fecha en que se probó que Dumuzi moría y resucitaba periódicamente causando la fertilidad estacional
«However, like the Akkadian story, it seems to represent the goddess as a cult statue, and it has been suggested that the goddess's statue makes a ritual journey from Uruk, her home town, to Kutha, seat of Underworld deities.» — Dalley recoge la propuesta de que la diosa figure como estatua de culto y de que el relato refleje un viaje ritual de Uruk a Kutha
«There is an obvious similarity in basic theme to the Greek myth of Persephone, who was abducted by Hades. He periodically released her to her mother Demeter, thus causing fertility on earth to be seasonal, but of course there are many major differences between the Greek and the Akkadian myths.» — Dalley empareja el relato con el mito de Perséfone y pone el límite en la misma frase: hay desde luego muchas diferencias mayores entre los dos
«Certain lines of text in The Descent of Ishtar are also found in Nergal and Ereshkigal and in Gilgamesh.» — Dalley señala el hecho que recorre todo el volumen: versos enteros de este relato aparecen también en Nergal y Ereshkigal y en el Gilgamesh
«Ish tar is named as daughter of Sin rather than daughter of Anu, as she is in Gilgamesh. This may imply that the story is not closely associated with the literary traditions of Uruk.» — la nota 2 de Dalley señala la divergencia de filiación entre este relato y el Gilgamesh, y deduce de ella que la historia no se asocia de cerca con las tradiciones literarias de Uruk
«Alternatively these lines may be interpreted as rhetorical questions.» — la nota 8 de Dalley deja abiertas las dos lecturas de la queja de Ereshkigal, afirmación o pregunta retórica, sin escoger
«Note that Ishtar does not cross a river in order to reach the Underworld, nor does Nergal in Nergal and Ereshkigal.» — la nota 11 de Dalley registra una negativa que importa para la cosmología del volumen: ni Ishtar ni Nergal cruzan río alguno para llegar al inframundo
«He may have been a boy castrated as an act of devotion. Such a practice is described by Lucian, The Syrian Goddess (see Strong and Garstang 1913).» — la nota 13 de Dalley propone, con la reserva dentro, que el enviado de Ea fuera un muchacho castrado por devoción, y remite a la descripción de Luciano
«Kilmer 1971 suggests this is a cryptic reference to Ishtar's corpse. halziqqu is a very rare word for a waterskin, and a pun may be intended on the two words alu, 'ghost' and ziqqu, 'gust'; I suggest this to support her idea.» — la nota 14 de Dalley recoge la propuesta de que el odre sea referencia críptica al cadáver de Ishtar y añade un retruécano propio para apoyarla, marcado con sus iniciales
«Corpses were wrapped in red cloth for burial; traces have occasionally been recovered by excavations.» — la nota 21 de Dalley respalda el detalle ritual del texto con el hallazgo arqueológico: los cadáveres se envolvían en tela roja
«In the Sumerian story Dumuzi's sister Geshtin-anna pleads for his periodic release.» — la nota 24 de Dalley trae de la versión sumeria a la hermana de Dumuzi, que es quien pide su liberación periódica
«Two very different versions of this story are extant. The earlier one was found at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt, dating from the fifteenth or fourteenth centuries Be, and is told in a highly abbreviated manner in about ninety lines. Nergal visits the Underworld accompanied by demons, seizes the throne of Ereshkigal, queen of the Underworld, by force, and remains thereafter as king.» — Dalley describe la versión de Tell el-Amarna, la más antigua y abreviada: Nergal baja con demonios, toma por la fuerza el trono de Ereshkigal y se queda como rey
«The version known from Sultantepe of the seventh century BC and from Uruk in the Late Babylonian period is much longer, consisting of perhaps 350 lines. In this story Nergal makes two visits to the Underworld, and takes down with him not demons but a special chair or throne.» — Dalley describe la otra versión, mucho más larga, y señala la diferencia que la define: dos visitas y una silla en vez de los demonios
«The meaning of the chair may be explained by reference to a particular piece of furniture called a 'ghost's chair' in lexical texts; its purpose is explained in a ritual text as preventing seizure by ghosts» — Dalley propone leer la silla del relato por la silla de fantasma de los textos lexicales, cuyo fin declara un texto ritual
«If a man is chosen for death, and a ghost has seized him, you must purify everything, ... place a bread ration before Shamash, Ea, and Marduk, threefold; scatter dates, flour, set up three adagurru-vessels, set up three censers with aromatics, scatter all kinds of cereals. You must put down a chair to the left of the offerings for the ghost of his kin» — Dalley cita el texto ritual entero: purificar todo, disponer las raciones de pan ante Shamash, Ea y Marduk, los vasos y los pebeteros, y poner una silla a la izquierda de las ofrendas para el fantasma del pariente; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«Thus, Nergal takes the chair down in an attempt to ensure that he can escape from the Underworld and elude death.» — la conclusión que Dalley saca de ese cotejo: Nergal baja la silla para asegurarse la salida y eludir la muerte
«Both myths share the same basic theme: that the gods hold a banquet and, since Ereshkigal as queen of the Underworld cannot come up to join them, she sends her vizier to fetch a portion for her. Nergal behaves disrespectfully to the vizier, and for the insult to Ereshkigal he must be punished by her. He ends up as her husband.» — Dalley enuncia el tema común a las dos versiones: el banquete al que la reina del inframundo no puede subir, el desaire de Nergal a su visir y el castigo que acaba en matrimonio
«No Sumerian version of the story is known.» — Dalley consigna la negativa: no se conoce versión sumeria de este relato
«Nergal's ability to travel between heaven and the Underworld may be related to a major event in Phoenician religion. The name of Melqart, chief god of Tyre, is a Phoenician translation of the Sumerian name Nergal, and they are thus very closely assimilated. There is now evidence that Melqart was a dying and rising god, although the precise timing of events during the ritual of his death and resurrection has still to be established.» — Dalley enlaza a Nergal con Melqart de Tiro, cuyo nombre declara traducción fenicia del sumerio Nergal, y consigna con su límite que Melqart era dios que moría y resucitaba
«Possible Phoenician influence upon Nergal and Ereshkigal is found in the use of the 'plural of majesty', in referring to Nergal as 'gods'.» — Dalley señala el rasgo que le hace sospechar influencia fenicia: el plural de majestad con que el relato llama dioses a Nergal
«It might appear that this myth records the transition of rule in the Underworld from a solitary female deity to a pair.» — Dalley pone una lectura posible del mito: el paso del gobierno del inframundo de una diosa sola a una pareja; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«However, Nergal is called 'the Ellil of the Netherworld' in a composition from the late third or early second millennium» — y la retira con el dato que la contradice: Nergal ya se llamaba Ellil del inframundo en una composición muy anterior; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«harmonizing two separate traditions.» — continuación y remate: por eso quizá convenga adjudicar al mito otro propósito, el de armonizar dos tradiciones separadas
«The gods' is used to refer to Nergal. This is a Phoenician and Punic usage, also found in the Old Testament when Yahweh is called Elohim 'gods', and in Amarna letters from Phoenician cities where Pharaoh is addressed as 'my gods'» — la nota 11 de Dalley explica el plural con que el texto llama dioses a Nergal por un uso fenicio y púnico, y lo empareja con el Elohim del Antiguo Testamento y con el tratamiento del faraón en las cartas de Amarna
«These three questions should probably be taken as sarcastic and rhetorical, emphasizing that each deity has a separate and appropriate sphere.» — la nota 12 de Dalley propone leer como sarcásticas y retóricas las tres preguntas de Ereshkigal, y da la razón: cada deidad tiene su esfera propia
«The Uruk version names the gates as: Nedu, Enkishar, Endashurimma, Nerulla, Nerubanda, Endukuga, and Ennugigi, which are all Sumerian names or epithets.» — la nota 13 de Dalley consigna los nombres que la versión de Uruk da a las siete puertas, distintos en parte de los del texto traducido
«Either Nergal exhibits apparent congenital deformities through Ea's magic, or (as translated) the disguise is momentary.» — la nota 21 de Dalley deja abiertas las dos lecturas del disfraz sin escoger: deformidad aparente por magia de Ea, o disfraz momentáneo
«Some confusion is caused in this text by the arrangement of lines. Probably a tablet with very short lines was badly copied on to one with longer lines so that ends of lines do not always correspond to ends of sentences as would be normal.» — la nota 1 de Dalley explica el desorden de la versión de Amarna por un accidente de copia: una tablilla de líneas muy cortas mal pasada a otra de líneas largas
«Rituals and customs for honouring and placating the dead were carried out on a monthly schedule linked to the phases of the moon.» — la nota 4 de Dalley sitúa el calendario del culto a los muertos: mensual y ligado a las fases de la luna
