and tells Gilgamesh to take his ax, to go into the
woods, and to cut down a large pole that may serve as a rudder.

Gilgamesh, upon hearing this,
Takes an ax in his hand, ...
Goes to the wood and makes a rudder five gar[931] long.
Gilgamesh and Ardi-Ea mount the ship.

...

The ship tosses from side to side.
After a course of one month and fifteen days, on the third day[932]
Ardi-Ea reaches the waters of death.

This appears to be the most dangerous part of the voyage. Ardi-Ea urges
Gilgamesh to cling to the rudder, and counts the strokes he is to
take.[933] The waters are not extensive, for only twelve strokes are
enumerated; but the current is so strong that it is with the utmost
difficulty that Gilgamesh succeeds in passing through them. At last,
Gilgamesh is face to face with Parnapishtim. The latter is astonished to
see a living person come across the waters. Gilgamesh addresses
Parnapishtim from the ship, recounts his deeds, among which we
distinguish[934] the killing of a panther, of Alu, of the divine bull,
and of Khumbaba. The death of Eabani is also dwelt upon, and then
Gilgamesh pleads with Parnapishtim, tells him of the long, difficult way
that he has traveled, and of all that he has encountered on the road.

Difficult lands I passed through,
All seas I crossed.

Parnapishtim expresses his sympathy:

Gilgamesh has filled his heart with woe,
But neither gods nor men [can help him (?)].

Parnapishtim thereupon addresses Gilgamesh, showing him how impossible
it is for any mortal to escape death. The inexorable law will prevail as
long as 'houses continue to be built,' as long as 'friendships' and
'hostilities' prevail, as long 'as the waters fill (?) the sea.' The
Anunnaki, the great gods, and the goddess Mammitum, the creators of
everything

Determine death and life.
No one knows the days of death.[935]

At this point Gilgamesh propounds a most natural question: How comes it,
if what Parnapishtim says is true, that the latter is alive, while
possessing all the traits of a human being? The eleventh tablet of the
epic begins:

Gilgamesh speaks to him, to Parnapishtim, the far-removed:
"I gaze at thee in amazement, Parnapishtim.
Thy appearance is normal. As I am, so art thou.
Thy entire nature[936] is normal. As I am, so art thou.
Thou art completely equipped for the fray.[937]
Armor[938] (?) thou hast placed upon thee.
Tell me how thou didst come to o