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 in the tomb was Na.nefer.ka.ptah, and with him was the _ka_ of his
wife Ahura; for though she was buried at Koptos, her _ka_ dwelt at Memphis
with her husband, whom she loved. And Setna saw them seated before their
offerings, and the book lay between them. And Na.nefer.ka.ptah said to
Setna, “Who are you that break into my tomb in this way?” He said, “I am
Setna, son of the great King User.maat.ra, living forever, and I come for
that book which I see between you.” And Na.nefer.ka.ptah said, “It cannot
be given to you.” Then said Setna, “But I will carry it away by force.”
Then Ahura said to Setna, “Do not take this book; for it will bring
trouble on you, as it has upon us. Listen to what we have suffered for
it.”
Ahura’s Tale
“We were the two children of the King Mer.neb.ptah, and he loved us very
much, for he had no others; and Na.nefer.ka.ptah was in his palace as heir
over all the land. And when we were grown, the King said to the Queen, ‘I
will marry Na.nefer.ka.ptah to the daughter of a general, and Ahura to the
son of another general.’ And the Queen said, ‘No; he is the heir, let him
marry his sister, like the heir of a king; none other is fit for him.’ And
the King said, ‘That is not fair; they had better be married to the
children of the general.’
“And the Queen said, ‘It is you who are not dealing rightly with me.’ And
the King answered, ‘If I have no more than these two children, is it right
that they should marry one another? I will marry Na.nefer.ka.ptah to the
daughter of an officer, and Ahura to the son of another officer. It has
often been done so in our family.’
“And at a time when there was a great feast before the King, they came to
fetch me to the feast. And I was very troubled, and did not behave as I
used to do. And the King said to me, ‘Ahura, have you sent someone to me
about this sorry matter, saying, “Let me be married to my elder brother”?’
I said to him, ‘Well, let me marry the son of an officer, and he marry the
daughter of another officer, as it often happens so in our family.’ I
laughed, and the King laughed. And the King told the steward of the
palace, ‘Let them take Ahura to the house of Na.nefer.ka.ptah to-night,
and all kinds of good things with her.’ So they brought me as a wife to
the house of Na.nefer.ka.ptah; and the King ordered them to give me
presents of silver and gold, and things from the palace.
“And Na.nefer.ka.ptah passed a happy time with me, and received all the
presents from the palace; and we loved one another. And when I expected a
child, they told the King, and he was most heartily glad; and he sent me
many things, and a present of the best silver and gold and linen. And when
the time came, I bore this little child that is before you. And they gave
him the name of Mer-ab, and registered him in the book of the ‘House of
life.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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