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The Third Petition
The Third Petition of 13. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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139 𓇋𓂋𓇥𓂋𓎡𓂻𓅱𓇋𓈖𓂋𓆑𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓂋𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓆑𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏌𓊃𓊪𓊗𓆓𓂧𓆑jr.⟨j⟩ ḏr,(w) =k jwi̯.jn r =f sḫ,tj pn r spr n =f 3.nw sp ḏd =f
140 𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓀀𓎟𓀀𓈖𓏏𓎡𓂋𓂝𓇳𓏤𓅆𓎟𓊪𓏏𓇯𓎛𓈖𓂝𓍲𓈖𓏌𓅱𓏏𓀙𓀀𓏥𓎡(j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr nb =(j) ntk Rꜥ nb p,t ḥnꜥ šnw,t =k
141 𓇋𓅱𓌨𓂋𓏏𓏛𓏥𓃀𓅱𓎟𓀀𓁐𓏥𓇋𓅓𓎡𓏇𓇋jw ẖr,t bw-nb jm =k mj
142 𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓇋𓇋𓈗𓈖𓏏𓎡𓎛𓂝𓊪𓈗𓅆𓋴𓇅𓆓𓏛𓆷𓈇𓏤𓏥𓎼𓂋𓍅𓏛nw,y ntk Ḥꜥp(j) swꜣḏ šꜣ.pl grg
143 𓇋𓄿𓅱𓏏𓈀𓈇𓏤𓏤𓏥𓐍𓃀𓅡𓄿𓏏𓌼𓂝𓏥𓍙𓆑𓂡𓂝𓍯𓄿𓂡jꜣ,wt.pl ḫbꜣ.t ḫsf ꜥwꜣi̯
144 𓈖𓆓𓐩𓏌𓀁𓁷𓏤𓌳𓄿𓇋𓂋𓌗𓅪𓀀𓅓𓆣𓂋𓅓𓅱𓆓𓈖𓏌𓅱𓈗nḏ ḥr mꜣjr m ḫpr m wḏn,w
145 𓂋𓋴𓄭𓂋𓅱𓀁𓊃𓅭𓄿𓅱𓀸𓂡𓏏𓎡𓈖𓂻𓈖𓅘𓎛𓎛𓇳r spr.w sꜣw tkn nḥḥ
146 𓌸𓂋𓀁𓎝𓎛𓏛𓏇𓇋𓆓𓂧𓊡𓅱𓊪𓅱𓈖𓆑𓈖𓂧𓂉𓁹𓏏𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛mri̯ wꜣḥ mj ḏd ṯꜣw pw n fnd jri̯.t mꜣꜥ,t
147 𓁹𓐍𓋴𓆑𓏏𓍙𓆑𓂋𓍙𓆑𓅱𓂡𓈖𓆑𓂜𓈖𓋴𓈖𓏒𓏛𓏏𓅱𓂋𓁶𓏤𓐎𓏛𓎡jri̯ ḫsf,t r ḫsf.w n =f nn sn =tw r tp-ḥsb =k
148 𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓃛𓅱𓇓𓅱𓆱𓈖𓈖𓌰𓅓𓅪𓆑𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱jn jw jws,w nnm =f jn jw
149 𓅓𓂝𓆼𓄿𓏏𓍸𓆱𓁷𓏤𓂋𓂝𓏏𓁷𓏤𓐞𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓂋𓆑𓅝𓏏𓏭𓅆mḫꜣ,t ḥr rḏi̯.t ḥr gs jn jw r =f Ḏḥwtj
150 𓊃𓆑𓈖𓂉𓀁𓆑𓇋𓐍𓁹𓎡𓇍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅪𓏥𓂋𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓏤𓏤𓏌𓈖sfn =f jḫ jri̯ =k jy,t ⸢rḏi̯⸣ =k tw ⟨m⟩ 2.nw n
151 𓏤𓏤𓏤𓊪𓈖𓇋𓂋𓋴𓆑𓈖𓂉𓀁𓏤𓏤𓏤𓐍𓂋𓎡𓋴𓆑𓈖𓂉𓀁𓎡𓅓3 pn jr sfn 3 ḫr =k sfn =k m
