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
And Setna said to Ahura, “Give me the book which I see between you and
Na.nefer.ka.ptah; for if you do not I will take it by force.” Then
Na.nefer.ka.ptah rose from his seat and said: “Are you Setna, to whom my
wife has told of all these blows of fate, which you have not suffered? Can
you take this book by your skill as a good scribe? If, indeed, you can
play games with me, let us play a game, then, of 52 points.” And Setna
said, “I am ready,” and the board and its pieces were put before him. And
Na.nefer.ka.ptah won a game from Setna; and he put the spell upon him, and
defended himself with the game board that was before him, and sunk him
into the ground above his feet. He did the same at the second game, and
won it from Setna, and sunk him into the ground to his waist. He did the
same at the third game, and made him sink into the ground up to his ears.
Then Setna struck Na.nefer.ka.ptah a great blow with his hand. And Setna
called his brother An.he.hor.eru and said to him, “Make haste and go up
upon earth, and tell the King all that has happened to me, and bring me
the talisman of my father Ptah, and my magic books.”
And he hurried up upon earth, and told the King all that had happened to
Setna. The King said, “Bring him the talisman of his father Ptah, and his
magic books.” And An.he.hor.eru hurried down into the tomb; he laid the
talisman on Setna, and he sprang up again immediately. And then Setna
reached out his hand for the book, and took it. Then—as Setna went out
from the tomb—there went a Light before him, and Darkness behind him. And
Ahura wept at him, and she said: “Glory to the King of Darkness! Hail to
the King of Light! all power is gone from the tomb.” But Na.nefer.ka.ptah
said to Ahura: “Do not let your heart be sad; I will make him bring back
this book, with a forked stick in his hand, and a fire-pan on his head.”
And Setna went out from the tomb, and it closed behind him as it was
before.
Then Setna went to the King, and told him everything that had happened to
him with the book. And the King said to Setna, “Take back the book to the
grave of Na.nefer.ka.ptah, like a prudent man, or else he will make you
bring it with a forked stick in your hand, and a fire-pan on your head.”
But Setna would not listen to him; and when Setna had unrolled the book he
did nothing on earth but read it to everybody.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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