Amenemhat I (attributed) · Complete work
The Instruction and the Betrayal
The Instruction and the Betrayal of 3. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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1.1 𓄂𓂝𓅓𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓏛𓁹𓏏𓈖𓍛𓏤𓅆𓈖𓇓𓆤𓇳𓋴𓊵𓏏𓊪𓄣𓏤𓅆𓋹𓍑𓋴𓅭𓇳𓏤𓅆𓇋𓏠𓈖𓅓𓄂𓏏𓏤𓅆𓋹𓍑𓋴𓌳𓐙𓂝𓊤𓅱𓀁𓆓𓂧𓆑𓅓𓄋𓊪𓅱𓏏𓏴𓀁𓌳𓐙𓂝𓏏𓆄𓏛𓏥𓈖𓅭𓅆𓆑𓎟𓂋𓇥𓂋𓅆ḥꜣ,t-ꜥ-m sbꜣ,yt jri̯.t.n ḥm n.(j) nsw-bj,t Sḥtp-jb-Rꜥ ꜥnḫ-(w)ḏꜣ-s(nb) zꜣ-Rꜥ Jmn-m-ḥꜣ,t ꜥnḫ-(w)ḏꜣ-s(nb) mꜣꜥ-ḫrw ḏd =f m wp.wt mꜣꜥ,t n zꜣ =f Nb-r-ḏr
1.2 𓆓𓂧𓆑𓈍𓂝𓏛𓅓𓊹𓅆𓄔𓅓𓏛𓈖𓆓𓂧𓍘𓇋𓇋𓀀𓈖𓎡𓇓𓏏𓈖𓇋𓇋𓏛𓎡𓋾𓈎𓇋𓇋𓏛𓎡𓈅𓈇𓈅𓈇𓈅𓈇𓁹𓂋𓎡𓅱𓀀𓅓𓇉𓅱𓏛𓏥𓁷𓏤𓄤𓏤𓏛𓏥𓋴𓐟𓄿𓈎𓅱𓋴𓐟𓄿𓈎𓅱𓆊𓏛𓏏𓅱𓂋𓋴𓅓𓂧𓏏𓏤𓀁𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂋𓆑𓏏𓍃𓅓𓏏ḏd =f ḫꜥi̯ m nṯr sḏm n ḏd.ty =j n =k ((nsw.y)) =((k)) ⟨tꜣ⟩ ḥqꜣ.y =k jdb.pl jri̯ =kwj m-ḥꜣw-ḥr nfr sꜣq.w tw r smd,t r =f tm.t
1.3 𓆣𓂋𓅱𓏏𓍃𓅓𓅓𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂋𓂝𓅱𓄣𓏤𓅓𓐟𓏤𓁷𓂋𓐡𓂡𓀀𓏥[⯑]𓋴𓏏𓅓𓏏𓎡𓈖𓂻𓇋𓅓[⯑]𓅓𓌡𓂝𓏤𓅱𓅪𓈖𓎡𓅓𓎔𓏛𓄣𓏤𓎡𓅓𓌢𓈖𓀀𓅓𓂋𓐍𓏛𓐍𓈖𓌰𓅓𓋴⯑𓅭𓀀𓏥𓅓𓋴𓆣𓂋𓅱ḫpr.w tmm,t rḏi̯.w jb m-sꜣ ḥr [ḥ]r =st m tkn jm =s[n] m wꜥ.w n =k m mḥ jb =k m sn m rḫ ḫnms zꜣ.pl m sḫpr.w
1.4 𓈖𓎡𓅧𓈎𓂻𓀀𓁐𓏥𓂻𓈖𓆎𓅓𓏛𓈖𓇋𓂋𓏭𓀸𓏛𓀀𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓎡𓅱𓀀𓁷𓏤𓀸𓄿𓅱𓏛𓂡𓀀𓈖𓎡𓄣𓏤𓎡𓆓𓊃𓎡𓁷𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏭𓂜𓈖𓃹𓈖𓅓𓈘𓈇𓏤𓀀𓁐𓏥𓈖𓊃𓀀𓏤[⯑][⯑]𓎡n =k ꜥq nn km.n jr,j sḏr.kwj ḥr zꜣw ={j} n =k jb =k ḏs =k ḥr-n,tj nn wn =(j) m mr n z h[rw] [n.(j)] [qsn,t] =k
1.5 𓇋𓅱𓂞𓈖𓀀𓈖𓈙𓍯𓄿𓅱𓅱𓀢𓅪𓈖𓀀𓅓𓋴𓆣𓂋𓅱𓈖𓌰𓅓𓎛𓅱𓀔𓅪𓈖𓀀𓇋𓅱𓂞𓈖𓀀𓄖𓅱𓏭𓂻𓂜𓏏𓏭𓅪𓂜𓃹𓈖𓏛𓀀[⯑]𓏶𓅓𓅱𓀁𓏥𓂓𓏤𓈀𓏥𓀀𓁹𓍿𓊃𓏏⯑𓏛𓂡𓀀𓈖𓎡𓂋𓂝𓈖𓀀𓈖𓆑jw ḏi̯.n =j n šwꜣ,ww m sḫpr.w nmḥ,w jw ḏi̯.n =j pḥ{wj} jw,tj ⟨mj⟩ ⟨n,tj⟩ n⟨n⟩ wn jn wnm.w{pl} kꜣ =j jri̯ ṯs,t =j n =k rḏi̯.n =j n =f