152 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏴𓀁𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓅓𓃀𓇋𓈖𓏏𓅪𓅓𓂋𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅓𓊨𓏏𓉐𓎡𓏏wšb nfr,t m bjn,t m rḏi̯ k.t m s,t k.t
153 𓂋𓂧𓅱𓇝𓏛𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁𓂋𓋴𓈖𓌰𓅓𓇋𓇋𓏏𓆰𓏤𓏥𓂋𓂧𓏇𓇋rd.w md,t r snm,yt r dmj
154 𓈖𓐍𓈖𓌰𓅓𓂉𓀁𓅓𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏴𓀁𓋴𓈖𓏏𓆑𓈗𓇍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓂻n ḫnm m wšb =s ntf jy,t
155 𓂋𓂋𓂝𓏏𓂋𓂧𓇝𓏛𓎛𓃀𓋴𓅱𓋳𓏤𓏥𓋴𓊪𓅱𓊗𓏤𓏤𓏤r rḏi̯.t rd ḥbs,w sp.w 3
156 𓊪𓅱𓂋𓂋𓂝𓏏𓁹𓆑𓁹𓂋𓎡𓈞𓅓𓅱𓊦𓂋𓈖𓂧𓃀𓇋𓇋𓏏𓋳pw r rḏi̯.t jri̯ =f jri̯ r =k ḥmw r ndb,yt
157 𓄞𓂧𓂝𓅱𓆓𓈖𓏌𓅱𓈗𓂋𓁹𓏏[⯑]𓊃𓅭𓄿𓅱𓀸𓂡šdi̯ wḏn,w r jri̯.t mꜣꜥ,[t] sꜣw
158 𓇉𓄿𓊛𓎡𓂋𓎡𓁷𓏤𓄤𓆑𓂋𓇋𓇋𓏏𓍢𓏤[⯑]𓈖𓏏𓇾𓈇𓏤ḥꜣ =k r =k ḥr nfry,t ꜥqꜣ,yt n.t tꜣ
159 𓁹𓏏𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓅱𓏛𓅓𓆓𓂧𓎼𓂋𓍅𓀁𓇋𓅱𓎡𓅨𓂋𓏏𓅓𓇋𓇩𓊃𓆰jri̯.t mꜣꜥ,t{w} m ḏd grg jw =k wr.t(j) m js
160 𓇋𓅱𓎡𓂧𓈖𓋴𓏏𓍖𓏛𓅓𓆓𓂧𓎼𓂋𓍅𓀁𓈖𓏏𓎡𓃛𓅱𓇓𓅱𓆱jw =k dns.t(j) m ḏd grg ntk jws,w
161 𓅓𓏏𓈖𓃀𓄡𓅱𓃟𓈖𓏏𓎡𓁶𓏤𓐎𓏛𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓁶𓏤𓌡𓂝𓏤m tnbẖ.w ntk tp-ḥsb m =k tw m tp wꜥ
162 𓎛𓈖𓂝𓃛𓅱𓋴𓅱𓆱𓇋𓂋𓎼𓄿𓋴𓐟𓊊𓆑𓐍𓂋𓎡ḥnꜥ jws,w jr gꜣsꜣ =f ḫr =k
163 𓎼𓅱𓋴𓐟𓄿𓊊𓎡𓅓𓋴𓃀𓈖𓂻𓁹𓂋𓎡𓈞𓅓𓅱𓊦𓄞𓂧𓂡gwsꜣ =k m sbn jri̯ r =k ḥmw šdi̯
164 𓁷𓏤𓄤𓆑𓂋𓇋𓇋𓏏𓍢𓏤𓅓𓎁𓏏𓂡𓁹𓂋𓎡𓂋𓎁𓏏𓅱𓂡𓀀ḥr nfry,t m jti̯ jri̯ r =k r jt,w
165 𓂜𓅨𓂋𓇋𓋴𓊪𓅱𓅨𓂋𓇋𓅓𓂝𓃹𓈖𓂝𓄣𓏤𓏏𓐍𓍠𓊪𓅱n wr js pw wr jm ꜥwn jb tḫ pw
166 𓈖𓄓𓋴𓄹𓎡𓂧𓃀𓈖𓄲𓊌𓊪𓅱𓄣𓏤𓎡𓂋𓏠𓈖𓏌𓅱𓏛𓆑𓊪𓅱𓋴𓊪𓏏𓂎𓎡𓏭ns =k dbn pw jb =k rmn.w =f pw sp,t =kj
167 𓇋𓂋𓎛𓃀𓋳𓎡𓁷𓏤𓎡𓂋𓈖𓆱𓐍𓏏𓏤𓂡𓁷𓏤jr ḥb⟨s⟩ =k ḥr =k r nḫt ḥr
168 𓈖𓅓𓂝𓇋𓂋𓆑𓍙𓆑𓂡𓆑𓃀𓅱𓎛𓅨𓂋𓅱𓅪𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓n-m jr =f ḫsf =f bw-ḥwr,w m =k tw m
169 𓎛𓅨𓂋𓅱𓅪𓀀𓈖𓅺𓏏𓏭𓂡𓀀𓂝𓃹𓈖𓂝𓄣𓏤𓁷𓏤𓌉𓆓𓏏𓏴ḥwr,w n rḫt,j ꜥwn jb ḥr ḥḏi̯.t
170 𓐍𓈖𓌰𓅓𓋴𓀙𓃀𓍔𓏏𓈖𓂡𓅓𓂝𓎛𓆰𓈖𓎡𓀀𓆑𓈖𓏏𓍯𓄿𓀢𓀀𓆑ḫnms btꜣ{n} mḥnk =f n twꜣ =f
171 𓌢𓈖𓀀𓆑𓊪𓅱𓇍𓇋𓇋𓂻𓏎𓈖𓈖𓆑𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱sn =f pw jyi̯.y jni̯ n =f m =k tw ⟨m⟩
172 𓅓𓂝𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓊛𓀀𓍑𓄿𓏴𓊛𓎟𓉔𓅓𓏏𓏛𓀀𓂝𓈎𓄿𓇋𓇋𓂭𓂭𓏛mẖn,tj ḏꜣi̯ nb hm,t ꜥqꜣ.y
