] thee: it is painful,
despising
the poor,
thou strikest him with the punishment of nobles.
thou strikest him with the punishment of nobles.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v09 - Dra to Eme
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.
## p. 5334 (#506) ###########################################
5334
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
[the gods'] law for those whom they love: verily he who hath
risen, he hath been prudent for himself, and it is God that maketh
his success; and he would punish him for it if he were indolent. ”
11. [Take reasonable recreation. ]
“Follow thy heart the time that thou hast; do not more than
is commanded; diminish not the time of following the heart; that
is abomination to the soul, that its moment should be disre.
garded. Spend not [on labor] the time of each day beyond what
[is necessary) for furnishing thy house. When possessions are
obtained, follow the heart; for possessions are not made full use
of if [the owner] is weary. ”
12. [Treatment of a son. ]
“If thou art a successful man and thou makest a son by
God's grace [? ], if he is accurate, goeth again in thy way and
attendeth to thy business on the proper occasion, do unto him
every good thing: he is thy son to whom it belongeth, that thy
Ka begat: estrange not thy heart from him; inheritance [? ] maketh
quarrels. [? ] If he err and transgress thy way, and refuseth [? ]
everything said while his mouth babbleth vain words.
13. [Be patient in the law court. )
“If thou art in the council hall, standing and sitting until thy
going [forward), that hath been commanded for thee on the
earliest day: go not away if thou art kept back, while the
face is attentive to him who entereth and reporteth, and the place
of him who is summoned is broad. The council hall is accord-
ing to rule, and all its method according to measure. It is God
that promoteth position; it is not done to those who are ready of
elbows. »
>
14. [Make friends with all men. ]
15. [Report progress, whether good or evil, to your chief. ]
16. [A leader with wide instructions should pursue a far-
sighted policy. ]
17. [A leader should listen to complaints. ]
1 The time appointed to it for its own activity, or as we should say, its
(day. ”
2 Room is made for him.
1
2
## p. 5335 (#507) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5335
18. [Beware of women. )
“If thou wishest to prolong friendship in a house into which
thou enterest as master, as brother, or as friend, [in fact in] any
place that thou enterest, beware of approaching the women: no
place in which that is done prospereth. The face is not watch-
ful in attaining it. A thousand men are injured in order to be
profited for a little moment, like a dream, by tasting which
death is reached. ”
19. [Keep from injustice or covetousness. )
“If thou desirest thy procedure to be good, take thyself from
all evil: beware of any covetous aim. That is as the painful
disease of colic. He who entereth on it is not successful. It
embroileth fathers and mothers with the mother's brothers, it
separateth wife and husband. It is a thing that taketh to itself
all evils, a bundle of all wickedness. A man liveth long whose
rule is justice, who goeth according to its [the rule's] movements.
He maketh a property thereby, while a covetous man hath no
house. ”
20. (Be satisfied with a fair share. ]
“Let not thine heart be extortionate about shares, in grasping
at what is not thy portion. Let not thy heart be extortionate
towards thy neighbors: greater is the prayer to a kindly person
than force. Poor is he that carrieth off his neighbors [by vio-
lence] without the persuasion of words. A little for which there
hath been extortion maketh remorse when the bloodi is cool. ”
21. [Pay attention to thy wife when thou hast attained a
competence. ]
“If thou art successful and hast furnished thine house, and lov-
est the wife of thy bosom, fill her belly, clothe her back. The
medicine for her body is oil. Make glad her heart during the
time that thou hast. She is a field profitable to its owner. ”
22. [Entertain visitors with thy means. )
23. [Do not repeat scandal[? ]. ]
24. [Talk not of unfamiliar things in the council. ]
25. [Advice to an able speaker. ]
"If thou art strong, inspiring awe by knowledge or by pleas-
ing, speak in first command; that is to say, not according to
1 Lit. , belly.
## p. 5336 (#508) ###########################################
5336
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
[another's] lead. The weak man [? ] entereth into error. Raise
not thine heart, lest it be cast down. Be not silent. Beware of
interruption and of answering words with heat [? ].
The
flames of a fiery heart sweep away the mild man, when a fighter
treadeth on his path. He who doth accounts all day long hath
not a pleasant moment; he who enjoyeth himself all day long
doth not provide his house. The archer will hit his mark even
as he that worketh the rudder, at one time letting it alone, at
another pulling; he that obeyeth his heart [conscience? ] shall
command. ”
26. [Do not add to others' burdens. ]
27. [Teach a noble what will profit him. ]
28. [Deliver an official message straightforwardly. ]
29. [Call not to remembrance favors that you have bestowed,
when the recipient has ceased to thank you. ]
30. [Advice to one that has risen in the world. ]
"If thou gainest great after small things and makest wealth
after poverty, so that thou art an example thereof in thy city,
thou art known in thy nome and thou art become prominent: do
not wrap up [? ] thy heart in thy riches that have come to thee
by the gift of God,
another like unto thee to whom the
like hath fallen. ”
31. [Obedience to chief. ]
« Bend thy back to thy chief, thy superior of the king's
house, on whose property thine house dependeth, and thy pay-
ments' in their proper place. It is ill to be at variance with the
chief. One liveth [only] while he is gracious. ”
32. [Against lewdness. ]
33. [Judge a friend's character at first hand. ]
“If thou seekest the character of a friend, mind thou, do not
ask; go to him, occupy thyself with him alone so as not to in-
terfere with his business. Argue with him after a season, test [? ]
his heart with an instance of speech. ”
34. [Be cheerful to friends. ]
"Let thy face be shining the time that thou hast: verily that
which cometh out of the store doth not enter again; but bread is
Salary in kind.
