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The Land in Collapse
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25 𓂜𓈖𓆑𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄿[⯑]𓂜𓈖𓋹𓈖𓐍𓏏𓅱𓎛𓋴𓅱𓍱𓂡𓍲𓈖𓂝𓍁𓇲𓃹𓈖𓇋𓈖𓋴𓁷𓏤𓎟𓀀𓁐𓏥𓇋𓂧𓄔𓏛nn ⟨psd⟩ =f mꜣꜣ rḫ,yt.pl nn ꜥnḫ =tw ḥ⟨b⟩s.w šnꜥ wn{.jn}⟨n⟩ ⟨j⟩s ḥr-nb.pl jdi̯
26 𓅓 […] 𓈖𓎼𓄿𓐎𓅪𓆑𓇋𓅱𓀀𓂋𓆓𓂧𓈖𓏏𓏭[⯑]𓀀𓂜𓋴𓂋𓀗𓀁𓈖𓀀 […] 𓂜𓈖𓋴𓂋𓀗𓀁𓀀𓈖𓏏𓏏𓂜𓇍𓇋𓇋𓂻[⯑]𓏌𓏤𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖𓍑𓄿𓏏𓅱m […] n gꜣ =f jw =j r ḏd n,t{j}⟨t⟩ ḫf[t]-ḥr =j n sr.n =j […] nn sr =j n,tt n jy⟨.t⟩ jtrw⟨.pl⟩ ⟨šwi̯⟩ n.w Km,t ḏꜣi̯ =tw
27 𓈗𓁷𓏤𓂋𓂧𓂾𓂾𓂻𓏏𓅱𓂋[⯑]𓈗𓈖𓊢𓂝𓅱𓊛𓏥𓂋𓋴𓐪𓂧𓏌𓊛𓏥𓆑𓈘𓏏𓏤𓆑[⯑]𓅓𓎗𓃀𓄲𓈇𓏤𓇋𓅱𓎗𓃀𓄲𓈇𓏤mw ḥr rd.du tw r [ḥḥ]j mw n ꜥḥꜥ.w.pl r sqdi̯{.pl} =f wꜣ,t =⸢⸮f?⸣ [ḫp]r.tj m wḏb jw wḏb
28 𓂋𓈖𓏏𓀗𓈗𓊨𓏏𓉐𓈗𓂋[⯑]𓊨𓏏𓎗𓃀𓅱𓄲𓈇𓏤𓇋𓅱𓂋𓏤𓇓𓅱𓂋𓍙𓆑𓂡𓅓𓎔𓇋𓇋𓏏𓊡𓂜𓈖𓊪𓏏𓇯𓅓r n,t s,t mw r n,t[t] [⸮m?] s,t wḏb jw rsw r ḫsf ⸮[m]? mḥ,yt nn p,t m
29 𓊡𓅱𓏥𓌡𓂝𓏤𓀀𓇋𓅱𓅬𓏥[⯑]𓂋𓄟𓋴𓏏𓀗𓅓𓆞𓄿𓏏𓐎𓈇𓏤𓈖𓏏𓇾𓎔𓎛𓅱𓇇𓆰𓏥𓊖𓁹𓈖𓆑𓅹𓅱𓈇𓏤𓁷𓏤𓐛𓏤𓅱𓏭𓀀𓁐𓏥 […] 𓂋𓐛𓏤𓀀𓁐𓏥𓊖𓏏𓏤𓀀𓁐𓏥ṯꜣw.pl wꜥ ={j} jw ꜣpd{.pl} ḏrḏrj{t} r msi̯.t m ẖꜣ,t n.t Tꜣ-mḥ,w jri̯.n =f zš,w ḥr gs.wj.pl […] r-gs nʾ,tj.w.pl
30 𓋴𓏏𓎡𓈖𓂻 […] 𓋴𓏏𓎡𓈖𓂻𓈖𓇓𓅱𓂋𓍿𓀀𓁐𓏥𓈖𓎼𓄿𓅱𓐎𓅪 […] 𓎼𓄿𓐎𓅪𓆑𓌉𓏴𓅪𓈞𓅓𓂡𓈖𓆑𓄿𓏭𓈐𓈖𓃀𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋𓈖𓄿𓈖𓈙𓏤𓈇𓏥𓈎𓂝𓎛𓅱𓂢𓂻𓏥𓃹𓈖𓇋𓇋𓅱𓀀𓏥 […] 𓃹𓈖𓈖𓇋𓇋𓅱𓏥stkn […] stkn.n sw r(m)t.pl n gꜣ,w […] gꜣ,w =f ḥḏi̯ ḥm nfꜣj n(,j) bw-nfr nꜣ-n(,j) š.pl-qꜥḥ.w.pl wn.y.w.pl […] wnn.y.w.pl
31 𓌨𓂋𓅱𓎼𓋴𓅱𓌪𓈒𓏥𓅱𓃀𓈖𓇳𓏥𓌨𓂋𓂋𓅓𓅱𓆟𓏥𓄿𓊪𓂧𓅱𓅬𓏥𓃀𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋𓎟𓂋𓅱𓅱𓇋𓂻𓊪𓏏𓐍𓅱𓂻ẖr wgs.w.pl wbn.pl ẖr rm.w.pl ꜣpd.w.pl bw-nfr nb rwwj ptḫ.w
