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This composition: translation

(This file includes all manuscripts from Nippur which it has not been possible to assign to the proverb collections numbered in modern editions. The manuscripts are presented in decreasing order of size. Some of the proverbs are duplicated in numbered collections. A further two fragments from Nippur have been published, N 3500 (Alster 1997 pl. 112) and N 3936 (Alster 1997 pl. 113), but it has not been possible to extract any meaningful text from the photos)

Proverbs: from Nibru

Ni 4166 (Alster 1997 pp. 293-294)

Segment A

1. TUR X [...]
2. kur KU X [...]
3. cu-ni [...]
4. ki sug6-ga [...]
5. SAL+X MU X [...]
6. jiri3 nij2-/jiri3?\ [...]
7. ur-mah [...]
8. X IGI X [...]
9. nu-um-mi-[...]
10. dam [...]
11. X /IM\ [...]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. X X X X X [...]
2. al-tar-zu gub-[X]
3. e2 dirig-ga a-cag4-ga KA [X]
4. ucumgal-e gaba-gi4 nu-BAD uh2 X
5. e2-a du3-du3-u3
6. MAC+X AMAC-e?
7. bancur GI kalag-ga-ka
8. za-pa-aj2-bi-e
9. ur-mah nu-til ci-im-mu2-e
10. gu2 kac4 TAR-TAR SIKIL GI
11. X IR-ra du3-a
12. ed2 KU GI /GAR3\ X X (X) /DU\ X X
13. KIN DA dam-/gar3?\ im-us2
14. a e2-gal-la am3-ed2? X X
15. [...] GAR3 X X UM
16. [...] X ga-ar
17. [...] X
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment C

1. e2-ce3? nu-di-X X
2. /iri\ki nu-ja2-ja2
3. KUC DUG3 u2sasx(KI.KAL) ga hi-izsar-kam
4. IM hi-a-da? HI X mu-[X X] X
5. ad-KID gaba ud X car2
6. X [X X] X car2-car2
7. [...]-ce3 a2 du7-du7
8. [...] X [X] nij2-/u2?\-[rum]
9. [...] X
10. [...] DU [X X] GIM
11. [...] NE
12. [...] X X /bi2\-in-[...] X
13. [...] X

N 4248 (Alster 1997 pp. 290-291)

Segment A

1. [...] X
2. [...]-/ib?-KAL\
3. [...] /MUG\ TUG2-la-ke4
4. [...]-da bi2-ib-BAD-e
5. [...]-da mu-ni-hal-na
6. [...] /la2\-am3
7. [...] X /ib\-pad3-de3
(cf. Ni 9824 Seg. B ll. 3-5, 6.1.09.d4, 6.2.3: UET 6/2 315 ll. 10-13)
8. [...]-mu-ub
9. [kug-ja2]-/ke4\-ec
10. [kug-sig17]-/ja2\-ke4-ec
11. [dub-cen]-ja2-ke4-ec
12. [dub-cen-dilim2]-ja2-ke4-ec
13. [je26-e] ba-til-de3-en-e-ce
14. [...]-/na\-dug3-ga
15. [...]-/an\-gu7-[e]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. [...] /te\
2. [...] X
3. [...]-/kam\
4. [...] X X
5. [...] /hur\-hur-re
6. [...]-/ke4?\ an-ta
7. [...] /nin\-a-ne
8. [...]-/en\
9. [...]-/ke4?\

N 3395 (Alster 1997 pp. 288-290)