«Some scholars think this ending is too cryptic and abrupt to be intentional, and that the story would have continued.» — la nota 8 de Dalley consigna la opinión de que el final de esta versión sea demasiado críptico y abrupto para ser intencional, sin hacerla suya
«Adapa was the first of the antediluvian seven sages who were sent by Ea the wise god of Eridu, to bring the arts of civilization to mankind.» — Dalley presenta a Adapa como el primero de los siete sabios antediluvianos enviados por Ea para traer al hombre las artes de la civilización
«Adapa was also known as Uan, which is the name given as Oannes by Berossus to the first sage; the name Uan also forms a pun on the Sumero-Akkadian word for a craftsman.» — Dalley empareja el nombre con el Oannes de Beroso y señala el retruécano con la palabra sumeroacadia para artesano
«As the first sage, Adapa-Oannes introduced the correct rites of religious observance to mankind, and was the priest of Ea in his temple in Eridu.» — Dalley fija la función del personaje: introdujo los ritos correctos de observancia religiosa y fue sacerdote de Ea en Eridu
«The story explains how the first sage, like the subsequent six, angered Ea, so Adapa lost the chance to obtain immortality from the sky gods.» — Dalley resume el nudo del relato: el primer sabio irritó a Ea, y por eso perdió la ocasión de obtener la inmortalidad de los dioses del cielo
«the sages are described elsewhere in Mesopotamian literature as 'pure puradu-fish ', possibly carp, a fish still kept as a holy duty in the precincts of Near Eastern mosques and monasteries.» — Dalley enlaza la descripción de los sabios como peces puros con el pez que aún se guarda por deber sagrado en los recintos de mezquitas y monasterios del Próximo Oriente
«It is likely that Adapa as a fisherman was represented as a fish or fish-man composite in ancient iconography, although definite identifications are hard to make, and no specific scenes from the myth of Adapa have been recognized on cylinder seals.» — Dalley propone la representación icónica del sabio como pez u hombre pez, y pone el límite en la misma frase: las identificaciones son difíciles y no se ha reconocido escena alguna de este mito en los sellos
«Did Adapa defy the unwritten laws of hospitality by refusing food and drink in heaven, and thus oblige Anu to punish him?» — la tercera pregunta que Dalley deja abierta: si Adapa desafió las leyes no escritas de la hospitalidad al rechazar comida y bebida en el cielo
«The story is outlined too sketchily in Akkadian to be clear, but its audience in ancient times would have understood the implications of what they heard, and a crucial double entendre may attribute man's folly to a simple misunderstanding.» — Dalley acota lo que se puede leer hoy: el relato está trazado demasiado a la ligera en acadio, aunque su público antiguo entendería lo que oía, y un doble sentido crucial podría atribuir la insensatez del hombre a un simple malentendido
«It is impossible on present evidence to give an accurate estimate of the length of the composition. If the Assur tablet contained the whole composition, and, if, like Etana, it contained about sixty lines per side, then that version would be about 120 lines in length.» — Dalley declara que la extensión de la composición no se puede estimar con precisión, y da un cálculo condicional
«Ea appears to be advising Adapa to accept the rites of a dead man, but they can also be seen as the first tokens of hospitality. Thus Ea may trick Adapa with a double entendre into accepting from Anu the fate of mortality.» — la nota 10 de Dalley formula, con la reserva dentro, la lectura que hace del relato una trampa: Ea parece aconsejar los ritos de un muerto, y por ese doble sentido pudo engañar a Adapa
«The story centres on a king of Kish who is attested in the Sumerian king list as a quasi-historical character. Presumably the legend had its origin in Kish, although the patron deities of Kish, Zababa, and Ishtar, play no part, for the sun-god Shamash alone is involved. The length and ending of the story are still disputed; if it was a three-tablet composition in its 'Standard' form, it should consist of about 450 lines in all.» — Dalley sitúa a Etana como rey de Kish atestiguado en la lista real sumeria y declara todavía disputados la extensión y el final del relato
«But the story is certainly much older, for Lu-Nanna, the demi-sage of Shulgi, king of Ur (2150-210_3 BC), is credited as the author, and the ascent of Etana on an eagle's back is shown on cylinder seals of the Akkadian period» — Dalley data el relato mucho más atrás por dos vías: la autoría que se adjudica a Lu-Nanna, el semisabio de Shulgi, y la ascensión sobre el águila representada en sellos del periodo acadio
«The bare motif, of a man's ascent to heaven on an eagle's back, is also found in the Greek myth of Ganymede; it was incorporated into the Alexander Romance, and is also found in Iranian stories and Islamic legends.» — Dalley rastrea el motivo del ascenso sobre el águila en el mito griego de Ganimedes, en el Romance de Alejandro, en relatos iranios y en leyendas islámicas
«Etana is the only Mesopotamian tale to have been identified unequivocally on ancient cylinder seals.» — Dalley declara la excepción que hace de este relato un caso aparte: es el único cuento mesopotámico identificado sin equívoco en los sellos cilíndricos antiguos
«Scholars are still unclear about the precise meaning of the story. Did Ea deliberately trick Adapa out of immortality» — Dalley declara el muro interpretativo: los estudiosos siguen sin tener claro el sentido preciso del relato, y la primera pregunta es si Ea engañó a Adapa a propósito; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«him, and fail, despite Ea's divine wisdom?» — continuación de la misma pregunta: o si de veras quiso ayudarlo, pese al crimen de Adapa contra él, y fracasó pese a su sabiduría divina
«An unusual verb seems to be chosen here for alliteration with the words for 'food' and 'eat', aka/u, ka/u, and akii/u. An unusual plural form of the word 'heaven' produces a pun, 'bread of heaven I bread of death» — la nota 9 de Dalley señala el retruécano del que depende todo el relato: una forma plural inusual de la palabra cielo produce el juego entre pan del cielo y pan de la muerte
«Early crowns consisted of two parts: a rigid conical or high oval cap, and a band encircling its edge.» — la nota 3 de Dalley explica el verso sobre la diadema y la corona: las coronas tempranas tenían dos partes, el gorro rígido y la banda que ceñía su borde
«Oaths were sworn while touching an appurtenance or symbol of a deity, which then could act as a weapon enforcing retribution upon a perjurer.» — la nota 11 de Dalley describe el gesto del juramento: se juraba tocando un objeto o símbolo del dios, que luego podía actuar como arma contra el perjuro
«As it stands in SBV, this line alludes to Anzu's betrayal of Ellil while acting as his trusted doorkeeper. However, MA V has the similarsounding word anzillu, 'abomination', at the same point, so the allusion to Anzu may derive from a corrupt text.» — la nota 18 de Dalley pone en duda la alusión a Anzu de su propia traducción, porque la versión media asiria trae ahí una palabra parecida que significa abominación. El impreso parte *similar-sounding* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«Very uncertain. von Soden reads as: 'you entered and changed my nest'; Kinnier Wilson : 'You entered upon my nestlings.' Edzard 1987, 137, suggests a serpentine tongue-twister.» — la nota 20 de Dalley declara muy incierto un verso y alinea tres lecturas ajenas sin escoger entre ellas
«This fragment, given by Kinnier Wilson, p. >25 as LV, V, may come as the second in the preceding sequence of three dreams. Both in Etana and in Gilgamesh the reconstructions given here allow for a sequence of threes for confirmation. The dream may have indicated that Etana would have a son to carry out his funerary rites.» — la nota 29 de Dalley coloca un fragmento en la serie de tres sueños, señala que tanto en Etana como en Gilgamesh la reconstrucción admite series de tres para confirmación, y propone que el sueño indicara un hijo que hiciera los ritos funerarios
«When pacts were made, ritual food was eaten which would 'turn against' the one who broke the pact.» — la misma nota explica el rito que hay detrás: al hacer un pacto se comía comida ritual que se volvería contra quien lo rompiera
«The Epic of Anzu is principally known in two versions. The Old Babylonian version of the early second millennium exists as a small portion of the tale, giving the hero as Ningirsu, a warrior-god who was patron of the city Girsu in central Mesopotamia.» — Dalley describe la versión paleobabilonia de Anzu, de la que solo queda una porción pequeña y cuyo héroe es Ningirsu
«However, no Sumerian account of the story is known, and Anzu in the Sumerian Epic of Lugalbanda has a quite different character and role: he is a benevolent bird whose offspring are fed during his absence by the hero of the epic.» — Dalley consigna la negativa y la divergencia: no hay relato sumerio conocido, y el Anzu de la epopeya de Lugalbanda es un pájaro benévolo, de carácter y papel muy distintos
