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The First Petition
The First Petition of 13. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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52 𓂻𓅱𓇋𓈖𓂋𓆑𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓂋𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓌸𓂋𓅱𓆇jwi̯.jn r =f sḫ,tj pn r spr n (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr Mr,w zꜣ
53 𓂋𓈖𓋴𓏭𓀀𓆓𓂧𓆑𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓎟𓀀𓀀𓅨𓂋𓀀𓈖𓅨𓂋𓅱𓀀𓏥Rnsj ḏd =f (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr nb =j wr n wr.w.pl
54 𓋴𓌫𓅓𓅱𓂻𓈖𓂜𓏏𓏏𓅪𓇋𓂋𓉔𓄿𓂻𓎡𓂋𓈙𓈇𓈖sšm,w n jw,tt ⟨n,tt⟩ jr hꜣi̯ =k r š n
55 𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓋴𓐪𓂧𓈒𓊛𓎡𓇋𓅓𓆑𓅓𓌳𓐙𓂝𓅱𓆀𓊡mꜣꜥ,t sqd =k jm =f m mꜣꜥ,w
56 𓂜𓈖𓎡𓆑𓋳𓈖𓂧𓃀𓇋𓇋𓏏𓋳𓎛𓏏𓍔𓄿⯑𓎡𓂜𓈖𓇋𓉔𓅓nn kfi̯ ndb,yt ḥtꜣ =k nn jhm
57 𓂧𓊪𓅱𓏏𓊛𓎡𓂜𓈖𓂻𓅱𓏏𓇍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅪𓏥𓅓𓆱𓏏𓏤𓎡𓂜𓈖dp,wt =k nn jwi̯.t jy,t m ḫt =k nn
58 𓏴𓌪𓂝𓋴𓎼𓂋𓍅𓆱𓏥𓎡𓂜𓈖𓌂𓅓𓂻𓎡𓇉𓄿𓂝𓂝𓂻𓎡𓁷𓏤𓇾𓈇𓏤zwꜣ sgrg.pl =k nn sḫm =k ḥꜣꜥꜥ =k ḥr tꜣ
59 𓂜𓈖𓎁𓏏𓂡𓏏𓅱𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓏏𓈗𓂜𓈖𓂧𓊪𓄓𓀁𓎡𓈋𓅱𓏏𓅪𓏥nn jti̯ tw nw,(y)t nn dp =k ḏw,t
60 𓈖𓏏𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈘𓂜𓈖𓌳𓁹𓄿𓎡𓁷𓏤𓅾𓀁𓂻𓅱𓈖𓎡n.t jtr,w nn mꜣ =k ḥr snḏ jwi̯ n =k
61 𓂋𓅓𓅱𓆟𓏥𓍲𓈖𓂝𓇋𓇋𓅱𓂻𓏥𓄖𓂻𓎡𓅓𓄿𓊪𓅭rm.w.pl šnꜥ.yw pḥ =k m ꜣp⟨d⟩
62 𓆓𓂧𓄿𓐎𓁷𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏏𓈖𓏏𓎡𓇋𓏏𓆑𓀀𓈖𓌰𓈖𓅓𓎛𓀔𓅪𓀀ḏdꜣ ḥr-n,tt ntk jt n nmḥ
