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The Fourth Petition
The Fourth Petition of 13. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Egyptian
194 𓂻𓅱𓇋𓈖𓂋𓆑𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓈖𓂋𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓆑𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏌𓊃𓊪𓊗𓅠𓅓𓈖𓇓𓅱𓁷𓏤jwi̯.jn r =f sḫ,tj pn r spr n =f 4.nw sp gmi̯.n =⟨f⟩ sw ḥr
195 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓉐𓈖𓊹𓉗𓏏𓉐𓈖𓏏𓁷𓂋𓇯𓈙𓈇𓆑𓅆pri̯.t m sbꜣ n ḥw,t-nṯr n.t Ḥr,(j)-š≡f
196 𓆓𓂧𓆑𓎛𓎿𓊃𓅱𓀁𓎛𓎿𓊃𓀁𓏏𓅱𓁷𓂋𓇯𓈙𓈇𓆑𓅆𓇍𓇋𓂻𓈖𓎡ḏd =f ḥs,w ḥsi̯ tw Ḥr,(j)-š≡f jyi̯.n =k
197 𓅓𓉐𓆑𓌉𓆓𓏴𓃀𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋𓂜𓈖𓂝𓃀𓏏𓄏𓏛𓆑𓊪𓏏𓐍𓂻𓐟𓏤𓈖m pr =f ḥḏi̯ bw-nfr nn ꜥb.t =f ptḫ sꜣ n
198 𓎼𓂋𓍅𓀁𓏥𓂋𓇾𓈇𓏤𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓏏𓄿𓅓𓂝𓄚𓈖𓏏𓊛𓋴grg r tꜣ jn jw tꜣ mẖn,t ={s} ⟨sꜥq.t(j)⟩
199 𓍑𓄿𓏴𓊛𓏏𓅱𓇋𓂋𓆑𓅓𓂝𓊃𓆣𓂋𓊃𓊪𓊗𓅓𓄟𓊃𓂧𓂧𓀁[⯑]ḏꜣi̯ =tw jr =f ⟨m⟩-m sḫpr sp m ⸢msdd⸣ [ḏ]ꜣi̯.t
200 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈘𓅓𓐟𓏤𓏏𓃀𓅱𓏏𓏭𓋸𓋸𓍑𓄿𓏏𓏴𓊛𓄤𓆑𓂋𓂜𓈖jtr,w m-sꜣ tbw,tj ḏꜣi̯.t nfr nn
201 𓈖𓅓𓈖𓏏𓂋𓆴𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓂋𓊏𓊪𓇳𓏤𓌉𓆓𓏴𓈝𓅓𓏏𓂻𓅓n-m tr sḏr r sšp ḥḏi̯ šmi̯.t m
202 𓎼𓂋𓎛⯑𓊄𓃀𓏭𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤𓂋𓂝𓏏𓊢𓂝𓂻𓊃𓀀𓏤𓂋grḥ sbi̯.j m hrw rḏi̯.t ꜥḥꜥ s r
203 𓊃𓊪𓊗𓆑𓄤𓆑𓂋𓈖𓃹𓈖𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓅓𓂝𓎡𓂜𓈖𓆎𓅓𓏛𓈖𓆓𓂧sp =f nfr n-wn-mꜣꜥ,{t} m =k nn km n ḏd
204 𓈖𓎡𓋴𓏏𓋴𓆑𓂉𓀁𓋴𓍯𓄿𓏴𓈐𓁷𓂋𓏤𓎡𓈖𓐍𓀁𓅱𓏭𓌳𓄿𓇋𓂋𓌗𓅪𓀀n =k st sf swꜣ ḥr =k nḫ.wj mꜣjr
205 𓋴𓎝𓎡𓇋𓇋𓅪𓎡𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓎔𓎛𓅱𓊛𓆟𓀀ski̯.y =k m =k tw m mḥ,w
206 𓇋𓂝𓈗𓄣𓏤𓆑𓅱𓂧𓂧𓏴𓂋𓁹𓏏𓌸𓂋𓏏𓀁𓆑𓆼𓄿𓂝𓂡𓂧𓃀𓅱𓃯𓏥jꜥi̯ jb =f wdd r jri̯.t mri̯.t =f ḫꜣꜥ db.w.pl