«As far as its fragmentary condition allows us to judge, the Old Babylonian version of Anzu was written in an abbreviated form in which repetitious passages are not written verbatim.» — Dalley acota lo que se puede decir de la versión paleobabilonia: por lo que su estado fragmentario deja juzgar, se escribió en forma abreviada, sin copiar literal los pasajes repetidos
«The Standard Babylonian version, dating to the first millennium sc, may have consisted of about 720 lines on three fourcolumn tablets. Some were found on the Late Assyrian sites of Nineveh, Tarbi?u and Sultantepe, and probably belong to the seventh century sc. Another tablet comes from a museum collection in the USA and is of unknown provenance. It is Late Babylonian, but seems to have followed the Nineveh version closely. In this version the hero is Ninurta whose great cult centre at that time was Kalah, modern Nimrud» — Dalley describe la versión estándar, con su extensión probable, sus hallazgos y su héroe Ninurta, cuyo centro de culto era Kalah. El impreso parte *four-column* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«The walls of Ninurta's temple there are faced with monumental stone sculptures illustrating a cosmic battle, probably a version of the Anzu epic.» — Dalley enlaza el texto con las esculturas monumentales del templo de Ninurta, que ilustran una batalla cósmica probablemente de esta epopeya
«The story centres around possession of the Tablet of Destinies. The narrative structure is very similar to that of the Epic of Creation, both in the struggle to regain possession by the good gods, and in the pronouncement of names and hypostases for the victorious hero-god.» — Dalley fija el asunto del relato y su parentesco estructural con la Epopeya de la Creación: la posesión de la Tablilla de los Destinos y la proclamación de nombres del dios vencedor
«The opening lines of the epic introduce the theme in the first person, representing the singer or poet, and are very closely comparable to the opening lines of Erra and Ishum.» — Dalley señala el arranque en primera persona, que representa al cantor o poeta, y su parecido estrecho con el de Erra e Ishum
«Nergal and Ninurta are quite close in some aspects of their characters, and in Erra and Is hum the defeat of Anzu with a net and the conquest of asakku-demons are attributed to Nergal» — Dalley consigna que Erra e Ishum atribuye a Nergal las mismas hazañas que esta epopeya da a Ninurta, sin armonizar
«The Anzu epic and its ramifications in other tales illustrate how a common stock of narrative themes was used in different stories, and adapted in various places for diverse gods.» — la conclusión que Dalley saca del conjunto: un acervo común de temas narrativos se usaba en relatos distintos y se adaptaba en cada lugar a dioses diversos
«Who darkens the sash': perhaps in the sense of sexual arousal.» — la nota 1 de Dalley propone, con la reserva dentro, un sentido para el epíteto del proemio
«Nothing is known of this heroic exploit from extant literature.» — la nota 3 de Dalley consigna una negativa sobre la hazaña del hombre toro: no se sabe nada de ella por la literatura conservada
«Body armour, made of overlapping bronze or copper scales sewn on to a leather garment, is attested in material remains from around 1400 BC.» — la nota 19 de Dalley respalda el verso del pecho acorazado con el hallazgo material: armaduras de escamas de bronce o cobre cosidas a una prenda de cuero
«The old translation, 'carry his feathers to secret places', should almost certainly be abandoned.» — la nota 15 de Dalley descarta una traducción recibida del verso de las plumas
«Variant: 'My wing, my wing', kappl kappl, perhaps a corruption with» — la nota 21 de Dalley recoge una variante del grito de Anzu y propone que sea corrupción por influencia del Gilgamesh
«The Epic of Creation is named an epic in a sense quite different to that of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Here is no struggle against fate, no mortal heroes, no sense of suspense over the outcome of events. The success of the hero-god Marduk (in the Babylonian version, Assur in the Assyrian version) is a foregone conclusion.» — Dalley abre la introducción separando esta epopeya de la de Gilgamesh: aquí no hay lucha contra el destino, ni héroes mortales, ni suspenso, porque el éxito del dios protagonista está decidido de antemano
«Yet cosmic events are narrated: the earliest generations of gods are recounted leading up to the birth of the latest hero-god; the forces of evil and chaos are overcome, whereupon the present order of the universe can be established, with its religious centres, its divisions of time, its celestial bodies moving according to proper rules, and with mankind invented to serve the gods.» — Dalley enumera lo que el relato sí narra: las generaciones de dioses, la derrota del caos y el establecimiento del orden presente, con sus centros religiosos, sus divisiones del tiempo y sus astros
«The gods themselves behave in an orderly fashion: they assemble, discuss, agree, and elect their leaders in a gathering of males; after Tiamat's primeval parturition and the spawning of monsters, goddesses play no part in creating the civilized world, not even in creating mankind.» — Dalley señala el modo de conducta que el relato atribuye a los dioses y la exclusión que lo acompaña: tras el parto primordial de Tiamat, las diosas no toman parte en la creación del mundo civilizado ni del hombre
«The date of the epic cannot be fixed precisely. Tablets on which the work was written date mainly to the first millennium, and the epic continued well into the Seleucid period when it was used by Berossus in his Babyloniaca, and was still known in the fifth to sixth centuries AD, when the writer Damascius quoted from Berossus.» — Dalley declara que la fecha del poema no se puede fijar con precisión y traza su vigencia hasta Damascio citando a Beroso
«Although plenty of literary texts of the early second millennium have been found, none of them contains the Epic of Creation, but this, of course, is an argument from silence.» — Dalley usa un argumento y lo desactiva en la misma frase: ninguno de los muchos textos literarios del segundo milenio temprano trae la epopeya, pero eso es argumento de silencio
«When Sennacherib described scenes from the epic with which he decorated the doors of the Temple of the New Year Festival, he included details which are not found in the extant version, such as that the god Amurru was Assur's charioteer, and so we may deduce that there were indeed different versions in circulation.» — Dalley deduce de los detalles que Senaquerib pone en las puertas del templo y que el texto conservado no trae, que sí circulaban versiones distintas
«Hammurabi's reign (1848-1806 sc) has been suggested as a possibility, but there are no allusions to the epic in the poetic prologue and epilogue to his great Code of Laws, nor does that work contain features of the hymnic-epic dialect.» — Dalley objeta la datación en el reinado de Hammurabi con dos pruebas negativas: ni alusiones a la epopeya en el prólogo y el epílogo del Código, ni rasgos del dialecto himnico-épico
«The reign of Nebuchadnezzar I (1125-1104 sc) has also been suggested, during which the cult statue of Marduk was returned once again from captivity, and Marduk is attested with the title 'King of the gods', but there is now good evidence to show that such a date for composition is too low.» — Dalley objeta también la datación en Nabucodonosor I, aunque reconozca lo que la apoya: hay buena evidencia de que esa fecha es demasiado baja
«Tablets VI and VII of the epic are not essential to the main work; they are obviously inappropriate to Assur, and so in dating the final two tablets to the Kassite period we still retain a number of options for dating the main epic, Tablets I-V, to some earlier period.» — Dalley separa las dos últimas tablillas del cuerpo del poema y deja abiertas las opciones de fecha para las tablillas I a V
«The general theme of a god triumphing over the Sea to bring new order to the world is found in a myth from Ugarit and alluded to in the Old Testament, although much of the detail is very different from that of the epic.» — Dalley enlaza el tema del dios que vence al Mar con un mito de Ugarit y con alusiones del Antiguo Testamento, y pone el límite: el detalle es muy distinto
«Sumerian temple hymns and poems refer to the heroic exploits of gods, but never to a triumph over the Sea; the Sea, whether as a god or goddess, is not important in the Sumerian pantheon.» — Dalley consigna la negativa que apoya el origen amorreo: los himnos sumerios nunca hablan de un triunfo sobre el Mar, que no es figura importante en su panteón
«The evidence is very tenuous, but it remains possible that the basic story of the epic is Amorite, and that the last two tablets were added during the Kassite period, a time which is recognized increasingly as one of composition as well as compilation. If so, an Amorite god, rather than Marduk, may have been the 'original' hero.» — Dalley marca su propia propuesta como lo que es: la evidencia es muy tenue, y solo queda como posible que el relato básico sea amorreo y que el héroe original fuera otro dios
