The Creation Epic (Enuma Elish)

Tablet One

When on high the heaven had not been named.
Firm ground below had not been called by name,
Naught but primordial Apsu,¹ their begetter,
(and) Mummu² -Tiamat,³ she who bore then all,
Their⁴ waters commingling as a single body;
No reed hut had been matted, no marsh land had appeared,
When no gods whatever had been brought into being,
Uncalled by name, their destinies undetermined.
Then it was that the gods were formed within them⁵
Lahmu and Lahamu⁶ were brought forth, by name they were called.
For aeons they grew in age and stature.
Ashar and Kishar⁷ were formed, surpassing the others.
They prolonged the days, added on the years.
Anu⁸ was their son, of his fathers the rival;
Yea, Anshar's first born, Any was his equal.
Anu begot in his image, Nudimmud⁹
This Nudimmud was of his fathers the master;
Of broad wisdom, understanding, mighty in strength,
Mightier by far than his grandfather, Anshar.
He had no rival among the gods, his brothers.
The divine brothers banded together,
They disturbed Tiamat as they surged back and forth,
Yea, they troubled the mood of Tiamat.
By their hilarity in the Abode of Heaven.
Apsu could not lessen their clamor
And Tiamat was speechless at their [ways]
Their doings were their ways; they were overbearing.
Then Apsu, the begetter of the great gods,
Cried out, addressing Mummu, his vizier:
"O Mummu, my vizier, who rejoicest my spirit,
Come hither and let us go to Tiamat!"

They went and sat down before Tiamat,
Exchanging counsel about the gods, their first-born
Apsu, opening his mouth,
Said unto resplendent Tiamat:
"Their ways are verily loathsome unto me.
By day I find no relief nor repose by night.
I will destroy, I will wreck their ways
As soon as Tiamat heard this,
She was wroth and called out to her husband.
She cried out aggrieved, as she raged all alone,
Injecting woe into her mood:
"What? Should we destroy that which we have built?
Their ways indeed are most troublesome, but let us attend Kindly!"
Then answered Mummu, giving counsel to Apsu;
"Do destroy, my father the mutinous way.
Then shalt thou have relief by day and rest by night!"
When Apsu heard this, his face grew radiant
Because of the evil he planned against the gods, his sons. . .
[Now] whatever they had plotted between them
Was repeated unto the gods, their first-born.
When the gods heard (this), they were astir,
(Then) lapsed into silence and remained speechless.
Surpassing in wisdom, accomplished, resourceful,
Ea¹⁰ the all-wise, saw through their¹¹ scheme.
A master design against it he devised and set up.
Made artful his spell against it, surpassing and holy.
He recited it and made it subsist in the deep,¹²
As he poured sleep upon him. Sound asleep he lay,
When Apsu he had made prone, drenched with sleep, Mummu, the
adviser, was impotent to move.
He loosened his band, tore off his tiara,
Removed his halo (and) put it on himself.
Having fettered Apsu, he slew him.
Mummu he bound and left behind lock. . .
After he vanquished and trod down his foes.
Ea, his triumph over his enemies secure,
In his sacred chamber in profound peace he rested.
He named it "Apsu,"¹³ for shrines he assigned (it).
Ea and Damkina, his wife, dwelled (there) in splendor.
In the chamber of fates, the abode of destinies,
A god was engendered most potent and wisest of gods
In the heart of Apsu¹⁴ was Marduk created,
In the heart of the holy Apsu was Marduk created.
He who begot him was Ea, his father;
She who conceived him was Damkina, his mother.
The breast of goddesses he did suck.
The nurse that nursed him filled him with awesomeness.
Alluring was his figure, sparkling the lift of his eyes.
Lordly was his gait, commanding form of old.
When Ea saw him, the father who begot him,
He exulted and glowed, his heart filled with gladness.
He rendered him perfect and endowed him with a double godhead.
Greatly exalted was he above them, exceeding throughout. . .
He was the loftiest of the gods, surpassing was his stature,
His members were enormous, he was exceeding tall. . .
Disturbed was Tiamat, astir day and night.
[The gods], in malice, contributed to the storm.
Their insides having plotted evil,
To Tiamat these brothers said:
"When they slew Apsu, thy consort,
Thou didst not aid him but remainedst still. . .
[When] Tiamat [heard] (these) words, she was pleased:
"[. . .] you have given. Let us make monsters,
[. . .] and the gods in the mid [st . . .].
[. . .let us do] battle and against the gods [. . .]!"
She set up the Viper, the Dragon, and the Sphinx. The Great-Lion, the Mad-Dog, and the Scorpion-Man,
Mighty lion-demons, the Dragon-Fly, the Centaur...
Bearing weapons that spare not, fearless in battle.
Firm were her decrees, past withstanding were they.
Withal eleven of this kind she brought [forth]
From among the gods,¹⁵ her first born, who formed [her Assembly], She elevated Kingu, made him chief
among them.
The leading of the ranks, command of the Assembly.
The raising of weapons for the encounter, advancing to combat,
In battle the commander-in-chief...
These to his hand she entrusted as she seated him in the Council:

"I have cast for thee the spell, exalting thee in the Assembly of
the gods. . .
To counsel all the gods I have given thee full power. . .

Tablet Two

When Tiamat had thus lent import to her handiwork,
She prepared for battle against the gods, her offspring.
To avenge Apsu, Tiamat wrought evil.
That she was girding for battle was divulged to Ea.
As soon as Ea heard of this matter,
He lapsed into dark silence and sat right still.
Then, on further thought, his anger subsided,
To Anshar, his (fore) father he betook himself.
When he came before his grandfather, Anshar
All that Tiamat had plotted to him he repeated:
"My father, Tiamat, she who bore us detests us.
She has set up the Assembly and is furious with rage.
All the gods have rallied to her;
Even those whom you brought forth march at her side.
Enraged, they plot without cease night and day. . .
"No God" (thought they) "can go [to battle and ],
Facing Tiamat, escape [with his life]."
Lord Anshar, father of the gods, [rose up] in grandeur,

THE REST IS LOST