吉尔伽美什与不死草

照录布奇（E. A. Wallis Budge）1920 年英译；方括号内为原书所加。

The story of the Deluge as told by Uta-Napishtim to Gilgamish has

already been given on pp. 31-40, and we therefore pass on to the

remaining contents of this Tablet. When Uta-Napishtim had finished the

story of the Deluge, he said to Gilgamish, "Now as touching thyself;

which of the gods will gather thee to himself so that thou mayest

find the life which thou seekest? Come now, do not lay thyself down to

sleep for six days and seven nights." But in spite of this admonition

as soon as Gilgamish had sat down, drowsiness overpowered him and

he fell fast asleep. Uta-Napishtim, seeing that even the mighty hero

Gilgamish could not resist falling asleep, with some amusement drew

the attention of his wife to the fact, but she felt sorry for the

tired man, and suggested that he should take steps to help him to

return to his home. In reply Uta-Napishtim told her to bake bread for

him and she did so, and each day for six days she carried a loaf to

the ship and laid it on the deck where Gilgamish lay sleeping. On the

seventh day when she took the loaf Uta-Napishtim touched Gilgamish,

and the hero woke up with a start, and admitted that he had been

overcome with sleep, and made incapable of movement thereby.

Still vexed with the thought of death and filled with anxiety to

escape from it, Gilgamish asked his host what he should do and where he

should go to effect his object. By Uta-Napishtim's advice, he made an

agreement with Ur-Shanabi the boatman, and prepared to re-cross the sea

on his way home. But before he set out on his way Uta-Napishtim told

him of the existence of a plant which grew at the bottom of the sea,

and apparently led Gilgamish to believe that the possession of it would

confer upon him immortality. Thereupon Gilgamish tied heavy stones

[to his feet], and let himself down into the sea through an opening in

the floor of the boat. When he reached the bottom of the sea, he saw

the plant and plucked it, and ascended into the boat with it. Showing

it to Ur-Shanabi, he told him that it was a most marvellous plant, and

that it would enable a man to obtain his heart's desire. Its name was

"Shîbu issahir amelu," i.e., "The old man becometh young [again],"

and Gilgamish declared that he would "eat of it in order to recover

his lost youth," and that he would take it home to his fortified city

of Erech. Misfortune, however, dogged his steps, and the plant never

reached Erech, for whilst Gilgamish and Ur-Shanabi were on their way

back to Erech they passed a pool the water of which was very cold,

and Gilgamish dived into it and took a bath. Whilst there a serpent

discovered the whereabouts of the plant through its smell and swallowed

it. When Gilgamish saw what had happened he cursed aloud, and sat down

and wept, and the tears coursed down his cheeks as he lamented over

the waste of his toil, and the vain expenditure of his heart's blood,

and his failure to do any good for himself. Disheartened and weary he

struggled on his way with his friend, and at length they arrived at

the fortified city of Erech. [19] Then Gilgamish told Ur-Shanabi to

jump up on the wall and examine the bricks from the foundations to

the battlements, and see if the plans which he had made concerning

them had been carried out during his absence.