Proverbs: collection 2 + 6

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 318 sections

A.101
X TU-re ⌈?⌉ ? X
(1 line fragmentary)
A.102
ka5-a-a šag4 ba-ab-si ubur-bi ubur ama-bi ga ba-an-ḫad2
The vixen quenched her thirst but still her teats motherly teats were dry of milk.
A.103
⌈ka5⌉-a-a ama-a-bi ka5-a ab-dirig
Each fox is even more of a fox than its mother.
A.104
ka5-a-a ĝeštug2-bi al-gig ĝiri3-bi al-guz-e
If the hearing of the fox is bad, its foot will be crippled.
A.105
ka5-a kun-bi al-dugud
The fox's tail is heavy: it carries a harrow.
A.106
{ĝiš}gana2-ur3 la2-am3-me-e-[še]
A.107
ka5-a {ĝiš}si-ĝar-bi ĝiš-ur3-am3
The fox's door-bolt is a wooden beam.
A.108
ka5-a-a e2-a-ni nu-mu-da-an-⌈du3⌉
The fox could not build his own house, so he got a job at his friend's house as a construction worker.
A.109
e2 gu5-li-na-še3 al-tar-re ba-gub
A.110
al-lub e2-a-ni a ab-si e2 ma-la-ga-ni-še3 girid2-de3 i3-ĝen
The crab's house became filled with water, so she went to her girlfriend's house to …….
A.111
ka5-a-a a-numun2 še šu bi2-in-dug4
The fox watered (?) the barley with rush (?) water: Nature has changed its mind.
A.112
niĝ2 nam tar-ra umuš-bi kur2-ra-am3-e-še
A.113
ka5-a ĝiri3-suḫub2 am-ma-ke4 ĝiri3-ni bi2-in-gub nu-ub-sig10-e-še
A fox trod on the hoof of a wild bull: It didn't hurt (?)!
A.114
ka5-a-a ĝidru an-da-ĝal2 a-ba-am3 an-tud2-de3-en
The fox had a stick: Whom shall I hit? He carried a seal: What can I challenge?
A.115
kišib an-ši-la2 a-na-am3 ab-gur-re-en
A.116
ka5-a-a a-ab-ba-še3 ĝiš3-a-ni u3-bi2-in-sur
The fox, having urinated into the sea, said: The depths of the sea are my urine!
A.117
a-ab-ba du5-bi kaš3-ĝu10-um-e-še
A.118
ka5-a-a nu-un-! {ĝiš}az-gu2-bi al-ak-e
He has not yet caught the fox but he is already making a neck-stock for it.
A.119
ka5-a-a dam-a-ni an-na-ab-be2
The fox said to his wife: Come! Let us crush Unug between our teeth like a leek; let us strap Kulaba on our feet like sandals! Before they had yet come within a distance of 600 uš from the city, the dogs began to howl from the city. -- Geme-Tummal! Geme-Tummal! Come with me to your place! Wicked things are howling at us from the city!
A.120
ĝa2-nu unug{ki} ga-raš{sar}-gin7 zu2 ga-am3-gaz-e-en-de3-en
A.121
kul-aba{ki} {kuš}e-sir2-gin7 ĝiri3-me-a ga-am3-ma-ab-sig9-ge4-en-de3-en
A.122
iri-še3 600 uš nu-te-a-ba
A.123
iri-da ur-re šeg11 am3-da-gi4-gi4
A.124
geme2-tum-ma-al{ki} geme2-tum-ma-al{ki}
A.125
dur2-zu-še3 ĝa2-nam-ma-da
A.126
iri{ki}-da niĝ2-ḫul-e šeg11 am3-da-gi4-gi4
A.127
kug-zu ka5-a šu-lu2{mušen} ? ba-an-[gi4]
How clever the fox is! He hoots (?) like the šulu bird.
A.128
lul dug4-ga-ab zid dug4-ga-ab lul ba-e-sig10-ge5
Tell a lie and then tell the truth: it will be considered a lie.
A.129
lul dug4-dug4 ra-gaba ki ba9-ra2
He who always lies is a messenger from distant places.
A.130
anše al-dug4-dug4-ge barag al-ḫuĝ-ḫuĝ-e
Donkeys are being ordered; sacks are being hired.
A.131
anše ḫu-nu-zu kaš4-ta e3-a
Your helpless donkey's speed has left him. O Enlil, your helpless man's strength has left him.
