Translation: Andrew George, The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin Books, 2000), pp. 145–148.
The envoys of Akka, Enmebaragesi’s son,
came from Kish to Bilgames in Uruk.
Before his city’s elders Bilgames
laid the matter, seeking a solution:
‘“To empty the wells, to empty the wells of the land,
to empty the shallow wells of the land,
to empty the deep wells furnished with hoisting ropes:”
let us not submit to the house of Kish, let us wage war!’
The convened assembly of his city’s elders
gave answer to Bilgames:
‘“To empty the wells, to empty the wells of the land,
to empty the shallow wells of the land,
to empty the deep wells furnished with hoisting ropes:”
[1]let us submit to the house of Kish, let us not wage war!’
Bilgames, the lord of Kullab,
placing his trust in the goddess Inanna,
[2]took no notice of what his city’s elders said.
Before his city’s young men Bilgames
laid the matter a second time, seeking a solution:
‘“To empty the wells, to empty the wells of the land,
to empty the shallow wells of the land,
to empty the deep wells furnished with hoisting ropes:”
let us not submit to the house of Kish, let us wage war!’
The convened assembly of his city’s young men gave answer to Bilgames:
‘To stand on duty, to sit in attendance,
to escort the king’s son –
to hold a donkey by the hindquarters –
as they say, who is there has breath for that?
Let us not submit to the house of Kish, let us wage war!
Uruk, the smithy of the gods,
Eanna, house come down from heaven –
the great gods it was who gave them shape –
their great rampart, a cloudbank resting on the earth,
their lofty residence, founded by the god An:
they are given into your charge, you are their king and their warrior!
O crusher of heads, prince beloved of An,
when he arrives why be afraid?
That army is small and a rabble at the rear,
its men will not withstand us!’
Then Bilgames, the lord of Kullab,
his heart rejoiced in what his city’s young men said, his mood turned bright,
he spoke to his servant, Enkidu:
‘Now make ready the equipment and arms of battle,
let weapons of war return to your grasp!
Let them create terror and a dread aura,
so when he arrives fear of me overwhelms him,
so his good sense is confounded and his judgement undone!’
It was not five days, it was not ten days,
Enmebaragesi’s son Akka laid siege to Uruk,
and Uruk’s good sense was confounded.
Bilgames, the lord of Kullab,
addressed the city’s warriors:
‘O my warriors, whose eyes stare wide in alarm,
let one stout of heart volunteer, “I will go to Akka!”’
Birhurturra, his royal bodyguard,
did homage to his king:
‘My lord, I will go to Akka,
so his good sense is confounded and his judgement undone!’
Birhurturra went forth from the city gate.
As Birhurturra passed through the city gate,
in the city’s gateway he was taken captive,
they battered Birhurturra from head to toe.
He came into the presence of Akka,
he addressed Akka.
He had not finished speaking when the Steward of Uruk climbed up on the wall,
and raised his head on the rampart.
Akka caught sight of him,
and addressed Birhurturra:
‘Slave, is that man your king?’
‘That man is not my king!
Were that man my king,
were that his fearsome brow,
were those his bison eyes,
were that his beard of lapis lazuli,
were those his fingers fine,
would a myriad not fall, a myriad not rise,
would a myriad thereby not roll in the dust,
would all the nations thereby not be overwhelmed,
would the mouths of the land thereby not be filled with dust,
would he not cut down the horns of the boat,
would he not make Akka, king of Kish, a prisoner in the heart of his army?’
They hit him and they beat him,
they battered Birhurturra from head to toe.
After the Steward of Uruk, Bilgames climbed up on the wall,
(his) dread aura overwhelmed the old and the young of Kullab,
but [put] weapons of war in the hands of Uruk’s young men.
At the door of the city gate he (or they) stood in the roadway,
Enkidu went forth from the city gate.
Bilgames raised his head on the rampart.
Looking up, Akka caught sight of him:
‘Slave, is that man your king?’
‘That man is indeed my king!’
And it was just as he had said,
a myriad did fall, a myriad did rise,
a myriad did thereby roll in the dust,
all the nations were thereby overwhelmed,
the mouths of the land were thereby filled with dust,
he cut down the horns of the boat,
in the midst of his army he took prisoner Akka, king of Kish.
[The lord] of Uruk . . . that army.
Bilgames, the lord of Kullab,
addressed Akka:
‘O Akka, my lieutenant, Akka, my captain, O Akka, my commander, Akka, my general,
O Akka, my field marshal!
O Akka, you gave me breath, Akka, you gave me life,
[3]O Akka, you took to your bosom a man on the run,
O Akka, a runaway bird you sated with grain!’
Akka: ‘Uruk, the smithy of the Gods,
its great rampart, a cloudbank resting on the earth,
its lofty residence, founded by the god An,
are given into your charge: [repay me] my favour!’
Bilgames: ‘Before the Sun God I hereby repay you the favour of old!’
He let Akka go free to Kish.
O Bilgames, lord of Kullab,
sweet is your praise!