Atrahasis Tablet II (English) in: Near East – Akkadian
vii
(gap)
“[She(?) imposed] your drudgery [on man],
“[You] have bestowed(?) clamo[r upon mankind].
“You slaughtered [the god], along with [his inspiration],
“[You] sat down and bath[ed yourselves].
(35) “[ ] it will bring [ ]
“You resolved on [a rule ],
“Let (mankind) return to [its] la[ir?].
“Let us be sure to bind the leader Enki,
who manages (all), by oath.”
(40) Enki made ready to speak,
And said to the gods [his brethren],
“Why would you bind me by oath [ ]?
“Am I to bring my hands against [my own peoples]?
“The flood that you are speaking of [to me],
(45) “Who is (to do it)? I [do not know].
“Am I to produce [a flood]?
“The task of that is [Enlil’s].
“Let them(?) [ ] choose,
(50) “Let Shullat and [Hanish] go [in front],
“Let Errakal [tear out] the mooring poles,
“Let [Ninurta] go make [the dikes] overflow.
(small gap)
viii
(large gap)
“Assemble… [ ]
“Do not obey… [ ].”
The gods commanded annihilation,
(35) E[nlil] committed the evil deed against the peoples.
(b.i) Akkadian [transliteration] — (b.ii) Dalley (2000) — (b.iii) Foster (1996) — (b.iv) Lambert and Millard (1969) — (b.v) Von Soden (1994) (German) — (b.vi) Bottéro (1989) (French) — (b.vii) Lara Peinado (2002) (Spanish) — (b.viii) Secondary sources
– Foster, Benjamin R. Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature, (Bethesda, MD: CDL Press, 1996), p. 178.
– Foster, Benjamin R., “Atra-ḫasis (1.130),” Hallo, William W. (ed.), Context of Scripture Online, (Brill Online, 2011).
Flood Stories 