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Proverbs: collection 19 (Q000812)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | Proverbs: collection 19 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000812 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Ur |
| Coordinates | 30.9607, 46.1063 |
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 19.a1, | ||
| 1 | hur-saŋ gig₂-ŋu₁₀ im-babbar ba-an-mu₂ | He made the white mountain grow like a lump of wheat. |
| 2 | ama-ŋu₁₀ {ŋiš}tir-ta lu₂ mu-ši-in-gi₄-in | From the ‘mother-in-law’s grave a man has returned. |
| 3 | šu dab₅-ba-ŋu₁₀ ma-an-šum₂ | Hand of Captured Man |
| 4 | {d}nin-kilim niŋ₂ hab₂-ba X gu₇-gu₇-ŋu₁₀ | Ninkilim, whose fearsomeness devours ..., |
| 5 | dug i₃-nun-na-še₃ gu₂ nu-mu-da-an-la₂ | He did not raise his neck to the pot of butter. |
| proverb 19.b1, | ||
| 1 | šah₂ niga ab-šum-u₃-de₃ niŋ₂ i₃-gu₇-a-ŋu₁₀ ga-ab-sug₆-e-še | So that the fattened pigs are fed to me, so that I may be able to restrain myself |
| proverb 19.b2, | ||
| 2 | šah₂-ze₂-eh-tur-re šu al-gud-gu₄-ud-de₃ | In order to make the hand tremble like a pig |
| 3 | sag₉-ga-aš ŋe₂₆-e nu-gu₇-e-še | The good one does not eat good |
| proverb 19.b3, | ||
| 4 | en-gin₇ du₃ saŋ-gin₇ til₃ | Like a lord built, alive like a good one |
| 5 | saŋ-gin₇ du₃ en-gin₇ til₃ | built like a net, living as if in the netherworld. |
| proverb 19.b4, | ||
| 6 | e₂ gul-gul-e kug i₃-gul-e | The one who destroys houses, he destroys silver. |
| 7 | e₂ gul-e kug-sig₁₇ i₃-gul-e | He destroys houses, he destroys gold. |
| proverb 19.b5, | ||
| 8 | dam u₃-mu-un-si gam-am₃ am ug₅-ga-am₃ | The spouse of Umunsi is dead, the wild bull is dead. |
| 9 | u₃-mu-un-si gam-am₃ arad ug₅-ga-am₃ | Umunsi is dead, her servant is dead. |
| proverb 19.b6, | ||
| 10 | ga-gid₂ mu-ra-ab-kud | he swore an oath for you |
| 11 | šu-bi bar edin-na mu-da-DU | Its hand ... outside the steppe |
| 12 | x-še₃ a-na-ak | he did |
| proverb 19.b7, | ||
| 13 | x he₂-en-zu | may he know. |
| 14 | x-am₃ | ... |
| 15 | x X X | |
| proverb 19.c1, | ||
| 1 | {d}en-lil₂-le a-na-am₃ in-ak in-bul-bul | What has Enlil done, has he destroyed? |
| 2 | {urud}šukur in-sig₁₀ su mu-ni-ib-te-te | The šukur-drum, which is coloured with reddish gold, approached him. |
| proverb 19.c2, | ||
| 3 | {d}utu bar-ra he₂-en-ni-šu₂ ni₂-zu šu nu-zu-a kur₉-ni-ib | Šamaš, may he be his outsider, may your fear not approach him |
| proverb 19.c3, | ||
| 4 | ŋiš-šub us₂-sa ama-zu hul₂-la | It is the “first-fruits-offering’ of your happy mother |
| 5 | kaš₄ dug₄-ga-ab diŋir-zu hul₂-la | Be present for me, grant me a life of joy! |
| proverb 19.c4, | ||
| 6 | igi il₂-la-za dam tuku-ba-ni-ib | When you raise your eyes, you have a spouse. |
| proverb 19.c5, | ||
| 7 | {d}inana-ke₄ dam ur₂ kum₂-ma ha-ra-an-nu₂-e | May Inana lay down for you a spouse lying on a lap. |
| 8 | dumu a₂ tal₂-tal₂-la ha-ra-an-ba-e | May the one who has a child come to you with wide arms. |
| 9 | ki niŋ₂ sag₉-ga ha-ra-ab-kiŋ₂-kiŋ₂-e | May the place of happiness be restored for you |
| proverb 19.c6, | ||
| 10 | u₂ dam-da ze₂-eb u₂ ama-da ze₂-eb | Sweet plant with the spouse, sweet plant with mother. |
| 11 | {d}ezina₂-{d}ku₃-su₃ e₂-a he₂-me-da-an-til₃ | Ezina-Kusu, may he live with you in the house. |
| proverb 19.c7, | ||
| 12 | {kuš}ummud zi lu₂-kam {kuš}e-sir₂ igi lu₂-kam | The righteous sandal of a man, the esir sandal before a men |
| 13 | dam dim₄-ma lu₂-kam dumu-nitah ŋissu lu₂-kam | The wise wife of a man, the eldest daughter of <a man> |
| 14 | dumu-munus saŋ šu ŋar lu₂-kam e₂-gi₄-a gal₅-la₂ lu₂-kam | The daughter-in-law, the hand of a “man’s man, the bride, the galla-demon of the man |
| proverb 19.c8, | ||
| 15 | mussa-tur UŠ X X X | Mustatur, the length |
| proverb 19.c9, | ||
