Sumerian proverbs
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Sumerianproverbsare short expressions of popular wisdom from theancient Mesopotamiancivilization ofSumer.
Quotes
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- Who cancompetewithrighteousness?Itcreateslife.
- You should not cut the throat of that which has already had its throat cut.
- What hassubmittedwill exhibitresistance.
- He hurled hisinsult.He laid his curse.
A curse which is reciprocated will be retaliated against with yet another curse.
It is an insult resulting from an insult. It is a curse resulting from a curse. It is the constant renewal ofdestiny.
Toaccepta verdict ispossible.To accept a curse isimpossible.
- Aplantassweetas ahusbanddoes not grow in the steppe.
- A variant has the word "desert" instead of steppe.
- Girl,yourbrothercannot choose for you; whom do you choose?
Girl, your brother is like me. A brother should let youliveas would I.
- He who does not support a wife, he who does not support a child, has no cause forcelebration.
- I visit it byday,I visit it atnightfall.I always stand by thelamentationdrum!
- You should not alienate their rituals!
Where there are bonds, you should notdestroythe place!
You should not eradicate their place in theuniverse.
You should not move theoxenfrom their places!
- Let me tell you about myfate:it is aninsult.Let me explain it to you: it is adisgrace.
Were I to tell myneighbourabout my fate, he would heap insults upon me.
I looked into thewater.Mydestinywas drifting past. I wasbornon an ill-fated day.
- Fate is adog,well able to bite.
- Fate is a ragingstormblowing over the Land.
- If ascribeknows only a single line but hishandwritingis good, he is indeed a scribe!
- If asingerknows only onesongbut makes thesoundpleasant, he is indeed a singer! [...] When a singer'svoiceissweet,he is indeed a singer.
- What kind of a scribe is a scribe who does not knowSumerian?
- The scribe trained incountingis deficient onclay.The scribeskilledwith clay is deficient in counting.
- A chattering scribe'sguiltis great.
- A scribe who does not know how to grasp themeaning-- from where will he produce atranslation?
- Tell a lie and then tell thetruth:it will be considered a lie.
- For adonkeythere is no stench. For a donkey there is no washing with soap.
- One does notmarry a three-year-oldwife, as a donkey does.
- Furrows are pleasant to a threshingox.
- May thecitybuild like me! May the Land live like me!
- One should not remove what belongs to my mistressInana.
- Scowling dogs belong to theshamelessman.
- Their pleasure, their discomfort. Their discomfort, their pleasure.
- Let there beunused landadjacent to a house.
- Hand added to hand, and a man's house is built up.
- I willfeedyou even though you are anoutcast.I will give youdrinkeven though you are an outcast. You are still myson,even if yourgodhas turned against you.
- "I will gotoday"is what aherdsmansays; I will gotomorrowis what ashepherd-boy says. I will go is I will go, and thetimepasses.
- To eat modestly doesn'tkilla man, but to covet will murder you. To eat a little is to live splendidly.
- Ahandwill stretch out towards an outstretched hand. A hand will open for an opened hand.
- When thesunis setting outside so that you cannot even recognise the hand in front of you, go indoors!
- As long as you live you should not increaseevilby telling lies; for if you do, to succumb will be your lot.
- Weighing scales made with sinews are a trap made for thefeet;a man should not take amerchantfor hisfriend.
- Variant: "Scales made with sinews are a trap contrived of dishonesty; should a man then take a merchant for his friend?"
- Nannicherished his oldage.[...] He capturedSimurrum,but [...] he never saw mighty kingship. Thus Nanni was carried off tothe nether world.
- Variant: Nanni appreciated his old age. He built Enlil's temple but did not complete it. [...] He captured Simurrum, but did not suppress it. In misery [...] thus Nanni was brought to the nether world depressed at heart.
- Nanni cherished his old age: "I am what an old man should be."
- He who insults is insulted. He who sneers is sneered at.
- As the sun rises,decisionsare made. By the time the sun is up, kingship is conferred.
- The battle-club would not find out yourname-- it would just find your flesh.
- Enlil'stempleis a summation of accounts. The temple manager is its overseer.
- Enlil'sgreatestpunishmentishunger.
- You speak with me and I speak with you.
- Thefoolis garrulous.
- Where there is nograin,this is a sign ofvengeanceturned towards a city. Where there are no reeds, it is the worst of all poverty.
- Something offered is not offered. Somethingfinishedis not finished.Nothing changes.
- When a man comes forward as awitness,saying: "Let me tell you what I know about him", but does not know the relevantinformation,it is an abomination toSuen.
- A variant namesUtuinstead of Suen.
