See All Buying Options
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle app

  • Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic
  • To view this video, download

Follow the author

Sophus Helle
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic Hardcover – Oct. 26 2021

by Sophus Helle (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars 171 ratings
3.7 on Goodreads
114,284 ratings

鶹

' + '' + decodeURIComponent(encodedIframeContent) + ''+''); doc.close(); } } this.iframeload = function () { var iframe = document.getElementById(iframeId); iframe.style.display = ''; setTimeout(function () { setIframeHeight(initialResizeCallback); }, 20); } function getDocHeight(doc) { var contentDiv = doc.getElementById("iframeContent"); var docHeight = 0; if(contentDiv){ docHeight = Math.max( contentDiv.scrollHeight, contentDiv.offsetHeight, contentDiv.clientHeight ); } return docHeight; } function setIframeHeight(resizeCallback) { var iframeDoc, iframe = document.getElementById(iframeId); iframeDoc = ((iframe.contentWindow && iframe.contentWindow.document) || iframe.contentDocument); if (iframeDoc) { var h = getDocHeight(iframeDoc); if (h && h != 0) { iframe.style.height = parseInt(h) + 'px'; if(typeof resizeCallback == "function") { resizeCallback(iframeId); } } else if (nTries < MAX_TRIES) { nTries++; setTimeout(function () { setIframeHeight(resizeCallback); }, 50); } } } this.resizeIframe = function(resizeCallback) { nTries = 0; setIframeHeight(resizeCallback); } } return DynamicIframe; });
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.
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    Oct. 26 2021
  5. Dimensions
    15.56 x 2.7 x 23.5 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0300251181
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300251180
Next slide of product details

Product description

Review

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

“Lively, earthy, and scrupulous in its scholarship.”—Robert Macfarlane, New York Review of Books

“There is an echo between the story in Gilgamesh and the story of Gilgamesh, that I find deeply moving. The epic is, in part, about the power of knowledge. Gilgamesh, we are told, . . . found some ancient kernel of knowledge—a lesson, incidentally, about immortality—and gave it a new life. And by engaging with the epic several millennia after it was lost, you can too.”—Tim Murphy, Mother Jones, “The Books We Needed in 2022”

“Sophus Helle’s new translation . . . [is] a thrilling, enchanting, desperate thing to read, moving from questing adventure to surging grief and the confrontation with the reality of death. . . . With a clear-eyed and informative introduction and five essays that provide context and insight into the epic, the book Helle has made feels both magic and deeply, lastingly human.”—Nina MacLaughlin, Boston Globe

“In Sophus Helle’s brilliant new translation of the Gilgamesh epic, an ancient text hailed by Wai Chee Dimock as ‘speaking to our mortal loves and fears with undying force,’ readers have a timely opportunity to reconsider a masterpiece of world literature that is also a sobering portent of the Anthropocene.”—Daniel Simon, World Literature Today

“[Helle’s] translation is the most direct and literal yet, pulled directly from the cuneiform for an audience of literary scholars and general readers.”—Soren Chang, Journal of the Core Curriculum

“This new translation . . . with expertise and passion invites the non-specialist reader to engage with this relic of Mesopotamian culture as an appealing work of world literature. . . . The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that ended long ago but has been brought back to life by valiant and creative efforts such as this one.”—Benjamin R. Foster, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

“Sophus Helle’s Gilgamesh is woven of earthly, muscular language that breathes an epic of gutsy dreams and ancient knowhow. In Helle’s rendition, this scholar truly translates rhythm and movement until Gilgamesh breathes anew.”—Yusef Komunyakaa, author of Everyday Mojo Songs of Earth

“The translation is elegant and eloquent. The essays and elucidations are learned, lively, and hugely illuminating. Sophus Helle is a poet, a scholar, and, if truth be told, a genius.”—Marshall Brown, University of Washington

“Helle’s new translation reminds us just what a miracle it is that Gilgamesh has survived, an emblem of mortality available only in fragments, yet speaking to our mortal loves and fears with undying force.”—Wai Chee Dimock, Yale University

