TRANSLATED BY REV. A.H. SAYCE, M.A.

The following is a selection from an interesting collection of Accadian songs and proverbs, gjven in a mutilated reading-book of the ancient language which was compiled for the use of Assyrian (or rather Semitic Babylonian) students. These sentences were drawn up at a time when it was necessary for the scribes to be familiar with the old language of Accad, and to be able to translate it into Assyrian, and hence these phrases are of very great philological value, since they indicate often analogous words and various verbal forms. The Assyrian translation and the Accadian texts are arranged in parallel columns. Some of the proverbs must be taken from an agricultural treatise of the same nature as the "Works and Days" of Hesiod. Copies of the texts will be found in the "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," Vol. II, 15, 16.

ACCADIAN PROVERBS

1   Door and bolt are made fast.
2   Oracle to oracle: to the oracle it is brought.[1]
3   The cut beam he strikes: the strong beam he shapes.
4   The resting-place of the field which (is) in the house he
    will establish.
5   Within the court of the house he feels himself small.
6   A heap of witnesses[2] as his foundation he has made strong.
7   Once and twice he has made gains;[3] yet he is not content.
8   By himself he dug and wrought.[4]
9   For silver his resting-place he shall buy.
10  On his heap of bricks a building he builds not, a beam he
    set not up.
11  A house like his own house one man to another consigns.
12  If the house he contracts for he does not complete, 10
    shekels of silver he pays.
13  The joists of his wall he plasters.
14  In the month Marchesvan,[5] the 30th day (let him choose)
    for removal.
15  (Let him choose it, too,) for the burning of weeds.
16  The tenant of the farm two-thirds of the produce on his
    own head to the master of the orchard pays out.

[Footnote 1: That is, "compared."]

[Footnote 2: Accadian "izzi ribanna," Assyrian "igar kasritu" ("heap of covenant"), like the Hebrew "Galeed," Aramaic "Yegar-sahadutha" (Gen. xxxi. 47).]

[Footnote 3: That is, "the more a man has, the more he wants."]

[Footnote 4: That is, "if you want a thing done, do it yourself."]

[Footnote 5: October.]

ACCADIAN SONGS

26  (If) evil
    thou hast done,
    (to) the sea forever
    ...[1] thou goest.
23  My _city_ bless:
    among my men
    fully prosper me.
26  Bless everything;
    and to (my) dress be favorable.
28  Before the oxen as they march
    in the grain thou liest down.
30  My knees are marching,
    my feet are not resting:
    with no wealth of thine own,
    grain thou begettest for me.
34  A heifer am I;
    to the cow I am yoked:
    the plough-handle is strong;
    lift it up, lift it up!
53  May he perform vengeance:
    may he return also
    (to him) who gives.
55  The marsh as though it were not he passes;[2]
    the slain as though they were not ...[3] he makes good.
57  To the waters their god[4]
    has returned:
    to the house of bright things
    he descended (as) an icicle:
    (on) a seat of snow
    he grew not old in wisdom.
    ....[3]
10  Like an oven
    (which is) old
    against thy foes
    be hard.
15  Thou wentest, thou spoiledst
    the land of the foe;
    (for) he went, he spoiled
    thy land, (even) the foe.
18  Kingship
    in its going forth
    (is) like a _royal robe_(?)
19  Into the river thou plungest, and
    thy water (is) swollen
    at the time:[5]
    into the orchard thou plungest, and
    thy fruit
    (is) bitter.
34  The corn (is) high,
    it is flourishing;
    how
    is it known?
    The corn (is) bearded,
    it is flourishing;
    how
    is it known?
42  The fruit of death
    may the man eat,
    (and yet) the fruit of life
    may he achieve.

[Footnote 1: Lacuna.]

[Footnote 2: I have translated this line from the Accadian, the Assyrian text being wanting, and the words "a recent lacuna" being written instead. This makes it clear that the scribe who copied the tablet for Assur-bani-pal's library did not understand Accadian and could not therefore supply the translation.]

[Footnote 3: Lacunæ.]

[Footnote 4: This seems to be quoted from a hymn describing the return of Oannes to the Persian Gulf.]

[Footnote 5: See "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," vol. i. 25, 10.]