Amenemhat I (attributed) · Complete work
The Night Attack
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2.1 𓊗𓏤𓏤𓇾𓏤𓈇𓈖𓐖𓏏𓈉𓈖𓉔𓋴⯑𓁺𓀀𓂋𓂚𓄿𓂡𓇋𓅱𓀀𓈖𓎛𓂝𓏏𓏤𓄹𓏥𓀀𓅠𓅓𓏛𓈖𓀀𓎛𓂡𓂡𓂡𓈖𓏭𓂋𓁷𓏤𓂡𓅓𓂝𓅱𓈖𓆑𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓇋𓂋𓊏𓊪𓂡𓈖𓀀𓄿𓋴𓍬𓂻𓐎𓏥𓀀⸮zꜣ-tꜣ? n.(j) ⸢zmy,t⸣ nhsi̯.n =j r ꜥḥꜣ jw =j n ḥꜥ,t.pl =j gmi̯.n =j ḥ(w)-nj-r-ḥr [pw] ⟨n.(j)⟩ mwnf.pl jr šzp.n =j ꜣs
2.2 𓈍𓂝𓅱𓆱𓏥𓅓𓂧𓏏𓏤𓆑𓇋𓅱𓂞𓈖𓀀𓈖𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂽𓈖𓈞𓅓𓅱𓂺𓅓𓂝𓃀𓅯𓄿𓃀𓅯𓄿𓐎𓂡𓏏𓅱𓂜𓈖𓇓𓅱𓏏𓈎𓈖𓈖𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓅓𓎼𓂋𓎛𓏏𓇰𓇳𓏤𓂻𓈖𓂚𓄿𓂡𓏏𓅱𓂜𓈖𓆣𓂋𓅱𓊃𓊪𓊗𓅓𓂝𓏏𓂧𓇝𓏛ḫꜥ,w m ḏr,t =f jw ḏi̯.n =j {n}ḫti̯ {n}ḥm,w ⸮mbb? =tw nn swt qnn.pl m grḥ,t nn ꜥḥꜣ =tw nn ḫpr.w sp-mꜥrd
2.3 𓅓𓐍𓂸𓏏𓏥𓂜𓎡𓅱𓀀𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏭𓏛𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏭𓏛𓋴𓏏𓍔𓄿𓅱𓍬𓂻𓐎𓏥𓀀𓆣𓂋𓅱𓇋𓅱𓀀𓅓𓐍𓂸𓏏𓏥𓂜𓎡𓅱𓀀𓂜𓈖𓄔𓅓𓏛𓈖𓀀𓁷𓏤𓋴𓇅𓆓𓏏𓏛𓀀𓈖𓎡𓈞𓊃𓀔𓏏𓅱𓎛𓈖𓂝𓎡𓇋𓐍𓏛m-ḫmt =kwj mk,j m =kı͗ stꜣ,w =j ḫpr.w jw =j m-ḫmt =kwj nn sḏm n =j ⟨šny,t⟩ ḥr sw{ꜣ}ḏ =j n =k ⟨nn⟩ ḥmsi̯ =tw ḥnꜥ =k jḫ
2.4 𓁹𓇋𓇋𓀀𓁷𓏤𓋴𓅱𓐍𓂋𓅱𓏛𓏥𓆑𓁷𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏭𓂜𓈖𓁷𓂋𓐡𓂡𓀀𓏥𓁷𓂋𓋴𓏏𓋴𓏏𓈖𓏎𓈖𓀀𓄣𓏤𓀀𓅱𓋴𓆑𓄿𓏏𓅯𓅪𓏥𓈖𓏏𓏭𓁷𓏤𓅡𓎡𓀀𓁐𓏥𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓅯𓈖𓈞𓏏𓁐𓏥jri̯.y =j ḥr s{w}ḫr.w.pl ={f} =⟨k⟩ ḥr-n,tj nn ḥr.pl ḥr =st ={st} ⟨nn⟩ ⟨ḫmt⟩ =⟨st⟩ n jni̯ [n] =j jb =j wsfꜣ,t n,tj ḥr bꜣk.pl jn jw pꜣu̯.n ḥm,t.pl ⟨ṯsi̯⟩
2.5 𓋴𓐟𓄿𓇋𓇋⯑𓅱⯑𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓄞𓂧𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏏𓅱𓂙𓈖𓈖𓏌𓅱𓃫𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓅓𓄚𓈖𓏌𓅱𓉐𓈖𓉐𓏤𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓐍𓃀𓅯𓐎𓂡𓏏𓅱𓇋𓅓𓀀𓎙𓂧𓅱𓐎𓏥[⯑]sꜣk.yw jn jw šd.tw ẖnn.pl m ẖnw n.(j) pr jn jw ḫbꜣ =tw jm =j ꜥd.w gb[b]
2.6 𓇋𓈖𓇋𓅱𓋴𓆼𓄿𓀁𓏏𓅱𓎡𓁷𓏤𓁹𓂋𓏏𓇋𓇋𓏏𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥𓂜𓈖𓂻𓅱𓏏𓂻𓀀𓇉𓄿𓇋𓇋𓁶𓀀𓈖𓇥𓂋𓂜𓈖𓆣𓂋𓅱𓏇𓏏𓏏𓏛𓋴𓏏𓊃𓊪𓊗𓅓𓁹𓂋𓏏𓁹𓈎𓈖𓈖𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥jn jw sḫꜣ.tw ={k} ⟨nḏs.pl⟩ ḥr jr{t},yt =sn nn jwi̯.t ={j} ⟨jy,t⟩ ḥꜣ.y =j n-ḏr ⟨ms,yt⟩ =⟨j⟩ nn ḫpr.w mj,tt ={st} sp m jri̯.t jri̯ qnn.pl
