]
“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.
“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.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v09 - Dra to Eme
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. ”
5 Ba, in Egyptian: the person who has learned good conduct (the ignorant
cannot) pours benediction upon the soul of him who set the example of it,
when he finds himself profited on earth by the practice thereof.
## p. 5338 (#510) ###########################################
5338
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
establishing his excellence upon earth: he who knoweth hath
satisfaction of his knowledge. A noble' taketh his right course
in what his heart and his tongue provide; his lips are correct
when he speaketh, his eyes in seeing, his ears just in hearing; a
profitable thing for his son is doing right, free from wrong.
"It is a profitable thing for the son of one who hath hearkened
[to instruction] to hearken [to his father], entering and listening
to a hearkener. A hearkener becometh a person hearkened to,
good in hearkening and good in speech; a hearkener possesseth
what is profitable: profitable to the hearkener is hearkening.
Hearkening is better than anything: it befalleth indeed that love
is good, but twice good is it when a son receiveth what his
father saith: old age cometh to him therewith. He who loveth
God hearkeneth, he who hateth God doth not hearken: it is the
heart that maketh its possessor hearken or not hearken, and the
Life, Prosperity, and Health ? of a is his heart. The
hearkener heareth what is said. He that loveth to hear doeth
according to what is said. Twice good is it for a son to hearken
to his father. How happy is he to whom these things are told!
A son, he shineth as possessing the quality of hearkening. The
hearkener to whom they are told, he is excellent in body. He
that is pious-and-well-pleasing to his father, his memory is in
the mouth of the living who are upon earth, whoever they
shall be. "
man
39. [The docile son. )
“If the son of a man receive what his father saith, no plan of
his shall fail. [He whom] thou teachest as thy son, or the
listener that is successful in the heart of the nobles, he guideth
his mouth according to what he hath been told. He that
beholdeth is as he that obeyeth, i. e. , a son*; his ways are distin-
guished. He faileth that entereth without hearing. He that
knoweth, on the next day is established; he who is ignorant is
crushed. ”
40. [The ignorant and unteachable man is a miserable fail-
ure. ]
1 The word presupposes education, as often.
2 A frequent collocation of words; as for instance, following the mention
of a royal person.
3 Amakh. See note to Section 41.
4 The words (a son » seem inserted.
5 Or is fit only for hard manual labor. ”
5
## p. 5339 (#511) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5339
41. [The handing down of good precepts. ]
« The son of a hearkener is as an Attendant of Horus': there
is good for him when he hath hearkened; he groweth old, he
reacheth Amakh? ; he telleth the like to his children, renewing
the teaching of his father. Every man teacheth as he hath per-
formed; he telleth the like to his sons, that they may tell again
to their children. ' Do what is admirable; cause not thyself to be
mocked;[? ] establish truth that thy children may live. If virtue
entereth, vice departeth: then men who shall see such-like shall
say, “Behold, that man spoke to one who hearkened! ' and
they shall do the like; or Behold, that man was observant. )
All shall say, “They pacify the multitude; riches are not com-
plete without them. ' Add not a word, nor take one away; put
not one in the place of another. Guard thyself against opening
the lacunæ [? ] that are in thee. Guard thyself against being told,
One who knoweth is listening; mark thou. Thou desirest to
be established in the mouth of those who hears when thou
speakest. But thou hast entered on the business of an expert;
thou speakest of matters that belong to us, and thy way is not
in its proper place. »
42. [Speak with consideration. ]
“Let thy heart be overflowing, let thy mouth be restrained:
consider how thou shalt behave among the nobles. Be exact in
practice with thy master: act so that he may say, "The son of
that man shall speak to those that shall hearken. Praise worthy
also is he who formed him. '
«Apply thine heart while thou art speaking, that thou mayest
speak things of distinction; then the nobles who shall hear will
say, “How good is that which proceedeth out of his mouth! »»
43. [Obedience to the master. ]
“Do according to that thy master telleth thee. How excellent
[to a man] is the teaching of his father, out of whom he hath
11. e. , one of the loyal adherents of Horus the son of Osiris in his war
against the evil Set.
2 The blessed state of well-earned repose and rewards, both in this world
and in the next, after faithful service.
3 This is the reading furnished by the fragments in the British Museum for
an unintelligible passage in the Prisse.