«Both tales involve possessing the Tablet of Destinies as a key element; the weapons used in the big fight are largely the same, and the structure of the crisis, in which three gods are sent in turn and the third alone triumphs, is alike in both. The proclamation of new names and titles for the victor is likewise remarkably similar.» — Dalley alinea los parecidos entre esta epopeya y la de Anzu: la Tablilla de los Destinos, las armas, la estructura de tres enviados y la proclamación de nombres del vencedor
«A ritual tablet is extant giving instructions for the performance of the New Year Festival in Babylon, and it says specifically that the Epic of Creation is to be recited (or possibly enacted) on the fourth day.» — Dalley documenta el uso ritual del poema: una tablilla de instrucciones para la fiesta del Año Nuevo en Babilonia manda recitarlo el cuarto día
«In any case, the epic is definitely used as part of a ritual, and it has a type of opening, like Atrahasis, consisting of a statement 'When ... ', which is quite distinct from the type 'I shall sing ... ', found in the standard version of Gilgamesh and in Erra and Islwm.» — Dalley distingue los dos tipos de apertura del volumen: el que empieza por *When* en esta epopeya y en Atrahasis frente al que empieza por *I shall sing* en el Gilgamesh estándar y de Erra e Ishum
«In Gilgamesh we are aware of an audience constantly demanding detail, whereas the Creation is vaguely phrased, designed to impress rather than to entertain.» — Dalley contrasta los dos públicos por lo que el texto les da: el Gilgamesh responde a un público que pide detalle, y la Creación está formulada vagamente, para impresionar más que para entretener
«But we do not hear the audience asking, 'How was it made? What materials were used ? How much did it cost?» — Dalley remata el contraste con las preguntas que el público de la Creación no hace sobre el arco de Marduk
«All of these subjects would have listened to the epic, and its recital would have impressed upon them how an orderly universe and its kingship should be organized: an ideal state of affairs used for propaganda purposes.» — la lectura política que Dalley hace del poema, dicha como lectura: el recital imprimía en los súbditos cómo deben organizarse un universo ordenado y su realeza, un estado de cosas ideal con fines de propaganda
«When the king's subjects kiss his feet, they are doing no less than the great gods of heaven and earth did for Marduk. There is no question of rivalry; loyal support is absolute.» — Dalley cierra esa lectura con el gesto que la resume: al besar los pies del rey los súbditos no hacen menos que los grandes dioses ante Marduk
«surprising lack of textual variation is to be found in the tablets, which came from a variety of sites and periods. This may be explained either as indicating that composition is relatively late, and that there is no oral background; or as showing that a text became 'canonized' if it was used for a particular ritual, as this epic was.» — Dalley pone al lado las dos explicaciones posibles de la escasa variación textual entre tablillas de sitios y periodos distintos, sin escoger: composición tardía y sin fondo oral, o canonización por uso ritual. La frase empieza en la plana anterior y el verbatim arranca tras el artículo
«Direct dependence, however, is impossible to prove, and such similarities may better be interpreted as showing how a common stock» — Dalley se niega a derivar una obra de otra: la dependencia directa es imposible de probar; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«of motifs existed, from which each composition drew freely.» — continuación: conviene más leer los parecidos como un acervo común de motivos del que cada composición tomaba libremente
«The reason for this difference may be found in the nature of the New Year festival. This took place in the capital city in the» — Dalley explica la diferencia de estilo por la fiesta del Año Nuevo; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«month of Nisan (April), and the king had his mandate to rule renewed by the gods; to the ceremony came governors, plenipotentiaries, courtiers, top officials, and army officers to renew their oaths of loyalty to the king» — continuación: el mes de Nisán, el mandato del rey renovado por los dioses, y los gobernadores y oficiales que venían a renovar sus juramentos
«The epic is often referred to by the first two words of the fi rst line as Enuma Elish.» — la nota 1 de Dalley da el nombre por el que esta epopeya se conoce, tomado de sus dos primeras palabras
«The Assyrian version has Marduk instead of Anshar. Assur was assimilated with Anshar from the eighth century at least, perhaps because of similarity in names.» — la nota 4 de Dalley consigna la sustitución de nombres entre las dos versiones y la asimilación de Assur con Anshar desde el siglo VIII
«Compare this list of Tiamat's monsters with those with which Agumkakrime adorned the doors of Marduk's temple: '[made a pair of great door leaves, pine door leaves, 1 had them inlaid with a horned serpent, lahmu-hero, bull-man, Hgallll-dcmon, rabid dog, fish-man, goat-fish in lapis lazuli, rock crystal, carnelian, and alabaster.' Eithc· these creatures were there simply to ward off evil, or a different ver· of the Epic was in circulation, illustrated by the doors.» — la nota 9 de Dalley coteja el catálogo de monstruos del poema con los que Agum-kakrime hizo incrustar en las puertas del templo de Marduk, cita la inscripción entera, y deja abiertas las dos lecturas: amuletos contra el mal o una versión distinta de la epopeya; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido. El impreso parte el nombre *Agum-kakrime* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«Sennacherib's inscription, describing a scene from the Epic as depicted on the doors of his Temple of the :--Jew Year's Festival, makes it clear that the gods accompanied Assur into battle in the Assyrian version. 'A picture of Assur who goes inside Tiamat for battle; how he raises the bow in the chariot that he rides, the flood-weapon with which he is entrusted; Amurru who rides with him as rein-holder, the gods march in front of him and march behind him, those who ride in a vehicle, those who march on foot, and how those in front of Assur are arrayed, and how those behind Assur are arrayed; Tiamat and the creatures of her insides, against whom Assur, king of the gods, marches to battle; a picture of Sennacherib king of Assyria; the gods Sharur, Shargaz, Kakka, Nusku, Madam!, Tishpak, Ninurta-of-thc-wall, Kubu, Haya, Sebittithcsc are the gods who march in front of J\ssur. M ullissu, Shcnta, Sin, Nikkal, Shamash, Aya, Kippat-mati, J\nu, Antu, Adad, Shala, Ea, Damkina, 13elet-ili, Ninurtathcsc arc the gods who march behind Assur. The conquering weapons are positioned in Assur's chariot.» — la nota 21 de Dalley cita entera la inscripción de Senaquerib que describe la escena de la epopeya en las puertas del templo del Año Nuevo, con los dioses que marchan delante y detrás de Assur nombre por nombre; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido. El impreso cierra dos incisos con raya a fin de renglón (*Sebitti-* y *Ninurta-*) y *span()* los devuelve unidos a la palabra siguiente
«The word for the fifteenth day of the month, snbnttu, is cognate with the Sabbath.» — la nota 28 de Dalley señala el parentesco lingüístico entre el nombre del día decimoquinto del mes y el sábado
«The expression 'black-headed people' is normally understood to be a poetic term for mankind in genera l. It may also impl y contrast with fairhaired people living beyond the bounds of ancient Mesopotamia.» — la nota 41 de Dalley da la lectura corriente de la expresión del poema y añade la posibilidad de un contraste con gente de cabello claro fuera de Mesopotamia. El impreso parte *fair-haired* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«It is not possible to give an accurate translation or explanation for many of the following Sumerian titles of Marduk. In some cases, e.g. Asare, Tutu, Enbilulu, and Addu, he is assimilated with venerable deities whose independent existence is attested.» — la nota 47 de Dalley declara el muro de la última tablilla: muchos de los títulos sumerios de Marduk no admiten traducción ni explicación exacta
«In other cases the titles appear to be epithets which describe various aspects of his power; they are occasionally paraphrased and elaborated in the Akkadian description which follows each title, but often the elaboration consists largely of an esoteric play on words and logograms that is impossible to convey in English even when it is understood, and which can hardl y have been meaningful in spoken form.» — la misma nota describe qué son los demás títulos y por qué se pierden al traducir: juegos esotéricos de palabras y logogramas imposibles de rendir en inglés aunque se entiendan
«An Old Babylonian text from Mari refers to Addu (the west-semitic form of the weather-god Adad) of Aleppo as the conqueror of Tiamat. This may show that a version of this creation story was current in west-semitic circles in the ea rly second millennium» — la nota 52 de Dalley recoge de un texto de Mari que Addu de Alepo fuera el vencedor de Tiamat, y lo lee como indicio de una versión semítica occidental del relato de la creación
