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Proverbs: from Urim

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 673 sections

1. v24.7

   sag9-ga šu-am3 ḫul [šu an-ga-am3]

   Good is in the hands. Evil is also in the hands. Wickedness does not feed a storehouse with interest.

2. v24.8

   ḫul e2 niĝ2-[gur11-ra ur5-e la-ba-an-gu7-e]

3. head

   UET 6/2 293

4. v25.1

   saĝ sar-ra siki ba-an-tuku-tuku

   He who shaves his head gets more hair. And he who gathers the barley gains more and more grain.

5. v25.2

   u3 lu2 še de5-de5-ga {d}ezina2 ba-ab-dirig-ga

6. head

   UET 6/2 209

7. v26.1

   [e2-gal] ⌈tir⌉-ra-[am3 lugal] ⌈ur⌉-maḫ-e

   The palace is a forest, and the king is a lion; like Ninegala he covers men with a huge battle-net.

8. v26.2

   [{d}]⌈nin⌉-e2-gal {sa}[šu2]-⌈uš⌉-gal

9. v26.3

   ĝuruš-e dul-[dul-e]

10. v26.4

    X gal4-la X […]

    …… genitals …… (2 lines fragmentary)

11. v26.5

    […] ⌈?⌉ X [X X]

12. v26.6

    […]-⌈un⌉-SAR-SAR […] ?-ru-bu

13. head

    UET 6/2 317

14. v27.1

    [e2-gal] ⌈a⌉-ri-a nu-⌈da13⌉-[da13]

    The palace cannot avoid the waste land. A barge cannot avoid straw. A freeborn man cannot avoid corvée work.

15. v27.2

    [{ĝiš}ma2]-⌈gur8⌉ in-nu-da nu-da13-[da13]

16. v27.3

    [dumu]-gir15 du-lum nu-da13-⌈da13⌉

17. head

    UET 6/2 244

18. v28.1

    ir7-saĝ{mušen} ugu-bi

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

19. v28.2

    {ĝiš}kiri6 me-te-bi

20. v28.3

    dar{mušen} ugu-bi

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

21. v28.4

    a-šag4-ga me-te-bi

22. v28.5

    bi2-za-za ugu-bi

    The head of the frog is the glory of the …… well.

23. v28.6

    pu2 [(X)]-bi me-te-bi

24. head

    UET 6/2 335

25. v29.1

    geme2 ni2 te-a-gin7 naĝa3 e-si-ta-am bi2-ib2-gur-gur-re tu-uš-ta-na-ag-ra-ar

    You grind with the pestle like a fearful slave girl.

26. v29.2

    ĝeštug ḫul2-la diĝir ḫul2-la

    A happy ear is a happy god.

27. head

    UET 6/2 382

28. v30.1

    [X X] ⌈A ?⌉ […]

    (2 lines unclear)

29. v30.2

    X X U2 KA […] X KA i-ba-a

30. v30.3

    {d}iškur an dar-dar-re {kuš}a-ĝa2-la2 nu-dar-re

    Iškur splits the heavens, yet he does not split the waterskin.

31. head

    UET 6/2 311

32. v31.1

    ka-ĝu10 itid-dam ka ⌈ba⌉-ra-sig10-⌈ge⌉

    My mouth, every month I fill you, my mouth.

33. v31.2

    eme-ĝu10 anše DU.⌈DU-?⌉

    My tongue, like a runaway (?) donkey, does not turn back. My mouth, I give you hot soup: may you ……. From fish whose bones have been picked out, you, my mouth, …… you devour everything.

34. v31.3

    eĝer-bi nu-mu-un-⌈gi4⌉-gi4

35. v31.4

    ka-ĝu10 tu7 al-bil-⌈?⌉ ḫa-ra-ab-sig10-[X]

36. v31.5

    šag4 ku3 ĝiri3-pax(PAD)-ra2 ⌈de5⌉-de5-ga

37. v31.6

    ka-ĝu10 za-e NE X KA ⌈teš2⌉-e ba-⌈gu7⌉-e

38. head

    UET 6/2 255

39. v32.1

    diĝir lu2-ulu3 sipad lu2-ulu3-ke4

    A man's god is a man's shepherd. The god will not desert him. A shepherd should not ……. A man's god provides him with something to eat and water to drink.

40. v32.2

    diĝir li-bi2-ib2-taka4

41. v32.3

    sipad nam-ba-UR-e

42. v32.4

    diĝir lu2-u3 lu2-ulu3-še3

43. v32.5

    [niĝ2]-⌈?⌉ a naĝ mu-un-ĝar

44. head

    UET 6/2 322

45. v33.1

    […] ⌈A⌉ […]

    (1 line fragmentary)

46. v33.2

    ka-ta […] ka-ta DU […]

    From the mouth …… from the mouth ……. Whatever comes from his mouth will not be put in his hand.

47. v33.3

    ka-ta ⌈ḫe2⌉-[ĝal2] ⌈šu⌉-?-še3 nu-un-[ĝal2]

48. head

    UET 6/2 287

49. v34.1

    [anše]-kur lu2 u5-a-ni u3-mu-ni-in-šub

    The horse, after throwing off his rider, said: Were my load to be like this forever, how weak I would become!

50. v34.2

    tukum-bi gu2-un-ĝu10 da-ri2-še3

51. v34.3

    ne-en-nam al-sig-en-e-še

52. head

    UET 6/2 283

53. v35.1

    [anše] bar la2-a-[ni u3]-mu-ni-in-⌈šub⌉

    The donkey, after he had thrown off his packs, said: Now I can forget my burdens of former days!

