Michael Schmidt
Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt explores various aspects of this very ancient poem from Mesopotamia. In this relatively short but densely packed book, Schmidt provides an overview of the discovery of the clay tablets scattered across the Arab world, Turkey, and southern Iran; the fragmentary nature of what has survived; the many translations, interpretations, and iterations; its influence on modern writers; and speculations as to why the poem continues to fascinate.
Gilgamesh is a work in progress. There is no single, complete copy of the poem. It is a patchwork of fragments from different time periods, in different languages, discovered in different locations. Some of the many gaps can be plugged by referring to a more recent tablet, while others cannot be filled at all and are indicated by ellipses and/or plus signs. To complicate matters further, the meaning of the cuneiform symbols has changed over time, so the same symbol may mean something different elsewhere. And as new discoveries are made, the meaning behind existing symbols will have to be revisited.
A chapter is dedicated to each of the 12 surviving tablets. Schmidt outlines the content and weaves in and out of the Old Babylonian and Standard Babylonian texts while examining the differences between them. He compares different translations of the same passage, critiquing them and noting where a translator has been lax by taking unwarranted liberties with the text or by injecting a modern perspective on this ancient poem. He is not shy about expressing his opinions, arguing that because the nature of the poem is “uncertain, porous,” it has attracted a variety of translations. He eschews translations not performed by Assyrioligists since they have not relied on original sources but are translations of translations. And he will not suffer any distortions when it comes to a translation although he does allow for imaginative retellings that don’t claim to be translations.
What emerges from this study is Schmidt’s unwavering passion for the poem and his insistence that it should be allowed to speak for itself so as to be appreciated on its own terms. He is wary of translations that aim for accessibility to a modern audience by glossing over the poems “otherness.” He celebrates the original scholars who poured over the tablets, meticulously and conscientiously deciphering each symbol. And he describes the intense sensation he experiences when handling one of the copyist tablets.
Michael Schmidt has offered a very informative and engaging commentary on the life of this very ancient poem and the challenges it presents. His work is informed by his unabashed love for the poem and his attempts to dive into its possible meanings while adhering faithfully to the actual text.
Highly recommended for its informative exploration of this very ancient, enigmatic poem.