Proverbs: of unknown provenance

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

v5.B.1
nin u3-ma-ta-ŠEŠ-ŠEŠ li-!-⌈dug4⌉-[(X)]
The lady …… did not speak …… destroying the father's house …….
v5.B.2
e2 ad-ta gul-gul [(X)]
v5.B.3
?-bi gu5-li ?-na [(X)]
…… companion of An …….
v5.B.4
lu2 niĝ2-tuku lu2 niĝ2 nu-tuku gig-še3 in-[ĝar]
The poor man inflicts all kinds of illnesses on the rich man.
v5.B.5
i3-ĝal2 nam-!-zu ad nu-ni-ĝal2
(1 line unclear)
v5.B.6
⌈niĝ2-gig⌉-zu ḫe2-a niĝ2-tuku ḫa-la ba-zu ḫe2-a
Let it be your bane. Let wealth be the inheritance given to you.
v5.B.7
NI ur-idim-bi ur-gir15 ur X-ra
(2 lines unclear)
v5.B.8
lu2 ur-a [X]
head
YBC 8713 (Alster 1997 p. 302)
v6.1
niĝ2-gen6-na-[da]
Who could compete with righteousness?
v6.2
a-ba mu-un-⌈da⌉-[sa2]
v6.3
niĝ2-erim2-me ⌈a2⌉-[bi (…)]
Wickedness …… its strength …….
v6.4
[{ĝiš}]ma2 niĝ2-gen6-[na ni2 ba-ra-dirig]
When a trustworthy boat is sailing, Utu seeks out a trustworthy harbour for it.
v6.5
{d}[utu] ⌈kar⌉ gen6-na […-kiĝ2-kiĝ2]
v6.6
lu2 X dam-a-ni X [X (X)]
…… man …… his wife …….
v6.7
e2-kinkin(ḪAR)-na du8 ḫe2-ĝal2 geme2 [(X)] ḫa-ba-ra-be2-[e-še]
If there is a dispute at the mill, a slave girl reveals (?) what she has stolen.
v6.8
geme2 lul-la ? ḪAR X (X) [X X]
An unreliable slave girl ……, a pestle (?) without a handle (?) …….
v6.9
ĝiš-gan-na šu-dib nu-tuku [(X)]
v6.10
igi ba-KAL-KAL teš2-bi la2 [(X)]
…… together …… ditch (?) …… friendship …….
v6.11
⌈?⌉ ba-X nam-gu5-li ba-X [(X)]
v6.12
[X] X ⌈MU⌉ [X] nu-X X […]
(1 line fragmentary)
head
YBC 4677 (Alster 1997 pp. 301-302)
v7.1
šaḫ2 ⌈niga ḫe2-?⌉-e
When a fattened pig is about to be slaughtered, one says: Let me replace what I eat.
v7.2
niĝ2 i3-gu7-a ga-ra-ab-?
v7.3
{šaḫ2}ze2-eḫ tur-e al-gud-gu4-ud-de3
As the piglet roots around (?), it says: I do not eat for pleasure.
v7.4
sag9-ga-aš ĝe26-e nu-ub-gu7
v7.5
niĝ2 am3-da-tuku-tuku igi am3-da-uru3-e
He who possesses many things is constantly on his guard.
v7.6
niĝ2 ḫa-lam-ma diĝir-ra-kam
What has been destroyed belongs to a god. No one is able to take it away.
v7.7
šu tu-tu nu-ub-zu
v7.8
{d}en-lil2-le a-na-am3 in-⌈ak⌉
What did Enlil make? Chaff! The lance struck. It went into the flesh.
v7.9
in-⌈bul-bul⌉ {urud}! ma-an-!
v7.10
su-ĝu10 ib2-te-te
v7.11
{d}en-lil2 i3-zig3-ge-en-na-ĝu10 ⌈{tug2}⌉niĝ2-dara2-ĝu10 du-um
Enlil, when I am aroused (?), my loincloth is gone (?).
head
MLC 618 (Alster 1997 p. 329)
v8.1
{d}en-lil2 ?-[X]
Enlil …… abomination …….
v8.2
?-a niĝ2-gig
v8.3
maš2 ⌈?-da-DU⌉
(5 lines fragmentary)
v8.4
⌈MAŠ2⌉ [X] X X
v8.5
⌈?⌉ [(X)] X
v8.6
MU X [(X)]
v8.7
X X X X
head
UM 29-15-748 (Alster 1997 p. 299)
v9.1
⌈lu2⌉ X [X X] ⌈? ?⌉-an-[X]
(1 line fragmentary)
v9.2
X X RI KU tar-re
…… elder brother …… authority (?).
v9.3
[(X)] šeš-gal-la sun5-⌈sun5⌉-[X]
v9.4
šeš-e dam mu-un-X
A brother …… a wife. (1 line unclear)
v9.5
X mu-un-ne-X ?-a bi2-in-taka4
v9.6
šaḫ2-e niĝ2 mu-un-la2 [me-a dam]-ĝu10 im-me
A pig was carrying something (?): Where is my sow? it said. As it neared its fate …….
v9.7
⌈nam⌉-[tar] ⌈u3⌉-mu-un-⌈na-te⌉
head
BM 57994 (Alster 1997 pp. 109, 288)
v10.A.1
