he advance that has been made in recent years in the decipherment of
the ancient writings of the world enables us to deal in a very
matter-of-fact way with the Egyptian inscriptions. Their chief
mysteries are solved, their philosophy is almost fathomed, their
general nature is understood. The story they have to tell is seldom
startling to the modern mind. The world was younger when they were
written. The heart of man was given to devious ways then, as now and
in the days of Solomon,—that we can affirm full well; but his mind
was simpler: apart from knowledge of men and the conduct of affairs,
the educated Egyptian had no more subtlety than a modern boy of
fifteen, or an intelligent English rustic of a century ago.
To the Egyptologist by profession the inscriptions have a wonderful
charm. The writing itself in its leading form is the most attractive
that has ever been seen. Long rows of clever little pictures of
everything in heaven and earth compose the sentences: every sign is a
plaything, every group a pretty puzzle, and at present, almost every
phrase well understood brings a tiny addition to the sum of the
world's knowledge. But these inscriptions, so rich in facts that
concern the history of mankind and the progress of civilization,
seldom possess any literary charm. If pretentious, as many of them
are, they combine bald exaggeration with worn-out simile, in which
ideas that may be poetical are heaped together in defiance of art.
Such are the priestly laudations of the kings by whose favor the
temples prospered. Take, for instance, the dating of a stela erected
under Rameses II. on the route to the Nubian gold mines. It runs:—
"On the fourth day of the first month of the season of winter, in the
third year of the Majesty of Horus, the Strong Bull, beloved of the
Goddess of Truth, lord of the vulture and of the urseus diadems,
protecting Egypt and restraining the barbarians, the Golden Horus,
rich in years, great in victories, King of Upper Egypt and King of
Lower Egypt, Mighty in Truth of Ra, Chosen of Ra,[1] the son of
Ra, Rameses Beloved of Amen, granting life for ever and ever,
beloved of Amen Ra lord of the 'Throne of the Two Lands'[2] in Apt
Esut, appearing glorious on the throne of Horus among the living from
day to day even as his father Ra; the good god, lord of the South
Land, Him of Edfû[3] Horus bright of plumage, the beauteous
sparrow-hawk of electrum that hath protected Egypt with his wing,
making a shade for men, fortress of strength and of victory; he who
came forth terrible from the womb to take to himself his strength, to
extend his borders, to whose body color was given of the strength of
Mentu[4]; the god Horus and the god Set. There was exultation in
heaven on the day of his birth; the gods said, 'We have begotten him;'
the goddesses said, 'He came forth from us to rule the kingdom of Ra;'
Amen spake, 'I am he who hath made him, whereby I have set Truth in
her place; the earth is established, heaven is well pleased, the gods
are satisfied by reason of him.' The Strong Bull against the vile
Ethiopians, which uttereth his roaring against the land of the negroes
while his hoofs trample the Troglodytes, his horn thrusteth at them;
his spirit is mighty in Nubia and the terror of him reacheth to the
land of the Kary[5]; his name circulateth in all lands because of the
victory which his arms have won; at his name gold cometh forth from
the mountain as at the name of his father, the god Horus of the land
of Baka; beloved is he in the Lands of the South even as Horus at
Meama, the god of the Land of Buhen,[6]
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Mighty in Truth of Ra, son of Ra, of
his body, Lord of Diadems Rameses Beloved of Amen, giving life for
ever and ever like his father Ra, day by day." [Revised from the
German translation of Professor Erman.]
As Professor Erman has pointed out, the courtly scribe was most
successful when taking his similes straight from nature, as in the
following description, also of Rameses II.:—
"A victorious lion putting forth its claws while roaring loudly and
uttering its voice in the Valley of the Gazelles.... A jackal swift of
foot seeking what it may find, going round the circuit of the land in
one instant.... his mighty will seizeth on his enemies like a flame
catching the ki-ki plant[7]
with the storm behind it, like the strong
flame which hath tasted the fire, destroying, until everything that is
in it becometh ashes; a storm howling terribly on the sea, its waves
like mountains, none can enter it, every one that is in it is
engulphed in Duat.[8]"
Here and there amongst the hieroglyphic inscriptions are found
memorials of the dead, in which the praises of the deceased are neatly
strung together and balanced like beads in a necklace, and passages
occur of picturesque narrative worthy to rank as literature
of the olden time. We may quote in this connection from the biographical
epitaph of the nomarch Ameny, who was governor of a province in Middle
Egypt for twenty-five years during the long reign of Usertesen I.
(about 2700 B.C.). This inscription not only recounts the achievements
of Ameny and the royal favor which was shown him, but also tells us in
detail of the capacity, goodness, charm, discretion, and insight by
which he attached to himself the love and respect of the whole court,
and of the people over whom he ruled and for whose well-being he
cared. Ameny says:—
"I was a possessor of favor, abounding in love, a ruler who loved his
city. Moreover I passed years as ruler in the Oryx nome. All the works
of the house of the King came into my hand. Behold, the superintendent
of the gangs[9]
of the domains of the herdsmen of the Oryx nome gave me 3,000 bulls of
their draught stock. I was praised for it in the house of the King
each year of stock-taking. I rendered all their works to the King's
house: there were no arrears to me in any of his offices.
"The entire Oryx nome served me in numerous
attendances.[10]
There was not the daughter of a poor man that I wronged, nor a widow that I
oppressed. There was not a farmer that I chastised, not a herdsman
whom I drove away, not a foreman of five whose men I took away for the
works.[11]
There was not a pauper around me, there was not a hungry man
of my time. When there came years of famine, I arose and ploughed all
the fields of the Oryx nome to its boundary south and north, giving
life to its inhabitants, making its provisions. There was not a hungry
man in it. I gave to the widow as to her that possessed a husband, and
I favored not the elder above the younger in all that I gave.
Thereafter great rises of the Nile took place, producing wheat and
barley, and producing all things abundantly, but I did not exact the
arrears of farming."
Elsewhere in his tomb there are long lists of the virtues of
Amenemhat, and from these the following may be selected both on
account of picturesqueness of expression and the appreciation of fine
character which they display.
"Superintendent of all things which heaven gives and earth produces,
overseer of horns, hoofs, feathers, and shells ... Master of the art
of causing writing to speak ... Caressing of heart to all people,
making to prosper the timid man, hospitable to all, escorting
[travelers] up and down the river ... Knowing how to aid, arriving at
time of need; free of planning evil, without greediness in his body,
speaking words of truth....
Unique as a mighty hunter, the abode of the heart of the King....
Speaking the right when he judges between suitors, clear of speaking
fraud, knowing how to proceed in the council of the elders, finding
the knot in the skein.... Great of favors in the house of the King,
contenting the heart on the day of making division, careful of his
goings to his equals, gaining reverence on the day of weighing words,
beloved of the officials of the palace."
The cursive forms of writing—hieratic from the earliest times,
demotic in the latest—were those in which records were committed to
papyrus. This material has preserved to us documents of every kind,
from letters and ledgers to works of religion and philosophy. To
these, again, "literature" is a term rarely to be applied; yet the
tales and poetry occasionally met with on papyri are perhaps the most
pleasing of all the productions of the Egyptian scribe.
It must be confessed that the knowledge of writing in Egypt led to a
kind of primitive pedantry, and a taste for unnatural and to us
childish formality: the free play and naïveté of the story-teller is
too often choked, and the art of literary finish was little
understood. Simplicity and truth to nature alone gave lasting charm,
for though adornment was often attempted, their rude arts of literary
embellishment were seldom otherwise than clumsily employed.
A word should be said about the strange condition in which most of the
literary texts have come down to us. It is rarely that monumental
inscriptions contain serious blunders of orthography; the
peculiarities of late archaistic inscriptions which sometimes produce
a kind of "dog Egyptian" can hardly be considered as blunders, for the
scribe knew what meaning he intended to convey. But it is otherwise
with copies of literary works on papyrus. Sometimes these were the
productions of schoolboys copying from dictation as an exercise in the
writing-school, and the blank edges of these papyri are often
decorated with essays at executing the more difficult signs. The
master of the school would seem not to have cared what nonsense was
produced by the misunderstanding of his dictation, so long as the
signs were well formed. The composition of new works on the model of
the old, and the accurate understanding of the ancient works, were
taught in a very different school, and few indeed attained to skill in
them. The boys turned out of the writing-school would read and write a
little; the clever ones would keep accounts, write letters, make out
reports as clerks in the government service, and might ultimately
acquire considerable proficiency in this kind of work. Apparently men
of the official class sometimes amused themselves with puzzling over
an ill-written copy of some ancient tale, and with trying to copy
portions of it. The work however was beyond them: they were attracted
by it, they revered the compilations of an elder age and those which
were "written by the finger of Thoth himself"; but the science of
language was unborn, and there was little or no systematic instruction
given in the principles of the ancient grammar and vocabulary. Those
who desired to attain eminence in scholarship after they had passed
through the writing-school had to go to Heliopolis, Hermopolis, or
wherever the principal university of the time might be, and there sit
at the feet of priestly professors; who we fancy were reverenced as
demigods, and who in mysterious fashion and with niggardly hand
imparted scraps of knowledge to their eager pupils. Those endowed with
special talents might after almost lifelong study become proficient in
the ancient language. Would that we might one day discover the hoard
of rolls of such a copyist and writer!
There must have been a large class of hack-copyists practiced in
forming characters both uncial and cursive. Sometimes their copies of
religious works are models of deft writing, the embellishments of
artist and colorist being added to those of the calligrapher: the
magnificent rolls of the 'Book of the Dead' in the British Museum and
elsewhere are the admiration of all beholders. Such manuscripts
satisfy the eye, and apparently neither the multitude in Egypt nor
even the priestly royal undertakers questioned their efficacy in the
tomb. Yet are they very apples of Sodom to the hieroglyphic scholar;
fair without, but ashes within. On comparing different copies of the
same text, he sees in almost every line omissions, perversions,
corruptions, until he turns away baffled and disgusted. Only here and
there is the text practically certain, and even then there are
probably grammatical blunders in every copy. Nor is it only in the
later papyri that these blunders are met with. The hieroglyphic system
of writing, especially in its cursive forms, lends itself very readily
to perversion by ignorant and inattentive copyists; and even
monumental inscriptions, so long as they are mere copies, are usually
corrupted. The most ridiculous perversions of all, date from the
Ramesside epoch when the dim past had lost its charm, for the glories
of the XVIIIth Dynasty were still fresh, while new impulses and
foreign influence had broken down adherence to tradition and
isolation.
In the eighth century B.C. the new and the old were definitely parted,
to the advantage of each. On the one hand the transactions of ordinary
life were more easily registered in the cursive demotic script, while
on the other the sacred writings were more thoroughly investigated and
brought into order by the priests. Hence, in spite of absurdities that
had irremediably crept in, the archaistic texts copied in the XXVIth
Dynasty are more intelligible than the same class of work in the XIXth
and XXth Dynasties.
In reading translations from Egyptian, it must be remembered that
uncertainty still remains concerning the meanings of multitudes of
words and phrases. Every year witnesses a great advance in accuracy of
rendering; but the translation even of an easy text still requires
here and there some close and careful guesswork to supply the
connecting links of passages or words that are thoroughly
understood, or the resort to some conventional rendering that has
become current for certain ill-understood but frequently recurring
phrases. The renderings given in the following pages are with one
exception specially revised for this publication, and exclude most of
what is doubtful. The Egyptologist is now to a great extent himself
aware whether the ground on which he is treading is firm or
treacherous; and it seems desirable to make a rule of either giving
the public only what can be warranted as sound translation, or else of
warning them where accuracy is doubtful. A few years ago such a course
would have curtailed the area for selection to a few of the simplest
stories and historical inscriptions; but now we can range over almost
the whole field of Egyptian writing, and gather from any part of it
warranted samples to set before the reading public. The labor,
however, involved in producing satisfactory translations for
publication, not mere hasty readings which may give something of the
sense, is very great; and at present few texts have been well
rendered. It is hoped that the following translations will be taken
for what they are intended,—attempts to show a little of the Ancient
Egyptian mind in the writings which it has left to us.
We may now sketch briefly the history of Egyptian literature, dealing
with the subject in periods:[12]—
The earliest historic period—from the Ist Dynasty to the IIId, about
B.C. 4500—has left no inscriptions of any extent. Some portions of
the 'Book of the Dead' profess to date from these or earlier times,
and probably much of the religious literature is of extremely ancient
origin. The first book of *'Proverbs' in the Prisse Papyrus is
attributed by its writer to the end of the IIId Dynasty (about 4000
B.C.). From the IVth Dynasty to the end of the VIth, the number of the
inscriptions increases; tablets set up to the kings of the IVth
Dynasty in memory of warlike raids are found in the peninsula of
Sinai, and funerary inscriptions abound. The pyramids raised at the
end of the Vth and during the VIth Dynasty are found to contain
interminable religious inscriptions, forming almost
complete rituals for the deceased kings. Professor Maspero, who has published these
texts, states that they "contain much verbiage, many pious platitudes,
many obscure allusions to the affairs of the other world, and amongst
all this rubbish some passages full of movement and wild energy, in
which poetical inspiration and religious emotion are still discernible
through the veil of mythological expressions." Of the funerary and
biographical inscriptions the most remarkable is that of *Una.
Another, slightly later but hardly less important, is on the façade of
the tomb of Herkhuf, at Aswân, and recounts the expeditions into
Ethiopia and the southern oases which this resourceful man carried
through successfully. In Herkhuf's later life he delighted a boy King
of Egypt by bringing back for him from one of his raids a grotesque
dwarf dancer of exceptional skill: the young Pharaoh sent him a long
letter on the subject, which was copied in full on the tomb as an
addition to the other records there. It is to the Vth Dynasty also
that the second collection of *'Proverbs' in the Prisse Papyrus is
dated. The VIIth and VIIIth Dynasties have left us practically no
records of any kind.
The Middle Kingdom, from the IXth to the XVIIth Dynasty, shows a great
literary development. Historical records of some length are not
uncommon. The funerary inscriptions descriptive of character and
achievement are often remarkable.
Many papyri of this period have survived: the *Prisse Papyrus of
'Proverbs,' a papyrus discovered by Mr. Flinders Petrie with the
*'Hymn to Usertesen III.,' papyri at Berlin containing a *dialogue
between a man and his soul, the *'Story of Sanehat,' the 'Story of the
Sekhti,' and a very remarkable fragment of another story; besides the
'Westcar Papyrus of Tales' and at St. Petersburg the *'Shipwrecked
Sailor.' The productions of this period were copied in later times;
the royal *'Teaching of Amenemhat,' and the worldly *'Teaching of
Dauf' as to the desirability of a scribe's career above any other
trade or profession, exist only in late copies. Doubtless much of the
later literature was copied from the texts of the Middle Kingdom.
There are also *treatises extant on medicine and arithmetic. Portions
of the Book of the Dead are found inscribed on tombs and sarcophagi.
From the New Kingdom, B.C. 1600-700, we have the *'Maxims of Any,'
spoken to his son Khonsuhetep, numerous hymns to the gods, including
*that of King Akhenaten to the Aten (or disk of the sun), and the
later *hymns to Amen Ra. Inscriptions of every kind, historical,
mythological, and funereal, abound. The historical *inscription of
Piankhy is of very late date. On papyri there are the stories of the
*'Two Brothers,' of the 'Taking of Joppa,' of the *'Doomed Prince.'
From the Saite period (XXVIth Dynasty, B.C. 700) and later, there is
little worthy of record in hieroglyphics: the inscriptions follow
ancient models, and present nothing striking or original. In demotic
we have the *'Story of Setna,' a papyrus of moralities, a chronicle
somewhat falsified, a harper's song, a philosophical dialogue between
a cat and a jackal, and others.
Here we might end. Greek authors in Egypt were many: some were native,
some of foreign birth or extraction, but they all belong to a
different world from the Ancient Egyptian. With the adaptation of the
Greek alphabet to the spelling of the native dialects, Egyptian came
again to the front in Coptic, the language of Christian Egypt. Coptic
literature, if such it may be called, was almost entirely produced in
Egyptian monasteries and intended for edification. Let us hope that it
served its end in its day. To us the dull, extravagant, and fantastic
Acts of the Saints, of which its original works chiefly consist, are
tedious and ridiculous except for the linguist or the church
historian. They certainly display the adjustment of the Ancient
Egyptian mind to new conditions of life and belief; but the
introduction of Christianity forms a fitting boundary to our sketch,
and we will now proceed to the texts themselves.
Stories:
The Shipwrecked Sailor
The Story of Sanehat
The Doomed Prince
The Story of the Two Brothers
The Story of Setna
History:
The Stela of Piankhy
The Inscription of Una
Poetry:
Songs of Laborers
Love Songs
Hymn to Usertesen III.
Hymn to Aten
Hymns to Amen Ra
Songs to the Harp
From an Epitaph
From a Dialogue Between a Man and His Soul
Moral and Didactic:
The Negative Confession
The Teaching of Amenemhat
The Prisse Papyrus
From the Maxims of Any
Instruction of Dauf
Contrasted Lots of Scribe and Fellâh
Reproaches to a Dissipated Student
[One of the most complete documents existing on papyrus is the 'Story
of the Shipwrecked Sailor.' The tale itself seems to date from a very
early period, when imagination could still have full play in Upper
Nubia. In it a sailor is apparently presenting a petition to some
great man, in hopes of royal favor as the hero of the marvels which he
proceeds to recount.
The Papyrus, which apparently is of the age of the XIth Dynasty, is
preserved at St. Petersburg, but is still unpublished. It has been
translated by Professors Golenisheff and Maspero. The present version
is taken from 'Egyptian Tales,' by W. M. Flinders Petrie.]
The wise servant said, "Let thy heart be satisfied, O my lord,
for that we have come back to the country; after we have
long been on board, and rowed much, the prow has at last
touched land. All the people rejoice and embrace us one after
another. Moreover, we have come back in good health, and not
a man is lacking; although we have been to the ends of Wawat[13]
and gone through the land of Senmut,[14] we have returned in
peace, and our land—behold, we have come back to it. Hear
me, my lord; I have no other refuge. Wash thee and turn the
water over thy fingers, then go and tell the tale to the Majesty."
His lord replied, "Thy heart continues still its wandering
words! But although the mouth of a man may save him, his
words may also cover his face with confusion. Wilt thou do,
then, as thy heart moves thee. This that thou wilt say, tell
quietly."
The sailor then answered:—
"Now I shall tell that which has happened to me, to my very
self. I was going to the mines of Pharaoh, and I went down
on the Sea[15]
on a ship of 150 cubits long and 40 cubits wide,
with 150 sailors of the best of Egypt, who had seen heaven and
earth, and whose hearts were stronger than lions. They had said
that the wind would not be contrary, or that there would be
none. But as we approached the land the wind arose, and threw
up waves eight cubits high. As for me, I sized a piece of wood;
but those who were in the vessel perished, without one remaining.
A wave threw me on an island, after that I had been three
days alone, without a companion beside my own heart. I laid me
in a thicket and the shadow covered me. Then stretched I my
limbs to try to find something for my mouth. I found there figs
and grapes, all manner of good herbs, berries and grain, melons
of all kinds, fishes and birds. Nothing was lacking. And I satisfied
myself, and left on the ground that which was over, of what
my arms had been filled withal. I dug a pit, I lighted a fire, and
I made a burnt-offering unto the gods.
"Suddenly I heard a noise as of thunder, which I thought to
be that of a wave of the sea. The trees shook and the earth
was moved. I uncovered my face, and I saw that a serpent drew
near. He was thirty cubits long, and his beard greater than two
cubits; his body was overlaid with gold, and his color as that
of true lazuli. He coiled himself before me.
"Then he opened his mouth, while that I lay on my face
before him, and he said to me, 'What has brought thee, what
has brought thee, little one, what has brought thee? If thou
sayest not speedily what has brought thee to this isle, I will
make thee know thyself; as a flame thou shalt vanish, if thou
tellest me not something I have not heard, or which I knew not
before thee.'
"Then he took me in his mouth and carried me to his resting-place, and
laid me down without any hurt. I was whole and sound, and nothing was
gone from me. Then he opened his mouth against me, while that I lay on
my face before him, and he said, 'What has brought thee, what has
brought thee, little one, what has brought thee to this isle which is
in the sea, and of which the shores are in the midst of the waves?'
"Then I replied to him, and holding my arms low before
him,[16]
I said to him:—'I was embarked for the mines by the order of the Majesty,
in a ship; 150 cubits was its length, and the width of it 40 cubits. It
had 150 sailors of the best of Egypt, who had seen heaven and earth,
and the hearts of whom were stronger than lions. They said that the
wind would not be contrary, or that there would be none. Each of them
exceeded his companion in the prudence of his heart and the strength
of his arm, and I was not beneath any of them. A storm came upon us
while we were on the sea. Hardly could we reach to the shore when the
wind waxed yet greater, and the waves rose even
eight cubits. As for me, I seized a piece of wood, while those who
were in the boat perished without one being left with me for three
days. Behold me now before thee, for I was brought to this isle by a
wave of the sea!"
"Then said he to me, 'Fear not, fear not, little one, and
make not thy face sad. If thou hast come to me, it is
God[17]
who has let thee live. For it is he who has brought thee to this isle
of the blest, where nothing is lacking, and which is filled with
all good things. See now thou shalt pass one month after
another, until thou shalt be four months in this isle. Then a
ship shall come from thy land with sailors, and thou shalt leave
with them and go to thy country, and thou shalt die in thy town.
Converse is pleasing, and he who tastes of it passes over his
misery. I will therefore tell thee of that which is in this isle.
I am here with my brethren and my children around me; we are
seventy-five serpents, children, and kindred; without naming a
young girl who was brought unto me by chance, and on whom
the fire of heaven fell and burnt her to ashes. As for thee, if
thou art strong, and if thy heart waits patiently, thou shalt press
thy infants to thy bosom and embrace thy wife. Thou shalt
return to thy house which is full of all good things, thou shalt
see thy land, where thou shalt dwell in the midst of thy kindred!'
"Then I bowed in my obeisance, and I touched the ground
before him. 'Behold now that which I have told thee before. I
shall tell of thy presence unto Pharaoh, I shall make him to
know of thy greatness, and I will bring to thee of the sacred
oils and perfumes, and of incense of the temples with which all
gods are honored. I shall tell moreover of that which I do
now see (thanks to him), and there shall be rendered to thee
praises before the fullness of all the land. I shall slay asses for
thee in sacrifice, I shall pluck for thee the birds, and I shall
bring for thee ships full of all kinds of the treasures of Egypt,
as is comely to do unto a god, a friend of men in a far country,
of which men know not.'
"Then he smiled at my speech, because of that which was in
his heart, for he said to me, 'Thou art not rich in perfumes,
for all that thou hast is but common incense. As for me, I am
prince of the land of Punt,[18]
and I have perfumes. Only the oil which thou saidst thou wouldst bring
is not common in this isle. But when thou shalt depart from this
place, thou shalt never more see this isle; it shall be changed into
waves.'
"And behold, when the ship drew near, attending to all that
he had told me before, I got me up into an high tree, to strive
to see those who were within it. Then I came and told to him
this matter; but it was already known unto him before. Then
he said to me, 'Farewell, farewell; go to thy house, little one,
see again thy children, and let thy name be good in thy town;
these are my wishes for thee!'
"Then I bowed myself before him, and held my arms low
before him, and he, he gave me gifts of precious perfumes, of
cassia, of sweet woods, of kohl, of cypress, an abundance of
incense, of ivory tusks, of baboons, of apes, and all kinds of
precious things. I embarked all in the ship which was come,
and bowing myself, I prayed God for him.
"Then he said to me, 'Behold, thou shalt come to thy country
in two months, thou shalt press to thy bosom thy children, and
thou shalt rest in thy tomb!' After this I went down to the
shore unto the ship, and I called to the sailors who were there.
Then on the shore I rendered adoration to the master of this
isle and to those who dwelt therein.
"When we shall come, in our return, to the house of Pharaoh, in the
second month, according to all that the serpent has said, we shall
approach unto the palace. And I shall go in before Pharaoh, I shall
bring the gifts which I have brought from this isle into the country.
Then he shall thank me before the fullness of all the land. Grant then
unto me a follower, and lead me to the courtiers of the king. Cast
thine eye upon me after that I am come to land again, after that I
have both seen and proved this. Hear my prayer, for it is good to
listen to people. It was said unto me, 'Become a wise man, and thou
shalt come to honor,' and behold I have become such."
This is finished from its beginning unto its end, even as it was
found in a writing. It is written by the scribe of cunning fingers,
Ameniamenaa; may he live in life, wealth, and health.
[The story of Sanehat is practically complete. A papyrus at Berlin
contains all the text except about twenty lines at the beginning, the
whole being written in about three hundred and thirty short lines.
Scraps of the missing portion were found in the collection of Lord
Amherst of Hackney; and these, added to a complete but very corrupt
text of about the first fifty lines, enable one to restore the whole
with tolerable certainty. The story was written about the time of the
XIIth or XIIIth Dynasty, but was known at a much later period: one
extract from the beginning of the tale and one from the end have been
found written in ink on limestone flakes or "ostraca" of about the
XXth Dynasty (about 1150 B.C.). It seems to be a straightforward
relation of actual occurrences, a real piece of biography. At any
rate, it is most instructive as showing the kind of intercourse that
was possible between Egypt and Palestine about 2500 B.C.]
