The Instructions of Shuruppag

iconChapter - 2

1Curuppag gave these instructions to his son.
2Curuppag, the son of Ubara-Tutu, gave these instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura.
3A second time, Curuppag gave instructions to his son.
4Curuppag, the son of Ubara-Tutu gave instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura:
5My son, let me give you instructions: you should pay attention!
6Zi-ud-sura, let me speak a word to you: you should pay attention!
7Do not neglect my instructions!
8Do not transgress the words I speak!
9The beer-drinking mouth ....... My little one ....... The beer-drinking mouth ....... Ninkasi .......
10Your own man will not repay it for you. The reed-beds are ......, they can hide slander.
11The palace is like a mighty river: its middle is goring bulls; what flows in is never enough to fill it, and what flows out can never be stopped.
12When it is about someone's else bread, it is easy to say "I will give it to you", but the time of actual giving can be as far away as the sky.
13If you go after the man who said "I will give it to you", he will say "I cannot give it to you -- the bread has just been finished up".
14Property is something to be expanded ; but nothing can equal my little ones.
15The artistic mouth recites words; the harsh mouth brings litigation documents; the sweet mouth gathers sweet herbs.
16The liar fills his bread bag; the haughty one brings an empty bag and can fill his empty mouth only with boasting.
17Who works with leather will eventually work with his own leather.
18The strong one can escape from anyone's hand.
19The fool loses something. When sleeping, the fool loses something. "Do not tie me up!" he pleads; "Let me live!" he pleads.
20The imprudent decrees fates; the shameless one piles up things in another's lap: "I am such that I deserve admiration".
21A weak wife is always seized by fate.
22If you hire a worker, he will share the bread bag with you; he eats with you from the same bag, and finishes up the bag with you.
23Then he will quit working with you and, saying "I have to live on something", he will serve at the palace.
24You tell your son to come to your home; you tell your daughter to go to her women's quarters.
25You should not pass judgment when you drink beer.
26You should not worry unduly about what leaves the house.
27Heaven is far, earth is most precious, but it is with heaven that you multiply your goods, and all foreign lands breathe under it.
28At harvest time, at the most priceless time, collect like a slave girl, eat like a queen; my son, to collect like a slave girl, to eat like a queen, this is how it should be.
29Who insults can hurt only the skin; greedy eyes , however, can kill.
30The liar, shouting, tears up his garments.
31Insults bring advice to the wicked.
32To speak arrogantly is like an abscess: a herb that makes the stomach sick.
33My words of prayer bring abundance. Prayer is cool water that cools the heart.
34Only insults and stupid speaking receive the attention of the Land.