* « Them” is difficult to assign to any antecedent definitely; perhaps (with-
out their advice how to behave and employ the wealth » is meant.
5 Or those who are listened to,» «instructors. »
## p. 5340 (#512) ###########################################
5340
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
come, out of his very body, and who spake unto him while he
was yet altogether in his loins! Greater is what hath been done
unto him than what hath been said unto him. Behold, a good
son that God giveth doeth beyond what he is told for his mas-
ter; he doeth right, doing heartily [? ] in his goings even as thou
hast come unto me, that thy body may be sound, that the King
may be well pleased with all that is done, that thou mayest
spend years of life. It is no small thing that I have done on
earth; I have spent 110 years' of life while the King gave me
praises as among the ancestors, by my doing uprightly to the
King until the state of Amakh. ? )
This is its arrival
like that which was found in the writing.
Translation of F. Li, Griffith.
2 )
[The following extracts are reproduced from the German of Professor
Erman's translation. ]
+
FROM THE MAXIMS OF ANY)
“K
EEP thyself from the strange woman who is not known in
her city. Look not upon her when she cometh, and know
her not. She is like unto a whirlpool in deep water, the
whirling vortex of which is not known. The woman whose hus-
band is afar writeth unto thee daily. When none is there to see
her, she standeth up and spreadeth her snare; sin unto death is
it to hearken thereto. ” Hence he who is wise will renounce her
company and take to himself a wife in his youth. A man's own
house is the best thing, and also she will give unto thee a
son who shall be as the image of thyself. ”
1
[Thy debt to thy mother. ]
Thou shalt never forget thy mother and what she hath done
for thee, “that she bore thee, and nurtured thee in all ways. ”
Wert thou to forget her then might she blame thee, lifting up
her arms unto God, and he would hearken unto her complaint.
For she carried thee long beneath her heart as a heavy burden,
and after thy months were accomplished she bore thee. Three
long years she carried thee upon her shoulder and gave thee her
1 This was the ideal length of life in Egypt. The figure must not be taken
too literally.
2 See note to Section 41, previous page.
1
1
## p. 5341 (#513) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5341
breast to thy mouth. ” She nurtured thee, nor knew offense
from thine uncleanness. And when thou didst enter the school
and wast instructed in the writings, daily she stood by the mas-
ter with bread and beer from her house. ”
[Be not drunken with beer. ]
Drink not beer to excess! That which cometh forth from thy
mouth thou canst no longer speak. Thou fallest down, thou
breakest thy limbs, and none stretcheth out a hand to thee. Thy
companions drink on; they arise and say, "Away with this one
who hath drunken. ” When one cometh to seek thee, to seek
counsel of thee, he findeth thee lying in the dust like a little
child.
[Of inward piety. ]
“Clamor is abhorrent to the sanctuary of God; let thy prayers
for thyself come forth out of a loving heart, whose words remain
secret, that he may grant thee thy needs, may hear thy prayer,
and accept thine offering. ”
[Of diligence and discretion. ]
Be diligent; “let thine eye be open that thou mayest not go
forth as a beggar, for the man who is idle cometh not to honor. ”
Be not officious and indiscreet, and “enter not [uninvited] into
the house of another; if thou enter at his bidding thou art hon-
ored. Look not around thee, look not around thee in the house
of another. What thine eye seeth, keep silence concerning it,
and tell it not without to another, that it be not in thee a crime
to be punished by death when it is heard. ” Speak not over-
much, "for men are deaf to him who maketh many words; but
if thou art silent thou art pleasing, therefore speak not. ” Above
all be cautious in speech, for “the ruin of a man is on his
tongue. The body of a man is a storehouse, which is full of all
manner of answers. Wherefore choose thou the good and speak
good, while the evil remaineth shut up within thy body. ”
[Of manners. ]
Behave with propriety at table and “be not greedy to fill thy
body. ” And “eat not bread while another standeth by and thou
placest not thy hand on the bread for him. The one is rich and
the other is poor, and bread remaineth with him who is open-
handed. He who was prosperous last year, even in this may be
## p. 5342 (#514) ###########################################
5342
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
a vagrant. [? ]” Never forget to show respect, “and sit not down
while another is standing who is older than thou, or who is
higher than thou in his office. ”
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
INSTRUCTION OF DAUF
Wson
HEN Dauf the sage of Sebennytus went up to the Royal
Court
Writing-School,” he admonished him to set his heart
upon writing, to love it as his mother, for there is naught that
surpasseth it. ” He thereupon composes a poem in praise of the
profession, to the disparagement of all other callings:--
“Behold, there is no profession that is not under rule;
Only the man of learning himself ruleth. ”
And then,
“Never have I seen the engraver an ambassador,
Or the goldsmith with an embassy:
But I have seen the smith at his work
At the mouth of his furnace;
His fingers were as crocodile [hide],
He stank more than fish-roe.
