Atrahasis made his voice heard And spoke to his master, Indicate to me the meaning of the dream J let me find out its portent Enki made his voice heard And spoke to his servant, You say, I should find out in bed Make sure you attend to the message I shall tell you! Wall, listen constantly to me! Reed hut, make sure you attend to all my words! Dismantle the house, build a boat⁠a Reject possessions, and save living things. 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. He opened the sand clock and filled it, He told him the sand (needed) for the Flood was Seven nights worth. Atrahasis received the message. He gathered the elders at his door. Atrahasis made his voice heard And spoke to the elders, 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 I cannot set my foot on Ellils territory (again). I must go down to the Apsu and stay] with (my) god. This is what he told me. The elders The carpenter [brought his axe,] The reed worker [brought his stone,] [A child brought] bitumen. The poor [fetched what was needed.] Everything there was Everything there was Pure ones Fat ones⁠b He selected [and put on board.] [The birds] that fly in the sky, Cattle [of Shak]kan, Wild animals of open country he put on board He invited his people to a feast.⁠c he put his family on board. 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. The face of the weather changed. Adad bellowed from the clouds. When he (Atrahasis) heard his noise,⁠d 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. Anzu was tearing at the sky with his talons, the land, He broke the Flood [came out] The kasiisu-weapon went against the people like an army. No one could see anyone else, They could not be recognized in the catastrophe. The Flood roared like a bull, Like a wild ass screaming the winds [howled] The darkness was total, there was no sun. like white sheep. of the Flood. the noise of the Flood. [Anu] went berserk, [The gods ] .. . his sons .. . before him As for Nintu the Great Mistress, Her lips became encrusted with rime. The great gods, the Anunna, Stayed parched and famished. The goddess watched and wept, Midwife of the gods, wise Mami: Let daylight.. . Let it return and ... However could I, in the assembly of gods, Have ordered such destruction with them? Ellil was strong enoughto give a wicked order Like Tiruru he ought to have cancelled that wicked order! I heard their cry levelled at me, Against myself, against my person. Beyond my control my offspring have become like white sheep. As for me, how am I to livein a house of bereavement? My noise has turned to silence. Could I go away, up to the sky And live as in a cloister? What was Anus 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 Nintu was wailing Would a true fatherhave given birth to the [rolling] sea (So that) they could clog the river like dragonflies They are washed uplike 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? She wept, she gave vent to her feelings, Nintu wept and fuelled her passions. The gods wept with her for the country. 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. For seven days and seven nights⁠e The torrent, storm and flood came on. He put down⁠f Provided food The gods smelt the fragrance, Gathered like flies over the offering. When they had eaten the offering, Nintu got up and blamed them all, 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). Then she went up to the big flies 42 Which Anu had made, and (declared) before the gods His grief is mine! My destiny goes with his! He must deliver me from evil, and appease me! Let me go out in the morning Let these flies be the lapis lazuli of my necklace⁠g By which I may remember it daily [forever] The warrior Ellil spotted the boat 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? Anu made his voice heard And spoke to the warrior Ellil, Who but Enki would do this? He made sure that the [reed hut] disclosed the order. Enki made his voice heard And spoke to the great gods, I did it, in defiance of you! I made sure life was preserved Exact your punishment from the sinner. And whoever contradicts your order I have given vent to my feelings! Ellil made his voice heard And spoke to far-sighted Enki, Come, summon Nintu the womb-goddess! Confer with each other in the assembly. Enki made his voice heard And spoke to the womb-goddess Nintu, You are the womb-goddess who decrees destinies to the people. [Let one-third of them be] [Let another third of them be] 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 mothers lap. Establish ugbabtu, entu, egi~ltu-women 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 recordyour greatness. I shall sing of the Flood to all people Listen!