The hereditary prince, royal seal-bearer, trusty companion,
judge, keeper of the gate of the foreigners, true and
beloved royal acquaintance, the attendant Sanehat says:—
I attended my lord as a servant of the king, of the household
of the hereditary princess, the greatly favored, the royal
wife, Ankhet-Usertesen [?], holding a place at Kanefer, the pyramid
of King Amenemhat.[19]
In the thirtieth year, the month Paophi, the seventh day, the
god[20] entered his horizon, the King Sehetepabra flew up to heaven;
he joined the sun's disk, he attended the god, he joined his
Maker. The Residence[21] was silenced, the hearts were weakened,
the Great Portals were closed, the courtiers crouching on the
ground, the people in hushed mourning.
Now his Majesty had sent a great army with the nobles to
the land of the Temehu,[22] his son and heir as their commander,
the good King Usertesen.[23] And now he was returning, and had
brought away captives and all kinds of cattle without end. The
Companions of the Court sent to the West Side[24] to let the king
know the state of affairs that had come about in the Audience
Chamber.[25] The messenger found him on the road; he reached
him at the time of evening. "It was a time for him to hasten
greatly [was the message]: Let the Hawk[26] fly [hither] with his
attendants, without allowing the army to know of it." And when
the royal sons who commanded in that army sent messages, not
one of them was summoned to audience. Behold, I was standing
[near]; I heard his voice while he was speaking.[27] I fled far away,
my heart beating, my arms outspread; trembling had fallen on
all my limbs. I ran hither and thither[28] to seek a place to hide
me, I threw myself amongst the bushes: and when I found a
road that went forward, I set out southward, not indeed thinking
to come to this Residence.[29] I expected that there would be disturbance.
I spake not of life after it.[30] I wandered across my
estate[31] [?] in the neighborhood of Nehat; I reached the island [or
lake] of Seneferu, and spent the day [resting?] on the open field.
I started again while it was yet day,[32] and came to a man standing
at the side of the road. He asked of me mercy, for he
feared me. By supper-time I drew near to the town of Negau.
I crossed the river on a raft without a rudder, by the aid of a
west wind, and landed at the quay [?] of the quarrymen of the
Mistress at the Red Mountain.[33] Then I fled on foot northward,
and reached the Walls of the Ruler, built to repel the Sati.[34] I
crouched in a bush for fear, seeing the day-patrol at its duty on
the top of the fortress. At nightfall I set forth, and at dawn
reached Peten, and skirted the lake of Kemur.[35] Then thirst
hasted me on; I was parched, my throat was stopped, and I said,
"This is the taste of death." When I lifted up my heart and
gathered strength, I heard a voice and the lowing of cattle. I
saw men of the Sati; and an alien amongst them—he who is
[now?] in Egypt[36]—recognized me. Behold, he gave me water,
and boiled me milk, and I went with him to his camp,—may a
blessing be their portion! One tribe passed me on to another: I
departed to Sun [?], and came to Kedem.[37]
There I spent a year and a month [?]. But Ammui-nen-sha,
Ruler of the Upper Tenu,[38] took me and said to me:—"Comfort
thyself with me, that thou mayest hear the speech of Egypt."
He said thus, for that he knew my character, and had heard of
my worth; for men of Egypt who were there with him bore
witness of me. Then he said to me:—"For what hast thou come
hither? what is it? Hath a matter come to pass in the Residence?
The King of the Two Lands, Sehetepabra, hath gone to
heaven, and one knoweth not what may have happened thereon."
But I answered with concealment and said:—"I returned with
an expedition from the land of the Temehu; my desire was
redoubled, my heart leaped, there was no satisfaction within me.
This drove me to the ways of a fugitive. I have not failed in
my duty, my mouth hath not uttered any bitter words, I have
not hearkened to any evil plot, my name hath not been heard in
the mouth of the informer. I know not what hath brought me
into this country." [And the Ruler Ammui-nen-sha said:][39] "This
is like the disposition of God. And now what is that land like if
it know not that excellent god,[40] of whom the dread was over the
nations like Sekhemt[41] in a year of pestilence?" I spake [thus]
to him, and replied to him:—"Nay, but his son hath entered the
palace, and taken the heritage of his father, and he is a god
without an equal, nor was there any other before him [like unto
him]. He is a master of wisdom, prudent in his designs, excellent
in his decrees; coming out and going in is at his command.
It was he that curbed the nations while his father remained within
the palace, and he reported the execution of that which was laid
upon him [to perform]. He is a mighty man also, working with
his strong arm; a valiant one, who hath not his equal. See him
when he springeth upon the barbarians, and throweth himself on
the spoilers; he breaketh the horns and weakeneth the hands; his
enemies cannot wield their weapons. He is fearless and dasheth
heads to pieces; none can stand before him. He is swift of going,
to destroy him who fleeth; and none turning his back to him
reacheth his home. He is sturdy of heart in the moment [of
stress]; he is a lion that striketh with the claw; never hath he
turned his back. He is stout of heart when he seeth multitudes,
he letteth none repose beyond what his desire would spare. He
is bold of face when he seeth hesitation: his joy is to fall on the
barbarians. He seizeth the buckler, and leapeth forward; he repeateth
not his stroke, he slayeth, and none can turn his lance;
without his bow being drawn the barbarians flee from his arms
like dogs; for the great goddess hath granted him to war against
those who know not his name; he is thorough, he spareth not
and leaveth naught behind. He is full of grace and sweetness, a
love-winner; his city loveth him more than itself, it rejoiceth in
him more than in its own god; men and women go their ways,
calling their children by his name. For he is a king that took
the kingdom while he was in the egg, and ruled from his birth.
He is a multiplier of offspring. And he is One Alone, the essence
of God; this land rejoiceth in his government. He is one that
enlargeth his borders; he will take the lands of the South, but he
will not design to hold the countries of the North: yet he prepareth
to smite the Sati, to crush the Wanderers of the Sand.
When he cometh here, let him know thy name; dispute not, but
go over to his command[42]: for he will not fail to treat well the
country that floateth with his stream."
Said he, agreeing to me:—"Verily, Egypt is excellent in its
stream[43] beyond anything, and it flourisheth; behold, as long as
thou art with me I will do good unto thee." He placed me at
the head of his children, he married me with his eldest daughter.
He allowed me to choose for myself from his land, and from the
choicest of what he possessed on the border of the next land. It
was a goodly land; Iaa[44] is its name. Therein were figs and
grapes; its wine was more plentiful than water; abundant was
its honey, many were its oil-trees, and all fruits were upon its
trees; there too was barley and spelt, and cattle of all kinds without
end. Great honors also were granted to me, flowing from
his love to me; he set me as sheikh of a tribe in a choice portion
of his country. There were made for me rations of bread, wine
from day to day, cooked meat and roasted fowl, besides wild game
snared for me or brought to me, as well as what my hunting
dogs caught. They made me many dainties, and milk food
cooked in all manner of ways. Thus I passed many years; my
children became valiant men, each one the conqueror of a tribe.
When a messenger came north or went south to the Residence,[45]
he tarried with me; for I gave all men gifts; I gave water to
the thirsty, I set the strayed wanderer on his road, and I
rescued those who were carried off captive. The Sati who went
to war or to repel the kings of the nations, I commanded their
expeditions; for this Ruler of the Tenu made me to spend
many years as captain of his army. Every land to which I
turned I overcame. I destroyed its green fields and its wells, I
captured its cattle, I took captive its inhabitants, I deprived
them of their provisions, and I slew much people of them by
my sword, my bow, my marchings, and my good devices. Thus
my excellence was in his heart; he loved me and he knew my
valor; until he set me at the head of his sons, when he saw the
success of my handiwork.
There came a champion of the Tenu to defy me in my tent;
a bold man without equal, for he had vanquished all his rivals.
He said, "Let Sanehat fight with me." He thought to overcome
me; he designed to take my cattle, being thus counseled by his
tribe. This ruler [Ammui-nen-sha] conferred with me. I said:—"I
know him not. I assuredly am no associate of his; I hold me
far from his place. Have I ever opened his door, or leaped over
his fence? It is perverseness of heart from seeing me doing his
work. Forsooth, I am as it were a stranger bull among the cows,
which the bull of the herd charges, and the strong bull catches!
But shall a wretched beggar desire to attain to my fortune? A
common soldier cannot take part as a counselor. Then what
pray shall establish the assembly?[46] But is there a bull that
loveth battle, a courageous bull that loveth to repeat the charge
in terrifying him whose strength he hath measured? If he hath
stomach to fight, let him speak what he pleaseth. Will God forget
what is ordained for him? How shall fate be known?" The
night long I strung my bow, I made ready my arrows; I made
keen my dagger, I furbished my arms. At daybreak the Tenu
came together; it had gathered its tribes and collected the neighboring
peoples. Its thoughts were on this combat; every bosom
burned for me, men and women crying out; every heart was
troubled for me; they said, "Is there yet another champion
to fight with him?" Then [he took] his buckler, his battle-axe,
and an armful of javelins. But thereon I avoided his weapons,
and turned aside his arrows to the ground, useless. One drew
near to the other and he rushed upon me. I shot at him and my
arrow stuck in his neck; he cried out, and fell upon his nose: I
brought down upon him his own battle-axe, and raised my shout
of victory on his back. All the Asiatics roared, and I and his
vassals whom he had oppressed gave thanks unto Mentu; this
Ruler, Ammui-nen-sha, took me to his embrace. Then I took
his goods, I seized his cattle. What he had thought to do to
me, I did it unto him; I seized that which was in his tent, I
spoiled his dwelling. I grew great thereby, I increased in my
possessions. I abounded in cattle.
"May[47] the god be disposed to pardon him in whom he had
trusted, and who deserted to a foreign country. Now is his
anger quenched. I who at one time fled away a fugitive, my
guarantee is now in the Residence. Having wandered a starved
wanderer, now I give bread to those around. Having left my
land in rags, now I shine in fine linen. Having been a fugitive
without followers, now I possess many serfs. My house is
fair, my dwelling large, I am spoken of in the palace. All the
gods destined me this flight. Mayest thou be gracious; may I be
restored to the Residence; favor me that I may see the place in
which my heart dwelleth. Behold how great a thing is it that
my body should be embalmed in the land where I was born!
Come; if afterwards there be good fortune, I will give an offering
to God that he may work to make good the end of his suppliant,
whose heart is heavy at long absence in a strange land.
May he be gracious; may he hear the prayer of him who is afar
off, that he may revisit the place of his birth, and the place
from which he removed.
"May the King of Egypt be gracious to me, by whose favor
men live. I salute the mistress of the land, who is in his palace;
may I hear the news of her children, and may my body renew
its vigor thereby. But old age cometh, weakness hasteneth me
on, the eyes are heavy, my arms are failing, my feet have
ceased to follow the heart. Weariness of going on approacheth
me; may they convey me to the cities of eternity. May I serve
the mistress of all.[48] Oh that she may tell me the beauties of her
children; may she bring eternity to me."
Now the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Kheper-ka-ra, justified, spake concerning this condition in which
I was. His Majesty sent unto me with presents from before the
king, that he might make glad the heart of your servant,[49] as he
would unto the Ruler of any country; and the royal sons who
were in his palace caused me to hear their news.
"The Horus, Life of Births, Lord of the Crowns, Life of
Births, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Kheper-ka-ra, Son
of the Sun, Usertesen[50] Ever Living unto Eternity. Royal
Command for the attendant, Sanehat.
"Behold,
this command of the king is sent to thee to give thee
information: Whereas thou didst go round strange lands from
Kedem[51] to Tenu, one country passed thee on to another as thy
heart devised for thee. Behold, what thou hast done hath been
done unto thee: Thou hast not blasphemed, so also the accusation
against thee hath been repelled. So also thy sayings have
been respected; thou hast not spoken against the Council of the
Nobles. But this matter carried away thy heart; it was not
[devised] in thy heart.
"This thy Heaven[52] who is in the palace is stablished and
flourishing even now: she herself shareth in the rule of the
land, and her children are in the Audience Chamber.[53]
"Leave the riches that thou hast, and in the abundance of
which thou livest. When thou comest to Egypt thou shalt
visit the Residence in which thou wast, thou shalt kiss the
ground before the Great Portals, thou shalt assume authority
amongst the Companions. But day by day, behold, thou growest
old; thy vigor is lost; thou thinkest on thy day of burial. Thou
shalt be conducted to the blessed state; there shall be assigned
to thee a night of sacred oils and wrappings from the hands of
the goddess Tayt. There shall be held for thee a procession [behind
thy statues] and a visit [to the temple] on the day of burial,
the mummy case gilded, the head blue, the canopy above thee;
the putting in the skin-frame, oxen to draw thee, singers going
before thee, the answering chant, and mourners crouching at the
door of thy tomb-chapel. Prayers for offerings shall be recited
for thee, victims shall be slaughtered at the door portrayed upon
thy tablet[54]; and thy mastaba shall be built of white stone, in the
company of the royal children. Thou shalt not die in a strange
land, nor be buried by the Amu; thou shalt not be put in a
sheepskin, thou shalt be well regarded. It is vain [?] to beat
the ground and think on troubles.
"Thou hast reached the end.[55]
When
this order came to me, I stood in the midst of my
tribe, and when it was read unto me, I threw me on my belly; I
bowed to the ground and let the dust spread upon my breast. I
strode around my tent rejoicing and saying:—"How is this done
to the servant, whose heart had transgressed to a strange country
of babbling tongue? But verily good is compassion, that I should
be saved from death. Thy Ka[56] it is that will cause me to pass
the end of my days in the Residence."
"The servant of the royal house [?], Sanehat, says:—
"In most excellent peace! Known is it to thy Ka that this
flight of thy servant was made in innocence. Thou the Good
God, Lord of both Lands, Beloved of Ra, Favored of Mentu,
lord of Uast, and of Amen, lord of the Thrones of the Two
Lands, of Sebek, Ra, Horus, Hathor, Atmu and his Ennead, of
Sepdu, Neferbiu, Semsetu, Horus of the east, and of the Mistress
of the Cave[57] who resteth on thy head, of the chief circle of the
gods of the waters, Min, Horus of the desert, Urert mistress of
Punt, Nut, Harur-Ra, all the gods of the land of Egypt and of
the isles of the sea.[58] May they put life and strength to thy
nostril, may they present thee with their gifts, may they give to
thee eternity without end, everlastingness without bound. May
the fear of thee be doubled in the lands and in the foreign countries,
mayest thou subdue the circuit of the sun. This is the
prayer of the servant for his master, who hath delivered him
from Amenti.[59]
"The possessor of understanding understandeth the higher
order of men, and the servant recognizeth the majesty of
Pharaoh. But thy servant feareth to speak it: it is a weighty
matter to tell of. The great God, like unto Ra, knoweth well
the work which he himself hath wrought. Who is thy servant
that he should be considered, that words should be spent upon
him? Thy majesty is as Horus, and the strength of thy arms
extendeth to all lands.
"Then let his Majesty command that there be brought to
him Meki of Kedem, Khentiu-aaush of Khent-keshu, and Menus
of the Two Lands of the Fenkhu; these are chiefs as hostages
that the Tenu act according to the desire of thy Ka, and that
Tenu will not covet what belongeth to thee in it, like thy
dogs.[60] Behold this flight that thy servant made: I did not desire
it, it was not in my heart; I do not boast of it; I know not what
took me away from my place; it was like the leading of a
dream, as a man of Adhu sees himself in Abu,[61] as a man of the
Corn-land sees himself in the Land of Gardens.[62] There was no
fear, none was hastening in pursuit of me; I did not listen to an
evil plot, my name was not heard in the mouth of the informer;
but my limbs went, my feet wandered, my heart drew me; a
god ordained this flight, and led me on. But I am not stiff-necked;
a man feareth if he knoweth [?], for Ra hath spread thy
fear over the land, thy terrors in every foreign country. Behold
me in thy palace or behold me in this place,[63] still thou art he
who doth clothe this horizon. The sun riseth at thy pleasure,
the water in the rivers is drunk at thy will, the wind in heaven
is breathed at thy saying.
"Thy servant will leave to a successor the viziership which thy
servant hath held in this land. And when thy servant shall arrive[64]
let thy Majesty do as pleaseth him, for one liveth by the
breath that thou givest. O thou who art beloved of Ra, of
Horus, and of Hathor! It is thy august nostril that Mentu, lord
of Uast, desireth should live for ever."
It was granted that I should spend a day in Iaa,[65] to pass over
my goods to my children, my eldest son leading my tribe, and
all my goods in his hand, my people and all my cattle, my fruit,
and all my pleasant trees. When thy humble servant[66] journeyed
to the south, and arrived at the Roads of Horus, the officer who
was over the frontier-patrol sent a report to the Residence to
give notice. His Majesty sent the good overseer of the peasants
of the king's domains, and ships with him laden with presents
from the king for the Sati who had come with me to convey me
to the Roads of Horus. I spoke to each one by his name, each
officer according to his rank. I received and I returned the salutation,
and I continued thus[67] until I reached Athtu.[68]
When the land was lightened, and the second day came,[69]
there came some to summon me, four men in coming, four
men in going,[70] to carry [?] me to the palace. I alighted on the
ground between the gates of reception [?]; the royal children
stood at the platform to greet [?] me; the Companions and those
who ushered to the hall brought me on the way to the royal
chamber.
I found his Majesty on the great throne on a platform of pale
gold. Then I threw myself on my belly; this god, in whose
presence I was, knew me not while he questioned me graciously;
but I was as one caught in the night; my spirit fainted, my
limbs shook, my heart was no longer in my bosom, and I knew
the difference between life and death. His Majesty said to one
of the Companions, "Lift him up; let him speak to me." And
his Majesty said:—"Behold, thou hast come; thou hast trodden the
deserts; thou hast played the wanderer. Decay falleth on thee,
old age hath reached thee; it is no small thing that thy body
should be embalmed, that thou shalt not be buried by foreign
soldiers.[71] Do not, do not, be silent and speechless; tell thy
name; is it fear that preventeth thee?" I answered with the
answer of one terrified, "What is it that my lord hath said? O
that I might answer it! It was not my act: it was the hand of
God; it was a terror that was in my body, as it were causing a
flight that had been foreordained. Behold I am before thee, thou
art life; let thy Majesty do what pleaseth him."
The royal children were brought in, and his Majesty said to
the queen, "Behold thou, Sanehat hath come as an Amu, whom
the Sati have produced."
She shrieked aloud, and the royal children joined in one cry,
and said before his Majesty, "Verily it is not he, O king, my
lord." Said his Majesty, "It is verily he." Then they brought
their tinkling bead-strings, their wands, and their sistra in their
hands, and waved them[72] before his Majesty [and they sang]:—
"May thy hands prosper, O King;
May the graces of the Lady of Heaven continue.
May the goddess Nub[73] give life to thy nostril;
May the mistress of the stars favor thee, that which is north of her going south and that which is south of her going north.
All wisdom is in the mouth of thy Majesty;
The staff [?] is put upon thy forehead, driving away from thee the beggarly [?]
Thou art pacified, O Ra, lord of the lands;
They call on thee as on the Mistress of all.
Strong is thy horn; let fall thine arrow.
Grant the breath of life to him who is without it;
Grant thy favor to this alien Samehit,[74] the foreign soldier born in the land of Egypt,
Who fled away from fear of thee,
And left the land from thy terrors.
The face shall not grow pale, of him who beholdeth thy countenance;
The eye shall not fear which looketh upon thee."
Said his Majesty:—"He shall not fear; let him be freed from
terror. He shall be a Companion amongst the nobles; he shall
be put within the circle of the courtiers. Go ye to the chamber
of praise to seek wealth for him."
When I went out from the Audience Chamber, the royal
children offered their hands to me; and we walked afterwards to
the Great Portals. I was placed in a house of a king's son, in
which were fine things; there was a cool bower therein, fruits of
the granary, treasures of the White House,[75] clothes of the king's
guard-robe, frankincense, the finest perfumes of the king and the
nobles whom he loves, in every chamber; and every kind of
servitor in his proper office. Years were removed from my
limbs: I was shaved, and my locks of hair were combed; the
foulness was cast to the desert, with the garments of the Nemausha.[76]
I clothed me in fine linen, and anointed myself with the
best oil; I laid me on a bed. I gave up the sand to those who
lie on it; the oil of wood to him who would anoint himself
therewith.
There was given to me the house of Neb-mer [?], which had
belonged to a Companion. There were many craftsmen building
it; all its woodwork was strengthened anew. Portions were
brought to me from the palace thrice and four times a day,
besides the gifts of the royal children; there was not a moment's
ceasing from them. There was built for me a pyramid of stone
amongst the pyramids. The overseer of the architects measured
its ground; the chief treasurer drew it; the sacred masons did
the sculpture; the chief of the laborers in the necropolis brought
the bricks; and all the instruments applied to a tomb were there
employed. There were given to me fields; there was made for
me a necropolis garden, the land in it better than a farm estate;
even as is done for the chief Companion. My statue was overlaid
with gold, its girdle with pale gold; his Majesty caused it to
be made. Such is not done to a man of low degree.
Thus am I in the favor of the king until the day of death
shall come.
This is finished from beginning to end, as was found in the
writing.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
['The Story of the Doomed Prince' was written at some time during the
XVIIIth Dynasty (about 1450 B.C.). The papyrus on which it has been preserved
to us, and which is in the British Museum, is much mutilated, and the
end is entirely lost.]
There was once a king to whom no male child was born; he
prayed for himself unto the gods whom he worshiped for
a son. They decreed to cause that there should be born
to him one. And his wife, after her time was fulfilled, gave
birth to a male child. Came the Hathors[77]
to decree for him a destiny; they said, "He dies by the crocodile, or by
the serpent, or by the dog." Then the people who stood by the child heard
this; they went to tell it to his Majesty. Then his Majesty's
heart was exceeding sad. His Majesty caused a house to be
built upon the desert, furnished with people and with all good
things of the royal house, out of which the child should not go.
Now when the child was grown he went up upon its roof and
saw a greyhound; it was following a man walking on the road.
He said to his page who was with him, "What is this that goeth
behind the man coming along the road?" He said to him, "It
is a greyhound." The child said to him, "Let there be brought
to me one like it." The page went and reported it to his
Majesty. His Majesty said, "Let there be brought to him a little
trotter, lest his heart be sad." Then they brought to him the
greyhound.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, the
child grew up in all his limbs, he sent a message to his father
saying, "Wherefore should I remain here? Behold, I am destined
to three dooms, and if I do according to my desire God will still
do what is in his heart." They hearkened to all he said, and
gave him all kinds of weapons, and also his greyhound to follow
him, and they conveyed him over to the east side and said
to him, "Go thou whither thou wilt." His greyhound was
with him; he traveled northward following his heart in the desert;
he lived on the best of all the game of the desert. He came to
the chief of Naharaina.
Behold, there was no child born to the prince of Naharaina except one
daughter. Behold, he built for her a house; its window was seventy
cubits from the ground, and he caused to be brought all the sons of
all the chiefs of the land of Kharu,[78]
and said to them, "He who shall reach the window of my daughter, she
shall be to him for a wife."
Now when the days had multiplied after these things, as they were in
their daily task, the youth came by them. They took the youth to their
house, they bathed him, they gave provender to his horse, they did
every kind of thing for the youth; they anointed him, they bound up
his feet, they gave him portions of their own food; they spake to him
in the manner of conversation, "Whence comest thou, good youth?" He
said to them:—"I am the son of an officer of the land of Egypt; my
mother is dead, my father has taken another wife. When she bore
children, she began to hate me, and I have come as a fugitive from
before her." They embraced him and kissed him.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, he said to the
youths, "What is it that ye do here?" And they said to him, "We spend
our time in this: we climb up, and he who shall reach the window of
the daughter of the prince of Naharaina, to him she will be given to
wife." He said to them, "Lo! I desire to try, I shall go to climb with
you." They went to climb, as was their daily wont: the youth stood
afar off to behold; and the face of the daughter of the prince of
Naharaina was turned to him. Now when the days were multiplied after
these things, the youth came to climb with the sons of the chiefs. He
climbed, he reached the window of the daughter of the prince of
Naharaina. She kissed him, she embraced him.
One went to rejoice the heart of her father, and said to him, "A man
has reached the window of thy daughter." The prince spake of it,
saying, "The son of which of the princes is it?" He said to him, "It
is the son of an officer, who has come as a fugitive from the land of
Egypt, fleeing from before his step-mother when she had children."
Then the prince of Naharaina was exceeding angry; he said, "Shall I
indeed give my daughter to the Egyptian fugitive? Let him go back."
One came to tell the youth, "Go back to the place from which thou hast
come." But the maiden took hold of him; she swore an oath by God,
saying, "By the life of Ra Harakhti, if one taketh him from me,
I will not eat, I will not drink, I shall die in that same hour." The
messenger went to tell unto her father all that she said. Then the
prince sent men to slay him, while he was in his house. But the maiden
said, "By the life of Ra, if one slay him I shall be dead ere the sun
goeth down. I will not pass an hour of life if I am parted from him."
One went to tell her father. Then ... the prince came; he embraced
him, he kissed him all over, and said, "Tell me who thou art; behold,
thou art to me as a son." He said to him:—"I am a son of an officer
of the land of Egypt; my mother died, my father took to him a second
wife; she came to hate me, and I fled from before her." He gave to him
his daughter to wife; he gave also to him people and fields, also
cattle and all manner of good things.
Now when time had passed over these things, the youth said to his
wife, "I am destined to three dooms—a crocodile, a serpent, and a
dog." She said to him, "Let one kill the dog that runs before thee."
He said to her, "I will not let my dog be killed, which I have brought
up from when it was small." And she feared greatly for her husband,
and would not let him go alone abroad.