32 𓇾𓏤𓈇𓈖𓌟𓈖𓏏𓅪𓏥𓅓𓂝𓈖𓆑𓄿𓏭𓈐𓈖𓆓𓆑𓄿𓅱𓅬𓏒𓏥𓄝𓄿𓌙𓀀𓁐𓏥𓆱𓐍𓏏𓅂𓂻𓏥𓇾𓏤𓈇 […] 𓅓𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂻𓅂𓌙𓀀𓁐𓏥𓈉𓇋𓅱𓊤𓅱𓂡𓀀𓏥tꜣ n qsn,t.pl m-ꜥ nfꜣj n(,j) ḏfꜣ.w.pl St,tj.pl ḫti̯.jw.pl tꜣ […] m ḫt.jw.pl⟨-tꜣ⟩ jw ḫrw(y).pl
33 𓆣𓂋 […] 𓂋𓆣𓂋𓁷𓏤𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏏𓈇𓏤𓈉𓇋𓅱𓌙𓅓𓅱𓀀𓁐𓏥𓉔𓄿𓏏𓂻 […] 𓂋[⯑]𓂋𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖𓎼𓄿𓐎𓅪𓏏𓅱 […] 𓈖𓎼𓄿𓅱𓐎𓅪𓏏𓅱𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓂋𓐛𓏤 […] 𓂋𓐛𓏤𓆑𓂜𓈖𓄔𓅓𓅓𓂝𓅱𓈖𓆑 […] 𓅓𓂝𓈖𓆑𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓆑ḫpr […] r ḫpr ḥr jꜣbt,t jw ꜥꜣm,w.pl hꜣi̯{.t} […] r hꜣi̯.t r Km,t gꜣu̯ =tw […] ngꜣi̯ =tw ⟨⸮rtḥ?⟩ ky r-gs […] r-gs =f nn sḏm mwnf⟨.pl⟩ […] mwnf.pl =f
34 𓏏𓅱𓂋𓇋𓋴𓈎𓂾𓂻𓌳𓄿𓈎𓏏𓆱𓏤𓅓𓎼𓂋𓎛𓇰𓏏𓅱𓂋𓅧𓈎𓂻𓍕𓏏𓉐𓏥 […] 𓅧𓈎𓅱𓂻𓂋𓍕𓏏𓉐𓏏𓅱𓂋𓋴𓈖𓃀𓏏𓏛𓐪𓂧𓂧𓏌𓁹𓅓𓁹𓁹𓀀 […]tw r jsq ⟨r⟩ mꜣq,t m grḥ tw r ꜥq ḫnr,t{.pl} […] ꜥq r ḫnr,t tw r snb(⸮i̯?).t qdd m jr,t.du ={j} […]
35 𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓎡𓅱𓀀 […] 𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓍘𓇋𓁷𓏤𓇋𓅱𓀀𓍞𓁹𓎡𓅱𓀀𓋿𓅱𓏏𓃶𓏥𓈉𓏏𓏤𓂋𓋴𓅨𓂋𓇋𓈗𓀁𓁷𓏤𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓀁𓈘𓈇sḏr =k{wj} […] sḏr.tj ḥr (ḏd) jw =j rs.kwj ꜥw,t.pl ḫꜣs,t r swrj ⟨mw⟩ ḥr jtrw⟨.pl⟩
36 𓏌𓏤𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖[⯑]𓋴𓈖𓏥 […] 𓋴𓈎𓃀𓃀𓏁𓈗𓏛𓏥𓁷𓏤𓇅𓄲𓈇𓏥𓋴𓈖𓏥𓈖𓎼𓄿𓅱𓐎𓅪𓋴𓏏𓂋𓇋𓆴𓀢𓂻𓏛𓏥n.w Km,t qbb =sn […] sqbb =⟨sn⟩ ḥr wḏb =sn n gꜣ,w strj{.pl}
37 𓋴𓏏𓂻 […] 𓋴𓈖𓏥𓇋𓅱[⯑]𓊪𓈖𓎁𓂡𓏎𓈖𓏏𓂜𓂋𓐍𓏛𓃀𓋴𓅱𓆟𓂻𓆣𓂋𓏏𓆑𓏭𓇋𓏠𓈖⯑𓏛𓅓𓆓𓂧⸮st? […] sn jw tꜣ pn ⟨r⟩ jṯi̯(.t) jni̯.t n rḫ bs,w ḫpr.tj =f(j) jmn m ḏd
38 [⯑]𓄔𓅓𓁷𓏤𓇋𓂧𓅱𓄔𓏛𓇋𓅱𓎼𓂋𓀁𓐍𓆑𓁷𓏤𓂞𓀀𓈖𓎡𓇾𓏤𓈇𓊪𓈖𓅓𓊃𓈖𓏭𓏒𓂻𓏠𓈖𓏴𓅪ptr.w sḏm ḥr jd jw gr ḫf⟨t⟩-ḥr di̯ =j n =k tꜣ pn m snj mn(.t)