63 𓉔𓇋𓂺𓀀𓈖𓆼𓄿𓂋𓏏𓅪𓁐𓌢𓈖𓀀𓈖𓐣𓏏𓏛𓁐𓍲𓈖𓂧𓇋𓇋𓏏𓋳hj n ḫꜣr,t sn n wḏꜥ,t šnd,yt
64 𓈖𓏏𓂜𓏏𓅱𓅪𓅓𓏏𓁐𓆑𓇋𓐛𓅓𓂝𓁹𓇋𓇋𓀀𓂋𓈖𓎡𓅓n.t jw,tw mw,t =f jmi̯ jri̯.y =j rn =k m
65 𓇾𓈇𓏤𓊪𓈖𓂋𓉔𓊪𓏛𓎟𓄤𓆑𓂋𓋴𓌫𓅓𓅱𓂻𓀀𓆄𓅱𓅪tꜣ pn r hp nb nfr sšm,w šwi̯
66 𓅓𓂝𓃹𓈖𓂝𓄣𓏤𓅨𓂋𓀀𓆄𓅱𓅪𓅓𓈖𓆓𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅪m ꜥwn-jb wr šwi̯ m nḏ,yt
67 𓋴𓎛𓍃𓅓𓅯𓅪𓎼𓂋𓍅𓏛𓋴𓆣𓂋𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓇍𓇋𓂻𓁷𓏤sḥtm grg sḫpr mꜣꜥ,t jyi̯ ḥr
68 𓊤𓅱𓀁𓂝𓂝𓂋𓏤𓀀𓆓𓂧𓀀𓄔𓅓𓎡𓁹𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓎛𓎿𓊃𓇋𓇋𓀁𓀀ḫrw ḏḏ-rʾ ḏd =((j)) sḏm =k jri̯ mꜣꜥ,t ḥsi̯.y
69 𓎛𓎿𓊃𓊃𓀁𓎛𓎿𓊃𓇋𓇋𓅱𓀁𓀀𓏥𓂧𓂋𓂡𓋴𓐟𓄿𓇋𓂋𓌗𓅪𓏥ḥss ḥsi̯.yw.pl dr sꜣjr =(j)
70 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓅱𓀀𓀋𓂝𓎡𓅱𓇋𓊪𓏛m =k wj ꜣṯp.kw(j) jp
71 𓅱𓀀𓅓𓂝𓎡𓅱𓀀𓅓𓈖𓉔𓅱𓅪𓇋𓋴𓏏𓂋𓆑wj m =k wj m nh,w jst r =f
72 𓆓𓂧𓈖𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁𓏏𓈖𓅓𓂋𓎡𓇳𓍛𓏤𓈖𓇓𓏏𓆤𓏏ḏd.n sḫ,tj pn md,t tn m rk ḥm n nswt-bj,tj
73 𓇳𓎟𓂓𓏤𓏥𓌳𓐙𓊤𓈝𓅓𓏏𓂻𓊪𓅱𓁹𓈖𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗Nb-kꜣ.pl-Rꜥ mꜣꜥ-ḫrw šmi̯.t pw jri̯.n (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr
74 𓌸𓂋𓅱𓆇𓂋𓈖𓋴𓏭𓀀𓁶𓏤𓅓𓍛𓏤𓆑𓆓𓂧𓆑𓎟𓅆𓀀𓇋𓅱Mr,w zꜣ Rnsj tp-m ḥm =f ḏd =f nb =j jw
75 𓅠𓅓𓈖𓀀𓌡𓂝𓏤𓅓𓇑𓇑𓈖𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓄤𓆑𓂋𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁𓈖𓃹𓈖𓌳𓐙𓂝𓆀𓏛gmi̯.n =j wꜥ m nn n sḫ,tj nfr mdw n-wn-mꜣꜥ
76 𓂝𓍯𓄿𓂝𓎛𓆰𓈖𓏌𓅱𓏛𓏥𓆑𓅓𓂝𓎡ꜥwꜣi̯ ḥn,w.pl =f m =k
77 𓇓𓅱𓂻𓅱𓂋𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓀀𓁷𓂋𓋴sw jwi̯ r spr n =j ḥr =s