“A dazzling work of scholarship that manages complex topics with elegance and thoughtfulness.”—Louise Pryke, University of Sydney

“A fresh and vital translation, alive to the music of the original, and accompanied by essays offering crucial background and insightful analysis, Helle’s Gilgamesh will bring the ancient poem to life for new audiences.”—Alexander Beecroft, University of South Carolina

Praise for the Danish edition:

“One of those miracles that makes life worth living.”—Bjørn Bredal, Politiken

“Both brilliantly clear and archaically dusky. . . . One dares predict that this new Danish translation of Gilgamesh will become a classic in our country.”—Erik Skyum-Nielsen, Information

“There is every reason to have a go atthis wonderful, lively, wild, and violent encounter with a fascinating early portrait of the human animal: grim, dumb, and yet so clever.”—Mikkel Bruun Zangenberg, Weekendavisen

About the Author

Sophus Helle is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Freie Universität Berlin. He previously translated Gilgamesh into Danish with his father, the poet Morten Søndergaard.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ Oct. 26 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300251181
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300251180
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 608 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.56 x 2.7 x 23.5 cm
  • 鶹 Rank: #1,462,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 171 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Sophus Helle

Sophus Helle

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

I am a writer, translator, and cultural historian. I work on ancient literature, especially the Babylonian epics. But my interests range widely, from the oldest known poems to the latest pop culture. You can read more about my work at *sophushelle.com*.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
171 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review
A Thoroughly Accessible Translation
5 out of 5 stars
A Thoroughly Accessible Translation
Helle's new translation of the Gilgamesh series is an easily approachable, thrilling, and moving telling of the epic. The manner in which the author shows the gaps in the texts really informs the reader how much is lost, and how lucky we are to have what we do! The accompanying essays are an added bonus giving meaningful insight and depth to the epic.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from Canada

  • Curt Carbonell
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Thoroughly Accessible Translation
    Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Helle's new translation of the Gilgamesh series is an easily approachable, thrilling, and moving telling of the epic. The manner in which the author shows the gaps in the texts really informs the reader how much is lost, and how lucky we are to have what we do! The accompanying essays are an added bonus giving meaningful insight and depth to the epic.
    Customer image
    Curt Carbonell
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    A Thoroughly Accessible Translation

    Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2023
    Helle's new translation of the Gilgamesh series is an easily approachable, thrilling, and moving telling of the epic. The manner in which the author shows the gaps in the texts really informs the reader how much is lost, and how lucky we are to have what we do! The accompanying essays are an added bonus giving meaningful insight and depth to the epic.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • HSS
    4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Read Gilgamesh
    Reviewed in Canada on August 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Easy to read version of Gilgamesh. Very interesting version of Gilgamesh. Essays on Gilgamesh included.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • arthurianfan
    5.0 out of 5 stars I guess the first Gilgamesh translation you read is for life
    Reviewed in Germany on April 26, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I don't think I could read any other Gilgamesh translation after this
    Report
  • 鶹 Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Translation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this translation. Thanks.
    Report
  • Gayle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful epic!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent new translation. I gave it as a gift to friends.
    Report
  • wiredweird
    5.0 out of 5 stars I read fairly widely
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    ... across topics, but also across time. Gilgamesh comes to us from the oldest written times, likely embodying yet older oral traditions.

    So, I had to wonder: What, like Lady Murasaki gave us, did Gilgamesh's nameless authors bring to a reader four thousand years in their future? Well, I have no deep scholarship to offer (unlike the second half of this book, which I skipped). Still, I can recognize in it a quest, and a brotherhood, and a skaldic or Homeric tradition of reciting a story endlessly, never quite the same in any two recitations. Repetitive and stereotyped phrases gave a fast-thinking but slow-talking bard moments to combine story with word familiar phrase and rhythm again, to tell the story over and over without ever really telling one story twice.

    I'm glad I read this, really. And I can be scholarly at times, but this has told its story to me and my scholarly thoughts aims in other directions.

    Off to the used market. With gratitude and respect, but off

    - wiredweird
    Report
  • Anvi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Different way to tell the story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting to read the translation of the tablets, Very Well Done
    Report