Chapter 15

FOOTNOTES[1]The italicized phrases represent the principal names of the King.[2]The temple of Karnak.[3]Horus as the winged disk of the sun, so often figured as a protecting symbol over the doors of temples.[4]The coloration or configuration of his limbs indicated to the learned in such matters his victorious career. Mentu was the god of war.[5]The southern boundary of the Egyptian empire.[6]Baka, Meama, Buhen were in Nubia.[7]The castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis).[8]The underworld.[9]The fellâhîn herdsmen of the time seem to have clubbed together into gangs, each of which was represented by a ganger, and the whole body by a superintendent of the gangs.[10]Corvée work for the government.[11]I. e., he did not impress men (wrongfully?) for the government works, such as irrigation or road-making.[12]An asterisk (*) attached to the title of a text indicates that a translation of part or all of it is printed in the following pages.[13]Lower Nubia.[14]District about the first cataract.[15]A name often applied to the great river Nile.[16]The usual Egyptian attitude of respect to a superior was to stand bent slightly forward, holding the arms downward.[17]The polytheistic Egyptians frequently used the term "God" without specifying any particular deity; perhaps, too, in their own minds they did not define the idea, but applied it simply to some general notion of Divinity.[18]Punt was the "land of spices" to the Egyptian, and thence, too, the finest incense was brought for the temple services. It included Somaliland in Africa, and the south of Arabia.[19]This paragraph is very difficult to restore and very doubtful.[20]I. e., the King Sehetepabra Amenemhat I., whose death is recorded in the next clause.[21]The king's city, and so throughout the story.[22]The land of the Temehu was in the Libyan desert on the west of Egypt.[23]Usertesen I., the son and heir of Amenemhat I., reigned ten years jointly with his father.[24]I. e., the western edge of Lower Egypt.[25]Perhaps this refers to the death of the king, or to the deliberations of the royal councilors.[26]Apparently a term for the king.[27]Sanehat, accidentally hearing the news of the old king's death, which was kept secret even from the members of the royal family, was overcome with agitation and fled.[28]It was of course night-time.[29]The Royal Residence called Athet-taui lay on the boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt, between Memphis and the entrance to the Faiyûm, and so in the direction which Sanehat at first took in his flight from the western edge of the Delta. One might prefer the word Capital to Residence, but it can hardly be doubted that Thebes and Memphis were then the real capitals of Egypt.[30]Perhaps the meaning is that Sanehat did not imagine life possible "after the king's death," or it may be "outside the Residence." The pronoun for "it" is masculine, and may refer either to the palace or to the king.[31]Or possibly "I turned my course," turning now northward.[32]Or possibly "the next day."[33]Here the MS. is injured, and some of the words are doubtful. The quarries are those still worked for hard quartzite at Jebel Ahmar (Red Mountain), northeast of Cairo. The positions of most of the places mentioned in the narrative are uncertain. Doubtless Sanehat crossed the Nile just above the fork of the Delta and landed in the neighborhood of the quarries. The "Mistress" (Heryt), must be a goddess, or the queen.[34]Asiatics and Bedawin.[35]Kemur was one of the Bitter Lakes in the line of the present Suez Canal.[36]Possibly one of the three persons proposed as hostages to Egypt below, p. 5246. The word translated "alien" is uncertain. It may mean a kind of consul or mediator between the tribes for the purposes of trade, etc., or simply a "sheikh." Sanehat himself, returned from Egypt in his old age, is called by the same title, p. 5248.[37]Or possibly Adim,i. e., Edom; and so throughout.[38]Later called Upper Retenu: they were the inhabitants of the high lands of Palestine. Ammi was a divine name in Ancient Arabia, and the name Ammi-anshi, found in South-Arabian inscriptions, perhaps of 1000 B.C., is almost identical with that of the king who befriended Sanehat.[39]These words appear to have been omitted by the scribe.[40]I. e., What does Egypt do without the king?[41]The goddess of destruction.[42]Lit, "stick."[43]A metaphor for the "policy," "will," of a king or god.[44]Meaning "reeds" (?).[45]I. e., of Pharaoh; see above, p. 5238.[46]A difficult passage.[47]Without any pause or introduction Sanehat begins to quote from his petition to the King of Egypt. It is difficult to say whether this arrangement is due to an oversight of the scribe, or is intended to heighten the picturesqueness of the narrative by sudden contrast. The formal introduction might well be omitted as uninteresting. The end of the document with the salutations is preserved.[48]A phrase for the queen.[49]The narrator.[50]The scribe has written Amenemhat by mistake for Usertesen.[51]Or Adim; see above, p. 5239, note.[52]The queen, his exalted mistress.[53]Taking part in the councils of the king and in the administration of the kingdom.[54]This seems to refer to the so-called false door, representing the entrance to the underworld. All that precedes refers to burial with great ceremony.[55]I. e., of the king's command. The absence of any concluding salutation is noticeable.[56]The Ka or "double" was one of the spiritual constituents of man; but "thy Ka" is merely a mode of address to the exalted Pharaoh.[57]I. e., the uræus or cobra.[58]In this long array of gods, Mentu and Amen rank next to Ra. They were both worshiped at Thebes, which was then probably capital of the whole country. It certainly was so in the next dynasty, during which this tale was presumably written down. It is curious that Ptah the god of Memphis does not appear.[59]The place of the dead.[60]As dogs do the bidding of their master and spare his property.[61]As a man of Natho (the marshes in the north of the Delta) dreams that he is at Elephantine (the rocky southern frontier).[62]The second is the name of the southernmost nome of Egypt, that of Elephantine, which has practically no corn-land. It was probably made fruitful by artificial irrigation, with culture of plants, trees, and vines.[63]So the MS., and it conveys a fair meaning; but perhaps the original ran, "Behold,thouart in the palace and I am in this place yet," etc.[64]Or, "Now thy servant hath finished."[65]Sanehat's own territory; see p. 5241.[66]A frequent phrase for the writer or narrator, especially common in letters.[67]"Nodding and touching my forehead" is perhaps the real translation of some difficult words here paraphrased.[68]Probably the Residence; more commonly called Athet-taui, but here abbreviated in name.[69]Or perhaps "very early."[70]This probably means "four men behind me and the same number in front," either conducting Sanehat or more probably carrying him in a litter.[71]Instead of Egyptian priests.[72]These instruments rattled or clattered as they were waved or beaten together.[73]A form of Hathor.[74]Samehit "son of the north," is a play on the name Sanehat, "son of the sycamore."[75]The treasury containing silver, gold, clothing, wine, and valuables of all kinds.[76]Meaning "wanderers on the Sand," Bedawin.[77]The Hathors were seven goddesses who attended the birth of a child in order to tell its fate. They somewhat correspond to the fairy godmothers of later fairy tales.[78]Syria.[79]The Egyptians shaved their heads and wore wigs, as a matter of cleanliness in a hot climate.[80]The sun.[81]Ra Harakhti was the chief of this Ennead. Khnumu, one of his companion gods, was the craftsman, sometimes represented as fashioning mankind upon the potter's wheel.