39 𓏏𓍃𓅓𓆣𓂋𓆣𓂋 […] 𓏏𓍃𓅓𓏏𓆣𓂋𓆣𓏏𓏏𓅱𓂋𓊏𓊪𓂡𓈍𓂝𓅱𓆱𓏥𓏌𓏤𓂚𓄿𓂡𓋹𓈖𓐍𓇾𓏤𓈇𓅓tm ḫpr ḫpr […] tm.t ḫpr ḫpr.t(j) tw r šzp ḫꜥ,w.pl n.w ꜥḥꜣ ꜥnḫ tꜣ m
40 𓋴𓉔𓄿𓃫𓂡𓇋𓅱𓏏𓅱𓂋𓁹𓏏𓂚𓄿𓅱𓌕𓆱𓏥𓅓𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏥𓂧𓃀𓎛𓄑𓀁𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏐𓏒𓏥shꜣ jw =tw r jri̯.t ꜥḥꜣ,w.pl m ḥmt dbḥ =tw tʾ.pl ⟨m⟩
41 𓊃𓈖𓆑𓂐𓏥𓋴𓃀𓏏𓄑𓀁𓏏𓅱𓅓𓋴𓏏𓄑𓀁𓈖𓍋𓅓𓂋𓅪𓂜𓈖𓂋𓅓𓅱𓁿𓏏𓅱𓈖𓅓𓏏𓀏𓂜𓈖𓋴𓇥𓂋𓁀𓏏𓅱znf sbt =tw m s⟨b⟩t n m(ḥ)r nn rm.w =tw n m(w)t nn sḏr =tw
42 𓎛𓈎𓂋𓅪𓈖𓅓𓏏𓀏𓄣𓏤𓈖𓊃𓀀𓏤𓅓𓐟𓏤𓆑𓆓𓊃𓆑𓂜𓈖𓁹𓏏𓅱𓋴𓐟𓄿𓅐𓁸𓏥ḥqr n m(w)t jb n(,j) z m-sꜣ =f ḏs =f nn jri̯ =tw sꜣmt
43 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳𓄣𓏤𓋴𓍿𓈖𓇋𓂻𓁷𓂋𓋴𓂋𓄫𓅱𓏛𓏥𓈞𓊃𓀉𓊃𓀀𓏤𓂋𓆑mjn jb sṯnj ḥr =s r-ꜣw.pl ḥmsj z r ⟨qꜥḥ⟩ =f
44 𓐟𓏤𓆑𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓁷𓏤𓋴𓌳𓄿𓅓𓌪𓂡𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓂞𓀀𓈖𓎡𓅭𓀀𓏤𓅓𓊤𓅱𓇋𓇋𓅱𓂡𓀀𓌢𓀀𓅓𓐍𓆑𓏏𓀏𓊃𓀀𓏤sꜣ =f ky ḥr smꜣm ky di̯ =j n =k zꜣ m ḫrwy,w sn m ḫft(,j) z
45 𓁷𓏤𓋴𓌳𓄿𓅓𓌪𓂡𓇋𓏏𓆑𓀀𓆑𓂋𓏤𓎟𓎔𓏛𓅓𓌸𓂋𓅱𓀁𓅱𓀀𓃀𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋𓎟𓂋𓅱𓅱𓇋𓂻[⯑] […]ḥr smꜣm jt =f rʾ nb mḥ m mri̯.w =⸮{w}j? bw-nfr nb rwwj ꜣ[q],ww […]
46 𓇾𓏤𓈇𓆷𓄿𓏛𓂋𓆑[⯑]𓌉𓆓𓆓𓏴𓅪 […] 𓌉𓆓𓆓𓏴𓅪𓅓𓁹𓇋𓇋𓏏𓏥[⯑] […] 𓅱𓈙𓁸𓅪𓏏𓅱𓅓[⯑][⯑] […] 𓁹𓏏𓅱tꜣ šꜣ =[tw] r =f hp.pl ḥḏḏ⟨.t⟩ […] ḥḏḏ =[tw] m jri̯.yt.pl wš.[t]{w} […] wš =tw m gmi̯.y[t.pl] [jri̯].yt.pl […] jri̯ =tw
47 𓅓𓏏𓍃𓅓𓅓𓏏𓁹𓂋𓏏𓅱𓈖𓈞𓅓𓂡[⯑]𓊃𓀀𓏤𓂋𓆑𓂋𓂝𓅱𓈖𓈖𓏏𓏭𓅓𓂋𓅱𓏏𓏭𓇯𓂞𓈖𓎡𓎟𓀀𓅓[⯑] […] [⯑]𓂋𓅱𓏏𓏭𓇯𓊵𓏏𓊪m tmm.t jri̯ tw ⟨r⟩ nḥm ḫ,t[.pl] z r =f rdi̯.w n n,tj m rw,tj di̯ =j n =k nb m ⸮nh[p.pl]? […] nh[,w] rw,tj ḥtp
48 𓏏𓍃𓅓𓁹𓎔𓏛𓆑𓁹[⯑]𓏏𓅱[⯑][⯑]𓅓𓄟𓋴𓂧𓂧𓅪𓂋𓋴𓎼𓂋𓀁 […] 𓋴𓎼𓂋𓏏𓀁 […] [⯑]𓂋𓏤𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁[⯑]𓏏𓅱tm jri̯ mḥ.n =f jri̯ [š]wi̯ tw [r] r[ḏi̯.t] ḫ[,t].pl m msdd r sgr […] sgr.t […] [sgr]ḥ rʾ mdwi̯ wšb =tw
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering all 71 lines of Papyrus Petersburg 1116B, the only complete copy, 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).
25 it will not shine for the people to see. None can live when clouds conceal it. Everyone will be stunned
26 in […] its absence. I shall speak of what lies before my eyes. I do not foretell […] what has not yet come. Egypt's rivers have dried up; they can be crossed
27 on foot. People will seek water for boats to sail on: its channel has become a shore, and the shore
28 will become a flood, the place of water becoming the place of the bank. The south wind will meet the north wind; the sky will no longer hold
29 one wind alone. A foreign bird will hatch its young in the marshes of Lower Egypt, having made its nest among the neighbors […] beside the townspeople.
30 […] The people let it draw near for want […] their want. But those beautiful things are ruined: those winding fishponds once […]
31 full of fish and birds to be taken, overflowing with fish and birds. All good things have vanished; the land is brought low
32 in misery by those provisions for Asiatics who range across the land […] as wandering tribes. Enemies
33 have arisen […] in the east. Asiatics have descended […] into Egypt. When a fortress is beset […] and an enemy stands beside it, its garrison hears nothing […].
