Proverbs: from Urim
- head
UET 6/2 291
- v1.1
niĝ2-gen6-na-ta a-ba in-da-[sa2]
Who can compare with justice? It creates life.
- v1.2
nam-til3 !-u3-tud
- v1.3
niĝ2-erim2-me-e a2-bi ḫe2-eb-kuš2-še {d}utu nu-še-ba
Whenever wickedness may cause trouble, Utu will not be idle!
- v1.4
⌈urin⌉ gal ni2 zig3-ga ḫe2-en-? an-am3
Let the standard that raises itself protect it like the heavens.
- head
UET 6/2 265
- v2.1
niĝ2 gu2 ĝar-ra niĝ2 gaba ĝar-[ra]
That which bows down its neck in submission puts its breast forward in defiance.
- v2.2
kug tuku ⌈an-ḫul2⌉ še tuku [an]-sag9
He who has silver is happy, he who has grain feels comfortable, but he who has livestock cannot sleep.
- v2.3
niĝ2-ur2-limmu2 tuku-e u3 nu-um-[ši]-ku-⌈ku⌉
- v2.4
u3-la nu-mu-un-tuku-tuku
He who has nothing cannot let go of anything. When he enters …… no one gives him …….
- v2.5
u3-la nu-mu-un-da13-da13 [X]
- v2.6
[X] X kur9-ra nu-mu-na-ab-⌈šum2⌉
- head
UET 6/2 239
- v3.1
ninda ḫe2-ĝal2-la {d}nin-kilim i3-ib2-gu7
If bread is left over, the mongoose eats it. If I have bread left over, a stranger consumes it.
- v3.2
ninda ḫa-ma-ĝal2-la lu2-kur2-ra ib2-gu7
- head
UET 6/2 320
- v4.1
ninda ḫe2-ĝal2 {d}nin-kilim ib2-gu7
If bread is left over, the mongoose eats it. If I have bread left over, a stranger consumes it.
- v4.2
ninda-ĝu10 ḫe2-ĝal2 lu2-kur2 ib2-gu7
- head
UET 6/2 261 and UET 6/2 262
- v5.1
niĝ2-tuku niĝ2 al di niĝ2-gig diĝir-ra-kam
To be wealthy and demand more is an abomination to a god.
- head
UET 6/2 221
- v6.1
⌈iri⌉{ki} ur-gir15 nu-me-a ⌈ka5⌉-a nu-⌈banda3⌉
In the city with no dogs, the fox is boss.
- head
UET 6/2 302
- v7.1
{ĝiš}ma2 niĝ2-gen6-na ni2 NI ba-ab-dirig-ga
When a trustworthy boat is …… sailing, Utu seeks out a trustworthy harbour for it.
- v7.2
{d}utu kar-ra gen6-na mu-un-na-ši-kiĝ2-kiĝ2
- head
UET 6/2 284
- v8.1
u2 dam-da ze2-eb u2 dumu-da ze2-eb
A plant sweeter than a husband, a plant sweeter than a child: may Ezina-Kusu dwell in your house.
- v8.2
{d}ezina2-{d}ku3-su3 ⌈e2⌉-a ḫe2-me-da-an-til3
- head
UET 6/2 210
- v9.1
[an] uga{mušen}-am3
In the sky there is the raven; on the ground there is the mongoose; in the desert there is the lion; my husband, where shall I go?
- v9.2
[ki] {d}nin-kilim-am3
- v9.3
[edin]-na ur-maḫ-e
- v9.4
[mu-ud-na]-ĝu10 me-še3 ga-ĝen
- head
UET 6/2 306
- v10.1
nin9-e ub-lil2-la2 nam-me-a ama-ĝu10 id2-da
Oh my sister, if there were no outdoor shrines, oh my mother, if there were no river, I would be dying of hunger.
- v10.2
nam-me-a ⌈?⌉ ba-da-an-!-e-še
- head
UET 6/2 301
- v11.1
[ur5] ⌈ama⌉-ĝu10 nin9 ban3-da-ĝu10 ma-ak-e
Thus my mother and my little sister act toward me: …… am I so deficient in judgment, that I should offer my cheek?
- v11.2
X-e-a ĝe26-e lu2 dim2-ma mu-da-lal
- v11.3
te-ĝu10 mu-da-ab-ḫa-za-e-še
- head
UET 6/2 334
- v12.1
⌈zig3⌉-ga-ĝu10 dug4-ga ⌈?⌉-la-ga-a-ni
She who says My expense is her girl friend. An interfering neighbour is the one with whom she quarrels.
- v12.2
⌈ušur⌉ na de5-ga ⌈lu2⌉ du14-da-ka-a-ni
- head
UET 6/2 303
- v13.1
tur5-ra dug3-ga-am3
To be sick is all right, to be pregnant is painful; to be pregnant and sick is just too much.
- v13.2
peš13 gig-ga-am3
- v13.3
peš13 tur5-ra im-ma-dirig-ga-bi
- head
UET 6/2 356
- v14.1
šum2-mu-na-ab na-ta-ab-šum2-mu
Give! -- Don't give! Don't let his hand touch it!
- v14.2
šu-ni qa2-su2 na-an-tag
- v14.3
ĝarza-bi ĝiri3 ba-da-kur2 ?-šu
The course of its rituals was changed. Its cults were annihilated.
