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A Crocodile Seizes the Maid
A Crocodile Seizes the Maid of 12. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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12.1 𓃹𓈖𓉿𓂡𓈖𓊃𓏏𓄿𓂝𓏏𓉐𓊢𓂝𓈖𓄔𓅓𓈖𓋴𓊤𓅱𓀁𓎛𓎿𓊃𓏭𓀁𓇗𓂝𓀗𓀁𓐍𓃀𓏏𓀤𓍯𓄿𓎼𓀁wn.n =s tꜣ ꜥ,t ꜥḥꜥ.n sḏm.n =s ḫrw ḥsj šmꜥ ḫbi̯.t wꜣg
12.2 𓁹𓂋𓏏𓏥𓎟𓏏𓂜𓇓𓏏𓈖𓅆𓅓𓏏𓄿𓂝𓏏𓉐𓆷𓄿𓊃𓂻𓊪𓅱𓁹𓈖𓋴𓃹𓈖𓇋𓈖𓊃𓁷𓏤𓄙𓅓𓀁𓄔𓅓𓏏𓈖𓊃𓎟𓏏jrr.t nb.t n nswt m tꜣ ꜥ,t šꜣs pw jri̯.n =s wn.jn =s ḥr wḥm sḏm.t.n =s nb.t
12.3 𓈖𓂋𓂧𓌗𓏛𓊽𓂧𓏏𓁐𓃹𓈖𓇋𓈖𓋴𓁷𓏤𓄲𓈖𓂻𓏏𓄿𓂝𓏏𓉐𓂜𓅠𓅓𓈖𓊃𓃀𓅱𓁹𓂋𓅱𓋴𓏏𓇋𓅓n R(w)d-ḏd,t wn.jn =s ḥr dbn tꜣ ꜥ,t n gmi̯.n =s bw jrr.w st jm
12.4 𓊢𓂝𓈖𓂋𓂝𓈖𓋴𓌳𓐙𓂝𓆀𓋴𓂋𓅯𓄿𓆞𓄿𓂋𓎅𓏤𓅠𓅓𓈖𓊃𓁹𓏏𓅱𓅓𓄚𓈖𓏌𓅱𓉐𓆑𓊢𓂝𓈖𓂋𓂝𓈖𓋴ꜥḥꜥ.n rḏi̯.n =s mꜣꜥ =s r pꜣ ẖꜣr gmi̯.n =s jri̯.tw m-ẖnw =f ꜥḥꜥ.n rḏi̯.n =s
12.5 𓂋𓂾𓋴𓆱𓏤𓂋𓂝𓅓𓄚𓈖𓏌𓅱𓉐𓎡𓇋𓇋𓋨𓅓𓉐𓇋𓋴𓏏𓈖𓏌𓅱𓍢𓂡𓅓𓂧𓁷𓂋𓄛𓏥𓂋𓂝𓈖𓊃𓋴𓏏⟨sw⟩ r pds rḏi̯ m-ẖnw ky ḫtm jstn m dḥr rḏi̯.n =s st
12.6 𓂋𓂝𓏏𓉐𓃹𓈖𓈖𓏏𓌨𓂋𓎛𓆰𓈖𓏌𓅱𓏊𓏥𓋴𓐍𓏏𓅓𓋨𓂡𓈖𓋴𓁷𓏤𓆑𓂻𓅱𓏏𓊪𓅱𓁹𓈖𓂋𓂝𓇳𓄊𓋴𓂋𓂡𓀀r ꜥ,t wnn.t ẖr ḥn,w.pl =s ḫtm.n =s ḥr =f jwi̯.t pw jri̯.n Rꜥ-wsr
12.7 𓅓𓇍𓇋𓂻𓅓𓆷𓈇𓏤𓃹𓈖𓇋𓈖𓂋𓂧𓌗𓏛𓊽𓂧𓏏𓁐𓁷𓏤𓄙𓅓𓀁𓈖𓆑𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁𓏏𓈖𓃹𓈖𓇋𓈖m jyi̯ m šꜣ wn.jn R(w)d-ḏd,t ḥr wḥm n =f mdw,t tn wn.jn
12.8 𓄣𓏤𓆑𓄤𓆑𓂋𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏥𓎟𓏏𓈞𓊃𓏏𓀉𓊪𓅱𓁹𓈖𓋴𓈖𓏥𓁷𓏤𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤𓄤𓆑𓂋𓐍𓂋𓀒𓅓𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂻jb =f nfr r ḫ,t nb.t ḥmsi̯.t pw jri̯.n =sn ḥr hrw nfr ḫr-m-ḫt
12.9 𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏥𓏴𓂻𓁷𓏤𓇑𓇑𓊢𓂝𓈖𓍲𓈖𓏏𓍢𓀁[⯑]𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏥𓈖𓏏𓄿𓍏𓃀𓅡𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓁐hrw.w swꜣ ḥr nn ꜥḥꜥ.n šnt R(w)d-ḏd,t ḫ,t n tꜣ wbꜣ,yt