1.6 𓂝𓂝𓏤𓅱𓏭𓆑𓏭𓁷𓏤𓋴𓆣𓂋𓅱𓁷𓂋𓐡𓂡𓀀𓏥𓁷𓂋𓋴𓏏𓃹𓈖𓐍𓅱𓍼𓍱𓏥𓉐𓀀𓅓𓊪𓈎𓏏𓆀𓍱𓏥𓉐𓀀𓁷𓏤𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓈖𓀀𓏇𓇋𓆄𓅱𓇋𓇋𓆰𓏥𓀀𓅨𓂋𓎛𓏌𓅱𓂡𓅕𓈖𓏏𓅂𓏌𓏥𓀀ꜥ.wj.du =fj ḥr sḫpr.w ḥr ḥr =st wnḫ.w.pl m p(ꜣ)q,t =j ḥr mꜣꜣ n =j mj šw.y wrḥ{nw}.⟨pl⟩ m ꜥnt,jw =j [ḥr]
1.7 𓄝𓏏𓏏𓅂𓌕𓈗𓂡𓈗𓅕𓌨𓂋𓏭𓏛𓉐𓀀[⯑]𓀀𓋹𓈖𓐍𓅱𓀀𓏥𓅓𓊪𓊃𓈙𓏏𓏴𓏛𓏥𓅓𓂋𓍿𓀀𓁐𓏥𓇋𓅱𓁹𓏥𓈖𓀀𓈎𓄿𓅓𓂧𓏏𓀗𓀁𓀀𓁐𓏥𓅓𓂜𓏏𓏭𓅪𓂻𓃀𓅱sti̯.t{jw} mw mẖr,j =j snn.[pl] =j ꜥnḫ.pl m psš,t =(j) m r(m)ṯ.pl jw jri̯ =w n =j qꜣmd,t m jw,tj n bw
1.8 𓄔𓅓𓏛𓈖𓏏𓅱𓆑𓃀𓅱𓉻𓂝𓄿𓏛𓈖𓂚𓄿𓂡𓂜𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓈖𓏏𓅱𓆑𓇋𓋴𓏏𓅱𓂚𓄿𓂡𓏏𓅱𓁷𓏤𓂸𓏏𓃹𓈖𓃒𓈇𓏤𓋴𓅓𓐍𓂜𓋴𓆑𓇳𓂜𓈖𓆎𓐛𓏛𓈖𓃀𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋𓈖𓐍𓅓𓂜𓀀sḏm.n.tw =f bw-ꜥꜣ n.(j) ꜥḥꜣ n mꜣꜣ.n.tw =f jstw ꜥḥꜣ =tw ḥr mtwn smḫ sf nn km.n bw-nfr n ḫm
1.9 𓂋𓐍𓏛𓆑𓀀𓂋𓐟𓏤𓄟𓋴𓇋𓇋𓇰𓈀𓏥𓊪𓅱𓆼𓄿𓅱𓏭𓇰𓇳𓏤𓆣𓅱𓊏𓊪𓂡𓈖𓀀𓅓𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏏𓇼𓇳𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏭𓄤𓆑𓂋𓄣𓏤𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓎡𓅱𓀀𓁷𓏤𓎛𓆰𓈖𓎡𓇋𓇋𓍱𓏥𓂠𓏏𓉐𓀀rḫ =f r-sꜣ ms,y(t) pw ḫꜣwj ḫpr.w šzp.n =j m wnw,t n.tj nfr-jb sḏr.kwj ḥr ḥnk,yt =j
1.10 𓃀𓅡𓎼𓄿𓀉𓅪𓈖𓀀𓆷𓄿𓂝𓏛𓈖𓀀[⯑]𓀀𓌞𓋴𓅱𓂻𓇋𓐪𓂧𓏌𓅱𓁺𓈖𓀀𓇋𓋴𓏏𓅱𓋴𓄲𓂋𓅱𓂻𓈍𓄿𓅱𓆱𓏥𓂋𓐩𓏌𓀁𓂋𓏤𓁷𓏤𓀀𓁹𓂋𓎡𓅱𓀀𓏇𓇋𓊄𓏭𓅪bꜣgꜣ.n =j šꜣꜥ.n =j ḥꜣ,tj =j šms.w jqd n =j jstw spẖr.w ḫꜥ,w r nḏ rʾ ḥr =j jri̯.kwj mj zbj
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering all 28 lines of Papyrus Sallier II, pages 1–3, 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).