1
1
## p. 5337 (#509) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5337
> 1
for apportionment, and he that is niggardly is an accuser, empty
of his belly. It befalleth that a quarrelsome man is a spoiler of
things; do it not unto him who cometh unto thee. The remem-
brance of a man is of his kindliness in the years after the staff
[of power ? ]. ”
35. [Importance of credit. ]
Know? thy tradesman when thy affairs are unsuccessful; thy
good reputation with thy friend is a channel well filled; it is
more important than a man's wealth. The property of one
belongeth to another. A profitable thing is the good reputation of
a man's son to him. The nature is better than the memory. ”[? ]
36. [Punish for an example, instruct for the principle. ]
37. [Treat kindly a seduced woman. )
“If thou makest a woman ashamed, wanton of heart, whom
her fellow townspeople know to be under two laws, be kind to
her a season; send her not away, let her have food to eat. The
wantonness of her heart appreciateth guidance. "
38. [Advantage of obedience to rule. ]
“If thou hearkenest to these things that I tell thee, and all
thy behavior is according to what precedeth,“ verily they have a
true course. They are precious, their memory goeth in the
mouth of men by reason of the excellence of their phrasing;
and each saying is carried on; it is not destroyed out of this
land ever; it maketh a rule to advantage by which the nobles
may speak. It is a teaching for a man that he may speak to
the future. He that heareth them becometh an expert. A good
hearer speaketh to the future of what he hath heard.
If good
fortune befalleth by reason of him who is at the head of affairs,
it is to him good forever, and all his satisfactoriness remaineth
to eternity. It is he who knoweth that blesseth his soul“ in
1 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. ”
Variant (beseech. ” The meaning of the' section is not certain.
3 To be in an ambiguous position. (? )
* Or «then all thy ways shall have the lead.
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.
## p. 5334 (#506) ###########################################
5334
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
[the gods'] law for those whom they love: verily he who hath
risen, he hath been prudent for himself, and it is God that maketh
his success; and he would punish him for it if he were indolent. ”
11. [Take reasonable recreation. ]
“Follow thy heart the time that thou hast; do not more than
is commanded; diminish not the time of following the heart; that
is abomination to the soul, that its moment should be disre.
garded. Spend not [on labor] the time of each day beyond what
[is necessary) for furnishing thy house. When possessions are
obtained, follow the heart; for possessions are not made full use
of if [the owner] is weary. ”
12. [Treatment of a son. ]
“If thou art a successful man and thou makest a son by
God's grace [? ], if he is accurate, goeth again in thy way and
attendeth to thy business on the proper occasion, do unto him
every good thing: he is thy son to whom it belongeth, that thy
Ka begat: estrange not thy heart from him; inheritance [? ] maketh
quarrels. [? ] If he err and transgress thy way, and refuseth [? ]
everything said while his mouth babbleth vain words.
13. [Be patient in the law court. )
“If thou art in the council hall, standing and sitting until thy
going [forward), that hath been commanded for thee on the
earliest day: go not away if thou art kept back, while the
face is attentive to him who entereth and reporteth, and the place
of him who is summoned is broad. The council hall is accord-
ing to rule, and all its method according to measure. It is God
that promoteth position; it is not done to those who are ready of
elbows. »
>
14. [Make friends with all men. ]
15. [Report progress, whether good or evil, to your chief. ]
16. [A leader with wide instructions should pursue a far-
sighted policy. ]
17. [A leader should listen to complaints. ]
1 The time appointed to it for its own activity, or as we should say, its
(day. ”
2 Room is made for him.
1
2
## p. 5335 (#507) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5335
18. [Beware of women. )
“If thou wishest to prolong friendship in a house into which
thou enterest as master, as brother, or as friend, [in fact in] any
place that thou enterest, beware of approaching the women: no
place in which that is done prospereth. The face is not watch-
ful in attaining it. A thousand men are injured in order to be
profited for a little moment, like a dream, by tasting which
death is reached. ”
19. [Keep from injustice or covetousness. )
“If thou desirest thy procedure to be good, take thyself from
all evil: beware of any covetous aim. That is as the painful
disease of colic. He who entereth on it is not successful. It
embroileth fathers and mothers with the mother's brothers, it
separateth wife and husband. It is a thing that taketh to itself
all evils, a bundle of all wickedness. A man liveth long whose
rule is justice, who goeth according to its [the rule's] movements.