“A craftsman who plieth the chisel
Is wearied more than he who tilleth the soil;
Wood is his field, and bronze his implement;
At night -- is he released ?
He worketh more than his arms are able;
At night he lighteth a light. ”
Etc. , etc.
no
[The praise of learning was a favorite subject with peda-
gogue and parent. According to other sages] “the unlearned
whose name man knoweth, is like unto a heavy-laden ass,
driven by the scribe,” while he who hath set learning in his
heart” is exempt from labor “and becometh a wise noble. ”
The rank of a scribe is princely; his writing outfit and his
papyrus roll bring comfort and wealth. ” « The scribe alone
guideth the labor of all men; but if labor in writing is hateful
to him, then the goddess of good fortune is not with him. ”
## p. 5343 (#515) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5343
“O scribe, be not lazy, be not lazy, else thou shalt be soundly
chastised; give not thy heart to vain desires, or thou wilt come
to ruin. Book in hand, read with thy mouth, and take the advice
of those who know more than thyself. Prepare for thyself the
office of a noble, that thou mayest attain thereto when thou art
become old. Happy is the scribe clever in all his offices. Be
strong and diligent in daily work. Pass no day idly, or thou
wilt be flogged, for the ears of a boy are on his back, and he
heareth when he is flogged. Let thine heart hear what I say; it
will bring thee to fortune. Be strong in asking advice; do not
overlook it in writing; be not disgusted at it. Therefore let
thine heart hear my words; thou shalt find fortune thereby. ”
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
11
are
CONTRASTED LOTS OF SCRIBE AND FELLÂH
[The following is a sample of the warnings to young men to stick to the
business of the scribe and not be led away by the charms of out-door life,
always so dear to the Egyptian. — Date XIXth Dynasty, or earlier. ]
T is told to me that thou hast cast aside learning, and givest
thyself to dancing; thou turnest thy face to the work in the
fields, and castest the divine words behind thee.
Behold, thou rememberest not the condition of the fellâh,
when the harvest is taken over. The worms carry off half the
corn, and the hippopotamus devours the rest; mice abound in the
fields, and locusts arrive; the cattle devour, the sparrows steal.
How miserable is the lot of the fellâh ! What remains on the
threshing-floor, robbers finish it up. The bronze
worn out, the horses [oxen? ] die with threshing and plow.
ing. Then the scribe moors at the bank who is to take over the
harvest;' the attendants? bear staves, the negroes carry palm-
sticks. They say, "Give corn! ” But there is none. They beat
[the fellâh] prostrate; they bind him and cast him into the canal,
throwing him headlong. His wife is bound before him, his child-
ren are swung off; his neighbors let them go, and flee to look
after their corn.
But the scribe is the leader of labor for all; he reckons to
himself the produce in winter, and there is none that appoints
him his tale of produce. Behold, now thou knowest!
Translation of F. Li. Griffith.
1 That is, for the government.
? Lit. , doorkeepers - i. e. , of the official cabin.
## p. 5344 (#516) ###########################################
5344
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
REPROACHES TO A DISSIPATED STUDENT
XIXTH DYNASTY
T".
HEY tell me that thou forsakest books,
And givest thyself up to pleasure.
Thou goest from street to street;
Every evening the smell of beer,
The smell of beer, frightens people away from thee.
It bringeth thy soul to ruin.
Thou art like a broken helm,
That obeyeth on neither side.
Thou art as a shrine without its god,
As a house without bread.
!
1
Thou art met climbing the walls,
And breaking through the paling:
People flee froin thee,
Thou strikest them until they are wounded.
Oh that thou didst know that wine is an abomination,
And that thou wouldst forswear the Shedeh drink!
That thou wouldst not put cool drinks within thy heart,
That thou wouldst forget the Tenreku.
