# Where can I find the "Dialogue of Pessimism" in the original Cuneform

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-dialogue-of-pessimism-in-the-original-cuneform/614470>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 1, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-dialogue-of-pessimism-in-the-original-cuneform/614470 "2012-03-01T18:28:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-dialogue-of-pessimism-in-the-original-cuneform/614470/1 "2012-03-01T18:28:12Z")

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One of my favourite ancient quotes is from the Mesopotamian poem [The Dialogue of Pessimism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialogue_of_Pessimism):  
“Go into the ruin heaps and walk around. Look at the skulls of the lowly and the great. Which belongs to one who did evil and which belongs to one who did good?”

While there are a few English translations I can’t find the original Cuneform text anywhere. Anyone know where I could find it?

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**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-dialogue-of-pessimism-in-the-original-cuneform/614470/2 "2012-03-01T19:52:07Z")

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Either of these sites: [The Cuneiform Digital Palaeography Project](http://www.cdp.bham.ac.uk/index.htm) or [The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature](http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/#) could probably help you with your task. I lack the skill to find the images you’re looking for within their search engines, but they might be able to assist you if you e-mailed nicely?

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**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-dialogue-of-pessimism-in-the-original-cuneform/614470/3 "2012-03-01T22:44:58Z")

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If you just want to have that phrase in cuneiform, you can try the cuneiform translator - [Sumerian Cuneiform Grammar : Ancient Sumeria in Mesopotamia of the Near East - Dictionary, Flashcards and Translator](http://www.virtualsecrets.com/sumerian.html)

Learning some version of cuneiform is something to think about if you’re really into ancient near eastern studies. Aside from the civilizations of Mesopotamia, it was also used by the Hittites. Even if you don’t go very far with it, it’s still interesting. I once tried to teach myself hieroglyphics using Gardiner’s Egyptian Grammar and learned a variety of things like the fact that the language is alphabetic, syllabic, and pictographic, often all at the same time.