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Proverbs: from Susa

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 82 sections

  1. head

    MDP 27 206

  2. v1.1

    KASKAL{mušen} gu3 !-e {ĝiš}! me-!-bi-e

    The voice of the irsaĝ bird is the glory of the garden.

  3. v1.2

    bi-za-za-a gu3 !-e a-ambar-ra-am me-ta-bi-⌈e⌉

    The voice of the frog is the glory of the marsh waters.

  4. v1.3

    !{mušen} gu3 !-[e] a-šag4-ga me-ta-[bi-e]

    The voice of the francolin is the glory of the fields.

  5. head

    MDP 27 89

  6. v2.1

    ka i3-ĝal2 šu nu-ni-ĝal2

    What is in one's mouth is not in one's hand.

  7. head

    MDP 27 102

  8. v3.1

    ur-gir15 dab5-ba pu2 nu-zalag-ge-en

    The dog is restrained yet you do not clean the well.

  9. head

    MDP 27 82

  10. v4.1

    ?-?-e ĝiš-šu ?-ba ga-ba-al al-du3-du3

    A fettered dog is quarrelsome.

  11. head

    MDP 27 216

  12. v5.1

    nir-ĝal2 kug-zu ukur3 šu da-!-a

    When the authorities are wise, and the poor are loyal, it is the effect of the blessing of Aratta.

  13. v5.2

    šu ĝar ĝal2-la a-ra-ta-a

  14. head

    MDP 27 214

  15. v6.1

    tug2-? du8 nu-zu SAR-re-eš

    (2 lines unclear)

  16. v6.2

    še in-zu tug2 SAR-re-eš

  17. v6.3

    ? ŠE UD ḪU X X

    (3 lines unclear)

  18. v6.4

    i3-?-re-eš

  19. v6.5

    i3-ĝa2-re-eš šu ?-X-re-eš

  20. head

    MDP 27 96

  21. v7.1

    NUN ĜA2 TUG2 nu-?-MI

    (1 line unclear) …… scribe …… king …… entering the great sanctuary, let me …… the trading agent from within it.

  22. v7.2

    dub-sar sar KA MA NE

  23. v7.3

    AN lugal eš3 gal ku4-ku4

  24. v7.4

    šaĝan-la2 šag4-ta ga-MI

  25. head

    MDP 27 99

  26. v8.1

    e2 niĝ2-si niĝ2-gur11 kar-kar-ra

    He who stole from the foodstores and the storehouse …… fine grain …… punished by his god.

  27. v8.2

    še saĝ AD GA-GA šag4 AD-bi

  28. v8.3

    niĝ2-NE-erin saĝ-DU

  29. head

    MDP 27 112

  30. v9.1

    uĝ3 kur-ra kingal-ba ḫe2-?

    May he be made commander over the foreign peoples …… pay attention to the god …… the elders …….

  31. v9.2

    ? ĝiš tuku šu KA ⌈NE⌉

  32. v9.3

    ? ab-ba-bi u2 ⌈am3⌉-[…]

  33. head

    MDP 27 212

  34. v10.1

    ?{ki}-be2-e-ne ?-be2-e-ne ugnim-⌈be2⌉-e-ne

    These cities, those deities, those peoples, from the land Ḫamazi, from father (?) Magan …… Ninisina …….

  35. v10.2

    ma-da ki ḫa-ma-zi2-ta

  36. v10.3

    ⌈?⌉-a ma2-gan-an-na{ki}-ta ? {d}nin-i3-si-na{ki} TU-TU-ta

  37. head

    MDP 18 48

  38. v11.1

    za-e ?-diĝir-zu a-ba-a an-da-sa2

    As for you, who is equal to your gods? …… who makes it good for him?

  39. v11.2

    PA-a-bi a-ba mu-na-ab-sag9-ga

  40. head

    MDP 27 101

  41. v12.1

    dam tuku dam-a-ni-ta dam igi kar2-kar2

    The married man, having divorced his wife, examined her: At least I am taking away my dignity!

  42. v12.2

    ĝe26-e me-te kar2-kar2

  43. head

    MDP 27 111

  44. v13.1

    diĝir ĝiš tuku šu KA NE

    …… pay attention to the god …… moreover …….

  45. v13.2

    a-ga-bi mu-un-ze2-DI-a

  46. head

    MDP 27 113

  47. v14.1

    iri{ki}-zu ki sag9 [X]

    May your city, the pleasant place …… your name.

  48. v14.2

    mu-zu ḫe2-ri-in-[X]

  49. head

    MDP 27 114

  50. v15.1

    sipad {d}utu ga14-⌈ra⌉-?-?

    May the shepherd Utu, the warrior (?), …… your sceptre.

  51. v15.2

    {ĝiš}ĝidru-zu ? ḫe2-!

  52. head

    MDP 27 215

  53. v16.1

    kaš nu-zu si nu-su

    Not to know beer is not normal. Selling (?) beer …….

  54. v16.2

    kaš sa-? ba-ab-dug3

  55. head

    MDP 27 217

  56. v17.1

    e2-ni tuku e2-a-ni-še3

    Let him who has a household go to his household! Let him who has a household and a mother go to his mother!

  57. v17.2

    e2 tuku ama tuku ama-ni!(MU)-!

  58. head

    MDP 27 258

  59. v18.1

    {ĝiš}?{sar} i3-ĝal2

    There was an offshoot; may he block any favours being given.

  60. v18.2

    šu ĝar saĝ ḫe2-gi4-gi4

  61. head

    MDP 27 90

  62. v19.1

    šu-ne šu-ne-ne {ĝiš}ĝidru-gin7 tu6-ni ka5-a ĝar

    The fox placed (?) his incantation like a sceptre in their hands …….

  63. head

    MDP 27 91 and MDP 27 92

  64. v20.1

    a i3-pad3-de3 mu-dub ba-ni-ib2-naĝ

    The water provided for water libations was drunk.

  65. head

    MDP 27 100

  66. v21.1

    e dam-ĝu10 {e2}amaš-e la-ba-na-ak-ku-am3

    …… my wife …… is not …… the cattle-pen.

  67. head

    MDP 27 103

  68. v22.1

    iri-ĝu10 nu-la2-a ba-e-šub-e lu2 šub-ba nu-tuku

    My city casts down the …… and has no cast-down men!

  69. head

    MDP 27 105

  70. v23.1

    nu-KU DA UN me niĝ2 dul a-ba mu-zu

    ……who knows ……?

  71. head

    MDP 27 106

  72. v24.1

    KA-KA ? du-da ba-an-lu

    …… numerous …….

  73. head

    MDP 27 107

  74. v25.1

    ki aĝ2 mi2 dug4-ga zi-šag4-ĝal2-la

    Loving and comforting are vitality.

  75. head

    MDP 27 109

  76. v26.1

    di inim ga-ra-⌈?⌉ ĝeštug2 ĝizzal ḫe2-em-ši-a

    Let me tell you of a decision (?); pay attention to it.

  77. head

    MDP 27 110

  78. v27.1

    igi-zu igi-zu ḫe2-a dug3-zu ḫe2-ši-du

    Let your eye be your eye, let your knees walk.

  79. head

    MDP 27 211

  80. v28.1

    ama-a-ni kud-am3 a2 la2-am3

    His mother is lame and his arms are paralysed.

  81. head

    MDP 27 213

  82. v29.1

    ? zid ki ? nam-me-en-na ib2-ba-a

    The beloved true commander distributes the leadership (?).

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.