173 𓂝𓈎𓄿𓂭𓂭𓏛𓆑𓆑𓂧𓈎𓅱𓏴𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓁷𓂋𓇯𓍲𓈖𓂝𓅱𓍁𓉐ꜥqꜣ =f fdq.w m =k tw m ḥr,(j)-šnꜥ,w
174 𓂜𓂋𓂝𓈖𓆑𓋴𓍯𓄿𓏴𓈐𓆄𓅱𓅪𓀀𓁷𓏤𓂝𓏤𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱n rḏi̯.n =f swꜣ šw ḥr-ꜥ m =k tw ⟨m⟩
175 𓍿𓈖𓁷𓂋𓏊𓅬𓈖𓂋𓐍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅚𓀀𓁐𓏥𓋹𓈖𓐍𓅓𓎛𓅨𓂋𓅱𓅪𓏥𓏌𓏤ṯnḥr n rḫ,yt ꜥnḫ m ḥwr,w.pl n.w
176 𓄿𓊪𓂧𓅱𓅬𓏥𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓏊𓅱𓀀𓂋𓈙𓂉𓀁𓆑𓊪𓅱𓂋𓐍𓋴𓌪𓂝ꜣpd.w.pl m =k tw ⟨m⟩ wdp,w ršu̯ =f pw rḫs
177 𓂜𓈖𓇋𓄿𓏏𓅂𓂿𓇋𓂋𓏭𓂋𓆑𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓀸𓅱𓀀𓂜𓈋𓅱𓅪𓋴𓇋𓋴nn jꜣtjw jr,j r =f m =k tw m mnj,w n ḏwi̯ =s js
178 𓂋𓀀𓂜𓇋𓊪𓏛𓈖𓎡𓇋𓐍𓏛𓁹𓎡𓈖𓉔𓅱𓅪𓅓𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆊r =j n jp.n =k jḫ jri̯ =k nh,w m msḥ
179 𓋴𓎡𓈖𓆊𓇋𓃀𓃙𓅱𓉐𓏥𓏏𓈙𓂾𓂻𓂋𓂧𓏇𓇋𓈇𓏤𓈖𓇾𓈇𓏤𓂋𓇥𓂋𓆑skn jb,w tši̯ r dmj n tꜣ r-ḏr =f
180 𓄔𓅓𓅱𓂜𓄿𓄔𓅓𓈖𓎡𓍃𓅓𓎡𓏏𓂋𓆴𓄔𓅓𓁷𓏤𓅓𓂝𓇋𓅱𓏇𓈖𓇳sḏm.w n ꜣ sḏm.n =k tm =k tr sḏm ḥr-m jw mjn
181 𓄿𓍙𓆑𓂡𓈖𓀀𓄿𓂧𓅱𓆊𓇋𓅱𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆊𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂻𓆑𓊪𓏏𓂋𓆴𓂋𓆑ꜣ ḫsf.n =j ꜣd,w jw msḥ ḫti̯ =f ptr r =f
182 𓆎𓅓𓏛𓇋𓂋𓏭𓈖𓎡𓅠𓅓𓏏𓅱𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏌𓅱𓀢𓏛𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓂋𓂝𓏏𓐟𓏤km jr,j n =k gmi̯.tw jmn,w mꜣꜥ,t rḏi̯.t(w) sꜣ
183 𓎼𓂋𓍅𓀁𓂋𓇾𓈇𓏤𓅓𓎼𓂋𓍅𓏛𓇼𓄿𓇳𓂜𓇍𓇋𓏏𓂻𓆑𓂜grg r tꜣ m grg dwꜣ n jyi̯.t =f n
184 𓂋𓐍𓏛𓈖𓏏𓅱𓇍𓇋𓇋𓏏𓅪𓏥𓇋𓅓𓆑𓇋𓋴𓏏𓂋𓆑𓆓𓂧𓈖𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁rḫ.n.tw jy,t jm =f jst r =f ḏd.n sḫ,tj pn md,t
185 𓏏𓈖𓅓𓂋𓉐𓀗𓌸𓂋𓅱𓆇𓂋𓈖𓋴𓏭𓀀𓂋𓊪𓎼𓄿𓂘𓈖𓂝𓂋𓂋𓇋𓇋𓏏𓉐tn ⟨n⟩ (j)m,(j)-rʾ-pr-wr Mr,w sꜣ Rnsj r pgꜣ n ꜥrr,yt
186 𓊢𓂝𓈖𓂋𓂝𓈖𓆑𓊢𓂝𓂻𓏶𓎃𓀀𓏤𓏤𓂋𓆑𓌨𓂋𓋴𓏇𓇋𓅱𓄛𓏤𓏥𓊢𓂝𓈖[⯑]𓋴𓈖𓏥ꜥḥꜥ.n rḏi̯.n =f ꜥḥꜥ jm,(j)-sꜣ 2 r =f ẖr smj.w.pl ꜥḥꜥ.n ꜥꜣg.⟨n⟩ =sn
187 𓂝𓏏𓄹𓆑𓎟𓏏𓇋𓅓𓆓𓂧𓇋𓈖𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓅭𓀀𓌸𓂋𓅱𓀀ꜥ,t =f nb.t jm ḏd.jn sḫ,tj pn sꜣ Mr,w
188 𓏏𓈖𓌰𓅓𓂻𓐍𓂋𓆑𓁷𓏤𓆑𓈙𓊪𓁹𓂋𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓏏𓆑𓊃𓐍𓄔𓂋𓄔𓅓𓏏𓆑tnm.ḫr =f ḥr =f šp r mꜣꜣ.t =f sḫ r sḏm.t =f
