Proverbs: collection 1
- D.1
[…]-ga-am3
(1 line fragmentary)
- D.2
[…] TE šeš-e lipiš-ta
…… the brothers in anger destroyed their father's estate.
- D.3
? ad-da-ne-ne in-gul-lu-uš
- D.4
nin9-ĝu10 ub-lil2-la2 nam-me-a
Oh my sister, if there were no outdoor shrines, and, oh my mother, if there were no river as well, I would be dying of hunger.
- D.5
ama-ĝu10 id2-da nam-ga-me-am3
- D.6
šaĝar-da ba-ug7-e-de3-en-e-še
- D.7
⌈ur5⌉ ama-ĝu10 nin9 ban3-da-ĝu10 ma-an-ak-e
Thus my mother and my younger sister act toward me; …… am I so deficient in judgment that I should offer my cheek to her?
- D.8
⌈?⌉-am3 lu2 dim2-ma ĝe26-e mu-da-lal-a
- D.9
!-ĝu10 an-na-ḫa-za-an
- D.10
aĝ2 ki di-ta nu-⌈ĝen⌉ aĝ2 ki šar2-ra-ĝen
You are not one who stays in one place, you are one who is everywhere.
- D.11
ĝiš-šub us2-sa-ab ama-zu ḫul2-la-ab
Accept your lot and make your mother happy. Run fast and make your god happy.
- D.12
kaš4 dug4-ga-ab diĝir-zu ḫul2-la-ab
- D.13
igi il2-la-zu dam tuku-ba-ni-ib
Marry a wife according to your choice. Have children to your heart's content.
- D.14
šag4-ge guru7-zu dumu tuku-ba-ni-ib
- D.15
{d}inana-ke4 dam ur2 kum2-ma ḫa-ra-nu2-a
May Inana make a hot-limbed wife lie with you! May she bestow upon you broad-shouldered sons! May she seek out for you a happy place!
- D.16
dumu a2 tal2-tal2-la ḫa-ra-an-ba-e
- D.17
ki niĝ2 sag9-ga ḫa-ra-an-kiĝ2-kiĝ2-⌈e⌉
- D.18
ki-sikil šeš-zu saĝ nu-mu-re-eb-kal-le
Girl, your brother cannot choose for you; whom do you choose?
- D.19
a-ba-am3 saĝ mu-e-kal-le-en
- D.20
ki-sikil šeš-zu ĝe26-e-gin7-nam
Girl, your brother is like me. A brother should let you live as would I.
- D.21
šeš ĝe26-gin7 ḫe2-til3-le
- D.22
ĝa2-a-gin7-nam šem-bi lil2-la2-am3
Like my own affairs, antimony paste (?) is air: let …… fat be eaten in the mist.
- D.23
u5 li2 bar-šeĝ3-ĝa2 ḫe2-gu7-e
- D.24
dam nu-ĝar-ra tuku-a-ĝu10-ne
When I married a malicious husband, when I bore a malicious son, an unhappy heart was assigned to me.
- D.25
dumu nu-ĝar-ra tud-da-ĝu10-ne
- D.26
šag4 nu-dug3-ga ma-a-? ma-an-ĝar
- D.27
[…] ⌈nu⌉-[X]
…… who does not …… has no cause for celebration.
- D.28
[giri17]-⌈zal⌉-še3 nu-il2
- D.29
dam nu-il2 dumu nu-il2
He who does not support a wife, he who does not support a child, has no cause for celebration.
- D.30
giri17-zal-še3 nu-il2
- D.31
dam nu-ĝar-ra e2-a til3-la-am3
A malicious wife living in the house is worse than all diseases.
- D.32
a2-sag3-a2-sag3-e dirig-ga-am3
- D.33
ad-da-a a ḫur nu-ri
Conceived by no father, conceived by no mother, the enbar reed came out of the eye of the storm.
- D.34
ama-a a ḫur nu-ri
- D.35
{gi}en3-bar gaba ud-da-ka e3-a
- D.36
nitaḫ zig3-ga-am3 mun al-gu7-e
A male aroused eats salt. A female aroused is dragged in the mud (?).
- D.37
munus zig3-ga-am3 im-ma al-gid2-gid2-de3
- D.38
dumu si nu-sa2 ama-a-ni na-an-u3-tud
A disorderly son -- his mother should not have given birth to him. His god should not have created him.
- D.39
diĝir-ra-ni na-an-dim2-dim2-e
- D.40
[dam]-ĝu10 ⌈lu2-lul⌉-la ma-an-dug4
My wife said Unfaithful! to me -- shall I go chasing after women's genitals?
- D.41
[gal4-la]-e ba-ab-us2-e-en
- D.42
ĝiš3 lul-la gal4-la lul-la-ke4 ba-ni-in-sig10
An unfaithful penis matches (?) an unfaithful vagina.
- D.43
dam tuku-tuku lu2-ulu3-⌈?⌉
Marrying is human. Having children is divine.
- D.44
dumu tuku-tuku diĝir-ra-⌈?⌉
- D.45
X-ta ⌈tud-da⌉
…… born …… superior …….
- D.46
an-ta […]
- D.47
?-ni ? ?-[la …]
…… his mother …… dishonest young man …….
- D.48
X ga-ša-an-an-na […]
Inana …….
- D.49
a-?-am3 ?-e ?-X […]
What ……? A tradesman gave it to me …….