[82]I. e., in the matter of the trees.[83]"To make a good day"—to keep holiday, to hold festival.[84]This apparently means that he was enrolled as one to be educated as a learned scribe.[85]I. e., as we should say, "he did nothing in the world but walk in the cemetery of Memphis," etc.[86]The realm of Osiris as god of the dead.[87]It is difficult to locate this lake in accordance with the actual geography of Egypt.[88]A frequent phrase for extreme delight or amazement.[89]There seems to be some reference to past history in this.[90]An idiomatic phrase like "he caused his hand to go after the roll" for "put out his hand to take the roll," p. 5272.[91]Wax was the regular material used for the manufacture of models which were intended to be used in the practice of magic.[92]The place of embalmment.[93]A similar method is still employed by Arab doctors and wizards. To heal a disease a formula is written out and then washed off the paper in a bowl of water, which is given to the patient to drink.[94]Cf. Job i., 12.[95]I. e., above him.[96]An expression for death, like our "gone home."[97]I. e., "May he live as long as the Sun god."[98]The presence of names compounded with the name of Anher, god of Sebennytus, indicates that the story was written during or after the supremacy of that city, at the end of the native rule.[99]Setna Kha-em-uast was high priest of Ptah.[100]Evidently a strong expression, to show the instantaneous and powerful effect of the amulets in drawing him out of the ground.[101]This choice of symbols of submission is not yet explained.[102]Compare the expression noted on p. 5265.[103]The first month of the inundation season and of the Egyptian year. This is the date of the first events recorded, not of the dedication of the stela: the "command" is parenthetical.[104]The same expression occurs further on, and evidently refers to the personal activity of the king.[105]Neter was probably Iseum in the centre of the Delta, and so a nomarchship quite separate from Tafnekht's extensive territory in the west. The list following the name of Tafnekht seems to name localities representative of the VIIth(?), VIth, Vth, IVth(?), IIId(?), and Ist nomes in Lower Egypt, in their proper order; the last, Mennefer, being Memphis. These would form literally the whole western side of Lower Egypt "from the coast to Athet-taui." Athet-taui (Lisht?) was a city marking the boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt.[106]Mêdûm, El Lahûn, Crocodilopolis in the Faiyûm, Oxyrhynkhos, Diknâsh, all—except perhaps the last—in order from north to south.[107]He crossed over to the east bank and went northward, the cities on his road throwing open their gates to him. With the exception of the last, Per-nebt-tep-ah [Aphroditopolis], the modern Atfih opposite Mêdûm, they are difficult to identify positively.[108]I. e., Heracleopolis Magna, a very powerful city on the edge of the western desert, left in the rear on Tafnekht's expedition up the river. Its king was named Pefaui Bast. Its modern name is Ahnâs.[109]Lit., "he hath made himself into a tail-in-the-mouth." [!][110]The precise extent of Piankhy's dominion at this time is uncertain.[111]Hûr, opposite Beni Hasan.[112]The notion intended to be conveyed is that of a dog at heel.[113]Oxyrhynkhos itself was already in the hands of Tafnekht; the Hermopolite nome, including Hûr, Nefrus, etc., lay immediately south of it.[114]The pronoun "he" is used much too freely in this inscription: occasionally it is impossible to decide to whom it refers.[115]Hermopolis.[116]Libyans, mercenaries or otherwise. The XXIId Dynasty was probably Libyan, and as will be seen from subsequent notes, Libyan influence was still strong in the time of Piankhy.[117]This would seem to be a quotation taken from some address to an earlier king. Thothmes III., for instance, attributed his successes to Amen.[118]The great temple of Amen at Karnak.[119]Our equivalent term would be "sheet-anchor."[120]In Ethiopia.[121]The title "chief of the Me" seems to mean "captain of the Libyan troops." The list contains the names of princes of Lower Egypt only, with the exception of Nemart of Hermopolis Magna, in Upper Egypt.[122]The feather was a Libyan badge of rank.[123]Tafnekht is here given most of his principal titles, including the sacerdotal ones of high priest of Neith in Sais, and of Ptah in Memphis. With the rise of Sais, Neith had become the leading deity of Lower Egypt, ranking even above Ptah. The priests at Gebel Barkal doubtless took a special pride in the overthrow of the protégé of Neith and Ptah by Piankhy, the worshiper of Amen.[124]Or "beaten sorely and grievously."[125]Here should be the numbers of the slain.[126]"Khmenu," "Unu," "Hare-city," are all names of Hermopolis Magna, the capital of Nemart's petty kingdom.[127]Evidently a torchlight procession from Karnak to Luxor (Southern Apt).[128]The return procession to Karnak.[129]The third month of the season of inundation. Of course a year would then have elapsed, since the date given in the first line of the inscription.[130]Oxyrhynkhos.[131]Tehneh(?)[132]Tafnekht, stripped of his grandeur after his defeat at Heracleopolis, is reduced to the rank of "Chief of the Me in Sais."[133]The first month of the season of inundation, and of the Egyptian year.[134]Hermopolis.[135]To be taken of course in a general sense, referring to the majestic and terrible aspect of the King.[136]I. e., "It has taken a full year," etc.[137]Or, "They were sorely and grievously beaten with blows."[138]I. e., the King.[139]Here there is a lacuna of sixteen short lines in the inscription.[140]Apparently Piankhy is addressing Nemart.[141]The meaning is not clear; but there seems to be a reference to the diminution of the adult population by prolonged wars.[142]Khmenumeans eight. Thoth, in late times at any rate, combined the powers of the eight gods who accompanied him. He was sometimes called "twice great," sometimes "eight times great" = 23, an arithmetical term especially indicated by the Greek name [Greek: Hermês Trismhegistos].[143]A "jubilee" after a thirty-years' reign; the expression is therefore equivalent to wishing the King a thirty-years' reign. The soldiers represent the King as the god Horus come to claim his own land.[144]Music, dancing, etc.[145]An oath.[146]Karnak.[147]The underworld.[148]The stars of the northern hemisphere; see Maspero's 'Dawn of Civilization' p. 94. By Harakhti, the sun is probably meant.[149]The mouth of the barrier,i. e., the entrance into the Faiyûm. The name El Lahûn is derived from Rahent; and the city Per-sekhem-kheper-ra, "The house of Usorkon I.," must have been at or close to the modern village of El Lahûn.[150]Set, the god of physical strength.[151]Athet-taui (Lisht?) was the boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt, and probably lay in both of them. "The gods who are in this city" of the next paragraph are doubtless kings of the XIIth Dynasty as presiding deities of the place, this royal Residence having apparently been founded by Amenenhat I. Compare p. 5238.[152]Ra, the first King of Egypt, was fabled to have resided at Heliopolis; Shu his son and successor at Memphis. The city is called sometimes Anbuhez, "white wall," sometimes Men-nefer, after the pyramid of Pepy I.[153]"South of his wall," an epithet of Ptah, god of Memphis.[154]It is difficult to see what is meant by this. Possibly Tafnekht was proposing to bribe the Northern chiefs into continuing the war, by giving up his recently acquired claims as suzerain.[155]Or "very early."[156]Perhaps "Let us put these things at intervals."[157]The boats were floating on a level with the top of the quay.[158]I. e., no single one of the assailants was injured in the slightest degree.[159]Meaning of course "at the boundary between Upper and Lower Egypt."