[Amenemhat leaves
Usertesen
with the prospect of a brill-
iant reign.
iant reign.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v09 - Dra to Eme
[?
]
I have not stopped water in its season.
I have not dammed running water.
I have not quenched fire when burning: 3
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.
SECOND CONFESSION
I have not done injustice.
I have not robbed.
1 Or what is “unprofitable » or "treason. ”
2 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. »
3 Lit. , «in its moment. )
## p. 5322 (#494) ###########################################
5322
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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.
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.
1
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. LI. Griffith.
11. e. , «I am not hot of speech. ”
## p. 5323 (#495) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5323
THE TEACHING OF AMENEMHAT
assas-
[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 composi-
tion 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. Amen-
embat, 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 stren-
uously and successfully for his own glory and for the good of his people, but
in return he is scarcely saved from ignominious dethronement or
sination 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 asso-
ciation 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. I 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 Compare the story of Sanehat (above, p. 5237 seq. ) for an indication of the
place which Amenemhat retained for himself in the government of the king-
dom during the joint rule. He (Usertesen) curbs the nations while his father
remains in his palace, and he [Usertesen) accomplisheth for him what is com-
manded him. ”
## p. 5324 (#496) ###########################################
5324
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
CO
1. [Title and introduction. ]
OMMENCEMENT 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' 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 thy-
self 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? ; 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"; they who
were anointed with my frankincense defiled me while using it.
5. [Men forget the heroism of his achievements on their be-
half, though their happy condition speaks loudly of it; by for-
getting 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. *
1
Compare 2 Timothy ii. 15.
? « To exist) often means to have a solid position.
3 A proverbial word for nullity, worthlessness.
* Egypt, the lassoed ox, helpless in the hands of its oppressors, is now
free, but fails to appreciate its good fortune.
## p. 5325 (#497) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5325
on.
6. [An attempt upon his life: circumstances of the attack. ]
“It was after supper, and night was come I took an
hour of heart pleasure; I lay down upon my diwán; 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. 1
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. ?
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,
for I do not confound them. I am not ignorant of them, but
my heart does not remember the slackness of servants.
3
9. [The conspiracy was hatched in the palace itself; the com-
mons 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? 5 The underlings were kept
ignorant of what they were doing. I11 fortunes have not come
behind me since my birth; there has not been success like
mine in working to the measure of my ability.
1
Perhaps this means that Amenemhat lay still but ready to rise instantly
and fight.
2 Me voilà ! ) -- after drawing the picture of his helpless state, surprised
alone in the night.
3 1. e. , «be thy counselor. »
4 A difficult passage.
5 Meaning doubtful.
61. e. , upon others in consequence of me.
## p. 5326 (#498) ###########################################
5326
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
10. [Amenemhat's activity. ]
"I pushed up to Elephantine and I turned back to Natho;? I
stood upon the ends of the earth and saw its edge. I carried
forward the boundaries of strength-of-arm by my valor and by
my feats.
11. [His beneficent rule.
“I was a maker of barley, beloved of Nepra“; 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.
13. [The house and tomb that he built. ]
«I built a house adorned with gold, its ceiling with blue, 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 with-
out 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.
1 Elephantine and Natho are often named as the extreme north and
south points of Egypt; compare the Biblical «from Dan even unto Beersheba. ”
2 Or perhaps its centre. )
3 1. e. , «surpassed the record,” or perhaps «reached the boundaries. »
* 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 for every hollow » to enter and inun-
date it.
51. e. , (obedient to his commands,” a common figure. The Wawat and
Mezay were in Nubia, the Setiu in the Northeast to Syria.
6 The rendering of this section is very doubtful.
## p. 5327 (#499) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5327
15.
[Amenemhat leaves Usertesen with the prospect of a brill-
iant reign. ]
“Behold, what I have done at the beginning thou hast arranged
finally. Thou art the haven of what was in my heart. All col-
lectively offer the white crown to [thee], the Seed of God, sealed
to its right place. Begin for thee greetings in the bark of Ra. 1
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 PRISSE PAPYRUS
[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. ]
"T"
1. [The first section lays down axioms in regard to discre-
tion in speech.
HE 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; glut-
tony 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.
1 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.
## p. 5328 (#500) ###########################################
5328
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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. ) »
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 wazir,
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 wazirship. The following is the translation of this concluding text. ]
T!
HE wazîr caused his children to be summoned when he had
finished the conduct of men;? they rejoiced greatly at com-
ing; therefore when he said to them:-“Verily, all things
that are in writing on this roll, obey them as I say (them);: do
not pass beyond what is commanded,” they [the children] cast
11. e. , « Tell us thy name, thou who dost not answer when spoken to, or
«Let thy name be henceforth Mum-when-spoken-to. ) »
? 1. e. , the proverbs; but possibly this expression may mean «on his death-
bed. »
31. e. , obey them strictly.
