ETCSLtransliteration : c.6.2.1 ETCSL homepage
(This file includes all manuscripts from Nibru 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 Nibru 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. MUNUS+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 ah6 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. e3 KU GI /GAR3?\ X X (X) /DU?\ X X
13. KIJ2 DA dam?-/gara3?\ im-us2
14. a e2?-gal-la am3-e3? 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 HI u2sas 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 cukur2 nu-jar-re (gi-im-[...])
3. NA ZI2 X BAD e-ri-in-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. jicasal2 HI ga-racsar-gin7 cab-cab-e (ca sa-ar-ba-tam ki-ma /ka\-[...] i-ha-ra-[su])
9. jical 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 MAC 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. [fkar]-ke4 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 sig-ga] kur-ra ba-/ra\-[an-de6]
unknown no. of lines missing

Segment B

1. X X [...]
2. [X] /GIM\ [...]
3. [X X] GAN [...]
4. A X KA [...]
5. gabu2-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 IG [...]
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 /jic\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-[na4kinkin(HAR)-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. na4kinkin(HAR) /bur12\-[ra-gin7]
7. /al?\-[du7-du7-du7-de3-en]

N 6119 (Alster 1997 p. 292) and N 4047 (Veldhuis 2000c 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 1(DIC)-am3
6. dug4-ga-ab cu {tu-tu-ba} {(N 4047 has instead:) a2-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-had2\
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 urin gal-la [...]
5. [(X)] nij2-gig d[...]
6. [...] X MA2 PAD X [...]
7. [...] JAR 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 NE 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-munu4mucen [...]
2. tilla2 [...]
3. u5-munu4mucen GI [...]
4. X-ju10 he2?-X [...]
5. /KA UN?\ du3 [...]
6. /e?-ne? ZI2? DUG\ X [...]
7. [(X)] u5-munu4mucen [...]
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 nesaj?-ke4 nesaj 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 2000c 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 2000c 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 2000c 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 1(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 2000c fig. 9)

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

N 5569 (Veldhuis 2000c 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. jiccudul-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 imcu-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-bul-bul

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

1. pa5 jickiri6-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 2000c 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 sources

Alster 1997a

Alster 1999a: commentary (N 3395)

Veldhuis 2000c, p. 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 2000c 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
20.vi.2003: JE, editor: web publication
01.vi.2003: GC/JE, editor/technical developer: XML/TEI conversion
30.iii.2005: GC/JE, senior editor/technical developer: lemmatised version published
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