Egyptian Literature: Comprising Egyptian tales, hymns, litanies, invocations, the Book of the Dead, and cuneiform writings
Religion
Egyptian Literature: Comprising Egyptian tales, hymns, litanies, invocations, the Book of the Dead, and cuneiform writings
Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
that I shall draw out my soul, and I shall put it upon the top of the
flowers of the acacia, and when the acacia is cut down, and it falls to
the ground, and thou comest to seek for it, if thou searchest for it seven
years do not let thy heart be wearied. For thou wilt find it, and thou
must put it in a cup of cold water, and expect that I shall live again,
that I may make answer to what has been done wrong. And thou shalt know of
this, that is to say, that things are happening to me, when one shall give
to thee a cup of beer in thy hand, and it shall be troubled; stay not
then, for verily it shall come to pass with thee.”
And the youth went to the valley of the acacia; and his elder brother went
unto his house; his hand was laid on his head, and he cast dust on his
head; he came to his house, and he slew his wife, he cast her to the dogs,
and he sat in mourning for his younger brother.
Now many days after these things, the younger brother was in the valley of
the acacia; there was none with him; he spent his time in hunting the
beasts of the desert, and he came back in the even to lie down under the
acacia, which bore his soul upon the topmost flower. And after this he
built himself a tower with his own hands, in the valley of the acacia; it
was full of all good things, that he might provide for himself a home.
And he went out from his tower, and he met the Nine Gods, who were walking
forth to look upon the whole land. The Nine Gods talked one with another,
and they said unto him: “Ho! Bata, bull of the Nine Gods, art thou
remaining alone? Thou hast left thy village for the wife of Anpu, thy
elder brother. Behold his wife is slain. Thou hast given him an answer to
all that was transgressed against thee.” And their hearts were vexed for
him exceedingly. And Ra Harakhti said to Khnumu, “Behold, frame thou a
woman for Bata, that he may not remain alive alone.” And Khnumu made for
him a mate to dwell with him. She was more beautiful in her limbs than any
woman who is in the whole land. The essence of every god was in her. The
seven Hathors came to see her: they said with one mouth, “She will die a
sharp death.”
And Bata loved her very exceedingly, and she dwelt in his house; he passed
his time in hunting the beasts of the desert, and brought and laid them
before her. He said: “Go not outside, lest the sea seize thee; for I
cannot rescue thee from it, for I am a woman like thee; my soul is placed
on the head of the flower of the acacia; and if another find it, I must
fight with him.” And he opened unto her his heart in all its nature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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