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Proverbs: collection 17

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 41 sections

1. gap

   (unknown no. of lines missing)

2. A.1

   […]-⌈za⌉

   (3 lines fragmentary)

3. A.2

   […] ĝal2

4. A.3

   […] ĝal2

5. A.4

   […] zu A

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

6. A.5

   […] X-ni

7. gap

   (unknown no. of lines missing)

8. B.1

   [X] X še ⌈ŠA⌉ […]

   (3 lines fragmentary)

9. B.2

   [(X)] ⌈?⌉ aĝ2-ĝa2 X […]

10. B.3

    [X] NE-am3 dug3 ⌈?⌉ […]

11. B.4

    ⌈sukud⌉-de3 an-na šu nu-um-[da-la2]

    No one is tall enough to reach up and touch the heavens. No one is broad enough to lift his gaze over the whole earth. No one is strong enough even to stretch himself fully in his bed. But you (?), who roar like a storm -- may you establish yourself like a lion. (1 line unclear) No man can bring about your demise.

12. B.5

    ⌈daĝal⌉-e ki-a <igi> nu-um-ma-an-il2-il2

13. B.6

    ⌈kalag⌉-ga ki-nu2 ni2 nu-mu-un-gid2-de3

14. B.7

    [za]-⌈e⌉-me-en ud-gin7 dug4-dug4-ga

15. B.8

    ⌈piriĝ⌉-gin7 ne ḫe2-gub

16. B.9

    X-zu {ĝiš}kiri6 a ḫe2-?-de6

17. B.10

    lu2 nam-bi2-ib-til-e

18. B.11

    šul diĝir-ĝu10 ĝiri3 {d}lamma-⌈ĝu10⌉

    I was a youth -- now my personal god, and access to my protective deity, and my youthful vigour have all left my loins, like a run-away donkey. My black mountain has sprouted white gypsum. My mother …… from the forest …… has given me paralysed hands. My mongoose, which used to eat strong-smelling butter, can no longer stretch its neck even towards a jar of ghee.

19. B.12

    nam-ĝuruš anše kar-⌈ra⌉-[gin7]

20. B.13

    ḫaš2-ĝa2 ba-an-[taka4]

21. B.14

    ḫur-saĝ gig2-ĝu10 im-babbar ⌈ba⌉-[an-mu2]

22. B.15

    ama-ĝu10 tir-ta ĝiš dab5-⌈?⌉ šu dab5 mu-da-an-šum2

23. B.16

    {d}nin-kilim i3 niĝ2 ḫab2-ba ⌈gu7⌉-[gu7-ĝu10]

24. B.17

    dug i3-nun-na-še3 gu2 nu-mu-un-ši-la2-e

25. B.18

    ukur3-re dumu-na tibir2 1(DIŠ)-am3 šu nu-um-ma-ni-dug4-⌈ge⌉

    The poor man does not strike his son a single blow; he treasures him highly forever.

26. B.19

    gi16-sa da-ri2-še3 mu-un-[na]-ni-ak-[e]

27. B.20

    ukur3-⌈re al⌉-ĝal2-la X X (X) tu7 ⌈DAG.KISIM5×X⌉-ra bi2-in-šu2

    When someone is poor ……, they dine on the broth of the human breast.

28. B.21

    ukur3 tu7-a igi bar-ra

    A poor man staring into the soup.

29. B.22

    ĝiš-erin2 sa ak-am3 !pu2 niĝ2-lul ak-a

    Scales made with a net are a pit contrived of dishonesty; should a man then take a merchant for his friend?

30. B.23

    dam-gar3-ra gu5-li-ni!(GAN2)-⌈še3⌉ lu2 ši-in-ga-an-tuku-tuku

31. B.24

    dam-gar3-ra kug-babbar ta ba-an-tur-re-en

    You, merchant, how small you made the amount of silver! And how small you made the amount of barley!

32. B.25

    [u3] ⌈še⌉ ta ba-an-tur-re-en

33. B.26

    [e2-gal]

    The palace: one day a mother giving birth, the next day a mother in mourning.

34. B.27

    [ud] ⌈1(DIŠ)⌉ ama tud-da-⌈am3⌉

35. B.28

    [ud 1(DIŠ) ama a-nir]-ra-am3

36. B.29

    […] X […]

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

37. gap

    (unknown no. of lines missing)

38. C.1

    […]-⌈ak⌉-am3

    (3 lines fragmentary)

39. C.2

    […] ⌈?⌉-SU

40. C.3

    […] X-an

41. C.4

    […] geme2

    …… slave girl …….

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.