Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 13
General
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 13
Literature -- Collections
"Leave the riches that thou hast, and in the abundance of which thou
livest. When thou comest to Egypt thou shalt visit the Residence in
which thou wast, thou shalt kiss the ground before the Great Portals,
thou shalt assume authority amongst the Companions. But day by day,
behold, thou growest old; thy vigor is lost; thou thinkest on thy day of
burial. Thou shalt be conducted to the blessed state; there shall be
assigned to thee a night of sacred oils and wrappings from the hands of
the goddess Tayt. There shall be held for thee a procession [behind thy
statues] and a visit [to the temple] on the day of burial, the mummy
case gilded, the head blue, the canopy above thee; the putting in the
skin-frame, oxen to draw thee, singers going before thee, the answering
chant, and mourners crouching at the door of thy tomb-chapel. Prayers
for offerings shall be recited for thee, victims shall be slaughtered at
the door portrayed upon thy tablet[54]; and thy mastaba shall be built
of white stone, in the company of the royal children. Thou shalt not die
in a strange land, nor be buried by the Amu; thou shalt not be put in a
sheepskin, thou shalt be well regarded. It is vain [?] to beat the
ground and think on troubles.
"Thou hast reached the end.[55]
When this order came to me, I stood in the midst of my tribe, and when
it was read unto me, I threw me on my belly; I bowed to the ground and
let the dust spread upon my breast. I strode around my tent rejoicing
and saying:--"How is this done to the servant, whose heart had
transgressed to a strange country of babbling tongue? But verily good is
compassion, that I should be saved from death. Thy _Ka_[56] it is that
will cause me to pass the end of my days in the Residence."
_Copy of the acknowledgment of this command._
"The servant of the royal house [?], Sanehat, says:--
"In most excellent peace! Known is it to thy _Ka_ that this flight of
thy servant was made in innocence. Thou the Good God, Lord of both
Lands, Beloved of Ra, Favored of Mentu, lord of Uast, and of Amen, lord
of the Thrones of the Two Lands, of Sebek, Ra, Horus, Hathor, Atmu and
his Ennead, of Sepdu, Neferbiu, Semsetu, Horus of the east, and of the
Mistress of the Cave[57] who resteth on thy head, of the chief circle of
the gods of the waters, Min, Horus of the desert, Urert mistress of
Punt, Nut, Harur-Ra, all the gods of the land of Egypt and of the isles
of the sea.[58] May they put life and strength to thy nostril, may they
present thee with their gifts, may they give to thee eternity without
end, everlastingness without bound. May the fear of thee be doubled in
the lands and in the foreign countries, mayest thou subdue the circuit
of the sun. This is the prayer of the servant for his master, who hath
delivered him from Amenti.[59]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account