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I read Stephen Mitchell's translation, which isnt the most academic but certainly the most readable. It was the 1st time I actually finished the book. My only

I read Stephen Mitchell's translation, which isnt the most academic but certainly the most readable. It was the 1st time I actually finished the book. My only problem is: It looks like parts of the story are missing. Certainly, the ending is very downer. Spoilers: Gilamesh fails to save his friend, loses the immortality herbs, and comes home empty handed and humiliated. Certainly, one of the lessons is that Gilgamesh learns humility and respect for others; but I wonder if there are further chapters that were never found. For the story certainly looks incomplete.

handrous 5y ago
The ending feels complete, and ever-relevant, to me. I think of it every time rich people freezing their heads or getting blood transfusions from kids or talking about brain-to-computer transfers comes up, which is pretty often on this site.
- shantnutiwari 5y ago
  ha! Yes, the book does teach us the dangers of arrogance, of thinking we can become immortal by some trick or "magic" or technology-- and I suppose it does teach that lesson very well
  - handrous 5y ago
    I like how it shows people've been worried about that, and working on the problem, for about as long as we've had writing, at least. Seems we've pretty much never not worried about death, which makes sense, but it's comforting to have confirmation that it's such an enduring part of the human condition, I guess. Egyptian literature backs that up, as do practices in China—in fact, it seems like almost anywhere there were rich kings, they were very concerned with attaining immortality. And hey, sooner or later, maybe someone will manage it. But most of these rich folks freezing their heads are just Gilgamesh. Same shit as 4000+ years ago.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
AlanYx 5y ago
I find the ending a poignant, even beautiful, testament to the universality of the human condition. Even kings struggle with having to deal with loss and mortality, and it has always been thus, an unbroken thread through the thousands of years that connect us with those who originally developed the text. I also love the restaurant at the end of the universe element to the text. Without giving anything away to those who haven't read it, one can travel to the edge of the world and find someone serving beer.
- shantnutiwari 5y ago
  I've never seen anyone compare Gilgamesh to the the Restaurant at the end of the universe! :D :D
roywiggins 5y ago
Parts of the story definitely are missing, either from tablets getting damaged or lost.
wl 5y ago
I rather like how the story is bookended. After everything that happens, it ends with Gilgamesh reciting an excerpt from the beginning to Ur-Shanabi the boatman: Go up, Ur-Shanabi, pace out the walls of Uruk. Study the foundation terrace and examine the brickwork. Is not its masonry kiln-fired brick? And did not seven masters lay its foundations? One square mile of city, one square mile of gardens, One square mile of clay pits, a half square mile of Ishtar's dwelling. Three and a half square miles is the measure of Uruk!
- shantnutiwari 5y ago
  Yes, the ending returning to the start was beautiful ,in a heart breaking sort of way
- idoubtit 5y ago
  This was after Gilgamesh, fearing death, tried to gain immortality and failed. He's back to his town, but he's not afraid any more. I loved this poignant ending: he's not bitter; cities are there to stay through buildings (walls) and society (agricultural production, religion); meaning we cannot gain immortality as individuals, but what we achieve as a collective outlasts us.
  - shantnutiwari 5y ago
    thats a great point-- I never realised it in my reading. An I suppose Gilgamesh the epic survived, even though the culture/civilisation that created it died out. Which just goes to show that immortality is possible for beautiful ideas/stories, just not for humans
    - pfdietz 5y ago
      Egypt's might is tumbled down Down a-down the deeps of thought; Greece is fallen and Troy town, Glorious Rome hath lost her crown, Venice' pride is nought. But the dreams their children dreamed Fleeting, unsubstantial, vain Shadowy as the shadows seemed Airy nothing, as they deemed, These remain. (Mary E. Coleridge, 1908)
TheAceOfHearts 5y ago
Since we're mentioning Stephen Mitchell I'd also recommend his translation of The Tao Te Ching.
dotancohen 5y ago
> For the story certainly looks incomplete. Quite the opposite. Modern stories (mostly) have happy endings. But Gilgamesh - like life - ends with (the prospect of) death. That is as complete as a story can be.
CalChris 5y ago
Parts of the story probably are missing. His Iliad translation leaves out Book 10 with the Night Raid, entirely. A wonderful takedown of Mitchell is Homer, Inc. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v34/n04/edward-luttwak/homer-inc https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v34/n04/edward-luttwak/homer... Mitchell as a 'translator' is poetry in, garbage out. He bowdlerizes. Read Lattimore or Fagles or Mandelbaum or Fitzgerald.

