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
those who know her not; and if he reaches forth he spares none, and leaves
naught behind. He is a friend of great sweetness, who knows how to gain
love; his land loves him more than itself, and rejoices in him more than
in its own god; men and women run to his call. A king, he has ruled from
his birth; he, from his birth, has increased births, a sole being, a
divine essence, by whom this land rejoices to be governed. He enlarges the
borders of the South; but he covets not the lands of the North: he does
not smite the Sati, nor crush the Nemau-shau. If he descends here, let him
know thy name, by the homage which thou wilt pay to his majesty. For he
refuses not to bless the land which obeys him.”
And he replied to me: “Egypt is indeed happy and well settled; behold thou
art far from it, but whilst thou art with me I will do good unto thee.”
And he placed me before his children, he married his eldest daughter to
me, and gave me the choice of all his land, even among the best of that
which he had on the border of the next land. It is a goodly land, Iaa is
its name. There are figs and grapes; there is wine commoner than water;
abundant is the honey, many are its olives; and all fruits are upon its
trees: there are barley and wheat, and cattle of kinds without end. This
was truly a great thing that he granted me, when the prince came to invest
me, and establish me as prince of a tribe in the best of his land. I had
my continual portion of bread and of wine each day, of cooked meat, of
roasted fowl, as well as the wild game which I took, or which was brought
to me, beside what my dogs captured. They made me much butter, and
prepared milk of all kinds. I passed many years, the children that I had
became great, each ruling his tribe. When a messenger went or came to the
palace, he turned aside from the way to come to me; for I helped every
man. I gave water to the thirsty, I set on his way him who went astray,
and I rescued the robbed. The Sati who went far, to strike and turn back
the princes of other lands, I ordained their goings; for the Prince of the
Tenu for many years appointed me to be general of his soldiers. In every
land which I attacked I played the champion, I took the cattle, I led away
the vassals, I carried off the slaves, I slew the people, by my sword, my
bow, my marches and my good devices. I was excellent to the heart of my
prince; he loved me when he knew my power, and set me over his children
when he saw the strength of my arms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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