- Fliesenter an openmouth.
- A variant is present inJacula Prudentum(1651) byGeorge Herbert:Into a mouth shut flies flie not.
- Offerings create life.
- Punishmentis assigned for the swaggerer; he isafflictedwithdiseases.
- May Inana pouroilon myheart that aches.
- Before thefirehas gone out, write your exercise tablet!
- A man'spersonal godis a shepherd who finds pasturage for the man. Let himleadhim likesheepto the food they can eat.
- As long as theboastershaven't departed, their mouths make me uneasy.
- Theheavensweredestroyed,theearthwasshaken.After the heavens were destroyed and the earth was shaken, thepeoplewere still standing there on their own.
- Between the basket and theboatare the fields of Simurrum.
- Whether it is roasted or not, you should sprinkle the grain.
- Let me drinkbeershandy and sit in the seat of honour!
- Puttingunwashed handsto one's mouth isdisgusting.
- My drink is a river. The place where I sleep is a place of reed mats.
- The sun never leaves my heart, which surpasses agarden.
- Thecemucbarley is reserved for thenecromancer.
- Note: In ancient Mesopotamia, barley was used ascommodity money.
- If the sieve is not shaken, his flour will not drop from it.
- CovetingandspyingareabominationstoNinurta.
- Whenpresent,it wasconsidereda loincloth; when lost, it is considered fine clothing.
- If the leader is being devoured by a fire, those behind him don't say: "Where is the leader?"
- When righteousness is cut off,injusticeis increased.
- What is placed in the fire has a valuableroleto play but leaves nothing behind when it's gone.
- Thenorth windis a satisfyingwind;thesouth windis harmful to man. Theeast windis a rain-bearing wind; thewest windis greater than those who live there. The east wind is a wind of prosperity, the friend ofNaram-Suen.
- He could not overcome hisfears,so he cut off what was fuelling them.
- Olion,youralliesin thereedbedsare numerous.
- Note: inancient Mesopotamia,the lionwas regarded as a symbol ofkingship.
- The lion who lives a life ofcompassionwill receive it.
- If a dog snarls, throw a morsel into his mouth.
- He said: "Woe!"and the boat sank with him. He said:"Alas!"and the rudder broke. The young man said:"Ah god!"and the boat reached its destination.
- Apigwhich was about to be slaughtered by the pig-butchersquealed. (The butcher said:) "Yourancestorsand forebears walked thisroad,and now you too are walking it, so why are yousquealing?
- A man raising his hand in anger does notseeclearly.
- A fox demanded of Enlil thehornsof a wildbull.While it was wearing the wild bull's horns, it started torain.But the horns rose high above him, so he could not enter his burrow. Untilmidnightthe wind kept blowing, and thecloudsbrought rain. Afterwards, when it had stopped raining on him, and he had dried off, he said: "I shall return this feature to its rightfulowner!"
- Whatever the man inauthoritysaid, it was notpleasant.
Whatever the man in authority said, it was notright.
- Thestrengthof my god completes my own.
- Ignoramusesare numerous in thepalace.
- He who knows but does not speak is a fool.
- OhUtu,you are myjudge:pronounce myjudgement!You are mydecision-maker, decide my case! ThedreamthatI have seen-- turn it into a favourable one! Let me walk straight, so that I can catch up with mycompanion!
- He spoke but did not keep his word. He keeps speaking but shies away from hisresponsibilities.
- From the river, oh Inana, let my man eat.
- A palace will fall of its own accord.
- Oh whirlwind, I dispatched you towardsAgade.What did you accomplish in Agade? The dream was favourable!
- To takerevengeis theprerogativeof Ninurta.
- That my friend should be well is our wish, and that our enemies should be gone! May those friendly to you reach their goal as ashipdoes a friendly harbour! May your enemy, like the flood waters of a river, return to his city.
- Those who live near the water look intothe mountains.They don't look in their own direction.
- Note: Sumer was ariver valley civilizationand itsirrigationrelied on thewater cycleof theTigris–Euphrates river system,which has its sources in the mountains ofeasternAnatolia,Turkey.
- Alovingheart builds houses. A hating heart destroys houses.
- A variant is found inInstructions of Shuruppak(3rd millennium BCE) by Šuruppak: "A loving heart maintains afamily;a hateful heart destroys a family. "[1]
- A man whobehaveslike a damp reed towards his fellow men does not tell the truth either.
- Even amillstonewill float in the river for a righteous man.
- The owner of a house should reinforce the windows againstburglars.
- A crafty man does nottransgressagainst his mother.
- You subject yourself torules-- as a thief does.