- D.50
ga-sam2 ma-an-šum2 X […]
- D.51
dam-gar3-re kug ta ba-an-ir
Oh merchant, how you use up silver! And how you use up barley!
- D.52
u3 še ta ba-an-ir
- D.53
an ?-am3 ki ku6-am3
At the top it is a wild cow, at the bottom it is a fish. At the top it is shattered potsherds, at the bottom it is half a cubit.
- D.54
an šika de5 ki MAŠ kuš3
- D.55
ud i3-di-di-in ud šu2-uš i3-di-di-in
I visit it by day, I visit it at nightfall. I always stand by the lamentation drum!
- D.56
balaĝ er2-ra im-ma-gub-gub-bu-de3-en
- D.57
[…] X X […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
- D.58
[…] X NU […]
- D.59
mussa-tur ta mu-un-ir-ra-bi
Sons-in-law -- what have they brought? Fathers-in-law -- what have they disposed of?
- D.60
ušbar-e ta bi2-in-bur2-ra-bi
- D.61
zig3-ga-ĝu10 dug4-ga ma-la-ga-ni
She who says My expense is her girl friend. An interfering neighbour is the one with whom she quarrels.
- D.62
ušur na de5-ga lu2 du14-da-ka-ni
- D.63
[X X] ? ⌈MU⌉ [X X (X)]-am3
(2 lines fragmentary)
- D.64
X […]-am3
- D.65
itid du6-kug-ga-ka šaḫ2 nu-un-X
In the seventh month he did not slaughter (?) a pig. In the sixth month he did not put on a new turban.
- D.66
itid kiĝ2-ga-ša-an-an-na-ka ? ! nu-um-mur10
- D.67
udu […] NE
A sheep …… to her girl friend …… (1 line fragmentary)
- D.68
[X (X)] ma-la-ga-ni-še3
- D.69
[X (X)] im-ma-da-an-RI
- D.70
[al-di-di-de3]-⌈en⌉ nu-kuš2-u3-me-en
I walk about, I don't get tired. I keep moving, I don't sleep.
- D.71
[i3-di-di]-de3-en u3 nu-ku-ku-me-en
- D.72
tug2-me-ze2-er-ra ba-da-ab-bir7-ra
When the rags have been cut up, when the barley is lying in the dust, what is there left to get?
- D.73
še saḫar-ra ba-da-an-til3-la
- D.74
ta-a šu ba-ni-ti
- D.75
[ga-ša]-⌈an⌉ tug2 gal-gal-la-ĝen
I am a lady who wears large garments. Let me cut my loincloth!
- D.76
{tug2}niĝ2-dara2-ĝu10 da-an-kud
- D.77
[u3]-⌈mu⌉-un id2 da-ma-al-la-ĝen
You are the master of a broad river. You are eating …….
- D.78
[X] BU i3-gu7-e-en
- D.79
aĝ2 gu7-gu7-ĝen aĝ2 nam-la2-e
When you are eating, may nothing lack. When you are in need of water, may things not dry up.
- D.80
⌈?-?⌉-ĝen aĝ2 nam-ba-ša-ra-ge-<en>
- D.81
[…]-an-ga
(1 line fragmentary) …… drinking …….
- D.82
[…] X naĝ-naĝ
- D.83
[…]-⌈en⌉ ? ⌈sag9⌉
…… pleasant thing ……. (approx. 2 lines missing)
- gap
(approx. 2 lines missing)
- D.86
[e-le-lum-ĝu10] kur-⌈re⌉ […]
My cry of joy …… by the nether world, but my mental powers are not thereby taken away.
- D.87
⌈umuš-ĝu10⌉ [ur5-re nu]-⌈ub⌉-ta-ab-⌈kar⌉-[…]
- D.88
⌈umuš⌉-ĝu10 nam-[X X]-la2-e […] ⌈RI⌉ sud-sud […] la2-da-a
Let not my mental powers …… be diminished. …… far off …… deficient …….
- D.89
ki-sikil gu3 ra-aḫ ama-ni mu-un-sig9
A chattering girl is silenced by her mother. A chattering boy is not silenced by his mother.
- D.90
ĝuruš lu2 gu3 ra-aḫ ama-ni nu-mu-un-da-an-sig9
- D.91
u2 il2-la-a-ni ba-da-ab-il2-e
His gathered brushwood will be carried off. His destroyed parapet will will not be plundered.
- D.92
bad3-si gul-la-ni šu mu-un-ak-e ? nu-mu-na-ab-?-?
- D.93
ma2-addir lu2 dirig ba-X
The ferryboat is …… too many men. My man shall not board it!
- D.94
mu-lu-ĝu10 ba-ra-mu-un-u5
- D.95
barag2-barag2-ge nu-? suḫur ta ba-e-la2
You don't know how to spread it out. How your tresses hang down! Your hair …… one cubit ……. My lady, you …… not …….
- D.96
siki-zu 1 kuš3-⌈am3⌉ […]
- D.97
nin-ĝu10 nam nu-X […]
- D.98
u2-um inim-ma-am3 a inim-ma-am3
Food is the matter, water is the matter.
- D.99
{uzu}suš2 al-⌈ze2-eb⌉
Fatty meat is good. Fatty mutton is good. -- What shall I we give the slave girl?
- D.100
{uzu}i3-udu al-⌈ze2⌉-eb
- D.101
ta-am3 gi4-in-na ga-an-na-ab-ze2-eĝ3-ĝen ga-ma-ze2-ĝe26-e-en-de3-en
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The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.