Gilgamesh

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

“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“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 CarolinaPraise 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 at this 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