Proverbs: collection 16

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 87 sections

A.1
[…] NE
(6 lines fragmentary)
A.2
[…] šum2
A.3
[… ḫul2
A.4
[…] X KU
A.5
[…]-gu7-e
A.6
[…]-bi
A.7
[…] ḫe2-X X
(3 lines fragmentary)
A.8
[…] ⌈tum2⌉-?
A.9
[…] DU
A.10
[…]-an-tur
(7 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
A.11
[…] X-e
A.12
[…] 7
A.13
[…] ⌈?-?⌉
A.14
[…] ?
A.15
[…] ⌈šum2⌉
A.16
[…] X
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
B.1
[…] X […] X […]
(3 lines fragmentary)
B.2
[…] X X X […] X X […]
B.3
X X AN AB X GAL X X ab-?
B.4
sipad ḫe2-em-ta-ed3-de3-e-en
You should get rid of the shepherd, so his sheep will not come back into his charge.
B.5
udu-ni šu-a li-bi2-in-gi4
B.6
sipad kug-zu ⌈?-?-na⌉-bir-am3
The wise shepherd has become confused, and his sheep will not come back into his charge.
B.7
udu-ni šu-a li-bi2-in-gi4
B.8
sipad!(TUR3) ĝiš3-a-ni
A shepherd's sex appeal is his penis; a gardener's sex appeal is his hair.
B.9
nu-{ĝiš}kiri6 suḫur-ni
B.10
ibila nu-gen6-na dam nu-il2 dumu nu-il2 giri17-zal-še3 nu-il2
An unjust heir who does not support a wife, who does not support a child, has no cause for celebration.
B.11
sipad X ḪA ud 1(DIŠ)-a itid na-an-X-[(X)]
(2 lines fragmentary)
B.12
[X] ŠU […]
B.13
ud-da ga-ĝen na-⌈gada⌉-[kam]
Let me go today is what a herdsman says. Let me go tomorrow is what a shepherd boy says. ……. His property ……. Let me go!'…….
B.14
ul-la ga-ĝen ⌈sipad⌉-[tur-ra-kam]
B.15
⌈niĝ2-gur11-?⌉ X […]
B.16
⌈ga-ĝen⌉-am3 […]
B.17
KU X […]
(2 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
B.18
X X […]
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
C.1
[igi engar-e mu-e-ši-in-il2-e]
The farmer lifts his gaze to you : May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed.
C.2
[{d}en-lil2-le iri nam ku5-ra2-ni ḫa-ba]-ši-[in-il2-e]
C.3
igi sipad-tur-re [mu-e-ši-in-il2-e]
The shepherd boy lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed.
C.4
{d}en-lil2-le iri ⌈nam⌉ [ku5-ra2-ni] ḫa-ba-ši-in-⌈il2⌉-[e]
C.5
igi baḫar2-e mu-e-ši-[in-il2-e]
The potter lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed.
C.6
{d}en-lil2-le iri nam [ku5-ra2-ni] ḫa-ba-ši-in-[il2-e]
C.7
engar igi uru3-a a-na-am3 [… ak …]
What will the farmer with his vigilant eye do?
C.8
ud al-šu2-šu2-⌈ru⌉ [im nu-šeĝ3-am3]
It became cloudy, but it did not rain. It rained, but not enough for people to undo their sandals. The Tigris was not surging at its inlet, so water did not fill the arable lands. (unknown no. of lines missing)
C.9
im al-⌈šeĝ3⌉ [{kuš}e-sir2 nu-du8]
C.10
{id2}⌈idigna⌉ [ka-ba nu-un-zur-re a-gar3-re nu-si-si]
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
D.1
⌈?-?⌉ […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
D.2
šum2 ba-⌈?⌉-[…]
D.3
gu5-li-⌈ĝu10⌉ [niĝ2 ud 1(DIŠ)-kam]
My friend might last just one day. My colleague lasts forever.
D.4
gi-me-[a-aš-ĝu10 niĝ2 ud da-ri2-kam]
D.5
šeš ? […]
(2 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
D.6
eme KA […]
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
E.1
⌈MU⌉ […]
(3 lines fragmentary)
E.2
niĝ2 na-[me …]
E.3
kisal X X […]
E.4
? me-a X X ? […]
(1 line fragmentary)
E.5
ab geme2-ta na-ab-⌈?-?⌉-[X]
He enters (?) through the slavegirl's window; he is indeed a merchant!
E.6
dam-gara3 e-ne
E.7
?-e niĝ2 50-me-eš
A donkey can carry fifty things. Those who carry the baskets ……. Entering one at a time, they ask: What did he carry?
E.8
{ĝiš}dusu il2-il2-ne am3-eš
E.9
1(DIŠ)-am3 kur9-ra-am3 a-? ba-an-il2-e-še
E.10
u2 ⌈ur2⌉-bi gid2-da in-⌈na⌉-bur12-uš X-(X)-e-še
They tore out weeds with long roots …….
E.11
UN erin mu-un-ni-⌈?⌉ mu-da-an-BU
(4 lines unclear) It is an abomination (?) to Suen.
E.12
? UN ĜA2 ⌈?⌉ E X
E.13
X mu-da-?-⌈?⌉
E.14
X UŠ nam-ban3-da
E.15
<niĝ2-gig> {d}suen-na-kam
E.16
kur kug ba-al-[gin7]
Like a mountain mined for precious metals, he is a man whose judgment is unsound .
E.17
lu2 dim2-ma nu-sag9
E.18
šu-i-gin7 nam X […]
Don't …… like a barber. He coiffures (?) hair.
E.19
suḫur im-ši-la2-⌈e⌉
E.20
u2 MUNUS+NI ak […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
E.21
gaba du6-da i3-ak [X X]-e-[še]
E.22
X ZI TUG2 X […] [{d}]niraḫ-gin7 dar-ra-⌈me-en⌉
…… I part the waters (?) like Niraḫ.
E.23
[{u2}]numun2 in-de5-de5-ga
…… collecting rushes …….
E.24
[…]-ka-am3 i3-bar-re
…… opens …… the mouth.
E.25
X ma2 bi2-in-dirig-⌈?⌉ ni2-zu ba-da-an-tum3 KA ba-an-ga-bi
…… you make the boat sail. …… you will carry yourself away with it …… carry …… .
E.26
⌈eĝer⌉ ni2-zuḫ ti-ri2-da mu-⌈deḫi2⌉
After becoming a thief, one becomes an outcast.
E.27
IM-ni-a zag-am3 zag ĝar šu ba-ab-KAL
(3 lines unclear)
E.28
nu-{ĝiš}kiri6-ke4 nu-{ĝiš}kiri6 iri mu-un-dab5-be2-ne
E.29
⌈?⌉ {ĝiš}kiri6-še3 im-tum2-tum2-ma [X] ⌈{ĝiš}⌉kiri6-ke4 mu-un-tum2-me-⌈en⌉
E.30
[X X]-rin-na IM-ni-a zag-bi [X X] NI NE ḫe2-en-MUŠ2
(1 line unclear) (unknown no. of lines missing)
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
F.1
[…] X-e-še
(1 line fragmentary)
F.2
[X (X)] A ⌈?⌉ [X (X)]-i gid2-i X-ĝa2-? iš-ḫi-[…]-⌈?⌉ X el ra-ma-ni-šu IZ NU UR
(1 line fragmentary)

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.