## p. 5329 (#501) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5329
themselves upon their bellies and read them even as they were
written; they were good within them? 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;? 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. '
[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. ]
THE INSTRUCTION OF PTAHHETEP
[This is another collection of proverbs, in sixteen pages, and with the ru-
brics 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 wazir Ptahhetep addresses the King,
and recounts the evils of old age. 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. ]
Instruction of the governor of the royal city, and wasîr Ptahetep, before
the majesty of King Assa, who liveth forever and ever
He governor of the royal city, and wazîr Ptahhetep, saith:-
"O King my lord, years come on, old age befalleth, de-
crepitude 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
11. e. , they were pleasing to them.
2 Arrived at his destination; i. e. , died.
3 — Our «Finis. »
* 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.
T**
IX-334
## p. 5330 (#502) ###########################################
5330
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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' to make a successor. ?
Let me tell unto him the sayings of those who obeyed, the
conduct of them of old, of them who obeyed the gods; would
that the like may be done to thee,' 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, the father of the god who loves the god, the King's
eldest son of his body, the governor of the city and wazîr, Ptah-
hetep, 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:
to have been
'1. e. , the speaker or writer.
2 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.
3 Or those who are listened to.
* 1. c. , that the ancient rules may be observed by the prese nt generation
of the King's subjects. The first kings of Egypt were supposed
the gods.
• This high title occurs also in the Inscription of Una, and
the Piankhy Stela, where it has been translated «nomarch. )
6 « The god » is probably here the King. The curious title
god » is well known; it would seem to represent a person whao stood cere-
monially in the relation of father to a god or person. Thus
we have “fathers of the god Amen, etc.
But at this peri od «the god ”
seems to have meant the King, and the a father of the god» may have been
the guardian or tutor of the King. Some may even see in it
of an actual paternal relationship, as the principles of the succession to the
Egyptian throne are not understood.
frequently in
< father of the
in later times
the expression
## p. 5331 (#503) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5331
1. [Be not proud of thy learning: there is always more to
learn. ]
“Let not thy heart be great because of thy knowledge; con-
verse with the ignorant as with the learned: the boundary of
skill is not attainable; there is no expert who is completely pro-
vided with what is profitable to him: good speech is hidden more
than the emeralds i that are found by female slaves on the peb-
bles. ”
2. [Silence will be the best weapon against a more able de-
bater than thyself. ]
“If thou findest a debater’ in his moment,' persuading the
heart“ as more successful than thyself: droop thy arms, bend thy
back, let not thy heart challenge him; then he will not reach unto
thee. 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. ” 6
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. ”,
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, ques-
tion him not overmuch. 8 Do not wash the heart” of him who
4
1 Rather, green feldspar, which was largely used as an ornament.
2 Perhaps a professional orator, sophist, or the like.
3 1. e. , when he is at his occupation; in the heat of argument.
Perhaps ( bold of heart. ”
5 Or, “it shall not hurt thee. ”
6 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.
"As we speak of the education of a gentleman. ”
8 Flatter (? ).
9 A frequent phrase, but the meaning of it is obscure.
## p. 5332 (#504) ###########################################
5332
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
agreeth with [? ] thee: it is painful, despising the poor,
thou strikest him with the punishment of nobles. "I
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 with-
out error;[? ] a great thing is justice, enduring and surviving”; 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 ;s God punisheth the like.
There is the man that saith, Let him live thereby who is with-
out 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 commandith
cometh to pass.
Thent thou mayest live in a palace; pleasure com-
eth, 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; 5 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 know-
eth not the evil at heart [that it causeth]; thou shalt speak when
he questioneth thee, and then what thou sayest will be good to
11. e. , «in a gentlemanly manner»; but the last half of this section is
obscure.
2 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.
3 This seems to refer to the profession of brigand and pillager.
* By God's favor.
5 Perhaps a gesture expressing humble acquiescence.
## p. 5333 (#505) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5333
the heart. The noble who hath excess of bread, his procedure
is as his soul' commandeth; he will give to him whom he prais-
eth: it is the manner of night-time. 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 man-
agement of God: it is the ignorant that rebelleth [? ] against it. ”
8. [Behavior of a man sent on business from one lord to an-
other. ]
“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 busi-
ness 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 abomina-
tion of the soul. ”
9. [Gain thy living at thy business; do not sponge on rela-
tions, 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:' 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 re-
spectful 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
1 Lit. , Ka in Egyptian.
2 As uncertain as groping in the dark.
3 Be not sure of the childless man's estate. He can take a second wife and
disappoint you.
