sumerian_proverbs

Proverbs from Ki-en-gir (Sumer), c. 2000 BCE ? 1. Whoever has walked with truth generates life. 2. Do not cut off the neck of that which has had its neck cut off. 3. That which is given in submission becomes a medium of defiance. 4. The destruction is from his own personal god; he knows no savior. 5. Wealth is hard to come by, but poverty is always at hand. 6. He acquires many things, he must keep close watch over them. 7. A boat bent on honest pursuits sailed downstream with the wind; Utu has sought out honest ports for it. 8. He who drinks too much beer must drink water. 9. He who eats too much will not be able to sleep. 10. Since my wife is at the outdoor shrine, and furthermore since my mother is at the river, I shall die of hunger, he says.