[160]By waving the wand of sanctification therein.[161]The sacred name of Memphis, supposed to be the origin of the name [Greek: hAiguptos]—"Egypt."[162]I. e., to re-establish the order of the temple services, etc.[163]A chamber set apart for the sacred toilet; see also below, p. 5290.[164]Or "very early."[165]Kheraha was on the site of old Cairo, known to the classical authors as Babylon. The cave mentioned is not now known.[166]On, Heliopolis. Here was a sacred well of water ("The Cool Pool"), supposed to spring from Nu, the primeval waters in heaven and earth, and not to be derived from Hapi or the Nile. Tradition relates that it was at this same well, still pointed out at Matariyeh, that the Blessed Virgin washed the Child on her arrival in Egypt.[167]Or "mishaps." This seems to have been a sort of Te Deum.[168]The Benben was a pyramidal stone, sacred to Ra or representing him. It was shaped like the top of an obelisk.[169]The boats in which the Sun god traversed the heavens during forenoon and afternoon respectively.[170]I. e., the King.[171]Or "very early."[172]Athribis.[173]The land was divided among kings, nomarchs, and, apparently, Libyan chiefs entitled to wear a feather. The kings had their viziers; the nomarchs and chiefs had their subordinate chiefs, etc. "Royal acquaintances" were persons related to the royal families.[174]I. e.the linen was of various degrees of fineness, or as we also say technically, of various "counts"; meaning that there are so many threads more or less in any given square of stuff.[175]An oath.[176]First we have two kings, six nomarchs and high Libyan chiefs; after these, two under-chiefs are mentioned, and then four nomarchs in the first and second nomes of Lower Egypt, which are separated as having belonged to Tafnekht's kingdom.[177]Site unknown.[178]Tafnekht was on an island in the Mediterranean, and therefore heard the news of the surrender of the Northern princes only after some time had elapsed.[179]Nubti-Set, the god of valor. Mentu was the god of battle.[180]"Kedt-weight," really 140 grains.[181]Lit., "beer-room."[182]Or "on the second day."[183]As symbols of regal power.[184]Perhaps this means ceremonially unclean.[185]The first words are lost. The girdle was probably assumed at about the age of twelve.[186]As a rule, each king seems to have built his pyramid in the desert behind his principal residence. The latter was often founded by the king, but might serve for some of his successors, who would then build their pyramids near his. The pyramid field of Memphis is very ancient, and many of the earlier kings must have resided there; but curiously enough the nameMennefer, Memphis, is taken from that of the pyramid of Pepy I., here referred to.[187]Perhaps schools of law, etc.[188]These quarries, at the modern Turra, have been the source of fine white limestone down to the present day. They were exactly opposite Memphis in the eastern hills.[189]Probably this means the arrangement of a body-guard or performance of the ritual for the King's amuletic and religious protection.[190]"The Asiatics who dwell upon the sand"i. e., Bedawin.[191]Elephantine.[192]The Eastern and Western borders of Lower Egypt.[193]These names probably mean "the halting-station for the night," and "the bedchamber of halting-station for the night"; evidently garrisoned posts on the main desert routes.[194]Arertet, Meza, Aam, Wawat, Kaau, were all in Nubia, and at no great distance from Egypt. The Meza were afterwards regularly drawn upon for soldiers and police. The Kaau are more generally called Setu.[195]I. e., the land of the Libyans.[196]"Horus Lord of Truth" was theKaname of King Sneferu [the first king of the IVth Dynasty, not much less than 4000 B.C.]. Probably this expedition went toward the Sinaitic peninsula.[197]Sea-coast, perhaps of the Red Sea.[198]Lit."made the officership making the standard."[199]Or "for the mistress of the pyramid";i. e., for the queen buried in her husband's pyramid.[200]Elephantine.[201]The month Epiphi.[202]The Nile being low.[203]Apparently the passage of the Nile was blocked for boats at five different places about the first cataract, and Una had cleared the channel at his own expense as a free service to the King.[204]"Loose,"i. e., take the bird out of the snare to carry home to her mother.[205]Kha-kau-ra, "Glory of theKasof the Sun," was the principal name that Usertesen III., following the custom of the Pharaohs, adopted on his accession to the throne. "Horus, Divine of Beings," was the separate name for his royalKaassumed at the same time. TheKaof a person was his ghostly Double, before and after death, and to the Egyptian this shadowy constituent of the whole being had a very distinct existence.[206]I. e., Upper and Lower Egypt.[207]To the Egyptian the world was inhabited by nine races of men.[208]Sekhemt, a goddess represented with the head of a lioness, the embodiment of the devastating power of the Sun and of the wrath of Ra. See p. 5240.[209]"Pat" seems to be a name for mankind, or perhaps for the inhabitants of Egypt.[210]We speak of the "head" as the seat of the intellect; to the Egyptians it was the "heart."[211]Ancestor worship being universal in Egypt, the endowments for funerary services and offerings for the deceased kings must have been very large.[212]The "Double Crown" was that of Upper and Lower Egypt.[213]The Reed and the Hornet were the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt respectively.[214]The "Black Land" is the alluvial of Egypt, the "Red Land" is its sandy border.[215]"Rekhyt," like "Pat," seems to be a designation of the Egyptians. To "open the throat" of a man is to give him life by enabling him to breathe.[216]A "good burial" after a "long old age" was a characteristic wish of the Egyptians.[217]The Aten is the name of the visible sun rather than of an abstract Sun god. It is pictured as a radiant disk, the rays terminating in human hands, often resting beneficently on the figure of the worshiper, bestowing upon him symbols of life, or graciously accepting his offerings.[218]See note, p. 5303. The word occurs in these translations often, but not with any very definite meaning.[219]The Nile here stands for the main sources of water: that in heaven giving rain on the mountains and fields, that in the "deep" or "underworld" giving rise to springs, wells, and rivers.[220]"Fairest of the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra," is the title which Akhenaten took when first he ascended the throne, and which he continued to bear all through his reign, notwithstanding his reform.[221]Amen was god of Thebes; and under the XVIIIth Dynasty, when Thebes was the capital of the whole country and Egypt was at the height of her power, Amen took the first place in the national pantheon. He was then identified with Ra the Sun god, perhaps to make him more acceptable to the nation at large. Hence a hymn to Amen Ra was practically a hymn to the supreme Sun god.[222]Compare the seven-line stanza in the inscription of Una, above, p. 5298.[223]Mezau and Punt were on and about the east coast of Africa, in Nubia and Somaliland.[224]The supreme god was surrounded by eight other gods, and together they formed an Ennead, or group of nine.[225]Ptah was the great god of Memphis, the ancient capital of the country.[226]Or the "Land of the Gods," a name for the lands of the East, and especially for "Punt."[227]I. e.,the kings, who were always reckoned divine, and as ruling by divine right.[228]I. e., "make holiday."[229]Title of a priest of Amen.[230]God of the setting sun.[231]An expression of utter bewilderment;lit., "I know not the estate which is upon me."[232]To these thinkers, thirst (since the presence of water would induce putrefaction of the body) and suffocation were the chief material sufferings of the dead.