Proverbs: of unknown provenance

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 6 - Proverb collections · 254 sections

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IM 62823 = TIM 9 18 (Alster 1997 p. 298)
v1.A.1
[…] X X ZI
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.2
[…] X-am3
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.3
[…]-am3
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.4
[…] lu2 X [(X)]-a-kam
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.5
[…] IG-bi […] ki
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.6
[…] X X X […] X
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.7
[kug tuku šag4] ⌈an-ḫul2⌉ še tuku ur5 [an]-sag9
He who has silver is happy, and he who has grain feels comfortable.
v1.A.8
[niĝ2-ur2-limmu2 tuku]-⌈e⌉ u3 nu-un-da-[ku]-⌈ku⌉
He who has livestock cannot sleep.
v1.A.9
[ur-saĝ dili na-nam dili]-⌈?⌉ lu2 šar2-ra-⌈?⌉
The warrior is unique; he alone is the equal of many.
v1.A.10
[…] UD ba-X
(1 line fragmentary)
v1.A.11
[…] ⌈?⌉ is-ḫab2-ba X [X]
…… rogue …… (unknown no. of lines missing)
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v1.B.1
[…] X ḪA GU-bi AN […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
v1.B.2
[…] X a-a ba-an-ed3-de3-de3-en
v1.B.3
[um{mušen}] gu3 de2 nu-sag9
The um bird's song is unpleasant!
v1.B.4
[X (X)] an-na ku6-da engur-ra ḪAR-da mul-am3
(1 line unclear)
v1.B.5
[ud šu2-šu2]-⌈ru⌉ X šag4 ḫul2-la e2-gal-la-kam
Dusk means joy for the palace.
v1.B.6
[X X] X geme2-a-kam
…… of a slave girl …….
v1.B.7
[nu-mu]-⌈un⌉-na-kal geme2 X-ra-kam
It meant nothing to her; she is the slave girl of a …….
v1.B.8
[gi4]-⌈!⌉-gi4-in-ne balaĝ ba-ra-an-e3-eš
The slave girls brought out a balaĝ drum. Inana remained seated (?) in the village.
v1.B.9
[ga-ša]-an-an-na e-duru2-še3 tuš-tuš
v1.B.10
[X] X a ! na4 an-na-!
(1 line unclear)
v1.B.11
[geme2 niĝ2 ḫi-li]-⌈?-ke4⌉ {d}iškur diĝir lugal !-e
The voluptuous slave girl says: Let Iškur, …… god …… king …… split the fertile ground like a cucumber.
v1.B.12
[ukuš2-gin7 ki dug3] ⌈ḫu⌉-mu-⌈?⌉-e-še
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BM 80722 = CT 58 30 (Alster 1997 pp. 287-288)
v2.A.1
⌈{ĝiš}ma2⌉ dilmun-na tum9 nu-mir ba-an-da-su
A Dilmun ship sank although there was no wind.
v2.A.2
ĝiš maḫ a-zu šu NE li-bi2-TAG
Your water (?) will not …… the huge trees. You will not sleep on your comfortable bed.
v2.A.3
ki-nu2 dug3-ga-zu u3-sa2 nu-mu-ni-nu
v2.A.4
id2 a maḫ a mi-ni-ib2-de2-a-zu
Although you poured out water from a river of mighty waters, it did not cool my temper. It did not put an end (?) to the sorcery affecting me.
v2.A.5
bar-!-ĝu10 nu-mu-sed5
v2.A.6
uš11-ĝu10 nu-mu-ni-til
v2.A.7
IM DU-da-za še nu-mu-ni-in-la2
Since you …… and will not winnow, with your torch my reed altar (?) will not …….
v2.A.8
izi-ĝar-zu-ta {gi}<šu>-bil-la2-ĝu10 šu bar zid ⌈li⌉-bi2-ak
v2.A.9
gan GUG-GUG du-bu-ul-la ab-naĝ-a saĝ-ki nu-ut-tu-tu-ud-du-bi
(2 lines unclear)
v2.A.10
ḫa-la-zu gan tur šu te ba-ab-ḪI-za niĝ2-bi-a GUG-a-bi-e-še
v2.A.11
[X] X X IN MU ma-an-ra
(2 lines fragmentary)
v2.A.12
[…] X X mu-na-gi-e-še
v2.A.13
[…] NE-NE X
(1 line fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v2.B.1
[…] X X lu2-dim3-ma ugu-? di mu-un-dug4-dug4-e-še
…… a fool (?) …… pronounces judgment (?) over me.
v2.B.2
ḫi-iz-ur-bar-ra{sar} ?-ka5-a{sar}-ke4 {u2}ug {u2}⌈?⌉-?
To the wolf vegetable, to the fox-grape (?) vegetable, to the lion plant, to the …… plant, to the dog's-tongue plant, to the property plant, to the shouting plant, the lion roars out: These have no names. The fool's lot was created by Utu.
v2.B.3
{u2}eme-ur-gir15-ra-ke4 {u2}niĝ2-u2-rum {u2}gu3-i3-ra-ke4
v2.B.4
ur-maḫ gu3 de2-de2
v2.B.5
mu li-bi2-in-tuku-e-še