But now thou art taught to sing to the flute,
To recite [? ] to the pipe,
To intone to the lyre,
To sing to the harp,
[and generally to lead a life of dissipation.
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.
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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.
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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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> 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. ”
5 Ba, in Egyptian: the person who has learned good conduct (the ignorant
cannot) pours benediction upon the soul of him who set the example of it,
when he finds himself profited on earth by the practice thereof.
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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
establishing his excellence upon earth: he who knoweth hath
satisfaction of his knowledge. A noble' taketh his right course
in what his heart and his tongue provide; his lips are correct
when he speaketh, his eyes in seeing, his ears just in hearing; a
profitable thing for his son is doing right, free from wrong.
"It is a profitable thing for the son of one who hath hearkened
[to instruction] to hearken [to his father], entering and listening
to a hearkener. A hearkener becometh a person hearkened to,
good in hearkening and good in speech; a hearkener possesseth
what is profitable: profitable to the hearkener is hearkening.
Hearkening is better than anything: it befalleth indeed that love
is good, but twice good is it when a son receiveth what his
father saith: old age cometh to him therewith. He who loveth
God hearkeneth, he who hateth God doth not hearken: it is the
heart that maketh its possessor hearken or not hearken, and the
Life, Prosperity, and Health ? of a is his heart. The
hearkener heareth what is said. He that loveth to hear doeth
according to what is said. Twice good is it for a son to hearken
to his father. How happy is he to whom these things are told!
A son, he shineth as possessing the quality of hearkening. The
hearkener to whom they are told, he is excellent in body. He
that is pious-and-well-pleasing to his father, his memory is in
the mouth of the living who are upon earth, whoever they
shall be. "
man
39. [The docile son. )
“If the son of a man receive what his father saith, no plan of
his shall fail. [He whom] thou teachest as thy son, or the
listener that is successful in the heart of the nobles, he guideth
his mouth according to what he hath been told. He that
beholdeth is as he that obeyeth, i. e. , a son*; his ways are distin-
guished. He faileth that entereth without hearing. He that
knoweth, on the next day is established; he who is ignorant is
crushed. ”
40. [The ignorant and unteachable man is a miserable fail-
ure. ]
1 The word presupposes education, as often.
2 A frequent collocation of words; as for instance, following the mention
of a royal person.
3 Amakh. See note to Section 41.
4 The words (a son » seem inserted.
5 Or is fit only for hard manual labor. ”
5
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41. [The handing down of good precepts. ]
« The son of a hearkener is as an Attendant of Horus': there
is good for him when he hath hearkened; he groweth old, he
reacheth Amakh? ; he telleth the like to his children, renewing
the teaching of his father. Every man teacheth as he hath per-
formed; he telleth the like to his sons, that they may tell again
to their children. ' Do what is admirable; cause not thyself to be
mocked;[? ] establish truth that thy children may live. If virtue
entereth, vice departeth: then men who shall see such-like shall
say, “Behold, that man spoke to one who hearkened! ' and
they shall do the like; or Behold, that man was observant. )
All shall say, “They pacify the multitude; riches are not com-
plete without them. ' Add not a word, nor take one away; put
not one in the place of another. Guard thyself against opening
the lacunæ [? ] that are in thee. Guard thyself against being told,
One who knoweth is listening; mark thou. Thou desirest to
be established in the mouth of those who hears when thou
speakest. But thou hast entered on the business of an expert;
thou speakest of matters that belong to us, and thy way is not
in its proper place. »
42. [Speak with consideration. ]
“Let thy heart be overflowing, let thy mouth be restrained:
consider how thou shalt behave among the nobles. Be exact in
practice with thy master: act so that he may say, "The son of
that man shall speak to those that shall hearken. Praise worthy
also is he who formed him. '
«Apply thine heart while thou art speaking, that thou mayest
speak things of distinction; then the nobles who shall hear will
say, “How good is that which proceedeth out of his mouth! »»
43. [Obedience to the master. ]
“Do according to that thy master telleth thee. How excellent
[to a man] is the teaching of his father, out of whom he hath
11. e. , one of the loyal adherents of Horus the son of Osiris in his war
against the evil Set.
2 The blessed state of well-earned repose and rewards, both in this world
and in the next, after faithful service.
3 This is the reading furnished by the fragments in the British Museum for
an unintelligible passage in the Prisse.