[233]From this curious expression it is evident that the Egyptians considered it necessary that a deity should be visibly represented by statue or animal, in order that he should receive the offerings presented to him. They never personified a god of Death, only a god of the Dead.[234]The sunshine may be taken for granted in Egypt.[235]Our "on the verge of intoxication" is an almost identical expression, but without a poetical significance.[236]A slight correction of the original would give "in captivity" (kidnapped).[237]The advantages of the life beyond seem to consist in being like gods and in full communion with the greatest of them, Ra.[238]This closing speech of the soul is barely intelligible.[239]Or perhaps "my kindred."[240]Or what is "unprofitable" or "treason."[241]This and the two following asseverations seem rather to read: "I have not caught animals by a bait of their herbage." "I have not trapped birds by a bait of 'gods' bones.'" "I have not caught fish by a bait of fishes' bodies."[242]Lit., "in its moment."[243]I. e., "I am not hot of speech."[244]Compare the story of Sanehat (above, p. 5237seq.) for an indication of the place which Amenemhat retained for himself in the government of the kingdom during the joint rule. "He [Usertesen] curbs the nations while his father remains in his palace, and he [Usertesen] accomplisheth for him what is commanded him."[245]Compare 2 Timothy ii. 15.[246]"To exist" often means to have a solid position.[247]A proverbial word for nullity, worthlessness.[248]Egypt, the lassoed ox, helpless in the hands of its oppressors, is now free, but fails to appreciate its good fortune.[249]Perhaps this means that Amenemhat lay still but ready to rise instantly and fight.[250]"Me voilà!"—after drawing the picture of his helpless state, surprised alone in the night.[251]"I. e., "be thy counselor."[252]A difficult passage.[253]Meaning doubtful.[254]I. e., upon others in consequence of me.[255]Elephantine and Natho are often named as the extreme north and south points of Egypt; compare the Biblical "from Dan even unto Beersheba."[256]Or perhaps "its centre."[257]I. e., "surpassed the record," or perhaps "reached the boundaries."[258]The kings of the XIIth dynasty paid much attention to agriculture and irrigation. Barley was the representative cereal, Nepra was the Corn goddess. In the following clause the Nile is represented as a prisoner in the King's power: or possibly as begging him "forevery hollow" to enter and inundate it.[259]I. e., "obedient to his commands," a common figure. The Wawat and Mezay were in Nubia, the Setiu in the Northeast to Syria.[260]The rendering of this section is very doubtful.[261]Or, "and the seal to its proper place, even as the acclamations in the bark of Ra ordain for thee." Ra the Sun god was the royal god essentially, and his approval was doubtless required to establish a claim to the throne. He was believed to travel through the sky in a boat.[262]I. e., "Tell us thy name, thou who dost not answer when spoken to," or "Let thy name be henceforth 'Mum-when-spoken-to.'"[263]I. e., the proverbs; but possibly this expression may mean "on his death-bed."[264]I. e., obey them strictly.[265]I. e., they were pleasing to them.[266]Arrived at his destination;i. e., died.[267]=Our "Finis."[268]From the last paragraph of the book, we learn that he had reached the Egyptian limit of long life, viz., 110 years: the figure is doubtless to be taken in a general sense.[269]I. e., the speaker or writer.[270]The word for successor seems to read, "staff of old age"; but this is not quite certain. Very likely the son would take over the active work of the viziership, while his father gave him counsel: this was frequently done in the sovereignty.[271]Or those who are listened to.[272]I. e., that the ancient rules may be observed by the present generation of the King's subjects. The first kings of Egypt were supposed to have been the gods.[273]This high title occurs also in the Inscription of Una, and frequently in the Piankhy Stela, where it has been translated "nomarch."[274]"The god" is probably here the King. The curious title "father of the god" is well known; it would seem to represent a person who stood ceremonially in the relation of father to a god or person. Thus in later times we have "fathers" of the god Amen, etc. But at this period "the god" seems to have meant the King, and the "father of the god" may have been the guardian or tutor of the King. Some may even see in it the expression of an actual paternal relationship, as the principles of the succession to the Egyptian throne are not understood.[275]Rather, green feldspar, which was largely used as an ornament.[276]Perhaps a professional orator, sophist, or the like.[277]I. e., when he is at his occupation; in the heat of argument.[278]Perhaps "bold of heart."[279]Or, "it shall not hurt thee."[280]This is very uncertain. Its morality hardly accords with that of the rest of the book. Perhaps the youth is recommended to wait, even when he is called ignorant, until his heart has obtained full command of his knowledge and can successfully employ it in his argument.[281]As we speak of "the education of a gentleman."[282]Flatter (?).[283]A frequent phrase, but the meaning of it is obscure.[284]I. e., "in a gentlemanly manner"; but the last half of this section is obscure.[285]A remarkable word used here in regard to the contest between justice and injustice; in the next phrase there is a reference to the myth of Osiris and Set, in which good, in the persons of Osiris and Horus, survives evil in the person of Set.[286]This seems to refer to the profession of brigand and pillager.[287]By God's favor.[288]Perhaps a gesture expressing humble acquiescence.[289]Lit.,Kain Egyptian.[290]As uncertain as groping in the dark.[291]Be not sure of the childless man's estate. He can take a second wife and disappoint you.[292]The time appointed to it for its own activity, or as we should say, its "day."[293]Room is made for him.[294]Lit., belly.[295]Salary in kind.[296]The second text gives "Let thy face [be shining] when thou makest a feast. Verily that which cometh out of the store doth not enter [?], but bread is apportioned; he that is niggardly of face is remorseful; [?] his belly is empty. He that remembereth a man is kind unto him in the years after the staff [of power?]." The last expression may mean "after the loss of authority."[297]Variant "beseech." The meaning of the section is not certain.[298]To be in an ambiguous position. (?)[299]Or "then all thy ways shall have the lead."[300]Ba, in Egyptian: the person who has learned good conduct (the ignorant cannot) pours benediction upon the soul of him who set the example of it, when he finds himself profited on earth by the practice thereof.[301]The word presupposes education, as often.[302]A frequent collocation of words; as for instance, following the mention of a royal person.[303]Amakh.See note to Section 41.[304]The words "a son" seem inserted.[305]Or "is fit only for hard manual labor."[306]I. e., one of the loyal adherents of Horus the son of Osiris in his war against the evil Set.[307]The blessed state of well-earned repose and rewards, both in this world and in the next, after faithful service.[308]This is the reading furnished by the fragments in the British Museum for an unintelligible passage in the Prisse.[309]"Them" is difficult to assign to any antecedent definitely; perhaps "without their advice how to behave and employ the wealth" is meant.[310]Or "those who are listened to," "instructors."[311]This was the ideal length of life in Egypt. The figure must not be taken too literally.[312]See note to Section 41, previous page.[313]That is, for the government.[314]Lit., doorkeepers—i. e., of the official cabin.

