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Proverbs: collection 15

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 101 sections

1. gap

   (unknown no. of lines missing)

2. A.1

   […] X X […]

   (1 line fragmentary)

3. A.2

   ⌈a-na⌉ MUNUS A mu-na-ni-in-[X]

   (1 line fragmentary)

4. A.3

   ud-ba na-ĝa2-aḫ-⌈? gu3⌉ !-un-⌈?⌉-de2-a

   Then, when you shout like a fool, someone should say: Your …… is a captured donkey!

5. A.4

   X-zu ? dab5 lu2 ḫu-mu-un-e-e-še

6. A.5

   X RI in-bi-im

   It is an insult to ……. It is the dignity of the palace.

7. A.6

   ⌈e2⌉-gal me-te-bi-im

8. A.7

   in-ga-ḫul2-e ama lu2-kar-ra-kam

   The well-wisher is the mother of the refugee.

9. A.8

   ⌈in⌉-ga-ḫul2-zu uĝ3-e ḫe2-em-me

   May the people wish you well. May your god grant what you are in agreement with (?).

10. A.9

    [ḫe2]-am3-zu diĝir-zu ḫe2-em-me

11. A.10

    [in]-⌈ga⌉-ḫul2-e sed-da-ka

    (2 lines unclear)

12. A.11

    [X X] ? NE ?-da

13. A.12

    X in-ga-ḫul2-a-kam [X X] X-am3 al-KU

    (1 line unclear)

14. A.13

    [X X X] X ninda šag4-gal-la-ni-še3

    …… food for his sustenance …… cut ……. (1 line fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)

15. A.14

    […] in-kud-?

16. A.15

    […] X-!-šu2

17. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

18. B.1

    ⌈igi⌉ sipad-tur-re mu-e-ši-in-il2-e

    The shepherd boy lifts his gaze to you : May Enlil look upon the city he has cursed.

19. B.2

    {d}en-lil2-le iri{ki} nam ku5-ra2-ni ḫa-ba-ši-in-il2-e

20. B.3

    igi baḫar2-e mu-un-ši-in-il2-e

    The potter lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city he has cursed.

21. B.4

    {d}en-lil2 iri nam ku5-ra2-ni ḫa-ba-ši-in-il2-e

22. B.5

    ⌈igi⌉ nu-{ĝiš}!(⌈ĜIŠ-NU⌉)kiri6-e mu-un-ši-in-il2-e

    The gardener lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city he has cursed.

23. B.6

    {d}en-lil2-le iri nam [ku5]-ra2-ni ḫa-ba-⌈ši⌉-in-il2-e

24. B.7

    engar ⌈igi⌉ [uru3-a a-na]-⌈? ak⌉-X

    What will the farmer with his vigilant eye do?

25. B.8

    peš10-⌈a⌉ [im al]-⌈šeĝ3⌉-am3

    It rained on the river banks but the dry land did not get a drop.

26. B.9

    bar-rim4-⌈ma ?⌉ nu-um-bi-iz

27. B.10

    AN ba-za {urud}šukur na-?-⌈?-un⌉

    …… you shouldn't give a lame man a staff. Enlil is his helper.

28. B.11

    {d}en-lil2 a2-taḫ-a-ni-im

29. B.12

    en-e ku6 an-gi4 ga-raš{sar} an-gi4

    The high priest rejected fish, he rejected leeks, and he should also reject the zagḫili plant.

30. B.13

    u3 za3-ḫi-⌈li⌉-a ḫe2-da-an-gi4

31. B.14

    e2 {d}en-lil2-⌈?⌉ i3-? nu-un-til

    He started building Enlil's temple but did not complete it. He built a wall around Nibru, but …… (unknown no. of lines missing)

32. B.15

    bad3 [nibru{ki}] i3-du3 […]-in-aĝ2

33. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

34. C.1

    X [X X] X X […]

    (1 line fragmentary)

35. C.2

    {kuš}a2-⌈si⌉ unud(UNU3)!(KU) ? ḫa-[ba-šum2-X]

    Let the herdsman whip the ox. Let the shepherd slaughter the sheep. Where there is no toughness, no man can go about his business.

36. C.3

    sipad ⌈?⌉ ḫa-ba-šum-[X]

37. C.4

    ! !-ki nu-ĝal2-⌈la⌉ lu2 na-an-ni-dib2-⌈be2⌉

38. C.5

    šag4 ĝidru-ka i3 ḫe2-en-de2 [lu2] ⌈na⌉-me nu-zu

    If oil is poured inside the shaft of a sceptre, no one would know.

39. C.6

    [gir5] iri kur2-ra-am3 saĝ-ĝa2-am3

    The stranger is leader in a foreign city.

