Ipuwer (attributed) · Complete work
Column 12
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12.1 𓇋𓅱𓆓𓂧𓏏𓅱𓀦𓅱𓏛𓂡𓊪𓅱𓈖𓃀𓅱𓎟𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂜𓈖𓃀𓇋𓈖𓅪𓅓𓄣𓏤𓆑𓂝𓈖𓂧𓅪𓇋𓄿𓂧𓂋𓎩𓃒𓏥𓆑𓁹𓈖𓆑𓇋𓋴𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤𓂋𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓏛𓂡𓋴𓏏jw ḏd =tw mnj,w pw n(,j) bw-nb nn bjn m jb =f ꜥnd jꜣdr =f jri̯.n =f js hrw r nwi̯(.t) st
12.2 𓐍𓏏𓊮𓈖𓄣𓏤𓇋𓂋𓏭𓇉𓄿𓎙𓂧𓏛𓆑𓃀𓇋𓏏𓄑𓎺𓏛𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥𓅓𓄡𓏏𓏤𓄹𓀀𓏥𓁶𓊪𓏏𓏛𓎡𓄿𓀁𓎛𓂡𓂡𓂡𓆑⯑𓏤𓅪𓏥𓍑𓄿𓏴𓂡𓆑𓂝𓏤𓂋𓊃𓋴𓎝𓎡𓇋𓇋𓅪𓆑ḫ,t n jb jr,j ḥꜣ ꜥd =f bj(ꜣ),t =sn m ẖ,t.pl tp,(j)t kꜣ ḥwi̯ =f sḏb,w ḏꜣi̯ =f ꜥ r =s ski̯.y =f
12.3 𓋿𓅱𓏏𓂺𓇋𓂋𓏭𓋴𓈖𓏥𓍋𓃀𓃀𓀁𓏏𓅱𓄟𓋴𓏏𓀗𓂋𓋴𓈖𓇉𓄿𓏏𓐎𓄣𓏤𓅪𓏥𓆣𓂋 […] 𓂋𓋴𓈖𓇉𓄿𓏏𓐎𓄣𓏤𓅪𓏥𓋴𓐟𓄿𓂋𓇋𓇋𓌗𓅪𓏥𓁷𓏤𓈐𓏏𓏤𓎟𓏏𓈖𓆑𓄿𓏭𓈐𓊪𓅱ꜥw,t jr,j ⟨jwꜥ.pl⟩ =sn ꜣbb.tw ms,t r =s nḥꜣ,t-jb ḫpr⟨.tj⟩ […] r snḥꜣ.t jb sꜣry ḥr wꜣ,t nb.t nfꜣj pw
12.4 𓂜𓃹𓈖𓂻𓆑𓃹𓈖𓈖𓄿𓊹𓊹𓊹𓅆𓏥𓁷𓂋𓄣𓏭𓇋𓂋𓏭𓉐𓂋𓂋𓂻𓄝𓏏𓇋𓇋𓏏𓂺𓅓𓈞𓏏𓁐𓏥𓂋𓍿𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂜𓅠𓅓𓈖𓏏𓅱𓁷𓏤𓈐𓏏𓏤𓎛𓂡𓂡𓂡𓈖𓏭𓂋𓁷𓏤𓂡𓉐𓂋𓂻n wni̯ =f wn nꜣ nṯr.pl ⟨m⟩-ḥr,j-jb jr,j prr sty,t m ḥm,t.pl r(m)ṯ.pl n gmi̯.n.tw ḥr wꜣ,t ḥw-nj-r-ḥr pri̯
12.5 𓂧𓂋𓂡𓈖𓃛𓅱𓅪𓏥𓅓𓋴𓆣𓂋𓋴𓈖𓏥𓂜𓇋𓂝𓈙𓀁𓈖𓄂𓏏𓏤𓅓𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏏𓇼𓇳𓏤𓋴𓈖𓏥𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓂋𓆑𓏏𓈖𓏭𓌙𓅯𓏛𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓆑𓏏𓂋𓇋𓆳𓀁𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓅓𓂝𓏏𓈖𓏥dr n(,j) jw.pl m sḫpr sn n(n) jꜥš-n(,j)-ḥꜣ,t m wnw,t =sn jn jw r =f tnj mjn jn jw =f trj sḏr m =tn
12.6 𓂜𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓈖𓏏𓅱𓅢𓏤𓏛𓏥𓇋𓂋𓏭𓇋𓂋𓊃𓈖𓌰𓅓𓅯𓅪𓈖𓏏𓅱𓈖𓏥𓂜𓅠𓅓𓈖𓀀𓏏𓅱𓂜𓇋𓂝𓈙𓀁𓈖𓏏𓅱𓈖𓀀𓅓𓆄𓅱𓅪𓄿𓂧𓇋𓇋𓅱𓀗𓏥𓂋𓋴[⯑]n mꜣꜣ.n.tw bꜣ.pl jr,j jr snm.n.tw =n n gmi̯.n =j tw n jꜥš.n =tw n ={j} =⟨k⟩ m šwi̯ ꜣd{yw} r =s s[swn]
12.7 𓄣𓏤𓊪𓅱𓐍𓈖𓏭𓅯𓀁𓎼𓂋𓏏𓁷𓂋𓏭𓇯𓂋𓏤𓈖𓃀𓅱𓎟𓀀𓁐𓏥𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇋𓋴𓅾𓀁𓋴𓏏𓂋𓊃𓀀𓏤𓅓𓂋𓍿𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂜[⯑] […]jb pw ḫnj gr,t ḥr,j rʾ n(,j) bw-nb mjn js snḏ st r ⟨ḥḥ⟩ (n,j) z m r(m)ṯ.pl n mꜣꜣ[.⸮tw?] […]
