This translation of fragments from the Atrahasis is taken from O'Brien, J., and Major, W., In the Beginning, copyright Scholars Press, 1982.  Only students enrolled in CLAS 3308 may access this page.

When the gods, like man,
bore the work, carried the labor-basket-
the labor-basket of the great gods-
the work was heavy, much was the distress.

The seven great Anunnaki
caused the Igigi to bear the work.
Anu their father was king.
Their counselor was hero-Enlil.
Their "throne-bearer" was Ninurta.
And their sheriff was Ennugi.
These are the ones who seized power.
The gods cast lots and divided (the Cosmos):  [Anu] went up to [heaven]
[Enlil had] the earth as his subject;
[the lock,] the snare of the sea
[was given] to Enki the wise.
[After Anu] went up to heaven
[and Enki w]ent down [to the ap[su,
. . .

 (they caused] the Igigi [to bear the work].

21-36. These lines are fragmentary. Enough is left,  however, to reveal that the gods' work includes digging the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

. . .  Forty more years
. . . they bore the labor night and day.
They [weariedl, complained,
[grum]bled in the workpits.
"Let us confront the throne-bearer
that he may remove from us our [hea]vy labor.
. . .
come on, let us confuse him in his dwelling,
Enlil, the counselor of the gods, the 'hero,'
come on, let us confuse him in his dwelling."

47-60. Most of these lines are lost, fragmentary, or repetitious. But it is clear that one of the worker gods is speaking to the others and exhorting them to rebel. His speech ends with the following:

"Now, engage battle, stir up war and hostilities."
The gods listened to his words.
They set fire to their implements,
to their spades (they set) fire,
their labor-baskets into the flames
they threw.
They held them (as torches); they went
to the gate of the shrine of hero Enlil.
It was night; at mid-watch
the house was surrounded; the god did not know.
It was night; at mid-watch t
he Ekur was surrounded; Enlil did not know.

Nusku awakened [his] lord,
made [him] get out of bed. "
My lord, [your hou]se is surrounded;
battle has come up to your gate.
Enlil, your [house is surroun]ded;
battle has come up to your gate."

Enlil had [his servant] come down into his dwelling.
Enlil opened his mouth
and said to his vizier Nusku, "
Nusku, lock your gate, t
ake your weapon, stand before me."
Nusku locked his gate,
took his weapon and stood before Enlil.
Nusku opened his mouth
and said to hero Enlil:
"My lord, these children are your own;
they are your sons; why are you afraid?
Enlil, these children are your own;
 they are your sons; why are you afraid?
Send (the order) let them bring Anu down (to earth);
let them bring Enki into your presence."

He sent and they brought Anu down;
they brought Enki into his presence.
Anu, king of heaven, was seated.
The King of the Apsu, Enki, was in [attendance];
the great Anunnaki were seated.
Enlil arose . . .
Enlil opened his mouth and said to the great [gods]:
"Against me Ihave they come?
They have waged war ...
Battle has come to my gate."

Anu opened his mouth
and said to hero Enlil,
"The matter of the Igigi-
has its reason been brought to you?
Let Nusku go out.

16-37. These lines at8 too fragmentary for translation.

nlil opened his mouth
and said to (his vizier Nusku],
"Nusku, open [your gate], take your weapon.
In the assembly [of all the gods]
bow down, stand up, [say to them]:
[Your father] Anu has sent me,
your counselor [hero Enlil],
your throne-bearer [Ninurta],
and your sheriff [Ennugi].
Who is the one [who instigated] battle?
Who is the one who [provoked] hostilities?
Who is the one [who started thel war?"

131-58. Most of these lines are either fragmentary or repetitious. It seems that Nusku goes to the rebel gods and repeats Enlil's words as he was instructed. Then, he returns to Enlil with their reply which he repeats as follows:

"Every [single one of us g]ods has started the war.
We . . . in the workpits.
Excessive [labor] has killed us;
our wo[rk was heavy], much was the distress;
[and every] single one of us gods
has spoken . . . with Enlil."

Enlil heard these words
and his tears flowed.
Enlil [heard] these words;
he said [to] hero Anu,
"Noble one, with you in heaven
carry your authority, take your power.
With the Anunnaki seated before you,
call one god, let him be thrown to the netherworld."
Anu opened his mouth
and said to the gods, his brothers,
"Why are we accusing them?
Their work is heavy, much is their distress."

178-88. There is a small gap in the text here. In later vetsions of the story, Enki, rather than Anu, is speaking at this time. In those versions Enki reveals his plan for creating the human race. In this version he is probably speaking when the story resumes:

"While [Nintu the birth-goddess] is present,
let the birth-goddess create the offspring,
let man bear the labor-basket of the gods."
They called the goddess and asked [her],
the midwife of the gods, wise Mami: "
ou are the birthgoddess, creatress of man.
Create lullu-man, let him bear the yoke.
Let him bear the yoke, the work of Enlil;
let man carry the labor-basket of the gods."
Nintu opened her mouth and said to the great gods,
'It is not properly mine to do these things.
He is the one who purifies all;
let him give me the clay, and I will do (it)."

Enki opened his mouth
and said to the great gods:
"At the new moon, the seventh day, and the full moon,
I will set up a purifying bath.
 Let them slaughter one god.
Let the gods be purified by immersion.
With his flesh and blood let Nintu mix the clay.
God and man-
let them be inseparably mixed in the clay;
till the end of time let us hear the 'drum.'
Let there be spirit from the god's flesh;
let her proclaim 'alive' as its sign;
for the sake of never-forgetting, let there be spirit." I
n the assembly, "Aye," answered
the great gods,
the administrators of destiny.

After she had mixed the clay,
she called the Anunnaki, the great gods.
The Igigi, the great gods, cast their spittle on the clay.
Mami opened her mouth
and said to the great gods,
"You commanded me a task-
I have completed it.
You slaughtered a god together with his rationality.
I have removed your heavy labor,
have placed your labor-basket on man.
You raised a cry for mankind;
I have loosened your yoke, have [established] freedom.

They heard this speech of hers;
they ran around and kissed her feet.
"Formerly we called you 'Mami.'
Now, may 'Mistress of all the gods' be your [na]me.
They entered the house of destiny,
Prince La and wise Mami.
With the birth goddesses assembled,
he trod the clay in her presence.
She recited the incantation again and again.
Ea, seated before her, prompted her.
When she finished her incantation,
she nipped off fourteen pieces of clay.
Seven pieces to the right,  seven to the left, she placed.
Between them she placed the brick.

260-76. There is a gap in the text here. From an Assyrian version we learn that fourteen birth goddesses shape the clay. They make seven males and seven females and align them in pairs.

[The birth g]oddesses were assembled;
Nintu was seated.
She counted the months.
At the destined [moment], they called the tenth month.
The tenth month came.
The end of the period opened the womb.

Her face was beaming, joyful.
Her head covered,
she performed the midwifery.
She girded her loins;
she made the blessing.
She patterned the flour and laid down the brick.

"I have created, my hands have done it.
Let the midwife rejoice in the prostitute's house;
where the pregnant woman gives birth,
the mother of the baby
severs herself.
Let the brick be laid down for nine days
that Nintu the midwife be honored.
 Let them continually call Mami their . . .

praise the birth goddess, praise Kesh.
When the bed is laid
let husband and wife lie together.
When for wifehood and husbandhood
they heed Ishtar in the house of the father-in-law,
let there be rejoicing for nine days; let them call Ishtar Ishara.

305-end. After a gap of approximately fifty lines, the story continues. Twelve hundred years later Enlil is trying to destroy the human race because it is making too much noise.