I have not stopped water in its season.
I have not dammed running water.
I have not quenched fire when burning: 3
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.
SECOND CONFESSION
I have not done injustice.
I have not robbed.
1 Or what is “unprofitable » or "treason. ”
2 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. »
3 Lit. , «in its moment. )
## p. 5322 (#494) ###########################################
5322
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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.
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.
1
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. LI. Griffith.
11. e. , «I am not hot of speech. ”
## p. 5323 (#495) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5323
THE TEACHING OF AMENEMHAT
assas-
[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 composi-
tion 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. Amen-
embat, 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 stren-
uously and successfully for his own glory and for the good of his people, but
in return he is scarcely saved from ignominious dethronement or
sination 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 asso-
ciation 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. I 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 Compare the story of Sanehat (above, p. 5237 seq. ) for an indication of the
place which Amenemhat retained for himself in the government of the king-
dom during the joint rule. He (Usertesen) curbs the nations while his father
remains in his palace, and he [Usertesen) accomplisheth for him what is com-
manded him. ”
## p. 5324 (#496) ###########################################
5324
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
CO
1. [Title and introduction. ]
OMMENCEMENT 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' 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 thy-
self 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? ; 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"; they who
were anointed with my frankincense defiled me while using it.
5. [Men forget the heroism of his achievements on their be-
half, though their happy condition speaks loudly of it; by for-
getting 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. *
1
Compare 2 Timothy ii. 15.
? « To exist) often means to have a solid position.
3 A proverbial word for nullity, worthlessness.
* Egypt, the lassoed ox, helpless in the hands of its oppressors, is now
free, but fails to appreciate its good fortune.
## p. 5325 (#497) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5325
on.
6. [An attempt upon his life: circumstances of the attack. ]
“It was after supper, and night was come I took an
hour of heart pleasure; I lay down upon my diwán; 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. 1
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. ?
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,
for I do not confound them. I am not ignorant of them, but
my heart does not remember the slackness of servants.
3
9. [The conspiracy was hatched in the palace itself; the com-
mons 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? 5 The underlings were kept
ignorant of what they were doing. I11 fortunes have not come
behind me since my birth; there has not been success like
mine in working to the measure of my ability.
1
Perhaps this means that Amenemhat lay still but ready to rise instantly
and fight.
2 Me voilà ! ) -- after drawing the picture of his helpless state, surprised
alone in the night.
3 1. e. , «be thy counselor. »
4 A difficult passage.
5 Meaning doubtful.
61. e. , upon others in consequence of me.
## p. 5326 (#498) ###########################################
5326
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
10. [Amenemhat's activity. ]
"I pushed up to Elephantine and I turned back to Natho;? I
stood upon the ends of the earth and saw its edge. I carried
forward the boundaries of strength-of-arm by my valor and by
my feats.
11. [His beneficent rule.
“I was a maker of barley, beloved of Nepra“; 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.
13. [The house and tomb that he built. ]
«I built a house adorned with gold, its ceiling with blue, 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 with-
out 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.
1 Elephantine and Natho are often named as the extreme north and
south points of Egypt; compare the Biblical «from Dan even unto Beersheba. ”
2 Or perhaps its centre. )
3 1. e. , «surpassed the record,” or perhaps «reached the boundaries. »
* 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 for every hollow » to enter and inun-
date it.
51. e. , (obedient to his commands,” a common figure. The Wawat and
Mezay were in Nubia, the Setiu in the Northeast to Syria.
6 The rendering of this section is very doubtful.
## p. 5327 (#499) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5327
15.
[Amenemhat leaves Usertesen with the prospect of a brill-
iant reign. ]
“Behold, what I have done at the beginning thou hast arranged
finally. Thou art the haven of what was in my heart. All col-
lectively offer the white crown to [thee], the Seed of God, sealed
to its right place. Begin for thee greetings in the bark of Ra. 1
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 PRISSE PAPYRUS
[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. ]
"T"
1. [The first section lays down axioms in regard to discre-
tion in speech.
HE 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; glut-
tony 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.
1 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.
## p. 5328 (#500) ###########################################
5328
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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. ) »
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 wazir,
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 wazirship. The following is the translation of this concluding text. ]
T!
HE wazîr caused his children to be summoned when he had
finished the conduct of men;? they rejoiced greatly at com-
ing; therefore when he said to them:-“Verily, all things
that are in writing on this roll, obey them as I say (them);: do
not pass beyond what is commanded,” they [the children] cast
11. e. , « Tell us thy name, thou who dost not answer when spoken to, or
«Let thy name be henceforth Mum-when-spoken-to. ) »
? 1. e. , the proverbs; but possibly this expression may mean «on his death-
bed. »
31. e. , obey them strictly.