12.8 𓂋[⯑] […] [⯑]𓂋𓏃𓈖𓏏𓏭𓂉𓉐𓆑𓅧𓈎𓂻𓂋𓊹𓉗𓏏𓉐[⯑]r ḫft[,j.w.pl] […] […] ⸮[kh]b? r ḫnt,j =f ꜥq r ḥw,t-nṯr [⸮ḥr?] [⸮ḏsr?] [rm]i̯
12.9 𓈖𓆑[⯑] […] 𓊪𓆑𓄿𓈐𓁹[⯑][⯑]𓆑𓊪𓅱[⯑][⯑] […]n =f ⸢nṯr.pl⸣ […] […] pfꜣ jri̯ swh[ꜣ] ḏd[.t] =f pw ⸮ḫt? ⸮ḏr[_]? […]
12.10 𓂜𓐍𓂋𓀒𓇾𓏤𓈇 […] [⯑] […] [⯑]𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓅆𓏥[⯑]𓇋𓇩𓋴𓅱𓇋𓇋𓆰𓉐𓏥𓇋𓂋𓏭𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓏛𓂡 […]n ḫr ⸢tꜣ⸣ […] ⸮šn_? […] wbd{.t} twt.pl ꜥd js.wy.pl jr,j nwi̯ […]
12.11 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓆑[⯑]𓅯[⯑] […] 𓎟𓏏𓍃𓅓𓏛𓁹𓈖𓆑𓃛𓅱𓂧𓂻𓊪𓏏𓇯𓂋𓅭𓏏𓅱𓈇𓏥𓅾𓀁𓁷𓏤𓁷𓏤𓎟𓀀𓁐𓏥𓇋𓇋𓆑mꜣꜣ =f hrw ⸮⸢pꜣ⸣? ⸮j⸢ꜣ⸣[dr]? […] nb-tm jri̯.n =f jwd p,t r zꜣtw snḏ ḥr ḥr-nb {y}⟨jyi̯⟩ =f
12.12 𓇋𓂋𓅓𓁹𓂋𓆑𓋴𓏏𓅓𓄖𓂻𓍘𓇋𓈖𓏥𓈖𓅓𓂝[⯑]𓆑𓂋𓊃𓅓𓄟𓋴𓂧𓂧𓅪𓎡𓈖𓈞𓅓𓂡𓎛𓅱𓄑𓏛𓅆𓋷𓄿𓀁𓅆𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓆄𓏛𓏥𓅆𓎛𓈖𓂝𓎡𓋴𓉔𓄿𓃩𓂡𓊪𓅱jr m jrr =f st m pḥ.tj n n-m [ꜥ]q =f r =s ⸢m⸣ msdd =k nḥm Ḥw Sjꜣ Mꜣꜥ,t ḥnꜥ =k shꜣ pw
12.13 𓂋𓂝𓎡𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂻𓇾𓏤𓈇𓎛𓈖𓂝𓊤𓅱𓀁𓅓𓂝𓎡𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓁷𓏤𓅱𓂧𓏴𓂡𓂋𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓊃𓈖𓏭𓏒𓂻𓏏𓅱𓂋𓎗𓅱𓏛𓈖𓎡𓇋𓂋𓈝𓅓𓏏𓂻𓊃𓀀𓏤𓏤𓏤rḏi̯ =k ḫt tꜣ ḥnꜥ ḫrw ⟨ẖnn,w⟩ m =k ky ḥr wdi̯(.t) r ky snj =tw r wḏ(.t).n =k jr šmi̯ z 3
12.14 𓁷𓏤𓈐𓏏𓏤𓅠𓅓𓅓𓏏𓅱𓅓𓊃𓀀𓏤𓏤𓇋𓈖𓆈𓏏𓏥𓋴𓌳𓄿𓅓𓅱𓌪𓂡𓂝𓈖𓂧𓏏𓅪𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓅓𓀦𓅱𓏛𓂡𓌸𓂋𓀁𓅓𓏏𓀏𓐍𓂋𓎡𓄿𓀁𓎗𓅱𓏛𓎡𓁹𓏏𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏴𓀁ḥr wꜣ,t gmm.tw m z 2 jn ꜥšꜣ,t smꜣmw ꜥnd,t jn jw m mnj,w mri̯ m(w)t ḫr kꜣ wḏ =k jri̯.t wšb
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering all seventeen columns of the recto of Papyrus Leiden I 344, the only surviving copy, working from the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae transcription (hieroglyphs, transliteration and lemma glosses, with the TLA editors’ German sentence renderings as a comprehension aid; ORAEC release of the TLA corpus, CC BY-SA 4.0).