40. C.7

    [X] lu2-ra nu-si-si-me-en

    (3 lines fragmentary)

41. C.8

    [X] MU mu-da-⌈ĝal2⌉

42. C.9

    [X] MU mu-da-ĝal2

43. C.10

    X X X X A X e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 niĝ2-ni ab-šid-šid-de3

    …… Enlil's temple, his things are counted. To his things that have been counted (?), let nothing be added. Let their names be destroyed.

44. C.11

    niĝ2-ni !-a-⌈de3⌉ nam-ba-ab-⌈taḫ⌉-[e]

45. C.12

    mu-ne-ne ḫe2-ḫa-⌈lam⌉-[e]

46. C.13

    mu-un-il2-la kaskal-la X […]

    (1 line fragmentary)

47. C.14

    mu-un-il2-il2 niĝ2 ⌈ḪAR⌉ […]

    (1 line fragmentary)

48. C.15

    a il2-la bi2-ib-i-[…]

    He who carries water …….

49. C.16

    lu2-IM lu2 SU […]

    The dishonest man …….

50. C.17

    niĝ2 al-sukux(SUKUD)-ra2 X […]

    That which rises high …….

51. C.18

    [X] X-am3 an-⌈gu⌉-[…] X LUL-ni ⌈im⌉-[…]

    (2 lines fragmentary)

52. C.19

    [X]-⌈bi⌉ nu-⌈gul⌉ […]

53. C.20

    ⌈su⌉-a su-a-bi-še3 {d}nin-kilim niĝ2 ak-ak-bi-še3

    A cat for its being a cat; a mongoose for doing what it does.

54. C.21

    a zig3-ga 1 1/2 kuš3 im-ma-an-zig3

    The rising waters rose one and a half cubits. The water was three cubits high on the quay; it covered his feet with water.

55. C.22

    3 kuš3 a kar-ra ĝal2-la ĝiri3-na ba-ni-in-si

56. C.23

    {id2}idigna uz{mušen}-am3 {id2}buranun-na kur-gi4{mušen}-am3

    The Tigris is a duck, the Euphrates is a goose. The king should not come near, …….

57. C.24

    lugal nam-ba-teĝ3-ĝe26 šu na4 ba-an-kur9

58. C.25

    X X X […]

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

59. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

60. D.1

    […] X

    (2 lines fragmentary)

61. D.2

    […] X X

62. D.3

    […] X X

    (3 lines fragmentary)

63. D.4

    […] BA X

64. D.5

    […] X X X

65. D.6

    […]-? ? X [X (X)]-X-?-tum3

    (1 line fragmentary)

66. D.7

    {u2}X{sar} u2 nam-tar gig-ga-kam

    The …… plant is a plant of ill fate. (1 line unclear)

67. D.8

    NE ? am3-ir

68. D.9

    IM X [(X) X]-la-ba

    (4 lines fragmentary)

69. D.10

    e2 X [(X) X]-la-ba

70. D.11

    ? [X X X]-an-ĝa2-?

71. D.12

    […]-⌈?⌉-DU

72. D.13

    […] i3-pad3-de3

    (3 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)

73. D.14

    […] X i3-pad3-de3

74. D.15

    […] X [X]

75. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

76. E.1

    X […] ? X ?

    (1 line fragmentary)

77. E.2

    ? […] X

    (1 line fragmentary)

78. E.3

    […] X KA×LI-bi

    (1 line fragmentary)

79. E.4

    X [X X X] ⌈mu⌉-un-?

    (1 line fragmentary) …… didn't eat …….

80. E.5

    X [X] X NE ? nu-un-gu7-e

81. E.6

    e2 igi-nim-⌈?⌉ lugal-bi nu-ub-us2

    The houses of the highlands: their masters are not near.

82. E.7

    KU-e bar e3 [X X]

    (1 line fragmentary)

83. E.8

    ur-maḫ [X X] X […]

    …… lion …….

84. E.9

    AN […]

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

85. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

86. F.1

    […]-X-de3-en

    (2 lines fragmentary)

87. F.2

    […]-du-du-de3-⌈?⌉

88. F.3

    […] X-?

    (3 lines fragmentary)

89. F.4

    […] X

90. F.5

    […]-gi4-gi4-in

91. F.6

    […]-me-en

    (4 lines fragmentary)

92. F.7

    […] X X

93. F.8

    […] sig9-ga

94. F.9

    […] X-⌈in⌉-X-e-še

95. F.10

    […] X im-dar-ra ⌈?⌉-e-DUB

    (1 line fragmentary)

96. F.11

    [X] tur-ra di-de3 ⌈?-?⌉-dug4

    (2 lines fragmentary)

97. F.12

    [X] GA AL X [(X)]

98. F.13

    [X (X)] X [X (X)]

    (2 lines fragmentary)

99. F.14

    [(X)] X-ab-DU-[X X]

100. F.15

     [X] 1(DIŠ) GAN [X X]

     (1 line fragmentary)

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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.