78 𓆓𓂧𓇋𓈖𓍛𓏤𓆑𓅓𓌸𓂋𓂋𓀁𓎡𓌳𓁹𓄿𓀀𓋴𓈖𓃀𓏛𓎡𓅱𓀀𓋴𓅱𓂧𓂻𓆑𓎡𓇓𓅱ḏd.jn ḥm =f m mrr =k mꜣ =j snb.kwj swd⟨f⟩ ={f}k sw
79 𓉻𓂝𓄿𓈐𓂜𓈖𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏴𓀁𓂋𓆓𓂧𓏏𓆑𓎟𓏏𓇋𓈖𓌸𓂋𓅱𓏏𓀁𓃹𓈖𓆑ꜥꜣ nn wšb r ḏd.t =f nb.t jn-mr,wt wn =f
80 𓁷𓏤𓆓𓂧𓎼𓂋𓀁𓇋𓐍𓏛𓏎𓈖𓏏𓈖𓈖𓏥𓅓𓏞𓏛𓄔𓅓𓈖𓏥𓋴𓏏ḥr ḏd gr jḫ jni̯t.(tw) n =n m-zẖꜣ,w sḏm =n st
81 𓁹𓇓𓅱𓏏𓋹𓈖𓐍𓈞𓏏𓁐𓆑𓎛𓈖𓂝𓄡𓂋𓂧𓅱𓀔𓀀𓁑𓏥𓆑𓅓𓂝𓎡𓂻𓅱𓌡𓂝𓅓𓈖𓄿jri̯ swt ꜥnḫ ḥm,t =f ḥnꜥ ẖrd.w.pl =f m =k jwi̯ wꜥ m nꜣ
82 𓈖𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓂋𓆄𓅱𓏏𓅪𓏥𓉐𓏤𓆑𓂋𓇾𓈇𓏤𓁹𓎼𓂋𓏏𓀁𓋹𓈖𓐍𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖n sḫ,tj r šw,t pr =f r tꜣ jri̯ gr.t ꜥnḫ sḫ,tj pn
83 𓅓𓎛𓂝𓄹𓏥𓆑𓃹𓈖𓈖𓎡𓁷𓏤𓂋𓂝𓏏𓂝𓏏𓅱𓈖𓆑𓅧𓅱𓏒𓏥𓂜𓈖𓂋𓂝𓏏𓂋𓐍𓏛𓆑m-ḥꜥ.pl =f wnn =k ḥr rḏi̯.t ḏi̯.tw n =f ꜥq,w nn rḏi̯.t rḫ =f
84 𓈖𓏏𓏏𓈖𓏏𓎡𓂋𓂝𓈖𓆑𓋴𓏏𓃹𓈖𓇋𓈖𓏏𓅱𓁷𓏤𓂋𓂝𓏏𓈖𓆑𓏏𓏐𓏒𓏥𓎆𓎛𓈎𓏏𓏊𓂧𓊃𓏌𓏤𓏤n,tt ntk rḏi̯ n =f st wn.jn =tw ḥr rḏi̯.t n =f tʾ 10 ḥ(n)q,t ds 2
85 𓂋𓂝𓎟𓇳𓂝𓂝𓋴𓏏𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓌸𓂋𓅱𓆇𓂋𓈖𓋴𓏭𓀀𓂝𓂝𓆑𓋴𓏏𓈖𓐍𓈖𓌰𓅓𓋴𓀗𓆑𓈖𓏏𓆑rꜥ-nb ḏḏ st (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr Mr,w zꜣ Rnsj ḏḏ =f st n ḫnms =f ntf
86 𓂝𓂝𓈖𓆑𓋴𓏏𓊢𓂝𓈖𓉔𓄿𓃀𓂻𓈖𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓌸𓂋𓅱𓆇𓂋𓈖𓋴𓏭𓀀𓈖𓋾𓉗𓊖𓀀𓈖ḏḏ n =f st ꜥḥꜥ.n hꜣb.n (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr Mr,w zꜣ Rnsj n ḥqꜣ-ḥw,t n
87 𓇏𓏏𓈇𓎛𓌳𓄿𓏏𓍖𓈒𓏥𓈉𓁷𓏤𓁹𓏏𓅧𓅱𓏒𓏥𓈖𓈞𓏏𓁐𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓅓𓇠𓇠𓇠𓋾𓌾𓏤𓏤𓏤𓂋𓂝𓎟𓇳Sḫ,t-ḥmꜣ,t ḥr jri̯.t ꜥq,w n ḥm,t sḫ,tj pn m jt ḥqꜣ,t 3 rꜥ-nb
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).