1.1 Beginning of the instruction composed by the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sehetepibre, life, prosperity, health, Son of Re, Amenemhat, life, prosperity, health, justified. He speaks in a declaration of truth to his son, the Lord of All:
1.2 Appearing as a god, he says: “Hear what I shall tell you, that you may rule the land and govern the riverbanks, acting beyond perfection. Guard yourself against the attendants who have achieved nothing, and against humanity when it turns its heart toward deceit.”
1.3 “Do not go near them. Do not stand alone. Do not fill your heart with trust in a brother; know neither friend nor sons. Do not create confidants for yourself.”
1.4 “A companion will bring nothing to completion. I have spent the night guarding your own heart for you, for I am not one of a man's followers on your day of misfortune.”
1.5 “I gave to the poor and raised the orphan; I brought the one who had nothing, like the one who did not exist, to his goal. It was the man who ate my food who raised a complaint against me for your sake. The man to whom I gave his arms—”
1.6 “—made deceit because of it. Those clothed in my fine linen looked on me as on dry grass. Those anointed with my myrrh poured out the water of my granary.”
1.7 “My living images, my own portion among humanity, made a lament for me that could not be heard.”
1.8 “The magnitude of the battle cannot be seen. On the battlefield men fight while yesterday is forgotten; no good comes to fulfillment for one who does not recognize what he knows.”
1.9 “It was after supper; night had fallen, and I had enjoyed an hour of contentment. I lay upon my bed.”
1.10 “I had grown weary, and my heart began to follow sleep. Meanwhile weapons meant to guard me were brandished, and I was treated like refuse—”
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering all 28 lines of Papyrus Sallier II, pages 1–3.
1.1 Beginning of the instruction composed by His Majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Sehetepibre, may he live, prosper, and be healthy, the son of Re, Amenemhat, may he live, prosper, and be healthy, the vindicated one. He speaks the truth to his son, the lord of all.
1.2 Having appeared as a god, he says: “Listen to what I tell you. You will rule the land and govern its shores, and you will act beyond what is good. Watch out for the servants who have achieved nothing,
1.3 and for humanity, whose mind is set on deception because of it. Don't go near them. Don't be alone. Don't trust a brother. Don't rely on a friend or sons. Don't make
1.4 any confidant for yourself. A companion will not see things through. I spend the night guarding your own heart for you, because I am not among a man's household supporters on the day of your trouble.
1.5 I gave to the poor and raised the orphan. I let the person who had nothing get ahead, just like one who had no possessions. It was the one who ate my food who complained about me to you. The one to whom I gave
1.6 his arms used them to make a plot. Those dressed in my fine linen looked on me as though I were dry grass. Those anointed with my myrrh were
1.7 pouring out the water from my granary. My living likenesses, my share of humanity, made a funeral lament for me that would otherwise not be heard.
1.8 The scale of the fight could not be seen. People fought on the battlefield and forgot yesterday. Good deeds bring nothing to the one who fails to recognize what he knows.
1.9 It was after the evening meal, when night had fallen. I had enjoyed an hour of contentment. I lay on my bed.
1.10 I was tired, and my heart began to follow sleep. Then weapons were swung about to protect me. I was treated like vermin