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The Eighth Petition
The Eighth Petition of 13. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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289 𓍍𓅱𓏏𓀀𓏥𓊪𓅱𓈖𓏏𓋴𓆣𓂋𓈖𓏏𓏏𓋭𓊃𓍢𓂝𓀀𓏥𓁶𓏤𓎛𓋴𓈎𓌪𓂡𓂻𓅱𓇋𓈖𓂋𓆑ḥmw,t pw n.t sḫpr n,tt ṯs.pl tp ḥsq jwi̯.jn r =f
290 𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓂋𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓆑𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏌𓊃𓊪𓊗𓆓𓂧𓆑𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓎟𓀀𓀀𓇋𓅱sḫ,tj pn r spr n =f 8.nw sp ḏd =f (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr nb =j jw
291 𓐍𓂋𓀒𓏏𓅱𓈖𓎛𓆰𓈖𓏏𓆊𓍯𓄿𓈐𓇋𓅱𓂝𓃹𓈖𓂝𓄣𓏤𓀀𓆄𓅱𓅪𓆑𓅓𓊃𓊪𓊗ḫr =tw n ḥnt wꜣ jw ꜥwn-jb šwi̯ =f m sp
292 𓇋𓅱𓃹𓈖𓊃𓊪𓊗𓆑𓈖𓅱𓉔𓏏𓅪𓇋𓅱𓂝𓃹𓈖𓂡𓄣𓏤𓎡𓂜𓈖𓈖𓎡𓋴𓏏𓇋𓅱𓂝𓍯𓄿𓂡𓎡jw wn sp =f n wh,t jw ꜥwn jb =k nn n =k st jw ꜥwꜣi̯ =k
293 𓂜𓈖𓅜𓏛𓈖𓎡𓂋𓂝𓄿𓊢𓂝𓂻𓊃𓀀𓏤𓂋𓊃𓊪𓊗𓆑𓄤𓆑𓂋𓈖𓃹𓈖𓌳𓐙𓂝𓆀nn ꜣḫ n =k rḏi̯ ꜣ ꜥḥꜥ s r sp =f nfr n-wn-mꜣꜥ
294 𓌨𓂋𓏏𓏛𓏥𓎡𓊪𓅱𓅓𓉐𓏤𓎡𓄡𓏏𓏤𓎡𓎔𓏏𓏛𓅱𓃀𓈖𓇳𓌽𓏏𓏤𓍿𓏏𓆑𓂻𓋴ẖr,t =k pw m pr =k ẖ,t =k mḥ.t(j) wbn ḥqꜣ.t ṯtf =s
295 𓄿𓈎𓅪𓉐𓂋𓅱𓏛𓏥𓋴𓈖𓇾𓈇𓏤ꜣq pr,w =s n tꜣ
296 𓎁𓏏𓅱𓂡𓂝𓍯𓄿𓂡𓀀𓈖𓈞𓅓𓅱𓂡𓋴𓂋𓅱𓀙𓀀𓏥𓁹𓈖𓏏𓅱𓂋𓍙𓆑𓂡𓂋jti̯.w ꜥwꜣ nḥm.w sr.w.pl jri̯.n =tw r ḫsf r
297 𓇍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅪𓏥𓇋𓃀𓅱𓃙𓉐𓏤𓏥𓊪𓅱𓈖𓄿𓂧𓅱𓆊𓀀𓋴𓂋𓅱𓀙𓀀𓏥𓁹𓈖𓏏𓅱𓂋𓍙𓆑𓂡jy,t jb,w pw n ꜣd,w sr.w.pl jri̯.n =tw r ḫsf
298 𓂋𓎼𓂋𓍅𓀁𓂜𓂋𓂝𓈖𓅾𓀁𓎡𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓎡𓂜𓋷𓀁𓈖𓎡𓄣𓏤𓀀𓎼𓂋𓀁𓀀r grg n rḏi̯.n snḏ =k spr =(j) n =k ⸢n⸣ sjꜣ.n =k jb =j gr
299 𓂝𓈖𓈖𓂽𓇓𓅱𓂋𓁹𓏏𓍿𓋴𓏏𓍞𓏛𓏥𓈖𓎡𓂜𓅾𓀁𓈖𓆑𓈖𓏏𓍯𓄿𓀁𓈖𓆑𓋴𓏏ꜥnn sw r jri̯.t ṯs.t n =k n snḏ.n =f n twꜣ n =f st
300 𓂜𓏎𓈖𓌢𓈖𓀀𓆑𓂋𓎡𓅓𓄚𓈖𓏌𓅱𓉐𓌸𓂋𓂋𓏏𓊋𓉐𓇋𓅱𓄿𓄞𓂧𓅱𓎡𓏥𓎡𓅓𓇏𓏏𓈇n jni̯ sn =f r =k m-ẖnw mrr,t jw ⸮ꜣ? šd.w{k}.pl =k m sḫ,t
301 𓇋𓅱𓆑𓈎𓄿𓏒𓎡𓅓𓐖𓏏𓊖𓇋𓅱𓅧𓈎𓅱𓏛𓏥𓎡𓅓𓍁𓂝𓉐𓇋𓅱𓋴𓂋𓅱𓀙𓀀𓏥𓁷𓏤𓂋𓂝𓏏𓈖𓎡jw fqꜣ =k m ⸮ḏꜣt,t? jw ꜥq,w =k m šnꜥ jw sr.w.pl ḥr rḏi̯.t n =k