One did ... the land of Egypt, to travel. Behold, the crocodile, ...
he came opposite the city in which the youth was.... Behold, there was
a mighty man therein; the mighty man would not suffer the crocodile to
go out, ... the crocodile. The mighty man went out to walk when the
sun ... every day, during two months of days.
Now when the days passed after this, the youth sat making a good day
in his house. When the evening came he lay down on his bed; sleep
seized upon his limbs; his wife filled a bowl of milk and placed it by
his side. There came out a serpent from his hole, to bite the youth;
behold, his wife was sitting by him; she lay not down. Thereupon the
servants gave milk to the serpent; it drank and became drunk, and lay
down, upside down; his wife cut it in pieces with her hatchet. They
woke her husband ... she said to him, "Behold, thy god hath given one
of thy dooms into thy hand; he shall give...." And he sacrificed to
God, adoring him, and praising his mighty spirit from day to day.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, the youth went
to walk in the pathway in his enclosure, for he went not outside
alone; behold, his dog was behind him. His dog put his nose to the
ground [to pursue some game], and he ran after him. He came to the
sea, and entered the sea behind his dog. The crocodile came out, he
took him to the place where the mighty man was.... The crocodile, he
said to the youth, "I am thy doom, following after thee...."
[Here the papyrus breaks off.]
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
['The Story of the Two Brothers' is in places incoherent, but charms
throughout by beautiful and natural touches. The copy in which it has
been preserved to us is practically complete, but is full of errors of
writing and of composition, whole sentences having crept in that are
useless, or contradictory to the context. The style is however
absolutely simple and narrative, and the language entirely free from
archaisms.
The papyrus, which bears the name of Seti II. as crown prince, dates
from the XIXth Dynasty. The beginnings of many of the sentences and
paragraphs are written in red: this is specially the case when a
sentence commences with an indication of time, usually expressed in a
fixed formula. In such cases the translation of the passage written in
red is here printed in italics.]
Once there were two brothers, of one mother and one father; Anpu was
the name of the elder, and Bata was the name of the younger. Now, as
for Anpu, he had a house and he had a wife. His younger brother was to
him as it were a son; he it was who made for him his clothes, while he
walked behind his oxen to the fields; he it was who did the plowing;
he it was who harvested the corn; he it was who did for him all the
work of the fields. Behold, his younger brother grew to be an
excellent worker; there was not his equal in the whole land; behold,
the strain of a god was in him.
Now when the days multiplied after these things, his younger brother
followed his oxen as his manner was, daily; every evening he turned
again to the house, laden with all the herbs of the field, with milk
and with wood, and with all things of the field. He put them down
before his elder brother, who was sitting with his wife; he drank and
ate; he lay down in his stable with the cattle.
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, he took bread
which he had baked, and laid it before his elder brother; and he took
with him his bread to the field, and he drave his cattle to pasture
them in the fields. And he used to walk behind his cattle, they saying
to him, "Good is the herbage which is in such a place;" and he
hearkened to all that they said, and he took them to the good pasture
which they desired. And the cattle which were before him became
exceeding excellent, and they became prolific greatly.
Now at the time of plowing, his elder brother said unto him, "Let us
make ready for ourselves a yoke of oxen for plowing; for the land hath
come out from the water; it is good for plowing in this state; and do
thou come to the field with corn, for we will begin the plowing in the
morrow morning." Thus said he to him; and his younger brother did
everything that his elder brother had bidden him, to the end.
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, they went to the
fields with their yoke of oxen; and their hearts were pleased
exceedingly with that which they accomplished in the beginning of
their work.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, they were in
the field; they stopped for seed corn, and he sent his younger
brother, saying, "Haste thou, bring to us corn from the farm." And the
younger brother found the wife of his elder brother; [some] one was
sitting arranging her hair. He said to her [the wife], "Get up, and
give to me seed corn, that I may run to the field, for my elder
brother hastened me; be not slow." She said to him, "Go, open the
store, and thou shalt take for thyself what is in thy heart; do not
interrupt the course of my hair-dressing."
The youth went into his stable; he took a large measure, for he
desired to take much corn; he loaded it with barley and spelt; and he
went out carrying them. She said to him, "How much of the corn that is
wanted, is that which is on thy shoulder?" He said to her, "Three
bushels of spelt, and two of barley, in all five; these are what are
upon my shoulder;" thus said he to her. And she spake with him,
saying, "There is great strength in thee, for I see thy might every
day." And her desire was to know him with the knowledge of youth. She
arose and took hold of him, and said to him, "Come, lie with me;
behold, this shall be to thine advantage, for I will make for thee
beautiful garments." Then the youth became like a leopard of the south
in fury at the evil speech which she had made to him; and she feared
greatly. He spake with her, saying, "Behold, thou art to me as a
mother; thy husband is to me as a father; for he who is elder than I
hath brought me up. What is this great wickedness that thou hast said?
Say it not to me again. For I will not tell it to any man, that it
should go forth by the mouth of all men." He lifted up his burden, and
he went to the field and came to his elder brother; and they took up
their work, to labor at their task.
Now afterwards, at the time of evening, his elder brother was
returning to his house; the younger brother was following after his
oxen; he loaded himself with all the things of the field; he brought
his oxen before him, to make them lie down in their stable which was
in the farm. Behold, the wife of the elder brother was afraid for the
words which she had said. She took a pot of fat; she made herself as
one who had been beaten by miscreants, in order that she might say to
her husband, "It is thy younger brother who hath done this wrong." Her
husband returned in the even, as his manner was every day; he came
unto his house; he found his wife lying down, ill of violence; she did
not put water upon his hands as his manner was; she did not make a
light before him; his house was in darkness, and she was lying
vomiting. Her husband said to her, "Who hath spoken with thee?"
Behold, she said, "No one hath spoken with me except thy younger
brother. When he came to take for thee seed corn he found me sitting
alone; he said to me, 'Come, let us lie together; put on thy wig[79];'
thus spake he to me. I would not hearken to him: 'Behold, am I not thy
mother, is not thy elder brother to thee as a father?' Thus spake I to
him, and he feared, and he beat me to stop me from making report to
thee, and if thou lettest him live I shall kill myself. Now behold,
when he cometh to-morrow, seize upon him; I will accuse him of this
wicked thing which he would have done the day before."
The elder brother became as a leopard of the south; he sharpened his
knife; he took it in his hand; he stood behind the door of his stable
to slay his younger brother as he came in the evening to let his
cattle into the stable.
Now the sun went down, and he loaded himself with all the herbs of the field
in his manner of every day. He came; his leading cow entered the stable; she said
to her keeper, "Behold, thy elder brother is standing before thee with his knife to
slay thee; flee from before him." He heard what his leading cow had
said; the next entered and said likewise. He looked beneath the door
of the stable; he saw the feet of his elder brother standing behind
the door with his knife in his hand. He put down his load on the
ground, he set out to flee swiftly; his elder brother pursued after
him with his knife. Then the younger brother cried out unto Ra
Harakhti, saying, "My good Lord! Thou art he who distinguishest wrong
from right." Ra hearkened to all his complaint; Ra caused to be made a
great water between him and his elder brother, full of crocodiles; the
one brother was on one bank, the other on the other bank; and the
elder brother smote twice on his hands at not slaying him. Thus did
he. The younger brother called to the elder on the bank, saying,
"Stand still until the dawn of day; when Ra ariseth I shall argue with
thee before him, and he giveth the wrong to the right. For I shall not
be with thee unto eternity. I shall not be in the place in which thou
art; I shall go to the Valley of the Acacia."
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, Ra
Harakhti[80]
shone out, and each of them saw the other. The youth spake with his
elder brother, saying:—"Wherefore earnest thou after me to slay me
wrongfully, when thou hadst not heard my mouth speak? For I am thy
younger brother in truth; thou art to me as a father; thy wife is to
me even as a mother: is it not so? Verily, when I was sent to bring
for us seed corn, thy wife said to me, 'Come lie with me.' Behold,
this has been turned over to thee upside down." He caused him to
understand all that happened with him and his wife. He swore an oath
by Ra Harakhti, saying, "Thy coming to slay me wrongfully, having thy
spear, was the instigation of a wicked and filthy one." He took a reed
knife and mutilated himself; he cast the flesh into the water, and the
silurus swallowed it. He sank; he became faint; his elder brother
chided his heart greatly; he stood weeping for him loudly, that he
could not cross to where his younger brother was, because of the
crocodiles. The younger brother called unto him, saying, "Whereas thou
hast devised an evil thing, wilt thou not also devise a good thing, or
such a thing as I would do unto thee? When thou goest to thy house
thou must look to thy cattle; for I stay not in the place where thou
art, I am going to the Valley of the Acacia. Now as to what thou
shalt do for me: verily, understand this, that things shall happen
unto me; namely, that I shall draw out my soul, that I shall put it
upon the top of the flowers of the acacia; the acacia-tree will be cut
down, it shall fall to the ground, and thou shalt come to seek for it,
and if thou passest seven years searching for it, let not thy heart
sicken. Thou shalt find it; thou must put it in a cup of cold water
that I may live again, that I may make answer to what hath been done
wrong. Thou shalt understand this; namely, that things are happening
to me, when one shall give to thee a pot of beer in thy hand and it
shall foam up: stay not then, for verily it shall come to pass with
thee."
He went to the Valley of the Acacia; his elder brother went to his
house; his hand was laid on his head; he cast dust on his head; he
came to his house, he slew his wife, he cast her to the dogs, and he
sat in mourning for his younger brother.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his younger
brother was in the Valley of the Acacia; there was none with him; he
spent the day hunting the game of the desert, he came back in the even
to lie down under the acacia, the top-most flower of which was his
soul.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, he built
himself a tower with his hand, in the Valley of the Acacia; it was
full of all good things, that he might provide for himself a home.
He went out from his tower, he met the Ennead of the
gods,[81]
who were going forth to arrange the affairs of their whole land. The Nine Gods
talked one with another, they said unto him: "Ho! Bata, Bull of the
Ennead of the gods, art thou remaining alone, having fled thy village
from before the wife of Anpu thy elder brother? Behold, his wife is
slain. Thou hast given him an answer to all that was transgressed
against thee." Their hearts were sad for him exceedingly. Ra Harakhti
said to Khnumu,[81]
"Behold, frame thou a wife for Bata, that he may not sit alone." Khnumu made
for him a mate to dwell with him. She was more beautiful in her limbs than
any woman who is in the whole land. Every god was in her. The seven Hathors
came to see her: they said with one mouth, "She will die a sharp death."
He loved her very exceedingly, and she dwelt in his house; he passed
his time in hunting the game of the desert, and brought what he took
before her. He said, "Go not outside, lest the sea seize thee; for I
cannot rescue thee from it, for I am a woman like thee: my soul is
placed on the top of the flower of the acacia; and if another find it,
I shall be vanquished by him." He explained to her all about his soul.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, Bata went to
hunt as his daily manner was. The girl went to walk under the acacia
which was by the side of her house; the sea saw her, and cast its
waves up after her. She set out to run away from it; she entered her
house. The sea called unto the acacia, saying, "Oh, catch hold of her
for me!" The acacia brought a lock from her hair, the sea carried it
to Egypt, and dropped it in the place of the washers of Pharaoh's
linen. The smell of the lock of hair entered into the clothes of
Pharaoh. They were wroth with Pharaoh's washers, saying, "The smell of
ointment is in the clothes of Pharaoh." The men were rebuked every
day; they knew not what they should do. The chief of the washers of
Pharaoh went down to the seaside; his soul was black within him
because of the chiding with him daily. He stopped and stood upon the
sandy shore opposite to the lock of hair, which was in the water; he
made one go in, and it was brought to him; there was found in it a
smell, exceeding sweet. He took it to Pharaoh; the scribes and the
wise men were brought to Pharaoh; they said unto Pharaoh:—"This lock
of hair belongs to a daughter of Ra Harakhti; the strain of every god
is in her; it is a tribute to thee from a strange land. Let messengers
go to every foreign land to seek her: as for the messenger who shall
go to the Valley of the Acacia, let many men go with him to bring
her." Then said his Majesty, "Excellent exceedingly is what we have
said;" and the men were sent.
When the days were multiplied after these things, the people who
went abroad came to give report unto the king: but there came not
those who went to the Valley of the Acacia, for Bata had slain them;
he spared one of them to give a report to the king. His Majesty sent
many men and soldiers as well as horsemen, to bring her back. There
was a woman among them, into whose hand was put every kind of
beautiful ornaments for a woman. The girl came back with her; there
were rejoicings for her in the whole land.
His Majesty loved her exceedingly, and raised her to be a princess of
high rank; he spake with her that she should tell concerning her
husband. She said to his Majesty, "Let the acacia be cut down, and let
one chop it up." They sent men and soldiers with their weapons to cut
down the acacia; they came to the acacia, they cut the flower upon
which was the soul of Bata, and he fell dead upon the instant.
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, the acacia was
cut down. And Anpu, the elder brother of Bata, entered his house; he
sat down and washed his hands: one gave him a pot of beer, it foamed
up; another was given him of wine, it became foul. He took his staff,
his sandals, likewise his clothes, with his weapons of war; he set out
to walk to the Valley of the Acacia. He entered the tower of his
younger brother; he found his younger brother lying on his bed; he was
dead. He wept when he saw his younger brother verily lying dead. He
went out to seek the soul of his younger brother under the acacia
tree, under which his younger brother used to lie in the evening. He
spent three years in seeking for it, but found it not. When he began
the fourth year, he desired in his heart to return into Egypt; he
said, "I will go to-morrow;" thus spake he in his heart.
When the earth lighted and the second day came, he went out under
the acacia, and set to work to seek it again. He found a seed-pod. He
returned with it. Behold, this was the soul of his younger brother. He
brought a cup of cold water, he dropped it into it: he sat down, as
his manner of every day was. Now when the night came his [Bata's] soul
absorbed the water; Bata shuddered in all his limbs, he looked on his
elder brother; his soul was in the cup. Then Anpu took the cup of cold
water in which the soul of his younger brother was; he [Bata] drank
it, his soul stood again in its place, he became as he had been. They
embraced each other, and they spake with one another.
Bata said to his elder brother, "Behold, I am to become as a great
bull, with all the right markings; no one knoweth its history, and
thou must sit upon his back. When the sun arises we will go to that
place where my wife is, that I may return answer to her; and thou must
take me to the place where the king is. For all good things shall be
done for thee, and one shall lade thee with silver and gold, because
thou bringest me to Pharaoh; for I become a great marvel, they shall
rejoice for me in all the land. And thou shalt go to thy village."
When the earth lighted and the second day came, Bata became in the
form which he had told to his elder brother. And Anpu his elder
brother sat upon his back until the dawn. He came to the place where
the king was; they made his Majesty to know of him; he saw him, and he
rejoiced exceedingly. He made for him great offerings, saying, "This
is a great wonder which has come to pass." There were rejoicings over
him in the whole land. They loaded him with silver and gold for his
elder brother, who went and settled in his village. They gave to the
bull many men and many things, and Pharaoh loved him exceedingly above
all men that are in this land.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, the bull
entered the place of purifying; he stood in the place where the
princess was; he began to speak with her, saying, "Behold, I am alive
indeed." She said to him, "Who then art thou?" He said to her: "I am
Bata. Thou knewest well when thou causedst that they should cut down
the acacia for Pharaoh, that it was to my hurt, that I might not be
suffered to live. Behold, I am alive indeed, being as an ox." Then the
princess feared exceedingly for the words that her husband had spoken
to her. And he went out from the place of purifying.
His Majesty was sitting, making a good day with her: she was at the
table of his Majesty, and the king was exceeding pleased with her. She
said to his Majesty, "Swear to me by God, saying, 'What thou shalt
say, I will obey it for thy sake.'" He hearkened unto all that she
said. And she said, "Let me eat of the liver of this bull, because he
will do nothing;" thus spake she to him. He was exceedingly vexed at
that which she said, the heart of Pharaoh was grieved exceedingly.
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, there was
proclaimed a great feast with offerings to the ox. The king sent one
of the chief butchers of his Majesty, to have the ox sacrificed.
Afterwards it was caused to be sacrificed, and when it was in the
hands of the men, it shook its neck, and threw two drops of blood over
against the double door of his Majesty. One fell upon the one side of
the great door of Pharaoh, and the other upon the other side. They
grew as two great Persea trees; each of them was excellent.
THE SPHYNX.
From an Original Drawing illustrating "Mizraim."
Published by Henry G. Allen, New York.
Reproduced by Permission.
One went to tell unto his Majesty, "Two great Persea trees have grown,
as a great marvel for his Majesty, in the night, by the side of the
great gate of his Majesty." There was rejoicing for them in all the
land, and there were offerings made to them.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his Majesty
was adorned with a blue crown, with garlands of flowers on his neck;
he was upon the chariot of electrum; he went out from the palace to
behold the Persea trees: the princess also went out with horses behind
Pharaoh. His Majesty sat beneath one of the Persea trees, and it spake
thus with his wife:—"Oh thou deceitful one, I am Bata; I am alive,
though I have suffered violence. Thou knewest well that the causing of
the acacia to be cut down for Pharaoh was to my hurt. I then became an
ox, and thou hadst me slain."
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, the princess
stood at the table of Pharaoh, and the king was pleased with her. She
said to his Majesty, "Swear to me by God, saying, 'That which the
princess shall say to me I will obey it for her.' Thus do thou." And
he hearkened unto all that she said. She said, "Let these two Persea
trees be cut down, and let them be made into goodly timber." He
hearkened unto all that she said.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his
Majesty sent skillful craftsmen, and they cut down the Persea trees of
Pharaoh, while the princess, the royal wife, stood by and saw it. A
chip flew up and entered into the mouth of the princess; and she
perceived that she had conceived, and while her days were being
fulfilled Pharaoh did all that was in her heart
therein.[82]
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, she bore a
male child. One went to tell his Majesty, "There is born to thee a
son." They brought him [i. e., the child, to the king], and gave to
him a nurse and servants; there were rejoicings in the whole land. The
king sat making a good day; they performed the naming of him, his
Majesty loved him exceedingly on the instant, the king raised him to
be the royal son of Kush.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his Majesty
made him heir of all the land.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things,
when he had fulfilled many years as heir of the whole land, his
Majesty flew up to heaven. There was command given, "Let my great
nobles of his Majesty be brought before me, that I may make them to
know all that has happened to me." And they brought to him his wife,
and he argued with her before them, and their case was decided. They
brought to him his elder brother; he made him hereditary prince in all
his land. He was thirty years King of Egypt, and he died, and his
elder brother stood in his place on the day of burial.
Excellently finished in peace, for the Ka of the scribe of the
treasury, Kagabu, of the treasury of Pharaoh, and for the scribe Hora,
and the scribe Meremapt. Written by the scribe Anena, the owner of
this roll. He who speaks against this roll, may Tahuti be his
opponent.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[The beginning of this tale is lost, but it is clear from what remains
of it that Setna Kha-em-uast, son of a Pharaoh who may be identified
with Rameses II., of the XIXth Dynasty (about 1300 B.C.), was a
diligent student of the ancient writings, chiefly for the sake of the
occult knowledge which they were supposed to contain. He discovered,
or was told of, the existence of a book which Thoth, the god of
letters, science and magic, had "written with his own hand," and
learned that this book was to be found in the cemetery of Memphis, in
the tomb of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, the only son of some earlier Pharaoh.
Setna evidently succeeded in finding and entering this tomb, and there
he saw the kas or ghosts of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, his wife (and sister)
Ahura, and their little boy Merab; and with them was the book. To
dissuade Setna from abstracting the book, Ahura tells him how they had
become possessed of it, and had paid for it with their earthly lives;
and it is with her tale that the papyrus begins. Setna, however,
insists upon taking the book; but Na-nefer-ka-ptah challenges him, as
a good scribe and a learned man, to a trial of skill in a game, and in
the imposition of magical penalties on the loser. Setna agrees; but
being worsted, he calls in outside help and succeeds in carrying off
the book. Na-nefer-ka-ptah comforts Ahura for its loss by assuring her
that Setna shall ignominiously restore it. Setna studies the book with
delight; but presently, by the magic power of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, he
becomes the victim of an extraordinary hallucination, and the strength
of his spirit is broken because (in imagination at least) he is
steeped in impurity and crime. When he awakes from this trance,
Pharaoh persuades him to return the book to its dead owners. On his
return to the tomb, Na-nefer-ka-ptah exacts from him the promise to go
to the cemetery of Koptos and bring thence to Memphis the bodies of
Ahura and of Merab, which had been buried there, apart from him. Setna
duly performs his promise, and so the story ends.
The only known copy of this tale appears to have been written in 251
B.C., the thirty-fifth year of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and it must have
been composed at least as late as the Sebennyte Dynasty, early in the
fourth century, although it refers to historical characters of a
thousand years before.
The story is more elaborate, and its plot is more coherent than is the
case with the earlier tales such as that of Anpu and Bata, in which
events succeed each other often without natural connection. The
language however is in simple narrative style, without any attempt at
fine writing.
At the point at which the mutilated papyrus begins, we find that Ahura
is telling Setna the story of her life. Apparently he has just been
told how she sent a messenger to the king, asking that she may be
married to her brother Na-nefer-ka-ptah. The king has refused her
request, and the messenger has reproached him for his unkindness; the
king replies:—]
"It is thou who art dealing wrongly towards me. If it happen
that I have not a child after two children, is it the law
to marry the one with the other of them? I will marry
Naneferkaptah with the daughter of a commander of troops, and
I will marry Ahura with the son of another commander of troops:
it has so happened in our family much.'
"It came to pass that the amusement was set before Pharaoh,
and they came for me and took me to the amusement named,
and it happened that my soul was troubled exceedingly and I
behaved not in my manner of the previous day. Said Pharaoh to
me, 'Ahura, is it thou that didst cause them to come to me in
these anxieties, saying, "Let me marry with Naneferkaptah, my
elder brother"?'
"Said I to him, 'Let me marry with the son of a commander
of troops, and let him marry with the daughter of another commander
of troops: it has happened in our family much.'
"I laughed, Pharaoh laughed, and his soul was exceeding
gladdened. Said Pharaoh to the steward of the king's house,
'Let Ahura be taken to the house of Naneferkaptah to-night, and
let all things that are good be taken with her.'
"I was taken as a wife to the house of Naneferkaptah in the
night named, and a present of silver and gold was brought to
me; the household of Pharaoh caused them all to be brought to
me. And Naneferkaptah made a good day[83] with me; he received
all the heads of the household of Pharaoh. And he found me
pleasing, he quarreled not with me, ever, ever: each of us loved
his fellow. And when I was about to bear a child, report of it
was made before Pharaoh, and his soul was exceeding gladdened,
and Pharaoh caused many things to be taken for me on the
instant; he caused to be brought to me a present of silver and
gold and royal linen, beautiful exceedingly. Then came my time
of bearing; I bore this boy that is before thee, whose name is
called Merab, and he was caused to write in the book of the
'House of Life.'[84]
"It came to pass that Naneferkaptah, my brother, had no
habit on the earth[85] but to walk in the cemetery of Memphis,
reading the writings that were in the catacombs of the Pharaohs,
with the tablets of the scribes of the 'House of Life,' and the
inscriptions that were on the monuments; and he was eager for
writing exceedingly.
"After these things it befell that there was a procession in
honor of Ptah; Naneferkaptah went into the temple to worship,
and he chanced to be walking behind the procession reading the
inscriptions that were in the shrines of the gods. An aged priest
saw him and laughed. Naneferkaptah said to him, 'For what art
thou laughing at me?'
"And he said:—'I am not laughing at thee; if I laughed, it
was that thou art reading writings that no one on earth has any
good of. If it be that thou seekest to read writings, come to me,
and I will bring thee to the place where that roll is which it was
Thoth that wrote with his own hand, and which goes down to
fetch the gods. There are two formulas of writing that are upon
it, and when thou readest the first formula thou will enchant
the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, and the
seas; thou shalt discover all that the birds of the heaven and the
creeping things shall say; thou shalt see the fishes of the deep,
for there is a power from God brings them into water above
them. And when thou readest the second formula, if it be that
thou art in Ament[86] thou takest thy form of earth again. Thou
wilt see the sun rising in the sky with his circle of gods, and
the moon in its form of shining.'
"And Naneferkaptah said, 'As the king liveth! Let a good
thing that thou dost desire be told me, and I will have it done
for thee, if thou wilt direct me to the place where this roll is.'
"Said
the priest to Naneferkaptah: 'If it be that thou desirest
to be directed to the place where this roll is, thou shalt give me
three hundred ounces of silver for my funeral, and provide that
they shall make me two coffin cases as a great priest, rich in
silver.'
"Naneferkaptah called a lad, and caused to be given the three
hundred ounces of silver for the priest, and he caused to be done
what he desired for two coffin cases; he caused them to be made
as for a great and rich priest.
"Said the priest to Naneferkaptah:—'The roll named, it is in
the midst of the Sea of Koptos,[87] in a box of iron. In the iron
box is a box of bronze, in the bronze box is a box of Kedt wood,
in the box of Kedt wood is a box of ivory and ebony, in the box
of ivory and ebony is a box of silver, in the box of silver is a
box of gold in which is the roll. There is a mile of snakes,
scorpions, and every kind of reptile surrounding the box in which
the roll is; there is a snake of eternity surrounding the box
named.'
"At the time of the relation that the priest made before Naneferkaptah,
Naneferkaptah knew not what place on earth he
was in.[88] And he came out of the temple and related before me
all that the priest had said to him. He said to me, 'I shall go
to Koptos, I shall fetch this roll thence; I shall not be slow in
coming back to the north again.'
