Timber for the Barque of Amun

2.43 300 men and 300 oxen. He placed heralds at their head to have them fell the trees. They felled them, and they lay there through Peret.

2.44 In the third month of Shemu, they hauled them to the seashore. The prince came out, stood beside them, and sent word to me:

2.45 “Come!” As I approached him, the shadow of his lotus fan fell over me. Penamun,

2.46 one of his servants, came up to me and said, “The shadow of Pharaoh—life, prosperity, and health to him—your lord, has fallen over you!” The prince grew angry with him

2.47 and said, “Leave him alone!” I approached, and he said to me, “See, the mission my forefathers performed

2.48 long ago: I shall carry it out, though you have not done for me what your forefathers once did. Look: the remainder

2.49 of your timber has arrived and lies here. Do as I wish: come and load it! Will they not give it to you?

2.50 Do not come to behold the terrors of the sea! If you behold the terrors of the sea, you will behold mine as well.

2.51 I have not done to you what was done to the envoys of Khaemwese, who spent 17 years

2.52 in this land and died here at their posts.” Then he said to his servant, “Take him and show him the tomb where they lie!”

2.53 I said, “Do not make me look at it! The men Khaemwese sent you as envoys were mortal, and he too was mortal.

2.54 But I am not one of his envoys, to whom you might say, ‘Go and see your companions!’ Why not rejoice and have a stela set up

2.55 and inscribe on it: ‘Amun-Re, King of the Gods, sent me Amun-of-the-Road, his divine envoy,

2.56 [life], prosperity, and health to him, with Wenamun his human envoy, to fetch timber for the great and splendid sacred barque of Amun-Re, King of the Gods. I cut

2.57 the timber, loaded it, and furnished my ships and crews for it. I brought [them] to Egypt, [to request]

2.58 50 years of life from Amun beyond the span allotted me.’ Then, if someday an envoy from Egypt who can read comes

2.59 and reads your name upon the stela, you shall receive the waters of the West like the gods who dwell there.”

2.60 He said, “What you have said to me is a great teaching!” I answered, “As for all the things you have said to me: when I reach

2.61 the place where Amun's high priest is, and he sees your work, it is your work that shall bring

2.62 you reward.” I went to the seashore, where the timbers lay, and saw 11 ships

2.63 coming over the sea, ships belonging to the Tjeker, with orders to “Seize him! Let no ship

2.64 carry him to Egypt!” I sat down and wept. The prince's letter-writer came out to me

2.65 and asked, “What troubles you?” I answered, “Do you not see the migrating birds making their flight down to Egypt for the second time?

2.66 See them crossing toward the waters! How long must I remain here? And do you not see the men who have come

2.67 to seize me?” He went and told the prince. The prince began to weep at these words, so full of sorrow.

2.68 He sent his letter-writer out to me with 2 msḫ jars of wine and 1 deer. He also sent for

2.69 Tanutniut, an Egyptian singer in his household, saying, “Sing for him; keep dark thoughts from his heart.” He sent word to me:

2.70 “Eat, drink, keep dark thoughts from your heart. Tomorrow you shall hear all I have to say.” When morning came,

2.71 he called his council together and stood among them. He asked the Tjeker, “What is the purpose of your voyages?”

2.72 They answered, “We have come after the wretched ships you send to Egypt for our opponents.”

2.73 He told them, “I cannot imprison Amun's envoy in my land. Let me send him away; then pursue him

2.74 and capture him.” He loaded me aboard and sent me out to the sea harbor. The wind drove me toward

2.75 the land of Alashiya. Its townspeople came out to kill me. I forced my way through them to Hatiba,

2.76 the princess of the town. I found her as she left one of her houses to enter another, and greeted her.

2.77 I said to the people standing beside her, “Is there no one among you who understands Egyptian?” One of them

2.78 said, “I understand it.” I told him, “Say to my lady that all the way to Thebes, the place where Amun dwells, I heard people say,

2.79 ‘Though injustice is done in every town, justice is done in Alashiya.’ Must injustice be done here every day?” She said to me, “What do you mean by this?”

2.80 I said, “If the sea rages and the wind drives me to the land where you dwell,

2.81 will you allow them to seize me before your eyes and kill me, though I am an envoy of Amun? Look: men will seek me day after day.

2.82 And this crew of the prince of Byblos, whom men are seeking to kill—will their lord not find

2.83 10 of your crews and kill them in return?” Then she had the people sharply rebuked. She said to me, “Lie down!” […]

2.43 300 men and 300 oxen. He put overseers in charge of them to have them cut down the trees. They cut them and left them lying there through the winter season.