52 Then this peasant came to petition the High Steward Rensi son of Meru, saying:
53 "Rensi," thus he spoke: "High Steward, my lord, greatest of the great,
54 leader of what is not and of what is! When you go down to the sea of
55 truth, may you sail upon it with a fair wind;
56 no gust tearing away your sail, no slow drifting;
57 no ill befalling the mast of your ship, no
58 splitting of your yards; you will not wreck, running onto the land;
59 no wave carrying you off; you will not taste the evil
60 of the river; you will not look upon the face of terror; there will come to you
61 shy fish, and you will take your fill of fowl,
62 for you are the father of the orphan,
63 the husband of the widow, the brother of the cast-off woman, the apron of the motherless.
64 Let me make your name good in this land,
65 in it, according to every good rule: a leader free of
66 greed, a great one free of meanness,
67 a destroyer of falsehood, a bringer of truth to birth. Come at
68 the voice of the pleader. I speak that you may hear: do what is right, O praised one,
69 whom the praised ones praise; drive out my misery!
70 See, I am burdened; weigh me!
71 See, I am in distress."
72 This peasant spoke this speech in the time of the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt
73 Nebkaure, the justified. Then the High Steward
74 Rensi son of Meru went in to his majesty and said: "My lord:
75 I have found one of these peasants, a man truly excellent in speech;
76 his goods have been robbed. See:
77 he has come to petition me about it."
78 Then his majesty said: "If you wish to see me in good health, then hold him here;
79 answer him not one word of anything he says, so that he may speak on.
80 While he speaks, be silent; and may it then be brought to us in writing, that we may hear it.
81 See to it that his wife and his children have a living; for behold, one of these peasants
82 comes because his house is empty to the ground. See to the living of this peasant himself:
83 you are to have food given him, without letting him know that you are the one who gives it.
84 For your part, though it was you who gave it him, there was given him ten loaves of bread and two jugs of beer
85 each day. Whatever the High Steward Rensi son of Meru gave, he gave to his friend, and it was the friend
86 who gave it to him. Then the High Steward Rensi son of Meru sent to the estate steward of
87 the Field of Salt, to make food for the wife of this peasant, three heqat of barley every day.
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.
52 Then this peasant came to petition the high steward Rensi son of Meru, saying:
53 "High steward, my lord, greatest of the great, guide of what is not and of what is. If you go down
54 to the lake of what is right,
55 you will sail across it with a fair wind.
56 No gust will tear your sail away, and your boat will not lie becalmed.
57 No harm will strike the mast of your boat. Your yards
58 will not be torn down, and you will not run aground and break up on the land.
59 No wave will carry you off, and you will not taste the evil
60 of the river; you will not look on the face of terror; they come to you,
61 the shy fish, and you take your share of the fat fowl.
62 For you are the father of the orphan,
63 the husband of the widow, the brother of the woman set aside, the cloth of
64 the man who has no mother. Let me make your name in
65 this land, by every good rule: a leader free
66 of greed, a great man free
67 of meanness, one who destroys lies and makes what is right come true. Come because of
68 the voice of the one who pleads. I speak so that you may hear: do what is right, you praised one,
69 you whom the praised ones praise. Drive out my misery!
70 Look, I am weighed down. Examine me!
71 Look, I am one who has suffered loss."
72 This peasant spoke this speech in the time of the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt
73 Nebkaure, the justified. The high steward then went,
74 Rensi son of Meru, to his majesty, and he said: "My lord.
75 I have found one of these peasants, a man truly fine of speech,
76 whose goods were robbed. Look,
77 he has come to me to petition me about it."
78 Then his majesty said: "If you wish to see me safe and well, you will keep him here
79 without answering anything he says, so that he will go on talking. Say nothing!
80 Let it be brought to us in writing, and we will hear it.
81 But make sure his wife and his children have something to live on. Look, one of these peasants comes
82 only because his house is empty down to the ground. Provide for this peasant's own living too,
83 and see that food is given to him without letting him know that you are the one giving it.
84 So, you being the one to give it, he was given ten loaves of bread and two jugs of beer
85 every day. When the high steward Rensi son of Meru gave them, he gave them to his friend, and the friend
86 gave them to him. Then the high steward Rensi son of Meru sent to the estate manager of
87 the Field of Salt, to provide food for this peasant's wife: three measures of barley every day.