Ipuwer (attributed) · Complete work
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4.1 𓂋𓍿𓀀𓁐𓏥𓎡𓄿𓅱𓏭𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂞𓏏𓅱𓁷𓏤𓈐𓏏𓏤𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁𓍲𓁸[⯑]𓈖𓁷𓏤𓎟𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂜𓏏𓈖𓌙𓅯𓏛𓈖𓏏𓅱𓅭𓀀𓊃𓀀𓏤𓂋𓂜𓏏𓏭𓅪𓈖𓆑𓇓𓅱𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁 […]r(m)ṯ.pl ⟨m⟩ kꜣ,wj ḏi̯.tw ḥr wꜣ,t jw ms šn(j) ⸢w⸣[š] ⸢n⸣ ḥr-nb.pl n tni̯.n.tw zꜣ-z r jw,tj-n≡f-sw jw ms […]
4.2 𓁷𓏤𓊤𓅱𓀁𓂜[⯑][⯑]𓅓𓆳𓏏𓏥𓈖𓏏𓊤𓅱𓀁𓂜𓈖[⯑]𓊤𓅱𓀁𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁𓀗𓀀𓈙𓂋𓇋𓅪𓀀𓌸𓂋𓀁𓀀𓅓𓏏𓀏𓀀𓀔𓀀𓁐𓏥[⯑]ḥr ḫrw n⟨n⟩ ꜥqꜣ[_] [ḫr]w m rnp,t.pl n.t ḫrw nn pḥ[,wj] [n(,j)] ḫrw jw ms wr šrj ⟨ḥr⟩ mri̯ =j mwt =j ẖrd.pl ktt.y[.pl]
4.3 𓁷𓏤𓏏𓍃𓅓𓅱𓇓𓅱𓂋𓂋𓂝𓏤𓋹𓈖𓐍𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀗𓀀𓁐𓏥𓀙𓅱𓀀𓏥𓎛𓂡𓂡𓂡𓏏𓅱𓂋𓋴𓐟𓄿𓅱𓏏𓊅𓈇𓏥𓀔𓀀𓁐𓏥𓏌𓏤𓁷𓏤[⯑]ḥr tm.w sw r ⸮r(ʾ)-ꜥ? ꜥnḫ jw ⟨ms⟩ ms.pl sr.w.pl ḥwi̯.tw r sꜣ,wt.pl ẖrd.pl n.w ⟨nḥ,t⟩ ⟨ḏi̯.tw⟩ ḥr qꜣ~n~[rʾ]
4.4 𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁[⯑]𓅓[⯑][⯑]𓁷𓏤[⯑]𓊃𓈙𓏏𓍔𓄿𓅱𓏴𓏛𓏥𓊪𓅱𓈖𓐎𓏏𓅱𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓁷𓏤𓋴𓐍𓂋𓅱𓀒𓂡𓁷𓏤𓆑𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁jw ms wn.w m wꜥb,t [ḏi̯.tw] ⸢ḥr⸣ q[ꜣ~n]~rʾ sštꜣ.pl pw n(.w) wt(,j).pl ḥr sḫr{w} ḥr =f jw ms
4.5 𓅓𓄿𓏭𓈐𓄿𓈎𓅱𓅪𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓅓𓋴𓆑𓇳𓇾𓏤𓈇𓊃𓊪𓅱𓊗𓏥𓈖𓎼𓆑𓈖𓏌𓅱𓅪𓏏𓏥𓆑𓏇𓇋𓅱𓇉𓄿𓏏𓐎𓂡𓎔𓂝𓎛𓏭𓄦𓅓𓅱𓆰𓏥𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁{m}⟨nf⟩ꜣj ꜣq.w mꜣꜣ m sf tꜣ s⸢pi̯.w⸣ n g{f}nw,t.pl =f mj wḥꜣ{.t} mḥj{smw} jw ms
4.6 𓇋𓂧𓎛𓅱𓇇𓆰𓊖𓂋𓇥𓂋𓆑𓂜𓈖𓂧𓎼𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓀢𓅪𓏏𓅱𓆑𓎔𓏛𓄣𓏤𓈖𓇾𓎔𓎛𓅱𓇇𓆰𓏏𓊖𓅓𓅓𓂝𓏏𓈖𓏌𓅱𓌙𓅯𓈐𓏥𓎛𓂡𓂡𓂡𓊪𓅱𓏏𓂋𓇋𓆳𓀁jdḥ,w r-ḏr =f ⸢nn⸣ dgꜣy.tw =f mḥ jb n(,j) Tꜣ-mḥ,w m mtn.pl ḥwi̯ pwtrj