302 𓇋𓅱𓎡𓁷𓏤𓎁𓏏𓏏𓂡𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓎡𓅓𓂝𓍯𓄿𓇋𓇋𓂡𓀀𓇋𓅱[⯑]𓈖𓎡jw =k ḥr jti̯.t jn jw =k m ꜥwꜣ,y jw stꜣ.tw n =k
303 𓋴𓎝𓎡𓅱𓂡𓀀𓏥𓎛𓈖𓂝𓎡𓂋𓊪𓊃𓈙𓏏𓏴𓏛𓏥𓄞𓂧𓅱𓏏𓈇𓏤𓏥𓁹𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓈖sk,w ḥnꜥ =k r psš,t šd,wt jri̯ mꜣꜥ,t n
304 𓎟𓅆𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓈖𓏏𓏭𓃹𓈖𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓈖𓏏𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓆑nb mꜣꜥ,t n,tj wn mꜣꜥ,t n.t mꜣꜥ,t =f
305 𓂝𓂋𓆰𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓍼𓐞𓏤𓍘𓇋𓆱𓅝𓅆ꜥr šfd,w gstj Ḏḥwtj
306 𓁷𓂋𓏏𓐡𓈐𓂋𓁹𓏏𓇍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅪𓏥𓄤𓆑𓂋𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓄤𓆑𓂋𓂋𓆑ḥr.t(j) r jri̯.t jy,t nfr nfr,t nfr r =f
307 𓇋𓅱𓇓𓅱𓏏𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓂋𓈖𓅘𓎛𓎛𓇳𓉔𓄿𓄿𓂻𓋴jw swt mꜣꜥ,t r nḥḥ hꜣꜣ =s
308 𓅓𓂝𓁹𓂋𓋴𓂋𓊻𓏏𓈉𓇋𓅱𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓌟𓂡𓆑m-ꜥ jrr s(j) r ẖr,t-nṯr jw qrs.t(w) =f
309 𓋴𓌳𓄿𓅓𓄥𓂝𓇾𓈇𓏤𓇋𓅓𓆑𓂜𓊃𓇋𓆛𓈖𓂝𓏏𓅱smꜣm tꜣ jm =f n sjn.⟨n⟩.tw
310 𓂋𓈖𓆑𓁶𓏤𓇾𓈇𓏤𓆑𓇋𓅱𓋴𓆼𓄿𓀁𓏏𓅱𓆑𓁷𓏤𓃀𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋rn =f tp tꜣ ={f} jw sḫꜣ.tw =f ḥr bw-nfr
311 𓁶𓏤𓐎𓏛𓊪𓅱𓈖𓊹𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁𓇋𓈖𓃛𓅱𓇓𓅱𓆱tp-ḥsb pw n mdw-nṯr jn jws,w
312 𓊪𓅱𓂜𓎼𓂋𓋴𓐟𓄿𓊊𓈖𓆑𓇋𓈖𓅓𓂝𓆼𓄿𓏏𓍸pw n g{r}sꜣ.n =f jn mḫꜣ,t
313 𓊪𓅱𓂜𓂋𓂝𓈖𓋴𓁷𓏤𓐞𓏤𓅓𓂝𓎡𓅱𓀀pw n rḏi̯.n =s ḥr gs m =k wj
314 𓂋𓂻𓅱𓏏𓅓𓂝𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓂋𓂻𓅱𓏏𓅱𓄞𓂧𓀁𓎡r jwi̯.t m =k ⟨k⟩y r jwi̯.t wšd =k
315 𓅓𓅱𓈙𓃀𓅱𓏴𓀁𓅓𓅱𓄞𓂧𓀁𓀀𓎼𓂋𓅱𓀁𓀀m wšb.w m wšd gr,w
316 𓅓𓊪𓎛𓄖𓂻𓈖𓏏𓏭𓂜𓄖𓂻𓈖𓏏𓅱𓆑𓂜𓊃𓆑𓂉𓀁𓈖𓎡m pḥ n,tj n pḥ.n.{{tw}} =f n sf.n =k
317 𓂜𓏠𓈖𓅪𓈖𓎡𓂜𓋴𓎝𓎡𓋴𓎝𓅪𓎡𓈖𓎡n mn.n =k n sksk{k}.n =k
318 𓂜𓂋𓂝𓈖𓎡𓈖𓀀𓂧𓃀𓅡𓄿𓅱𓌥𓏛𓏥𓈖𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁n rḏi̯.n =k n =j dbꜣ,w n md,t