"It came to pass that I opposed the priest, saying: 'Beware of
this thing that thou hast spoken before him! Thou hast brought
to me the strife of the nome of Thebes;[89] I have found it cruel.'
I caused my hand to stay[90] with Naneferkaptah, in order not to let
him go to Koptos. He did not hearken to me; he went before
Pharaoh and related before Pharaoh everything that the priest
had said to him—all. Pharaoh said to him, 'What is it that
thou desirest?'
"He said to him, 'Cause to be given to me the royal pleasure
boat with its equipment: I will take Ahura and Merab her boy
to the south with me; I will fetch this roll without delaying.'
"They
gave him the royal pleasure-boat with its equipment,
and we went up on board it; we set sail and reached Koptos.
And they made report of it before the priests of Isis of Koptos
and the high priest of Isis; they came down to meet us, they
delayed not to meet Naneferkaptah; their women came down to
meet me also. We went up on shore; we went into the temple
of Isis and Harpokrates, and Naneferkaptah caused to be brought
ox, goose, and wine; he made a burnt-offering and a drink-offering
before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. We were taken
to a house exceeding beautiful, filled with all good things, and
Naneferkaptah spent four days making a good day with the priests
of Isis of Koptos, the women of the priests of Isis making a good
day with myself.
"Came the morning of our fifth day: Naneferkaptah caused to
be brought to him pure wax.[91] He made a boat, furnished with
its crew and its tackle. He read a spell to them, he caused them
to live, he gave them breath, he cast them into the sea. He
loaded the royal pleasure-boat of Pharaoh with sand; he caused
the boat to be brought, he went on board. I sat by the sea
of Koptos, saying, 'I will discover what will become of him.'
"He said, 'Boatmen, row on with me as far as the place in
which this roll is.' And they rowed by night as by midday.
"And when he reached it, in three days, he threw sand before
him, then there became a space of dry land. And when he found
a mile of serpents and scorpions, and every kind of creeping thing
encompassing the box in which the roll was, and when he found
a snake of eternity encompassing the box, he read a spell to the
mile of serpents, scorpions, and every kind of creeping thing that
was around the box, and suffered them not to leap up. He went
to the place in which was the snake of eternity; he made battle
with it, he slew it. It lived; it made its form again. He made
battle with it again for a second time; he slew it: it lived. He
made battle with it again for a third time; he made it in two
pieces; he put sand between one piece and its fellow. It died;
it did not make its form ever again.
"Naneferkaptah went to the place where the box was. He
found that it was a box of iron; he opened it, he found a box of
bronze; he opened it, he found a box of Kedt wood; he opened
it, he found a box of ivory and ebony; he opened it, he found a
box of silver; he opened it, he found a box of gold; he opened
it, he found the book in it. He took up the roll from in the box
of gold, he read a formula of writing from it. He enchanted
the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, and the
seas; he discovered all that the birds of the heaven with the fishes
of the deep, the beasts of the mountains said—all. He read
another formula of writing, he saw the Sun rising in the sky
with all his circle of gods, and the moon rising, and the stars in
their shapes; he saw the fishes of the deep, for there was a
power from God brought them into the water over them. He
read a spell to the sea, and restored it as it was. He embarked.
He said to the crew, 'Row on for me as far as the place to which
I go.' And they rowed at night like as at midday. When he
reached the place where I was, he found me sitting by the sea of
Koptos, without drinking or eating anything, without doing anything
on the earth, being in the likeness of one who has reached
the Good Houses.[92]
"I said to Naneferkaptah, 'O Naneferkaptah, let me see this
book, for which we have taken these pains!'
"He put the roll into my hand. I read a formula of writing
in it; I enchanted the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the
mountains, the seas; I discovered what the birds of the sky, the
fishes of the deep, and the beasts of the hills said—-all. I read
another formula of the writing, and I saw the sun rising in the
sky with his circle of gods; I saw the moon shining with all the
stars of the heaven in their nature; I saw the fishes of the deep,
for it was that a power from God brought them into the water
above where they were. As I could not write, it was that I
spoke to Naneferkaptah my elder brother, who was a good scribe
and a learned man exceedingly; and he caused to be brought
before him a piece of new papyrus; he wrote every word that
was on the roll before him—all. He dipped it in beer, he melted
it in water, he saw that it had been melted, he drank it, he
knew that which was in it.[93]
"We returned to Koptos on the day named: we made a good
day before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. We embarked, we
went down to the river, we reached north of Koptos by one mile.
Behold, Thoth had discovered everything that happened to Naneferkaptah
on account of the roll; Thoth delayed not, he complained
before the Sun, saying, 'Know my right, my judgment
with Naneferkaptah the son of Pharaoh Mernebptah! He went
to my place, he robbed it, he took my box containing my book,
he killed my guard who was watching it.'
"It was said to him, 'He is before thee, with every man that
belongeth to him—all.'[94]
"There was sent a power from God down from heaven, saying,
'Let not Naneferkaptah go to Memphis safe, with every man that
belongeth to him—all.'
"An hour passed: Merab, the boy, came out from under the
awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he fell into the river, he
did the will of Ra. Everybody that was on board uttered a cry—all.
Naneferkaptah came out from under his cabin, he read a
writing over him, he caused him to come up, for it was that a
power from God in the water was laid on his upper side.[95] He
read a writing over him, he made him relate before him of everything
that had happened to him—all, and the accusation that
Thoth made before Ra.
"We returned to Koptos with him. We caused him to be
taken to the Good House and laid in state; we caused him to be
embalmed like a prince and great man; we caused him to rest in
his coffin in the cemetery of Koptos.
"Said Naneferkaptah my brother, 'Let us go down the river,
let us not delay before Pharaoh hear the things that have happened
to us, and his soul be sad therefore.'
"We embarked, we went down-stream, we delayed not; and
traveled to the north of Koptos by one mile. At the place of
the falling of Merab the boy into the river, I came out from
under the awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, I fell into the
river, I did the will of Ra. Everybody that was on board uttered
a cry—all. They told it to Naneferkaptah, he came out from
under the awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he read a
writing over me, he caused me to leap up, for it was that a
power from God in the water rested on my upper side. He
caused me to be taken up, he read a writing over me, he caused
me to relate before him everything that had happened unto me—all;
and the accusation that Thoth had made before Ra. He
returned to Koptos with me, he caused me to be brought to the
Good House, he caused me to be laid in state, he caused me to
be embalmed with the embalmment of a prince and very great
person, he caused me to rest in the tomb where Merab the boy
lay.
"He embarked, he went down-stream, he hastened north of
Koptos by one mile to the place of our falling into the river.
He spake with his soul, saying:—'Can I go to Koptos and dwell
there? Otherwise, if it be that I go to Memphis, the moment
that Pharaoh asks me after his children, what shall I say to him?
Can I tell it to him, saying, I took thy children to the nome of
Thebes, I killed them, I being alive; I came to Memphis, I being
alive still?'
"He caused them to bring a strip of royal linen before him;
he made it into a girdle. He bound the roll, he put it upon his
stomach, he made it firm. Naneferkaptah came out from under
the awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he fell into the river,
he did the will of Ra. Everybody that was on board uttered a
cry—all, saying: 'Great woe! Oppressive woe! Has he gone
back,[96] the good scribe, the learned man, to whom there is no
equal?'
"The pleasure-boat of Pharaoh went down-stream, without any
one on earth knowing where Naneferkaptah was. They reached
Memphis, they made report of it before Pharaoh. Pharaoh came
down to meet the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh in mourning, the army
of Memphis took mourning—all, together with the priests of Ptah,
the chief prophet of Ptah, with the officials and household of
Pharaoh—all. They saw Naneferkaptah clinging to the rudders
of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, by virtue of his art of a good
scribe. They drew him up, they saw the roll on his stomach.
Said Pharaoh, 'Let this roll that is on his stomach be hidden
away.'
"Said the officers of Pharaoh, with the priests of Ptah, and
the chief prophet of Ptah, before Pharaoh: 'O our great lord the
King, may he accomplish the duration of Ra![97] Naneferkaptah
was a good scribe, a learned man exceedingly.'
"Pharaoh caused to be given to him entrance to the Good
House for sixteen days, wrapping for thirty-five and coffining for
seventy; he was caused to rest in his tomb, in his places of
rest."
[Having finished her story, Ahura proceeds to point out the moral to
Setna.]
"I am suffering the ills which have come upon us because of
this roll of which thou sayest, 'Let it be given to me!' Thou
hast no claim to it: our life on earth has been taken for it."
Said Setna, "Ahura, let this roll be given me which I see
between thee and Naneferkaptah, else will I take it by force."
Rose Naneferkaptah on the couch; he said: "Art thou Setna,
before whom this woman has told these misfortunes which thou
hast not suffered—all? The book named, canst thou take it only
by strength of a good scribe? It were sufficient to play draughts
with me. Let us play for it at the game of fifty-two points."
And Setna said, "I am ready."
The board and its pieces were put before them. They played
at the fifty-two, and Naneferkaptah won a game from Setna. He
[Naneferkaptah] read a spell over him; he [Setna] defended himself
with the game-board that was before him. He [Naneferkaptah]
made him [Setna] go into the ground as far as his feet.
He did its like in the second game; he won it from Setna, he
made him go into the ground as far as his middle. He did its
like in the third game; he made him go into the ground as far
as his ears. After these things Setna made a great blow on the
hand of Naneferkaptah. Setna called to Anheru, his brother by
Anherart,[98] saying: "Make haste and go up upon the earth, do
thou relate of everything that has happened to me before Pharaoh,
and do thou bring the amulets of Ptah my father,[99] and
my rolls of magic."
He hastened up upon earth, he related before Pharaoh of
everything that had happened to Setna. Said Pharaoh, "Take to
him the amulets of Ptah his father, and his rolls of magic."
Anheru hastened down into the tomb; he laid the talismans on
the body of Setna, he [Setna] sprang to heaven at the moment
named.[100] Setna caused his hand to go after the roll, he took it.
It came to pass that Setna went up from the tomb, Light walking
before him and Darkness walking behind him, and Ahura
weeping after him, saying, "Hail to thee, King Darkness! Farewell
to thee, King Light! All consolation is gone that was in the
tomb."
Said Naneferkaptah to Ahura, "Be not troubled of soul; I
will make him bring this book hither, there being a fork for a
staff in his hand, there being a pan of fire on his head."[101]
And Setna came up from the tomb, he made it fast behind
him in its manner.
Setna went before Pharaoh, he related before him of the
thing that had happened to him with the roll. Said Pharaoh to
Setna, "Take this roll to the tomb of Naneferkaptah in the manner
of a prudent man, else he will make thee bring it, there
being a fork for a staff in thine hand, there being a pan of fire
on thine head."
Not did Setna hearken to him. It came to pass that Setna
had no habit on earth but unrolling the roll and reading it
before everybody.
After these things there was a day when Setna passed time
in the court of Ptah, and saw a woman beautiful exceedingly,
there being no woman of her beauty. There were ornaments of
much gold upon her, there were children and women walking
behind her, there were fifty-two persons of chiefs of households
assigned to her. The hour that Setna saw her he knew not the
place on earth where he was. Setna called to his attendant
youth, saying, "Go quickly to the place where this woman is;
learn what comes under her command."
The attendant youth went quickly to the place where the
woman was, he addressed the handmaid who walked behind her,
he asked her, saying, "What person is this woman?" She said
to him, "She is Tabubua, the daughter of the prophet of Bast,
lady of Ankhtaui, she having come hither to pray before Ptah
the great god."
The youth went back to Setna, he related before him of
everything that she had told him—all.
[In his infatuation for this woman, Setna forgets all decorum and all duty,
and follows her home to Bubastis, and "ashamed was every one that was
about Setna." To win the favor of Tabubua, he hands over to her all his
possessions and the inheritance of his children; and at length she demands
that his children should be put to death to prevent disputes.]
Setna said, "Let there be done unto them the abomination
that has entered thy heart."
She caused his children to be slain before his face; she caused
them to be cast down from the window before the dogs and the
cats. They devoured their flesh, he hearing them, he drinking
with Tabubua.
[Setna awakens from the trance in which he has in imagination sunk to
such depths of wickedness, to find himself lying naked in a strange place.]
An hour it was that passed when Setna saw a great man
riding on a chariot, there being many men running at his feet,
he being like Pharaoh. Setna came to rise; he could not rise for
shame, for there was no clothing upon him. Pharaoh said,
"Setna, what has befallen thee in this state in which thou art?"
Said he, "Naneferkaptah is he who hath done this to me—all."
Pharaoh said, "Go to Memphis: thy children they are seeking
for thee; they are standing on their feet before Pharaoh."
Setna said before Pharaoh, "My great lord the King, may he
accomplish the duration of Ra! What is the manner of going to
Memphis that I can do, there being no clothes on earth upon
me?"
Pharaoh called to a youth standing by, he made him give
clothing to Setna. Said Pharaoh to Setna, "Go to Memphis:
thy children, they are alive, they are standing on their feet
before Pharaoh."
Setna came to Memphis, he embraced his children with hand,
he found them alive. Pharaoh said, "Is it drinking that hath
brought thee thus?"
Setna related everything that had happened to him with Tabubua,
with Naneferkaptah—all. Pharaoh said: "Setna, I put my
hand upon thee before,[102] saying, 'Thou wilt be slain if thou dost
not take this roll to the place from which it was brought.' Thou
didst not listen to me till this hour. Give this roll to Naneferkaptah,
there being a forked stick for a staff in thine hand, there
being a pan of fire on thine head."
Setna came out from before Pharaoh, there being a forked
stick for a staff in his hand, there being a pan of fire on his
head. He went down to the tomb in which was Naneferkaptah.
Ahura said to him, "Setna, it is Ptah the great god who hath
brought thee back safe."
Naneferkaptah laughed, saying, "This is a thing that I told
thee before."
Setna saluted Naneferkaptah; he found him as it is said,
"He is the sun that is in the whole tomb." Ahura and Naneferkaptah
saluted Setna greatly. Setna said, "Naneferkaptah,
is there aught that is disgraceful?"
Naneferkaptah said, "Setna, thou knowest this, that Ahura
and Merab her child, they are in Koptos: bring them here into
this tomb by the skill of a good scribe. Let it be commanded
before thee, and do thou take pains, and do thou go to Koptos,
and do thou bring them hither."
Setna came up from the tomb and went before Pharaoh; he
related before Pharaoh of everything that Naneferkaptah had
said to him—all.
Pharaoh said, "Setna, go to Koptos, bring Ahura and Merab
her child."
He said before Pharaoh, "Let the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh be
given to me with its equipment."
The pleasure-boat of Pharaoh was given to him with its equipment;
he embarked, he sailed up, he did not delay, he arrived
at Koptos.
Information of it was given before the priests of Isis of Koptos,
and the chief prophet of Isis. They came down to meet
him, they took his hand to the shore. He went up, he went
into the temple of Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. He caused
ox, goose, wine to be brought; he made a burnt-offering, a
drink-offering, before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. He went
to the cemetery of Koptos, with the priests of Isis and the chief
prophet of Isis; they spent three days and three nights searching
in the tombs which were in the cemetery of Koptos—all, turning
over the stelæ of the scribes of the House of Life, reading the
inscriptions that were on them. They found not the places of
rest in which were Ahura and Merab her son.
Naneferkaptah perceived that they found not the places of
rest of Ahura and Merab her son. He rose from the dead as
an old man, great of age exceedingly. He came to meet Setna,
and Setna saw him. Setna said to the old man, "Thou art of
the appearance of a man great of age: knowest thou the places
of rest in which are Ahura and Merab her child?"
The old man said to Setna, "The father of the father of my
father told to the father of my father, and the father of my
father told to my father, that the resting-places of Ahura and
Merab her child are by the south corner of the house of Pehemato,
as his name is."
Said Setna to the old man, "Is it not an injury that Pehemato
hath done thee, by reason of which thou comest to cause his
house to be brought down to the ground?"
The old man said to Setna, "Let watch be set over me and
let the house of Pehemato be taken down. If it be that they
find not Ahura and Merab her child under the south corner of
his house, may abomination be done to me."
A watch was set over the old man; the resting-place of Ahura
and Merab her child was found under the south corner of the
house of Pehemato. Setna caused them to enter as great people
on the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh; he caused the house of Pehemato
to be built in its former manner. Naneferkaptah made
Setna to discover what had happened: that it was he who had
come to Koptos to let them find the resting-place in which Ahura
and Merab her child were.
Setna embarked on the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he went
down the river, he did not delay, he reached Memphis with all
the army that was with him—all. Report was made of it before
Pharaoh, he came down to meet the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh.
He caused them to be introduced as great persons to the tomb
where Naneferkaptah was, he caused dirges to be made above
them.
This is a complete writing, relating of Setna Khaemuast, and
Naneferkaptah, and Ahura his wife, and Merab her child. This
... was written in the XXXVth year, the month Tybi.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[The following inscription, one of the longest in existence, covers
both faces and the sides of a large stela of black basalt in the
Museum at Gîzeh. It was found in the temple of Gebel Barkal, beyond
Dongola in Nubia. Here was one of the capitals of a native Ethiopian
dynasty, and in the temple dedicated to Amen a number of historical
stelæ were set up by different kings, of whom Piankhy (about 800 B.C.)
was the earliest. Not improbably he was descended from the priest
kings of the XXIst Egyptian dynasty (at Thebes, about 1000 B.C.); at
any rate, the name which he bore occurs in that dynasty, and his
devotion to Amen agrees with the theory. We learn from the stela that
by some means he had obtained the suzerainty over Upper Egypt, which
was governed by local kings and nomarchs; while Lower Egypt was
similarly divided but independent. Among the princes of the North land
the most powerful was Tafnekht, probably a Libyan nomarch of Sais who
had absorbed the whole of the western side of Lower Egypt. The stela
relates the conflict that ensued when Tafnekht endeavored to unite
Lower Egypt in a confederacy and invade the Upper Country. This gave
Piankhy, who knew his own strength, an opportunity of which he was not
slow to avail himself. The Delta was protected from invasion by its
network of canals, and by its extensive marshes. But when the armies
and navies of the local kings had been drawn into Upper Egypt and
there repeatedly defeated, weakened and cowed, the princes of the
North Land were at the mercy of the victorious Ethiopian, who was
rewarded for his activity and skill in strategy with an abundance of
spoil and tribute, probably also with the permanent subjection of the
country.
The inscription is in a very perfect state; with the exception of one
lacuna of sixteen short lines the losses are very small. The narrative
is far more artistic and sustained than was usual in records of any
considerable length. The piety of the Ethiopian and his trust in his
god Amen are remarkably indicated; and some passages cannot fail to
remind us of the Biblical records of certain Jewish kings and of the
prophecies concerning Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus. There is nothing that
suggests the bloodthirstiness and wanton cruelty of the contemporary
kings of Assyria. Altogether, when the time and circumstances are
taken into account, the impression left is one very favorable to
Piankhy. If he seems to insist overmuch on his Divine mission, this
exaggeration is perhaps due to the priests of Amen who drafted the
document, desirous of thereby promoting the honor both of their god
and of their king.
There are numerous indications in the signs composing the inscription
that the text was written originally in a cursive character, and
afterwards transcribed into hieroglyphics for record on stone.]
[Date.]
Year xxi, month Thoth,[103]
under the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Meriamen Piankhy, living forever:—
[Attention demanded.]
Command: My Majesty saith, Hear how I have done more than the
ancestors! I am a king, the figure of a god, the living image of Tum,
who came forth from the body fashioned as a a ruler, whose elders
feared him, ... whose mother recognized that he would reign [while he
was yet] in the egg; the
good God, beloved of the gods, Son of the Sun, working with his
hand,[104]
Meriamen Piankhy.
[The narrative. Report of Tafnekht's invasion received: the king's joy
thereat.]
There came one to tell his Majesty, whereas the ruler of the
West, the nomarch and chief in Neter, Tafnekht, was in the
[Harpoon] Nome, in the Nome of the Bull of the Desert, in Hap,
in ..., in An, in Per-nub, and in Mennefer,[105] he took unto himself
the entire West from the sea-coast to Athet-taui, and went
south with a great army; the two lands were united in following
him, the nomarchs and the rulers of fenced cities were as hounds
at his feet. No fortress was closed [against him]; the nomes of
the South, Mertum, and Per-Sekhem-Kheper-ra, the Temple of
Sebek, Per-Mezed, Tekanesh,[106] and every city of the West, opened
their gates in fear of him. He turned back to the Eastern
nomes; they opened to him even as the former. Het-benu,
Tayuzayt, Het-seten, Per-nebt-tep-ah.[107] Behold [he hath crossed
over to] besiege Henen-seten,[108] he hath ringed it about,[109] not
allowing outgoers to go out, not allowing incomers to enter, by
reason of the daily fighting. He hath measured it out on every
side, each nomarch gauging his own [length of] wall, that he may
post each one of the nomarchs and the rulers of fenced cities at
his section."
Now [his Majesty heard these things] with good courage, laughing, and
with joy of heart.
[Anxiety of the King's governors in Upper Egypt at Tafnekht's progress.
Loss of Hermopolis.]
Behold these chiefs, nomarchs, and captains of the host who
were in their various cities sent to his Majesty daily, saying:
"Hast thou ceased [from action] until thou forgettest the South
Country, the nomes of the royal domain[110]? Tafnekht is pushing
forward his conquest, he findeth not any to repel his arm.
Nemart [the ruler in Hermopolis] and nomarch of Het-Ur[111] hath
breached the fortress of Neferus, he hath ruined his own city for
fear lest he [Tafnekht] should take it, and then lay siege to
another city. Behold, he hath gone to be at his [Tafnekht's]
feet;[112] he hath refused allegiance to his Majesty, and standeth
with him [Tafnekht] like one of [his retainers. He hath harried]
the nome of Oxyrhynkhos,[113] and he giveth to him[114] [Tafnekht]
gifts, as his heart inclineth, of all things that he findeth [therein]."
[Piankhy orders the governors to besiege Hermopolis.]
Then his Majesty sent a message to the nomarchs and the
captains of the host who were in Egypt, the captain Puarma,
with the captain Armersekny, with every captain of his Majesty
who was in Egypt, saying: "Make haste in striking, join battle,
encircle [Hermopolis], capture its people, its cattle, its ships
upon the river. Let not the fellâhîn come out to the field; let
not the plowman plow; lay siege to the Hare-city,[115] fight against
it daily." Thereupon they did so.
[Piankhy dispatches an army from Ethiopia, bidding them fear not to fight,
for Amen is their strength; and to do homage unto the god at Thebes.]
Then his Majesty sent an army to Egypt, urging them very
greatly:—"[Spend day and] night as though ye were playing
drafts, so that ye fight according as ye see that he hath arrayed
battle at a distance. If he say the infantry and cavalry have
hastened to another city, why then remain ye until his army
come, and fight even as he shall say. And if his allies are in
another city, hasten ye to them; and the nomarchs, and those
whom he bringeth to strengthen him, the Tehenu[116] and his
chosen troops, let battle be arrayed against them. One of old
saith:—'We know not how to cry unto him. It is the enlistment
of troops and the yoking of war-horses, the pick of thy stables,
that giveth victory in battle. Thou knowest that Amen is the
god that leadeth us.'[117]
"When ye reach Thebes, the approach to Apt-esut,[118] enter
ye into the water, wash ye in the river, dress on the bank of
the stream, unstring the bow, loosen the arrow. Let no chief
boast as possessing might, there being no strength to the mighty
if he regard him [Amen] not. He maketh the feeble-handed
into strong-handed; a multitude may turn their backs before
the few; one man may conquer a thousand. Sprinkle yourselves
with the water of his altars; kiss ye the ground before his
face; say ye to him, 'Give unto us a way that we may fight
in the shadow of thy strong arm. The band that thou leadest, it
cometh to pass that it overthroweth that which hath overthrown
many.'"
Then they cast themselves on their bellies before his Majesty
[saying], "It is thy name that giveth us strength of arm, thy
wisdom is the mooring-post[119] of thy soldiers; thy bread is in our
bellies on every road, thy beer quencheth our thirst; it is thy
valor that giveth us strength of arm; one is fortified at the
remembrance of thy name! while the host is lacking whose
captain is a vile coward. Who is like unto thee in these things?
Thou art a mighty King that worketh with his hands, master of
the art of war!"
[The Ethiopian army, after leaving Thebes, defeat the van of Tafnekht's
fleet.]
They went down-stream; they reached Thebes; they did according to all
the things said by his Majesty.
They went down-stream upon the river; they found many
ships coming up-stream, with soldiers, sailors, levies of troops,
every mighty man of the North land, furnished with weapons of
war to fight against the host of his Majesty. There was made
a great slaughter of them, the number thereof is not known;
their troops were captured with their ships, they were brought
as live prisoners to the place where his Majesty was.[120]
[Proceeding to attack Heracleopolis, they are met on the river by the
confederates under Tafnekht, and defeat them.]
They went to Henen-seten, arraying battle. The nomarchs
with the kings of the North land were informed [thereof]. Now
the King Nemart with the King Auapeth; the chief of the Me,[121]
Sheshenk of Busiris, with the chief of the Me, Zed-Amen-auf-ankh
of Mendes, and his son and heir, who was captain of the
host of Hermopolis Parva; the host of the Erpa Bakennefi, with
his son and heir, chief of the Me, Nesnakedy in the home of
Hesebka; and every chief wearing the feather[122] who was in the
North land, with the King Usorkon who was in Bubastis and in
the land of Ra-nefer: every nomarch, and the governors of
fenced cities in the West and in the East and in the islands in
the midst, assembled with one purpose, as following the feet of
the great chief of the West, ruler of the fenced cities of the
North land, priest of Neith, mistress of Sais, and Sem-priest of
Ptah, Tafnekht.[123]
When they went out against them, a mighty overthrow was
made of them, greater than anything, and their ships were captured
upon the river; the remainder crossed over and moored on
the west side, in the neighborhood of Per-peg.