4.7 𓈖𓏏𓏭𓏏𓅱𓂋𓁹𓏏𓂜𓆣𓂋[⯑]𓅓𓊨𓏏𓉐𓎟𓏏𓐍𓂋𓆓𓂧𓏏𓅱𓈐 […] 𓐍𓂋𓆓𓂧𓏏𓅱𓈐𓂋𓊨𓏏𓉐𓈙𓏏𓍔𓄿𓅱𓏴𓏛𓏥𓅆𓅓𓂝𓎡𓇓𓅱𓅓𓂝𓐍𓅓𓅱𓂜𓏥𓇓𓅱𓏇𓇋[⯑]n,tj tw r jri̯.t n ḫpr w[ꜥr,t] m s,t nb.t ḫr =[tw] ḏd =tw wꜣ […] ḫr =tw ḏd =tw wꜣi̯ r s,t štꜣ,w m =k sw m-ꜥ ḫm.pl sw mj r[ḫ].w.pl
4.8 𓇓𓅱𓈉𓏏𓏭𓅂𓌙𓀀𓁐𓏥𓈉𓍍𓅓𓅱𓏛𓂡𓅓𓂓𓏏𓀗𓏛𓏥[⯑]𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁𓂞𓏏𓅱𓎸𓅱𓀀𓁐𓏥𓁷𓏤𓃀𓈖𓏌𓅱𓇋𓇋𓏏𓊌𓏥𓎛𓃀𓋴𓇋𓇋𓍱𓂡𓊪𓈎𓏏𓀗𓍱𓏥sw ḫꜣs,tj.pl ⸮⸢ḥmu̯.w⸣? ⸢m⸣ kꜣ,t j[dḥ],w jw ms ḏi̯.tw ẖnm.pl ḥr bny,t.pl ḥbs.y⟨.pl⟩ pq,t.pl
4.9 𓎛𓂡𓂡𓂡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓍑𓅱𓏏𓅪𓏥𓏏𓍃𓅓𓇋𓇋𓀀𓏥𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤𓉐𓂋𓂻𓂜𓇋𓆑𓂡𓃹𓈖𓇋𓇋𓅱𓀀𓏥𓁷𓏤𓎛𓆰𓈖𓎡𓇋𓇋𓏏𓋳𓏭𓉐𓏥𓈖𓏏𓉔𓄿𓇋𓂺𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥ḥwi̯.tw m-⸢ḏꜣw,t⸣ tm.y.pl mꜣ[ꜣ] hrw pri̯ n⟨n⟩ {jf}⟨ḫsf⟩ wn.yw(t).pl ḥr ḥnk,yt.pl n.t hꜣj.pl =sn
4.10 𓇋𓅓𓅓𓂝𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓋴𓈖𓏥𓁷𓏤[⯑]𓅓𓏏𓅱𓀀𓏥𓀀𓇋𓅱𓆑𓂧𓈖𓋴𓍖𓊌𓂋𓀀𓂋𓄞𓂧𓅱𓆱𓏥𓌨𓂋𓏭𓏛𓂝𓈖𓏏𓅂𓏊𓏥jmi̯ sḏr =sn ḥr ⟨šd,yt⟩ [m]-m {mt}⟨jw,t⟩.w.pl ={j} ⟨ḏd.pl⟩ jw =f dns r =j r šd.w.pl ẖrı͗ ꜥnt,jw
4.11 𓃛𓅱𓉔𓄿𓂢𓂝𓋴𓏏𓌨𓂋𓂝𓈖𓈋𓅱𓏊𓏥𓎔𓏛𓌨𓂋𓈗𓂋𓐍𓏛𓋴𓏏𓏥𓈎𓈖𓇋𓅱𓂘𓆱𓐍𓂋𓍏𓃀𓅱𓏊𓂡𓀀𓏥𓌉𓏴𓅪𓇓𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋𓊪𓅱jwhꜣ st ẖr ꜥnḏ,w.pl mḥ ẖr ⸮⸢mw⸣? ⸮[n]? rḫ =st qnj,w ḫr wbꜣ{.pl} ḥḏi̯ sw nfr-pw
4.12 𓄲𓂋𓏏𓈒𓏥𓇋𓂋𓏭𓊃𓈖𓈖𓇋𓅪𓈖𓋴𓈖𓏥𓀻𓋴𓏏𓏛𓁐𓏥𓏇𓇋[⯑][⯑]𓅓𓏇𓇋𓂝𓏏𓉐𓏥𓅓𓄚𓈖𓏌𓅱𓉐𓈖𓄿𓏏𓉐𓏥𓎛𓎿𓋴𓏏𓀁𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥pẖr,t jr,j snnj n =sn šps,t.pl mj bꜣk,t[.pl] [ḫn],yt.pl m mjꜥ,t.pl m-ẖnw nꜣ,t.pl ḥs,t.pl =sn
4.13 𓈖𓌸𓂋𓏏𓋳𓅓𓇋𓁹𓅂𓀁𓏥𓋴𓏭𓆓𓂧𓀁𓏥𓃀𓈖𓏌𓅱𓇋𓇋𓏏𓊌𓏥𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁𓍛𓏏𓏤𓁐𓏥𓎟𓏏𓌂𓅓𓂡𓅓𓂋𓏤𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁n(.t) mr,t m jrt,jw s{j}ḏd.pl ⸮[mdw]? [ḥr] bny,t.pl jw ms ḥm,t.pl nb.t sḫm m rʾ.pl =sn mdwi̯
4.14 𓎛𓏌𓏏𓀗𓁐𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥𓂧𓈖𓋴𓍖𓊌𓊪𓅱𓂋𓅡𓎡𓅱𓀀𓁐𓏥𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀁[⯑]𓋴𓎝𓎡𓆱𓏠𓈖𓏌𓅱𓆱𓏥𓃹𓈖𓏌𓅱𓁸𓆱𓃛𓅱𓂧𓂻𓈖𓀀𓇓𓅱𓍛𓏤𓅱𓀀𓏥𓂋ḥn,wt.pl =sn dns pw r bꜣk.w(t).pl jw ms [nh],wt.pl sk ⸢m⸣n,w.pl wn.w jwd.n ={j} sw ḥm{.w.pl} ⸮⸢r⸣?