[1]The italicized phrases represent the principal names of the King.

[2]The temple of Karnak.

[3]Horus as the winged disk of the sun, so often figured as a protecting symbol over the doors of temples.

[4]The coloration or configuration of his limbs indicated to the learned in such matters his victorious career. Mentu was the god of war.

[5]The southern boundary of the Egyptian empire.

[6]Baka, Meama, Buhen were in Nubia.

[7]The castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis).

[8]The underworld.

[9]The fellâhîn herdsmen of the time seem to have clubbed together into gangs, each of which was represented by a ganger, and the whole body by a superintendent of the gangs.

[10]Corvée work for the government.

[11]I. e., he did not impress men (wrongfully?) for the government works, such as irrigation or road-making.

[12]An asterisk (*) attached to the title of a text indicates that a translation of part or all of it is printed in the following pages.

[13]Lower Nubia.

[14]District about the first cataract.

[15]A name often applied to the great river Nile.

[16]The usual Egyptian attitude of respect to a superior was to stand bent slightly forward, holding the arms downward.

[17]The polytheistic Egyptians frequently used the term "God" without specifying any particular deity; perhaps, too, in their own minds they did not define the idea, but applied it simply to some general notion of Divinity.

[18]Punt was the "land of spices" to the Egyptian, and thence, too, the finest incense was brought for the temple services. It included Somaliland in Africa, and the south of Arabia.

[19]This paragraph is very difficult to restore and very doubtful.

[20]I. e., the King Sehetepabra Amenemhat I., whose death is recorded in the next clause.

[21]The king's city, and so throughout the story.

[22]The land of the Temehu was in the Libyan desert on the west of Egypt.

[23]Usertesen I., the son and heir of Amenemhat I., reigned ten years jointly with his father.

[24]I. e., the western edge of Lower Egypt.

[25]Perhaps this refers to the death of the king, or to the deliberations of the royal councilors.

[26]Apparently a term for the king.

[27]Sanehat, accidentally hearing the news of the old king's death, which was kept secret even from the members of the royal family, was overcome with agitation and fled.

[28]It was of course night-time.

[29]The Royal Residence called Athet-taui lay on the boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt, between Memphis and the entrance to the Faiyûm, and so in the direction which Sanehat at first took in his flight from the western edge of the Delta. One might prefer the word Capital to Residence, but it can hardly be doubted that Thebes and Memphis were then the real capitals of Egypt.

[30]Perhaps the meaning is that Sanehat did not imagine life possible "after the king's death," or it may be "outside the Residence." The pronoun for "it" is masculine, and may refer either to the palace or to the king.

[31]Or possibly "I turned my course," turning now northward.

[32]Or possibly "the next day."

[33]Here the MS. is injured, and some of the words are doubtful. The quarries are those still worked for hard quartzite at Jebel Ahmar (Red Mountain), northeast of Cairo. The positions of most of the places mentioned in the narrative are uncertain. Doubtless Sanehat crossed the Nile just above the fork of the Delta and landed in the neighborhood of the quarries. The "Mistress" (Heryt), must be a goddess, or the queen.

[34]Asiatics and Bedawin.

[35]Kemur was one of the Bitter Lakes in the line of the present Suez Canal.

[36]Possibly one of the three persons proposed as hostages to Egypt below, p. 5246. The word translated "alien" is uncertain. It may mean a kind of consul or mediator between the tribes for the purposes of trade, etc., or simply a "sheikh." Sanehat himself, returned from Egypt in his old age, is called by the same title, p. 5248.

[37]Or possibly Adim,i. e., Edom; and so throughout.

[38]Later called Upper Retenu: they were the inhabitants of the high lands of Palestine. Ammi was a divine name in Ancient Arabia, and the name Ammi-anshi, found in South-Arabian inscriptions, perhaps of 1000 B.C., is almost identical with that of the king who befriended Sanehat.

[39]These words appear to have been omitted by the scribe.

[40]I. e., What does Egypt do without the king?

[41]The goddess of destruction.

[42]Lit, "stick."

[43]A metaphor for the "policy," "will," of a king or god.

[44]Meaning "reeds" (?).

[45]I. e., of Pharaoh; see above, p. 5238.

[46]A difficult passage.

[47]Without any pause or introduction Sanehat begins to quote from his petition to the King of Egypt. It is difficult to say whether this arrangement is due to an oversight of the scribe, or is intended to heighten the picturesqueness of the narrative by sudden contrast. The formal introduction might well be omitted as uninteresting. The end of the document with the salutations is preserved.

[48]A phrase for the queen.

[49]The narrator.

[50]The scribe has written Amenemhat by mistake for Usertesen.

[51]Or Adim; see above, p. 5239, note.

[52]The queen, his exalted mistress.

[53]Taking part in the councils of the king and in the administration of the kingdom.

[54]This seems to refer to the so-called false door, representing the entrance to the underworld. All that precedes refers to burial with great ceremony.

[55]I. e., of the king's command. The absence of any concluding salutation is noticeable.

[56]The Ka or "double" was one of the spiritual constituents of man; but "thy Ka" is merely a mode of address to the exalted Pharaoh.

[57]I. e., the uræus or cobra.

[58]In this long array of gods, Mentu and Amen rank next to Ra. They were both worshiped at Thebes, which was then probably capital of the whole country. It certainly was so in the next dynasty, during which this tale was presumably written down. It is curious that Ptah the god of Memphis does not appear.

[59]The place of the dead.

[60]As dogs do the bidding of their master and spare his property.

[61]As a man of Natho (the marshes in the north of the Delta) dreams that he is at Elephantine (the rocky southern frontier).

[62]The second is the name of the southernmost nome of Egypt, that of Elephantine, which has practically no corn-land. It was probably made fruitful by artificial irrigation, with culture of plants, trees, and vines.

[63]So the MS., and it conveys a fair meaning; but perhaps the original ran, "Behold,thouart in the palace and I am in this place yet," etc.

[64]Or, "Now thy servant hath finished."

[65]Sanehat's own territory; see p. 5241.

[66]A frequent phrase for the writer or narrator, especially common in letters.

[67]"Nodding and touching my forehead" is perhaps the real translation of some difficult words here paraphrased.

[68]Probably the Residence; more commonly called Athet-taui, but here abbreviated in name.

[69]Or perhaps "very early."

[70]This probably means "four men behind me and the same number in front," either conducting Sanehat or more probably carrying him in a litter.

[71]Instead of Egyptian priests.

[72]These instruments rattled or clattered as they were waved or beaten together.

[73]A form of Hathor.

[74]Samehit "son of the north," is a play on the name Sanehat, "son of the sycamore."

[75]The treasury containing silver, gold, clothing, wine, and valuables of all kinds.

[76]Meaning "wanderers on the Sand," Bedawin.

[77]The Hathors were seven goddesses who attended the birth of a child in order to tell its fate. They somewhat correspond to the fairy godmothers of later fairy tales.

[78]Syria.

[79]The Egyptians shaved their heads and wore wigs, as a matter of cleanliness in a hot climate.

[80]The sun.

[81]Ra Harakhti was the chief of this Ennead. Khnumu, one of his companion gods, was the craftsman, sometimes represented as fashioning mankind upon the potter's wheel.

[82]I. e., in the matter of the trees.

[83]"To make a good day"—to keep holiday, to hold festival.

[84]This apparently means that he was enrolled as one to be educated as a learned scribe.

[85]I. e., as we should say, "he did nothing in the world but walk in the cemetery of Memphis," etc.

[86]The realm of Osiris as god of the dead.