[In a second battle, fought by land on the opposite shore, the enemy
is overthrown; most escaped northward, but Nemart returns to
Hermopolis, having eluded the besiegers (i. e., the army of the
loyal governors). Hermopolis is more closely besieged.]
When the land lightened very early, the soldiers of his Majesty
crossed over to them. One host met the other. Then they slew
many men of them, and horses without number, in the charge [?].
Those who remained fled to the North land with lamentations
loud and sore, more than anything.[124] Account of the overthrow
made of them: men, persons ...[125] [But] the King Nemart
went up-stream to the South when it was reported to him,
"Khmenu[126] is in the midst of enemies; the soldiers of his
Majesty are capturing its men and its cattle." Then he [Nemart]
entered into Unu, while the soldiers of his Majesty were at the
port of the Hare-city. Then they heard of it; they surrounded
the Hare-city on its four sides; they allowed not goers out to
go out, nor enterers in to enter in.
[The King, enraged at the escape of the enemy, vows that after the New
Year he will go to Thebes, and having discharged a pious duty there,
take the war in hand himself.]
They sent to report to his Majesty, the King of Upper and
Lower Egypt, Meriamen Piankhy, Giving Life, of every defeat
they had made, and of all the victories of his Majesty. Then
his Majesty raged at it like a leopard:—"Shall one grant unto them
that there be left a remnant of the soldiers of the North land to
permit a goer out to go out from them, to say, 'He commandeth
not to make them die until they be utterly destroyed'? As I live,
as I love Ra, as my father Amen praiseth me, I will go north
myself to ruin that which [Nemart] hath done; I will cause him
to withdraw from battle forever. Verily, after performing the
ceremonies of the New Year, I will sacrifice to my father Amen
in his beautiful festival, when he maketh his fair manifestation of
the New Year. He will lead me in peace to see Amen in the
good feast of the festival of Apt; I shall bring him forth gloriously
in his divine form unto Southern Apt, in his goodly feast
of the feast of Apt at night-time,[127] in the feast established in
Thebes, the feast which Ra instituted for him originally. And I
will bring him forth gloriously to his own house, to rest upon his
throne, on the day of making the god to enter.[128] On the second
day of Athyr[129] I will cause the land of the North to taste the
taste of my fingers."
[To retrieve their reputation, the army assaults and captures three cities;
but the King is not appeased.]
Then the soldiers who were remaining in Egypt heard the
rage that his Majesty was in against them. Then they fought
against Per Mezed[130] in the nome of Oxyrhynkhos; they took it
like a flood of water. They sent a message to his Majesty, but
his heart was not appeased thereby.
Then they fought against Tatehen,[131] the very strong; they found
it filled with soldiers, and every strong man of the North land.
Then there was made a battering-ram for it; its walls were
breached and a great slaughter was made of them, the number
thereof is not known, including the son of the chief of the
Me, Tafnekht.[132] Then they sent word to his Majesty of it, but
his heart was not appeased thereby.
Then they fought against Het Benu; its citadel was opened
and the soldiers of his Majesty entered into it. Then they sent
word to his Majesty, but his heart was not appeased thereby.
[The King comes to Thebes, and thence proceeds to Hermopolis. He chides
his troops.]
On the ninth day of Thoth,[133] came his Majesty down the river
to Thebes; he completed the feast of Amen in the festival of
Apt. His Majesty floated down to the city of the Hare.[134] His
Majesty came out of the pavilion of the boat; horses were yoked
and chariots mounted. The fear of his Majesty reached unto
the ends of Asia;[135] his terror was in every heart. Then his
Majesty came forth disposed to hate his soldiers, raging at them
like a leopard: "Doth it yet remain for you to fight? This is
slackness in my business: the year is completed to the end in
putting terror of me in the North land."[136] They made a great
and grievous lamentation, like one beaten.[137]
He pitched his tent in the Southwest of Khmenu. It [the
city] was besieged every day. There was made an earthwork to
cover the wall; there was erected a wooden tower to raise the
archers shooting arrows, and the slingers slinging stones, slaying
the people thereof every day.
[Hermopolis, vigorously attacked, is brought to great straits. It treats with
the King, and Nemart's wife prays the Queen to intercede for them.]
The third day came; Unu was abominable to the nose, evil
in its smell. Then Unu threw itself on its belly, praying before
the face of the King; messengers came out and entered with all
things good to behold; gold, every precious mineral, stuffs in a
chest. The diadem was on his [Piankhy's] head, the uræus was
giving forth its terror; there was no ceasing for many days in
praying to his divine crown. His [Nemart's] wife, the royal
wife Satnestentmeh, was caused to approach, to pray the royal
wives, the royal concubines, the royal daughters, the royal sisters.
She cast herself upon her belly in the chamber of the
women, before the face of the royal wives: "Come ye unto me,
O ye royal wives, daughters, and sisters, that ye may pacify
Horus,[138] lord of the palace. Great is his mighty spirit! How
grand is his right of victory! Let...."[139]
[Presumably the Queen intercedes; Nemart comes out to Piankhy, surrenders,
and brings tributes.]
"Who is it that hath led thee?[140] Who is it that hath led
thee? Who is it that hath led thee? Who is it that led thee?
[Thou hast missed] the road of life. But shall the heaven rain
with arrows? I am [satisfied when] the South is in obeisance,
and the North lands [cry], 'Put us in thy shadow.' Behold, it
is evil ... with his offerings. The heart is a rudder that
wrecketh its owner in that which concerneth the will of God; it
looketh on flame as ice.... not a prince; see who is his
father. Thy nomes are full of children."[141]
Then he cast himself upon his belly before his Majesty [saying]:
"Come to me, Horus, lord of the palace! It is thy mighty
will that doeth this unto me: I am one of the servants of the
King that pay dues to the treasury.... Count their dues:
I have paid to thee more than they."
Then he offered to him silver, gold, lapis lazuli, malachite,
bronze, and minerals of all kinds in great quantity. Behold, the
treasury was filled with this tribute. He brought a horse in his
right hand, a sistrum in his left, a sistrum of gold and lapis
lazuli.
[Piankhy enters Hermopolis and sacrifices to Thoth. Finding the horses in
the rebel King's stables starved, he is wroth with Nemart and confiscates
his goods.]
Behold, his [Majesty] was brought forth gloriously from his
palace, and proceeded to the house of Thoth, lord of Khmenu.
He sacrificed bulls, oxen, and fowl to his father Thoth, lord of
Khmenu, and the gods in the House of the Eight.[142] The soldiers
of the Hermopolite nome rejoiced and sang; they said: "How
beautiful is Horus resting in his country, Son of the Sun, Piankhy!
Celebrate for us a Sed festival,[143] even as thou hast protected
the Hare-name."
His Majesty proceeded to the house of the King Nemart, he
went to every apartment of the palace, his treasury and his
storehouses; he caused to be brought to him the King's wives
and the King's daughters; they praised his Majesty with things
that women use;[144] but his Majesty would not amuse himself
with them. His Majesty proceeded to the stables of the horses,
the stalls of the foals; he beheld that they were starved. He
said:—"As I live, as I love Ra, as my nostril is refreshed with
life! very grievous are these things to my heart, the starving of
my horses, more than any ill that thou hast done in the fulfilling
of thine own desire. The fear which thy surroundings have of
thee, beareth witness to me of thee. Dost thou ignore that the
shadow of God is over me, and he doth not fail in any undertaking
of mine? Would that he who did this unto me were
another, knowing me not, [then] I would not censure him for it!
But I, when I was born from the womb, when I was formed in
the egg, the deed of God was in me; and as his Ka endureth,[145]
I do nothing without him! He it is who commandeth me to
act."
Then he counted his [Nemart's] goods to the Treasury, his
granary to the sacred store of Amen in Apt-esut.[146]
[The King of Heracleopolis, the siege of which had been raised by the
King's troops, brings presents and promises tribute.]
The ruler of Henen-seten, Pefauibast, came with tribute to
Pharaoh: gold, silver, every kind of mineral, and horses of the
chosen ones of the stable. He cast himself on his belly before
his Majesty, and said, "Salutation to thee, Horus, mighty King,
bull overthrowing bulls. Duat[147] drew me down, I was over
whelmed in darkness, for which light hath been given unto me.
"I found not a friend on the day of trouble, who would stand
in the day of fight, except thee, O mighty King! Thou hast
drawn away the darkness from me, and I will be thy servant
with all that pertain to me. Henen-seten shall pay tribute to
thy storehouse, thou the image of Harakhti, chief of the Akhmu
Seku.[148] While he exists, so long shalt thou exist as King; if he
be not destroyed thou shalt not be destroyed, O King Piankhy,
living for ever!"
[El Lahûn, prepared to oppose the entry of the King, yields without fighting:
the treasuries are confiscated.]
His Majesty went north to the opening of the canal near
Rahent[149]; he found Per-sekhem-kheper-ra with its walls raised
high, its citadel closed and filled with every valiant man of
the North land. Then his Majesty sent to them saying: "Ye
who live in death, ye who live in death, miserable ones, wretched
ones living in death! If a moment passeth without opening [to
me], behold, ye are reckoned as conquered, and that is painful
to the King. Close not the gates of your life so as to come to
the execution block of this day. Do not love death and hate
your life; ... [embrace] life in the face of all the land."
Then they sent to his Majesty to say: "Behold, the shadow
of God is upon thy head; the son of Nut[150] gives to thee his two
hands. What thy heart desireth is accomplished immediately, as
that which issues from the mouth of a god. Behold thou it!
Thou wast born as a god, and thou seest us in thy two hands.
Behold thy city, its forts [are open; do as thou wilt with it];
enterers enter in and goers out go out: let his Majesty do as he
pleaseth."
Then they came out with the son of the chief of the Me,
Tafnekht. The host of his Majesty entered into it; he slew not
one of all the people whom he found. [The chancellors came],
with the royal seal-bearers to seal its goods, assigning its treasuries
to the Treasury, its granaries to the divine offerings of his
father Amen Ra, lord of the thrones of the two lands.
[Likewise with Mêdûm and Athet-taui.]
His Majesty floated down-stream, he found that Mêdûm, the
Abode of Seker, lord of making light, had been shut up; it
could not be reached, it had put fighting into its heart. [But
they feared] terror [seized] them; awe closed their mouths.
Then his Majesty sent to them saying: "Behold ye, there are
two ways before you, choose ye as ye will: open, and ye live;
close, and ye die. My Majesty passeth not by a city closed."
Then they opened immediately. His Majesty entered this
city; he offered [an oblation] to the god Menhy in Sehez. He
assigned its treasury and granaries to the divine offerings of
Amen in Apt-esut.
His Majesty floated down-stream to Athet-taui; he found the
fortress closed, the walls full of valiant soldiers of the North
land. Behold, they opened the forts, they cast themselves on
their bellies [singing praises before] his Majesty. "Thy father
hath destined for thee his heritage as lord of the two lands; thou
art in them,[151] thou art lord of what is upon earth."
His Majesty proceeded [to the temple] to cause to be offered
a great offering to the gods who are in this city, of bulls, fat
oxen and fowls, and everything good and pure. Then its treasury
was assigned to the Treasury, its granaries to the divine
offerings [of Amen].
[To Memphis he offers a free pardon, but the city prepares to fight.]
His Majesty went north towards Anbuhez. Then he sent to
them, saying, "Do not close, do not fight, O Residence originally
of Shu![152] Let the enterers enter and the comers out come out:
let none going be stopped. I will offer sacrifice to Ptah and the
gods who are in Anbuhez; I will worship Sokaris in the Secret
Place; I will behold Res-Anbef.[153] I will go north in peace [for
his Majesty loveth that] Anbuhez be safe and sound, and that
[even] the children weep not. Ye saw the nomes of the South:
not one [soul] was slain therein except the rebels who had blasphemed
God. Execution on the block was done to the rebellious."
Then they closed their forts; they caused soldiers to go out
against a few of the host of his Majesty, consisting of artisans,
of chief builders, and pilots [who had gone towards] the quay of
Anbuhez.
[Tafnekht himself visits Memphis in the night, encourages the troops, and
departs, promising to return when he has arranged matters with the allies.]
Now that chief of Sais came to Anbuhez in the night, urging
its soldiers, its sailors and all the best of its troops, in number
eight thousand men, urging them greatly, greatly. "Behold,
Mennefer is full of soldiers of all the best of the North land,
barley and durra, and all kinds of grain, the granaries are overflowing,
and all kinds of weapons of [war. There is a] wall
built, a great battlement made with cunning craft. The river
bounds the eastern side, and no way of attack is there. The
stalls remain full of fat cattle, the treasury is furnished with all
things: silver, gold, copper, bronze, stuffs, incense, honey, ointment.
I will go, I will give things to the chiefs of Lower
Egypt; I will open to them their nomes.[154] I shall be [away
traveling] three [?] days until I return." He mounted a horse,
he called not for his chariots, he went north in fear of his
Majesty.
[Piankhy finds Memphis strongly fortified and the high Nile risen to its walls.
The army proposes to bridge it, or attack the city it by elaborate approaches.]
When the earth lightened and it was the second day[155] his
Majesty came to Anbuhez. He moored upon its north side, he
found the water risen to the walls and ships moored at [the
quay of] Mennefer. Then his Majesty saw that it was mighty
indeed, the wall raised high with new building, the battlement
manned with strength; no way of attacking it was found. Each
person fell to saying his say among the hosts of his Majesty of
every rule of warfare, and every man said, "Let us lay siege to
[Anbuhez]; behold, her soldiers are many." Others said: "Make
a causeway unto it; let us raise the ground to its wall; let us
construct a wooden work, let us set up ships' masts, let us make
its edges of poles. Let us divide it with these things[156] on every
side of it, with embankments and ... upon its north side,
in order to raise the ground to its wall that we may find a way
for our feet."
[The King determines to assault it immediately; he seizes all the boats at the
quay, where the houses were comparatively unprotected, and landing his
men in them at that point captures the city.]
Then his Majesty raged against it [the city] like a leopard,
he said:—"As I live, as I love Ra, as my father Amen who
formed me praiseth me, these things have happened unto it by
the command of Amen. These things are what men say: '[The
North Country] with the nomes of the South they open to him
[Tafnekht] from afar; they had not placed Amen in their hearts,
they knew not what he had commanded. [Then] he [Amen]
made him [Piankhy] in order to accomplish his mighty will, to
cause the awe of him to be seen.' I will take it like a water
flood; [this] hath [my father Amen] commanded me."
Then he caused his ships and his army to set out to attack the
quay of Mennefer. They brought back to him every ferry-boat,
every cabin-boat, every dahabiyeh, and the ships in all their
number that were moored at the quay of Mennefer, the bows
being moored in its houses [on account of the height of the
water.[157] Not] the least of the soldiers of his Majesty mourned.[158]
His Majesty came to direct the ships in person in all their
number. His Majesty commanded his soldiers: "Forward to it!
Scale the walls, enter the houses upon the bank of the stream.
If one of you enters upon the wall there will be no stand
against him [for a moment], the levies [?] will not bar you.
Moreover, it is feeble that we should shut up the South Country,
moor at the North land, and sit still at 'the Balance of the two
lands.'[159]
Then Mennefer was captured as by a flood of water; men
were slain within it in great numbers, and were taken as prisoners
to the place where his Majesty was.
[In Memphis Piankhy sacrifices. The neighboring garrisons flee; three Northern
chiefs and all the nomarchs submit in person; the treasures of Memphis
are confiscated.]
When the [land lightened] and the second day came, his
Majesty caused men to go to it to protect the temples of God
for him, to guard the sanctuary of the gods from the profane,[160]
to sacrifice to the royal circle of gods of Hetkaptah,[161] to purify
Mennefer with natron and incense, to put the priests on the
place of their feet.[162] His Majesty proceeded to the house of
[Ptah]; his purification was performed in the Chamber of Early
Morning,[163] and all the things prescribed for a king were accomplished.
He entered the temple, great offerings were made to
his father Ptahresanbef, of fat bulls, oxen, and fowl, and every
good thing. His Majesty proceeded to his house.
Then all the villages that were in the region of Mennefer
heard, namely, Hery the city, Penynaauaa, the tower of Byu,
and the oasis of By; they opened their gates, they fled in flight;
one knoweth not the place to which they went.
Came Auapeth with the chief of the Me, Akaneshu, with the
erpa Pediast, with all the nomarchs of the North land, bearing
their tribute, to see the beauties of his Majesty.
Then were assigned the treasuries and the granaries of Mennefer,
and made into the second offerings of Amen, of Ptah, of
the circle of the gods in Hetkaptah.
[Piankhy crosses over to Babylon, and worships there.]
When the land lightened and the second day came,[164] his
Majesty proceeded to the East, and made a purification to Tum
in Kheraha,[165] [and to] the circle of the gods in the house of the
circle of the gods; namely, the cave in which the gods are, consisting
of fat bulls, oxen, and fowls, that they might give Life,
Prosperity, and Health to the King Piankhy, living forever.
[He proceeds along the Sacred Way to Heliopolis, visiting the holy places,
and enters the sanctuary of Tum in Heliopolis, etc. King Usorkon
submits.]
His Majesty proceeded to Anu[166] on that mount of Kheraha,
upon the road of the god Sep, to Kheraha. His Majesty proceeded
to the camp which was on the west of the Atiu canal; he
was purified in the midst of the Cool Pool, his face was washed
in the stream of Nu, in which Ra washes his face. He proceeded
to the sand-hill in Anu, he made a great sacrifice on the
sand-hill in Anu, before the face of Ra at his rising, consisting
of white bulls, milk, frankincense, incense, all woods sweet-smelling.
He came, proceeding to the house of Ra; he entered
the temple with rejoicings. The chief lector praised the god
that warded off miscreants[167] from the King. The rites of the
Chamber of Early Morning were performed, the cloak was put
on, he was purified with incense and cold water, flowers for the
Het Benben[168] were brought to him. He took the flowers, he
ascended the staircase to the great window, to see Ra in the Het
Benben. The King himself stood alone, he put the key into the
bolt, he opened the double doors, and saw his father Ra in the
Het Benben. He sanctified the Madet boat of Ra, the Sektet
boat of Tum.[169] The doors were shut, clay was applied and
sealed with the King's own seal; and the priests were charged,
"I, I have examined the seal; let none other enter therein of all
the kings who shall exist."
Then they cast themselves on their bellies before his Majesty,
saying, "Unto eternity, Horus[170] loving Anu shall not be
destroyed." Returning thence, he entered the house of Tum,
and followed the image of his father Tum Khepera, chief of
Anu.
Came the King Usorkon to see the beauties of his Majesty.
[Piankhy goes to the vicinity of Athribis and receives the homage of all
the Northern princes and nobles. Pediast of Athribis invites him to
his city.]
EGYPTIAN FUNERAL FEAST.
Photogravure from a Painting by Edwin Long, R. A.
"It was not uncommon to keep the mummies in the house, ... and
Damascenius relates that they sometimes introduced them at the table, as
though they could enjoy their society.... Many months often elapsed
between the ceremony of embalming and the actual burial.... It was
during this interval that feasts were held in honor of the dead, to which the
friends and relations were invited. On these occasions they dined together and
enjoyed the same festivities as when invited to a repast, the guests being in like
manner anointed and bedecked with flowers and presented with other tokens
of welcome usual at an Egyptian party, and it was principally at this [Greek: nekrodeipnon]
that I suppose the introduction of the mummy to have taken place."
"Manners and Customs of Ancient Egyptians."—Wilkinson.
When the land lightened on the second day,[171] his Majesty
went to the quay, and the best of his ships crossed over to
the quay of Kakem.[172] The camp of his Majesty was pitched on
the south of Kaheni, on the east of Kakem. These kings and
nomarchs of the North land, all the chiefs who wore the feather,
every vizier, all the chiefs, every royal acquaintance[173] in the West
and in the East, and in the islands in the midst, came to see the
beauties of his Majesty. The erpa Pediast threw himself on his
belly before his Majesty, and said: "Come to Kakem, that thou
mayest see the god Khentkhety; that thou mayest khu [?] the
goddess Khuyt; that thou mayest offer sacrifices to Horus in his
house, consisting of fat bulls, oxen, fowls; that thou mayest
enter my house, open my treasury, and load thyself with the
things of my father. I will give thee gold unto the limits of thy
desire, malachite heaped before thy face, horses many of the best
of the stable, the leaders of the stall."
[Piankhy goes to Athribis and worships the local god. Pediast sets the example
of giving up his goods without concealment.]
Proceeded his Majesty to the house of Horus Khentkhety,
and caused to be offered fat bulls, oxen, ducks, fowl to his father
Horus Khentkhety, lord of Kemur. Proceeded his Majesty to
the house of the erpa Pediast; he presented him with silver,
gold, lapis lazuli, malachite, a great collection of every kind of
thing, and stuffs, and royal linen in every count,[174] couches covered
with fine linen, frankincense, and unguents in jars, stallions and
mares of the leaders of his stable. He [Pediast] cleared himself
by the life of God[175] before the face of these kings and great chiefs
of the North land:—"Each one of them that hides his horses,
that conceals his goods, let him die the death of his father.
Thus may it be done to me, whether ye acquit thy humble servant
in all things that ye knew of concerning me, or whether ye
say I have hidden from his Majesty anything of my father, gold,
jewelry, with minerals and ornaments of all kinds, bracelets for
the arms, collars for the neck, pendants [?] inlaid with minerals,
amulets for every limb, chaplets for the head, rings for the ears,
all the apparel of a king, every vessel of royal purification in
gold, and every sort of mineral; all these things I have offered
before the king, stuffs and clothes in thousands of all the best of
my looms. I know by what thou wilt be appeased. Go to the
stable, choose thou what thou wilt of all the horses that thou
desirest." Then his Majesty did so.
[The princes of Lower Egypt return to their cities to fetch further tribute.
A revolt at Mesed is promptly suppressed and the city given as a reward
to Pediast.]
Said these kings and nomarchs before his Majesty, "Let us
go to our cities, let us open our treasuries, let us select according
to the desire of thy heart, let us bring to thee the best of
our stables, the chief of our horses." Then his Majesty did even
so. List of their names:—
The King Usorkon in Per Bast and the territory of Ranefer;
The King Auapeth in Tentremu and Taanta [?];
The nomarch Zedamenafankh in Mendes and the Granary of Ra;
His son and heir, the captain of the host in Hermopolis Parva, Ankhhor;
The nomarch Akanesh in Thebneter, in Perhebyt, and in Smabehed;
The nomarch and chief of the Me, Pathenf in Per-Sepd and in the Granary of Anbuhez;
The nomarch and chief of the Me, Pamai in Busiris;
The nomarch and chief of the Me, Nesnakedy in Heseb-ka;
The nomarch and chief of the Me, Nekhthornashenut in Pergerer;[176]
The chief of the Me, Pentuart;
The chief of the Me, Pentabekhent;
The priest of Horus, lord of Letopolis, Pedihorsmataui;
The nomarch Hurobasa in the house of Sekhemt mistress of Sa, and the house of Sekhemt mistress of Rohesaut;
The nomarch Zedkhiau in Khentnefer;
The nomarch Pabas in Kheraha and the house of Hapi.
With all their good tribute [consisting of] gold, silver, [lapis
lazuli], ma[lachite], [couches] covered with fine linen, frankincense
in jars, [and all things that pertain to a man great] in
wealth, rich in horses....
[After] these things came one to say to his Majesty:
["Whereas the nomarch and captain of the] host [ ... hath
thrown down] the wall [of ... and] set fire to his treasury,
[and fled away] upon the river, he hath fortified Mesed[177] with
soldiers, and hath...."
Then his Majesty caused his warriors to go to see what took
place therein, as an ally of the erpa Pediast. One came to report
to his Majesty saying, "We have slain all the people that we found
there." His Majesty gave it as a present to the erpa Pediast.
[Lastly, Tafnekht begs for mercy: ambassadors receive his presents and submission
to the King, and he is pardoned.]
Then the chief of the Me, Tafnekht, heard it;[178] he caused a
messenger to go to the place where his Majesty was, begging his
mercy, saying:—"Be gracious! I have not seen thy face in the
days of shame; I cannot stand before thy flame; I am terrified
at thy awe. Behold, thou art Nubti in the Land of the South,
Mentu, the mighty bull.[179] In all these matters to which thou hast
given thy attention thou hast not found thy humble servant
until I reached the island of the sea. I am afraid of thy mighty
spirit according to that saying, 'The flame is my enemy.' Doth
not the heart of thy Majesty cool with these things that thou
hast done unto me? Verily I am in misery. I am not smitten
according to the account of the wickedness. Having weighed
with the balance, having reckoned by the ounce,[180] thou multipliest
it unto me thrice; having carried away the seed, thou sweepest up
[the remnant] at the same time. Do not cut down the grove
to its root. As thy Ka endureth, thy terror is in my body, thy
fear in my bones; I have not sat in the room of carousal,[181] the
harp hath not been brought to me. Behold, I eat the bread of
hunger, I drink water in thirst, since the day that thou learnedst
my name. Pain is in my bones, my head is unshaven, my
clothes in rags, in order that Neith may be made gracious unto
me. Long is the course that thou hast brought to me; turn thy
face unto me now. A year hath cleansed my Ka and purified
thy servant from his wickedness. Let my goods be taken to the
Treasury, consisting of gold with every sort of mineral, and the
best of the horses accoutred with everything. Let a messenger
come to me in haste, that he may drive fear from my heart.
