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Proverbs: collection 12

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 95 sections

  1. A.1

    lugal […]

    (4 lines fragmentary)

  2. A.2

    šu […]

  3. A.3

    lu2 X […]

  4. A.4

    igi eridug{ki} MA X X […]

  5. A.5

    lugal-e SAR igi silaĝ-ĝe26 [X (X)]

    The master …… kneading dough …… does not eat.

  6. A.6

    nu-me-X nu-gu7-e-[še]

  7. A.7

    lugal-e X […] X ⌈arad-da-ni⌉

    The master …… his servant …….

  8. A.8

    lugal-e mu-un-⌈zu⌉

    The master knows. The steward does not know.

  9. A.9

    aĝrig-e nu-mu-un-⌈zu⌉

  10. A.10

    lugal-e da ḫa-ra-⌈nu2⌉ u3 nin-e muš3-me-zu ḫe2-eb-ra

    May the master sleep at your side, and may the mistress slap your face.

  11. A.11

    lugal e2-e-ke4 DIM2-zu

    The lord of the house, your ……; ……, a restraint.

  12. A.12

    DIM2-e {ĝiš}rab3-am3

  13. A.13

    lugal e2-e u3 nin e2-e-ke4 {ĝiš}za-na mi-ni-ib-tag-ge-ne

    The lord and lady of the house touch the figurine.

  14. A.14

    esaĝ2-e šu bi2-ib-de5-de5

    The granary collects.

  15. A.15

    niĝ2 e3 2(MAN)-na-ne-ne-ka

    Outgoings are a matter for both, and now I also am one of them.

  16. A.16

    ⌈ĝe26⌉-e in-ga-me-en-na-e-še

  17. A.17

    lu2 u2-gu de2-a u2-gu de2-a lu2 kiĝ2-kiĝ2-da-aš u2-gu i-ni-in-de2 [… u2-gu …] nu-un-de2 [… u2-gu …] ⌈mu⌉-<na>-an-de2

    The man who is always losing things loses them for the man who has to look for them …… doesn't lose things, has lost …… for him .

  18. A.18

    ⌈?⌉ ? ĝiš-?-bi DE2-a-ka

    (2 lines unclear)

  19. A.19

    lu2 usu-? e2-a-na-ka

  20. A.20

    lu2 niĝ2 ḫab2-e ?-ni al-tur-tur

    A man despises (?) something that stinks: its …… increases.

  21. A.21

    X-bi ab-gu-ul

  22. A.22

    lu2 tug2-ga-ni u2-gu an-de2

    A man lost his clothes: Let me run away …….

  23. A.23

    ⌈ga⌉-[X]-X-⌈da⌉-kar A […-e-še]

  24. A.24

    […] MU

    (2 lines fragmentary) …… let me …….

  25. A.25

    […] ⌈? ?⌉-nam-ma-ab

  26. A.26

    […] ⌈?⌉ ga-⌈ba-ni⌉-ib-DI-e-še

  27. A.27

    […]-a

    (2 lines fragmentary)

  28. A.28

    […] X

  29. A.29

    […]-⌈ta⌉ inim-ba KA tam-ma bur3-re sir5-re nu-gur

    (1 line unclear) my well-wisher …… my malefactor.

  30. A.30

    sag9-ga-ĝu10 lu2 ḫul dim2-ma-ĝu10

  31. A.31

    [X] kin-kin-ne ma2 iri! sa2 ib2-dug4

    …… seeking …… the boat reached the city.

  32. A.32

    [X] ⌈kin⌉-kin-⌈ne⌉ […] ⌈mu⌉-un-ši-? […] {na4}za-gin3-na mu-un-pad3

    …… seeking …… sent back (?) …… revealed …… lapis lazuli …… .

  33. A.33

    […] zu2 keše2 ak-a-?

    …… in order to make an agreement with …… his fool …… I will tell him …… (2 lines fragmentary)

  34. A.34

    […] ⌈lu2⌉-?-ma-ni

  35. A.35

    […] an-na-ab-be2-en

  36. A.36

    […] X-am3

  37. A.37

    […]-⌈ib⌉-DI-e-še

  38. A.38

    […] ⌈?⌉-tuku-a

    …… not having …… (1 line fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)

  39. A.39

    […] X [X X]

  40. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

  41. B.1

    X […]

    (1 line fragmentary)

  42. B.2

    lugal-ĝu10 ḫul2-la-zu an-⌈gu-lu-X⌉

    My master, your joy …… very great, and your weeping …… very great.

  43. B.3

    ! er2 pad3-da-zu an-gu-lu-⌈X⌉

  44. B.4

    lugal-be2-ne bi2-in-kur2-ru-uš

    Their masters have changed. They are dressed in mourning (?) clothes.

  45. B.5

    tug2-ku-ru-um am3-mur10-re-eš

  46. B.6

    lu2 tug2 bir7-bir7-ra na-ab-be2-a

    Thus says the man whose clothes are torn: Precious things are strong.

