Khety, son of Duauf (attributed) · Complete work
Scribal Superiority and Proper Conduct
Scribal Superiority and Proper Conduct of 7. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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9.1 𓊢𓂝𓂻𓈙𓊪𓅱𓁺𓈖𓇓𓅱𓋴𓈖𓂧𓅱𓅾𓀁𓏥𓊪𓂋𓂻𓇋𓏏𓆑𓀀𓁷𓏤𓈗𓊪𓅱𓐍𓂋𓆑𓏇𓇋𓅢𓊹𓅆𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏭𓏛𓂜𓈖𓇋𓄿𓅱𓏏𓊑𓏛𓏥𓆄𓅱𓏴𓅪𓐍𓂋𓊪𓅱𓌂𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥ꜥḥꜥ špw.n sw snd.w ⟨jr⟩ pri̯ jt ḥr mw pw ⟨ꜥḏ⟩ ḫr =f ((mj)) bꜣ.pl nṯr m =kı͗ nn jꜣw,t šwi̯(.t) ⟨m⟩ ḫrp.w{.pl}
9.2 𓄋𓊪𓅱𓏏𓏴𓀁𓏞𓀀𓏥𓅓𓈖𓏏𓆑𓐍𓂋𓊪𓅱𓌂𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓇋𓂋𓇓𓅱𓂋𓐍𓏛𓎡𓅱𓀀𓏞𓅱𓏛𓏥𓐍𓂋𓃹𓈖𓈖𓆑𓅓𓄤𓆑𓂋𓈖𓎡𓋴𓏏𓂜𓈖𓇋𓄿𓅱𓏏𓊑𓏛𓏥𓀀𓅓𓁷𓂋𓏤𓎡𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏭𓏛wpw{,t} zẖꜣ,w{.pl} mntf ḫrp.w{.pl} jr sw[t] rḫ =kw zẖꜣ,w ḫr wnn =f m nfr n =k st nn jꜣw,t ={j} ⟨ḏḏ.t⟩ m-ḥr =k m =kı͗ ⟨jr,j⟩
9.3 𓎛𓅨𓂋𓅱𓀔𓅪𓀀𓂜𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓏏𓅱𓌤𓅱𓏏𓏭𓅂𓂡𓀀𓏥𓁷𓏤𓊃𓀀𓏤𓊪𓈖𓅓𓀸𓄿𓅱𓏛𓂡𓀀𓏥𓇋𓂋𓎡𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏭𓏛𓁹𓂋𓋴𓏏𓅓𓏃𓈖𓏏𓏭𓍘𓇋𓇋𓏏𓊛ḥwrw ={j} ⟨r⟩ ⟨jr,j⟩ nn ḏd.n =tw ꜥḥ,wtj{.pl} ḥr z pn m zꜣw{.pl} jr =k m =kı͗ jri̯ =st m ḫnti̯.yt ⟨r⟩
9.4 𓄚𓈖𓏌𓅱𓊖𓅓𓂝𓎡𓏭𓏛𓁹𓂋𓏏𓋴𓏏𓈖𓌸𓂋𓇋𓇋𓀁𓎡𓅜𓐍𓏛𓈖𓎡𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤𓅓𓂝𓏏𓉐𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓂡𓉐𓇋𓅱𓂋𓈖𓅘𓎛𓇳𓎛𓂓𓏏𓀗𓀋𓏛𓏥𓋴𓏏𓈋𓅱𓅱𓊌𓏥𓇋𓅱𓋴𓏏𓄿𓊄𓐎𓏥𓀀ẖnw m =kı͗ jri̯{.t} =st n mry =k ꜣḫ n =k hrw m ꜥ,t-sbꜣ jw {r-}nḥḥ ⟨m⟩ kꜣ,t ={st} ḏw.w jw =st ꜣs
9.5 𓊗𓏭𓂞𓀀𓂋𓐍𓏛𓎡𓂞𓀀𓌸𓂋𓇋𓇋𓀁𓋴𓋴𓉔𓊪𓂻𓃀𓏏𓈖𓏌𓅱𓆙𓆓𓂧𓀀𓈖𓎡𓏇𓇋𓎡𓏏𓐍𓏴𓏛𓏥𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀗𓀁𓏥𓂋𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓂡𓎡𓂋𓐍𓏛𓎡𓏇𓇋𓃀𓅱𓂚𓄿𓂡𓏏𓆑𓈖𓎡zp-2 ḏi̯ =j rḫ =k ḏi̯ =j mri̯.y =⟨k⟩ s{s}⟨n⟩hp btn ḏd =j n =k mj k,t-ḫ(,t) md,t.pl r sbꜣ =k rḫ =k mj bw ꜥḥꜣ =t{f}⟨w⟩ n =k
9.6 𓈖𓈖𓏏𓏭𓅂𓂡𓀀𓏥𓂧𓃀𓏏𓊌𓁷𓏤𓋴𓐍𓂋𓅱𓏛𓏥𓇋𓂋𓅷𓄿𓇋𓇋𓂷𓂡𓏏𓅱𓂧𓃀𓏏𓊌𓄿𓋴𓍬𓏏𓂻𓐎𓏥𓀀𓂜𓈖𓂋𓐍𓏛𓏏𓅱𓃀𓅱𓋴𓐍𓂋𓅱𓏛𓏥𓐍𓂋𓆑⟨m⟩ ⟨tkn⟩ n n,tjw db,t ḥr sḫr.w jr ṯꜣi̯.y.tw db,t ⟨jn⟩ ꜣs{t} nn rḫ =tw bw sḫr.w{ḫr} =f
9.7 𓁹𓈖𓆑𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏴𓀁𓏥𓁷𓂋𓏤𓆑𓅱𓆓𓆑𓄿𓏏𓅯𓅪𓏥𓇋𓂋𓈝𓅓𓏏𓂻𓎡𓅓𓄖𓅱𓏭𓂻𓀙𓅱𓀀𓏥𓅓𓈖𓏏𓎡𓈖𓂻𓍯𓄿𓅱𓅱𓈐𓂻𓅓𓂋𓐍𓏛𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓏛𓇋𓂋⟨mtr⟩ ⟨ḫr⟩ ⟨sḏm.yw.pl⟩ jri̯ n =f wšb{,t} ḥr ={f} wḏfꜣ,t jr šm =k m pḥ,wj sr.w.pl m {n}tkn wꜣ.ww m rḫ nfr,t jr
9.8 𓅧𓈎𓂻𓎡𓇋𓅱𓎟𓏏𓉐𓏤𓅓𓉐𓏤𓆑𓇋𓅱𓂝𓂝𓏤𓅱𓏭𓆑𓏭𓈖𓎡𓇋𓇋𓀀𓂋𓄂𓏏𓏤𓎡𓈞𓊃𓀔𓎡𓅱𓀀𓂧𓏏𓏤𓎡𓅓𓂋𓏤𓎡𓅓𓂧𓃀𓎛𓏏𓎺𓄑𓀁𓏥𓄿𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏥ꜥq =k jw nb{,t} pr m pr =f jw ꜥ.wj.du =fj n ky r-ḥꜣ,t =k ḥmsi̯ =kwj ḏr,t =k m rʾ =k m dbḥ{t} ꜣḫ,t
9.9 𓂋𓐛𓏤𓆑𓁹𓎡𓈖𓆑𓏇𓇋𓆓𓂧𓏏𓏥𓇋𓅓𓅓𓂝𓀸𓄿𓅱𓏛𓂡𓂋𓍿𓏏𓏤𓆱𓂧𓈖𓋴𓏠𓈖𓍖𓏛𓇋𓅓𓎡𓅨𓂋𓈙𓆑𓇋𓇋𓏏𓀗𓏛𓏥𓅆𓅓𓆓𓂧𓏏𓏥r-gs =f jri̯ =((k)) n =f mj ḏd{.t} jmi̯ zꜣw ⟨ṯsi̯(.t)⟩ r ṯ,t dns{mn} jm =k wr šf,yt =⟨k⟩ m ḏd{.t}
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering all 69 lines of Papyrus Sallier II, pages 3–11, from the title to the closing sentence, 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).
9.1 When the father comes out of that water unhurt, it is like a manifestation of divine power. Look: no profession lacks a superior, except
