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Proverbs: collection 18

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 29 sections

1. gap

   (approx. 13 lines missing)

2. A.14

   […]-⌈?⌉-ze2-⌈e⌉

   (1 line fragmentary)

3. A.15

   […] lum-⌈lum⌉-e

   …… flourish …… your lord ate.

4. A.16

   [X X X]-⌈ta lugal⌉-zu ba-an-gu7

5. A.17

   [X] ⌈MU ?⌉ a-šag4 dur2-ru-na še gu7-gu7-a

   …… grain all been eaten in the …… field ……. How did you value the flourishing?

6. A.18

   lum-lum a-na ba-e-⌈?⌉

7. A.19

   da-ra-an-šub a-ḫur-rum i-bi2-za

   The idleness of a low-life causes losses; his shying away (?) from work is perpetual.

8. A.20

   ⌈?-?⌉ niĝ2 ud da-ri2-kam

9. A.21

   [a]-⌈ḫur⌉-rum keše2-ra-ab

   Employ a low-life -- fire him after half a day!

10. A.22

    ud MAŠ-a du8-du8-a-ab

11. A.23

    kug kalag-ga la2 ka kalag-ga sam2

    He who pays with high-valued silver negotiates a favourable position.

12. A.24

    ⌈za⌉-e ĝiš-šub-e ni2 bi2-ib-kal

    Your worthiness is the result of chance.

13. A.25

    [dub3-tuku bar] in-dab5

    The quick one hid, the strong one fled; the talker got into the palace.

14. A.26

    usu-tuku ba-da-!-kar

15. A.27

    [ka tuku] e2-gal-la ba-ni-in-kur9

16. A.28

    […]-a-kam

    (2 lines fragmentary)

17. A.29

    […]-na-kam

18. A.30

    […] ?-⌈ni⌉ a zal-bi

    (1 line fragmentary)

19. A.31

    ⌈ḫe2⌉-em-dirig {urud}ḫa-zi-in al-su-su

    Whenever there is excess, an axe remedies it!

20. A.32

    du6-la2 dul2-bi bi2-ib-sig9-sig9

    The hills and the depths will be levelled.

21. A.33

    ⌈saĝ⌉ ki-tum3 a2 aĝ2-ĝa2 še-ba-e-da-e-⌈?⌉

    A slave entrusted with a burial will be negligent.

22. A.34

    saĝ bul-e id2-da bal-⌈e⌉

    He who tosses his head will cross the river.

23. A.35

    si-si-ig a-ga-de3{ki}-še3 i3-gi4-[in]

    Oh whirlwind (?), I despatched you toward Agade. What did you accomplish in Agade? -- A misleading omen was given to him . He was provided with an interpreter. Agade …… like …… Agade …… (1 line fragmentary)

24. A.36

    a-ga-de3{ki}-a a-na-am3 mu-e-!-ak

25. A.37

    maš2-ĝi6 lul-la im-ma-an-na-ĝar

26. A.38

    lu2 bur2-ru-bi bi2-in-tuku

27. A.39

    a-ga-de3{ki}-⌈a⌉ a-⌈ga-de3⌉[{ki}] [X X]-a-gin7

28. A.40

    [X] BI X […] X

29. B.1

    ⌈?⌉ X […]

    (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.