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The Serpent
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56 𓊄𓅪𓈖𓏴𓏏𓊮𓈖𓊹𓏤𓏥𓊢𓂝𓈖𓄔𓅓𓈖𓀀zbi̯-n-sḏ,t n nṯr.pl ꜥḥꜥ.n sḏm.n =j
57 𓐍𓂋𓊤𓃭𓅱𓀁𓈎𓂋𓇋𓃩𓂡𓇋𓃀𓃙𓎡𓅱𓀀ḫrw qrj jb.kw
58 𓍯𓄿𓅱𓈗𓊪𓅱wꜣw pw
59 𓈖𓇅𓆓𓅨𓂋𓈘𓆱𓏏𓏤𓏥𓁷𓏤𓅠𓅓𓅠𓅓𓏴n(,j) wꜣḏ-wr ḫt.pl ḥr gmgm
60 𓇾𓈇𓏤𓁷𓏤𓏠𓈖𓏠𓈖𓂻𓎡𓆑𓋳𓈖𓀀tꜣ ḥr mnmn kfi̯.n =j
61 𓁷𓏤𓀀𓅠𓅓𓈖𓀀𓎛𓆑𓄿𓅱𓆙ḥr =j gmi̯.n =j ḥfꜣ,w
62 𓊪𓅱𓇋𓅱𓆑𓅓𓇍𓇋𓏏𓂻𓈖𓄓𓇓𓅱pw jw =f m jy.t n(,j)-sw
63 𓎔𓂝𓎆𓎆𓎆𓐍𓃀𓊃𓅱𓏏𓁸𓆑𓅨𓂋𓋴mḥ 30 ḫbs,wt =f wr s(j)
64 𓂋𓎔𓂝𓏤𓏤𓎛𓂝𓄹𓏥𓆑𓊃𓐍𓂋𓅱𓌕𓂡r mḥ 2 ḥꜥ.pl =f sḫr.w
65 𓅓𓋞𓈒𓏥𓇋𓆛𓈖𓂃𓏭𓆑𓏭𓅓𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓈒𓏥m nbw jn⟨ḥ⟩.du =fj m ḫsbd
66 𓌳𓐙𓂝𓆀𓏛𓂝𓂋𓈎𓍼𓏛𓇓𓅱𓂋𓏃𓈖𓏏mꜣꜥ ꜥrq sw r-ḫnt
67 𓇋𓅱𓄋𓊪𓏴𓈖𓆑𓂋𓏤𓆑𓂋𓀀𓇋𓅱𓀀jw wpi̯.n =f rʾ =f r =j jw =j
68 𓁷𓏤𓄡𓏏𓏤𓀀𓅓𓃀𓅡𓄿𓎛𓂺𓏛𓆑ḥr ẖ,t =j m-bꜣḥ =f
69 𓆓𓂧𓆑𓈖𓀀𓈖𓅓𓂝𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓊗𓏤𓏤𓈖𓆓𓊃𓅪𓀀ḏd =f n =j (j)n-m jni̯ tw zp-2 nḏs
70 𓈖𓅓𓂝𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓇋𓂋𓅱𓂧𓆑𓅯𓂻𓎡(j)n-m jni̯ tw jr wdf =k
71 𓅓𓆓𓂧𓈖𓀀𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓂋𓈀𓈇𓏤𓊪𓈖m ḏd n =j jni̯ tw r jw pn
72 𓂋𓂝𓀀𓂋𓐍𓏛𓎡𓏏𓅱𓇋𓅱𓎡𓅓𓊃𓊃𓊮rḏi̯ =j rḫ =k tw jw =k m ss⟨f⟩
73 𓆣𓂋𓏏𓅓𓈖𓏏𓏭𓂜𓌳𓁹𓄿𓏏𓆑𓇋𓅱𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁𓎡ḫpr.t(j) m n,tj n mꜣ.t(w) =f jw mdwi̯ =k
74 𓈖𓀀𓂜𓈖𓅱𓀀𓁷𓏤𓄔𓅓𓀀n =j nn wj ḥr sḏm ={j}
75 𓋴𓏏𓇋𓅱𓀀𓅓𓃀𓅡𓄿𓎛𓂺𓏛𓎡st jw =j m-bꜣḥ =k
76 𓐍𓅓𓂜𓈖𓅱𓀀𓊢𓂝𓈖𓂋𓂝𓆑𓅱𓀀ḫmi̯.n =(j) wj ꜥḥꜥ.n rḏi̯⟨.⸮n?⟩ =f wj
77 𓅓𓂋𓏤𓆑𓎁𓏏𓂡𓆑𓅱𓀀𓂋𓊨𓏏𓉐𓆑m rʾ =f jṯi̯ =f wj r s,t =f