2.7 𓇋𓅱𓉔𓄿𓃀𓅱𓍁𓂻𓈖𓀀𓂋𓄿𓋁𓃀𓅱𓐎𓈉𓊖𓂋𓇋𓂧𓎛𓅱𓇇𓆰𓏥𓊖𓊢𓂝𓂻𓎡𓅱𓀀𓁷𓏤𓇥𓂋𓅱𓅱𓈐𓂻𓁷𓏤𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿𓈖𓀀𓅓𓈎𓄿𓃀𓅱𓄲𓈅𓏥𓆑𓏎𓈖𓈖𓀀𓁷𓏤𓇥𓂋𓅱𓅱𓈐𓂻jw hꜣb.w.n =j r ꜣbw ⟨ḥsi̯.n⟩ =⟨j⟩ r jdḥ,w ꜥḥꜥ.kwj ḥr ḏr,ww ⟨tꜣ⟩ ḥr mꜣꜣ n =j m qꜣb.w =f jni̯.n =j ḥr ḏr,ww
2.8 𓅓𓐍𓊪𓈙𓄗𓂡𓏏𓅱𓅓𓐍𓊪𓈙𓄗⯑𓀀𓏥𓅓𓆣𓂋𓅱𓇋𓀾𓏛𓏥𓀀𓇋𓏌𓎡𓀀𓁹𓌾𓏥𓌸𓂋𓇋𓇋𓀁𓈖𓊪𓏏𓂋𓇋𓆴𓏥𓅆𓏏𓂋𓇋𓆴𓀓𓏛𓈖𓅱𓀀𓅯𓎛𓂝𓊪𓏭𓊅𓈗𓈘𓏭m ḫpš.tw m ḫpš.{pl} =⟨j⟩ m ḫpr,wj =j jnk jri̯ jt mri̯.y Np{t}r,j trj.n wj pꜣ ḥꜥpj
2.9 𓁷𓏤𓊪𓎼𓄿𓂘𓈇𓏤𓎟𓂜𓎛𓈎𓂋𓅪𓏏𓅱𓇋𓅓𓀀𓂜𓇋𓃀𓃙𓀁𓏏𓅱𓇋𓅓𓀀𓇋𓅱𓈞𓊃𓀔𓏏𓅱𓅓𓁹𓂋𓏏𓈖𓀀𓁷𓏤[⯑]𓇋𓅓𓀀𓇋𓅱𓎗𓅱𓏛𓈖𓀀𓎟𓂋ḥr pgꜣ nb n ḥqr =tw jm =j n ⸢jbi̯⸣ =tw jm =j jw ḥmsi̯ =tw m jri̯.t.n =j ḥr sḏd.t[w] ⸢jm⸣ =⸢j⸣ jw wḏ.n =j nb r
2.10 𓊨𓏏𓉐𓇋𓅱[⯑]𓏎𓈖𓈖𓀀𓅓𓋴𓎛𓅱𓆌𓏥𓇋𓅱𓀀𓍯𓄿𓍯𓄿𓇋𓇋𓅱𓌙𓀀𓁐𓏥𓏎𓈖𓈖𓀀𓅓𓂝𓍑𓄿𓇋𓇋𓅱𓌙𓀀𓁐𓏥s,t ⟨jr,j⟩ jw ⟨qnb.n⟩ =⟨j⟩ [m]ꜣj.w.pl jni̯.n =j msḥ.w.pl jw ⟨dꜣr.n⟩ =j wꜣwꜣ,yw jni̯.n =j mḏꜣ,yw
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).
2.1 “—like a snake of the desert. I woke to fight, restored to myself, and found that my guards were locked in hand-to-hand combat. When I met the one who rushed forward—”
2.2 “—with weapons in his hand, I made the trembling coward retreat. But there are no brave men at night; one cannot fight, and no heroic deed comes to pass—”
2.3 “—without you, my protector. See, the assault on me took place when you were absent. The court did not heed me concerning what I bequeathed to you; no one sat with you. So let me act according to your plans—”
2.4 “—for there is no deceit in them, nor is it intended; my heart never showed me the negligence of the servants. Have women ever raised fighting troops?”
2.5 “Are troublemakers reared in the heart of the house? Can I be diminished while the earth stands firm?”
2.6 “Are the lowly remembered for their deeds? No harm has overtaken me since my birth. Nothing like this has ever happened, not even among those who play the brave.”
2.7 “I traveled to Elephantine and went to the marshes of the Delta. I stood upon the land's frontier and looked across its interior. I reached the farthest limit—”