319 𓏏𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓉐𓂋𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓂋𓏤𓈖𓂋𓂝𓇳𓅆𓆓𓊃𓆑tn nfr.t prr.t m rʾ n Rꜥ ḏs =f
320 𓆓𓂧𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓁹𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓇥𓂋𓈖𓏏𓏏𓅨𓂋𓋴ḏd mꜣꜥ,t jri̯ mꜣꜥ,t ḏr-n,tt wr s(j)
321 𓉻𓂝𓄿𓏛𓋴𓎛𓎝𓏛𓋴𓅠𓅓𓅱𓏏𓅱𓎡𓆑𓏏𓀁𓏛𓋴ꜥꜣ s(j) wꜣḥ s(j) gmi̯.w.tw kf,t =s
322 𓊄𓃀𓅱𓂻𓋴𓂋[⯑]𓇋𓈖𓎼𓋴𓐟𓄿𓊊sbi̯.w =s r jmꜣḫ jn gsꜣ
323 𓃛𓅱𓇓𓅱𓆱𓎛𓆰𓈖𓎡𓅱𓄛𓏤𓏥𓆑𓊪𓅱jws,w ḥnkw.pl =f pw
324 𓆑𓄿𓇋𓇋𓅱𓀋𓂡𓏥𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏥𓂜𓆣𓂋𓈖𓉐𓂋𓅱𓏛𓏥fꜣi̯.yw ḫ,t n ḫpr.n pr,w
325 𓈖𓁶𓏤𓐎𓏛𓂜𓄭𓂋𓂻𓈖𓊃𓊪𓊗𓄡𓊃𓅪𓂋n tp-ḥsb n spr.n sp ẖsi̯ r
326 𓂧𓏇𓇋𓈇𓏤𓌨𓂋𓐟𓏤𓀀𓂋𓋴𓐟𓄿𓎛𓃃𓂻𓇾𓈇𓏤dmj ẖr,(j)-sꜣ r sꜣḥ tꜣ
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering the whole story in its standard composite: Papyrus Ramesseum A (R 1.1–8.3) for the opening, Papyrus Berlin 3023 (B1 1–326) for the robbery and the first eight petitions, and Papyrus Berlin 3025 (B2 91–142) for the ninth petition and the ending, 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).
289 They are the craft that brings what is to be, that joins a severed head. Then this peasant came
290 to petition him an eighth time, saying: "High Steward, my lord:
291 for greed one falls deep; the greedy man is empty of success.
292 His case is failure only. You are greedy — it is not for you; you rob, and
293 it profits you nothing. Let a man stand up for his own truly good cause!
294 Your keep is in your house; your belly is full; the heqat measure brims over
295 and its surplus perishes to the ground.
296 You, who should seize the robber and work rescue! The officials appointed to ward off
297 harm have become a refuge for the furious one — officials appointed to punish.
