The Literature of the Ancient EgyptiansBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
History
The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- History and criticism; Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
This inscription was found cut in hieroglyphs upon a slab of limestone
fixed in Una's tomb at Abydos; it is now in the Egyptian Museum in
Cairo. It reads:
The Duke, the Governor of the South, the judge belonging to Nekhen,
prince of Nekheb, the _smer uat_ vassal of Osiris Khenti Amenti, Una,
saith: "I was a child girded with a girdle under the Majesty of King
Teta. My rank was that of overseer of tillage (?), and I was deputy
inspector of the estates of Pharaoh.... I was chief of the _teb_ chamber
under the Majesty of Pepi. His Majesty gave me the rank of _smer_ and
deputy priest of his pyramid--town. Whilst I held the rank of ... His
Majesty made me a 'judge belonging to Nekhen.' His heart was more
satisfied with me than with any other of his servants. Alone I heard
every kind of private case, there being with me only the Chief Justice
and the Governor of the town ... in the name of the king, of the royal
household, and of the Six Great Houses. The heart of the king was more
satisfied with me than with any other of his high officials, or any of
his nobles, or any of his servants. I asked the Majesty of [my] Lord to
permit a white stone sarcophagus to be brought for me from Raau.[1] His
Majesty made the keeper of the royal seal, assisted by a body of
workmen, bring this sarcophagus over from Raau in a barge, and he came
bringing with it in a large boat, which was the property of the king,
the cover of the sarcophagus, the slabs for the door, and the slabs for
the setting of the stele, and a pair of stands for censers (?), and a
tablet for offerings. Never before was the like of this done for any
servant. [He did this for me] because I was perfect in the heart of His
Majesty, because I was acceptable to the heart of His Majesty, and
because the heart of His Majesty was satisfied with me.
[Footnote 1: On the east bank, opposite Memphis,]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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