- v14.4
me-bi pa-ar-ṣu2-šu ba-da-ḫa-lam
- v14.5
di-ir-ga-a ri-ik-su2-šu ki ba-e-gul
Where there were ritual preparations, they were destroyed. You should not change the course of its rituals!
- v14.6
ĝarza-bi ĝiri3 na-ab-ta-[ab]-kur2-ru-de3-en-ze2-[en]
- v14.7
me-bi na-ab-⌈ta⌉-[ab]-ḫa-lam-e-[…] la
You should not destroy their cult! Where there were ritual preparations, you should not destroy them!
- v14.8
di-ir-ga-a ri-ik-si2-šu ki […]-gul-lu-⌈en⌉-[…]
- head
UET 6/2 292
- v15.1
nam-tar-ĝu10 ga-am3-dug4 su-lum mar-am3
Let me tell you about my fate: it is a disgrace. Let me tell you of my condition: it makes a man's mouth taste bitter.
- v15.2
a-ra2-ĝu10 ga-am3-dug4 ka lu2 ba-an-sis-e
- v15.3
er2-ĝu10 im-da-an-sa2-a šag4-ĝu10 im-da-an-ḫul
That which matches my tears hurts my heart alike. It is said that rushes …… in the house.
- v15.4
KU-a {u2}numun2 e2-a ba-an-dug4
- head
UET 6/2 260
- v16.1
du-du nam-ukur3-ra a2 bi2-ib2-ĝar
Moving about defeats poverty.
- v16.2
lu2-lul-la abula in-ku4-ku4
When liars enter by the city gate, in front of them there is a finger pointing at them, behind them there is a finger pointing at them.
- v16.3
igi-bi šu-si-am3 eĝer-bi šu-si-am3
- head
UET 6/2 267
- v17.1
dub-sar-[me-en] mu [ni2-za nu-zu]
You are a scribe and you don't know you own name? Shame on you!
- v17.2
igi ni2-zu [sag3]-ge
- v17.3
AĜ2 MA ⌈?⌉ [X X]
(2 lines fragmentary)
- v17.4
SUD UŠ X X [X X]
- v17.5
dub-sar pe-[el-la2] lu2-mu7-mu7!(KA×NE-⌈KA×NE⌉)-⌈še3⌉
A disgraced scribe becomes an incantation priest. A disgraced singer becomes a flute-player. A disgraced merchant becomes a con-man.
- v17.6
nar pe-el-la2 ⌈lu2⌉-gi-di-da-še3
- v17.7
⌈dam⌉-<gara3> pe-el-la2 ⌈{lu2}⌉da-bi-ri-ri-še3
- head
UET 6/2 268
- v18.1
[dub-sar-re mu] 1(DIŠ)-am3 ḫe2-en-zu
If a scribe knows only a single line but his handwriting is good, he is indeed a scribe!
- v18.2
[šu]-⌈ni⌉ ḫe2-sag9-sag9 [e]-⌈ne⌉-am3 dub-sar-re
- v18.3
[nar]-⌈e⌉ en3-du 1(DIŠ)-am3 ⌈ḫe2-en⌉-[zu]
If a singer knows only a single song but he performs the melismas well, he is indeed a singer!
- v18.4
[ad ša4]-⌈ni⌉ dug3-ga-am3 [e]-⌈ne⌉-am3 nar-am3
- head
UET 6/2 290
- v19.1
nar en3-du dili-am3 ḫe2-zu
If a singer knows only a single song but he performs the melismas well, he is indeed a singer!
- v19.2
ad ⌈!⌉ ḫe2-sag9 e-ne-am3 nar-ra-am3
- head
UET 6/3 452
- v20.1
[nar-re en3-du] ⌈dili⌉-am3 ḫe2-zu
If a singer knows only a single song but he performs the melismas well. A scribe whose hand can follow dictation: he is indeed a scribe !
- v20.2
[ad ša4-am3] ḫe2-sag9
- v20.3
[dub-sar šu ka-ta sa2-a e]-⌈ne⌉-am3 dub-sar-ra-am3
- head
UET 6/2 269
- v21.1
dub-sar eme-gir15 nu-un-zu-[a]
How will a scribe who does not know Sumerian produce a translation?
- v21.2
inim bal-⌈e⌉ me-da ḫe2-im-⌈tum3⌉
- head
UET 6/2 216
- v22.1
ka5-a idigna-še3 kaš3 i3-sur-sur-ra
A fox urinated into the Tigris. I am causing the spring flood to rise, he said.
- v22.2
a-eštub{ku6} ba-zig3-ge-en-e-še
- head
UET 6/2 214
- v23.1
⌈ka5⌉-a nu-un-dab5 {ĝiš}az-bal al-ak-e
He has not yet caught the fox, but he is making a neck-stock for it.
- head
UET 6/3 31
- v24.1
? ga-an-nam X ki-bal in-X [X]
(1 line fragmentary)
- v24.2
ĝeštug2 ki-bal X X al-[…]
(1 line fragmentary)
- v24.3
[…]
(1 line missing)
- v24.4
[…]
(1 line missing)
- v24.5
[X] UB da-ri niĝ2 us2-sa X […]
(1 line fragmentary) A stranger's ox eats grass while my own lies hungry.
- v24.6
gud kur2-ra [u2 gu7-gu7 gud ni2-ĝa2 u2-šim-e ba-nu2]
Next → — showing 1–100 of 673
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.