Let me go out to the temple in his sight, let me clear myself
with an oath by God."
His Majesty caused to go the Chief Lector Pediamennestaui,
and the captain of the host Puarma. He [Tafnekht] presented
him [Piankhy] with silver, gold, stuffs, every valuable mineral.
He went out to the temple, he praised God, he cleared himself
with an oath by God, saying: "I will not transgress the
command of the King. I will not reject the words of his
Majesty; I will not sin against a nomarch without thy knowledge;
I will act according to the words of the King; I will not transgress
what he hath commanded." Then his Majesty was satisfied
therewith.
[Crocodilopolis and Aphroditopolis having submitted, the whole country is at
the feet of the conqueror, who loads his ships with the tribute and departs
homeward.]
One came to say to his Majesty: "The temple of Sebek, they
have opened its fort, Metnu hath cast itself upon its belly, there
is not a nome that is shut against his Majesty in the nomes
of the South, North, West, or East. The islands in the midst
are upon their bellies with fear of him, and are causing their
goods to be brought to the place where his Majesty is, like the
serfs of the palace."
When the land lightened, very early[182] came these two rulers
of the South and two rulers of the North, wearing uræi,[183] to
smell the ground to the mighty spirit of his Majesty. Behold,
moreover, these kings and nomarchs of the North land came to
see the beauties of his Majesty; their feet were as the feet of
women,[184] they entered not to the King's house, for that they were
impure and eaters of fishes, which is an abomination to the
King's house. Behold, the King Nemart, he entered to the King's
palace, for that he was pure, he ate not fishes. They stood upon
their feet, but the one of them entered the palace.
Then the ships were loaded with silver, gold, bronze, stuffs,
all things of the North land, all products of Kharu, all woods of
the Divine Land.
His Majesty went up-stream, his heart enlarged, all about him
were rejoicing; West and East, they rose high, rejoicing around
his Majesty, singing and rejoicing; they said:—"O mighty King!
O mighty King! Piankhy! O mighty King! Thou hast come,
thou hast ruled the North land. Thou makest bulls into women.
Happy is the heart of the mother that bore a male child, that
was impregnated with thee amongst the mountains. Praises be
given unto her! the cow that hath borne a bull! Thou shalt be
to eternity, thy victory remaineth, O Ruler, loving Thebes."
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[It is interesting to compare the inscription of Piankhy with an example
of the historical texts of the Old Kingdom. Only two are known of any considerable
length, and the following is one of them. The biographical inscription
of Una, administrator of Upper Egypt, takes one back to 3000 B.C.,
when almost the only great monuments in Egypt were the pyramids, to the
number of which each successive king added.
The inscription was found on a slab in the great cemetery of Abydos, and
is now in the Gîzeh Museum. The style is somewhat arid, but attracts by its
primitive and simple character.]
[Una's youth under King Teta, founder of the VIth Dynasty.]
[Una saith] I was tying the girdle,[185] under the majesty of
Teta. My grade was that of superintendent of stores, and I
acted as overseer of the garden of Pharaoh.
[Una appointed pyramid priest and then judge by Pepy I. He assists at
trials in the royal harîm.]
[I was] chief of the debat [?] city . . . under the majesty
of Pepy: his Majesty put me into the position of royal
friend and superintendent of the priests of his pyramid city.[186]
Behold
I was ... and his Majesty appointed me judge,
and his heart was satisfied with me more than with any of his
servants: I heard cases alone with the chief justice and vizier in
every secret proceeding [of the palace?] ... in the name
of the King, of the royal harîm and of the six great houses,[187]
because the King's heart was satisfied with me more than with
any of his officers, of his nobles, or of his servants.
[Royal present of a sarcophagus, etc., from the limestone quarries of Turra.]
[Command was given] by the Majesty of my lord to bring
for me a sarcophagus of white stone from Ra-au, and his Majesty
caused the divine treasurer to cross over [the river] with a
band [of soldiers and artificers] under him to bring for me this
sarcophagus from Ra-au.[188] He returned with it in the great
transport ship of the Residence, together with its lid, and a false
door with the lintel, jambs, and foundation block: never was this
or the like done to any servant. But I was successful in the
heart of his Majesty, I was rooted in the heart of his Majesty;
and the heart of his Majesty was satisfied with me.
[Appointment as principal judge in the trial of the queen.]
Now when I was judge, his Majesty made me a sole friend
and superintendent of the garden of Pharaoh, and I instructed [?]
four[?] of the superintendents of Pharaoh's gardens who were
there. I acted according to his Majesty's desire in performing
the choosing of the guard [?][189] and making the way of the king
and marshaling the nobles [at the court]; I acted altogether so
that his Majesty praised me for it more than anything.
When an accusation was brought in the royal harîm against
the chief royal wife Aamtesi as a secret affair, his Majesty
caused me to enter to it and hear the case alone, without there
being any chief justice and vizier, or any officer there but me
only, on account of my success and rooting in the heart of his
Majesty and of his heart being satisfied with me. I drew up
[the report] in writing, alone with one judge. Behold, my office
was that of superintendent of Pharaoh's garden: never before
did one of my grade hear a secret process of the royal harîm;
but his Majesty caused me to hear it, because of my success in
the heart of his Majesty above any officer and any noble and any
servant of his.
[Una commander-in-chief of all the native and foreign forces in an expedition
against the Eastern Bedawin.]
When his Majesty chastised the Aamu-Herusha[190] and his Majesty
made an army of many tens of thousands out of the whole
of the Upper Country, from Abu[191] in the south to Aphroditopolis
[?] in the north, and out of the Lower Country, from the
whole of the two sides,[192] out of Sezer and Khen-sezeru,[193] negroes
from Arertet,[194] negroes from Meza, negroes from Aam, negroes
from Wawat, negroes from Kaau, and foreigners from the land
of Temeh[195]; his Majesty sent me at the head of this host.
Behold, even the ha-princes, even the royal chancellors, even
the royal friends of the court, even the nomarchs and governors
of fortresses of the Upper Country and the Lower Country, the
royal friends superintending the frontier, the superintendents of
priests of the Upper and Lower Countries, and the superintendents
of domain lands, in command of the contingents from
the Upper and Lower Countries, and from the fortresses [?] and
cities that they ruled, and of the negroes of these tribes—I it
was who planned their procedure, although my grade was that
of superintendent of the garden of Pharaoh, on account of the
preciseness of my disposition: in such a way that no one of them
encroached on any of his fellows, that no one of them took bread
or sandals from the wayfarer, that no one of them stole dough
from any village, and that no one of them took a goat from any
people. I directed them to the Island of the North, the Gate of
I-hetep, the Uart [?] of Horus Lord[196] of Truth. And behold,
although I was of this grade ... I reviewed the number of
these troops which had never been reviewed by any servant.
This host returned in peace: it had harried the land of the Herusha;
this host returned in peace: it had trampled on the land of the Herusha;
this host returned in peace: it had overthrown its inclosures,
this host returned in peace: it had cut down its figs and vines,
this host returned in peace: it had set fire to all its [camps?];
this host returned in peace: it had slain the troops in it in many tens of thousands;
this host returned in peace: it had [carried off people] from it, very numerous, as prisoners alive:
and his Majesty praised me for it more than anything.
His Majesty sent me to direct [this] host five times, and to
smite the land of the Herusha at each of the revolts with these
troops, and I acted so that his Majesty praised me for it more
than anything. And when it was reported that there were warriors
of this tribe in the "Wild-Goat's Nose," I crossed over in
boats with these troops, and landed on the coast[197] of Thest, on
the north of the land of the Herusha: and behold, when this
host had marched by land, I came and smote them all down,
and slew every warrior of them.
[Una made governor of the whole of Upper Egypt by the next king,
Merenra Mehti-em-saf.]
I was carrier of the chair and sandals at the court, and the
king Merenra my lord, who lives [for ever], appointed me ha-prince,
governor of the Upper Country, from Abu in the south
to Aphroditopolis [?] in the north, because of my success in the
heart of his Majesty, and my rooting in the heart of his
Majesty, and because the heart of his Majesty was satisfied [with
me]. And while I was carrier of the chair and sandals, his
Majesty praised me for my watchfulness and body-guardianship
which I displayed in ushering in nobles [?], which exceeded that
of any officer, noble, or servant of his. Never before was this
function discharged by any servant.
I
performed for him the office of governor of the Upper
Country to satisfaction, so that no one there encroached upon
his fellow for any work: I paid [?] everything that is paid to the
Residence from this Upper Country twice over, and every hour's
service that is given to the palace in this Upper Country twice
over; and discharged my office in such a way that it established
a standard of duty[198] in this Upper Country. Never was the like
done in this Upper Country before. I acted altogether so that
his Majesty praised me for it.
[Una commissioned to obtain monuments for Merenra's pyramid from
Abhat, and granite from the region of Elephantine.]
His Majesty sent me to Abhat to bring the sarcophagus
called "Box of the Living Ones," with its cover, and an obelisk,
and the costly furniture for my mistress[199] [?] the pyramid Kha-nefer
of Merenra. His Majesty sent me to Abu[200] to bring the
granite stela and its base, and the granite doors and jambs, and
the granite doors and bases of the over-ground temple of my
mistress [?] the pyramid Kha-nefer of Merenra. I came down
the river with them to the pyramid Kha-nefer of Merenra with
six broad boats, three transports, three eight-oars, in one expedition:
never was this done, Abhat and Abu [done] in one expedition,
in the time of any of the kings. Everything that his
Majesty had commanded me came verily to pass just as his
Majesty ordered me.
[An altar from the alabaster quarry of Het-nub.]
His Majesty sent me to Het-nub to bring a great table of
offerings of the alabaster of Het-nub. I brought him down this
table of offerings in seventeen days, quarrying it in Het-nub,
and causing it to float down in this broad boat. For I had cut
for it a broad boat of acacia-wood, sixty cubits long, thirty cubits
broad, and built it—all this [?] in seventeen days, in the third
month of harvest,[201] when behold there was no water on the junctions
[?] of the channel,[202] and I moored at the pyramid Kha-nefer
of Merenra in peace. All things had come to pass according to
the command which the Majesty of my lord had given me.
[A commission to ease the navigation in the region of the cataract, and
increase the facilities for procuring granite.]
His Majesty sent me to cut five channels in the South, and
make three broad boats and four transports of the acacia of
Wawat. Behold, the rulers of Arertet, Wawat, Aam, and Meza
were bringing wood for it. All were made in one year, floated,
and laden with very great blocks of granite for the pyramid
Kha-nefer of Merenra; moreover, I myself gave service to the
palace in the whole work of these five channels,[203] on account of
my abundance and my wealth [?], and of the loftiness of the
mighty spirit of King Merenra, living for ever, beyond that of
any god, and because all things came to pass according to the
command which his Ka ordained.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
The reapers, represented cutting corn in the tomb of Paheri (XVIIIth
Dynasty), are supposed to be chanting a little song, the words of
which are engraved above their figures. Such songs are very
common among the fellâhîn of the present day, who thus mark time
for their work in the fields or on the river. This song is introduced
by a phrase which seems to speak of it as being "in answering
chant"; and this perhaps gives us the technical Egyptian term for
antiphonal singing.
In answering chant they say:—
This is a good day! to the land come out | The north wind is out.
The sky works according to our heart | Let us work, binding firm our heart.
The following transcription of the original Egyptian may give
some idea of the assonances of words and ordered repetitions which
marked the poetical style; the main repetitions are here italicized.
Khen en usheb, zet-sen:—
Hru pen nefer, per em ta | Ta mehyt perta.
Ta pet her art en àb-en | Bek-en mert àb-en.
In
the same tomb there is another song, already well known but
less noticeable in form than the above. It is sung to the oxen on
the threshing-floor.
Thresh for yourselves. Thresh for yourselves.
Thresh for yourselves. Thresh for yourselves.
Straw to eat; corn for your masters;
Let not your hearts be weary, your lord is pleased.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
Some of the prettiest Egyptian poetry is contained in a papyrus of
the XVIIIth Dynasty at the British Museum. The verses are
written in hieratic, and are extremely difficult to translate, but
their beauty is apparent to the translator even when he cannot fix
the sense. A new edition of these and other poems of a kindred
nature is being prepared by Professor W. Max Müller of Philadelphia,
who kindly permits us to make some extracts from the advance
sheets of his publication.
The songs are collected in small groups, generally entitled 'Songs
of Entertainment.' The lover and his mistress call each other
"brother" and "sister." In one song the girl addresses her lover in
successive stanzas under the names of different plants in a garden,
and plays on these names. Others are as follows:—
I will lie down within,
Behold, I am sick with wrongs.
Then my neighbors come in
To visit me.
This sister of mine cometh with them;
She will make a laughing-stock of the physicians;
She knoweth mine illness.
The villa of my sister
Hath its gates in the midst of the estate;
[So often as] its doors are opened,
[So often as] the bolt is withdrawn,
My beloved is angry.
If I were set as the gatekeeper,
I should cause her to chide me;
Then should I hear her voice [when she is] angry:
A child before her!
[My Brother] hath come forth [from mine house];
[He careth not for] my love;
My heart standeth still within me.
Behold, honeyed cakes in my mouth.
They are turned into salt;
Even must, that sweet thing,
In my mouth is as the gall of a bird!
The breath of thy nostrils alone
Is that which maketh my heart live.
I found thee! Amen grant thee unto me,
Eternally and for ever!
The voice of the wild goose crieth,
For she hath taken her bait;
[But] thy love restraineth me,
I cannot loose it.[204]
So I must gather my net together.
What then shall I say to my mother,
To whom I come daily
Laden with wild-fowl?
I have not laid my net to-day,
For thy love hath seized me.
Translation of W. Max Müller.
[This hymn is the most remarkable example of Egyptian poetry known to
us. It was found by Mr. Petrie near the pyramid and temple of Usertesen II.,
in the town which was founded there for the accommodation of the workmen
employed upon these buildings, and for the priestly staff who performed the
services for the dead Pharaoh in his chapel. The hymn is addressed to the
son and successor of that king,—to Usertesen III.,—an active and warlike
prince, who, as the poet also testifies, used his power for the benefit of his
country and the pious support of its institutions. It is a marvel that the
delicate papyrus on which the hymn is written should have been preserved for
nearly 5,000 years. It has not, however, resisted the attacks of time without
suffering injury; and the lacunæ, together with the peculiar language employed
by the scribe, are baffling to the decipherer. Four stanzas only can be
read with comparative completeness and certainty.
The parallelism of the sentences, the rhythm, the balancing of the lines of
verse, and the pause in each, recall the style of the Hebrew Psalms. The
choice of metaphors, too, is in a similar direction. Unfortunately our limited
knowledge of the ancient language does not permit us to analyze closely the
structure of the verses, nor to attempt any scansion of them. The radicals
only of Egyptian words are known to us; of the pronunciation of the language
at the time of the XIIth Dynasty we are entirely ignorant.]
Homage to thee, Kha-kau-ra: our "Horus Divine of Beings."[205]
Safeguarding the land and widening its boundaries: restraining the foreign nations by his kingly crown.
Inclosing the two lands[206] within the compass of his arms: seizing the nations in his grip.
Slaying the Pedti without stroke of the club: shooting an arrow without drawing the bowstring.
Dread of him hath smitten the Anu in their plain: his terror hath slain the Nine Races of Men.[207]
His warrant hath caused the death of thousands of the Pedti who had reached his frontier: shooting the arrow as doth Sekhemt,[208] he overthroweth thousands of those who knew not his mighty spirit.
The tongue of his Majesty bindeth Nubia in fetters: his utterances put to flight the Setiu.
Sole One of youthful vigor, guarding his frontier: suffering not his subjects to faint, but causing the Pat[209] to repose unto full daylight.
As to his timid youth in their slumbers: his heart[210] is their protection.
His decrees have formed his boundaries: his word hath armored the two regions.
Twice jubilant are the gods: thou hast established their offerings,
Twice jubilant are thy children: thou hast made their boundaries.
Twice jubilant are thy forefathers: thou hast increased their portions.[211]
Twice jubilant is Egypt in thy strong arm: thou hast guarded the ancient order.
Twice jubilant are the Pat in thine administration: thy mighty spirit hath taken upon itself their provisionment.
Twice jubilant are the two regions in thy valor: thou hast widened their possessions.
Twice jubilant are thy paid young troops: thou hast made them to prosper.
Twice jubilant are thy veterans: thou hast made them to renew their youth.
Twice jubilant are the two lands in thy might: thou hast guarded their walls.
Twice jubilant be thou, O Horus, who hast widened his boundary: thou art from everlasting to everlasting.
Twice great is the lord of his city, above a million arms: as for other rulers of men, they are but common folk.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a dyke, damming the stream in its water flood.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a cool lodge, letting every man repose unto full daylight.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a bulwark, with walls built of the sharp stones of Kesem.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a place of refuge, excluding the marauder.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were an asylum, shielding the terrified from his foe.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a shade, the cool vegetation of the flood-time in the season of harvest.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a corner warm and dry in time of winter.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a rock barring the blast in time of tempest.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were Sekhemt to foes who tread upon his boundary.
He hath come to us, that he may take the land of the South Country: the Double Crown[212] hath been placed upon his head.
He hath come, he hath united the two lands: he hath joined the Reed to the Hornet.[213]
He hath come, he hath ruled the people of the Black Land: he hath placed the Red Land in his power.[214]
He hath come, he hath protected the two lands: he hath tranquillized the two regions.
He hath come, he hath made the people of Egypt to live: he hath destroyed its afflictions.
He hath come, he hath made the Pat to live: he hath opened the throat of the Rekhyt.[215]
He hath come, he hath trampled on the nations: he hath smitten the Anu who knew not his terror.
He hath come, he hath secured his frontier: he hath delivered him who was stolen away.
He hath come: ... he granteth reward-in-old-age by what his mighty arm bringeth to us.
He hath come, we nurture our children: we bury our aged ones[216] by his good favor.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
The following hymn addressed by King Akhenaten (B.C. 1450) to
his one god, the visible Sun itself, was perhaps originally written
in ten-line stanzas like the 'Hymn to Usertesen III.,' but
the known texts of it are all too mutilated and uncertain for us to
attempt any thorough restoration of the composition at present. A
good edition of the hymn has been published by Professor Breasted
of Chicago, and his text is here followed.
King Akhenaten was one of the most original minds known to us
in Egyptian history. His bringing up was probably far more favorable
to awakening powers of thought than was usually the case with
the Pharaohs. Through his mother, Queen Tiy, he had been in
close contact with the religions of Mesopotamia, perhaps even with
Israelite monotheism; suddenly he cast off the traditions of his own
country and all its multitudinous deities of heaven, earth, and the
underworld, and devoted himself to the worship of one god, visible
and exalted, before whom all else seemed either petty, gross, or
unreal. His motto, as Professor Petrie has remarked, was "living in
truth"; and according to his lights he lived up to it. Fervently he
adored his god; and we may well believe that the words of this
hymn are those which flowed from his own heart as he contemplated
the mighty and beneficent power of the Sun.
This heretical doctrine roused the passions of the orthodox, who,
triumphing over Akhenaten's reform, condemned his monuments to
systematic destruction.
Beautiful is thy resplendent appearing on the horizon of heaven,
O living Aten, thou who art the beginning of life.
When thou ascendest in the eastern horizon thou fillest every land with thy beauties;
Thou art fair and great, radiant, high above the earth;
Thy beams encompass the lands to the sum of all that thou hast created.
Thou art the Sun; thou catchest them according to their sum;
Thou subduest them with thy love.
Though thou art afar, thy beams are on the earth;
Thou art in the sky, and day followeth thy steps.
When thou settest on the western horizon of heaven,
The land is in darkness like unto death;
They sleep in their chambers;
Their heads are covered, their nostrils are closed, the eye seeth not his fellow;
All their goods are stolen from under their heads, and they know it not.
Every lion cometh forth out of its cave,
All creeping things bite.
The earth is silent, and he that made them resteth on his horizon.
At dawn of day thou risest on the horizon and shinest as Aten by day.
Darkness flees, thou givest forth thy rays, the two lands are in festival day by day;
They wake and stand upon their feet, for thou hast raised them up;
Their limbs are purified, they clothe themselves with their garments;
Their hands are uplifted in adoration at thy rising.
The whole land goeth about its several labors.
Flocks rest in their pastures;
Trees and plants grow green;
Birds fly forth from their nests,—
Their wings are adoring thy Ka.[218]
All flocks leap upon their feet;
All flying things and all hovering things, they live when thou risest upon them.
Ships pass down-stream, and pass up-stream likewise,
Every way is open at thy rising.
The fishes on the river leap up before thee;
Thy rays are within the great waters.
It is thou who causest women to be fruitful, men to beget.
Thou quickenest the child in its mother's womb;
Thou soothest it that it cry not;
Thou dost nurture it within its mother's womb,
Thou givest breath to give life to all its functions.
It cometh forth from the womb upon the day of its birth.
Thou openest its mouth, that it may speak;
Thou providest for its wants.
When there is a chick within an egg, cheeping as it were within a stone,
Thou givest it breath therein to cause thy handiwork to live;
It is full-formed when it breaketh through the shell.
It cometh out of the egg when it cheepeth and is full-formed;
It runneth on its feet when it cometh out thence.
How manifold are thy works,
... O one god who hast no fellow!
Thou createdst the earth according to thy will, when thou wast alone,—
[Its] people, its herds, and all flocks;
All that is upon earth going upon feet,
All that is on high and flieth with wings,
The countries of Syria, of Ethiopia, of Egypt.
Thou settest each person in his place.
Thou providest for their wants,
Each one his circumstances and the duration of his life,
Tongues distinct in their speech,
Their kinds according to their complexions—
O distinguisher who distinguishest the races of mankind.
Thou makest the Nile in the deep,
Thou bringest it at thy pleasure,
That if may give life to men, even as thou hast made them for thyself—
O Lord of them all who art outwearied for them!
O Lord of earth who risest for them!
O Aten of day that awest all distant countries!
Thou makest their life;
Thou placest the Nile in heaven, that it may descend to them,
That it may rise in waves upon the rocks like the sea,
Watering their fields in their villages.
How excellent are thy ways, O Lord of Eternity!
A Nile in heaven poureth down for nations,
For all manner of animals that walk upon feet.
[But] the Nile cometh from the deep to the land of Egypt
Thy rays nourish every field;
Thou risest and they live for thee.[219]
Thou makest the seasons to bring into existence all that thou hast made:
The winter season to refresh them, the heat [to warm them].
Thou madest the heaven afar off, that thou mightest rise therein,
That thou mightest see all thou didst make when thou wast alone,
When thou risest in thy form as the living Aten,
Splendid, radiant, afar, beauteous—
[Thou createdst all things by thyself]
Cities, villages, camps, by whatsoever river they be watered.
Every eye beholdeth thee before it;
Thou art the Aten of day above the earth.
Thou art in my heart,
There is none other that knoweth thee but thy son, Fairest of the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra[220];
Thou causest him to be exercised in thy methods and in thy might.
The whole earth is in thy hand even as thou hast made them;
At thy rising all live, at thy setting they die.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
The following collection of hymns to Amen Ra is from the orthodox
worship of the New Kingdom; that is to say, it dates
from the period beginning in the XVIIth Dynasty, about 1700
B.C. The series is contained in a papyrus now preserved in the
museum at Gîzeh and in very perfect condition.
In the original, the lines are punctuated with red dots, and the
stanzas are marked by rubrics, a very valuable clue being thus provided
both as to meanings and form.
The first hymn is divided into five stanzas of seven lines each,[222]
but the fourth stanza contains an error of punctuation which has
perhaps prevented this arrangement from being noticed hitherto.
The other hymns do not appear to be so divisible.
The
text presents several instances of embellishment by far-fetched,
and to our minds very feeble, puns and punning assonances.
It is impossible to reproduce these to the English reader, but some
lines in which they occur are here marked with asterisks indicating
the words in question.
Although these hymns have been much admired, it must be confessed
that they are somewhat arid in comparison with the simple
expression of Akhenaten's devotion in the 'Hymn to the Aten.' To
the Egyptians, however, the mythological references were full of
meaning, while to us they are never fully intelligible. Such an enumeration
as that of the symbols and insignia of divine royalty which
we find in the second hymn, is as empty to us as references to the
Stars and Stripes, the White House, the Spread Eagle, the Union Jack,
the Rose, the Shamrock, and the Thistle may be to the lords of the
world in 5000 to 6000 A.D.
Praise of Amen Ra!
The bull in Heliopolis, the chief of all the gods,
The beautiful and beloved god
Who giveth life to all warm-blooded things,
To all manner of goodly cattle!
Hail to thee, Amen Ra! lord of the thrones of the two lands,
Thou who dwellest in the sanctuary of Karnak.
Bull of his mother, he who dwelleth in his fields,
Wide-ranging in the Land of the South.
Lord of the Mezau[223], ruler of Punt,
Prince of heaven, heir of earth,
Lord of all things that exist!
Alone in his exploits even amongst the gods,
The goodly bull of the Ennead[224] of the gods,
Chiefest of all the gods,
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, creator of animals,
Lord of the things which are, maker of fruit-trees,
Maker of pasture, who causeth the cattle to live!
Image made by Ptah[225], youth fair of love!
The gods give praise unto him;
Maker of things below and of things above, he illuminateth the two lands:
He traverseth the sky in peace.
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ra the Justified, chief of the two lands.
Great one of valor, lord of awe;
Chief, making the earth in its entirety!
Nobler in thy ways than any god,
The gods rejoice in his beauties!
