Proverbs: collection 3

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 351 sections

A.97
geme2 niĝ2 zuḫ-zuḫ-a-ni nin-e lu2-da X-sig10
A.98
lu2 lu2-u3 pa li-bi2-ib-⌈e3⌉
A.99
šag4 ḫul2-la e2-gi4-a šag4 ib2-ba-⌈kam⌉
The joy of a daughter-in-law is anger.
A.100
⌈geme2⌉ nu-sam2-aš {na4}kinkin(ḪAR) an-na SAR
To a slave girl who has not been purchased, the upper millstone ……. You are forever pushing like a millstone torn out of its joint.
A.101
{na4}kinkin(ḪAR) bur12-ra-gin7 al-du7-du7-du7-de3-en
A.102
ga-an-kur9 ga-ab-X [X X]
Let me come in! Let me …… it! Let me destroy it! …….
A.103
ga-ab-ḫul-ḫul-⌈ḫul⌉ [X X]
A.104
diĝir si sa2 gi gur5-ru-⌈uš⌉ […]
The just god …… cut reeds (?) …….
A.105
ga-ab-? ⌈ga⌉-ba-X […]
Let me buy it! Let me …… !
A.106
[…] X X […]
(1 line fragmentary)
A.107
[…]
(2 lines missing)
A.108
[…]
A.109
[…]
(2 lines missing)
A.110
[…]
A.111
[X (X)] X ⌈til3-la⌉ X […]
(1 line fragmentary)
A.112
[X] X-gin7 ki-gal-⌈la⌉ […]
Like a …… on a socle.
A.113
? ga gu7-a-gin7 X […]
Like a suckling bull …….
A.114
til3-la lul-la ḫul na-an-gu-[ul-en]
As long as you live you should not increase evil by telling lies; for if you do, to succumb will be your lot.
A.115
gam ḫa-la-zu-še3 mu-⌈un⌉-[ĝal2]
A.116
zid-du ⌈erim2⌉-[du …]
The righteous …… the wicked …….
A.117
[…] ⌈u3⌉ dub-šen nu-me-en u3 ⌈DUB⌉ […]
…… and I'm not a treasure chest or a …….
A.118
ma-an-UD-da-ni-ta ur5-gin7 X […]
(1 line unclear)
A.119
en-e unug{ki}-⌈ga⌉ nam im-ma-kud-de3 X
The lord cursed Unug, but so was he cursed by the lady of E-ana .
A.120
e-ne-ra nin e2-an-⌈na⌉-[ke4] [(X)]
A.121
aĝrig šu dim4-ma sa-KU kalag-[ga-me-en]
I am a loyal steward with strong arms.
A.122
da-da ḫa-ba-bad ĝe26-e da-⌈da⌉ [(X)]
Let the sides be separated; let me be the one who …… the sides.
A.123
nam-ugula-a ma-ab-du7-du7-⌈un⌉
It is on account of being the boss that you bully me.
A.124
nam-sun7-na-ta gi duru5-gin7
Because of his arrogance, may his head be bowed to his neck like a damp reed.
A.125
saĝ gu2-ni-še3 ḫe2-bi2-in-ed3-de3
A.126
ĝiš-erin2 sa ak pu2 niĝ2 ĝiri3-a-kam
Weighing scales made with a net are a trap made for the feet; a man should not take a merchant for his friend.
A.127
dam-gara3 gu5-li-ni-ir lu2 na-an-tuku-tuku
A.128
dam-gar3-ra kug ta ba-an-tur i3 u3 še [ta ba-an-tur]
You, merchant, how small you made the amount of silver! And how small you made the amount of oil and barley!
A.129
nam-dam-gar3-ra {na4}lagab za-gin3-na
That which in the trade is considered a lump of lapis lazuli is for its owner a stone that …….
A.130
na4 lugal-bi-ir a-da-[X] X X DU
A.131
sig9-ga ba-ra-gid2-de3 kalag-ga ba-ra-ab-gub
One cannot drag out the weak, one cannot hold back the strong.
A.132
šim sis-me šim ga-raš{sar} ḫe2
Let our odour be the smell of leeks -- let it not be the smell of turnips!
A.133
šim lu-ub2{sar} nam-me
A.134
in dub2-dub2-bu-ra in mu-na-an-ĝar
He who insults is insulted. He who sneers is sneered at.
A.135
giri17 ur5-e giri17 mu-na-an-ur5-⌈re⌉
A.136
piriĝ araḫ4 sa-ba gub-ba
A lion caught in the trap in the storehouse becomes mine in this way: the owner simply removes the wood.
A.137
ur5 ĝa2-a-kam lugal-e ĝiš mu-ub-ze2-ze2
A.138
ga-⌈ab⌉-gid2 mu-un-da-ku5-ru
(1 line unclear) …… its hands to the edge of the desert.
A.139
šu-bi bar edin-na mu-da-an-DU
A.140
eme-šid muš-gin7 ga-ba-gid2-da-gin7 ab-ta-ab-us2
A lizard follows like a snake, like a …….
A.141
ḫe2-dab5 tur-ra-gin7 en-nu-uĝ3-ĝa2 šag4-še3 nu-gid2-de3
Like a …… worker, keeping watch is not what is on his mind.
A.142
ga-an-tuš-e e2 ba-an-gub
A tenant established the house, and ploughing established the field.
A.143
ur11-ru-e a-šag4 ba-ab-gub
A.144
ḫaš2 a-ra-an-gid2-nam lu2 še-ĝiš-i3 bi2-ib2-il2-il2
I am stretching my legs on your behalf, says a man delivering sesame.
A.145
mu {d}iškur kur gul-gul
You invoke the oath of Iškur, who destroys the mountains, but …… you cannot cross the river with a boat.
A.146
an-ĝa2 ma2 ba-ra-mu-e-da-ab-bal-e