handrous 5y ago

The ending feels complete, and ever-relevant, to me. I think of it every time rich people freezing their heads or getting blood transfusions from kids or talking about brain-to-computer transfers comes up, which is pretty often on this site.

shantnutiwari 5y ago
ha! Yes, the book does teach us the dangers of arrogance, of thinking we can become immortal by some trick or "magic" or technology-- and I suppose it does teach that lesson very well
- handrous 5y ago
  I like how it shows people've been worried about that, and working on the problem, for about as long as we've had writing, at least. Seems we've pretty much never not worried about death, which makes sense, but it's comforting to have confirmation that it's such an enduring part of the human condition, I guess. Egyptian literature backs that up, as do practices in China—in fact, it seems like almost anywhere there were rich kings, they were very concerned with attaining immortality. And hey, sooner or later, maybe someone will manage it. But most of these rich folks freezing their heads are just Gilgamesh. Same shit as 4000+ years ago.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

AlanYx 5y ago

I find the ending a poignant, even beautiful, testament to the universality of the human condition. Even kings struggle with having to deal with loss and mortality, and it has always been thus, an unbroken thread through the thousands of years that connect us with those who originally developed the text. I also love the restaurant at the end of the universe element to the text. Without giving anything away to those who haven't read it, one can travel to the edge of the world and find someone serving beer.

shantnutiwari 5y ago
I've never seen anyone compare Gilgamesh to the the Restaurant at the end of the universe! :D :D

roywiggins 5y ago

Parts of the story definitely are missing, either from tablets getting damaged or lost.

wl 5y ago

I rather like how the story is bookended. After everything that happens, it ends with Gilgamesh reciting an excerpt from the beginning to Ur-Shanabi the boatman: Go up, Ur-Shanabi, pace out the walls of Uruk. Study the foundation terrace and examine the brickwork. Is not its masonry kiln-fired brick? And did not seven masters lay its foundations? One square mile of city, one square mile of gardens, One square mile of clay pits, a half square mile of Ishtar's dwelling. Three and a half square miles is the measure of Uruk!

shantnutiwari 5y ago
Yes, the ending returning to the start was beautiful ,in a heart breaking sort of way
idoubtit 5y ago
This was after Gilgamesh, fearing death, tried to gain immortality and failed. He's back to his town, but he's not afraid any more. I loved this poignant ending: he's not bitter; cities are there to stay through buildings (walls) and society (agricultural production, religion); meaning we cannot gain immortality as individuals, but what we achieve as a collective outlasts us.
- shantnutiwari 5y ago
  thats a great point-- I never realised it in my reading. An I suppose Gilgamesh the epic survived, even though the culture/civilisation that created it died out. Which just goes to show that immortality is possible for beautiful ideas/stories, just not for humans
  - pfdietz 5y ago
    Egypt's might is tumbled down Down a-down the deeps of thought; Greece is fallen and Troy town, Glorious Rome hath lost her crown, Venice' pride is nought. But the dreams their children dreamed Fleeting, unsubstantial, vain Shadowy as the shadows seemed Airy nothing, as they deemed, These remain. (Mary E. Coleridge, 1908)

TheAceOfHearts 5y ago

Since we're mentioning Stephen Mitchell I'd also recommend his translation of The Tao Te Ching.

dotancohen 5y ago

> For the story certainly looks incomplete. Quite the opposite. Modern stories (mostly) have happy endings. But Gilgamesh - like life - ends with (the prospect of) death. That is as complete as a story can be.

CalChris 5y ago

Parts of the story probably are missing. His Iliad translation leaves out Book 10 with the Night Raid, entirely. A wonderful takedown of Mitchell is Homer, Inc. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v34/n04/edward-luttwak/homer-inc https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v34/n04/edward-luttwak/homer... Mitchell as a 'translator' is poetry in, garbage out. He bowdlerizes. Read Lattimore or Fagles or Mandelbaum or Fitzgerald.