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Proverbs: collection 16 (Q000809)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | Proverbs: collection 16 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000809 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| proverb 16.a1, | ||
| 1 | x NE | [Month V, ...] |
| 2 | x šum₂ | Hand of |
| 3 | x hul₂ | joyful ... |
| 4 | x X KU | ...; |
| 5 | x-gu₇-e | to eat |
| 6 | x-bi | its ... |
| proverb 16.a2, | ||
| 7 | x he₂-X X | may ... |
| 8 | x tum₂-ma | ... suitable |
| 9 | x DU | ...; |
| proverb 16.a3, | ||
| 10 | x-an-tur | X-antur |
| 11 | x X-e | ...; |
| 12 | x 7 | ... 7 |
| 13 | x gu₂-uš | n male lambs |
| 14 | x GA | ... milk |
| 15 | x šum₂ | Hand of |
| 16 | x X | |
| proverb 16.b1, | ||
| 1 | x X x X x | |
| 2 | x X X X x X X x | |
| 3 | X X AN AB X GAL X X ab-gu₇ | ... devoured. |
| proverb 16.b2, | ||
| 4 | sipad he₂-em-ta-ed₃-de₃-e-en | May you be a shepherd! |
| 5 | udu-ni šu-a li-bi₂-in-gi₄ | may he not return his sheep to his hand |
| proverb 16.b3, | ||
| 6 | sipad kug-zu mu-un-na-bir-am₃ | Shepherd, your silver is scattered for him. |
| 7 | udu-ni šu-a li-bi₂-in-gi₄ | may he not return his sheep to his hand |
| proverb 16.b4, | ||
| 8 | sipad ŋiš₃-a-ni | his father's shepherd |
| 9 | nu-{ŋiš}kiri₆ suhur-ni | the orchardist of Suhurni |
| proverb 16.b5, | ||
| 10 | ibila nu-gen₆-na dam nu-il₂ dumu nu-il₂ giri₁₇-zal-še₃ nu-il₂ | The one who does not have heirs, the spouse does not live there, the child does not dwell there, joy does not exist |
| proverb 16.b6, | ||
| 11 | sipad X HA ud 1(DIŠ)-a itid na-an-X-X | shepherd ..., 1st day, month: “Nan-X-X, |
| 12 | x ŠU x | Hand of |
| proverb 16.b7, | ||
| 13 | ud-da ga-ŋen na-gada-kam | I want to say “Today I will be the herdsman.’ |
| 14 | ul-la ga-ŋen sipad-tur-ra-kam | I want to ... the young shepherd |
| 15 | niŋ₂-gur₁₁-ni X x | our pride ... |
| 16 | ga-ŋen-am₃ x | I want to ... |
| proverb 16.b8, | ||
| 17 | KU X x | ...; |
| 18 | X X x | |
| proverb 16.c1, | ||
| 1 | igi engar-e mu-e-ši-in-il₂-e | He raised the eye of the farmer |
| 2 | {d}en-lil₂-le iri nam ku₅-ra₂-ni ha-ba-ši-in-il₂-e | Enlil has decreed the fate of his city. |
| proverb 16.c2, | ||
| 3 | igi sipad-tur-re mu-e-ši-in-il₂-e | He raised the eyes of the young shepherd |
| 4 | {d}en-lil₂-le iri nam ku₅-ra₂-ni ha-ba-ši-in-il₂-e | Enlil has decreed the fate of his city. |
| proverb 16.c3, | ||
| 5 | igi bahar₂-e mu-e-ši-in-il₂-e | He raised it before the potter |
| 6 | {d}en-lil₂-le iri nam ku₅-ra₂-ni ha-ba-ši-in-il₂-e | Enlil has decreed the fate of his city. |
| proverb 16.c4, | ||
| 7 | engar igi uru₃-a a-na-am₃ x ak x | What has the farmer done in the city? |
| proverb 16.c5, | ||
| 8 | ud al-šu₂-šu₂-ru im nu-šeŋ₃-am₃ | The day was overcast, the wind was not blowing |
| 9 | im al-šeŋ₃ {kuš}e-sir₂ nu-du₈ | The clay was heaped up, the sandal was not removed. |
| 10 | {id₂}idigna ka-ba nu-un-zur-re a-gar₃-re nu-si-si | The Tigris whose mouth cannot be opened, whose meadow cannot be irrigated |
| proverb 16.d1, | ||