* « Them” is difficult to assign to any antecedent definitely; perhaps (with-
out their advice how to behave and employ the wealth » is meant.
5 Or those who are listened to,» «instructors. »
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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
come, out of his very body, and who spake unto him while he
was yet altogether in his loins! Greater is what hath been done
unto him than what hath been said unto him. Behold, a good
son that God giveth doeth beyond what he is told for his mas-
ter; he doeth right, doing heartily [? ] in his goings even as thou
hast come unto me, that thy body may be sound, that the King
may be well pleased with all that is done, that thou mayest
spend years of life. It is no small thing that I have done on
earth; I have spent 110 years' of life while the King gave me
praises as among the ancestors, by my doing uprightly to the
King until the state of Amakh. ? )
This is its arrival
like that which was found in the writing.
Translation of F. Li, Griffith.
2 )
[The following extracts are reproduced from the German of Professor
Erman's translation. ]
+
FROM THE MAXIMS OF ANY)
“K
EEP thyself from the strange woman who is not known in
her city. Look not upon her when she cometh, and know
her not. She is like unto a whirlpool in deep water, the
whirling vortex of which is not known. The woman whose hus-
band is afar writeth unto thee daily. When none is there to see
her, she standeth up and spreadeth her snare; sin unto death is
it to hearken thereto. ” Hence he who is wise will renounce her
company and take to himself a wife in his youth. A man's own
house is the best thing, and also she will give unto thee a
son who shall be as the image of thyself. ”
1
[Thy debt to thy mother. ]
Thou shalt never forget thy mother and what she hath done
for thee, “that she bore thee, and nurtured thee in all ways. ”
Wert thou to forget her then might she blame thee, lifting up
her arms unto God, and he would hearken unto her complaint.
For she carried thee long beneath her heart as a heavy burden,
and after thy months were accomplished she bore thee. Three
long years she carried thee upon her shoulder and gave thee her
1 This was the ideal length of life in Egypt. The figure must not be taken
too literally.
2 See note to Section 41, previous page.
1
1
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5341
breast to thy mouth. ” She nurtured thee, nor knew offense
from thine uncleanness. And when thou didst enter the school
and wast instructed in the writings, daily she stood by the mas-
ter with bread and beer from her house. ”
[Be not drunken with beer. ]
Drink not beer to excess! That which cometh forth from thy
mouth thou canst no longer speak. Thou fallest down, thou
breakest thy limbs, and none stretcheth out a hand to thee. Thy
companions drink on; they arise and say, "Away with this one
who hath drunken. ” When one cometh to seek thee, to seek
counsel of thee, he findeth thee lying in the dust like a little
child.
[Of inward piety. ]
“Clamor is abhorrent to the sanctuary of God; let thy prayers
for thyself come forth out of a loving heart, whose words remain
secret, that he may grant thee thy needs, may hear thy prayer,
and accept thine offering. ”
[Of diligence and discretion. ]
Be diligent; “let thine eye be open that thou mayest not go
forth as a beggar, for the man who is idle cometh not to honor. ”
Be not officious and indiscreet, and “enter not [uninvited] into
the house of another; if thou enter at his bidding thou art hon-
ored. Look not around thee, look not around thee in the house
of another. What thine eye seeth, keep silence concerning it,
and tell it not without to another, that it be not in thee a crime
to be punished by death when it is heard. ” Speak not over-
much, "for men are deaf to him who maketh many words; but
if thou art silent thou art pleasing, therefore speak not. ” Above
all be cautious in speech, for “the ruin of a man is on his
tongue. The body of a man is a storehouse, which is full of all
manner of answers. Wherefore choose thou the good and speak
good, while the evil remaineth shut up within thy body. ”
[Of manners. ]
Behave with propriety at table and “be not greedy to fill thy
body. ” And “eat not bread while another standeth by and thou
placest not thy hand on the bread for him. The one is rich and
the other is poor, and bread remaineth with him who is open-
handed. He who was prosperous last year, even in this may be
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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
a vagrant. [? ]” Never forget to show respect, “and sit not down
while another is standing who is older than thou, or who is
higher than thou in his office. ”
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
INSTRUCTION OF DAUF
Wson
HEN Dauf the sage of Sebennytus went up to the Royal
Court
Writing-School,” he admonished him to set his heart
upon writing, to love it as his mother, for there is naught that
surpasseth it. ” He thereupon composes a poem in praise of the
profession, to the disparagement of all other callings:--
“Behold, there is no profession that is not under rule;
Only the man of learning himself ruleth. ”
And then,
“Never have I seen the engraver an ambassador,
Or the goldsmith with an embassy:
But I have seen the smith at his work
At the mouth of his furnace;
His fingers were as crocodile [hide],
He stank more than fish-roe.