To him are given acclamations in the Great House,
Glorious celebrations in the House of Flame;
The gods love his odor when he cometh from Punt.
Prince of the dew, he entereth the land of the Mezau!
Fair of face, coming to the Divine Land[226]!
The gods gather as dogs at his feet,
Even as they recognize his majesty as their lord.
Lord of fear, great one of terror,
Great of soul, lordly in manifestations,
Flourishing of offerings, maker of plenty,
Acclamations to thee, maker of the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky, and press down the ground!
Wake in health, Min-Amen!
Lord of the everlasting, maker of eternity,
Lord of adorations, dwelling in [Khemmis],
Established of two horns, fair of face,
Lord of the uraeus crown with lofty double plume,
Beautiful of diadem, with lofty white crown,
The kingly coif with the two uraei are on his forehead.
He is adorned within the palace,
With the Sekhet crown, the Nemes cap, and the Khepersh helmet.
Fair of face, he taketh the Atef crown,
Loving its south and its north.
Lord of the Sekhemt sceptre, receiving the Ames sceptre,
Lord of the Meks sceptre, holding the Nekhekh,
Beautiful Ruler, crowned with the white crown!
Lord of rays, making light!
The gods give praises unto him
Who giveth his two hands [for aid] to him that loveth him,
Who casteth his enemies in the fire;
His eye it is which overthroweth the wicked;
It casteth its lance at the devourer of Nu;
It causeth the serpent Nak to cast up that which it swallowed.
Hail to thee, Ra, lord of truth,
Whose sanctuary is hidden! lord of the gods,
Khepera in the midst of his bark,
He gave command, and the gods were created.
Tum, maker of the Rekhyt,
Distinguishing their kinds, making their lives,
Distinguishing their complexions one from another.
Hearing the complaint of him who is oppressed,
Kindly of heart when called upon.
He delivereth the timid from him who is of a froward heart,
He judgeth the cause of the weak and the oppressed.
Lord of Understanding, Taste is on his lips,
The Nile cometh at his desire.
Lord of sweetness, great one of love,
He maketh the Rekhyt to live,
He giveth keenness to every eye.
He is made out of Nu,
Creating the rays of light.
The gods rejoice in his beauties,
Their hearts live when they behold him.
Ra, exalted in Karnak!
Great of splendor in the House of the Obelisk
Ani, lord of the New Moon festival,
To whom are celebrated the festival of the sixth day and of the quarter month.
Liege lord, to whom Life, Prosperity, Health! lord of all the gods,
Who see him[?] in the midst of the horizon,
Chief over the Pat and Hades,
His name is more hidden* than his birth,
In his name of Amen,* the hidden One.
Hail to thee who art in peace!
Lord of enlargement of heart, lordly in manifestations,
Lord of the uræus crown, with lofty double plume;
Fair of diadem, with lofty white crown!
The gods love the sight of thee,
The Sekhemt* crown is established upon thy forehead.
Thy loveliness is shed* abroad over the two lands;
Thy rays shine forth in the eyes of men; fair for the Pat and the Rekhyt is thy rising,
Weary are the flocks when thou art radiant.
Thy loveliness is in the southern sky, thy sweetness in the northern sky,
Thy beauties conquer hearts,
Thy loveliness maketh arms to droop,
Thy beautiful form maketh hands to fail;
Hearts faint at the sight of thee.
Sole figure, who didst make all that is!
One and only one, maker of all that are,
From whose eyes mankind issued,
By whose mouth the gods were created,
Who makest the herbage, and makest to live the cattle, goats, swine, and sheep,
The fruit-trees for the Henememt.
He maketh the life of fishes in the river,
The fowl of the air,
Giving breath to that which is in the egg;
Making the offspring of the serpent to live;
Making to live therewith the flies,
The creeping things, and the leaping things, and the like.
Making provision for the mice in their holes;
Making to live the birds in every tree,
Hail to thee, maker of all these!
One and only one, with many arms!
At night wakeful while all sleep,
Seeking good for his flock.
Amen,* who *establishest all things!
Tum Horus of the horizon!
Praises be to thee in that all say,
"Acclamations to thee, for that thou outweariest thyself with us!
Obeisance to thee for that thou didst make us!"
Hail to thee, from all animals!
Acclamations to thee from every land,
To the height of heaven, to the breadth of earth,
To the depth of the great waters!
The gods bow before thy majesty,
Exalting the mighty spirit that formed them;
They rejoice at the coming of him who begat them;
They say unto thee:—"Come, come in peace!
Father of the fathers of all the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky and press down the ground."
Maker of that which is, former of those which have being,
Liege lord—to whom Life, Prosperity, Health!—chief of the gods,
We adore thy mighty spirit even as thou madest us;
Who were made for thee when thou fashionedst us.
We give praises unto thee for that thou outweariest thyself with us.
Hail to thee who didst make all that is!
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, fashioner of animals,
Lord of corn,
Making to live the animals of the desert.
Amen, bull fair of face,
Beloved in Thebes,
Great one of splendors in the House of the Obelisk,
Twice crowned in Heliopolis,
Thou who judgest between the twain in the Great Hall!
Chief of the great Ennead of the gods,
One and only one, without his peer,
Dwelling in Thebes,
Ani in his divine Ennead,
He liveth on truth every day.
God of the horizon, Horus of the East,
Who hath made the hills that have silver, gold,
Real lapis lazuli, at his pleasure:
Gums and incense are mingled for the Mezau,
Fresh incense for thy nostrils.
Fair of face he cometh to the Mezau,
Amen Ra, lord of the throne of the two lands,
He who dwelleth in Thebes,
Ani in his sanctuary.
Sole King is he, even in the midst of the gods;
Many are his names, none knoweth their number.
He riseth on the horizon of the east, he is laid to rest on the horizon of the west.
He overthroweth his enemies
In the daily task of every day;
In the morning he is born each day;
Thoth raiseth his eyes,
And propitiateth him with his benefits;
The gods rejoice in his beauties,
Exalting him who is in the midst of adorers!
Lord of the Sekti and of the Madet bark,
Which traverse for thee Nu in peace!
Thy crew rejoice
When they see the overthrow of the wicked one,
Whose members taste the knife;
The flame devoureth him;
His soul is more punished than his body;
That Nak serpent, he is deprived of movement.
The gods are in exultation,
The crew of Ra are in peace,
Heliopolis is in exultation,
The enemies of Turn are overthrown.
Karnak is in peace, Heliopolis is in exultation.
The heart of the uræus goddess is glad,
The enemies of her lord are overthrown;
The gods of Kheraha are in acclamation,
The dwellers in the sanctuaries are in obeisance;
They behold him mighty in his power.
Mighty prince of the gods!
Great one of Justice*, lord of Karnak,
In this thy name, "Doer of Justice*,"
Lord of Plenty, Peaceful Bull*;
In this thy name, "Amen, Bull of his Mother,"
Making mankind*, creating* all that is,
In this thy name of "Tum* Khepera*,"
Great hawk, adorning the breast!
Fair of face adorning the bosom.
Figure lofty of diadem.
The two uræi fly on wings before him,
The hearts of men run up to him [like dogs],
The illuminated ones turn towards him.
Adorning the two lands by his coming forth,
Hail to thee, Amen Ra, lord of the throne of the two lands!
His city loveth his rising.
This is the end,
in peace,
as it was found.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[Frequently in the tombs is figured a scene in which a harper plays before
the deceased. His song is ever on the same theme: Enjoy life while it lasts,
for all things pass away, and are succeeded by others which also perish in
their turn. Such were the encouragements to conviviality which the Egyptians
put into the mouths of their minstrels.
One of these songs was apparently engraved in front of the figure of a
harper in the tomb or pyramid of King Antef (of the XIth or perhaps XIIIth
Dynasty, not less than 2000 B.C.), and a copy of it has been handed down
to us on a papyrus of the XVIIIth Dynasty: fragments of the same song
are moreover preserved at Leyden on slabs from a tomb of the same period.
Part of another song of the same kind may be read on the walls of the
fine tomb of Neferhetep at Thebes (temp. XVIIIth Dynasty). This song
was a long one, but the latter part of it is now mutilated and hopelessly destroyed;
yet enough of the sequel remains to show that it rose to a somewhat
higher level of teaching than the first song, and counseled men to feed the
poor and to win a good name to leave behind them after death.
The songs seem to fall naturally into stanzas of ten lines each, though
the inscriptions and papyri on which they are preserved to us are not punctuated
to indicate these divisions. In the first song the ten lines fall readily
into pairs, thus producing five-line stanzas.]
Happy is this good lord! | A goodly fate is spoiled.
One body passeth | and others are set up since the time of the ancestors.
The gods[227] who were aforetime | rest in their sepulchres,
So also the nobles glorified | buried in their sepulchres.
Palaces are built and their places are not | behold what hath been done with them!
I have heard the words of Imhetep and Herdedef | who spake thus continually in their sayings:
"Behold their places, their walls are ruined | their places are not, as though they had not been.
None cometh thence to tell their lot | to tell their estate,
To strengthen our hearts | until ye approach the place to which they have gone."
Be thou of good cheer thereat | [as for me] my heart faileth me in singing thy dirge.
Follow thy heart so long as thou existest | put frankincense on thy head;
Be clothed in fine linen, be anointed with pure ben oil | things fit for a god.
Enjoy thyself beyond measure | let not thy heart faint.
Follow thy desire and thy happiness while thou art on earth | fret not thy heart till cometh to thee that day of lamentations.
The Still-of-Heart heareth not their lamentations | the heart of a man in the pit taketh no part in mourning.
With radiant face, make a good day,[228]
And rest not on it.
Behold, it is not given to a man to carry his goods with him!
Behold, there is none who hath gone,
And cometh back hither again!
O how weary! Truly a prince was he!
That good fate hath come to pass.
Bodies pass away since the time of God,
The youthful come in their place.
Ra presenteth himself every morning,
Tum[230] setteth in the Mountain of the West,
Men beget and women conceive;
Every nostril tasteth the breath of sunrise;
Those whom they bring forth—all of them—
They come in their stead.
Make holiday, O divine father!
Set gums and choice unguents of every kind for thy nose,
Garlands of lotuses on the shoulders,
And on the breast of thy sister, who is in thy heart,
Who sitteth at thy side.
Set singing and music before thy face,
Put all sorrow behind thee,
Bethink thyself of joys,
Until there cometh that day on which thou moorest at the land that loveth silence,
Before the heart of the son whom thou lovest is still.
Make holiday, O Neferhetep, Justified! | the excellent divine father, pure of hands!
There are heard all the things | that have happened to the ancestors who were aforetime;
Their walls are ruined | their places are not;
They are as though they had never been | since the time of the god.
May thy walls be established | may thy trees flourish on the bank of thy pond!
May thy soul sit beneath them | that it drink their waters!
Follow thy heart greatly | while thou art on earth.
Give bread to him | who is without plot of land.
Mayest thou gain a good name | for the eternal future!
Mayest thou....
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[In the British Museum there is a memorial tablet of Ptolemaic date for a
lady of highest sacerdotal descent, on her mother's side as well as on her
father's. She was married to the chief priest of Ptah, and on her death she
addresses her male relations and friends among the priests of chief rank with
words and sentiments very different from the orthodox prayers and formulæ
which cover the funerary stelæ of Pharaonic times; though much the same
line of thought found utterance in the songs of the harpers.]
O brother, husband, friend, thy desire to drink and to eat
hath not ceased, [therefore] be drunken, enjoy the love of
women, make holiday. Follow thy desire by night and by
day. Put not care within thine heart. Lo! are not these the
years of thy life upon earth? For as for Amenti, it is a land of
slumber and of heavy darkness, a resting-place for those who
have passed within it. Each sleepeth [there] in his own form;
they never more awake to see their fellows, they behold not
their fathers nor their mothers, their heart is careless of their
wives and children.
The water of life with which every mouth is moistened is
corruption to me, the water that is by me corrupteth me; I know
not what to do[231] since I came into this valley. Give me running
water; say to me: "Water shall not cease to be brought to thee."
Turn my face to the north wind upon the edge of the water.
Verily thus shall my heart be cooled, refreshed from its pain.[232]
Verily I think on him whose name is "Come!" All who are
called of him come to him instantly, their hearts terrified with
fear of him. There is none whom he regardeth among gods or
men; with him the great are as the small. His hand cannot
be held back from aught that he desireth; he snatcheth the child
from its mother, as well as the aged who are continually meeting
him on his way. All men fear and pray before him, but he
heedeth them not. None cometh to gaze on him in wonder; he
hearkeneth not unto them who adore him. He is not seen[233] that
propitiatory offerings of any kind should be made to him.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[The following is found on a papyrus of the XIIth Dynasty, preserved
at Berlin. After some obscure arguments the man apparently admits that the
present life is full of dissatisfaction, and proceeds.]
Death is ever before me [?] like the healing of a sick man, or like a rise in life after a fall.
Death is ever before me like the smell of frankincense, or like sitting under an awning on a day of cool breeze.[234]
Death is ever before me like the scent of lotuses, like sitting on the bank of the Land of Intoxication.[235]
Death is ever before me like a road watered [?], or as when a man cometh from a campaign to his home.
Death is ever before me like the unveiling of the sky, or as when a man attaineth to unexpected fortune.
Death is ever before me like as a man desireth to see his house when he hath spent many years in pulling [the oars?].[236]
Verily he that is therein is as a living god punishing the error of the evil-doer.
Verily he that is therein standeth in the boat of Ra and causeth choice viands to be given thence to the temples.[237]
Verily he that is therein is as a wizard; he is not prevented from complaining to Ra even as he would speak.
My soul said unto me:[238] "Lay aside [?] mourning, O Nessu my
brother, that thou mayest offer upon the altar even as thou fightest
for life, as thou sayest, 'Love me continually.' Thou hast refused
the grave; desire then that thou mayest reach the grave, that thy
body may join the earth, that I may hover [over thee] after thou art
weary. Let us then make a dwelling together."
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[It may be thought that the fundamental ideas of Egyptian morality
would be most succinctly expressed in the so-called 'Negative Confession'
contained in the 'Book of the Dead.' When the deceased appeared before
Osiris he was supposed to recite this confession, in which he alleged his freedom
from a long catalogue of sins: he repeated it in two forms. After the
XVIIIth Dynasty, B.C. 1500, it was considered as perhaps the most essential
of all the texts deposited in the tomb with the mummy, for the guidance of
the deceased person before his fate was finally settled. It is therefore to be
found in thousands of copies, but unfortunately this much-worn text is as
corrupt as most of the other sections of the Book of the Dead. The hack
scribes and calligraphists were content to copy without understanding it, often
bungling or wresting the sense according to their very imperfect lights. It is
seldom that different copies agree precisely in their readings: often the differences
are very material and leave the true sense altogether uncertain. Again,
even where the reading seems comparatively sure, the meaning remains
obscure, owing to the occurrence of rare words or expressions. All the
phrases begin with the negative "not."]
I have not done injury to men.
I have not oppressed those beneath me.[239]
I have not acted perversely [prevaricated?], instead of straightforwardly.
I have not known vanity.[240]
I have not been a doer of mischief.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I have not done what the gods abominate.
I have not turned the servant against his master.
I have not caused hunger.
I have not caused weeping.
I have not murdered.
I have not commanded murder.
I have not caused suffering to men.
I have not cut short the rations of the temples.
I have not diminished the offerings of the gods.
I have not taken the provisions of the blessed dead.
I have not committed fornication nor impurity in what was sacred to the god of my city.
I have not added to nor diminished the measures of grain.
I have not diminished the palm measure.
I have not falsified the cubit of land.
I have not added to the weights of the balance.
I have not nullified the plummet of the scales.
I have not taken milk from the mouth of babes.
I have not driven cattle from their herbage.[241]
I have not trapped birds, the bones of the gods.
I have not caught fish in their pools.[?]
I have not stopped water in its season.
I have not dammed running water.
I have not quenched fire when burning.[242]
I have not disturbed the cycle of gods when at their choice meats.
I have not driven off the cattle of the sacred estate.
I have not stopped a god in his comings forth.
I have not done injustice.
I have not robbed.
I have not coveted.[?]
I have not stolen.
I have not slain men.
I have not diminished the corn measure.
I have not acted crookedly.
I have not stolen the property of the gods.
I have not spoken falsehood.
I have not taken food away.
I have not been lazy.[?]
I have not trespassed.
I have not slain a sacred animal.
I have not been niggardly in grain.
I have not stolen....
I have not been a pilferer.
My mouth hath not run on.
I have not been a talebearer in business not mine own.
I have not committed adultery with another man's wife.
I have not been impure.
I have not made disturbance.
I have not transgressed.
My mouth hath not been hot.[243]
I have not been deaf to the words of truth.
I have not made confusion.
I have not caused weeping.
I am not given to unnatural lust.
I have not borne a grudge.
I have not quarreled.
I am not of aggressive hand.
I am not of inconstant mind.
I have not spoiled the color of him who washeth the god. [??]
My voice has not been too voluble in my speech.
I have not deceived nor done ill.
I have not cursed the king.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My voice is not loud.
I have not cursed God.
I have not made bubbles.[?]
I have not made [unjust] preferences.
I have not acted the rich man except in my own things.
I have not offended the god of my city.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[The advice given by Amenemhat I., the founder of the XIIth Dynasty,
to his son and successor Usertesen I. (about B.C. 2500), is a short composition
that was much in vogue during the New Kingdom as an exercise for
schoolboys. Six copies of portions or of the whole have survived to our
day; but with one exception all are very corrupt, and the text is extremely
difficult to translate. Our oldest copies appear to date from the middle of
the XIXth Dynasty (about B.C. 1300). But the composition itself must be
older than this; indeed, it may be a true record of the great King's charge
to his son.
The following seems to be the purpose and argument of the work. Amenemhat,
who has already virtually associated Usertesen with himself in the
kingdom, determines in consequence of a plot against his life to insure his
son's succession by announcing it in a formal manner. He has labored strenuously
and successfully for his own glory and for the good of his people, but
in return he is scarcely saved from ignominious dethronement or assassination
through a conspiracy formed in his own household. The moral to
be drawn from this is pointed out to his son with considerable bitterness and
scorn in the 'Teaching,' in which, however, Usertesen is promised a brilliant
reign if he will attend to his father's instructions.
It is perhaps worth while noticing that there is no expression of piety or
reference to the worship of divinities either in the precepts themselves or in
the narrative. The personified Nile is spoken of in a manner that would be
likely to offend its worshipers; but in the last section, the interpretation of
which is extremely doubtful, Amenemhat seems to acquiesce in the orthodox
views concerning the god Ra.
Usertesen's reign dates from Amenemhat's XXth year, and that his association
was then no secret but already formally acknowledged, is amply
proved. The King seems to feel already the approach of old age and death,
and though he lived on to assist his son with his counsel for no less than
ten years, it was apparently in retirement from public life.[244] The work has
been considered as a posthumous charge to Usertesen, but although certain
expressions seem to support this view, on the whole I think its correctness
improbable.
In several copies the text is divided by rubrics into fifteen paragraphs, and
the phrases are punctuated by dots placed above the lines. In the following
rendering the paragraphs are preserved, and summarized where they are too
difficult to translate. The incompleteness of the best text leaves the last two
paragraphs in almost hopeless confusion.]
1. [Title and introduction.]
Commencement in the teaching made by the majesty of the
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sehetepabra, Son of the
Sun, Amenemhat, justified, which he spake as a dividing
of truth[245] to his Son, the Universal Lord. Said he:—
"Shine forth as a God! Hearken to that I say to thee, that
thou mayest be king of the land and rule the territories, that
thou mayest excel in all wealth.
2. [Exhortation to caution in associating with subjects.]
"Let one be armored against his associates as a whole; it
befalleth that mankind turn their heart to him who inspireth
them with fear. Enter not to them singly; fill not thy heart
with a brother; know not an honored friend; make not to thyself
free-and-easy visitors, by which nothing is accomplished.
3. [Trust not to the aid of friends.]
"When thou liest down, keep to thyself thine own heart; for
friends exist not for a man on the day of troubles. I gave to
the beggar, and I made the orphan to exist[246]; I caused the man
of no position to obtain his purpose even as the man of position.
4. [Continuation of 3: Reward of his beneficence.]
"It was the eater of my food that made insurrection; he
to whom I gave a helping hand produced terror therewith; they
who put on my fine linen looked on me as shadows[247]; they who
were anointed with my frankincense defiled me while using it.
5. [Men forget the heroism of his achievements on their behalf,
though their happy condition speaks loudly of it; by forgetting
they lose much of the advantages he has procured them.]
"My portraits are among the living, my achievements among
men, making for me dirges that none heed, a great feat of
combat that none see. Behold, one fighteth for a lassoed ox,
that forgetteth yesterday. Good fortune is not complete for one
who cannot know it.[248]
6. [An attempt upon his life: circumstances of the attack.]
"It was after supper, and night was come on. I took an
hour of heart pleasure; I lay down upon my diwân; I sank-in-rest,
my heart began to follow slumber. Behold! weapons were
brandished [?], and there was conversation concerning me; while
I acted like the serpent of the desert.[249]
7. [Taken by surprise, he could not defend himself.]
"I awoke to fight; I was alone. I found that it was the
stroke of an ally. If I had taken swiftly the arms from his
hand I should have caused the cowards to retreat, by dint of
smiting round. But there is not a man of valor at night; there
is no fighting single-handed; there happens not a successful bout
in ignorance. Behold thou me.[250]
8. [Usertesen's association the only safeguard. Amenemhat
is not stern enough to rule Egypt longer, but he offers to assist
with his counsel.]
"Behold thou, [then?] abominable things came to pass when I
was without thee, because the courtiers had not heard that I had
handed on to thee [the kingdom], because I had not sat with
thee [on the throne]. Let me [then] make thy arrangements,[251]
for I do not confound them.[252] I am not ignorant of them, but
my heart does not remember the slackness of servants.
9. [The conspiracy was hatched in the palace itself; the commons
were hoodwinked; there was no ground for discontent.]
"Is it the function of women to captain assassins? Is the
interior of a house the nursery of insurgents? Is mining done
by dint of cutting through the snow?[253] The underlings were kept
ignorant of what they were doing. Ill fortunes have not come
behind me[254] since my birth; there has not been success like
mine in working to the measure of my ability.
10. [Amenemhat's activity.]
"I pushed up to Elephantine and I turned back to Natho;[255] I
stood upon the ends of the earth and saw its edge.[256] I carried
forward the boundaries of strength-of-arm[257] by my valor and by
my feats.
11. [His beneficent rule.]
"I was a maker of barley, beloved of Nepra[258]; the Nile begged
my mercy in every hollow. None were hungry in my years,
none were thirsty therein; the people sat [content] in what they
did, saying with reference to me, 'Every command is in its right
place.'
12. [His valor in war and in the chase.]
"I overcame lions, I captured crocodiles. I seized Wawat, I
carried away Mezay; I caused the Setiu to go like hounds.[259]
13. [The house and tomb that he built.]
"I built a house adorned with gold, its ceiling with blue,[260] its
walls having deep foundations, the gates of copper, the bolts of
bronze, made for everlasting....
14. [Usertesen is the sole guardian of its secrets: he is trusted
and beloved by the King and popular in the country.]
"There are numerous intricacies of passages. I know that the
successor will seek its beauties, for he knoweth it not without
thee. But thou art [?] my son Usertesen, as my feet walk;
thou art my own heart as my eyes see, born in a good hour,
with mortals who give thee praise.
15. [Amenemhat leaves Usertesen with the prospect of a brilliant
reign.]
"Behold, what I have done at the beginning thou hast arranged
finally. Thou art the haven of what was in my heart. All collectively
offer the white crown to [thee], the Seed of God, sealed
to its right place. Begin for thee greetings in the bark of Ra.[261]
Then a reign cometh of the first order, not of what I did in
working to the extent of my powers. Set up monuments and
make good thy tomb."...
This is its arrival.
[The so-called Prisse Papyrus was obtained at Thebes by the French
artist and Egyptologist who gave it the name by which it is now known. It
is a celebrated document, though as yet but little understood. The language
being difficult and the text in many places corrupt, it is useless to offer a
complete translation. In the following, several passages are omitted altogether,
and the most uncertain portions are italicized, and even of what remains very
little can be guaranteed. The beginning is lost; the first two pages contain
the end of a book of proverbs, the text of which falls naturally into sections,
although it is not divided by rubrics.]
1. [The first section lays down axioms in regard to discretion
in speech.
"The cautious man succeeds; the accurate man is praised; to
the man of silence the sleeping-chamber is opened. Wide
scope hath he who is acquiescent in his speech; knives
are set against him who forceth his way wrongfully. Let no
one approach out of his turn."
2. [In regard to food: abstinence.]
"If thou sittest [at meat] with a company, hate the bread
that thou desirest—it is a little moment. Restrain appetite; gluttony
is base.... A cup of water, it quencheth the thirst; a
mouthful of melon, it stayeth the appetite. It is a good thing to
make substitute for a luxury [or, that which is good can replace
a luxury]; a little of a small matter can replace a great thing.
It is a base fellow who is mastered by his belly, who passeth time
that he wotteth not, free ranging of his belly in their houses."
3. [When with a great eater or drinker, offend not by over-abstinence.]
"If thou sittest at meat with a gormandizer and eatest [?],
his desire departeth; if thou drinkest with a toper and takest
wine, his heart is satisfied. Be not afraid of meat in company
with the greedy; take what he giveth thee; refuse it not, for it
will humor him."
4. [Against surliness.]