| 16 | {uzu}suš₂ al-ze₂-eb {uzu}i₃-udu al-ze₂-eb | The pig is sweet, the sheep is sweet. |
| proverb 19.d1, | ||
| 1 | GA X x | milk ... |
| 2 | kuš X x | leather |
| proverb 19.d2, | ||
| 3 | u₅{mušen} x | eagle |
| 4 | lum-lum x | Lumlum |
| proverb 19.d3, | ||
| 5 | um{mušen} al-sah₆ gu-du-bi am₃-kar | The herdsman is enraged, its cattlepen is destroyed. |
| proverb 19.d4, | ||
| 6 | um{mušen}-gin₇ x | like a lion |
| proverb 19.d5, | ||
| 7 | um{mušen} x | |
| proverb 19.d6, | ||
| 8 | mušen x | ... snake |
| proverb 19.d7, | ||
| 10 | MU x | Year |
| proverb 19.d8, | ||
| 11 | HAR-da mul-an x ku₆-da engur-ra x | ... the stars ..., the fish in the deep ... |
| proverb 19.d9, | ||
| 12 | e₂-ta e₃ sila-ta kur₉-ra geme₂ nin-a-ni ŋišbum-ma-ni bi₂-in-tuš | After leaving the house, leaving the street, the slave-girl of his mistress sat down with her. |
| proverb 19.d10, | ||
| 13 | gi₄-in an-ba pa nu-um-e₃ ga-ša-an-a-ni mu-ni-ib-gu-ul-gu-ul | The maid of heaven does not appear, her lady destroys it |
| proverb 19.d11, | ||
| 14 | gi₄-in-ŋen ga-ša-an-ra še-er nu-mu-un-na-ma-al | The maidservant of the queen is not there for her |
| 15 | mu-ud-na-ŋu₁₀ ga-an-ze₂-e-še | I want to kiss his spouse |
| proverb 19.e1, | ||
| 1 | X x | |
| proverb 19.e2, | ||
| 2 | kug-zu x | Your silver ... |
| 3 | gal-an-zu a-ra₂ x | Your wise one ... |
| proverb 19.e3, | ||
| 4 | is-hab₂ ki-bid₃-da X šu ša-an-ša-ša-da | The ... of the netherworld, ... that is to be desired |
| 5 | šu-ni bid₃-da ba-ni-in-gid₂ | his hand he gave, he swore |
| proverb 19.e4, | ||
| 6 | kug X x | silver |
| 7 | X x | |
| proverb 19.f1, | ||
| 1 | x X x | |
| proverb 19.f2, | ||
| 2 | id₂ mah ki-mah-X | the great river ... |
| proverb 19.f3, | ||
| 3 | an-ur₂ an-šag₄-ga ninda šag₄-gal-la-ni-še₃ bi₂-in-tur | In the horizon, in the midst of the heavens, he has reduced his food offerings. |
| 4 | šu kalam-ma-ni-ta še ba-an-da-tur | From the hand of his land he has turned back |
| proverb 19.f4, | ||
| 5 | AN dumu-munus diŋir-da he₂-e | May ... the daughter of a bīr-demon! |
| 6 | ninda-ni niŋ₂-ussu-zug₄ X he₂-a | May his bread be a nissuzug offering |
| 7 | lu₂ nu-mu-un-šu₂-šu₂ | No one can equal it |
| proverb 19.f5, | ||
| 8 | ninda pad-pad-ra₂ šum₂-sikil zil₂-la₂ ninda e₂-dub-ba-a | bread made with flour, šumsikil flour, bread of the scribal school |
| proverb 19.f6, | ||
| 9 | dabin a-šag₄-ga {uzu}suš₂-am₃ | flour from a field is the ‘buzusuš’ |
| proverb 19.f7, | ||
| 10 | X X x | |
| proverb 19.g1, | ||
| 1 | teš₂-e he₂-il₂-il₂ za-e lag-ga he₂-dur₂ | May you carry it together, may you dwell in splendor! |
| proverb 19.g2, | ||
| 2 | X {ŋiš}al ed₂-de₃ | to raise the hoe |
| 3 | x X {ŋiš}al X ed₂-de₃ | ... to be carried off |
| 4 | x-ni-in-sa₂ | he placed there. |
| proverb 19.g3, | ||
| 5 | x tuku-a | who ... |
| proverb 19.g4, | ||
| 6 | x nu-SU-a | ... Nu-SU-a |
| 7 | x X X-e | ...; |
| 8 | x ib₂-SU-SU-e | ... will ... |
| proverb 19.g5, | ||
| 9 | x UR umma{ki} | ... of Umma |
| 10 | x KI X | ...; |
| 11 | AB x x X il₂ UR šuruppag{ki}-ka | ... of Uruppag |
| proverb 19.g6, | ||
| 12 | gu₇ u₃-bi₂-ib-be₂ ba-an-dab₅-be₂-eš | They were seized by eating and drinking |
| 13 | ze₂-ze₂ an-ze₂ | sweet, high, |
| 14 | AN KU UG ba-ab-gu₇ | ... eats. |
| proverb 19.g7, | ||
| 15 | sipad šu-nim-ma engar šu-nim-ma | He is the shepherd, he is the plowman |
| 16 | ŋuruš-e ud tur-ra-na-ka dam ba-tuku-tuku-u₂-a | The young woman who in her young age had a wife, |
| 17 | a-ba-a mu-da-ab-sa₂-e | Who compares with me? |
| proverb 19.g8, | ||
| 18 | x te-a-ni | ... tēni, |
| 19 | x X X X | |
| proverb 19.h1, | ||
| 1 | x X | |
| 2 | x X X | |
| 3 | x X x x | |
| 4 | x DI | ...; |
| 5 | x-gu₇-e | to eat |
| 6 | x-bi | its ... |
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.