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).
4.1 people 〈as〉 others are set on the road; the hair of everyone has fallen out; the well-born son cannot be told apart from the man who has nothing. Indeed, […]
4.2 because of the noise; none is exact of voice in the years of noise, and there is no end to the noise. Indeed, the great and the small 〈say〉: "Would that I might die!" The small children
4.3 say: "It is finished!" about food. He ceases from the breath of life. Indeed, the children of officials are dashed against the walls; the children of 〈prayer〉 are laid on high ground.
4.4 Indeed, those who were in the embalming-house are [laid] on high ground. This means the secrets of the embalmers are cast down upon it! Indeed,
4.5 those things have perished which were seen yesterday; the land is left to its weakness like the pulling up of flax. Indeed,
4.6 the Delta in its entirety cannot be hidden; Lower Egypt trusts in her beaten roads. What is to be done?
4.7 "No f[light] has happened in any place," it is said; one says: "Away with the Place of Secrets!" Look, it is in the keeping of those who do not know it, just as it is in the keeping of those who know it;
4.8 the foreigners are skilled in the crafts of the Delta. Indeed, the dependants are put to the quernstones; those who used to clothe themselves in fine linen
4.9 are beaten wrongfully; those who never used to see the light of day come forth 〈unhindered〉; those who were on the beds of their husbands:
4.10 "Let them spend the night in the ditches, among the have-nots!" As for me, 〈they say〉, "It is too heavy for me," about the bowls of myrrh;
4.11 "Load them down with jars full of water!" They [no longer] know the carrying-chair. Now the cupbearer, he is destroyed; there is no remedy for it:
4.12 for the remedy of it: noble ladies suffer like maidservants; the singing-women are at the looms in the weaving-rooms,
4.13 their songs are dirges. Those who tell 〈words〉 are at the quernstones. Indeed, all the maidservants are bold of mouth; their mistresses speak,
4.14 and it is a burden to their servants. Indeed, the trees are swept away, the plantations laid bare; the servant has withdrawn himself from his household.
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.
4.1 people are now treated as others and set on the road. Indeed, everyone's hair has fallen out; a well-born son cannot be told apart from a person with nothing. Indeed, […]
4.2 because of the noise. No one can speak clearly in these years of noise; there is no end to the noise. Indeed, important people and ordinary people say, “I wish I were dead!” Little children
4.3 say of food, “It is gone.” Indeed, officials' children are smashed against walls; the children for whom people prayed are left on high ground.
4.4 Indeed, those who were in the embalming place are put on high ground; the embalmers' secrets are spilled there. Indeed,
4.5 what could be seen yesterday has disappeared. The land is left exhausted, like flax pulled from the ground. Indeed,
4.6 none of the Delta can be hidden; Lower Egypt relies on well-used roads. What can anyone do?
4.7 “There is nowhere to flee,” people say. People say, “Away with the secret place!” Look, people who know nothing about it have it, just like those who know it.
4.8 Foreigners have learned the work of the Delta. Indeed, dependents have been put to grinding grain; people who used to wear fine linen
4.9 are beaten unjustly. Those who never saw daylight have come out without being stopped. Women who used to lie in their husbands' beds
4.10 are told, “Let them sleep in ditches among the poor!” Women who used to say of bowls of myrrh, “They are too heavy for me,” must carry
4.11 storage jars full of water. They no longer know the carrying chair. The attendant has been ruined. There is no cure for this:
4.12 rich women suffer like servants. Musicians are at the loom inside the weaving rooms; the weavers' songs are songs of mourning.
4.13 The women who used to tell stories are at the grinding stones. Indeed, every servant woman speaks boldly; when her mistress speaks,
4.14 it is a burden to the servants. Indeed, trees are swept away and plantations stand bare. A servant has left his household […].