“A craftsman who plieth the chisel
Is wearied more than he who tilleth the soil;
Wood is his field, and bronze his implement;
At night -- is he released ?
He worketh more than his arms are able;
At night he lighteth a light. ”
Etc. , etc.
no
[The praise of learning was a favorite subject with peda-
gogue and parent. According to other sages] “the unlearned
whose name man knoweth, is like unto a heavy-laden ass,
driven by the scribe,” while he who hath set learning in his
heart” is exempt from labor “and becometh a wise noble. ”
The rank of a scribe is princely; his writing outfit and his
papyrus roll bring comfort and wealth. ” « The scribe alone
guideth the labor of all men; but if labor in writing is hateful
to him, then the goddess of good fortune is not with him. ”
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5343
“O scribe, be not lazy, be not lazy, else thou shalt be soundly
chastised; give not thy heart to vain desires, or thou wilt come
to ruin. Book in hand, read with thy mouth, and take the advice
of those who know more than thyself. Prepare for thyself the
office of a noble, that thou mayest attain thereto when thou art
become old. Happy is the scribe clever in all his offices. Be
strong and diligent in daily work. Pass no day idly, or thou
wilt be flogged, for the ears of a boy are on his back, and he
heareth when he is flogged. Let thine heart hear what I say; it
will bring thee to fortune. Be strong in asking advice; do not
overlook it in writing; be not disgusted at it. Therefore let
thine heart hear my words; thou shalt find fortune thereby. ”
Revised from the German of Adolf Erman.
11
are
CONTRASTED LOTS OF SCRIBE AND FELLÂH
[The following is a sample of the warnings to young men to stick to the
business of the scribe and not be led away by the charms of out-door life,
always so dear to the Egyptian. — Date XIXth Dynasty, or earlier. ]
T is told to me that thou hast cast aside learning, and givest
thyself to dancing; thou turnest thy face to the work in the
fields, and castest the divine words behind thee.
Behold, thou rememberest not the condition of the fellâh,
when the harvest is taken over. The worms carry off half the
corn, and the hippopotamus devours the rest; mice abound in the
fields, and locusts arrive; the cattle devour, the sparrows steal.
How miserable is the lot of the fellâh ! What remains on the
threshing-floor, robbers finish it up. The bronze
worn out, the horses [oxen? ] die with threshing and plow.
ing. Then the scribe moors at the bank who is to take over the
harvest;' the attendants? bear staves, the negroes carry palm-
sticks. They say, "Give corn! ” But there is none. They beat
[the fellâh] prostrate; they bind him and cast him into the canal,
throwing him headlong. His wife is bound before him, his child-
ren are swung off; his neighbors let them go, and flee to look
after their corn.
But the scribe is the leader of labor for all; he reckons to
himself the produce in winter, and there is none that appoints
him his tale of produce. Behold, now thou knowest!
Translation of F. Li. Griffith.
1 That is, for the government.
? Lit. , doorkeepers - i. e. , of the official cabin.
## p. 5344 (#516) ###########################################
5344
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
REPROACHES TO A DISSIPATED STUDENT
XIXTH DYNASTY
T".
HEY tell me that thou forsakest books,
And givest thyself up to pleasure.
Thou goest from street to street;
Every evening the smell of beer,
The smell of beer, frightens people away from thee.
It bringeth thy soul to ruin.
Thou art like a broken helm,
That obeyeth on neither side.
Thou art as a shrine without its god,
As a house without bread.
!
1
Thou art met climbing the walls,
And breaking through the paling:
People flee froin thee,
Thou strikest them until they are wounded.
Oh that thou didst know that wine is an abomination,
And that thou wouldst forswear the Shedeh drink!
That thou wouldst not put cool drinks within thy heart,
That thou wouldst forget the Tenreku.
But now thou art taught to sing to the flute,
To recite [? ] to the pipe,
To intone to the lyre,
To sing to the harp,
[and generally to lead a life of dissipation.