«This composition probably dates to at least the early second millennium, when Dunnu was a town of importance. Despite its incompleteness, the text is useful for showing that each city may have had its own local traditions about creation, which differed even in essentials from those of other cities.» — Dalley data la Teogonía de Dunnu y declara para qué sirve pese a su estado: muestra que cada ciudad pudo tener su propia tradición de la creación, distinta hasta en lo esencial
«Unlike the Epic of Creation, in which the primeval forces were Sea-water and Fresh water, we have here Plough and Earth as the originators of creation and the parents of the Sea. In yet another text, an incantation against toothache, the prime mover of creation is Anu the sky-god, who creates the sky which creates the earth.» — Dalley alinea tres cosmogonías mesopotámicas incompatibles sin armonizarlas: agua de mar y agua dulce, Arado y Tierra, y Anu que crea el cielo que crea la tierra
«Thus we cannot speak of 'the Mesopotamian view of creation' as a single, specific tradition, and this in turn shows the futility of claiming a direct connection between genesis as described in the Old Testament and any one Mesopotamian account of creation.» — la conclusión que Dalley saca y que es de las más firmes del volumen: no cabe hablar de una visión mesopotámica de la creación, y por eso es fútil reclamar conexión directa entre el Génesis y cualquier relato mesopotámico
«Another ancient account of genesis is preserved in the Theogony of Hesiod, in which Sky and Earth begin the process of creation; it was probably composed in Bceotia in the eighth century BC, making use of much older, traditional material.» — Dalley pone al lado la Teogonía de Hesíodo, donde Cielo y Tierra abren el proceso, compuesta probablemente en Beocia en el siglo VIII con material tradicional más antiguo
«The recurrent themes of incest, patricide, and matricide which characterize the Theogony of Dunnu can be paralleled to some extent in Hittite myths about early generations of gods, and contrast strongly with the gentlemanly conduct shown by almost all the deities in the Epic of Creation.» — Dalley empareja el incesto, el parricidio y el matricidio de este relato con los mitos hititas, y los contrasta con la conducta caballerosa de casi todas las deidades de la Epopeya de la Creación
«The monthly schedule of family violence seems to lead up to a change of habits at the New Year, which may indicate a connection between the recital of Creation and the New Year's Festival, but with more than half the composition lacking, no proper analysis can yet be made.» — Dalley propone una lectura del calendario de violencia familiar y pone el límite en la misma frase: con más de la mitad de la composición ausente, no cabe análisis propiamente dicho
«Differences in readings for divine names between Lambert 1965 and jacobsen 1984 are crucial in some cases, unimportant in others. I have mainly followed jacobsen; alternative readings are given in the Glossary under Plough, Shakkan, Flocks, River, and Kush. By translating them mostly with the English for their main aspect, I have avoided purely technical choices over the supposed pronunciation of logograms.» — la nota 1 de Dalley declara su criterio de traducción de los nombres divinos de este relato: seguir a Jacobsen y traducir por el aspecto principal para no tener que decidir sobre la pronunciación de los logogramas
«The sequence of months gives the last four months of the year, corresponding to December- March. The new year begnn in April.» — la nota 5 de Dalley sitúa el calendario del relato: los cuatro últimos meses del año, de diciembre a marzo, con el año nuevo en abril
«Jacobsen thought there were two separate gods called 'Flocks'.» — la nota 6 de Dalley consigna una lectura distinta de la suya sin adoptarla
«In the extant text known to us at present, Erra and Ishum may date no earlier than the eighth century BC, but it almost certainly incorporates older elements.» — Dalley data el texto conservado de Erra e Ishum y acota la datación en la misma frase: no anterior al siglo VIII, aunque casi con certeza incorpora elementos más viejos
«The main tablet, from Assur, takes the form of an amulet.» — el dato material que Dalley destaca: la tablilla principal tiene forma de amuleto
«The introductory lines belong to the genre associated with oral narrative in Standard Babylonian compositions, in which the poet in the first person declares the main theme of his subject; similar introductions are found in the Standard versions of Anzu and of Gilgamesh.» — Dalley clasifica el arranque de este poema en el género de la narrativa oral, donde el poeta declara en primera persona el asunto
«A few quotations have been found in the inscriptions of Sargon II and his contemporary in Babylon, the notorious Merodach-Baladan II, of the late eighth century, but those kings may have been quoting from the work because it was popular then, and not necessarily because it was composed at that time.» — Dalley usa las citas en inscripciones de Sargón II y de Merodac-Baladán II y pone el límite: pudieron citar la obra por popular y no porque se compusiera entonces
«Although the various tablets show very little textual variation, much more variation is exhibited in extracts, which were written commonly on amulets, and they show that different versions did indeed exist, perhaps due to oral tradition.» — Dalley contrasta la poca variación entre tablillas con la mucha de los extractos de amuleto, y lee en ella la existencia de versiones distintas
«Certain evidence of older associations has been noted, particularly with reference to the Suteans, traditionally nomadic enemies who damaged Babylonian cities in the eleventh century sc, but they may have been incorporated deliberately to lend an air of antiquity and thus authority to the poem.» — Dalley consigna la evidencia de asociaciones antiguas con los suteos y su lectura alternativa: pudieron incorporarse a propósito para dar aire de antigüedad y autoridad al poema
«Such a possibility is reinforced by an apparent element of pseudo-prophecy, which is expressed in Tablet IV, when Erra proclaims: 'But afterwards a man of Akkad shall rise up.» — Dalley apoya esa lectura en lo que llama un elemento aparente de pseudoprofecía, y cita el verso en que Erra lo proclama
«Partially assimilated with Gilgamesh on the one hand and with Heracles on the other, he was a fertility god, patron of copper smelting, controller of both wild and domesticated animals, and his weapon was floods and mountain torrents.» — Dalley enumera los aspectos del dios: asimilado en parte con Gilgamesh y con Heracles, dios de fertilidad, patrón de la fundición de cobre y señor de los animales
«As a heroic warrior of sudden and uncertain changes of mood, the poem presents him as an effective challenge to Marduk, now represented as the disgruntled and senile god of Babylon.» — la lectura que Dalley hace del poema, dicha como lectura: presenta a Erra como desafío eficaz a Marduk, representado ahora como el dios de Babilonia malhumorado y senil
«The other main subject of the poem is Ishum, whose essential nature as god of fire and as leader in battle is tempered by his skill as a wise counsellor and cunning placator of Erra.» — Dalley presenta al otro protagonista: dios del fuego y caudillo en la batalla, templado por su destreza de consejero sabio y aplacador astuto
«The poem does not describe a clear narrative of specific events, but rather consists of direct discourse in which the poet, Erra, Ishum, and Marduk all make speeches, mostly in a rhetorical and declamatory style.» — Dalley declara qué clase de texto es: no una narración clara de sucesos, sino discurso directo del poeta, de Erra, de Ishum y de Marduk, en estilo retórico y declamatorio
«There is no real enemy, no rivalry, no dangers faced and overcome, no failure. An element of ridicule and satire spices the characterization of both Erra and Marduk.» — Dalley enumera lo que este poema no tiene, en contraste con las demás epopeyas del volumen, y añade el elemento de ridículo y sátira en los dos protagonistas
«Possibly the poem shows features of ritual drama: the poet speaks to the gods who are sometimes addressed in the second person, sometimes he speaks for them in the first person; at other times the narrative is in the third person. At times direct speech is given without preamble, as in the Epic of Creation; at times an epic type of formulaic introduction to direct speech is given in full. Thus the composition may offer information on the ancestry of true drama, which is thought to have arisen in Greece from a dithyrambic chorus that began a dialogue, in which a single actor played the god.» — Dalley propone, con el *possibly* dentro, que el poema muestre rasgos de drama ritual y que informe sobre la ascendencia del drama verdadero
«The ending of the work and its use in extracts on amulets, makes it clear that certain passages served to ward off danger and illness.» — Dalley fija el uso del texto por su final y por los extractos de amuleto: ciertos pasajes servían para conjurar el peligro y la enfermedad
«The ending of the poem is unusual, for the scribe is named as Kabti-ilani-Marduk of the Dabibi clan, a family first attested around 765 BC and associated with high temple office in both Babylon and Uruk.» — Dalley destaca la excepción que hace a este poema único en el volumen: el final nombra al escriba, Kabti-ilani-Marduk del clan Dabibi, familia atestiguada hacia 765 a. C.
