Proverbs: collection 19
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- A.1
[ḫur-saĝ gig2]-ĝu10 [im-babbar ba]-an-mu2
My black mountain has sprouted white gypsum. My mother sent to me a man from the forest, who has given me paralysed hands. My mongoose, which used to eat strong-smelling food, can no longer stretch its neck even towards a jar of ghee. (unknown no. of lines missing)
- A.2
[ama-ĝu10 {ĝiš}]⌈tir⌉-ta [lu2] ⌈mu⌉-ši-in-gi4-in
- A.3
[šu dab5-ba]-ĝu10 ma-an-šum2
- A.4
[{d}]⌈nin⌉-kilim niĝ2 ḫab2-ba [(X)] gu7-gu7-ĝu10
- A.5
[dug i3]-nun-na-še3 [gu2 nu-mu-da]-⌈an-la2⌉
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- B.1
[šaḫ2 niga ab-šum]-⌈u3⌉-de3 [niĝ2 i3-gu7]-a-ĝu10 ga-ab-sug6-e-še
When a fattened pig is about to be slaughtered, one says: Let me replace what I eat.
- B.2
⌈{šaḫ2}⌉ze2-eḫ tur-re šu al-gud-gu4-ud-de3
As the piglet snuffles around, it says: I can no longer take pleasure in eating.
- B.3
[sag9]-⌈ga⌉-aš ĝe26-e nu-gu7-e-še
- B.4
[en]-gin7 du3 saĝ-gin7 til3
Build like a lord -- live like a slave! Build like a slave -- live like a lord!
- B.5
⌈saĝ⌉-gin7 du3 en-gin7 til3
- B.6
e2 gul-gul-e kug i3-gul-e
He who destroys houses destroys silver. He who destroys a house destroys gold.
- B.7
e2 gul-e kug-sig17 i3-gul-e
- B.8
dam u3-mu-un-si gam-am3 am ug5-ga-am3
The lord's wife kneels, the slave girl dies. The lord kneels, the slave dies.
- B.9
[u3]-⌈mu⌉-un-si gam-am3 ⌈arad⌉ ug5-ga-am3
- B.10
[ga-gid2 mu]-⌈ra⌉-ab-⌈kud⌉
(1 line unclear) …… its hands at the edge of the desert …… (1 line fragmentary)
- B.11
[šu-bi bar] ⌈edin⌉-na mu-da-DU
- B.12
[…]-? a-na-ak
- B.13
[…] ⌈ḫe2⌉-en-zu
…… you should know …… (2 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
- B.14
[…]-am3
- B.15
[…] X X
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- C.1
[{d}en-lil2-le a-na-am3 in-ak in-bul-bul]
What did Enlil make? Chaff! The lance struck. It went into the flesh.
- C.2
[{urud}šukur in]-⌈sig10⌉ [su] ⌈mu⌉-ni-ib-[te]-te
- C.3
{d}utu bar-ra ḫe2-en-ni-šu2 ni2-zu šu nu-zu-a kur9-ni-ib
When the sun is setting outside so that you cannot even recognise the hand in front of you, go inside!
- C.4
ĝiš-šub us2-sa ama-zu ḫul2-la
Accept your lot and make your mother happy! Run fast and make your god happy!
- C.5
kaš4 <dug4>-ga-ab diĝir-zu ḫul2-la
- C.6
igi il2-la-za dam tuku-ba-ni-ib
Marry the wife of your choice.
- C.7
{d}inana-ke4 dam ur2 kum2-ma ḫa-ra-an-nu2-e
May Inana make a hot-limbed wife lie with you! May she bestow upon you broad-shouldered sons! May she find for you a place of happiness!
- C.8
dumu a2 tal2-tal2-la ḫa-ra-an-ba-e
- C.9
ki niĝ2 sag9-ga ḫa-ra-ab-kiĝ2-kiĝ2-e
- C.10
u2 dam-da ze2-eb u2 ama-da ze2-eb
A plant as sweet as a husband, a plant as sweet as a mother: may Ezina-Kusu dwell in your home.
- C.11
{d}ezina2-{d}ku3-su3 e2-a ḫe2-me-da-an-til3
- C.12
{kuš}ummud zi lu2-kam {kuš}e-sir2 ⌈igi⌉ lu2-kam
A man's waterskin is his life. A man's sandals are his eyes. A man's wife is his supervisor (?). A man's son is his protective shade. A man's daughter is his eager servant (?). A man's daughter-in-law is his policeman.
- C.13
dam dim4-ma lu2-kam dumu-nitaḫ ĝissu lu2-kam
- C.14
dumu-munus saĝ šu ĝar lu2-kam e2-gi4-a gal5-la2 lu2-kam
- C.15
mussa-tur UŠ X X X
A daughter's fiancé …….
- C.16
{uzu}suš2 al-ze2-eb ⌈{uzu}i3-udu⌉ ⌈?⌉-[ze2-eb]
Fatty meat is good and so is fatty mutton. (unknown no. of lines missing)
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- D.1
? X […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
- D.2
kuš X […]
- D.3
u5[{mušen} …]
(2 lines fragmentary)
- D.4
lum-lum […]
- D.5
um{mušen} al-[saḫ6 gu-du-bi] am3-[kar]
The um bird flees, running away from its own behind.