189 𓏏𓉔𓂾𓂻𓄣𓏤𓁷𓏤𓋴𓆼𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓀁𓈖𓆑𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓊖𓏏𓏤thi̯ jb ḥr sḫꜣ.y.t n =f m =k tw m nʾ,t
190 𓂜𓈖𓋾𓉗𓏏𓊖𓀀𓋴𓏇𓇋𓄡𓏏𓏤𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂜𓈖𓅨𓂋𓀀𓋴𓏇𓇋𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊛nn ḥqꜣ-ḥw,t =s mj ẖ,t nn wr =s mj dp,t
191 𓂜𓈖𓋴𓐍𓂋𓇋𓇋𓏛𓀀𓇋𓅓𓋴𓄥𓅓𓇋𓇋𓏏𓂡𓀀𓏥𓂜𓈖𓋴𓌫𓅓𓅱𓂻𓀀𓋴nn sḫry jm ⟨mj⟩ smꜣy,t nn sšm,w =s
192 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓍢𓏏𓂝𓇋𓅷𓄿𓂡𓀀𓋾𓉗𓏏𓊖𓀀𓊏𓊪𓅱𓂝m =k tw m šnt jṯꜣ ḥqꜣ-ḥw,t šsp.w
193 𓅓𓂋𓅱𓈇𓏤𓀀𓍙𓆑𓂡𓎛𓂝𓍑𓄿𓂡𓆣𓂋𓅓𓏶𓅓𓄂𓏏𓏤𓈖𓁹𓂋𓀀(j)m,(j)-rʾ-w ḫsf ḥꜥḏꜣ ḫpr m jm,(j)-ḥꜣ,t n jrr
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).
139 Then this peasant came to petition him a third time, saying:
140 "High Steward, my lord, you are Ra, lord of the sky, with your court about you;
141 the need of every man is in you, like
142 the flood. You are Hapy, who greens the wet fields, who founds anew
143 the ruined mounds. Punish the robber, shield
144 the wretched: do not become a flood
145 against the pleader. Guard yourself: eternity is drawing near.
146 Strive to endure, as the saying goes: doing what is right is the breath of the nose.
147 Punish him who must be punished, and none shall come up to your standard.
148 Does the hand-scale tilt? Does
149 the standing scale lean aside? Is Thoth
150 ever mild? Only then might you do wrong; you would make yourself the comrade
151 of those three. If the three are mild, be mild in turn; do not
152 repay good with evil; do not set one thing in the place of another!
153 For speech grows faster than the snemet vine, touching the hearer with her answer
154 once wrong has been watered,
155 and making the covering grow — three times over it does this!