«A dream is the express source of his inspiration. In the final lines Erra in the first person exhorts the people to praise himself.» — Dalley consigna cómo el propio texto declara su origen: un sueño es la fuente expresa de la inspiración, y en las líneas finales Erra en primera persona exhorta a alabarlo
«Erra, also known as Nergal, one main subject of the poem, is a great god in the Mesopotamian pantheon whose aspects as a god of plague and lord of the Underworld made him particularly» — Dalley presenta al protagonista: Erra, también llamado Nergal, dios de la peste y señor del inframundo; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«There is no clear evidence that the poem was used in the cult in specific circumstances, and there is no reason to connect its author with» — Dalley consigna dos negativas sobre el uso del poema y sobre su autor; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«worship of Erra, whose main cult centre at Kutha plays no part in the poem.» — continuación: no hay razón para enlazar al autor con el culto de Erra, cuyo centro principal en Kutha no aparece en el poema
«unpredictable and awesome.» — continuación: esos aspectos hacían a Erra particularmente imprevisible y temible. El troceo separa las palabras con los espacios anchos de la maquetación y el verbatim se ancla en la primera aparición
«Here Marduk takes responsibility for the Flood; in Atrahasis it was Ellil's idea.» — la nota 15 de Dalley consigna la divergencia entre dos relatos del propio volumen sin armonizarla: aquí Marduk se adjudica el Diluvio y en Atrahasis la idea es de Ellil
«In this speech Marduk refers to himself as a cult statue made of precious metals, gems, and timbers.» — la nota 17 de Dalley da la clave del parlamento: Marduk habla de sí mismo como estatua de culto hecha de metales preciosos, gemas y maderas
«Certain cities were accorded the privileged status of protection called kidinniitu in which its citizens were exempted from military service, and professional soldiers were forbidden to bear arms within the city walls.» — la nota 36 de Dalley explica el estatuto de las ciudades protegidas cuyos ciudadanos quedaban exentos del servicio militar y donde los soldados no podían portar armas
«This literary allusion is not understood. According to one text 'the ruined gods were in the sea', and the Epic of Creation, VI may allude to the same event. It is possible that a feat of Ninurta is involved.» — la nota 38 de Dalley declara no entendida una alusión literaria del poema y deja la explicación como posible
«The reference is to the myth of Anzu, but a different version from the one known to us in which no net is used.» — la nota 39 de Dalley consigna que el poema alude a una versión de Anzu distinta de la conocida, donde no se usa red
«Man of Akkad' probably refers to an urban Babylonian as opposed to a nomad or a foreigner. This line indicates that there is an important element of pseudo-prophecy in the epic.» — la nota 52 de Dalley identifica al hombre de Acad como babilonio urbano frente al nómada o el extranjero, y lee el verso como elemento importante de pseudoprofecía
«People were commonly buried under the floors of their houses.» — la nota 50 de Dalley respalda el verso del que construye su casa con la práctica funeraria: la gente solía enterrarse bajo el piso de sus casas
«When a divine statue was made or repaired, rituals known as 'washing the mouth' and 'opening the mouth' were carried out with incantations, Ea's speciality, to bring the statue to 'life'.» — la nota 25 de Dalley describe los ritos de lavado y apertura de la boca con que se daba vida a una estatua divina, especialidad de Ea
«The idea that a god is made powerless when divested of his rays or mantle of radiance is also found in the episode of Humbaba in Gilgamesh .» — la nota 26 de Dalley enlaza el despojo del manto de resplandor con el episodio de Humbaba en el Gilgamesh
«abiibu-'flood-weapon', personified weapon of floods, flash -floods, and torrents. Used as an epithet and as a weapon by various gods including Ninurta, Nergal, and Adad. Also describes the voice of Humbaba.» — la primera entrada del glosario define el arma de diluvio que recorre todo el volumen: arma personificada de crecidas y torrentes, usada como epíteto por Ninurta, Nergal y Adad; el troceo imprime *abiibu* por abubu
«Adapa-son of Ea, priest in Eridu. Also known as Uan (Oannes), the first of the Seven Sages, who brought the arts and skills of civiliza» — la entrada de Adapa lo identifica con el Oannes de Beroso y con el primero de los Siete Sabios
«Akkadian- east semitic language related to Hebrew and Arabic; includes dialects of the Babylonians and Assyrians, written with cuneiform (wedge-shaped) signs that have a combination of logographic, syllabic, and determinative values. In use from about 2400 to IOO BC.» — la entrada que define la lengua de todos los textos del volumen: semítica oriental, escrita en cuneiforme con valores logográficos, silábicos y determinativos, en uso desde hacia 2400 hasta el año 100 a. C.