A.132
{d}en-lil2 lu2 ḫu-nu-zu lirum-ta e3-a
A.133
anše-ĝu10 kaš4 kar-re-de3 nu-mu-un-tum2
My donkey was not destined to run quickly; he was destined to bray!
A.134
eme ak-da mu-un-tum2
A.135
anše gu3 an-mur lugal anše-ke4 pa-aĝ2 an-ze2
The donkey roared (?); its owner pierced its nostrils (?): We must get up and away from here! Quickly! Come!
A.136
ba-da-ra-ab-ed3-de3-en-de3-en kaš4-a ĝen-na-e-še
A.137
anše ki-nu2 ni2-ba-a gu7-gu7
A donkey eating its own bedding.
A.138
anše ĝiš3-a-ni šag4-ga-ni ra-ra
A donkey beating its penis against its belly.
A.139
anše ze2 nu-a anše naĝa dub2 nu-a
For a donkey there is no stench. For a donkey there is no washing with soap.
A.140
anše nu-mu-un-su-a še10 dur2-re pad3-da
A widow donkey distinguishes itself by breaking wind.
A.141
anše-gin7 dam mu 3-am3 nu-mu-un-tuku-tuku
One does not marry a three-year-old wife, as a donkey does.
A.142
anše lu2 a-ga-de3{ki} 2-am3 u2-gu ba-an-de2
Two Akkadians lost a donkey. One went after it while the other wasted the day. The one who just sat around -- the fault was his.
A.143
al-ĝen ud za-ḫa-al ak-e ul-tuš šer7-da-am3
A.144
gud DU-am3 {ĝiš}tukul a-ab-am3
An ox is walking around (?); a mace is …….
A.145
gu4-zi-in-bu saĝ us2-sa nu2-nu2
Lying next to each other on a stake.
A.146
gud sur12-ta kar-ra-gin7 lul ab-sig9-ge
He is deceitful, like an ox fleeing the threshing-floor.
A.147
gud sur12-ra ab-sin2-bi al-sag9-sag9
Furrows are pleasant to a threshing ox.
A.148
gud sur12 us2-sa numun nu-ĝa2-ĝa2
An ox following round the threshing-floor is not planting seed.
A.149
buru14-da gu7-e lag nu-bur12-re
He who eats during the harvest is not removing clods. He who tears out weeds (?) is not sowing seed.
A.150
šu i3-bur12-ra numun nu-ĝa2-ĝa2
A.151
gud-sumun2 gu7-a-gin7 giri17 gu4-ud-e-za
Your dancing (?) …… is like wild cattle grazing.
A.152
gud-de3 saḫar ub-ak igi ni2-ba zid2-am3
If the ox kicks up dust, it gets flour in its own eyes.
A.153
gud-de3 al-ur11-ru ur-re sur3 an-tag
While the ox is ploughing, the dog is spoiling the deep furrows.
A.154
gud šag4 sur še10 sila sud-⌈am3⌉
An ox with diarrhoea -- its dung is a long trail!
A.155
gud kur2-ra u2 gu7-gu7
A stranger's ox eats grass, while my ox lies hungry.
A.156
gud ni2-ĝa2 u2-šim-e ba-nu2
A.157
am-da kar-ra-ĝu10-ne immal2-e gaba ba-an-ri-en
Once I had escaped the wild bull, the wild cow confronted me.
A.158
[X X] ⌈gud⌉-da ri-a
…… is an ox-driver; the stranger's ox is our ox-driver.
A.159
gud kur2-ra gud-da ri-me-e-še
A.160
ga ab-kar-re ga ba-kar-re an-us2-sa
The milk will be carried away; that milk is near ……!
A.161
gala-e gana2 e2-e us2-sa
To the lamentation priest the field lies adjacent to the house.
A.162
gala du5 {ĝiš}ma2-kam
The lamentation priest is the depths of the boat.
A.163
gala-e dumu-ni a ḫa-ba-an-da-ra-ra dumu-na a-a ba-da-ze2-eĝ3
The lamentation priest hurled his son into the water gave his son to the water : May the city build like me! May the Land live like me!
A.164
iri{ki} ĝe26-gin7 ḫe2-du3 kalam ĝe26-gin7 ḫe2-en-til3
A.165
gala-e bid3-da-ni ḫa-ba-an-da-ze2-er
The lamentation priest wipes his bottom: One should not remove what belongs to my mistress Inana.