| 1 | ki-sikil x | Young woman ... |
| 2 | šum₂ ba-ab-x | If ... |
| proverb 16.d2, | ||
| 3 | gu₅-li-ŋu₁₀ niŋ₂ ud 1(DIŠ)-kam | gu’li-bû, the first day |
| 4 | gi-me-a-aš-ŋu₁₀ niŋ₂ ud da-ri₂-kam | It is the reed-bed of eternal life |
| proverb 16.d3, | ||
| 5 | šeš šag₄ x | Hand of ... |
| 6 | eme KA x | tongue ... |
| proverb 16.e1, | ||
| 1 | MU x | Year |
| 2 | niŋ₂ na-me x | no one |
| 3 | kisal X X x | courtyard ; |
| proverb 16.e2, | ||
| 4 | GA me-a X X šag₄ x | Where ...? |
| proverb 16.e3, | ||
| 5 | ab geme₂-ta na-ab-ku₄-ku₄-x | Do not enter through the female slave's window! |
| 6 | dam-gara₃ e-ne | the merchants |
| proverb 16.e4, | ||
| 7 | anše-e niŋ₂ 50-me-eš | 50 donkeys |
| 8 | {ŋiš}dusu il₂-il₂-ne am₃-eš | They raise a wail. |
| 9 | 1(DIŠ)-am₃ kur₉-ra-am₃ a-na ba-an-il₂-e-še | It is the 1st (of which followed the 30th of the preceding month). What did it bring? |
| proverb 16.e5, | ||
| 10 | u₂ ur₂-bi gid₂-da in-na-bur₁₂-uš X-X-e-še | He ... the roots of the grass for him, |
| proverb 16.e6, | ||
| 11 | UN erin mu-un-ni-te mu-da-an-BU | He approached the troops and ... |
| 12 | na₄ UN ŊA₂ šeš E X | ... stone |
| 13 | X mu-da-DIB-gin₇ | like a ... |
| 14 | X UŠ nam-ban₃-da | [x] lengths, (measurement of) ban3 |
| 15 | niŋ₂-gig {d}suen-na-kam | It is the niŋ-gig of Suen |
| proverb 16.e7, | ||
| 16 | kur kug ba-al-gin₇ | like a mountain that has been plundered |
| 17 | lu₂ dim₂-ma nu-sag₉ | a man who does not like a design, |
| proverb 16.e8, | ||
| 18 | šu-i-gin₇ nam X x | Like a hand ... |
| 19 | suhur im-ši-la₂-e | he removed the hair from it |
| proverb 16.e9, | ||
| 20 | u₂ |MUNUS+NI| ak x | and a woman |
| 21 | gaba du₆-da i₃-ak x x-e-še | He did ... on the edge of the mound |
| proverb 16.e10, | ||
| 22 | X ZI TUG₂ X x {d}nirah-gin₇ dar-ra-me-en | I am ... like Nirah. |
| proverb 16.e11, | ||
| 23 | {u₂}numun₂ in-degₓ(RI)-degₓ(RI)-ga | the date palms were planted, |
| proverb 16.e12, | ||
| 24 | x-ka-am₃ i₃-bar-re | ... he approaches. |
| X ma₂ bi₂-in-dirig-ge₄ ni₂-zu ba-da-an-tum₃ KA ba-an-ga-bi | ... he brought the boat, he carried your aura away ... | |
| proverb 16.e14, | ||
| 26 | eŋer ni₂-zuh ti-ri₂-da mu-dehi₂ | The eŋer-priestess, the one who carries the nizuh ritual in the river, |
| IM-ni-a zag-am₃ šu ba-ab-KAL zag ŋar | The right side of his hand is split, the left side is split | |
| nu-{ŋiš}kiri₆-ke₄ mu-un-dab₅-be₂-ne nu-{ŋiš}kiri₆ iri | The orchardists seized him, the gardener of the city | |
| ŋiri₃ {ŋiš}kiri₆-še₃ im-tum₂-tum₂-ma x {ŋiš}kiri₆-ke₄ mu-un-tum₂-me-en | You are the one who brings the orchards to the garden and brings the ... of the garden. | |
| proverb 16.e16, | ||
| 30 | x x-rin-na IM-ni-a zag-bi x x NI NE he₂-en-MUŠ₂ | ... may he ... his shoulder. |
| proverb 16.f1, | ||
| 1 | x X-e-še | ..., |
| proverb 16.f2, | ||
| 2 | x X A ŠE x X-i gid₂-i X-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ iš-hi-x-ik X el ra-ma-ni-šu IZ NU UR | ... long ... ... his own ... |
Sources & licences
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.