207 𓋴𓄝𓏏𓂝𓋴𓌳𓄿𓅓𓅱𓃓𓏥𓄖𓂻𓂋𓅓𓅱𓆟𓏥𓊃𓐍𓏏𓌦𓂝sti̯ smꜣm.w.pl pḥ rm.w.pl sḫt
208 𓄿𓊪𓂧𓅱𓅬𓏥𓂜𓈖𓆼𓄿𓐍𓂻𓂋𓏤𓀀𓆄𓅱𓅪𓅓𓅱𓂝𓂋𓅱𓂾𓀁ꜣpd.w.pl nn ḫꜣḫ-rʾ šwi̯ m wꜥr,w
209 𓂜𓈖𓇋𓇩𓊃𓆰𓄣𓏤𓀀𓂧𓈖𓋴𓍖𓏛𓊃𓐍𓂋𓏛𓄡𓏏𓏤𓍯𓄿𓎛𓎝𓏛nn js-jb dns sḫr ẖ,t wꜣḥ
210 𓄣𓏤𓎡𓂋𓐍𓏛𓎡𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓀗𓏛𓂧𓄿𓇋𓂋𓌗𓂝𓍉𓏏𓏛𓎡𓂋jb =k rḫ =k mꜣꜥ,t dꜣjr stp.t =k r
211 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓃀𓋴𓋴𓆟𓂻𓎼𓂋𓅱𓀁𓀀𓂜𓈖𓊃𓄡𓅓𓅱𓂻𓀀nfr bss gr.w nn sẖm,w
212 𓅓𓂝𓆓𓂧𓐥𓂝𓃀𓅱𓇋𓈎𓂋𓏛𓂜𓈖𓃹𓈖𓐍𓆼𓄿𓐍𓂻𓄣𓏤𓀀mḏd bw-jqr nn-wn ḫꜣḫ-jb
213 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓂝𓊃𓅠𓅓𓎛𓁹𓁹𓁹𓋴𓅱𓍑𓄿𓏛𓏏𓅱𓄣𓏤𓅓𓎡𓄿𓉔𓋴𓅱𓀁jni̯.tw ꜥ sgmḥ jr,t.du swḏꜣ.tw jb m kꜣhs.w
214 𓐍𓏏𓆑𓄊𓋴𓂋𓂝𓎡𓍃𓅓𓄭𓂋𓂻𓃀𓅱𓈋𓅱𓅪𓂋𓎡ḫft wsr =k tm spr bw-ḏw r =k
215 𓊃𓍯𓄿𓏴𓈐𓁷𓏤𓊃𓊪𓊗𓇋𓅱𓆑𓂋𓌢𓈖𓏌𓅱𓏤𓏤𓇋𓈖𓏶𓀁𓀀𓂧𓊪𓄓𓀁swꜣ ḥr sp jw =f r sn.w jn wnm dp
216 𓇋𓅱𓅱𓄞𓂧𓅱𓀁𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏴𓀁𓆑𓇋𓈖𓊃𓇥𓂋𓂋𓅱𓁀𓀀𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿jw wšd.w wšb =f jn sḏr,w mꜣꜣ
217 𓂋𓋴𓅱𓏏𓌘𓁹𓇋𓂋𓅱𓆓𓂝𓐣𓏛𓂋𓅱𓏏𓇯𓅓rs,wt jr wḏꜥ rw,t m
218 𓍙𓆑𓅱𓂡𓈖𓆑𓇋𓅱𓆑𓅓𓏶𓅓𓄂𓏏𓏤𓈖𓁹𓂋𓀀𓅱𓆼𓄿𓅪𓀀ḫsf.w n =f jw =f m jm,(j)-ḥꜣ,t n jrr wḫꜣ
219 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓊪𓎛𓏏𓄖𓂻𓐍𓅓𓂜𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏥𓀀𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱m =k tw pḥ.t(j) ḫm-ḫ,t m =k tw
220 𓅱𓄞𓂧𓀀𓏏𓊪𓈖𓈎𓂝𓀀𓈗𓇋𓇋𓈗𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏏𓅱𓅧𓈎𓏏𓂻wšd.t(j) pnq mw,y m =k tw ꜥq.t(j)
221 𓈞𓅓𓇋𓇋𓊦𓀀𓅓𓋴𓃀𓈖𓆟𓂻𓂧𓊪𓅱𓏏𓊛𓎡𓋴𓋹𓈖𓐍𓅱𓀀ḥmy m sbn dp,wt =k sꜥnḫ,w
222 𓅓𓂋𓂝𓅓𓏏𓀏𓏏𓅱𓋴𓎛𓍃𓅓𓅱𓅯𓅪𓀀𓅓𓂋𓂝m-rḏi̯ m(w)t =tw sḥtm,w m-rḏi̯
223 𓎛𓍃𓅓𓅯𓅪𓏏𓅱𓆄𓅱𓇋𓇋𓏏𓇳𓏤𓅓𓁹𓅓𓆄𓅱𓇳𓃀𓇋𓃙𓅱𓉐𓏥ḥtm =tw šw,yt m jri̯ m šw {b}jb,w
224 𓅓𓂋𓂝𓎁𓏏𓂝𓆊𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏌𓊃𓊪𓊗𓄿𓅓𓄭𓂋𓀁𓈖𓎡m-rḏi̯ jti̯ msḥ 4.nw sp ꜣ m spr n =k
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).
