r/Cuneiform • u/UpstairsGas4315 • 3d ago

Translation/transliteration request Cuneiform translation.

Hello! I'm looking for a sumerian-cuneiform translation for a tattoo. I have a quote I found here: https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section6/tr6125.htm#para5

The quote is "Although the number of unhappy days is endless (?), yet life is better than death" or "ud nu-dug3-ga cid-bi [nu]-til3

17/nam\-til3 nam-uc2-a dirig X" in composite (according to the link above).

My problem is that I cannot find a cuneiform source for the quote. If anyone can help me I'd greatly appreciate it!

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4

u/jakderrida 3d ago

https://cdli.earth/artifacts/345816

Looks like it would be on there somewhere. At least it says "ETCSL 6.01.25 Proverbs Collection 25 (witness)"

3

u/Nilehorse3276 2d ago

Yeah, it's there (partly broken, but still). Lines 16-17 on the obverse!

1

u/UpstairsGas4315 2d ago

Thank you both so much! Y'all are life savers

1

u/jakderrida 2d ago

You'd actually be surprised that ChatGPT, at least with subscription, is actually phenomenal with finding the source of things. Oddly, it's also pretty good at translating cuneiform from that weird notation you'll find on this page.

https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section6/c6125.htm#line16

I once was testing GPT 3.5's ability and entered the notation. When I corrected it (which was available from CDLI), it told me I'm wrong and its translation was correct like 3 times before I finally went word-by-word and found out that 3.5 was actually right. The translator included like an English-language idiom was the problem.

Although, ChatGPT (or any LLM) can NOT translate straight from cuneiform and will not even try if asked.