第9書板 死を恐れしギルガメッシュ、永遠の生命を求む

(Gilgamish determines to seek Eternal Life).

（ギルガメッシュ、永遠の生命を求めんと決意す）

Gilgamish[6] bitterly wept for his comrade, (for) Enkidu, ranging

ギルガメッシュ[6]は友のため、（すなわち）エンキドゥのために激しく泣き、さすらいて

Over the desert: “I, too—shall I not die like Enkidu also?

荒野を彷徨えり。「我もまた、エンキドゥの如く死なざらんや？

5. Sorrow hath enter'd my heart; I fear death as I range o'er the desert,

5. 悲しみ我が心に入り来たれり。荒野を彷徨いつつ、我は死を恐る、

I will get hence on the road to the presence of Uta-Napishtim[7],

我はここより出でて、ウタ・ナピシュティム[7]のもとへの道を行かん、

—Offspring of Ubara-Tutu is he—and with speed will I travel.

――彼はウバラ・トゥトゥの子なり――我は速やかに旅せん。

(If) 'tis in darkness that I shall arrive at the Gates of the Mountains,

（もし）暗闇の中にて我、山々の門に至らば、

10. Meeting with lions, then terror fall on me, I'll lift my head (skywards),

10. 獅子に遭わば、恐怖我に臨まん、我は頭を（天へと）挙げ、

Offer my prayer to the Moon-god, (or else) to …… the gods let my orison

月神へ我が祈りを捧げん、（さもなくば）……神々へ我が祈願を

Come …… O deliver me!”…… He slept …… (and) a dream ……

至らしめん……おお、我を救い給え！」……彼は眠れり……（そして）夢を……

Saw he …… which were rejoicing in life,

彼は見たり……生命に歓喜せる者どもを、

15. Poised he his axe …… in his hand, (and) drew his glaive from his baldric,

15. 彼は斧を手に構え……（そして）帯剣より剣を抜き、

Lance-like leapt he amongst them …… smiting, …… (and) crushing.

槍の如く彼らの中へ躍り入れり……打ち……（そして）砕きつつ。

(The rest of the Column is mutilated).

（この欄の残りは毀損せり）。

(The hero reaches the Mountains of Mashu).

（勇者、マシュの山々に至る）

Mashu the name of the hills; as he reach'd the Mountains of Mashu,

マシュとは山々の名なり。彼マシュの山々に至りし時、

Where ev'ry day they keep watch o'er the Sun-god's rising and setting,

そこにては日々、太陽神の昇るを、また沈むを見守れり、

5. Unto the Zenith of Heaven uprear'd are their summits, (and) downwards

5. 天の頂きへとその頂は聳え立ち、（さて）下方には

(Deep) unto Hell reach their breasts: (and there) at their portals stand sentry

（深く）冥界にまでその胸は達せり。（そして其処）その門には見張りぞ立てる、

Scorpion-men, awful in[1] terror, their (very) glance Death: (and) tremendous,

蠍人ら[1]なり、恐怖にて凄まじく、その（まさに）眼差しは死なり。（そして）恐るべく、

Shaking the hills, their magnificence; they are the Wardens of Shamash,

山々を震わすその威容、彼らはシャマシュの守衛なり、

10. Both at his[2] rising and setting. (No sooner) did Gilgamish see them

10. その昇るにも沈むにも[2]。ギルガメッシュ彼らを見しや否や

(Than) from alarm and dismay was his countenance stricken with pallor,

（たちまち）驚愕と狼狽とにより彼の面は青ざめり、

Senseless, he grovell'd before them.

正気を失い、彼は彼らの前に伏せり。

(Then) unto his wife spake the Scorpion:

（さて）その妻へ蠍は語りけり――

“Lo, he that cometh to us—'tis the flesh of the gods is his body.”

「見よ、我らに来たる者――その身は神々の肉なり。」

15. (Then) to the Scorpion-man answer'd his wife: “Two parts of him god-(like),

15. （さて）蠍人に彼の妻答えけり――「彼の二部は神の如く、

(Only) a third of him human.”

（ただ）三分の一のみ人間なり。」

(Eight broken lines remain, in which the Scorpion-man addresses presumably Gilgamish, asking him why he has gone a far journey, and telling him how hard the traverse is. Column III begins with the third line in which Gilgamish is evidently telling the Scorpion-man that he proposes to ask(?) Uta-Napishtim about death and life. But the Scorpion-man says that the journey has never before been made, that none has crossed the mountains. The traverse is by the Road of the Sun by a journey of twenty-four hours, beginning with deep darkness. The last half of this Column and the first half of Column IV are lost, but it would appear that the Scorpion-man describes the journey hour by hour, and that Gilgamish accepts the trial of his strength (even though it be) in pain ……, “though my face be weather'd with cold and heat” (and) “in grief I got……” Then the Scorpion-man, with a final word about the mountains of Mashu, farewells him, wishing him success. “(Then) when Gilgamish heard this, he set off at the word of the Scorpion-man, taking the Road of the Sun……” The first two hours are in deep darkness, without light, “which did not allow him to see …… behind him.” Each succeeding period of two hours is the same until the eighth is reached and passed, and by the ninth he apparently comes to the first glimmer of light. Finally, with the twelfth double hour, he reaches the full blaze of the sun, and there he beholds the Tree of the Gods, the description of which is given in the only four complete lines, 48-51, of Column V. It is conceivable that this is the Vine, the Tree of Life, whence Siduri, the Maker of Wine, plucks the fruit for her trade).