[87]It is difficult to locate this lake in accordance with the actual geography of Egypt.

[88]A frequent phrase for extreme delight or amazement.

[89]There seems to be some reference to past history in this.

[90]An idiomatic phrase like "he caused his hand to go after the roll" for "put out his hand to take the roll," p. 5272.

[91]Wax was the regular material used for the manufacture of models which were intended to be used in the practice of magic.

[92]The place of embalmment.

[93]A similar method is still employed by Arab doctors and wizards. To heal a disease a formula is written out and then washed off the paper in a bowl of water, which is given to the patient to drink.

[94]Cf. Job i., 12.

[95]I. e., above him.

[96]An expression for death, like our "gone home."

[97]I. e., "May he live as long as the Sun god."

[98]The presence of names compounded with the name of Anher, god of Sebennytus, indicates that the story was written during or after the supremacy of that city, at the end of the native rule.

[99]Setna Kha-em-uast was high priest of Ptah.

[100]Evidently a strong expression, to show the instantaneous and powerful effect of the amulets in drawing him out of the ground.

[101]This choice of symbols of submission is not yet explained.

[102]Compare the expression noted on p. 5265.

[103]The first month of the inundation season and of the Egyptian year. This is the date of the first events recorded, not of the dedication of the stela: the "command" is parenthetical.

[104]The same expression occurs further on, and evidently refers to the personal activity of the king.

[105]Neter was probably Iseum in the centre of the Delta, and so a nomarchship quite separate from Tafnekht's extensive territory in the west. The list following the name of Tafnekht seems to name localities representative of the VIIth(?), VIth, Vth, IVth(?), IIId(?), and Ist nomes in Lower Egypt, in their proper order; the last, Mennefer, being Memphis. These would form literally the whole western side of Lower Egypt "from the coast to Athet-taui." Athet-taui (Lisht?) was a city marking the boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt.

[106]Mêdûm, El Lahûn, Crocodilopolis in the Faiyûm, Oxyrhynkhos, Diknâsh, all—except perhaps the last—in order from north to south.

[107]He crossed over to the east bank and went northward, the cities on his road throwing open their gates to him. With the exception of the last, Per-nebt-tep-ah [Aphroditopolis], the modern Atfih opposite Mêdûm, they are difficult to identify positively.

[108]I. e., Heracleopolis Magna, a very powerful city on the edge of the western desert, left in the rear on Tafnekht's expedition up the river. Its king was named Pefaui Bast. Its modern name is Ahnâs.

[109]Lit., "he hath made himself into a tail-in-the-mouth." [!]

[110]The precise extent of Piankhy's dominion at this time is uncertain.

[111]Hûr, opposite Beni Hasan.

[112]The notion intended to be conveyed is that of a dog at heel.

[113]Oxyrhynkhos itself was already in the hands of Tafnekht; the Hermopolite nome, including Hûr, Nefrus, etc., lay immediately south of it.

[114]The pronoun "he" is used much too freely in this inscription: occasionally it is impossible to decide to whom it refers.

[115]Hermopolis.

[116]Libyans, mercenaries or otherwise. The XXIId Dynasty was probably Libyan, and as will be seen from subsequent notes, Libyan influence was still strong in the time of Piankhy.

[117]This would seem to be a quotation taken from some address to an earlier king. Thothmes III., for instance, attributed his successes to Amen.

[118]The great temple of Amen at Karnak.

[119]Our equivalent term would be "sheet-anchor."

[120]In Ethiopia.

[121]The title "chief of the Me" seems to mean "captain of the Libyan troops." The list contains the names of princes of Lower Egypt only, with the exception of Nemart of Hermopolis Magna, in Upper Egypt.

[122]The feather was a Libyan badge of rank.

[123]Tafnekht is here given most of his principal titles, including the sacerdotal ones of high priest of Neith in Sais, and of Ptah in Memphis. With the rise of Sais, Neith had become the leading deity of Lower Egypt, ranking even above Ptah. The priests at Gebel Barkal doubtless took a special pride in the overthrow of the protégé of Neith and Ptah by Piankhy, the worshiper of Amen.

[124]Or "beaten sorely and grievously."

[125]Here should be the numbers of the slain.

[126]"Khmenu," "Unu," "Hare-city," are all names of Hermopolis Magna, the capital of Nemart's petty kingdom.

[127]Evidently a torchlight procession from Karnak to Luxor (Southern Apt).

[128]The return procession to Karnak.

[129]The third month of the season of inundation. Of course a year would then have elapsed, since the date given in the first line of the inscription.

[130]Oxyrhynkhos.

[131]Tehneh(?)

[132]Tafnekht, stripped of his grandeur after his defeat at Heracleopolis, is reduced to the rank of "Chief of the Me in Sais."

[133]The first month of the season of inundation, and of the Egyptian year.

[134]Hermopolis.

[135]To be taken of course in a general sense, referring to the majestic and terrible aspect of the King.

[136]I. e., "It has taken a full year," etc.

[137]Or, "They were sorely and grievously beaten with blows."

[138]I. e., the King.

[139]Here there is a lacuna of sixteen short lines in the inscription.

[140]Apparently Piankhy is addressing Nemart.

[141]The meaning is not clear; but there seems to be a reference to the diminution of the adult population by prolonged wars.

[142]Khmenumeans eight. Thoth, in late times at any rate, combined the powers of the eight gods who accompanied him. He was sometimes called "twice great," sometimes "eight times great" = 23, an arithmetical term especially indicated by the Greek name [Greek: Hermês Trismhegistos].

[143]A "jubilee" after a thirty-years' reign; the expression is therefore equivalent to wishing the King a thirty-years' reign. The soldiers represent the King as the god Horus come to claim his own land.

[144]Music, dancing, etc.

[145]An oath.

[146]Karnak.

[147]The underworld.

[148]The stars of the northern hemisphere; see Maspero's 'Dawn of Civilization' p. 94. By Harakhti, the sun is probably meant.

[149]The mouth of the barrier,i. e., the entrance into the Faiyûm. The name El Lahûn is derived from Rahent; and the city Per-sekhem-kheper-ra, "The house of Usorkon I.," must have been at or close to the modern village of El Lahûn.

[150]Set, the god of physical strength.

[151]Athet-taui (Lisht?) was the boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt, and probably lay in both of them. "The gods who are in this city" of the next paragraph are doubtless kings of the XIIth Dynasty as presiding deities of the place, this royal Residence having apparently been founded by Amenenhat I. Compare p. 5238.

[152]Ra, the first King of Egypt, was fabled to have resided at Heliopolis; Shu his son and successor at Memphis. The city is called sometimes Anbuhez, "white wall," sometimes Men-nefer, after the pyramid of Pepy I.

[153]"South of his wall," an epithet of Ptah, god of Memphis.

[154]It is difficult to see what is meant by this. Possibly Tafnekht was proposing to bribe the Northern chiefs into continuing the war, by giving up his recently acquired claims as suzerain.

[155]Or "very early."

[156]Perhaps "Let us put these things at intervals."

[157]The boats were floating on a level with the top of the quay.

[158]I. e., no single one of the assailants was injured in the slightest degree.

[159]Meaning of course "at the boundary between Upper and Lower Egypt."

