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
Now after these things Bata went to hunt in his daily manner. And the
young girl went to walk under the acacia which was by the side of her
house. Then the sea saw her, and cast its waves up after her. She betook
herself to flee from before it. She entered her house. And the sea called
unto the acacia, saying, “Oh, would that I could seize her!” And the
acacia brought a lock from her hair, and the sea carried it to Egypt, and
dropped it in the place of the fullers of Pharaoh’s linen. The smell of
the lock of hair entered into the clothes of Pharaoh; and they were wroth
with the fullers of Pharaoh, saying, “The smell of ointment is in the
clothes of Pharaoh.” And the people were rebuked every day, they knew not
what they should do. And the chief fuller of Pharaoh walked by the bank,
and his heart was very evil within him after the daily quarrel with him.
He stood still, he stood upon the sand opposite to the lock of hair, which
was in the water, and he made one enter into the water and bring it to
him; and there was found in it a smell, exceeding sweet. He took it to
Pharaoh; and they brought the scribes and the wise men, and they said unto
Pharaoh: “This lock of hair belongs to a daughter of Ra Harakhti: the
essence of every god is in her, and it is a tribute to thee from another
land. Let messengers go to every strange land to seek her: and as for the
messenger who shall go to the valley of the acacia, let many men go with
him to bring her.” Then said his Majesty, “Excellent exceedingly is what
has been said to us”; and they sent them. And many days after these things
the people who were sent to strange lands came to give report unto the
King: but there came not those who went to the valley of the acacia, for
Bata had slain them, but let one of them return to give a report to the
King. His Majesty sent many men and soldiers, as well as horsemen, to
bring her back. And there was a woman among them, and to her had been
given in her hand beautiful ornaments of a woman. And the girl came back
with her, and they rejoiced over her in the whole land.
And his Majesty loved her exceedingly, and raised her to high estate; and
he spake unto her that she should tell him concerning her husband. And she
said, “Let the acacia be cut down, and let one chop it up.” And they sent
men and soldiers with their weapons to cut down the acacia; and they came
to the acacia, and they cut the flower upon which was the soul of Bata,
and he fell dead suddenly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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