2.44 In the third month of summer, they hauled them to the seashore. The ruler came out and stood beside them. He sent word to me:

2.45 “Come!” As I approached him, the shadow of his lotus fan fell over me. Penamun,

2.46 one of his servants, stepped between us and said, “The shadow of Pharaoh—may he live and be healthy—your lord, has fallen over you!” The ruler was angry

2.47 with him and said, “Leave him alone!” I came up to the ruler, and he said, “Look at the task

2.48 my ancestors used to carry out. I have carried it out, although you have not done for me what your ancestors did for mine. Look,

2.49 the rest of your timber has arrived and is lying there. Do as I want and come load it! Won't it be given to you?

2.50 Don't come telling me how frightening the sea is. If you see how frightening the sea is, you will see how frightening I am.

2.51 I have not treated you as they treated the messengers of Khaemwese. They spent 17 years

2.52 in this land and died at their posts.” He said to his servant, “Take him and show him the tomb where they lie!”

2.53 I said to him, “Don't make me see it. Khaemwese sent human beings to you as messengers, and he was human himself.

2.54 You don't have one of his messengers here to tell him, ‘Go and see your companions!’ Can't you be glad and have a stone marker made

2.55 for yourself? You could say on it, ‘Amun-Re, king of the gods, sent me Amun-of-the-Road, his divine messenger,

2.56 may he live and be healthy, and Wenamun, his human messenger, to obtain timber for the great and splendid sacred boat of Amun-Re, king of the gods. I cut

2.57 it down, loaded it, and supplied it with my boats and crews. I sent them to Egypt to ask

2.58 Amun for 50 years of life for me beyond the time allotted to me.’ And could it not happen that another day a messenger comes

2.59 from Egypt who knows how to read, and reads your name on the stone marker? Then you will receive the waters of the west like the gods who are

2.60 there.” He said to me, “What you have said is excellent advice!” I told him, “As for all the things you told me, if I reach

2.61 the place where the high priest of Amun is and he sees your work, it is that work of yours that will bring

2.62 you something.” I went to the seashore, where the timber lay. I saw 11 boats

2.63 coming across the sea. They belonged to the Tjeker, who had said, “Capture him! Don't let any boat take him

2.64 to Egypt!” I sat down and cried. The ruler's secretary came out to me

2.65 and asked, “What's wrong?” I said, “Can't you see the migrating birds? They've already flown down to Egypt for the second time.

2.66 Look at them going to the waters! How long am I to be left here? And can't you see the men who have come

2.67 to capture me?” He went and told the ruler. The ruler began to cry at the words they told him, because they were painful.

2.68 He sent his secretary out to me with two jars of wine and one deer. He also had

2.69 Tanutniut, an Egyptian singer who was with him, brought to me, telling her, “Sing for him. Don't let his heart be troubled by thoughts.” He sent word to me:

2.70 “Eat and drink. Don't let your heart be troubled by thoughts. Tomorrow you will hear everything I have to say.” When morning came,

2.71 he had his council called together and stood among them. He said to the Tjeker, “What is the purpose of your journeys?”

2.72 They told him, “We came because of the badly damaged boats you are sending to Egypt for our opponents.”

2.73 He told them, “I cannot arrest Amun's messenger in my country. Let me send him away, and then go after him

2.74 to capture him!” He loaded me on a boat and sent me to the seaport. The wind drove me toward the land of

2.75 Alashiya. The people of the harbor came out to kill me. I pushed through them toward the place where Hatiba,

2.76 the ruler of that town, was. I found her coming out of one of her houses and entering another.

2.77 I greeted her and said to the people standing beside her, “Is there no one among you who understands Egyptian?” One

2.78 of them said, “I understand it.” I told him, “Tell my lady: I heard it said all the way to Thebes, where Amun is,

2.79 ‘People act dishonestly in every town, but in Alashiya they do what is right.’ So do people here act dishonestly every day?” She said to me, “What

2.80 do you mean by that?” I told her, “If the sea is angry and the wind drives me to the land where you are,

2.81 will you let them seize me from the front and kill me, though I am a messenger of Amun? Look at me: people will search for me

2.82 every day. As for that crew of the ruler of Byblos whom they are trying to kill, won't their lord find

2.83 10 crews of yours and kill them too?” She had her people called in and reprimanded. She said to me, “Rest now.” […]