[160]By waving the wand of sanctification therein.

[161]The sacred name of Memphis, supposed to be the origin of the name [Greek: hAiguptos]—"Egypt."

[162]I. e., to re-establish the order of the temple services, etc.

[163]A chamber set apart for the sacred toilet; see also below, p. 5290.

[164]Or "very early."

[165]Kheraha was on the site of old Cairo, known to the classical authors as Babylon. The cave mentioned is not now known.

[166]On, Heliopolis. Here was a sacred well of water ("The Cool Pool"), supposed to spring from Nu, the primeval waters in heaven and earth, and not to be derived from Hapi or the Nile. Tradition relates that it was at this same well, still pointed out at Matariyeh, that the Blessed Virgin washed the Child on her arrival in Egypt.

[167]Or "mishaps." This seems to have been a sort of Te Deum.

[168]The Benben was a pyramidal stone, sacred to Ra or representing him. It was shaped like the top of an obelisk.

[169]The boats in which the Sun god traversed the heavens during forenoon and afternoon respectively.

[170]I. e., the King.

[171]Or "very early."

[172]Athribis.

[173]The land was divided among kings, nomarchs, and, apparently, Libyan chiefs entitled to wear a feather. The kings had their viziers; the nomarchs and chiefs had their subordinate chiefs, etc. "Royal acquaintances" were persons related to the royal families.

[174]I. e.the linen was of various degrees of fineness, or as we also say technically, of various "counts"; meaning that there are so many threads more or less in any given square of stuff.

[175]An oath.

[176]First we have two kings, six nomarchs and high Libyan chiefs; after these, two under-chiefs are mentioned, and then four nomarchs in the first and second nomes of Lower Egypt, which are separated as having belonged to Tafnekht's kingdom.

[177]Site unknown.

[178]Tafnekht was on an island in the Mediterranean, and therefore heard the news of the surrender of the Northern princes only after some time had elapsed.

[179]Nubti-Set, the god of valor. Mentu was the god of battle.

[180]"Kedt-weight," really 140 grains.

[181]Lit., "beer-room."

[182]Or "on the second day."

[183]As symbols of regal power.

[184]Perhaps this means ceremonially unclean.

[185]The first words are lost. The girdle was probably assumed at about the age of twelve.

[186]As a rule, each king seems to have built his pyramid in the desert behind his principal residence. The latter was often founded by the king, but might serve for some of his successors, who would then build their pyramids near his. The pyramid field of Memphis is very ancient, and many of the earlier kings must have resided there; but curiously enough the nameMennefer, Memphis, is taken from that of the pyramid of Pepy I., here referred to.

[187]Perhaps schools of law, etc.

[188]These quarries, at the modern Turra, have been the source of fine white limestone down to the present day. They were exactly opposite Memphis in the eastern hills.

[189]Probably this means the arrangement of a body-guard or performance of the ritual for the King's amuletic and religious protection.

[190]"The Asiatics who dwell upon the sand"i. e., Bedawin.

[191]Elephantine.

[192]The Eastern and Western borders of Lower Egypt.

[193]These names probably mean "the halting-station for the night," and "the bedchamber of halting-station for the night"; evidently garrisoned posts on the main desert routes.

[194]Arertet, Meza, Aam, Wawat, Kaau, were all in Nubia, and at no great distance from Egypt. The Meza were afterwards regularly drawn upon for soldiers and police. The Kaau are more generally called Setu.

[195]I. e., the land of the Libyans.

[196]"Horus Lord of Truth" was theKaname of King Sneferu [the first king of the IVth Dynasty, not much less than 4000 B.C.]. Probably this expedition went toward the Sinaitic peninsula.

[197]Sea-coast, perhaps of the Red Sea.

[198]Lit."made the officership making the standard."

[199]Or "for the mistress of the pyramid";i. e., for the queen buried in her husband's pyramid.

[200]Elephantine.

[201]The month Epiphi.

[202]The Nile being low.

[203]Apparently the passage of the Nile was blocked for boats at five different places about the first cataract, and Una had cleared the channel at his own expense as a free service to the King.

[204]"Loose,"i. e., take the bird out of the snare to carry home to her mother.

[205]Kha-kau-ra, "Glory of theKasof the Sun," was the principal name that Usertesen III., following the custom of the Pharaohs, adopted on his accession to the throne. "Horus, Divine of Beings," was the separate name for his royalKaassumed at the same time. TheKaof a person was his ghostly Double, before and after death, and to the Egyptian this shadowy constituent of the whole being had a very distinct existence.

[206]I. e., Upper and Lower Egypt.

[207]To the Egyptian the world was inhabited by nine races of men.

[208]Sekhemt, a goddess represented with the head of a lioness, the embodiment of the devastating power of the Sun and of the wrath of Ra. See p. 5240.

[209]"Pat" seems to be a name for mankind, or perhaps for the inhabitants of Egypt.

[210]We speak of the "head" as the seat of the intellect; to the Egyptians it was the "heart."

[211]Ancestor worship being universal in Egypt, the endowments for funerary services and offerings for the deceased kings must have been very large.

[212]The "Double Crown" was that of Upper and Lower Egypt.

[213]The Reed and the Hornet were the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt respectively.

[214]The "Black Land" is the alluvial of Egypt, the "Red Land" is its sandy border.

[215]"Rekhyt," like "Pat," seems to be a designation of the Egyptians. To "open the throat" of a man is to give him life by enabling him to breathe.

[216]A "good burial" after a "long old age" was a characteristic wish of the Egyptians.

[217]The Aten is the name of the visible sun rather than of an abstract Sun god. It is pictured as a radiant disk, the rays terminating in human hands, often resting beneficently on the figure of the worshiper, bestowing upon him symbols of life, or graciously accepting his offerings.

[218]See note, p. 5303. The word occurs in these translations often, but not with any very definite meaning.

[219]The Nile here stands for the main sources of water: that in heaven giving rain on the mountains and fields, that in the "deep" or "underworld" giving rise to springs, wells, and rivers.

[220]"Fairest of the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra," is the title which Akhenaten took when first he ascended the throne, and which he continued to bear all through his reign, notwithstanding his reform.

[221]Amen was god of Thebes; and under the XVIIIth Dynasty, when Thebes was the capital of the whole country and Egypt was at the height of her power, Amen took the first place in the national pantheon. He was then identified with Ra the Sun god, perhaps to make him more acceptable to the nation at large. Hence a hymn to Amen Ra was practically a hymn to the supreme Sun god.

[222]Compare the seven-line stanza in the inscription of Una, above, p. 5298.

[223]Mezau and Punt were on and about the east coast of Africa, in Nubia and Somaliland.

[224]The supreme god was surrounded by eight other gods, and together they formed an Ennead, or group of nine.

[225]Ptah was the great god of Memphis, the ancient capital of the country.

[226]Or the "Land of the Gods," a name for the lands of the East, and especially for "Punt."

[227]I. e.,the kings, who were always reckoned divine, and as ruling by divine right.

[228]I. e., "make holiday."

[229]Title of a priest of Amen.

[230]God of the setting sun.

[231]An expression of utter bewilderment;lit., "I know not the estate which is upon me."