194 Then this peasant came to petition him a fourth time, and found him
195 coming out of the gate of the temple of Harsaphes.
196 He said: "Favored one, may Harsaphes favor you, from whose house you have come;
197 for out of it good is destroyed, its league is no more, and the casting down of falsehood's back
198 to the ground. Is this ferry hauled up on shore?
199 How then is one to cross, when crossing has been made a thing of hatred?
200 Is it fine to wade the river on one's sandals? No!
201 Who then sleeps on until the light? Destroyed is the walking of the night,
202 the going by day, and the letting of a man stand up for
203 his own truly good cause. See, there is no end to telling you:
204 kindness has passed you by; wretched is the wretch
205 whom you destroy. See, you are a fowler:
206 his heart set to do what he desires, harpooning the hippopotamuses,
207 shooting the wild cattle, taking the fish, snaring the birds.
208 There is no quick-tongued man who is free of haste.
209 There is no rash heart weighty in its plans. Be attentive, and you will know
210 truth: master your own chosen way, so that
211 it goes well with the quiet man who rises; none who storms ahead succeeds.
212 Excellence strikes its mark: there is no hasty heart in it.
213 The arm is brought: open your eyes, that hearts be gladdened with knowledge! Do not be harsh
214 in your strength, lest evil come home to you.
215 Let one case go by, and it becomes two. It is the eater who tastes,
216 the one addressed who answers, the sleeper who sees
217 dreams. But the judge, who should be punished, is the model of
218 the wrongdoer. O fool, see, you are caught!
219 See, you are brought to bay. O ignorant one, see,
220 you are questioned. O drawer of water, see, you have gone under!
221 Helmsman, let not your boat drift! O sustainer, let no man die;
222 O destroyer, let no man be destroyed.
223 O shade, do not blaze like the sun; O refuge, let not the crocodile seize —
224 this is the fourth time I have come petitioning you.
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.
194 Then this peasant came to petition him a fourth time, and found him
195 coming out of the gate of the temple of Harsaphes. He said:
196 "Favored one, may Harsaphes favor you, you who have come
197 from his house! Good is destroyed, for it no longer has its followers, and thrown down with it
198 is the casting of falsehood on its back. Is this ferry hauled up on land?
199 How then is anyone to cross, when crossing has been turned into a thing men hate?
200 Crossing the river on foot, in one's sandals—is that a good crossing?
201 No. Who sleeps on until daylight? Destroyed is going by night,
202 destroyed is going by day, destroyed is letting a man stand up
203 for his truly good cause. Look, there is no finish to telling you:
204 kindness has passed you by; pitiable is the sufferer
205 whom you destroy. Look, you are a hunter of the marshes,
206 a man who satisfies his heart, set on doing whatever he wishes: he spears the hippopotamuses,
207 he shoots the wild bulls, he snatches the fish, he traps
208 the birds. There is no man hasty of mouth who is free of haste.
209 There is no hasty-hearted man who is weighty in his plans. Be attentive, that you may know
210 what is right; bridle what you have chosen, so that it may go well with the man who rises quietly.
211 It goes well with the quiet man who enters in; there is none who storms in and succeeds.
212 Yet no man is impatient when help is needed.
213 Let the arm be brought; let your eyes see; let the heart be told. Do not be harsh
214 in the measure of your power, so that evil does not reach you.
215 Let one case go by, and it becomes two. It is the eater who tastes;
216 it is the one who is addressed who answers; it is the sleeper who dreams.
217 The judge who should punish him has instead become a model
218 for the wrongdoer, and he must answer for it. Fool:
219 look, you are caught! Ignorant one, look, you are being questioned!
220 You who draw the water: look, you are the one swept in!
221 Helmsman, do not let your boat drift! Giver of life, do not let people die!
222 Destroyer of evil, do not let people be destroyed!
223 Shadow, do not blaze like the sun! Shelter, do not let
224 the crocodile seize me. This is the fourth time I have come petitioning you."