Segment A

1. HI /IM KAR\ [X]-/RI\-RI-/ne\ ([...])
2. ZI2 du8-bi-ib kurum6 nu-jar-re (gi-im-[...])
3. NA ZI2 X BAD e-re-en6-nam (a-na ca-hi-i-im X [...])
4. di-bi-da an-ca4-anki-na (i-me-er an-ca-ni-[im])
5. dim3-cah2 mar-ha-ciki (ma-ar-gi4 pa-ra-ah-[ci])
6. gul-lum me-luh-haki (cu-ra-an me-luh-[ha])
7. til-lu-ug sa12-ti-umki (pi-i-ir ca-ad-di-[im])
8. gicasal2 HI ga-racsar-gin7 cab-cab-e (ca sa-ar-ba-tam ki-ma /ka\-[...] i-ha-ra-[su])
9. gical im-NI-sahar?-a jar-ra dnin-kilim-ma iri-na (al-lum ca i-na ti-dim na-[du-u2] ci-ku-tu a-[li-ca])
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. inim-jar-ra sa9 gur cag4 edin-a (im sa a? pa cum2 ac2 sa? ca se-[ri])
2. [X] X-ul en-gin7 dab5-ba (ki-ma ka-ac-da?-an-[X])
3. [(X)] X cu nu-us2 (kam-ma-am u2-ul <i>-sa-ab-ba-[at])
4. [X] X ki nu-ci-la2 (a-na i-nim u2-ul i-qa2-[al])
5. [ki]-/in\-du-a al-hur (qa2-aq-qa2-ra-am u2-up?-[X X])
6. [munus-kar]-kid gi-dub? HI IR BU sila cub (ha-ri-im-tum ca i-na su2-qi3-/im\ u4 mu WA tu X)
7. [X (X)] lu2 cub-ba na-an-jar
8. [ance edin]-/na\-gin7 lul X jar-ra (ca ki-ma i-me-er se-ri X X pi ca-kan [(X)])
9. [X X] BU KUN KA-na KA KA ba-NIM-ma (ca-ri-u2-um ca ka-ak-ka-cu wa-si-a ca X [X])
10. [X] /lahtan\-na KAxX ud cu2-a (ca i-na la-ah-ta-nim u3 hu-bu-[ri-im])
11. [X X] X ki-umun2 giri17 cu du8-a (ap-pa ib-bir-ru [X])
12. [X X] /e\-gi-ru-ne ( ca? i?-na ab pi-lum ca i-na ir-[X (X)])
13. [...] X-e-ne (cu ni X gu ci X mu X X X)

Ni 4469 (Alster 1997 pp. 295-296)

Segment A

(cf. 6.1.01.40, 6.1.19.f4)
1. [...] /he2\-e-a
2. [ninda-ni nij2]-ussu(source: imin)
3. [... he2]-am3
4. [lu2 nu-mu-un-cu2]-cu2!
5. [...] /dub\-ba-kam
6. [...] X X DI
7. [...]-bi
8. [...] /DI\
(cf. 6.1.03.31, 6.1.09.b1, 6.1.11.18, 6.1.15.b8, 6.1.25.4)
9. si-mu-/ur?\-[ru-um] [i3-dab5] bad3-bi [nu-un-gul]
10. e2-an-na [i3-du3] u3-mu-/un\-[cub]
11. nam-lugal! [kalag-ga] igi nu-mu-ni-[du8]
12. ur5 na-an-/na\ [cag4 sig3-ga] kur-ra ba-/ra\-[an-de6]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. X X [...]
2. [X] /GIM\ [...]
3. [X X] he2-[...]
4. A X KA [...]
5. gab2-ba im-[...]
6. ar2-ar2-e lu2 [...]
7. a-na-ac-am3 saj X [...]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment C

1. [...]-SU
2. [...] X-SU-SU
3. [...] X

Ni 13186 (Alster 1997 p. 297)

Segment A

1. [...] X [...]
2. [...] X JA2 [...]
3. [...]-kam? NA [...]
4. [...] X jal2 [...]
5. [...] mac2 cu [...]
6. [...] X ga-am3 [...]
(cf. 6.1.13.27)
7. [...] X cu gid2 [...]
8. [...] 1/3 X [...]
9. [...] X X [...]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. [...] /lu2\ nu-[...]
(cf. 6.1.01.95)
2. [...] /lu2\ nu-me-en
3. [...] TUR X X [...]
4. [...] X DU [...]
5. [...] X X [...]
6. [...] X [...]

