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Proverbs: collection 7

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 147 sections

1. gap

   (7 lines missing)

2. C.35

   ⌈šag4⌉ […]

   (1 line fragmentary)

3. C.36

   ga-⌈an⌉-[…]

   Let me ……, let me ……; let me destroy it is characteristic of the slave girl of a lukur priestess.

4. C.37

   ga-ab-[…]

5. C.38

   ga-⌈ab⌉-ḫul-ḫul

6. C.39

   geme2 lukur-ra-kam

7. C.40

   lul dug4-ga-ab

   Tell a lie, tell the truth.

8. C.41

   zid dug4-ga-ab

9. C.42

   ⌈gu2⌉ zu-ḫu-ul-a-ni-ta ⌈du3⌉-du3-am3

   He is working despite his pierced neck.

10. C.43

    ⌈gu2⌉ bal gu2 ki-ta al-ak-e

    He turns things upside down.

11. C.44

    [a]-šag4 buru4{mušen}-gin7 ⌈zu2⌉ e-da-an-ra-aḫ

    He devours things as crows do a field.

12. C.45

    [ad]-⌈da⌉ a ḫur nu-ri

    Conceived by no father, conceived by no mother, the reed came out of the breast of the storm.

13. C.46

    [ama-a] a ⌈ḫur⌉ nu-ri

14. C.47

    [{gi}en3-bar] ⌈gaba⌉ ud-da X [e3]-a

15. C.48

    […] RA […] RA

    (3 lines fragmentary)

16. C.49

    […] AN […] AN

17. C.50

    X [X X] X X [X X]-⌈bi⌉

18. C.51

    gig gu2-nida-a lal3-⌈gin7 ib2⌉-ak

    Wheat and hulled barley was made to taste like honey. The nomad ate it and didn't recognise what was in it.

19. C.52

    mar-tu i3-gu7-e niĝ2 šag4-⌈bi⌉ nu-un-zu

20. C.53

    še sur-ra gu2 na-an-mar-mar-⌈re⌉

    Don't pile up the poured (?) barley. When it has been carried to your barley and piled up, it will be eaten by your lord.

21. C.54

    še-zu-še3 tum4 tu11 lugal-zu ba-an-gu7

22. C.55

    sag9-ga-bi pad3-da

    The good thing is to find it. The bad thing is to have lost it.

23. C.56

    ḫul-bi u2-gu de2-a

24. C.57

    nam-sag9-ga kaš-a

    The pleasure -- it is the beer! The discomfort -- it is the journey!

25. C.58

    nam-ḫul kaskal-la

26. C.59

    al-ĝal2-la {tug2}niĝ2-dara2-am3

    When present, it is considered a loincloth; when lost, it is considered fine clothing.

27. C.60

    u2-gu ba-an-de2 tug2-ga-am3

28. C.61

    ud-da ga-til3-e gud-gin7 saman2 bi2-in-la2

    He who says Let me live today is bound like a bull on a leash. (3 lines missing)

29. gap

    (3 lines missing)

30. C.65

    [šag4-bi zig3-ga ugula nam-me]

    Those who get excited should not become foremen. A shepherd should not become a farmer.

31. C.66

    ⌈sipad⌉ engar [nam-me]

32. C.67

    !-bar ⌈du8⌉-[a geme2 2(MIN)-am3]

    A free weaver equals two slave girls. A free worker equals three slaves.

33. C.68

    uĝ3-il2 ⌈du8⌉-a arad 3(EŠ5)-am3

34. C.69

    na4 niĝ2 ga-ša-an-ĝa2-a-ke4 gaz-za-am3

    Crushed by a stone belonging to my lady.

35. C.70

    ⌈?⌉ [X]-⌈?⌉ ĝi6-a-ka

    (2 lines fragmentary)

36. C.71

    X X du7-du7-du7-un

37. C.72

    ki ⌈?⌉-e ĝa2-a-kam

    …… is mine; …… raised the ……. (15 lines missing)

38. C.73

    X ⌈mu-ni-ib⌉-zig3-zig3

39. gap

    (15 lines missing)

40. C.89

    […] ĜA2 […]-⌈ra⌉-am3

    (1 line fragmentary)

41. C.90

    [iri{ki} en3]-du-bi [maš2-šu]-gid2-gid2-bi

    The songs of a city are its omen diviners.

42. C.91

    […]-?-en-de3-en

    We ……; we ……; we ate ……; we drank ……; …… cover ……; …… cover …….

43. C.92

    […]-X-en-de3-en

44. C.93

    […]-gu7-un-de3-en

45. C.94

    […]-⌈?⌉-en-de3-en

46. C.95

    […] E mu-e-dul

47. C.96

    […] A bi2-dul

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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.