The tao of Sumer

[Taomeow]

This poem from Mesopotamia is 3000 years old.  It must have been very popular in its time judging by the fact that tablets inscribed with this text have been found in five completely different locations.  Of course there's been many interpretations...

 

"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"Bring the chariot quickly, harness it,
I'll go to the palace! "
“Go, my lord, go.
The king's favor will be with you.
If you are guilty of anything,
he will show you mercy. "
"No, slave, I will not go to the palace!"
“Don't go, my lord, don't go.
The king will send you on a long journey,
Will send by an unknown road
Day and night he will make you suffer "
II
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"Bring me some water for my hands, pour it for me,
I'll have dinner! "
“Dine, my lord, dine. Frequent meals
relieves the heart
Man's dinner is his god's dinner, to washed hands
Shamash is supportive. "
"No, slave, I will not dine!" ;
“Don't dine, my lord, don't dine.
Food and hunger, drink and thirst are always with a person. "
III
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"Bring me a chariot, harness it,
I'll go free."
“Go, my lord, go.
A free tramp will always fill his stomach
A stray dog will find a bone
A migratory bird will arrange a nest,
The running onager will find food in the desert as well.
"No, slave, I will not go free!"
“Don't go, my lord, don't go.
The free tramp has the wrong lot
A stray dog's teeth will break
The migratory bird has her house in the wall
The running onager has the steppe - his bed. "
IV
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"I'll start a family, have kids!"
"Start, my lord, start,
create a family [........],
Who had children - provided for themselves funerals
victims".
"No, slave, I will not create a family, I will not have children!"
“Do not create, my lord, do not start.
Family is like a broken door, a noose is its name.
Of the children, only a third are healthy,
two-thirds deranged. "
"So create a family for me?" - “Don't start a family!
If you create your own family, your father's family is wasting away. "
V
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"I will show my enemy obedience,
In court I will keep silent to my foe! "
"Indeed, show humility, my lord,
show humility
Be silent, my lord,
keep silent before the foe. "
No, slave, I will not submit and I will not keep silent! "
“Do not be silent, my lord, do not submit.
Even if you don't open your mouth at all,
Your enemies will be merciless and cruel to you. "
VI
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"I'll commit villainy!" -
“Commit villainy, my lord, commit villainy.
If you do not commit evil deeds,
where will you get your clothes?
Who will help you fill your belly? "
"No, slave, I am not committing evil deeds!"
"Whoever commits evil deeds will be killed
or have his skin ripped off alive,
Either he will be blinded, or he will be captured and thrown into prison. "
Vii
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"I will love a woman!"

"Love, my lord,
love!
Whoever loves a woman forgets sorrows and sorrows. "
"No, slave, I will not love a woman!"
“Don't love, my lord, don't love.
Woman is a pit, a trap, a trap,
A woman is a sharp iron knife
slitting a man's throat. "
VIII
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
“Bring me water quickly for my hands, pour it for me,
I will make a sacrifice to my god! " -
“Do it, my lord, do it.
Who makes sacrifices to his god,
he has a good heart
He gives one loan after another ”.
"No, slave, I will not make sacrifices!"
"Do not do, my lord, do not do
Lest you teach your god to follow you
like a dog,
demand from you rituals, then obedience,
then something else! "
IX
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"I will give loans for interest!" - “Right, 
my lord, give loans for interest.
Who gives in growth, keeps his,
the income is enormous. "
"No, slave, I will not give loans!"
“Don't give loans, my lord, don't.
To lend - like loving a woman,

to receive back - like giving birth to unlucky children.
People will eat your grain, and they will scold you,
And you will be deprived of your income for your grain.
X
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"I'll do a good deed for my country!" -
“Truly, do it, my lord, do it.
Who does good to his country,
The deed of this is in the ring of Marduk. "
"No, slave, I will not do a good deed for the country!"
“Do not do it, my lord, do not do it.
Rise up and walk through the ancient ruins
Take a look at the skulls of commoners and nobles:
Who was the villain, who was the benefactor? "
XI
"Slave, obey me!" - "Yes, my lord, yes!"
"If so, what is good then?"
“I would break your neck and mine,
Throw you into the river - that's what is good!
Who is so tall to reach the sky?
Who is wide enough to embrace the whole earth? "
"No, slave, I will kill you, I will send you first!"
"And my lord, even for three days
Will you survive me? "

[Maddie]

This brought back memories of a long time ago when I was in a cult church that emphasized obedience above all else. Obedience was seen as the highest virtue, especially unquestioning obedience. They put a lot of emphasis on the Old Testament which had a lot of passages that are very similar to this Sumerian poem. In the Old Testament it was all about obedience.

[Nintendao]

Wow three thousand years later and this bop is still pretty relevant. Just replace the slave with a corporate yes-man or similar. Those Sumerians really did have a finger on the pulse of what makes a civilization tick. I wonder if there was a catchy tune to go with it back then.