«Anunna, Anunnaki, Anukki, Enunaki- Sumerian group term for the old, chthonic deities of fertility and the Underworld, headed by Anu. They later became judges in the Underworld. Often paired with the Igigi.» — la entrada que define al grupo divino más citado del volumen: deidades ctónicas viejas de la fertilidad y el inframundo, que después fueron jueces allí
«Anzu (Sumerian lmdugud, previously read Zu in Akkadian. Also pronounced Azzu. )-lion-headed eagle, doorkeeper of Ellil, born in the mountain llehe. Portrayed as a wicked thief in Anzu, but benevolent in the Sumerian epic of Lugalbanda.» — la entrada de Anzu recoge las dos caracterizaciones opuestas que el propio volumen consigna sin armonizar: ladrón malvado en su epopeya y benévolo en la de Lugalbanda
«Apsu- domain of sweet, fresh water beneath the earth, home of Ea and of the Seven Sages. Name of Ea's temple in Eridu. Husband of Tiamat, father of the primeval gods.» — la entrada del Apsu, que es a la vez dominio de agua dulce bajo la tierra, hogar de Ea y de los Siete Sabios, y nombre del templo de Ea en Eridu
«Berossus-priest of Marduk in Babylon. Wrote Babyloniaca in Greek around 281 Be for Antiochus I, to narrate ancient Mesopotamian cultural traditions to the Greeks. The work is known only in parts, from quotations in later Greek writers.» — la entrada de Beroso declara para quién y para qué escribió, y cómo se conserva su obra: solo en partes, por citas de escritores griegos posteriores
«Demons-illnesses and misfortunes were personified as demons, both male and female, with Akkadian or Sumerian names. Groups of demons are: asakkulasakku (Sumerian asag), seven created by Anu and defeated by Ninurta, a victory also attributed to Nergal; gallii, a term which originally referred to police officers; Sebitti, 'The Seven', q.v. Individuals with Akkadian names are: 'Lord of the Roof', bel 1/ri; 'Fits', bennu; 'Wind', idiptu; 'Scab', libu; Lamashtu-a female demon, a disease; 'Something Evil', mimma lemnu; 'Stroke', miqit; 'Flashes of Lightning', muttabriqu; 'She who Erases', pasittu (an epithet of the demon Lamashtu); a liondemon ugallu, see fig. 2:8» — la entrada que define el modo de pensar que recorre el volumen: enfermedades y desgracias personificadas como demonios, con la lista de nombres acadios uno por uno, del Señor del Tejado a la que Borra. El impreso parte *lion-demon* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«Dumuzi-'faithful son', Sumerian god, lover of Ishtar, brother of Geshtin-anna, shepherd of Uruk, doorkeeper of Anu, paired with Gishzida, fisherman of Ku'ara. Spent half of each year in the Underworld and so was the subject of the annual taklimtu-ritual of lying-in-state.» — la entrada de Dumuzi reúne sus funciones y el rito anual que explica el final del Descenso de Ishtar: medio año en el inframundo y la capilla ardiente
«Ea (Sumerian Enki)-god of fresh water, wisdom, and incantations, helper of mankind who sent the Seven Sages to teach the arts and skills of civilization to men.» — la entrada de Ea, que es el dios que resuelve casi todos los relatos del volumen: agua dulce, sabiduría y encantamientos, y el que envió a los Siete Sabios
«Kassites-horsemen from outside Mesopotamia who seized power as resident aliens in the mid-second millennium BC, and ruled from Babylon for almost 500 years. Although they had their own, nonsemitic language, they were fully assimilated to Akkadian culture and appear to have introduced no particular innovations» — la entrada de los casitas, el periodo que Dalley señala como el de mayor actividad escribal: forasteros que gobernaron desde Babilonia casi quinientos años y se asimilaron del todo a la cultura acadia. El impreso parte *non-semitic* a fin de renglón y *span()* lo devuelve unido
«lahmu, lahamu- 'the hairy one', perhaps also 'muddy', term for a primeval hero with three pairs of curls, shown naked except for a triple sash. Creature of Ea in the Apsu. Ea's temple in Eridu contained fifty of them. They controlled the bolt of the sea and the availability of fish.» — la entrada del héroe primordial que aparece en Atrahasis, en el Gilgamesh y en la Epopeya de la Creación: criatura de Ea en el Apsu, con cincuenta de ellos en su templo, que controlaban el cerrojo del mar y la disponibilidad de pescado
«Nergal (also pronounced Erakal)-'lord of Erkalla (the Great City)'. Chief god of the Underworld, consort of Ereshkigal (and of Mammitum; see s. v. Ninhursag). Assimilated with Erra and called Herakles in Greek. Patron god of Kutha and Tarbi?u. Temple Emeslam. Partly assimilated with Gilgamesh as judge of the Underworld and with Ninurta.» — la entrada de Nergal reúne las asimilaciones que el volumen consigna: con Erra, con Heracles en griego, y en parte con Gilgamesh como juez del inframundo y con Ninurta
«Nin-hursag- 'mountain lady', also known as Ninmah 'supreme lady', Nintu 'birth(?)lady', Mamma, Mammi, Mami, Mammitum, 'mummy', Belet-ili 'mistress of the gods', Aruru (meaning unknown). Epithets: sassuru, 'womb-goddess'; tahsiit 111, 'midwife of the gods'; and qurqurrat 111, 'smelter of the gods', 'mother of the gods', and 'mother of all children» — la entrada de la gran diosa madre enumera todos los nombres con que el volumen la llama, uno por uno, y sus epítetos de diosa matriz, partera y fundidora de los dioses
«Offerings- flour offering ma~hatu which was roasted and scattered; smoke offering, qutrinnu, which the gods could smell from heaven; incense offering, mussakku; scattered offering, surqimw; presentation offering, taqribtu; displayed offering, taklimu; food offering, nindaba, often of bread; regular offerings, giml; sacrifices, niq!l, often of sheep.» — la entrada que define las clases de ofrenda que los textos nombran, una por una: harina tostada y esparcida, humo que los dioses huelen desde el cielo, incienso, presentación, exposición, alimento y sacrificio
«Priests and Priestesses-enu (Sumerian en), high priest, a role sometimes filled in early times by a city ruler; entu, high priestess, sometimes the king's daughter dedicated to the moon-god at Ur, may have acted for the goddess in sacred marriage ceremony; ugbabtu, egi~ltu, kulmasitu, and qadistu, cloistered females under cultic regulations that prohibited normal marriage and childbirth; paslsu; anointed priest, isippu and lumahhu, kinds of purification priests; gudapsa, lagaru, names for priestly personnel whose roles are uncertain; sakkarzakku city governor with priestly functions.» — la entrada que define el personal de culto que los relatos nombran, clase por clase, incluidas las mujeres enclaustradas cuyas reglas prohibían el matrimonio normal y los hijos
«They were banished back to the Apsu forever after angering Ea.» — el final de la misma entrada, que es el dato que cierra el relato de Adapa: fueron desterrados de vuelta al Apsu para siempre por haber irritado a Ea
«In iconography sages are shown either as fish-men, or with bird attributes appropriate to Underworld creatures.» — el remate de la entrada: en la iconografía los sabios aparecen como hombres pez o con atributos de ave propios de criaturas del inframundo
«Belet-seri-'mistress of open country' (where restless ghosts resided» — la entrada de la escriba del inframundo, con la explicación del campo abierto como el lugar donde residían los fantasmas inquietos; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«goddess who was recorder of the Underworld. Epithet: 'scribe of Earth» — continuación: diosa que llevaba el registro del inframundo, con el epíteto de escriba de la Tierra
«Seven Sages-according to cuneiform traditions, known only from» — la entrada de los Siete Sabios declara de dónde se conocen; la frase se corta en el cambio de plana
«indirect references and from Berossus, Ea sent seven divine sages, apka/lu, in the form of puradu-fish (carp?) from the Apsu to teach the arts (Sumerian me) of civilization to mankind before the Flood.» — continuación: solo por referencias indirectas y por Beroso, y de ahí que Ea enviara siete sabios divinos en forma de peces desde el Apsu antes del Diluvio
«Underworld-known as 'The Earth', e r~etum; 'The Stronghold(!)', Dannina; Arali, q.v.; Kutha (city where Nergal was patron god); Meslam (Nergal's temple in Kutha); 'The Lower Regions', sapliitu; 'The Great Place', kigallu, gingal; 'The Land of No Return', Kurnugi; and 'The Great City', Erkalla. Great gate called Ganzir, palace Egalgina. Ruled by Ereshkigal and by Nergal. Recorder: Belet-seri. judges: the Anunnaki gods, and Gilgamesh.» — la entrada del inframundo enumera todos sus nombres, uno por uno, con su gran puerta, su palacio, sus gobernantes, su registradora y sus jueces