78 𓈖𓏏𓋴𓇛𓅓𓀔𓍯𓄿𓎛𓎝𓂡𓆑n.t snḏm wꜣḥ =f
79 𓅱𓀀𓂜𓈖𓂧𓏇𓇋𓏏𓂝𓀀𓅱𓍑𓄿𓏛𓎡𓅱𓀀wj nn dmj.t =j wḏꜣ.kw
80 𓂜𓈖𓎁𓏏𓏏𓂡𓇋𓅓𓀀nn jṯi̯.t jm =j
81 𓇋𓅱𓄋𓊪𓏴𓈖𓆑𓂋𓏤𓆑𓂋𓀀𓇋𓅱𓀀jw wpi̯.n =f rʾ =f r =j jw =j
82 𓁷𓏤𓄡𓏏𓏤𓀀𓅓𓃀𓅡𓄿𓎛𓂺𓏛𓆑ḥr ẖ,t =j m-bꜣḥ =f
83 𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓆑𓈖𓀀𓈖𓅓𓂝𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓊗𓏤𓏤ꜥḥꜥ.n ḏd.n =f n =j (j)n-m jni̯ tw zp-2
84 𓈖𓆓𓊃𓅪𓀀𓈖𓅓𓂝𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓂋𓈀𓈇𓏤𓊪𓈖nḏs (j)n-m jni̯ tw r jw pn
85 𓈖𓇅𓆓𓅨𓂋𓈘𓈖𓏏𓏭𓐞𓏤𓆑𓏭𓅓𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓇋𓇋𓈗n(,j) wꜣḏ-wr n,tj gs(.wj) =fj m nwy
86 𓊢𓂝𓈖𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏴𓀁𓈖𓀀ꜥḥꜥ.n wšb.n =j
87 𓈖𓆑𓋴𓏏𓂝𓏤𓅱𓏭𓇋𓇋𓀀𓐍𓆼𓄿𓅓𓂢n =f st ꜥ.wj =y ḫꜣm
88 𓅓𓃀𓅡𓄿𓎛𓂺𓏛𓆑𓆓𓂧𓀀𓈖𓆑m-bꜣḥ =f ḏd =j n =f
89 𓏌𓎡𓀀𓊪𓅱𓉔𓄿𓂻𓎡𓅱𓀀jnk pw hꜣi̯.kw
90 𓂋𓃀𓇋𓈞𓄑𓈉𓅓𓄋𓊪𓅱𓏏𓂻r bjꜣ m wpw,t
91 𓆊𓆊𓅆𓅓𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊛𓈖𓏏jtj m dp,t n.t
92 𓎔𓂝𓍢𓎆𓎆𓅓𓄫𓅱𓋴𓎔𓂝𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓅓𓋴𓐍𓅱𓎺𓏛𓋴mḥ 120 m ꜣw =s mḥ 40 m sḫw =s
93 𓋴𓐪𓂧⯑𓀀𓍢𓎆𓎆𓇋𓅓𓋴sqd 120 jm =s
94 𓅓𓋴𓏏𓊪𓅱𓍉𓏛𓈖𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖m stp,w n(,j) Km,t
95 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓋴𓈖𓏥𓊪𓏏𓇯𓌳𓁹𓄿𓋴𓈖𓏥𓇾𓈇𓏤mꜣ =sn p,t mꜣ =sn tꜣ
96 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓄿𓂡𓄣𓏤𓋴𓈖𓏥𓂋𓌳𓁹𓄿𓅱𓄛𓏥mꜥkꜣ jb =sn r mꜣ(j).w.pl
97 𓊃𓂋𓃩𓀁𓋴𓈖𓏥𓆓𓂝𓊡sr =sn ḏꜥ
98 𓂜𓇍𓇋𓏏𓂻𓆑𓈖𓈙𓈖𓏭𓃩𓂜𓂜𓆣𓂋𓏏𓆑n jy.t =f nšnj n ḫpr.t =f