[232]To these thinkers, thirst (since the presence of water would induce putrefaction of the body) and suffocation were the chief material sufferings of the dead.

[233]From this curious expression it is evident that the Egyptians considered it necessary that a deity should be visibly represented by statue or animal, in order that he should receive the offerings presented to him. They never personified a god of Death, only a god of the Dead.

[234]The sunshine may be taken for granted in Egypt.

[235]Our "on the verge of intoxication" is an almost identical expression, but without a poetical significance.

[236]A slight correction of the original would give "in captivity" (kidnapped).

[237]The advantages of the life beyond seem to consist in being like gods and in full communion with the greatest of them, Ra.

[238]This closing speech of the soul is barely intelligible.

[239]Or perhaps "my kindred."

[240]Or what is "unprofitable" or "treason."

[241]This and the two following asseverations seem rather to read: "I have not caught animals by a bait of their herbage." "I have not trapped birds by a bait of 'gods' bones.'" "I have not caught fish by a bait of fishes' bodies."

[242]Lit., "in its moment."

[243]I. e., "I am not hot of speech."

[244]Compare the story of Sanehat (above, p. 5237seq.) for an indication of the place which Amenemhat retained for himself in the government of the kingdom during the joint rule. "He [Usertesen] curbs the nations while his father remains in his palace, and he [Usertesen] accomplisheth for him what is commanded him."

[245]Compare 2 Timothy ii. 15.

[246]"To exist" often means to have a solid position.

[247]A proverbial word for nullity, worthlessness.

[248]Egypt, the lassoed ox, helpless in the hands of its oppressors, is now free, but fails to appreciate its good fortune.

[249]Perhaps this means that Amenemhat lay still but ready to rise instantly and fight.

[250]"Me voilà!"—after drawing the picture of his helpless state, surprised alone in the night.

[251]"I. e., "be thy counselor."

[252]A difficult passage.

[253]Meaning doubtful.

[254]I. e., upon others in consequence of me.

[255]Elephantine and Natho are often named as the extreme north and south points of Egypt; compare the Biblical "from Dan even unto Beersheba."

[256]Or perhaps "its centre."

[257]I. e., "surpassed the record," or perhaps "reached the boundaries."

[258]The kings of the XIIth dynasty paid much attention to agriculture and irrigation. Barley was the representative cereal, Nepra was the Corn goddess. In the following clause the Nile is represented as a prisoner in the King's power: or possibly as begging him "forevery hollow" to enter and inundate it.

[259]I. e., "obedient to his commands," a common figure. The Wawat and Mezay were in Nubia, the Setiu in the Northeast to Syria.

[260]The rendering of this section is very doubtful.

[261]Or, "and the seal to its proper place, even as the acclamations in the bark of Ra ordain for thee." Ra the Sun god was the royal god essentially, and his approval was doubtless required to establish a claim to the throne. He was believed to travel through the sky in a boat.

[262]I. e., "Tell us thy name, thou who dost not answer when spoken to," or "Let thy name be henceforth 'Mum-when-spoken-to.'"

[263]I. e., the proverbs; but possibly this expression may mean "on his death-bed."

[264]I. e., obey them strictly.

[265]I. e., they were pleasing to them.

[266]Arrived at his destination;i. e., died.

[267]=Our "Finis."

[268]From the last paragraph of the book, we learn that he had reached the Egyptian limit of long life, viz., 110 years: the figure is doubtless to be taken in a general sense.

[269]I. e., the speaker or writer.

[270]The word for successor seems to read, "staff of old age"; but this is not quite certain. Very likely the son would take over the active work of the viziership, while his father gave him counsel: this was frequently done in the sovereignty.

[271]Or those who are listened to.

[272]I. e., that the ancient rules may be observed by the present generation of the King's subjects. The first kings of Egypt were supposed to have been the gods.

[273]This high title occurs also in the Inscription of Una, and frequently in the Piankhy Stela, where it has been translated "nomarch."

[274]"The god" is probably here the King. The curious title "father of the god" is well known; it would seem to represent a person who stood ceremonially in the relation of father to a god or person. Thus in later times we have "fathers" of the god Amen, etc. But at this period "the god" seems to have meant the King, and the "father of the god" may have been the guardian or tutor of the King. Some may even see in it the expression of an actual paternal relationship, as the principles of the succession to the Egyptian throne are not understood.

[275]Rather, green feldspar, which was largely used as an ornament.

[276]Perhaps a professional orator, sophist, or the like.

[277]I. e., when he is at his occupation; in the heat of argument.

[278]Perhaps "bold of heart."

[279]Or, "it shall not hurt thee."

[280]This is very uncertain. Its morality hardly accords with that of the rest of the book. Perhaps the youth is recommended to wait, even when he is called ignorant, until his heart has obtained full command of his knowledge and can successfully employ it in his argument.

[281]As we speak of "the education of a gentleman."

[282]Flatter (?).

[283]A frequent phrase, but the meaning of it is obscure.

[284]I. e., "in a gentlemanly manner"; but the last half of this section is obscure.

[285]A remarkable word used here in regard to the contest between justice and injustice; in the next phrase there is a reference to the myth of Osiris and Set, in which good, in the persons of Osiris and Horus, survives evil in the person of Set.

[286]This seems to refer to the profession of brigand and pillager.

[287]By God's favor.

[288]Perhaps a gesture expressing humble acquiescence.

[289]Lit.,Kain Egyptian.

[290]As uncertain as groping in the dark.

[291]Be not sure of the childless man's estate. He can take a second wife and disappoint you.

[292]The time appointed to it for its own activity, or as we should say, its "day."

[293]Room is made for him.

[294]Lit., belly.

[295]Salary in kind.

[296]The second text gives "Let thy face [be shining] when thou makest a feast. Verily that which cometh out of the store doth not enter [?], but bread is apportioned; he that is niggardly of face is remorseful; [?] his belly is empty. He that remembereth a man is kind unto him in the years after the staff [of power?]." The last expression may mean "after the loss of authority."

[297]Variant "beseech." The meaning of the section is not certain.

[298]To be in an ambiguous position. (?)

[299]Or "then all thy ways shall have the lead."

[300]Ba, in Egyptian: the person who has learned good conduct (the ignorant cannot) pours benediction upon the soul of him who set the example of it, when he finds himself profited on earth by the practice thereof.

[301]The word presupposes education, as often.

[302]A frequent collocation of words; as for instance, following the mention of a royal person.

[303]Amakh.See note to Section 41.

[304]The words "a son" seem inserted.

[305]Or "is fit only for hard manual labor."

[306]I. e., one of the loyal adherents of Horus the son of Osiris in his war against the evil Set.

[307]The blessed state of well-earned repose and rewards, both in this world and in the next, after faithful service.

[308]This is the reading furnished by the fragments in the British Museum for an unintelligible passage in the Prisse.

[309]"Them" is difficult to assign to any antecedent definitely; perhaps "without their advice how to behave and employ the wealth" is meant.

[310]Or "those who are listened to," "instructors."

[311]This was the ideal length of life in Egypt. The figure must not be taken too literally.

[312]See note to Section 41, previous page.

[313]That is, for the government.

[314]Lit., doorkeepers—i. e., of the official cabin.

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