Ni 9697 (Alster 1997 p. 297)

Segment A

1. [...] DA SA [X]
2. [...] GA NAM nu-[X]
3. [...] /mu\-na-ab-kij2?
4. [...] X gi4-gi4-da-ni
5. [...]-gin7 e2-a-na! ba-ra-an-gi
6. [...] /lu2\ gaba-jal2
7. [...] X cu im-ma-ab-gur
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. [...] im-ma-an-kud [X X]
2. [...]-an-tur5-tur5-de3-en
3. [...] im-/sam2?\
4. [...] X ug5
5. [...] X ba-an-du8
6. [...] X

Ni 9824 (Alster 1997 p. 297)

Segment A

(cf. 6.1.02.1, 6.1.07.1, 6.2.3: UET 6/2 356 ll. 3-8)
1. [me-bi na-ab-ta-ab-ha-lam]-me-en-/ze2?\-[en]
2. [gud-de3] ki-gub-bi na-/ab\-[ta-ab-kur2-ru]-de3-en-/ze2\-[en]
(cf. 6.1.02.83)
3. [gud] /DU\-a /gic\tukul a-ab-/am3\
(cf. 6.1.02.4)
4. [a-a] /igi\ i-ni-bar nam-tar-ju10 ba-[dib-ba]
5. [X X] X X A X X [X X]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. [...] X-ce3
2. [...]-/e\-a
(cf. N 4248 Seg. A ll. 8-13, 6.1.09.d4, 6.2.3: UET 6/2 315 ll. 10-13)
3. [...]-/ke4\-ec
4. [...]-X-ke4-ec
5. [je26-e] /ba\-am3-til3-la?
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment C

(cf. 6.1.03.42, 6.1.22: ll. 278-279, 6.2.5: YBC 8713 l. 7)
1. e2-[na4kin2-na du14 he2-en-jal2]
2. geme2 [nij2-zuh-a]
3. /he2\-[em-ma-ab-ed3-de3]

Ni 9832 (Alster 1997 p. 297)

Segment A

1. [...]-ba-ju10
2. [...] /he2\-a
3. [...] cag4-ju10
4. [...] X BU
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. X [...]
2. jiri3 [...]
3. pad3 IM [...]
4. LUM TE X [...]
(cf. 6.1.03.45, 6.1.07.43)
5. cu-si? /bi2\-[...]
6. na4kin2 /bur12\-[ra-gin7]
7. /al\-[du7-du7-du7-de3-en]

N 6119 (Alster 1997 p. 292) and N 4047 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 8)

1. [...] /al\-gu7 X X
2. [X] X-a saj a-tar-zu nam-ju10
3. [(X)] nij2-kas7-ju10
4. [X X]-/ab?\-ak-e-ce
5. ud-da-/tuc-a\ ga-na dic-am3
6. dug4-ga-ab cu {TU.TU-ba} {(N 4047 has instead:) ca2-ba} ib2-ju10
7. 50 ma-na-am3 ab-gu-ul-e-ce
8. ud-da-tuc-a ugu iri-ke4 a-tar i3-ak-e
9. ugu-ni a-tar mu-ni-ib-ak-e-ec
10. er2 i3-ce8-ce8

Ni 3318 (Alster 1997 p. 293)

Segment A

1. [...] X X [X (X)]
(cf. 6.1.02.59-60)
2. [ka5-a cag4] ba-ab-/su?\ [X]
3. [ubur] ama-bi /ba-an-lah\
4. [ka5-a ama]-bi X [(X)]
5. [...]-dirig
(cf. 6.1.02.61, 6.2.5: P 374)
6. [ka5-a] /jectug2\-bi X [...]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. [...] X X [...]
2. [...] LA2 ZU [...]
3. [...] /cag4-ta\ [...]
4. [...] X X [...]

Ni 4338 + 4340 (Alster 1997 pp. 294-295)

1. [...] /mu-un?\-[...]
2. [...]-ni igi u3-bi2-in-/du8\
3. [...]-na genna a-ba i3-in-X [(X)]
4. [...] /mu\-a nu-me-[a]
5. [...] mu-un-il2-en-e-[ce]
6. [...] IR dur2-ru cu-ni ma-an-[X (X)]
7. [...] X-mu-de3-en a-na-gin7-nam ga-/ab?\-[...]
8. [...] /mu\-ra-ab-kal-[la-ge X]
9. [... mu-ra]-ab-kal-la-ge [X X]
10. [...] X MU NE NE X [...]

Ni 4122 (Alster 1997 p. 293)

1. KU NE [...]
(cf. 6.1.03.8)
2. ah uc7 sahar nu-[gi4-a]
3. eme ak an-/bar7\ [an-dul3 nu-ja2-ja2]
4. gu2 uri3-gal-la [...]
5. [(X)] nij2-gig d[...]
6. [...] X MA2 PAD X [...]
7. [...] nij2 X [...]
8. [...] X NI [...]
9. [...] X MI [...]