99 𓌡𓅱𓂝𓀀𓏤𓇋𓅓𓎟𓅓𓂝𓎡𓄿𓂡𓄣𓏤𓆑wꜥ jm nb mꜥkꜣ jb =f
100 𓈖𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂡𓂝𓏤𓆑𓂋𓌢𓈖𓏌𓅱𓀀𓏤𓏤𓆑𓂜𓈖nḫt ꜥ =f r sn.nw.du =f nn
101 𓅱𓐍𓆼𓄿𓅪𓀀𓅓𓁷𓂋𓄣𓋴𓈖𓏥𓆓𓂝𓊡wḫꜣ m-ḥr(,j)-jb =sn ḏꜥ
102 𓉐𓂋𓂻𓇋𓅱𓈖𓏥𓅓𓇅𓆓𓅨𓂋𓈘pri̯ jw =n m wꜣḏ-wr
103 𓁶𓏤𓂝𓏤𓃃𓂻𓈖𓏥𓇾𓈇𓏤𓆑𓄿𓏏𓀋𓂝tp-ꜥ sꜣḥ =n tꜣ fꜣi̯.t
104 𓊡𓅱𓁹𓆑𓄙𓅓𓇋𓇋𓏏𓀁𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓇋𓇋𓏏𓈗ṯꜣw jri̯ =f wḥmj,t nwy,t
105 𓇋𓅓𓆑𓈖𓏏𓎔𓂝𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓏤𓇋𓈖𓆱𓏏𓏤𓎛𓎛𓀝𓂝jm =f n.t mḥ 8 jn ḫt ⸮ḥ{ḥ}⟨wi̯⟩?
106 𓈖𓀀𓋴𓊢𓂝𓈖𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊛𓅓𓏏𓀏𓏏n =j s(j) ꜥḥꜥ.n dp,t m(w)t.t(j)
107 𓈖𓏏𓅂𓏥𓇋𓅓𓋴𓂜𓊃𓊪𓊗𓌡𓅱𓂝𓀀𓏤𓇋𓅓n,tj.w jm =s n spi̯ wꜥ jm
108 𓁷𓏤𓐍𓐍𓐍𓀀𓅓𓂝𓎡𓅱𓀀𓂋𓐞𓏤𓎡ḥr ḫ.pl =j m =k wj r-gs =k
109 𓊢𓂝𓈖𓏎𓈖𓎡𓅱𓀀𓂋𓈀𓈇𓏤𓊪𓈖ꜥḥꜥ.n jni̯.kwj r jw pn
110 𓇋𓈖𓍯𓄿𓅱𓈗𓏤𓈖𓇅𓆓𓅨𓂋𓈘jn wꜣw wꜥ n(,j) wꜣḏ-wr
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering all 189 lines of Papyrus Hermitage 1115, the only surviving 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).
56 a burnt offering to the gods. Then I heard
57 a voice of thunder, and I thought:
58 "It is a wave"
59 of the sea. The trees were splintering,
60 the earth was shaking. When I uncovered
61 my face, I found a serpent
62 that was coming toward me. It measured
63 30 cubits; its beard was longer
64 than 2 cubits. Its body was overlaid
65 with gold, its two eyebrows of lapis lazuli,
66 true lapis, and it stood reared up before me.
