Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic

A poem for the ages, freshly and accessibly translated by an international rising star, bringing together scholarly precision and poetic grace

Sophus Helle’s new translation … [is] a thrilling, enchanting, desperate thing to read. -Nina MacLaughlin, Boston Globe

Looks to be the last word on this Babylonian masterpiece. -Michael Dirda, Washington Post

Gilgamesh is a Babylonian story about love between men, loss and grief, the confrontation with death; the destruction of nature; insomnia and restlessness, finding peace in one’s community, the voice of women, the folly of gods, heroes, and monsters-and more. Translating directly from the Akkadian, Sophus Helle offers a literary translation that reproduces the original epic’s poetic effects, including its succinct clarity and enchanting cadence. Millennia after its composition, Gilgamesh continues to speak to us in myriad ways.