He (Enki) made broad
understanding perfect in him (Adapa), To disclose the design of
the land.
To him he gave wisdom, but did not give eternal life. At that
time, in those years, he was a sage, son of Eridu.
Enki created him as a protecting spirit among mankind.
A sage - nobody rejects his word - Clever, extra-wise, he was
one of the Anunnaki, Holy, pure of hands, the pashishu-priest
who always tends the rites.
He does baking with the bakers of Eridu, He does the food and
water of Eridu every day, Sets up the offerings table with his
pure hands, Without him no offerings table is cleared away.
He takes the boat out and does the fishing for Eridu.
At that time Adapa, the son of Eridu, When he had got the leader
Enki out of bed, Used to `feed' the bolt of Eridu every day.
At the holy Kar-usakar he embarked in a sailing-boat And without
a rudder his boat would drift, Without a steering-pole he would
take his boat out into the broad sea.
South Wind Send him to live in the fishes' home.
"South Wind, though you send your brothers against me, However
many there are, I shall break your wing!"
No sooner had he uttered these words than South Wind's wing was
broken; For seven days South Wind did not blow towards the land.
An called out to his vizier Ilabrat, "Why hasn't the south wind
blown towards the land for seven days" His vizier Ilabrat
answered him, "My lord, Adapa, the son of Enki has broken South
Wind's wing."
When An heard this word, He cried "Heaven help him!", rose up
from his throne. "Send for him to be brought here!"
Enki, aware of Heaven's ways, touched him And made him wear his
hair unkempt, Clothed him in mourning garb, Gave him
instructions, "Adapa, you are to go before king An.
You will go up to Heaven, And when you go up to Heaven, When you
approach the gate of An, Dumuzi and Gizzida will be standing in
the Gate of An, Will see you, will keep asking you questions,
"Young man, on whose behalf do you wear mourning garb?" You must
answer: "Two gods have vanished from our country, And that is
why I am behaving like this." They will ask: "Who are the two
gods that have vanished from the countryside?" You will answer:
"They are Dumuzi and Gizzida." "They will look at each other and
laugh a lot, Will speak a word in your favor to Anu, Will
present you to An in a good mood.
When you stand before An They will hold out for you bread of
death, so you must not eat.
They will hold out for you water of death, so you must not
drink.
They will hold out a garment for you; so put it on.
They will hold out oil for you; so anoint yourself.
You must not neglect the instructions I have given you; Keep to
the words that I have told you."
The envoy of An arrived.
"Send to me Adapa, Who broke the South Wind's wing."
He made him take the way of heaven.
When he came up to heaven, When he approached the Gate of An,
Dumuzi and Gizzida were standing in the Gate of An.
They saw Adapa and cried, "Heaven help him! Young man, on whose
behalf do you look like this Adapa, on whose behalf do you wear
mourning clothes? "Two gods have vanished from the country, and
that is why I am wearing mourning clothes."
"Who are the two gods who have vanished from the country" "
Dumuzi and Gizzida," Adapa answered. They looked at each other
and laughed a lot.
When Adapa drew near to the presence of King An, An saw him and
shouted,
"Come here, Adapa! Why did you break South Wind's wind"
Adapa answered An, "My lord, I was catching fish in the middle
of the sea,
For the house of my lord Enki.
But he inflated the sea into a storm And south wind blew and
sank me! I was forced to take up residence in the fishes' home.
In my fury, I cursed South Wind."
Dumuzi and Gizzida responded from beside him, Spoke a word in
his favor to An. His heart was appeased he grew quiet.
"Why did Enki disclose to wretched mankind The ways of heaven
and earth, Give them a heavy heart It was he who did it! What
can we do for him.
Fetch him the bread of eternal life and let him eat!"
They fetched him the bread of eternal life, but he would not
eat.
They fetched him the water of eternal life, but he would not
drink.
They fetched him a garment, and he put it on himself.
They fetched him oil, and he anointed himself.
An watched him and laughed at him.
"Come Adapa, why didn't you eat? Why didn't you drink?" Didn't
you want to be immortal? Alas for downtrodden people!"
"But Enki my lord told me: "You mustn't eat! You mustn't
drink!"`
Take him and send him back to his earth.