  47. B.7

    kal-kal-la al-kal-la-ge-e-še

  48. B.8

    lu2 an il2-la še10 nu-ub-dur2-re

    A man who can lift the heavens -- and he does not fart.

  49. B.9

    lu2 gi duru5 ak-gin7 lu2-lu2-u3-ra

    A man who behaves like a damp reed towards his fellow men does not tell the truth either.

  50. B.10

    niĝ2-gen6-na inim nu-mu-un-da-ab-bal-e

  51. B.11

    lu2 {gi}pe-el X-e

    A man …… humiliated …… reed. The man puts it in a well.

  52. B.12

    lu2 ?-a a-ab-sig10-ge

  53. B.13

    lu2 gud X zuḫ-a

    A man who stole (?) …… cattle (1 line unclear)

  54. B.14

    ?-e si mu-un-X-e-še

  55. B.15

    lu2 dug3 dab5-ba {d}nin-tur5-re

    The man whose knees are paralysed has not prayed devoutly to Nintur.

  56. B.16

    inim-ma nu-[mu]-⌈na⌉-an-sig10-e-še

  57. B.17

    lu2 ḫa-la X […] X-ba-ni-ta

    (2 lines fragmentary)

  58. B.18

    BA X […] X NE

  59. B.19

    kug-zu da-[…] X ⌈A ?⌉

    The wise man …… (unknown no. of lines missing)

  60. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

  61. C.1

    X […] lu2-inim ⌈KA⌉ […]

    …… a witness (?) ……. The slanderer speaks …….

  62. C.2

    inim sig !-⌈gu7⌉ ? […] mu-ni-ib-be2

  63. C.3

    lu2 na-me ŠUL dug4 X […]

    No-one …… when he …… his understanding, …… the master to the ……. Come! …… your …… and I will …… the oath.

  64. C.4

    ĝeštug2-ga-ni u3-⌈bi2⌉-[…]

  65. C.5

    lugal ŠUL-še3 an-na-⌈?⌉-[…]

  66. C.6

    ĝa2-nu ŠUL-zu u2 […]

  67. C.7

    nam-erim2 ga-bi2-[…]

  68. C.8

    lu2 še lum-lum er2 al-še8-še8

    He whose barley sprouts weeps. He who is pouring out water cannot converse.

  69. C.9

    lu2 a de2-a ka-bi nu-ba-e

  70. C.10

    lu2 {kuš}a2-ĝa2-la2-ni nu-keše2-da gu5-li-ni-da šag4 bi2-in-dab5

    A man who didn't tie up his leather sack made his friend angry.

  71. C.11

    lu2 si sa2-ra {na4}kinkin(ḪAR) id2-da mu-na-ab-dirig-dirig

    Even a millstone will float in the river for a righteous man.

  72. C.12

    lu2 niĝ2-tuku u2 […]-⌈bi ḫe2-gu7⌉-e

    Let the wealthy man eat ……. Let the poor man eat milla flour.

  73. C.13

    ukur3 zid2-?-bi ḫe2-⌈gu7⌉-[e]

  74. C.14

    lu2 mun til-la […] al-us2-⌈? ?⌉ […]

    The man whose salt is finished …….

  75. C.15

    lu2 šag4 X […]

    (1 line fragmentary)

  76. C.16

    lu2 […]

    (1 line fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)

  77. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

  78. D.1

    UD […]

    (2 lines fragmentary)

  79. D.2

    ? […] X a-na-am3 […]

  80. D.3

    lu2 en-nu-uĝ3 X […] a-šag4 […]

    …… man …… guard …… field …… the lot …….

  81. D.4

    ĝiš gub-ba-še3 AD […]

  82. D.5

    ? ?⌈asal2⌉ [(X)]

    A wild ram …… a poplar ……. (unknown no. of lines missing)

  83. D.6

    [X X] X […]

  84. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

  85. E.1

    […] ?

    (6 lines fragmentary)

  86. E.2

    […]-bi ? bi2-[X]-gen6

  87. E.3

    [X]-gin7-nam mu-?-en-[X]-en-e-še

  88. E.4

    [X] X NE ⌈an⌉-gu-lu-uš

  89. E.5

    [X] lu2-a la-ba-ĝal2-le-eš

  90. E.6

    […] X X-?-e

  91. F.1

    […] X ⌈a mu-ni⌉-?-am3

    (1 line fragmentary)

  92. F.2

    […] X [X (X)] ⌈ne3⌉ nu-tuku-a

    …… powerless …….

  93. F.3

    [X] TI-a šu bar-ra lu2 sig10-ge5 ak ba-?-ab-[X]

    …… released …… the man who plots …….

  94. F.4

    [X] ⌈?⌉-ni-še3 keše2-keše2-da

    …… bound to his wife …… his penis seeks a litre …….

  95. F.5

    ĝiš3-a-ni sila3 GI ab-kiĝ2-kiĝ2-e

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.