A.166
aĝ2 ga-ša-an-an-na ga-ša-an-ĝu10 ba-ra-zi-zi-de3-en-e-še
A.167
gala-e ur-maḫ-e edin-na u3-mu-ni-in-te
When the lamentation priest met a lion in the desert: Let him come to the town ……, to the gate of Inana, where the …… dog is beaten with a stick. What is your brother doing in the desert?
A.168
ḫe2-en-du ?{ki}-a kan4 {d}inana-še3
A.169
ur šika-da-ke4 ĝiš-?-ni ⌈ra⌉
A.170
šeš-zu edin-na ta-am3 mu-un-ak-e-še
A.171
X gala ?-ni-? ?-ab-⌈?⌉ […] ⌈?⌉
The lamentation priest …… to his house …… let me …… (1 line fragmentary) …… for someone.
A.172
[…] X {d}en-[…] NA
A.173
[…] MU ? ?-ra X […]-an-SI
A.174
gala-e {ĝiš}ma2 še-ka-ni ḫa-ba-da-an-su
Although the lamentation priest's grain boat was sinking, he was walking on dry land. (1 line fragmentary) When the lamentation priest's boat …… Enki ……. (2 lines fragmentary)
A.175
bar-rim4-ma ba-e-ĝen
A.176
[…] X X (X)
A.A
gala-e {ĝiš}ma2 ⌈ḫa-ba⌉-[…]
A.B
{d}am-an-⌈ki⌉ […]
A.C
⌈KAR⌉ […]
A.D
X […]
A.177
ninda gala-kam lag-ga ab-gu-ul ki-la2-bi al-tur
It is the food of a lamentation priest: the pieces are big but the weight is small.
A.178
arad gala-a-ke4 tilla2 šeg11 al-gi4-gi4
The slave of the lamentation priest wails constantly in the town square: My food ration is big in size but small in weight. Let me tell you about the size of my food ration -- a lance strikes it constantly throughout the city quarter.
A.179
kurum6-ma-ĝu10 lag-ga ab-gu-ul ki-la2-bi al-tur
A.180
lag kurum6-ma-ĝu10 ga-ab-dug4
A.181
dag-gi4-a {ĝiš}šukur mu-te-te
A.182
gala mu7-mu7 nu-dug3-ga un3 gala-e-ne
A lamentation priest whose incantations do not sound sweet is highly regarded among lamentation priests!
A.183
ur šub6-ba saĝ KA.DU ḫa-ḫa-za
Slavering dogs waiting for instructions (?) ……: Where are you going? Come back! Stay!
A.184
me-še3 gi4-mu-un-ze2-en gub-ba
A.185
ur galam-galam igi-kal lu2 teš2 nu-tuku-am3
Unruly (?), scowling dogs belong to the shameless man.
A.186
ur si-im-si-im e2-e2-a ku4-ku4
A sniffing dog entering all the houses.
A.187
ur niĝ2-u2-zug4 gu7-a
A dog eating unclean food is a dog which leaves nothing for the next (?) day.
A.188
ur niĝ2 ud zal-le nu-taka4-a
A.189
ur X gu7 tilla2-a šaḫ2 in-gu7 {dug}šaĝan SI X […]
A dog eating …… ate a pig in the town square; …… jar …….
A.190
ur simug-ke4 {na4}šu-min3-e nu-mu-un-zig3 pisaĝ2 dug-a i-im-zig3
The smith's dog could not overturn the anvil, so it overturned the basket and pot.
A.191
ur lul-la gu2 sag9-sag9 gu2-tar sag9
Patting the neck of a treacherous dog -- patting from the back of the neck.
A.192
ur ki-tuš-bi nu-mu-zu-a
A dog which knows no home.
A.193
ur ni2-bi-še3 kug-⌈zu⌉-a lugal-bi-ir SA um-ra
The dog thinks it is clever, but to its master …….
A.194
ur al-ed3-de3 {ĝiš}šukur al-ed3-⌈de3⌉ ba-ni-ib-sig10-ge
A dog descends, a lance descends -- each does damage (?).
A.195
ur-gir15 ĝiš3 bir2-bi eme šub6-be2
The dog licks its shrivelled penis with its tongue.
A.196
⌈iri⌉ nu ⌈ur-gir15⌉ ka5-a nu-banda3-am3
In the city with no dogs, the fox is boss.

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.