12.1 One says: "He is the shepherd of everyone; there is no evil in his heart." Yet his flock is small, and he has spent the day caring for it,
12.2 since fire belongs to their hearts! Would that he had perceived their character in the first generation; then he would have struck down the harm, stretching out his arm against it, to destroy their flock and its heirs!
12.3 Small cattle and 〈their heirs〉: birth is wished for it, though heartbreak has come into being, to embitter the heart; need is on every road. Such are these things:
12.4 it has not gone away, though these gods are 〈in〉 the midst thereof! From the bodies of men's wives comes seed, yet no one is found on the road, for violence has come forth,
12.5 and the repeller of wrongs is now their maker. There is no pilot at his hour. Where is he today? Is he perhaps asleep? Look,
12.6 his wrath cannot be seen! If we grow sad, I cannot find you; no one can call you to me, 〈you〉 who are empty of rage against it —
12.7 it is destruction of heart. Moreover, the speech on every man's mouth today: fear of it is greater than of a million men! Nothing is seen against the enemies […]
12.8 …against the enemies. They rage against his forehall; they enter the temple, [into the holy places]; the gods weep
12.9 for it, the gods […] That one who made upro[ar] — it is what he says throughout the […]
12.10 The land has not fallen […] statues are burned, its tombs are hacked up; he who cared for […] sees the day — but this flock…
12.11 He sees the day, this flock. The Lord of All made the sky separate from the earth; but fear is on every face when he comes?
12.12 If he does it as one who would attack us, who will deal with it, when you disdain to save? Utterance, Perception and Maat are with you — yet what you have set over the land
12.13 is uproar, with noise 〈and tumult〉. Look, one man sets himself against another, each surpassing what you commanded! If three men go
12.14 on the road, they are found as two men. Is it the many slaying the few? Is he a shepherd who loves death? Then you should order an answer to be made:
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering all seventeen columns of the recto of Papyrus Leiden I 344, the only surviving copy.
12.1 People say, “He is everyone's shepherd; there is no evil in his heart.” Yet his herd is dwindling, though he spent the day tending it,
12.2 because there is fire in its heart. If only he had known their nature from the first generation! Then he would have punished them, raised his arm against them, and destroyed that herd and its heirs.
12.3 Yet people want it to have children, though heartbreak has come and need is everywhere. That is how it is,
12.4 and it has not ended, though these gods are among them! Children come from the wives of men, but no one can be found on the road, because fighting has broken out,
12.5 and the person who once prevented wrongdoing now causes it. No guides are on duty. Where is he today? Is he asleep? Look,
12.6 his anger cannot be seen! When we are sad, I cannot find you; no one can call on you. You are free from violence against it, yet hearts are broken.
12.7 What everyone says today is more frightening than a million people. No one has been seen facing enemies […].
12.8 […] people rage against its entrance hall and enter the temple, into the sacred rooms; the gods weep for it […].
12.9 […] the gods […]. “[…] the one who caused this turmoil.” That is what he says throughout the […].
12.10 But the land has not fallen […]. Statues are burned, and its tombs destroyed. The man who tends […]
12.11 sees the day, but this herd […]. The Lord of All separated the sky from the earth, yet everyone is afraid when he comes.
12.12 If he acts like someone attacking us, who can set this right when you refuse to save us? Speech, understanding, and Maat are with you, yet you place turmoil
12.13 throughout the land, along with noise and disorder. Look, one person turns against another; people copy what you have commanded. If three men set off
12.14 on the road, only two are found. The many kill the few. Is this a shepherd who loves death? Then you must order an answer.