67 It opened its mouth to me as I lay
68 on my belly before it, and it said to me:
69 "Who brought you here, who brought you, little one? Who brought
70 you? If you delay
71 telling me who brought you to this island,
72 I will make you know yourself as ashes,
73 become as one whom no one has ever seen."
74 "You speak to me, but I do not hear it;
75 I stand before you, and I do not know myself."
76 Then it took me and set me
77 in its mouth and carried me to its place
78 of rest, and it laid me down;
79 I was not touched, and I came to no harm,
80 and nothing was taken from me.
81 It opened its mouth to me as I lay
82 on my belly before it, and it said to me:
83 "Who brought you here, who brought you, little one?
84 Who brought you to this island
85 of the sea, whose two sides lie in the water?"
86 Then I answered it,
87 my arms bent low before it,
88 and I said to it:
89 "It was I who had gone down
90 to the mine on a mission
91 of the Sovereign, in a ship
92 of 120 cubits in its length and 40 cubits in its width,
93 with 120 sailors in her,
94 the pick of Egypt.
95 Whether they looked to the sky or looked to the land,
96 their hearts were bolder than lions'.
97 They foretold the storm
98 before the tempest came, before it broke loose.
99 Each of them had a heart bolder
100 and an arm stronger than his companion's; there was no
101 fool among them. The storm broke out
102 while we were on the sea,
103 before we reached land; the wind lifted
104 and blew again and again, and a wave
105 rose in her, 8 cubits high; the mast alone broke
106 it for me. Then the ship went down,
107 and of those who were in her not one survived, none but me.
108 It is because of what I alone am that I am beside you."
109 Then I was brought to this island
110 by a single wave of the sea.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering all 189 lines of Papyrus Hermitage 1115, the only surviving copy.
56 a burnt offering for the gods. Then I heard
57 a roar like thunder, and I thought:
58 it is a wave
59 of the sea. The trees were snapping,
60 the ground was shaking. When I uncovered my face,
61 I found what it was: a snake
62 coming toward me. It measured
63 thirty cubits, and its beard was longer
64 than two cubits. Its body was covered
65 with gold; its two eyebrows were of true
66 lapis lazuli, and it reared up before me.
67 It opened its mouth to me while I
68 lay on my belly in front of it, and it said:
69 "Who brought you? Who brought you, little one?
70 Who brought you? If you delay
71 telling me who brought you to this island,
72 I will make you recognize yourself as ashes,
73 turned into one no one has ever seen."
74 It spoke to me, but I did not hear it.
75 I was in front of it, and I did not know myself.
76 I did not know myself any longer. Then it took me in its mouth
77 and carried me off to its resting place
78 and laid me down there.
79 I was sound; nothing had touched me.
80 Nothing had been taken from me.
81 Then it opened its mouth to me again, while I
82 lay on my belly before it.
83 It said: "Who brought you? Who brought you,
84 little one? Who brought you to this island of the sea,
85 with both its sides in the water?"
86 Then I answered it.
87 My arms were bent in front of it
88 as I said to it:
89 "It was I who had gone down
90 to the mine on an errand
91 for the Sovereign. I was in a ship
92 120 cubits long and 40 cubits wide.
93 There were 120 sailors on board,
94 all of them the pick of Egypt.
95 Whether they looked at the sky
96 or looked at the land, their hearts were bolder than a lion's.
97 They could tell a storm was coming
98 before it came, before the tempest broke.
99 Every man among them had a bolder heart
100 and a stronger arm than his comrade. No fool
101 was among them. A storm broke
102 while we were still on the sea,
103 before we reached land. The wind rose
104 and blew again and again. A wave
105 in it was eight cubits high; only the mast struck it.
106 Then the ship went down under me.
107 Of everyone on her, not one was left
108 except me. And that is why I am here beside you.
109 I was brought to this island
110 by one single wave of the sea."