- D.6
um{mušen}-⌈gin7⌉ […]
Like an um bird …….
- D.7
um{mušen} […]
The um bird …….
- D.8
⌈?⌉ […]
(1 line fragmentary) (1 line missing)
- gap
(1 line missing)
- D.10
⌈?⌉ […]
(1 line fragmentary)
- D.11
ḪAR-da mul-⌈?⌉ […] ku6-da engur-⌈ra⌉ […]
(1 line unclear)
- D.12
e2-ta e3 sila-ta kur9-⌈ra⌉ geme2 nin-a-ni ĝišbum-ma-⌈ni⌉ [bi2-in-tuš]
When the mistress left the house and the slave girl entered from the street, away from her mistress the slave girl set up her own banquet.
- D.13
gi4-in an-ba pa ⌈nu-um-e3⌉ ga-ša-an-a-ni mu-ni-ib-gu-ul-gu-⌈ul⌉
The litter was not apparent to the slave girl. To her mistress it just kept increasing.
- D.14
gi4-in-ĝen ga-ša-an-⌈ra⌉ ⌈še-er⌉ ⌈nu-mu-un-na-ma⌉-[al]
As a slave girl, I have no authority over my mistress. So let me pull at my husband's hair. (unknown no. of lines missing)
- D.15
⌈mu⌉-[ud-na-ĝu10] [ga-an-ze2-e-še]
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- E.1
X […]
(1 line fragmentary)
- E.2
kug-⌈zu⌉ […]
The clever one ……. The wise one …….
- E.3
gal-an-zu ⌈a⌉-[ra2 …]
- E.4
is-ḫab2 ki-bid3-⌈da⌉ [(X)] šu ša-an-ša-[ša-da]
A fool who was overwhelmed by his backside stuck his hand up his backside.
- E.5
šu-ni bid3-⌈da⌉ [ba-ni-in-gid2]
- E.6
kug X […]
(2 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
- E.7
X […]
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- F.1
[…] X […]
(1 line fragmentary)
- F.2
id2 maḫ ki-⌈maḫ⌉-[(X)]
A great river is a grave.
- F.3
⌈?-? ?-?-?⌉ ninda ⌈šag4⌉-gal-la-ni-še3 bi2-in-tur
From the horizon to the very heart of the heavens, the bread is too little for his great stomach! The grain from every hand in his Land is too little for him!
- F.4
⌈šu⌉ kalam-ma-ni-ta še ba-an-da-tur
- F.5
AN ?-? diĝir-da ḫe2-!
Let …… be ……. Let his bread be …… foul food; no man should eat it.
- F.6
ninda-ni niĝ2-ussu-zug4 X ḫe2-a
- F.7
lu2 <nu>-mu-un-šu2-šu2
- F.8
ninda pad-pax(PAD)-ra2 šum2-sikil zil2-la2 ninda e2-dub-ba-a
Morsels of bread and tasty onions are the food of the school (?).
- F.9
dabin a-šag4-⌈ga⌉ {uzu}suš2-⌈am3⌉
In the fields, coarse flour is meat fat.
- F.10
X X […]
(1 line fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
- gap
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- G.1
teš2-e ḫe2-il2-⌈il2⌉ za-e lag-ga ḫe2-⌈dur2⌉
You should lift it all together, but put it down in pieces.
- G.2
[(X)] {ĝiš}al ⌈?-?⌉
…… hoe …… going out ……. …… hoe …… going out …… straight …….
- G.3
[X (X)] ⌈{ĝiš}al X ?-?⌉
- G.4
[…]-ni-in-⌈?⌉
- G.5
[…] tuku-a
(1 line fragmentary)
- G.6
[…] nu-⌈SU⌉-a
(3 lines fragmentary)
- G.7
[X (X)] X-e
- G.8
[…] ⌈?⌉-SU-?-e
- G.9
[…] ⌈?⌉ ⌈umma⌉{ki}
…… Umma (1 line fragmentary) …… Šuruppag …….
- G.10
[…] ⌈?⌉ X
- G.11
⌈?⌉ [X X (X)] ⌈il2⌉ UR ⌈šuruppag⌉{ki}-ka
- G.12
⌈?⌉ u3-bi2-ib-be2 ba-an-dab5-be2-eš
…… they seized him ……. (2 lines unclear)
- G.13
ze2-ze2 an-ze2
- G.14
AN KU UG ba-ab-⌈?⌉
- G.15
sipad šu-nim-ma engar šu-nim-ma
The early working shepherd, the early working farmer, the young man who got married while he was young: who compares to them?
- G.16
ĝuruš-e ud tur-ra-na-⌈ka⌉ dam ba-tuku-tuku-u2-a
- G.17
⌈a⌉-ba-a ⌈mu⌉-da-ab-sa2-e
- G.18
[…] ⌈te⌉-a-ni
(2 lines fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
- G.19
[…] X X X
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- H.1
[…] X
(6 lines fragmentary)
- H.2
[…] X X
- H.3
[…] X [X X]
- H.4
[…] ?
- H.5
[…]-⌈?-?⌉
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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.