Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

Proverbs: collection 9

~1800 BCE·Old Babylonian

Translation · reference

High confidence
(cf. 6.1.10.1, 6.2.5: IM 43438 Seg. A l. 1) Whatever the man in authority said, it was not pleasant. (cf. 6.1.10.2) Whatever the man in authority said, it was not right. (cf. 6.1.10.3-4, 6.2.2: MDP 27 216, 6.2.5: IM 43438 Seg. A l. 2) When the authorities are wise, and the poor are loyal, it is the effect of the blessing of Aratta. (cf. 6.1.10.5, 6.1.22: l. 190, 6.2.3: UET 6/3 80 l. 18) The mighty man is master of the earth. (cf. 6.1.10.6) It is from a man's mouth that strength comes. (cf. 6.1.10.7, 6.2.3: UET 6/3 462) Strength cannot keep pace with intelligence. (cf. 6.1.10.8) The strength of my god completes my own.

Source: ETCSL c.6.1.09: Proverbs: collection 9. Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E. & Zólyomi, G. (eds.), The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.6.1.09

Why it matters

Transliteration

Scholarly note

Composition c.6.1.09 in the ETCSL catalogue. Sumerian literary text reconstructed from multiple cuneiform manuscripts, the great majority Old Babylonian (c. 1900–1600 BCE). Translation reproduced from the ETCSL edition.

Attribution

Image: .
Translation excerpted from ETCSL c.6.1.09: Proverbs: collection 9. Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E. & Zólyomi, G. (eds.), The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.6.1.09.

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