"If there be a man devoid of sociability [lit., making himself
known], on whom no word hath power, sulky of countenance
to him who would soften the heart by being gracious to him;
he is rude to his mother and to his people, every one [crieth]:
'Let thy name come forth! thou art silent with the mouth when
spoken to.'"[262]
5. [Against over-confidence in view of the uncertainties of
life.]
"Let not thy heart be proud for valor in the midst of thy
troops. Beware of overbearingness [?]: one knoweth not what
shall happen; what a god will do when he striketh."
[These proverbs were evidently set in a short story, calculated to point the
moral that obedience to wise teaching leads to preferment. The introductory
part has gone with the beginning of the document; but here at the end of
the book there is a passage showing that they were composed by a wazîr,
i. e., by the chief administrative official of the kingdom. He read them to
his children; one of whom, it seems, named Kagemni, afterwards succeeded to
the wazîrship. The following is the translation of this concluding text.]
The wazîr caused his children to be summoned when he had
finished the conduct of men;[263] they rejoiced greatly at coming;
therefore when he said to them:—"Verily, all things
that are in writing on this roll, obey them as I say [them];[264] do
not pass beyond what is commanded," they [the children] cast
themselves upon their bellies and read them even as they were
written; they were good within them[265] more than anything that
is in the whole land; their uprising and their downsitting was
according thereto.
Then the majesty of King Huni moored his ship;[266]then was
set up the majesty of King Sneferu as the good King in this
whole land. Then Kagemni was appointed governor of the royal
city, and wazîr.
This is its arrival.[267]
[Huni was the last king of the IIId Dynasty, Seneferu the founder of the
IVth Dynasty, and Kagemni is a name found in some of the earliest inscribed
tombs; but the language, at least of this last paragraph, betrays the style of
the Middle Kingdom. The proverbs themselves may be much earlier.
After a blank the second text begins.]
[This is another collection of proverbs, in sixteen pages, and with the rubrics
marked. Small fragments from a duplicate copy of this book of proverbs
show considerable variation from the Prisse text, and prove the corruptness
and uncertainty of the latter. It is however quite complete. We are able
to give a list of the contents of the sections, most of which are very brief,
and to append to the headings translations of a considerable proportion of
the whole. Further study will doubtless throw light on much that is still
obscure.
General Title and Introduction: The wazîr Ptahhetep addresses the King,
and recounts the evils of old age.[268] Having received the command to take his
son into his office of wazîr, he desires to teach him the rules of conduct
observed in the time when the gods reigned over Egypt. The King approves,
and bids him commence his instruction.]
The governor of the royal city, and wazîr Ptahhetep, saith:—
"O King my lord, years come on, old age befalleth, decrepitude
arriveth, weakness is renewed, he lieth helpless day
by day; the two eyes are contracted, the ears are dull, strength
diminisheth from weariness of heart; the mouth is silent and
speaketh not, the heart is closed and remembereth not yesterday;
... good becometh evil, all taste departeth; old age is evil
for man in every way: the nose is stopped and breatheth not,
standing and sitting are [alike] weary [?].
"It hath been commanded the servant[269] to make a successor.[270]
Let me tell unto him the sayings of those who obeyed,[271] the
conduct of them of old, of them who obeyed the gods; would
that the like may be done to thee,[272] that ill may be banished
from among the Rekhyt, and the two lands serve thee."
Said the Majesty of this god:—
"Teach him according to the words of former days; let him
do what is admirable for the sons of the nobles, so that to enter
and listen unto his words will be the due training of every
heart; and that which he saith shall not be a thing producing
satiety."
[Title and aim of the proverbs.]
Beginning of the proverbs of good words spoken by the ha-prince,[273]
the father of the god who loves the god,[274] the King's
eldest son of his body, the governor of the city and wazîr, Ptahhetep,
as teaching the ignorant to know according to the rule of
good words, expounding the profit to him who shall hearken unto
it, and the injury to him who shall transgress it. He saith unto
his son:—
1. [Be not proud of thy learning: there is always more to
learn.]
"Let not thy heart be great because of thy knowledge; converse
with the ignorant as with the learned: the boundary of
skill is not attainable; there is no expert who is completely provided
with what is profitable to him: good speech is hidden more
than the emeralds[275] that are found by female slaves on the pebbles."
2. [Silence will be the best weapon against a more able debater
than thyself.]
"If thou findest a debater[276] in his moment,[277] persuading the
heart[278] as more successful than thyself: droop thy arms, bend thy
back, let not thy heart challenge him; then he will not reach unto
thee.[279] Be sparing of evil words, as if declining to refute him in
his moment. He will be called ignorant of things, while thy heart
restraineth its wealth."[280]
3. [Refute the bad arguments of an equal in debate.]
"If thou findest a debater in his moment, thine equal, who is
within thy reach, to whom thou canst cause thyself to become
superior: be not silent when he speaketh evil; a great thing is
the approval of the hearers, that thy name should be good in the
knowledge of the nobles."[281]
4. [A feeble debater can be left to refute himself.]
"If thou findest a debater in his moment, a poor man, that
is to say, not thine equal, let not thine heart leap out at him
when he is feeble. Let him alone, let him refute himself, question
him not overmuch.[282] Do not wash the heart[283] of him who
agreeth with [?] thee: it is painful, despising the poor, ...
thou strikest him with the punishment of nobles."[284]
5. [A leader of men should use his authority for justice.]
"If thou art a guide, commanding the conduct of a company,
seek for thyself every good aim, so that thy policy may be without
error;[?] a great thing is justice, enduring and surviving[285]; it
is not upset since the time of Osiris; he who departs from the
laws is punished and ... It is the modest[?] that obtain
wealth; never did the greedy[?] arrive at their aim; he saith, 'I
have captured for mine own self;' he saith not, 'I have captured
by [another's'] command.' The end of justice is that it endureth
long; such as a man will say, 'It is from [?] my father.'"
6. [Be not a disturber of the peace.]
"Make not terror amongst men;[286] God punisheth the like.
There is the man that saith, 'Let him live thereby who is without
the bread of his lips.' There is the man that saith,
'Strong is he who saith, I have captured for myself what I have
recognized.' There is the man who saith, 'Let him smite
another who attaineth, in order to give to him who is in want:'
never did violence among men succeed: what God commandeth
cometh to pass. Then[287] thou mayest live in a palace; pleasure cometh,
and people give things freely."
7. [Behavior to a patron.]
"If thou art a man of those who sit at the place of a greater
man than thyself, take what he giveth with thy hand to thy
nose;[288] thou shalt look at what is before thee; pierce him not
with many glances; it is abomination to the soul for them to be
directed at him. Speak not unto him until he calleth: one knoweth
not the evil at heart [that it causeth]; thou shalt speak when
he questioneth thee, and then what thou sayest will be good to
the heart. The noble who hath excess of bread, his procedure
is as his soul[289] commandeth; he will give to him whom he praiseth:
it is the manner of night-time.[290] It befalleth that it is the
soul that openeth his hands. The noble giveth; it is not that the
man winneth [the gift]. The eating of bread is under the management
of God: it is the ignorant that rebelleth [?] against it."
8. [Behavior of a man sent on business from one lord to another.]
"If thou art a man that entereth, sent by a noble to a noble,
be exact in the manner of him who sendeth thee; do the business
for him as he saith. Beware of making ill feeling by words
that would set noble against noble, in destroying justice; do not
exaggerate it; but the washing of the heart shall not be repeated
in the speech of any man, noble or commoner: that is abomination
of the soul."
9. [Gain thy living at thy business; do not sponge on relations,
nor hunt legacies.]
"If thou plowest, labor steadily in the field, that God may
make it great in thine hand; let not thy mouth be filled at thy
neighbor's table. It is a great thing to make disturbance of the
silent. Verily he who possesseth prudence is as the possessor of
goods: he taketh like a crocodile from the officials. [?] Beg not as
a poor man of him who is without children, and make no boast
of him. The father is important when the mother that beareth
is wanting, and another woman is added unto her:[291] a man may
produce a god such that the tribe shall pray [to be allowed] to
follow him."
10. [If unsuccessful, take work under a good master; be respectful
to those who have risen in the world.]
"If thou failest, follow a successful man; let all thy conduct
be good before God. When thou knowest that a little man hath
advanced, let not thine heart be proud towards him by reason
of what thou knowest of him; a man who hath advanced, be
respectful to him in proportion to what hath arrived to him;
for behold, possessions do not come of themselves, it is their
[the gods'] law for those whom they love: verily he who hath
risen, he hath been prudent for himself, and it is God that maketh
his success; and he would punish him for it if he were indolent."
11. [Take reasonable recreation.]
"Follow thy heart the time that thou hast; do not more than
is commanded; diminish not the time of following the heart; that
is abomination to the soul, that its moment[292] should be disregarded.
Spend not [on labor] the time of each day beyond what
[is necessary] for furnishing thy house. When possessions are
obtained, follow the heart; for possessions are not made full use
of if [the owner] is weary."
12. [Treatment of a son.]
"If thou art a successful man and thou makest a son by
God's grace [?], if he is accurate, goeth again in thy way and
attendeth to thy business on the proper occasion, do unto him
every good thing: he is thy son to whom it belongeth, that thy
Ka begat: estrange not thy heart from him; inheritance [?] maketh
quarrels. [?] If he err and transgress thy way, and refuseth [?]
everything said while his mouth babbleth vain words...."
13. [Be patient in the law court.]
"If thou art in the council hall, standing and sitting until thy
going [forward], that hath been commanded for thee on the
earliest day: go not away if thou art kept back, while the
face is attentive to him who entereth and reporteth, and the place
of him who is summoned is broad.[293] The council hall is according
to rule, and all its method according to measure. It is God
that promoteth position; it is not done to those who are ready of
elbows."
14. [Make friends with all men.]
15. [Report progress, whether good or evil, to your chief.]
16. [A leader with wide instructions should pursue a far-sighted
policy.]
17. [A leader should listen to complaints.]
18. [Beware of women.]
"If thou wishest to prolong friendship in a house into which
thou enterest as master, as brother, or as friend, [in fact in] any
place that thou enterest, beware of approaching the women: no
place in which that is done prospereth. The face is not watchful
in attaining it. A thousand men are injured in order to be
profited for a little moment, like a dream, by tasting which
death is reached."...
19. [Keep from injustice or covetousness.]
"If thou desirest thy procedure to be good, take thyself from
all evil: beware of any covetous aim. That is as the painful
disease of colic. He who entereth on it is not successful. It
embroileth fathers and mothers with the mother's brothers, it
separateth wife and husband. It is a thing that taketh to itself
all evils, a bundle of all wickedness. A man liveth long whose
rule is justice, who goeth according to its [the rule's] movements.
He maketh a property thereby, while a covetous man hath no
house."
20. [Be satisfied with a fair share.]
"Let not thine heart be extortionate about shares, in grasping
at what is not thy portion. Let not thy heart be extortionate
towards thy neighbors: greater is the prayer to a kindly person
than force. Poor is he that carrieth off his neighbors [by violence]
without the persuasion of words. A little for which there
hath been extortion maketh remorse when the blood[294] is cool."
21. [Pay attention to thy wife when thou hast attained a
competence.]
"If thou art successful and hast furnished thine house, and lovest
the wife of thy bosom, fill her belly, clothe her back. The
medicine for her body is oil. Make glad her heart during the
time that thou hast. She is a field profitable to its owner."...
22. [Entertain visitors with thy means.]
23. [Do not repeat scandal [?].]
24. [Talk not of unfamiliar things in the council.]
25. [Advice to an able speaker.]
"If thou art strong, inspiring awe by knowledge or by pleasing,
speak in first command; that is to say, not according to
[another's] lead. The weak man [?] entereth into error. Raise
not thine heart, lest it be cast down. Be not silent. Beware of
interruption and of answering words with heat [?].... The
flames of a fiery heart sweep away the mild man, when a fighter
treadeth on his path. He who doth accounts all day long hath
not a pleasant moment; he who enjoyeth himself all day long
doth not provide his house. The archer will hit his mark even
as he that worketh the rudder, at one time letting it alone, at
another pulling; he that obeyeth his heart [conscience?] shall
command."
26. [Do not add to others' burdens.]
27. [Teach a noble what will profit him.]
28. [Deliver an official message straightforwardly.]
29. [Call not to remembrance favors that you have bestowed,
when the recipient has ceased to thank you.]
30. [Advice to one that has risen in the world.]
"If thou gainest great after small things and makest wealth
after poverty, so that thou art an example thereof in thy city,
thou art known in thy nome and thou art become prominent: do
not wrap up [?] thy heart in thy riches that have come to thee
by the gift of God,... another like unto thee to whom the
like hath fallen."
31. [Obedience to chief.]
"Bend thy back to thy chief, thy superior of the king's
house, on whose property thine house dependeth, and thy payments[295]
in their proper place. It is ill to be at variance with the
chief. One liveth [only] while he is gracious."...
32. [Against lewdness.]
33. [Judge a friend's character at first hand.]
"If thou seekest the character of a friend, mind thou, do not
ask; go to him, occupy thyself with him alone so as not to interfere
with his business. Argue with him after a season, test [?]
his heart with an instance of speech."...
34. [Be cheerful to friends.]
"Let thy face be shining the time that thou hast: verily that
which cometh out of the store doth not enter again; but bread is
for apportionment, and he that is niggardly is an accuser, empty
of his belly. It befalleth that a quarrelsome man is a spoiler of
things; do it not unto him who cometh unto thee. The remembrance
of a man is of his kindliness in the years after the staff
[of power?]."[296]
35. [Importance of credit.]
"Know[297] thy tradesman when thy affairs are unsuccessful; thy
good reputation with thy friend is a channel well filled; it is
more important than a man's wealth. The property of one
belongeth to another. A profitable thing is the good reputation of
a man's son to him. The nature is better than the memory."[?]
36. [Punish for an example, instruct for the principle.]
37. [Treat kindly a seduced woman.]
"If thou makest a woman ashamed, wanton of heart, whom
her fellow townspeople know to be under two laws,[298] be kind to
her a season; send her not away, let her have food to eat. The
wantonness of her heart appreciateth guidance."
38. [Advantage of obedience to rule.]
"If thou hearkenest to these things that I tell thee, and all
thy behavior is according to what precedeth,[299] verily they have a
true course. They are precious, their memory goeth in the
mouth of men by reason of the excellence of their phrasing;
and each saying is carried on; it is not destroyed out of this
land ever; it maketh a rule to advantage by which the nobles
may speak. It is a teaching for a man that he may speak to
the future. He that heareth them becometh an expert. A good
hearer speaketh to the future of what he hath heard. If good
fortune befalleth by reason of him who is at the head of affairs,
it is to him good forever, and all his satisfactoriness remaineth
to eternity. It is he who knoweth that blesseth his soul[300] in
establishing his excellence upon earth: he who knoweth hath
satisfaction of his knowledge. A noble[301] taketh his right course
in what his heart and his tongue provide; his lips are correct
when he speaketh, his eyes in seeing, his ears just in hearing; a
profitable thing for his son is doing right, free from wrong.
"It is a profitable thing for the son of one who hath hearkened
[to instruction] to hearken [to his father], entering and listening
to a hearkener. A hearkener becometh a person hearkened to,
good in hearkening and good in speech; a hearkener possesseth
what is profitable: profitable to the hearkener is hearkening.
Hearkening is better than anything: it befalleth indeed that love
is good, but twice good is it when a son receiveth what his
father saith: old age cometh to him therewith. He who loveth
God hearkeneth, he who hateth God doth not hearken: it is the
heart that maketh its possessor hearken or not hearken, and the
Life, Prosperity, and Health[302] of a man is his heart. The
hearkener heareth what is said. He that loveth to hear doeth
according to what is said. Twice good is it for a son to hearken
to his father. How happy is he to whom these things are told!
A son, he shineth as possessing the quality of hearkening. The
hearkener to whom they are told, he is excellent in body. He
that is pious-and-well-pleasing[303] to his father, his memory is in
the mouth of the living who are upon earth, whoever they
shall be."
39. [The docile son.]
"If the son of a man receive what his father saith, no plan of
his shall fail. [He whom] thou teachest as thy son, or the
listener that is successful in the heart of the nobles, he guideth
his mouth according to what he hath been told. He that
beholdeth is as he that obeyeth, i. e., a son[304]; his ways are distinguished.
He faileth that entereth without hearing. He that
knoweth, on the next day is established; he who is ignorant is
crushed."[305]
40. [The ignorant and unteachable man is a miserable failure.]
GREEK UNCIAL WRITING.
Letter of Dioscorides to Dorian, from a Manuscript on papyrus, found
in a sealed clay vessel in an Egyptian tomb.
Written in the IIIrd century B.C.
41. [The handing down of good precepts.]
"The son of a hearkener is as an Attendant of Horus[306]: there
is good for him when he hath hearkened; he groweth old, he
reacheth Amakh[307]; he telleth the like to his children, renewing
the teaching of his father. Every man teacheth as he hath performed;
he telleth the like to his sons, that they may tell again
to their children.[308] Do what is admirable; cause not thyself to be
mocked;[?] establish truth that thy children may live. If virtue
entereth, vice departeth: then men who shall see such-like shall
say, 'Behold, that man spoke to one who hearkened!' and
they shall do the like; or 'Behold, that man was observant.'
All shall say, 'They pacify the multitude; riches are not complete
without them.'[309] Add not a word, nor take one away; put
not one in the place of another. Guard thyself against opening
the lacunæ[?] that are in thee. Guard thyself against being told,
'One who knoweth is listening; mark thou. Thou desirest to
be established in the mouth of those who hear[310] when thou
speakest. But thou hast entered on the business of an expert;
thou speakest of matters that belong to us, and thy way is not
in its proper place.'"
42. [Speak with consideration.]
"Let thy heart be overflowing, let thy mouth be restrained:
consider how thou shalt behave among the nobles. Be exact in
practice with thy master: act so that he may say, 'The son of
that man shall speak to those that shall hearken. Praiseworthy
also is he who formed him.'
"Apply thine heart while thou art speaking, that thou mayest
speak things of distinction; then the nobles who shall hear will
say, 'How good is that which proceedeth out of his mouth!'"
43. [Obedience to the master.]
"Do according to that thy master telleth thee. How excellent
[to a man] is the teaching of his father, out of whom he hath
come, out of his very body, and who spake unto him while he
was yet altogether in his loins! Greater is what hath been done
unto him than what hath been said unto him. Behold, a good
son that God giveth doeth beyond what he is told for his master;
he doeth right, doing heartily [?] in his goings even as thou
hast come unto me, that thy body may be sound, that the King
may be well pleased with all that is done, that thou mayest
spend years of life. It is no small thing that I have done on
earth; I have spent 110 years[311] of life while the King gave me
praises as among the ancestors, by my doing uprightly to the
King until the state of Amakh.[312]"
This is its arrival
like that which was found in the writing.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
[The following extracts are reproduced from the German of Professor
Erman's translation.]
"Keep thyself from the strange woman who is not known in
her city. Look not upon her when she cometh, and know
her not. She is like unto a whirlpool in deep water, the
whirling vortex of which is not known. The woman whose husband
is afar writeth unto thee daily. When none is there to see
her, she standeth up and spreadeth her snare; sin unto death is
it to hearken thereto." Hence he who is wise will renounce her
company and take to himself a wife in his youth. A man's own
house is "the best thing," and also "she will give unto thee a
son who shall be as the image of thyself."...
[Thy debt to thy mother.]
Thou shalt never forget thy mother and what she hath done
for thee, "that she bore thee, and nurtured thee in all ways."
Wert thou to forget her then might she blame thee, "lifting up
her arms unto God, and he would hearken unto her complaint.
For she carried thee long beneath her heart as a heavy burden,
and after thy months were accomplished she bore thee. Three
long years she carried thee upon her shoulder and gave thee her
breast to thy mouth." She nurtured thee, nor knew offense
from thine uncleanness. "And when thou didst enter the school
and wast instructed in the writings, daily she stood by the master
with bread and beer from her house."
[Be not drunken with beer.]
Drink not beer to excess! That which cometh forth from thy
mouth thou canst no longer speak. Thou fallest down, thou
breakest thy limbs, and none stretcheth out a hand to thee. Thy
companions drink on; they arise and say, "Away with this one
who hath drunken." When one cometh to seek thee, to seek
counsel of thee, he findeth thee lying in the dust like a little
child.
[Of inward piety.]
"Clamor is abhorrent to the sanctuary of God; let thy prayers
for thyself come forth out of a loving heart, whose words remain
secret, that he may grant thee thy needs, may hear thy prayer,
and accept thine offering."
[Of diligence and discretion.]
Be diligent; "let thine eye be open that thou mayest not go
forth as a beggar, for the man who is idle cometh not to honor."
Be not officious and indiscreet, and "enter not [uninvited] into
the house of another; if thou enter at his bidding thou art honored.
Look not around thee, look not around thee in the house
of another. What thine eye seeth, keep silence concerning it,
and tell it not without to another, that it be not in thee a crime
to be punished by death when it is heard." Speak not overmuch,
"for men are deaf to him who maketh many words; but
if thou art silent thou art pleasing, therefore speak not." Above
all be cautious in speech, for "the ruin of a man is on his
tongue. The body of a man is a storehouse, which is full of all
manner of answers. Wherefore choose thou the good and speak
good, while the evil remaineth shut up within thy body."
[Of manners.]
Behave with propriety at table and "be not greedy to fill thy
body." And "eat not bread while another standeth by and thou
placest not thy hand on the bread for him. The one is rich and
the other is poor, and bread remaineth with him who is open-handed.
He who was prosperous last year, even in this may be
a vagrant.[?]" Never forget to show respect, "and sit not down
while another is standing who is older than thou, or who is
higher than thou in his office."
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
When Dauf the sage of Sebennytus went up to the Royal
Residence with his son Pepy to take him to the "Court
Writing-School," he admonished him "to set his heart
upon writing, to love it as his mother, for there is naught that
surpasseth it." He thereupon composes a poem in praise of the
profession, to the disparagement of all other callings:—
"Behold, there is no profession that is not under rule;
Only the man of learning himself ruleth."
And then,
"Never have I seen the engraver an ambassador,
Or the goldsmith with an embassy;
But I have seen the smith at his work
At the mouth of his furnace;
His fingers were as crocodile [hide],
He stank more than fish-roe.
"A craftsman who plieth the chisel
Is wearied more than he who tilleth the soil;
Wood is his field, and bronze his implement;
At night—is he released?
He worketh more than his arms are able;
At night he lighteth a light."
Etc., etc.
[The praise of learning was a favorite subject with pedagogue
and parent. According to other sages] "the unlearned
whose name no man knoweth, is like unto a heavy-laden ass,
driven by the scribe," while "he who hath set learning in his
heart" is exempt from labor "and becometh a wise noble."
"The rank of a scribe is princely; his writing outfit and his
papyrus roll bring comfort and wealth." "The scribe alone
guideth the labor of all men; but if labor in writing is hateful
to him, then the goddess of good fortune is not with him."
"O scribe, be not lazy, be not lazy, else thou shalt be soundly
chastised; give not thy heart to vain desires, or thou wilt come
to ruin. Book in hand, read with thy mouth, and take the advice
of those who know more than thyself. Prepare for thyself the
office of a noble, that thou mayest attain thereto when thou art
become old. Happy is the scribe clever in all his offices. Be
strong and diligent in daily work. Pass no day idly, or thou
wilt be flogged, for the ears of a boy are on his back, and he
heareth when he is flogged. Let thine heart hear what I say; it
will bring thee to fortune. Be strong in asking advice; do not
overlook it in writing; be not disgusted at it. Therefore let
thine heart hear my words; thou shalt find fortune thereby."
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
[The following is a sample of the warnings to young men to stick to the
business of the scribe and not be led away by the charms of out-door life,
always so dear to the Egyptian.—Date XIXth Dynasty, or earlier.]
It is told to me that thou hast cast aside learning, and givest
thyself to dancing; thou turnest thy face to the work in the
fields, and castest the divine words behind thee.
Behold, thou rememberest not the condition of the fellâh,
when the harvest is taken over. The worms carry off half the
corn, and the hippopotamus devours the rest; mice abound in the
fields, and locusts arrive; the cattle devour, the sparrows steal.
How miserable is the lot of the fellâh! What remains on the
threshing-floor, robbers finish it up. The bronze ... are
worn out, the horses [oxen?] die with threshing and plowing.
Then the scribe moors at the bank who is to take over the
harvest;[313] the attendants[314] bear staves, the negroes carry palmsticks.
They say, "Give corn!" But there is none. They beat
[the fellâh] prostrate; they bind him and cast him into the canal,
throwing him headlong. His wife is bound before him, his children
are swung off; his neighbors let them go, and flee to look
after their corn.
But the scribe is the leader of labor for all; he reckons to
himself the produce in winter, and there is none that appoints
him his tale of produce. Behold, now thou knowest!
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
They tell me that thou forsakest books,
And givest thyself up to pleasure.
Thou goest from street to street;
Every evening the smell of beer,
The smell of beer, frightens people away from thee,
It bringeth thy soul to ruin.
Thou art like a broken helm,
That obeyeth on neither side.
Thou art as a shrine without its god,
As a house without bread.
Thou art met climbing the walls,
And breaking through the paling:
People flee from thee,
Thou strikest them until they are wounded.
Oh that thou didst know that wine is an abomination,
And that thou wouldst forswear the Shedeh drink!
That thou wouldst not put cool drinks within thy heart,
That thou wouldst forget the Tenreku.
But now thou art taught to sing to the flute,
To recite [?] to the pipe,
To intone to the lyre,
To sing to the harp,
[and generally to lead a life of dissipation.]
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