（八行の断片残れり。その中にて蠍人はおそらくギルガメッシュに語りかけ、彼になにゆえ遠き旅に出でしかを問い、その道のいかに険しきかを告げたるならん。第三欄はその第三行より始まり、その中にてギルガメッシュは死と生についてウタ・ナピシュティムに問わんと欲する旨を蠍人に語れるさま明らかなり。されど蠍人は、この旅はいまだかつて為されしことなく、山々を越えし者一人だになしと言う。その道程は太陽の道を経て二十四時間の旅程にして、深き闇より始まる。この欄の後半と第四欄の前半とは失われたれど、蠍人は旅程を一時ごとに語り、ギルガメッシュはその力の試練を――たとえ苦しみの中にあろうとも……、「たとえ我が顔が寒さと暑さとに荒れようとも」――受け容るる様子なり。（そして）「嘆きのうちに我は……。」さて蠍人は、マシュの山々についての最後の言葉をもて彼に別れを告げ、その成功を祈れり。「（さて）ギルガメッシュこれを聞きし時、蠍人の言葉のままに太陽の道をとりて出で立てり……。」初めの二刻は深き闇にて光なく、「彼をして……その背後を見ることを許さざりき。」次なる二刻ごとの期間も同じくして、第八の期に至りて過ぎ、第九の期に至りて彼は初めて光の兆しに至るものと見ゆ。遂に第十二の二刻に至りて彼は陽光のまばゆきに達し、そこにて神々の樹を見る。その描写は第五欄の完全なる四行、四十八行より五十一行にのみ見ゆ。これは葡萄の樹、生命の樹にして、酒造りのシドゥリがその商いのために実を摘む樹ならんとも考えらる）。

Bearing its fruit (all) ruby, and hung about with (its) tendrils.

その実（すべて）紅玉の如く実らせ、（その）蔓もて纏われたり。

Fair for beholding, and azure the boskage it bore; (aye), 'twas bearing

見るに美しく、その茂みは碧く茂れり。（げに）実らせたり

Fruits (all) desirable unto the eye.

見るに望ましき（すべての）果実を。

(Column VI in the Assyrian is nearly all lost, and it is uncertain what part the Tree plays: but at this point a third Old Babylonian tablet helps us out. At this point, according to this early version the Sun-god takes pity on the hero).

（アッシリア版の第六欄はほとんど失われ、樹がいかなる役割を果たすかは定かならず。されどこの箇所にて第三の古バビロニア版の粘土板が助けとなれり。この箇所によれば、この古き版においては太陽神この勇者を憐れむなり）

“He of the wild things hath dress'd their pelts and the flesh of them eateth.

「彼、野の獣の皮を身に纏い、その肉を食らう

Gilgamish, never a crossing shall be (?) where none hath been ever,

ギルガメッシュよ、渡ることは決して（？）あらざるべし、いまだかつて誰も至らざりし処なれば、

(No), so long as the gale driveth water.”

（否）、嵐が水を駆り立つる限りは。」

Shamash was touch'd, that he summon'd him, (thus) unto Gilgamish speaking:

シャマシュは心動かされ、彼を呼び出し、（かく）ギルガメッシュに語りかけたり――

“Gilgamish, why dost thou run, (forasmuch as) the life which thou seekest

「ギルガメッシュよ、汝なにゆえ走るか、（そは）汝が求むる生命は

Thou shalt not find?” (Whereat) Gilgamish answer'd the warrior Shamash:

汝見出さざるべし？」（しかるに）ギルガメッシュは勇士シャマシュに答えたり――

“Shall I, after I roam up and down o'er the waste as a wand'rer,

「我、荒野を彷徨い歩きし後、

Lay my head in the bowels of earth, and throughout the years slumber

地の底に我が頭を置き、幾年も眠らんや、

Ever and aye? Let mine eyes see the Sun and be sated with brightness,

永久に？ 我が眼をして太陽を見せしめ、光に満ち足らしめよ。

(Yea, for) the darkness is (banish'd) afar, if wide be the brightness.

（げに）闇は（追い払われて）遠のかん、光の広きならば。

When will the man who is dead (ever) look on the light of the Sunshine?”

死せし人は（いつか）陽の光を見ることあらんや？」

(With this ends all our connected text of Column VI, the Assyrian Version ending with about a dozen mutilated lines containing a mention of numerous minerals and stones, and evidently Gilgamish has now come to the girl Siduri the sabitu, which last word is generally taken to mean a provider of strong waters).

（ここに第六欄の繋がれる本文はすべて終わる。アッシリア版はおよそ十数行の毀損せる行をもて終わり、そこには数々の鉱物と石とについての言及あり。かくしてギルガメッシュはいまや乙女シドゥリ、サビトゥのもとに至れるなり。この最後の語は、一般に強き酒を供する者を意味すと解さる）。