34 At night people will await a ladder; they will enter the fortress […]; they will drive sleep from my eyes. […]
35 You will spend the night […] saying, ‘I am awake.’ Wild flocks of the desert will drink water from the rivers
36 of Egypt and refresh themselves […] upon their banks, for want of anyone to drive them away.
37 […] This land will sway back and forth; no one knows what it will bring. What will happen is hidden, as the saying goes:
38 ‘Look: one who hears becomes deaf; the silent one comes first.’ I will show you this land enduring an illness:
39 what should never happen has happened […]. People will take up the weapons of war; the land will live in
40 turmoil. Weapons will be made of metal; bread will be demanded in exchange for
41 blood. People will laugh with laughter at suffering; no one will weep for the dead; no one will spend the night
42 fasting at a death. Each man's heart attends to himself alone. No one will make the mourning coiffure
43 now: the heart has turned entirely away from it. A man will sit and bend
44 his back, while one man kills another. I will show you a son become an adversary, a brother become an enemy, a man
45 killing his father. Every mouth is filled with ‘I want!’ All good fortune has gone. The land has fallen into ruin […]
46 though laws are laid down for it. What is destroyed […] is what was once made; what is empty […] is what was once found; what is done […]
47 is as what was never done. A man's possessions will be taken from him and given to a stranger. I will show you an owner in distress […] and a stranger content.
48 He who did nothing has filled his store; he who worked is left empty. People will give up things with hatred, to silence […] to quiet the speaking mouth. When an utterance is answered,
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering all 71 lines of Papyrus Petersburg 1116B, the only complete copy.
25 it will not shine so people can see. No one can live when clouds cover it. Everyone will be stunned by its absence
26 […]. I will say what is before my eyes. I will not predict […] what has not yet come. Egypt's rivers are dry. People can cross
27 the water on foot. People will have to search for water for boats to sail on. Its path has become a bank, and the bank
28 will become floodwater, while the place for water becomes a bank. The south wind will meet the north wind. There will not be a sky with
29 only one wind. A foreign bird will hatch its young in the marshes of Lower Egypt. It has made a nest among the people living there […] beside the townspeople.
30 They let it come near […] because of their need […] or its need. But those good things have been destroyed: those fishponds that were […] full
31 of fish and birds ready to be taken, overflowing with fish and birds. All good things are gone. The land has been brought low
32 by hardship caused by food for the Asiatics who roam the land […] as wandering tribes. Enemies
33 have appeared […] in the east. Asiatics have come down […] into Egypt. When a fortress is pressed […] and another is beside it, its garrison does not hear […] what is happening.
34 People will wait for a ladder at night. They will enter the fortresses […] enter a fortress. People will drive sleep from their eyes. […]
35 You will spend the night […] saying, ‘I am awake.’ Animals from the desert will drink water at the rivers
36 of Egypt. They will cool themselves […] on the riverbanks because there is no one to drive them away.
37 […] This land will sway back and forth. No one will know the outcome. What will happen remains hidden, as the saying goes:
38 ‘See how the person who can hear acts deaf, while the person who keeps quiet comes out ahead.’ I will show you this land going through an illness:
39 What should not happen has happened […]. People will take up weapons of war, and the land will live
40 in disorder. People will make weapons out of metal and demand bread in exchange for
41 blood. People will laugh heartily at suffering. No one will cry over a death, and no one will spend the night
42 fasting because of a death. Each person cares only about himself. No one will wear mourning hair
43 today. People have turned away from it completely. A man will sit there, bending
44 his back, while one person kills another. I will show you a son as an opponent, a brother as an enemy, and a man
45 killing his father. Every mouth is full of ‘I want!’ All good fortune has gone. The land is ruined […]
46 even though laws have been made for it. What is destroyed […] is what was once made. What is empty […] is what was once found. What is now done […] is what was never done.
47 People will take a man's possessions and give them to an outsider. I will show you the owner in trouble […] and the outsider satisfied.
48 The man who used to do nothing has filled his pockets; the man who worked has nothing. People will give things away unwillingly to silence […] the speaking mouth. When someone answers