𒄑𒂆𒈦
A bit of a stretch to consider this as my Iraq entry, as the Epic of Gilgamesh predates the nation of Iraq by about 4,000 years, but it'll do for now.
Stephen Mitchell, who appears already in my list for his new translation of the Bhagavad Gita, presents a new version of what is regarded as the earliest surviving work of literature. It's a "version" rather than a translation, as Mitchell does not speak ancient Akkadian, the language of the original. Instead, he used previous versions and scholarly works to retell the events in a way that would convey the power and meaning of the original yet be familiar and digestible for modern readers. Mitchell clearly has a knack for that kind of thing, as his version is lively and full of emotion. Quite a feat when the source material is a bunch of clay tablets almost five millennia old.
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