A.147
{d}iškur-e kur al-dar-dar-e
Iškur splits the mountains, yet he does not split the waterskin.
A.148
{kuš}a-ĝa2-la2 nu-dar-re
A.149
⌈DAG i3-pad3⌉-da-ĝu10 zu2-lum-bi dilmun-na
…… which I have found, its dates are from Dilmun.
A.150
geme2 kar-ra u3 lul-la ku-ku
A runaway slave girl only pretends to sleep.
A.151
maš-da3-e edin LIL2-LIL2-bu-ka
The gazelle in the …… desert feeds its young with milk.
A.152
amar-bi ga bi2-ib-gu7
A.153
igi ti-ti X ⌈AN⌉ X uri-e-ne
Eyes of …… are characteristic of the Akkadians (?).
A.154
umun3-še3 piriĝ-gin7 du
He moves like a lion against a louse, but when there is a job is to be done, he moves like a rat.
A.155
kiĝ2 ak-de3 niĝ2-gilim-ma-gin7 du
A.156
ud ul-e3 nam al-tar-ra
As the sun rises, decisions are made. By the time the sun is up, kingship is conferred.
A.157
{d}utu gub-ba-ni nam-lugal mu-un-na-an-šum2
A.158
{ĝiš}tukul mu-zu na-an-pad3-de3
The battle-club would not find out your name -- it would just find your flesh.
A.159
su-zu ḫe2-pad3-de3
A.160
{u2}lu-ub2{sar} ze2-ze2 šim sis-me
Our own odour is of pulled-up turnips -- sweet things are brought by strangers.
A.161
dug3-ga lu2-kur2-ra ma-ab-tum3
A.162
šum2-ma-ab lugal-la-kam
Give me! is what the king says. Do well! is what the cupbearer's son says.
A.163
dug3-ga-ab dumu sagi-a-kam
A.164
nagar {ĝiš}kibir2-am3
What characterises the carpenter is the chisel. What characterises the reed weaver is the basket. What characterises the smith is the making of little ……. What characterises the singer are the sounds ua and alala.
A.165
ad-KID ma-sa2-ab-am3
A.166
simug da tur-tur ak
A.167
nar !-ux(PA)-a a-la-la
A.168
⌈saĝ⌉ ?-e id2-da bal-le
He who tosses his head succeeds in crossing the river. …… the Tigris …… …… negligent …… .
A.169
⌈{id2}idigna⌉ ud a2 ⌈dirig ?⌉ […] še-ba-e-da-⌈a⌉-[X]
A.170
ugula a2 ĝiš ĝar-ra nu-un-zu-[a]
If the foreman does not know how to assign the work, his workers will not stop shaking their heads.
A.171
erin2-na-ni saĝ sag3-ge nu-gul-e
A.172
[…] X ?-bi-im
(1 line fragmentary)
A.173
e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 gu2-dirig saĝĝa ugula-bi-im
Enlil's temple is a summation of accounts. The temple manager is its overseer.
A.174
e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 pa4-ḫar addir-am3
Enlil's temple is a gathering (?) of wages.
A.175
{d}en-lil2-le šer7-da gu-la-ni šag4-ĝar-ra
Enlil's greatest punishment is hunger.
A.176
ur-e nu-mu-na-an-šum2
If one does not give the dog something, it will bark at every woman.
A.177
munus-e munus-e gu3 al-de2-de2-e
A.178
ur-gir15 {ĝiš}ilar {ĝiš}ellag ra-a-gin7
She growls like a dog struck by a throw-stick ball (?) .
A.179
dum-dam an-da-ab-za
A.180
niĝ2 gu erim2-ma dum-dam za
That which is made of evil threads grumbles.
A.181
⌈inim⌉ ga-ab-dug4 ĝiri3-bi-gin7 du-du
Just-let-me-say-a-word walks like feet. Who can rival a garrulous man?
A.182
⌈ka⌉ an-tuku-da a-ba-am3 mu-da-ab-sa2-e
A.183
[…] id2-da ḫe2-ib-dirig-ma
…… floating on the river and …… diminishes.
A.184
[…] bi2-ib-tur-re
A.185
[za-e ĝa2-ra] ⌈dug4⌉-ma-ab ĝe26-e za-a ga-ri-ib-dug4
You speak to me -- and I will speak to you!
A.186
[X] al-ak-a niĝ2-gu7-a
He who …… is the one who eats something.
A.187
za-e ĝe26-e mu-de3-dug4
You speak with me and I speak with you.
A.188
ĝe26-e za-e mu-de3-dug4
A.189
⌈ḫu⌉-ru-um ti-ti ur-saĝ-e-ne
Fools are the ribcages of heroes.
A.190
ḫu-ru-um ka tuku
The fool is garrulous.
A.191
ur im-di me2-er im-di
The dog moves, the knife moves, but still my man does not move.
A.192
mu-lu-ĝu10 ⌈ba⌉-[ra-mu]-un-di
A.193
ki ĝiri3 ba-la2 sukkal {d}ba-⌈u2⌉-ke4
Where someone is lame, …… the emissary of Bau comes to their aid.
A.194
[X]-na-ab-taḫ-e-še
A.195
še nu-ĝal2-la šu iri{ki}-ka
Where there is no grain, this is a sign of vengeance turned towards a city. Where there are no reeds, it is the worst of all poverty.
A.196
gi nu-ĝal2-la nam-ukur3-ra dirig-ga

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.