54. v35.2

    ⌈du⌉-lum ud-bi-ta-ĝu10 ĝeštug2-ĝa2 u18-lu-un-e-še

55. head

    UET 6/2 315

56. v36.1

    anše id2-da dirig-ga

    A donkey was floating in the river, and a dog watching him from dry land said: My own dear father, where are you going? When you come near, I will shed my tears on behalf of you.

57. v36.2

    ur-gir15 bar-rim4-ma igi du-e X

58. v36.3

    ⌈a⌉-a ugu-ĝu10 me-še3 al-du-⌈un⌉

59. v36.4

    X mu-te er2-ĝu10 ugu-zu ga-X X

60. v36.5

    e2 ĝuruš gal-gal-e-ne-⌈ka⌉

    In a household of several grown-up young men, …… battle fray …… (2 lines fragmentary)

61. v36.6

    ĝiš X X X X X X-ra-an-NE

62. v36.7

    me3 ⌈šen⌉-[šen-na …] ⌈tur⌉

63. v36.8

    PA ⌈LI⌉ […]

64. v36.9

    UD UR […]

65. v36.10

    kaš4!(DU) !-[…] lugal […]

    Run! …… the king ……. Because of silver, because of gold, because of the money chest, because of the …… chest, I am finished!

66. v36.11

    kug-ga-⌈ke4⌉-[eš] kug-sig17-ga-ke4-[eš]

67. v36.12

    dub-šen-na-ke4-eš dub-šen-dilim2-ma!(na)-ke4-eš

68. v36.13

    ĝe26-e ba-til-de3-en

69. head

    UET 6/2 236

70. v37.1

    anše ne-eš2 tuš-a ĝiš3 pir2-bi al-il2-en-e-še

    Make the donkey sit like this! I am making it lift its shrivelled penis!

71. head

    UET 6/2 234

72. v38.1

    anše bar udu ḫi-a-ka ĝiškim nu-mu-ni-!

    Using a donkey in place of a sheep will not allow you to recognise any omens.

73. head

    UET 6/2 212

74. v39.1

    ur-maḫ-e ud5 ḫu-na mu-ni-dab5

    The lion had caught a helpless goat: Let me go! I will give you my fellow ewe in return! If I am to let you go, tell me your name! The goat answered the lion: You do not know my name? '……' is my name! When he came to the fold, he shouted: …… my ……. She answered him from the other side: ……. As for sheep, none live here!

75. v39.2

    ⌈šu⌉ ba-am3 u8 tab-ba-ĝu10 gur-ra [ga]-mu-ra-ab-šum2

76. v39.3

    ⌈tukum⌉-bi šu mu-un-ši-bar-re-en [mu-zu] ⌈dug4⌉-ga-ab

77. v39.4

    ud5-e ur-maḫ-e [mu-ni]-ib-gi4-gi4 za-e mu-ĝu10 nu-zu

78. v39.5

    [X (X)] X mu-ĝu10 ud {e2}tur3-ra-še3 i3-[ĝen]

79. v39.6

    [X X]-⌈?⌉-ĝu10 gu3 mu-na-de2-⌈?⌉

80. v39.7

    [e-ne] ⌈!⌉ re-a mu-un-na-ni-ib2-⌈gi4⌉-[gi4]

81. v39.8

    [X (X) bar] ⌈udu⌉ ḫi-a nu-dur2-ru-na-e-še

82. head

    UET 6/2 211

83. v40.1

    ⌈ur⌉-maḫ-e šaḫ2 ĝiš-gi4 ⌈in⌉-[dab5]

    A lion caught a wild boar. He roared: Your flesh has not yet filled my mouth, but your squeals have deafened my ears!

84. v40.2

    gu3 mu-ra-ra-ra en-na-bi-še3

85. v40.3

    uzu-zu ka-ĝu10 nu-ub-si

86. v40.4

    za-pa-aĝ2-zu ĝeštug2-⌈ĝu10⌉ u2 ba-ni-in-ḫub2-e-še

87. head

    UET 6/2 208

88. v41.1

    ⌈ur⌉-maḫ-e a2-taḫ-zu [ĝiš]-gi lu-lu-am3

    O lion, your allies in the reedbeds are numerous.

89. v41.2

    [ur]-maḫ-e ĝiš-gi-a [lu2] zu-a-ni nu-ub-gu7

    In the reedbeds the lion does not eat his acquaintance.

90. head

    UET 6/2 264

91. v42.1

    [ur-gir15] ⌈lugal⌉-a-ni-ir an-na-ab-be2

    A dog said to his master: If my pleasure is of no importance to you, then my loss should not be either!

92. v42.2

    ⌈tukum⌉-bi nam-sag9-ga-ĝu10 ba-ra-ra-ĝal2

93. v42.3

    i-bi2-za-ĝu10 nu-ra-ĝal2-e-še

94. head

    UET 6/2 231

95. v43.1

    ur-gir15-re e2 […]

    The dog does not let …… sit down in …… house.

96. v43.2

    nu-ub-dur2-[…]

97. v43.3

    ur […]

    The dog …….

98. head

    UET 6/2 225

99. v44.1

    ur-gir15-re šu te-ba-ab mu-un-zu

    The dog understands: Take it! It does not understand: Put it down!

100. v44.2

     ĝa2-ĝa2 nu-ub-zu-am3

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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.