v2.B.6
ĝiš-šub lu2-dim3-ma {d}utu al-dim2-e
v2.B.7
ur-saĝ-e šag4!(ZU)-ĝar-ta i3-gam
The hero succumbed to starvation (?). After he had succumbed, they kept bringing him funerary offerings.
v2.B.8
ba-an-gam-ma-ta ki-sig10-ga in-na-?-du-⌈du⌉-ne
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UM 29-16-39 (Alster 1997 p. 300)
v3.1
X X IM A IGI DU GA
(1 line fragmentary)
v3.2
X X IGI A X X de5-ga-še3
(3 lines fragmentary)
v3.3
X X X BA NE-NE X
v3.4
X X ⌈?⌉ MA nu-me nu-[X]
v3.5
[…] X ZA šag4 […]
(1 line fragmentary)
v3.6
[…] X BA lul […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
v3.7
[…] ki šag4 iri ⌈MUNUS⌉ [X X]
v3.8
[…]
(1 line missing)
v3.9
[X] ⌈BA DA⌉ […]
(1 line fragmentary)
v3.10
GI […]
(2 lines fragmentary)
v3.11
TU […]-e-še
v3.12
[X] ĜIR2 […]-un-du3
(1 line fragmentary)
v3.13
? lu2 IN X
(2 lines fragmentary)
v3.14
[X X] ⌈lu2⌉ ḫe2-[X X] X
v3.15
[…] ? BA ZA KA
(2 lines fragmentary)
v3.16
[…]-e-e-še
v3.17
[…] ?-e UD ? IN
(3 lines fragmentary)
v3.18
[…] nu-NE-NE-e
v3.19
[…] X-ĝu10-e-še
v3.20
[…] X ? BA E
(2 lines fragmentary)
v3.21
X E X X X GA UN
head
UM 29-16-519 (Alster 1997 pp. 300-301)
v4.A.1
[…] X KA-KA ⌈ḫe2⌉-me-ni-tum2-ma
…… may he bear it for us …….
v4.A.2
[…] X EZEN ⌈AN⌉ [X (X)] ⌈?⌉-ĝu10
(1 line fragmentary)
v4.A.3
[…] ⌈?⌉ [X X (X)] X DI
(1 line fragmentary)
v4.A.4
ĝiš MU […] ab-ur3-[ur3]-⌈?⌉-e-⌈eš⌉
…… they have dragged it …….
v4.A.5
niĝ2 šag4 ⌈ḫul2⌉-[la X X (X)]-⌈ta⌉ gala-ke4 na-an-⌈?-? ? UL⌉
…… rejoicing …… the gala singer …….
v4.A.6
šu-⌈na⌉ […] X NE ? ? ZU im-ma-⌈?⌉-ĝa2-ĝa2
(1 line fragmentary)
v4.A.7
⌈igi⌉ engar-⌈e⌉ [mu-e-ši-in]-⌈il2⌉-la
The farmer lifts his gaze to you : May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed.
v4.A.8
{d}en-lil2-le iri nam ku5-ra2-ni ḫa-[ba-ši]-in-il2-e
v4.A.9
igi sipad-tur-re mu-⌈?⌉-[ši]-⌈in⌉-il2-la
The herdsman lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed.
v4.A.10
{d}en-lil2-le iri nam ku5-ra2-ni ḫa-[ba-ši]-in-il2-la
v4.A.11
igi baḫar2-⌈e⌉ mu-[e]-⌈ši⌉-in-il2-la
The potter lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed.
v4.A.12
{d}en-lil2-le iri nam ku5-ra2-ni ḫa-ba-ši-in-il2-la
v4.A.13
[igi nu-{ĝiš}kiri6-e mu]-⌈e⌉-ši-in-il2-la
The gardener lifts his gaze to you: May Enlil look upon the city that he cursed. (unknown no. of lines missing)
v4.A.14
{d}en-lil2-le iri nam [ku5]-⌈ra2⌉-ni ⌈ḫa⌉-ba-ši-⌈in⌉-il2-⌈la⌉
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v4.B.1
šu [gi4-gi4-ra šu ḫe2-en-na-gi4]
Let the favour be repaid to him who repays a favour.
v4.B.2
e2-⌈gal⌉ [ni2-bi]-⌈še3 gam⌉-[e-dam]
A palace will fall of its own accord.
v4.B.3
KU nu-ĝar-⌈!⌉ [(X)] X DI nu-ĝar-ra dab5-be2-X
(1 line fragmentary) and chasing away a son from his father's house are abominations to Ninurta.
v4.B.4
dumu-nitaḫ e2 ⌈ad⌉-[da]-na-ka sa-!
v4.B.5
niĝ2-gig {d}nin-urta-kam
v4.B.6
⌈šu⌉ gi4-[gi4 niĝ2]-gig {d}nin-urta-kam
To take revenge is the prerogative of Ninurta.
v4.B.7
ḫa-la-⌈? ?-?⌉-[X (X)] X ?-? gid2-i niĝ2-[gig] [{d}]nin-urta-kam
To extend …… share …… is an abomination to Ninurta.
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IM 43438 = TIM 9 19 (Alster 1997 pp. 298-299)
v5.A.1
nir-ĝal2-e a-na-am3 bi2-in-dug4 ⌈nu-?⌉
Whatever the man in authority said, it was not pleasant.
v5.A.2
nir-ĝal2-e ⌈kug⌉-zu-⌈?⌉ <ukur3> šu dib-! ⌈? ?⌉ ĝal2-la [aratta{ki}]
When the authorities are wise, and the poor are passed by, it is the effect of the blessing of Aratta.
v5.A.3
? ? ? X […] X RA e2 […]
(1 line fragmentary)
v5.A.4
⌈dam-ĝu10 ? ? ?⌉ X […]
My wife ……. (1 line fragmentary) (unknown no. of lines missing)
v5.A.5
⌈? DU8 X ?⌉ […] ?-ra BI dug3-⌈ga⌉ […]
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)

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.