Looking for a good translation of "The Epic of Gilgamesh"?

Question

I'm looking for a good translation of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" to read just for fun. I usually enjoy the Penguin Classic translations, so I was thinking about picking one up. In this case, the translator is Andrew George. Has anyone had any experience with this version that can compare it to other translations? I'd like to read it mainly because i'm just looking for a good epic tale, but i'd like to learn about it as much as possible too, so if there's a better version (eg. if George's version leaves out a lot of details for better readability), if you could tell me about it, that'd be great.

Answer 1

Stephen Mitchell published a new version in just the past couple of years. I haven't read it but it was very well received and he's a really good translator if you want a translation that captures the spirit and meaning of the original and lives on its own. (I gather if you want a scholarly word-for-word translation that isn't what he does.) He doesnt leave things out, but it is an english version.

Personally, what I'd do is read Mitchell's and either than go bcak with scholarly commentary, or choose an academice commentary for the kind of info you might miss in Mitchell.

Listing on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Gilgamesh-A-New-English-Version/dp/0743261690/sr=1-3/qid=1157489874/ref=sr_1_3/102-3396888-2138567?ie=UTF8&s=books

Answer 2

Veda is for advanced people you need huge understanding,spiritual practise to understand it. so normal people can only understand it with some spiritual teacher. but Geeta can be understood by all without any person. its better to understand it under some guidance but its not must so geeta became more popular than Vedas and in Ramayana there is only story or can say understanding via story and Vedas contains only knowledge. but Geeta is connected with a event and contains knowledge also . and total translation of Geeta is possible not for Vedas You need knowledge of Sanskrit to study on Veda. Veda isn't really not book,its from that when writing isn't discovered.its completed by so many rishis one to another. Like guru to student by chanting

Answer 3

There are on-line versions - see below.

The Digital Library's version (No. 3) is pretty neat.