Ni 4300 (Alster 1997 p. 294)

Segment A

1. [...] /AB\ X IN X [...]
2. [...] /MU\ X-e [...]
3. [...] X X ud-de3 X [...]
(cf. 6.1.02.6)
4. [nam-tar-ju10 gu3-nam] ama-ju10 mu-da-[kur2]
5. [...] X X X X [...]
6. [...] X ba-an-X [...]
7. [...] X ZA GA DU ma-/an?\-[...]
8. [...] X X X [...]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. [...]-/me?\-en [...]

Ni 5327 (Alster 1997 pp. 296-297)

(cf. 6.2.3: UET 6/2 247)
1. U5.BULUJ3mucen [...]
2. tilla2 [...]
3. U5.BULUJ3mucen GI [...]
4. X-ju10 he2-X [...]
5. /KA UN\ du3 [...]
6. /e-ne? ZI2 DUG\ X [...]
7. [(X)] U5.BULUJ3mucen [...]
8. ki lu2 am3-[...]
9. [X X] X [...]

Ni 4099 (Alster 1997 p. 293)

1. [...] X TUG2 /TAR TAR\ X X X [...]
2. [...] aj2 erin2-bi juruc X [...]
3. [...] X JA2 ME MA2 X [...]
4. [...] X-bi X-/e\ [...]
5. [...] KA GAM X X [...]
6. [...] X-bi ZUM KAL [...]
7. [...] za-e X [...]
8. [...] za-a-[...]

N 3059 (Alster 1997 p. 430)

1. [...] /A\ X ZU lu2 na-me nu-ub-tuku?
2. [...] X ab-dab5-be2
3. [...] /dam\ tec2-tuku lugal zu-a
4. [... ga]-/ba?\-al ba-an-du3-e
5. [...] ab-kud-/de3\
6. [...] i-ni-in-[X (X)]
7. [...] X IN [X X]

N 5225 (Alster 1997 pp. 291-292)

1. X al-ur11-ru gur nu-um-da-X-X-e
2. lu2 tur-re ga-ba-al mu-ni-in-du3-uc-a
3. lu2 gu-la du14 ha-ra-ni-ib-mu2-mu2
4. lu2-tur-re ama-ni ki an-aj2
5. cec gal cec /gal\ [...]-/da?\
6. lu2-nisaj?-ke4 nisaj jen-na-ke4 [X X]
7. /LUL KU\ [X X X X] X [...]

Ni 9829 (Alster 1997 p. 297)

1. [...] X X [...]
2. [...] X X [...]
3. [...] /nam\ am3-mi-ni-[...]
4. [...] X kur2-ra [...]
5. [...] X AN NI X [...]
6. [...] X mu-/ra?\-[...]
7. [...] X [...]

Ni 5271 (Alster 1997 p. 296)

1. [...] X /me\ X [...] X tum3-tum3
2. [...] X-ni am3-zur-re
3. [...] /ur5\ in-da-ur5
4. [...] ur5 kisim gu-du-ka
5. [...] /TU\ ur5-ra tud-da
6. [...] izi-ka nu2

N 7577 + N 7578 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 10)

1. [...] X X X [...]
2. [...] X cu nu-u2-X [...]
3. [...] /cag4\ dijir-ja2 ba-X [...]
4. [...] DIM-DIM /DA\ [...]
5. [...] X X NE cu ZI [...]

Ni 3981 (Alster 1997 p. 293)

1. /sizkur2\-re nam-til3-ni [(X) i3]-/u3?\-tud
2. /me-a\ [X X] X-ze2-en
3. me-a igi X X X-en
4. dumu lu2 nij2-si-sa2 u2-cim-e ba-nu2
5. ZA X X [X] /KA\ [...] X

CBS 12666 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 3)

1. [...] X [...]
2. [...] X EN X [...]
3. [...] /UG\ X [...]
4. [...] ba-an-ug5 [...]