2.8 “—of Khopeshet through my strength and my own stature. I am the maker of grain, beloved of Nepri; the inundation showed me respect at every basin.”
2.9 “Under me no one went hungry; under me no one thirsted. People rested because of what I had done, speaking of me; all that I commanded was in its proper—”
2.10 “—place. I tamed lions and captured crocodiles; I subdued the people of Wawat and captured the Medjay.”
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.
2.1 or a desert snake. I woke up ready to fight, with full control of my body again. I discovered that my guards were fighting hand to hand. When I met a man rushing toward me
2.2 with weapons in his hand, I made the trembling coward retreat. But there are no brave men at night. No one fights then. Nothing succeeds
2.3 without you, my protector. Look, the attack on me happened while I was without you. The court did not listen to me when I passed power to you. No one sat with you. So
2.4 I will act according to your plans, since they have no plot behind them and did not intend one. My heart did not show me the negligence of the servants. Have women ever commanded
2.5 fighting troops? Are troublemakers raised inside a house? Can I be weakened while the ground remains secure?
2.6 Are ordinary people remembered for what they do? No harm had come upon me since my birth. Nothing like this has happened in what the brave have done.
2.7 I went to Elephantine and traveled to the marshes of the Delta. I stood at the border of the land and looked into its interior. I reached the farthest limits
2.8 of Khopeshet by my own strength and physical presence. I produced grain, and Neper, the grain god, loved me. The Nile flood respected me
2.9 at every opening. No one went hungry under me. No one went thirsty under me. People could sit because of what I had done, telling stories about me. Every order I gave was in its
2.10 proper place. I tamed lions and brought in crocodiles. I subdued the people of Wawat and brought in the Medjay.