⌈lu2⌉ {ĝiš}ma2 ⌈?⌉ X (X) ⌈niĝ2⌉ ?-a di-⌈da⌉
If a …… boatman …… demands an inspection, or if the hand touches a woman's genitals over her clothes -- it is an abomination to Suen. (unknown no. of lines missing)
v10.A.2
[gal4]-la tug2-ga šu tag-ga
v10.A.3
⌈niĝ2⌉-gig {d}suen-na-kam
gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
v10.B.1
? […]
(3 lines fragmentary)
v10.B.2
X […]
v10.B.3
X […]
head
CBS 6565 (Veldhuis 2000c fig. 2)
v11.1
X X […]
(1 line fragmentary) How can the thing that I have just eaten be standing here?
v11.2
a-na-gin7-⌈nam⌉ niĝ2 i3-gu7-a-ĝu10 gub-ba-e-še
v11.3
muš-laḫ5-e muš an-da-⌈ĝal2⌉
A snake charmer had a snake. He pulled out the tooth …… (1 line fragmentary)
v11.4
zu2 mu-ra-ze2-X
v11.5
[X] X […]
head
CBS 6855 (Alster 1997 p. 292)
v12.1
ud-da-tuš A ŠEN […]
The clown …… (1 line fragmentary) …… your pot ……. The clown …… (1 line fragmentary)
v12.2
X […]
v12.3
igi-a utul2-zu ⌈KA⌉ […]
v12.4
⌈ud⌉-da-tuš A X […] X […]
v12.5
[X] X […]
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Free Library of Philadelphia unnumbered (Alster 1997 p. 334)
v13.1
⌈di niĝ2⌉-!-na ḫul-a
He who despises a just decision, who loves wicked decisions, is an abomination to Utu.
v13.2
di niĝ2-erim2-e ki aĝ2
v13.3
niĝ2-gig {d}utu-kam
head
MM 1134 (Molina 2000 p. 755)
v14.1
⌈mušen⌉ […]
A bird …… a bird …… fat …… bowl.
v14.2
mušen A MU X ⌈saĝ⌉ […]
v14.3
mušen i3-udu mušen-bi bur […]
head
YBC 7301 (Alster 1997 p. 330)
v15.1
gud šu-gi4 ki ni10-ni10-da kaš4 u3-bi2-in-du
An elderly bull running around said, after it had stopped running: My former strength has returned (?) to myself. After it had been driven out (?) from the other side of the town, it said: My strength is conjectural!
v15.2
usu niĝ2 ud-bi-da-ĝu10 ni2-me-en ?-e-še
v15.3
iri re-ta e-da i3-me-am3 usu-ĝu10 niĝ2-tukum-ta-e-še
head
YBC 7345 (Alster 1997 p. 331)
v16.1
kud-kud gi-gur ba-an-dab
The cripple (?) took a reed basket. For (?) his words a man beats him. Mankind is …….
v16.2
inim-ma-a-ni-ra ? al-sag3-e
v16.3
ZA ? ?-a lu2-⌈?⌉ al-?-DI
head
YBC 7351 (Alster 1997 p. 332)
v17.1
di-kud niĝ2-gen6-na ḫul-a aš2 a2 zid-da bal-e
A judge who despises justice, cursing with the right hand, and the chasing away of a younger son from the house of his father are abominations to Ninurta.
v17.2
dumu-nitaḫ tur-ra e2 ad-da-na-ka ib2-ta-an-sar-re
v17.3
niĝ2-gig {d}nin-urta-ke4
head
YBC 7352 (Alster 1997 p. 332)
v18.1
lu2 inim gen6-na bal-bal
Thanks to the word of his personal god, the fate of the man who speaks just words is favourable, and he is with him throughout the day.
v18.2
inim diĝir-ra-ni-ta nam-tar sag9-ga-am3
v18.3
ud šu2-uš mu-da-ĝal2
head
Emory 106 (Alster 1997 p. 334)
v19.1
lugal-ĝu10 en an-na šu du7
My king, the lord perfect in heaven, built a house in the barren marshes.
v19.2
ambar a-ri-a e2 bi2-in-du3
head
NBC 8070 (Alster 1997 p. 329)
v20.1
ur3 lugal-bi-ir nu-gub-ba
If the roof does not stand upright for its owner, its gutter cannot let out water.
v20.2
{ĝiš}alal-bi a nu-um-de2-e-še
head
P 374 (Alster 1997 p. 334)

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.