156 So he does; steer you your rudder by the gust!
157 Take hold of the flood, to do what is right! And beware,
158 lest you ground on the rudder line. The balance of the land is
159 doing what is right. Speak no falsehood: you are great — do not be light.
160 You are weighty — speak no falsehood: you are the scale.
161 Do not waver: you are the standard. See, you are of one nature with the scale,
162 and with the balance: if it tilts, you tilt with it.
163 Tilting, do not drift; hold your rudder, grip
164 the rudder line. Do not steal: act against the thief!
165 No great man is he, that great one of greedy heart. The plummet
166 is your tongue; the weight is your heart; your two lips are its arms.
167 If you veil your face from the strong of face, who then
168 shall ward off wrong? See, you are
169 a washerman's wretch, greedy of heart, set upon destroying
170 friendship, forsaking his loyal man for his client.
171 His brother is whoever comes bringing to him. See, you are
172 a ferryman who ferries only the man with the fare; an honest man
173 whose honesty is cut to shreds. See, you are the keeper of the storehouse
174 who does not let the destitute slip by at once. See, you are
175 a hawk over the common folk, living off the weakest of the birds.
176 See, you are an overseer of fowl whose joy is in the carving,
177 with no mangling of his own. See, you are a herdsman: is it not ill done?
178 As for me, you have not weighed me. May loss come upon you from the ravenous crocodile,
179 the refuge standing far from the landing place of the whole land.
180 O hearer — and you do not hear! Why is it that you do not hear? Have I
181 today warded off the furious one? And the crocodile, does it fall back? What good is he?