- Thedishonestman stole silver; the honest man will earn his pay.
- When dishonest men come to your banquet, they are troubled and try to hide it.
- Let thefavourbe repaid to him who repays a favour.
- The temple E-babbar, whichMe-silimhad built, was destroyed by Nanni, whose posterity had been cut off.
- Utu is lord; you should fix your gaze on him.
- The well-wisher is the mother of therefugee.
- May thepeoplewish you well. May your god grant what you are in agreement with.
- You shouldn't give a lame man a staff. Enlil is hishelper.
- Let the herdsman whip the ox. Let the shepherd slaughter the sheep. Where there is no toughness, no man can go about his business.
- After becoming a thief, one becomes an outcast.
- No one is tall enough to reach up and touch the heavens. No one is broad enough to lift his gaze over the whole earth. [...] But you, who roar like a storm -- may you establish yourself like a lion. [...] No man can bring about yourdemise.
- Yourworthinessis theresultofchance.
- The chasing away of a younger son from the house of his father is an abomination to Ninurta.
- Variant: Violent cursing and chasing away a son from his father's house are abominations to Ninurta.
- A dishonest man chases after women's genitals.
- No one walks together with him or directs their steps towards him. Life passes him by like water. He is dear to no just man, plague prevails over him. Like a worthless penny. [...] He is clothed with a garment as if a heavy punishment were assigned to him. Who is he? His name? A man sleeping with someone's wife.
- Good is in the hands. Evil is also in the hands.
- The heart does not let go of the good. [...] As if it were a fertile spot, the heart does not abandon the good.
- Accept your lot and make your mother happy! Run fast and make your god happy!
- Whatever I say, I will say it twice, and then I will repeat it again.
- The liar is quarrelsome. He always lies. He always slanders. Treacherous! Malicious! Shifty-eyed!
- Utu's glance is prayerful. Utu's heart is compassionate. A devotee of Utu is among theholy.Allotted by Utu to be fortunate, a [...] ship reaches the quay.
- Although the number of unhappy days is endless, yet life is better than death.
- To take revenge is an abomination to Ninurta.
- When a trustworthy boat sets sail, Utu seeks out a trustworthy harbour for it.
- To remove something from its proper place is an abomination to Ninurta.
- Fear of godcreates good fortune. Lamentation absolvessin.Offerings extend life.
- The rich man's heart is sick, it is very sick indeed.
- A stake, my lord; "hero" is its name.
- If a man does not treasure his god, that manwill not be buried.His heir will not provide him with waterlibations.
- He who despises a just decision, who loves wicked decisions, is an abomination to Utu.
- 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.
- 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.
- MayLummagrant prosperity to him who performs good deeds.
- The voice of the forestkujanunbird is the glory of the tamarisks.
- The voice of theduckis the glory of the marshes.
- Yourrolein life is unknown.
- The voice of thefrogis the glory of the marsh waters.
- Let him who has a household go to his household! Let him who has a household and a mother go to his mother!
- Loving andcomfortingarevitality.
- Who can compare withjustice?It creates life.
- Wheneverwickednessmay cause trouble, Utu will not be idle!
- He who hasnothingcannot let go of anything.
- To be wealthy anddemand moreis an abomination toa god.
- A plant sweeter than a husband, a plant sweeter than a child: mayEzina-Kusudwell in your house.
- That which matches my tears hurts my heart alike.
- When liars enter by the city gate, in front of them there is a finger pointing at them, behind them there is a finger pointing at them.
- Strength cannot keep pace withintelligence.
- Utu, the lord who loves justice, extirpates wickedness and prolongs righteousness.
- When battle approaches, when war arises, the plans of the gods, beloved by the gods, are destroyed.
- A man without a personal god does not procure much food, does not procure even a little food. Going down to the river, he does not catch any fish. Going down to a field, he does not catch any gazelle. In important matters he is unsuccessful. When running, he does not reach his goal. Yet were his god favourable toward him, anything he might name would be provided for him.
- One should pay attention to an old man's words. One should submit oneself to his protection.
- A child should behave withmodestytoward his mother. He should take the oldergenerationintoconsideration.
- Don't let your mouthaccusehim; don't slander him; don't encourageviolentretaliation against yourself.
- A man's intelligence comes from god.
- A man who does not value his god is thrown out in the desert; his body is not buried and his heir does not provide hisghostwith drinking water through a libation pipe.
- Let just men be born in good health, and let their lives last long.
- By following craftiness, one learns how to be crafty. By following wisdom, one learns how to be wise.
- To thetrustworthyman belongs a divine voice. The barge on the river and the chariot on the road come to him.
