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
King Usermaātrā-meri-Amen (Rameses III), life, strength, health [be to
him!] the great god, said unto the princes, and the chiefs of the land,
and the soldiers, and the charioteers, and the Shartanau soldiers, and
the multitudes of the bowmen, and all those who lived in the land of
Ta-mera (Egypt), Hearken ye, and I will cause you to know the splendid
deeds which I did when I was king of men. The land of Kamt was laid open
to the foreigner, every man [was ejected] from his rightful holding,
there was no "chief mouth" (_i.e._ ruler) for many years in olden times
until the new period [came]. The land of Egypt [was divided among]
chiefs and governors of towns, each one slew his neighbour. ... Another
period followed with years of nothingness (famine?). Arsu, a certain
Syrian, was with them as governor, he made the whole land to be one
holding before him. He collected his vassals, and mulcted them of their
possessions heavily. They treated the gods as if they were men, and they
offered up no propitiatory offerings in their temples. Now when the gods
turned themselves back to peace, and to the restoration of what was
right in the land, according to its accustomed and proper form, they
established their son who proceeded from their body to be Governor,
life, strength, health [be to him!], of every land, upon their great
throne, namely, Userkhārā-setep-en-Amen-meri-Amen, life strength, health
[be to him!], the son of Rā, Set-nekht-merr-Rā-meri-Amen, life,
strength, health [be to him!]. He was like Khepra-Set when he is wroth.
He quieted the whole country which had been in rebellion. He slew the
evil-hearted ones who were in Ta-mera (Egypt). He purified the great
throne of Egypt. He was the Governor, life, strength, health [be to
him!], of the Two Lands, on the throne of Amen. He made to appear the
faces that had withdrawn themselves. Of those who had been behind walls
every man recognised his fellow. He endowed the temples with offerings
to offer as was right to the Nine Gods, according to use and wont. He
made me by a decree to be the Hereditary Chief in the seat of Keb. I
became the "Great High Mouth" of the lands of Egypt, I directed the
affairs of the whole land, which had been made one. He set on his double
horizon (_i.e._ he died) like the Nine Gods. There was performed for him
what was performed for Osiris; sailing in his royal boat on the river,
and resting [finally] in his house of eternity (_i.e._ the tomb) in
Western Thebes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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