N 1905 (Alster 1997 pl. 114)

1. [...]-/en?-ze2\-[...]
2. [...] TU-e gul-lu? X
3. [...] X-e ba-an-de6
4. [...] cag4 ba-an-de6

N 3884 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 7)

1. [...] kar2
2. [...]-/ga\-ga
3. [...] lil2-la2
4. [...]-/sa4\-a-me-en

CBS 14213 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. a2 aj2-ja2 dic-am3 mu-e-[X]
2. cag4-zu ga-bi2-ib-dug3
3. nam-a2-jal2-ju10 ga-/e\-[X]

IM 58660 = 3N-T 731 (Alster 1997 p. 305)

1. nu-mu-un-su dam-ejer-ra-ni na-ab-be2-a
2. a-na nu-mu-un-su-a-me-ec
3. /dam\-nitalam in-nu

N 4909 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 9)

1. [(X)] X X [...]
2. /lu2\ nij2-gur-ra-/ka\ [...]
3. KA-na am3-[...]

N 5569 (Veldhuis 2000 p. 395)

1. sig9-ga-ar nam-ba-an?-na-kur2 [...]
2. kalag-ga-ar nam-ba-an-/ce8-ce8\
3. gacam-ce3 a2-ni X

CBS 3811 (Alster 1997 p. 303)

1. gud sa ab-kud-kud
2. giccudul-a nu2-nu2

CBS 5971 (Alster 1997 pl. 114)

1. [...] X X-e
2. [...] X in-naj?

CBS 7968 (Alster 1997 p. 303)

1. mu dgu-la nin-ja2-ce3! cub-ba
2. je26-e igi-ja2 ki-gub-ba nu-tuku-a

IM 58400 = 3N-T 242 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. e2 lu2-ka im-cu-rin-na na-an-sar-re
2. ninda-bi i3-bi2 /TAR\

N 6194 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. jen za-e dumu-me-e-ke4
2. za-e nu-me-en-na-ta

UM 55-21-38 = 2N-T 172 (Alster 1997 p. 305)

1. an-na ba-an-DU
2. an-na ba-an-zig3

UM 55-21-278 = 3N-T 179 (Alster 1997 p. 305)

1. ka5-a zu2 bi2-in-sud2-sud2
2. saj nam-mi-tuku4-tuku4

3N-T 232 + 244 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. pa5 gickiri6-ke4 a na-an-tum3
2. nij2-ki i3-jal2

CBS 6551 (Alster 1997 p. 303)

1. gud-ju10 ga mu-ra-ab-tum2-tum2-e

CBS 7867 (Alster 1997 p. 303)

1. /lu2\ ce-jic-i3 gu7-a-gin7 [bid3]-/da\-ni an-dur2

CBS 11372 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. /dug4\-ga-dug4-ga cag4 lu2-ulu3-kam jal2-la

N 2182 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 5)

1. [X]-bi RI saj MU NI X [...]

N 5925 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. ninda-ni cah2-ta cu-ur3 am3-me

UM 29-16-394 (Alster 1997 p. 305)

1. lugal iri cag4-ge /pad3-da\ he2-til3

3N-T 161 (Alster 1997 p. 304)

1. me-zu nu-mu-zu

3N-T 772 = TIM 10/1 132 (Alster 1997 p. 305)

1. gud si gal-gal-zu ma-ra-an-gi4-gi4-de3

Print/Electronic sources

Alster 1997a
Alster 1999a: commentary (N 3395)
Veldhuis 2000c, pp. 394-399: commentary, score transliteration, translation

Cuneiform sources

N 3395
N 4248
Ni 3318
Ni 4099
Ni 9832
Ni 4166
Ni 4469
Ni 9697
Ni 13186
N 5225
N 6119
N 3059
Ni 4300
Ni 4338+4340
N 7577+7578
CBS 12666
N 3884
N 1905
Ni 3981
Ni 4122
Ni 5271
Ni 5327
Ni 9824
Ni 9829
CBS 14213
3 N-T 731 = IM 58660
N 4909
N 5569
CBS 5971
CBS 3811
CBS 7968
N 6194
3 N-T 232+244
IM 58400 (3 N-T 242)
UM 55-21-38
UM 55-21-278
CBS 6551
CBS 11372
CBS 7867
3 N-T 772 = TIM 10/1 132
UM 29-16-394
3 N-T 161
N 5925
N 2182
N 4047 (Veldhuis 2000 fig. 8)

Revision history

18.vii.2002-30.vii.2002: JT, editor: standardisation
21.xi.2002-22.xi.2002: JAB, editor: proofreading
16.xii.2002: GC, editor: SGML tagging