182 Your gain in it: when hidden truth is found, falsehood will be thrown on its back.
183 Falsehood to the ground! Plan nothing for the morning before it comes:
184 no one knows the evil that is in it. This peasant spoke this speech
185 to the High Steward Rensi son of Meru at the entrance of the gatehouse.
186 Then he had two guardsmen stand over him with whips, and they beat
187 every limb of him with them. Then this peasant said: "Son of Meru,
188 he strays on and on: his face is blind to what he sees, deaf to what he hears,
189 his heart gone astray from what is recalled to it. See, you are a town
190 without its steward, a company without its elder, a ship
191 without its captain, a troop without its leader.
192 See, you are a watchman who steals, a steward who takes,
193 a district officer set to ward off plunder who has become the model of the wrongdoer."
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.
139 Then this peasant came to petition him a third time, saying:
140 "High steward, my lord, you are Ra, lord of the sky, with your court around you.
141 Everything everyone needs is with you, as with the flood.
142 You are Hapy, who makes the fields grow green and founds
143 the mounds that were cut away. You who punish the robber and guard the wretched:
144 do not become a flood
145 against the petitioner. Take care: eternity is drawing near!
146 Desire to endure, as the saying goes: doing what is right is the breath of the nose.
147 Hand out punishment to the one who must be punished, and no one will come up to your standard.
148 Does the hand scale swerve? Does the standing scale tip to one side?
149 Is Thoth ever gentle? Then you would be doing
150 wrong, and you would make yourself the second of
151 these three. If the three are gentle, then you too must be gentle.
152 Do not answer good with evil, and do not put one thing in the place of another.
153 Speech grows faster than the senemyt vine, to touch the friendly nose with its answer; evil is watered,
154 watered by its own answer, so that its covering
155 grows—three times over, this much and more—
156 and all this to make a man act. So take the rudder in hand, and steer by the wind cord.
157 Ward off the flood wave, to do what is right; take care that
158 you do not run aground on the rudder rope. The straightness of the land
159 is doing what is right. Do not speak a lie; you are great—do not be careless.
160 You are weighty. Do not speak a lie: you are the hand scale.
161 Do not waver. You are the standard; you are one with
162 the scale: if it tilts, you tilt.
163 Do not drift away; take the rudder
164 by its rope. Do not steal—act against the thief!
165 A great man is not great when he is greedy. The plumb weight
166 is your tongue; your heart is the weight, and your two lips are its arms.
167 If you hide your face from the strong, who then will
168 hold back evil? Look, you are a wretched washerman, greedy—you are
169 one who destroys friendship, a man who abandons
170 his devoted friend for the sake of his client: his brother
171 is only the one who comes bringing him something. Look, you are
172 a ferryman who ferries only the man with his fare; the honest man's honesty
173 is cut to pieces. Look, you are a keeper of the storehouse
174 who will not let a destitute man pass at once. Look, you are
175 a falcon of the commons, living off the weakest birds. Look, you are
176 a carver at the table whose joy is in cutting up,
177 though the mutilation never touches him. Look, you are a shepherd: is it not bad
178 for me? Because you do not examine, you bring loss by the crocodile.
179 The shelter is ravenous, and it is far from the landing place of the whole land.
180 You are the one who must listen, and you do not listen. Why is it that you will not hear today?
181 If I did hold back the furious one, does the crocodile turn back? What good does that do you?
182 When what is hidden is found out, then falsehood will be thrown on its back.
183 Do not plan for tomorrow before it comes.
184 One does not know what evil is in it. So this peasant spoke this speech
185 to the high steward Rensi son of Meru, at the entrance of the gatehouse.
186 Then he had two watchmen rise up against him with whips, and they beat
187 every limb of his body with them. Then this peasant said: "Son of Meru, you are going astray: your face
188 is blind to what you see, deaf to what you hear, and straying from what you are reminded of.
189 Look, you are a city with no one to govern it,
190 a body with no chief in it, a ship
191 with no captain, a troop with no leader.
192 Look, you are a policeman who steals, an estate manager who takes
193 bribes—a district administrator who should be fighting robbery, but has become a model for the wrongdoer."