«The Greek Hades may be derived from Akkadian adesu, 'oaths, consequences of perjury» — la misma entrada propone, con el *may* dentro, que el Hades griego derive de una palabra acadia para los juramentos y las consecuencias del perjurio
«Ut-napishtim-also known as Uta-na'ishtim and Ut-napushte, meaning perhaps 'he found life' and/or 'day of life', Hebrew Noah, Sumerian Ziusudra, and Xisuthros in Berossus' Greek rendering.» — la entrada del superviviente del Diluvio alinea todos sus nombres a través de las lenguas, incluido el Noé hebreo
«Winds-four winds of the compass points: South Wind, sutu, capricious and female, also known as 'Ea' s breath'; North Wind, is tan u, pleasant and moderate; East Wind, sadu, literally 'mountain wind'; West Wind, amurru. Seven evil winds, variously referred to as 'Evil Wind', imh,tllu; 'Tempest', mehii; 'Whirlwind', asmnsatu; 'Tornado', imsuhhu; and saparziqqu-wind.» — la entrada de los vientos da los cuatro de los puntos cardinales con su carácter, y los siete vientos malos con los nombres que los textos usan
«Ziggurrat-temple tower, either stepped in tiers or spiral, symbolizing mountain peak on which gods dwelt. Topped by a small shrine.» — la entrada del zigurat declara qué simbolizaba: el pico de montaña donde moraban los dioses, coronado por un pequeño santuario
«Certain terms, notably Igigi, Anunnaki, and Sebitti, are very seldom declined in Akkadian texts, so the forms given have been taken as probably status absolutus, although they are sometimes declined in esoteric, scholarly texts.» — la nota que cierra el glosario declara una decisión de forma: ciertos términos casi nunca se declinan en acadio, de modo que las formas se dan como absolutas
«Shamhat (also pronounced Shamkat)-'harlot, voluptuous one» — la entrada del personaje que humaniza a Enkidu: su nombre significa ramera o voluptuosa; el troceo parte la frase en el cambio de plana
«Items which incorporate long and detailed bibliographies are marked with an asterisk. References to the publication of copies of the cuneiform tablets can be found in the editions, and are not given separately here.» — Dalley declara el criterio de su bibliografía selecta y lo que deja fuera: las referencias a la publicación de las copias cuneiformes están en las ediciones y no se repiten aquí
«Recent additions to the bibliography are given in the preface to the revised edition» — Dalley remite al prefacio de la edición revisada para las adiciones recientes, que es donde aparece la traducción de George de 1999
«Lambert, W. G. and Walcot, P. 1965, 'A new Babylonian theogony and Hesiod', Kadmos, 4, pp. 64 ff. - -and Millard A. R. 1969, Atra-hasis. The Babylonian story of the Flood» — la bibliografía selecta nombra en una misma entrada el estudio que empareja la Teogonía de Dunnu con Hesíodo y la edición de Atrahasis de Lambert y Millard, que es el texto base declarado al pie de las notas a ese relato; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«Reiner, E. 1960, 'Plague amulets and house blessings» — la bibliografía registra el estudio sobre amuletos contra la peste que Dalley cita al explicar el uso de Erra e Ishum
«Shaffer, A. 1963, The Sumerian sources of Tablet XII of the Epic of Gilgamesh» — la bibliografía registra la tesis sobre las fuentes sumerias de la tablilla XII, que es la que Dalley sigue en la nota donde declara ese texto un añadido
«Probably belonged to the cult personnel of lshtar's temple in Uruk.» — continuación de la misma entrada: la mujer pertenecía probablemente al personal de culto del templo de Ishtar en Uruk. El troceo imprime el nombre de la diosa como *lshtar*
«Tigay, J. H. 1977, 'Was there an integrated Gilgamesh Epic in the Old Babylonian period?» — la bibliografía registra el artículo de Tigay que Dalley cita al discutir si la epopeya ya formaba un todo integrado en época paleobabilonia; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«Walker, C. B. F. 1983, 'The Myth of Girra and Elamatum» — la bibliografía registra el estudio del mito de Girra y Elamatum que Dalley cita en la nota sobre el arco vuelto constelación; tramo releído entero en el crudo y extraído sin la guarda anticosido
«Ellil (also Illil; Sumerian Enlil)-god whose nature and attributes are still uncertain. Head of the younger generation of Sumerian and Akkadian gods. Cult centre Nippur. Temple called Ekur. Spouse Mulliltu; son Ninurta. Old interpretation of his name as ' Lord wind/air' is disputed. Epithet: 'king of (all) populated lands'. Symbol: a horned crown on a shrine.» — la entrada del dios que decreta los castigos en Atrahasis y en Anzu, y que el glosario declara de naturaleza y atributos todavía inciertos, con la interpretación antigua de su nombre en disputa
«Eshnunna-kingdom cast of Tigris. Included Ishchali where some of OBV Gilgamesh was excavated, and Tell Haddad, where some of Erra and Ishum was excavated.» — la entrada de Eshnunna enlaza el glosario con la procedencia material de dos de los textos del volumen; el troceo imprime *cast* por east
«Hattusas (modern Bogazkiiy)-Hittite capital city in northern Anarolia where Akkadian, Hittite, and Hurrian fragments of Gilgamesh have been found.» — la entrada de la capital hitita, de donde salen los fragmentos acadios, hititas y hurritas del Gilgamesh que el volumen intercala; el troceo imprime *Anarolia* por Anatolia
«Sin (also spelt Su'en; Sumerian Nanna, west semitic Erah)-moon-god of Ur, Harran, and Neirab. Consort of Nikkal (Sumerian Ningal). Symbol: crescent disk. Lord of oaths. Associated with skin diseases.» — la entrada del dios lunar reúne sus nombres en tres lenguas y sus dos rasgos de oficio: señor de los juramentos y asociado a las enfermedades de la piel
«Craig,]. A. ~ 895 -7 , Assyrian and Babylonian Religious Texts I and 11» — una entrada de la bibliografía, la del texto religioso del que Dalley restituye un verso del lamento fúnebre de Gilgamesh; el OCR desfigura las cifras del año
«Haas, V. 1979. ' Remarks on I-Iurrian !Star-Sawuska of Nineveh in the second millennium Be» — la entrada del estudio sobre la Ishtar hurrita de Nínive que Dalley cita al explicar el control de demonios en la versión de Amarna; el troceo imprime *I-Iurrian* y *!Star-Sawuska*
Concepts treated
Secreto (lo que se jura no fijar por escrito) — El saber que los relatos disputan es guardado: el prólogo del Gilgamesh presenta al héroe como el que halló lo secreto y descubrió lo oculto; Ut-napishtim abre el relato del Diluvio diciendo que va a revelar un asunto celosamente guardado, el secreto de los dioses; Ea se defiende alegando que no reveló ese secreto sino que solo mostró un sueño; y la Epopeya de la Creación cierra declarando que el escriba puso por escrito la instrucción secreta que los mayores recitaron.
Cadena de transmisión (quién tomó de quién) — La transmisión es tema de los propios textos y de su aparato: los escribas nombrados de quienes los posteriores decían descender vivieron en el periodo casita; los colofones de Atrahasis y de la Epopeya de la Creación dan la mano que copió, su padre y el año; y el final de la Creación manda que el mayor explique los nombres al menor y el padre se los enseñe al hijo.
Crítica de fuentes (criterios de inclusión y descarte) — Dalley expone el método con que se editan estos textos y sus límites: las versiones se rotulan por el periodo de la tablilla en que se escribieron, con la advertencia de que la tablilla puede ser posterior a la versión; no cabe reconstruir una versión maestra con variantes como se editan los textos hebreos y clásicos; y la extensión de las lagunas se calcula por una regla declarada de cuarenta y cinco líneas por columna.
Necromancia (nigromancia) — El trato con los muertos aparece en tres formas: la amenaza de Ishtar y de Ereshkigal de levantar a los muertos para que coman a los vivos; el espíritu de Enkidu que sale de la Tierra como ráfaga de viento por un agujero que Ea manda abrir; y el interrogatorio con que el vivo le pide las condiciones del inframundo, muerto por muerto.
Daimon (entidad intermedia, ni ángel ni demonio) — Los relatos operan con seres intermedios nombrados: los catorce demonios que Ea da a Nergal para tomar el inframundo, cada uno con su nombre de enfermedad o de fenómeno; los Sebitti, cuyo nacimiento fue extraño y lleno de presagios terribles y cuyo aliento es letal; y la entrada del glosario que declara que enfermedades y desgracias se personificaban como demonios.
Prodigio (prodigium, portentum, ostentum) — El presagio funciona dentro de los relatos: el nacimiento de los Sebitti va lleno de portentos terribles, y el desastre de Erra e Ishum se anuncia en el cielo con la estrella de Erra que centellea y lleva rayos.