9.2 the scribe’s: he himself is the superior. If you know writing, it will be well for you. No profession will be placed ahead of yours. Look: one companion fares worse than another.
9.3 No one calls this man a fieldworker. Pay no heed to that! Look, it was composed on the journey upstream toward
9.4 the Residence, made for love of you. One day in the schoolroom benefits you more than an eternity at labor in the mountains. It passes in a flash;
9.5 I will make you understand. I will make you love to stir the oppressed into motion. I will tell you other things to instruct you, so that you may be wise and no one will quarrel with you:
9.6 Do not approach those whose way is the brick! If a hasty man seizes a brick, you will not know what he intends.
9.7 Bear witness before the judges. Answer him cautiously. When you walk behind officials, do not press near them; remain at a distance, as one who knows proper conduct. If
9.8 you enter a householder’s home and he is occupied with another person before you, sit with your hand over your mouth. Do not ask for anything
9.9 beside him. Do as he says: “Set it down!” Beware of approaching the table. Be measured within yourself, that your standing may be great. Speak no word that must be hidden.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering all 69 lines of Papyrus Sallier II, pages 3–11, from the title to the closing sentence.
9.1 He stands there, blinded by fear. If the father comes out of that water unharmed, it is like a display of a god's power. Look, no occupation is free of supervisors
9.2 except the scribe’s: he is the supervisor. If you learn to write, it will be good for you. No occupation will be placed ahead of yours. One companion is poorer than another.
9.3 No one calls this man a field worker. Don't worry about it. This teaching was written on the journey upstream to
9.4 the capital. It was written out of love for you. A single day at school will benefit you more than an eternity of their work in the hills. It passes quickly;
9.5 I will make you understand. I will make you eager to stir up the stubborn worker. I will also tell you other things to teach you wisdom, so no one will argue with you.
9.6 Do not go near those who deal in bricks. If someone in a hurry picks up a brick, no one knows what he intends to do with it.
9.7 Bear witness before the judges. Answer him carefully and without rushing. If you walk at the back of the high officials, do not approach them. Keep your distance, as someone who knows how to behave. If
9.8 you enter a householder's house and he is busy with another person before you, sit with your hand over your mouth. Do not ask for anything
9.9 beside him. Do what he tells you: “Give it here.” Take care not to approach the table. Be steady in yourself so that people respect you. Do not say