298 It is not fear of you that brings me to petition you; you do not read my heart, O quiet man
299 who turns to lay his grievances before you: he does not fear to plead his case to you,
300 unless his brother has been brought in to you from the road. Your fields lie out in the country;
301 your reward is in the estate; your income is in the storehouse; the officials go on giving to you,
302 and you go on taking. Are you then a robber? A work crew is brought to you
303 to apportion the fields. Do what is right for
304 the lord of right, in whom the right of his right is!
305 O rush-pen, roll of papyrus, palette of Thoth, keep far away
306 from doing evil: the good of the good man is better than he.
307 And what is right is for eternity: it goes down to the necropolis
308 in the hand of the man who does it; he is buried,
309 and the earth is one with him; it is not wiped away,
310 his name upon the earth, for he is remembered for his goodness.
311 That is the rule of the god's word. Is it a hand-scale,
312 that it cannot tilt? Is it a standing scale,
313 that it cannot lean to one side? See, I shall come,
314 or another come: question the one who comes to you!
315 Do not answer as one who cross-examines the quiet man, nor set upon
316 the man who does not attack. You are neither merciful,
317 nor do you sicken, nor do you destroy.
318 You have given me no recompense for this speech of mine,
319 so perfect, coming from the mouth of Re himself.
320 Speak what is right; do what is right, for it is great,
321 great and enduring: and when its trust is found
322 it leads on to honor. If the hand-scale tips,
323 the fault is with its pans, which carried the goods.
324 The goods are carried, yet no excess of the standard can arise;
325 no wretched case comes to the landing place,
326 while the last of all comes safe to land."
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering the whole story in its standard composite: Papyrus Ramesseum A (R 1.1–8.3) for the opening, Papyrus Berlin 3023 (B1 1–326) for the robbery and the first eight petitions, and Papyrus Berlin 3025 (B2 91–142) for the ninth petition and the ending.
289 They are the craftsmen who create what exists, who rejoin a severed head. Then this peasant came
290 to petition him an eighth time, saying: "High steward, my lord, for greed a man falls far.
291 The greedy man falls far, and his chance slips away.
292 His case can only end in failure. You are greedy; it does not become you. You rob,
293 and it does you no good. See to it that a man can stand up for his true good cause!
294 Your needs are in your house; your belly is full; the measure overflows,
295 and what runs over goes to waste on the ground.
296 The robber is seized and dragged away. The officials, appointed to ward off
297 evil, are a shelter for the aggressor; the officials appointed to punish
298 did not set themselves against falsehood. Fear of you does not keep me from petitioning you, but you do not read my heart: the quiet man
299 who turns to bring you his complaint does not fear the one it is laid before,
300 if his brother has not been brought to you from the road. Your fields lie in the open country,
301 your reward is in the estate, and your income is in the storehouse. The officials keep giving to you,
302 and you keep taking. Are you then a thief? A fighting band comes to you
303 to divide up the fields. Do what is right for the lord of what is right,
304 in whom rightness is true rightness. Reed pen, papyrus roll, and palette of Thoth:
305 keep far from doing evil! The excellence of the good man
306 is greater than the man himself.
307 What is right lasts to eternity, and it goes down to the burial ground
308 with the man who practiced it; he is buried and the earth joins him,
309 and his name is not wiped away in the land.
310 He is remembered because of the good he did.
311 That is the rule of the god's words. Is it a hand scale?
312 Then it cannot stand crooked. Is it a standing scale?
313 Then it cannot lean to one side. Look, I am coming,
314 and look, another is coming: question each of us.
315 Do not answer like a man who cross-examines the quiet,
316 or falls on the man who has not attacked him. You are neither merciful
317 nor do you feel my sickness, nor do you destroy.
318 You give me no reward for this speech,
319 so perfect, ever coming from the mouth of Re himself.
320 Speak what is right; do what is right, for it is great:
321 it is mighty and enduring; when its worth is found,
322 it leads to honor. Does the scale tilt?
323 Then it lies with its pans, the ones that carried the loads,
324 for as the loads are carried, no excess can arise.
325 The standard cannot be overstepped, and no wretched case reaches
326 the landing place, though the last of men will touch the land."