## p. 5329 (#501) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5329
themselves upon their bellies and read them even as they were
written; they were good within them? 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;? 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. '
[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. ]
THE INSTRUCTION OF PTAHHETEP
[This is another collection of proverbs, in sixteen pages, and with the ru-
brics 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 wazir Ptahhetep addresses the King,
and recounts the evils of old age. 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. ]
Instruction of the governor of the royal city, and wasîr Ptahetep, before
the majesty of King Assa, who liveth forever and ever
He governor of the royal city, and wazîr Ptahhetep, saith:-
"O King my lord, years come on, old age befalleth, de-
crepitude 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
11. e. , they were pleasing to them.
2 Arrived at his destination; i. e. , died.
3 — Our «Finis. »
* 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.
T**
IX-334
## p. 5330 (#502) ###########################################
5330
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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' to make a successor. ?
Let me tell unto him the sayings of those who obeyed, the
conduct of them of old, of them who obeyed the gods; would
that the like may be done to thee,' 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, the father of the god who loves the god, the King's
eldest son of his body, the governor of the city and wazîr, Ptah-
hetep, 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:
to have been
'1. e. , the speaker or writer.
2 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.
3 Or those who are listened to.
* 1. c. , that the ancient rules may be observed by the prese nt generation
of the King's subjects. The first kings of Egypt were supposed
the gods.
• This high title occurs also in the Inscription of Una, and
the Piankhy Stela, where it has been translated «nomarch. )
6 « The god » is probably here the King. The curious title
god » is well known; it would seem to represent a person whao stood cere-
monially in the relation of father to a god or person. Thus
we have “fathers of the god Amen, etc.
But at this peri od «the god ”
seems to have meant the King, and the a father of the god» may have been
the guardian or tutor of the King. Some may even see in it
of an actual paternal relationship, as the principles of the succession to the
Egyptian throne are not understood.
frequently in
< father of the
in later times
the expression
## p. 5331 (#503) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5331
1. [Be not proud of thy learning: there is always more to
learn. ]
“Let not thy heart be great because of thy knowledge; con-
verse with the ignorant as with the learned: the boundary of
skill is not attainable; there is no expert who is completely pro-
vided with what is profitable to him: good speech is hidden more
than the emeralds i that are found by female slaves on the peb-
bles. ”
2. [Silence will be the best weapon against a more able de-
bater than thyself. ]
“If thou findest a debater’ in his moment,' persuading the
heart“ as more successful than thyself: droop thy arms, bend thy
back, let not thy heart challenge him; then he will not reach unto
thee. 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. ” 6
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. ”,
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, ques-
tion him not overmuch. 8 Do not wash the heart” of him who
4
1 Rather, green feldspar, which was largely used as an ornament.
2 Perhaps a professional orator, sophist, or the like.
3 1. e. , when he is at his occupation; in the heat of argument.
Perhaps ( bold of heart. ”
5 Or, “it shall not hurt thee. ”
6 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.
"As we speak of the education of a gentleman. ”
8 Flatter (? ).
9 A frequent phrase, but the meaning of it is obscure.
## p. 5332 (#504) ###########################################
5332
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
agreeth with [? ] thee: it is painful, despising the poor,
thou strikest him with the punishment of nobles. "I
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 with-
out error;[? ] a great thing is justice, enduring and surviving”; 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 ;s God punisheth the like.
There is the man that saith, Let him live thereby who is with-
out 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 commandith
cometh to pass.
Thent thou mayest live in a palace; pleasure com-
eth, 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; 5 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 know-
eth not the evil at heart [that it causeth]; thou shalt speak when
he questioneth thee, and then what thou sayest will be good to
11. e. , «in a gentlemanly manner»; but the last half of this section is
obscure.
2 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.
3 This seems to refer to the profession of brigand and pillager.
* By God's favor.
5 Perhaps a gesture expressing humble acquiescence.
## p. 5333 (#505) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5333
the heart. The noble who hath excess of bread, his procedure
is as his soul' commandeth; he will give to him whom he prais-
eth: it is the manner of night-time. 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 man-
agement of God: it is the ignorant that rebelleth [? ] against it. ”
8. [Behavior of a man sent on business from one lord to an-
other. ]
“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 busi-
ness 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 abomina-
tion of the soul. ”
9. [Gain thy living at thy business; do not sponge on rela-
tions, 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:' 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 re-
spectful 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
1 Lit. , Ka in Egyptian.
2 As uncertain as groping in the dark.
3 Be not sure of the childless man's estate. He can take a second wife and
disappoint you.