He maketh a property thereby, while a covetous man hath no
house. ”
20. (Be satisfied with a fair share. ]
“Let not thine heart be extortionate about shares, in grasping
at what is not thy portion. Let not thy heart be extortionate
towards thy neighbors: greater is the prayer to a kindly person
than force. Poor is he that carrieth off his neighbors [by vio-
lence] without the persuasion of words. A little for which there
hath been extortion maketh remorse when the bloodi is cool. ”
21. [Pay attention to thy wife when thou hast attained a
competence. ]
“If thou art successful and hast furnished thine house, and lov-
est the wife of thy bosom, fill her belly, clothe her back. The
medicine for her body is oil. Make glad her heart during the
time that thou hast. She is a field profitable to its owner. ”
22. [Entertain visitors with thy means. )
23. [Do not repeat scandal[? ]. ]
24. [Talk not of unfamiliar things in the council. ]
25. [Advice to an able speaker. ]
"If thou art strong, inspiring awe by knowledge or by pleas-
ing, speak in first command; that is to say, not according to
1 Lit. , belly.
## p. 5336 (#508) ###########################################
5336
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
[another's] lead. The weak man [? ] entereth into error. Raise
not thine heart, lest it be cast down. Be not silent. Beware of
interruption and of answering words with heat [? ].
The
flames of a fiery heart sweep away the mild man, when a fighter
treadeth on his path. He who doth accounts all day long hath
not a pleasant moment; he who enjoyeth himself all day long
doth not provide his house. The archer will hit his mark even
as he that worketh the rudder, at one time letting it alone, at
another pulling; he that obeyeth his heart [conscience? ] shall
command. ”
26. [Do not add to others' burdens. ]
27. [Teach a noble what will profit him. ]
28. [Deliver an official message straightforwardly. ]
29. [Call not to remembrance favors that you have bestowed,
when the recipient has ceased to thank you. ]
30. [Advice to one that has risen in the world. ]
"If thou gainest great after small things and makest wealth
after poverty, so that thou art an example thereof in thy city,
thou art known in thy nome and thou art become prominent: do
not wrap up [? ] thy heart in thy riches that have come to thee
by the gift of God,
another like unto thee to whom the
like hath fallen. ”
31. [Obedience to chief. ]
« Bend thy back to thy chief, thy superior of the king's
house, on whose property thine house dependeth, and thy pay-
ments' in their proper place. It is ill to be at variance with the
chief. One liveth [only] while he is gracious. ”
32. [Against lewdness. ]
33. [Judge a friend's character at first hand. ]
“If thou seekest the character of a friend, mind thou, do not
ask; go to him, occupy thyself with him alone so as not to in-
terfere with his business. Argue with him after a season, test [? ]
his heart with an instance of speech. ”
34. [Be cheerful to friends. ]
"Let thy face be shining the time that thou hast: verily that
which cometh out of the store doth not enter again; but bread is
Salary in kind.
1
1
## p. 5337 (#509) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5337
> 1
for apportionment, and he that is niggardly is an accuser, empty
of his belly. It befalleth that a quarrelsome man is a spoiler of
things; do it not unto him who cometh unto thee. The remem-
brance of a man is of his kindliness in the years after the staff
[of power ? ]. ”
35. [Importance of credit. ]
Know? thy tradesman when thy affairs are unsuccessful; thy
good reputation with thy friend is a channel well filled; it is
more important than a man's wealth. The property of one
belongeth to another. A profitable thing is the good reputation of
a man's son to him. The nature is better than the memory. ”[? ]
36. [Punish for an example, instruct for the principle. ]
37. [Treat kindly a seduced woman. )
“If thou makest a woman ashamed, wanton of heart, whom
her fellow townspeople know to be under two laws, be kind to
her a season; send her not away, let her have food to eat. The
wantonness of her heart appreciateth guidance. "
38. [Advantage of obedience to rule. ]
“If thou hearkenest to these things that I tell thee, and all
thy behavior is according to what precedeth,“ verily they have a
true course. They are precious, their memory goeth in the
mouth of men by reason of the excellence of their phrasing;
and each saying is carried on; it is not destroyed out of this
land ever; it maketh a rule to advantage by which the nobles
may speak. It is a teaching for a man that he may speak to
the future. He that heareth them becometh an expert. A good
hearer speaketh to the future of what he hath heard.
If good
fortune befalleth by reason of him who is at the head of affairs,
it is to him good forever, and all his satisfactoriness remaineth
to eternity. It is he who knoweth that blesseth his soul“ in
1 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. ”
Variant (beseech. ” The meaning of the' section is not certain.
3 To be in an ambiguous position. (? )
* Or «then all thy ways shall have the lead.