12.10 𓂋𓂝𓈖𓊃𓍙𓆑𓂡𓏏𓅱𓈖𓊃𓅓𓎛𓀝𓏏𓂡𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓏏𓄿𓍏𓃀𓅡𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓏛𓁐rḏi̯.n =s ḫsf =tw n =s m ḥwi̯.t ꜥḥꜥ.n ḏd.n tꜣ wbꜣ,yt
12.11 𓂜𓈖𓄿𓈖𓂋𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏥𓈖𓏏𓏭𓅓𓅯𓄿𓉐𓏤𓇋𓈖𓁹𓂋𓏏𓋴𓂋𓈖𓄿𓊗𓏤𓏤𓇋𓅱𓄟𓋴𓀗𓈖𓊃𓇓𓏏𓈖𓇋𓇋𓅱𓅆𓏥n nꜣ n(,j) r(m)t n,tj m pꜣ pr jn jrr.t =s ⸮r? nꜣ ⸮zp-2? jw msi̯.n =s nsw.yw.pl
12.12 𓏤𓏤𓏤𓇋𓅱𓀀𓂋𓈝𓅓𓏏𓂻𓆓𓂧𓋴𓏏𓂻𓍛𓏤𓈖𓇓𓆤𓐍𓆑𓅱𓌳𓐙𓂝𓊤𓅱𓀁𓆷𓄿𓊃𓂻3 jw =j r šm.t ⟨r⟩ ḏd st n ḥm n(,j) nswt-bj,tj Ḫ(w)fw mꜣꜥ-ḫrw šꜣs
12.13 𓊪𓅱𓁹𓈖𓋴𓅠𓅓𓈖𓊃𓌢𓈖𓀀𓋴𓈖𓅐𓏏𓁐𓋴𓀗𓁷𓏤𓌸𓂋𓍢𓂝𓎔𓂝𓏭𓄦𓆰𓏥𓈖𓍇𓏌𓅱𓏏𓇾pw jri̯.n =s gmi̯.n =s sn =s n(,j) mw,t =s smsw ḥr mr mḥj nw,t
12.14 𓁷𓏤𓆱𓐍𓏏𓅂𓈇𓏤𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓆑𓈖𓊃𓁹𓏏𓂋𓏏𓈖𓌙𓅯𓈐𓇋𓂧𓇋𓇋𓏏𓀔𓈙𓂋𓏏𓀔ḥr ḫtjw ꜥḥꜥ.n ḏd.n =f n =s jri̯ =t r-tn(j) jdy,t šr.t
12.15 𓃹𓇋𓈖𓊃𓁷𓏤𓄙𓅓𓀁𓈖𓆑𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁𓏏𓈖𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓈖𓊃𓅯𓄿𓇋𓇋𓋴𓌢𓈖𓀀𓁹𓇋𓋴wn.jn =s ḥr wḥm n =f mdw,t ⸢tn⸣ ꜥḥꜥ.n ḏd.n n =s pꜣy =s sn jri̯ js
12.16 𓁹𓏏𓏏𓅯𓄿𓇍𓇋𓏏𓂻𓁶𓏤𓇋𓅓𓀀𓇋𓅱𓀀𓁷𓏤𓌢𓈖𓌢𓈖𓏛[⯑]𓊢𓂝𓈖𓅷𓄿𓂡𓈖𓆑jrr.t =t p[ꜣ] jyi̯.t tp-jm =j jw =j ḥr snsn w[ṯs],t ꜥḥꜥ.n ṯꜣi̯.n =f
12.17 𓎔𓂝𓎛𓏭𓄦𓆰𓏥𓆷𓄿𓇋𓍢𓏤𓂋𓊃[⯑]𓁹𓈖𓆑𓂋𓊃𓋴𓐍𓏏𓂡[⯑]𓆷𓄿𓊃𓂻mḥj šꜣj r =s ꜥḥ[ꜥ.n] jri̯.n =f ⸮r? =s sḫ,t [b]jn.t šꜣs
12.18 𓊪𓅱𓁹𓈖𓏏𓄿𓍏𓃀𓅡𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓏛𓁐𓂋𓏎𓈖𓏏𓈖𓊃𓇋𓎡𓈖𓂡𓈗𓊢𓂝𓈖𓎁𓏏𓈖𓂡pw jri̯.n tꜣ wbꜣ,yt r jni̯.t n =s jkn [n(,j)] mw ꜥḥꜥ.n jṯi̯.n
12.19 𓋴𓏭𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆊𓆷𓄿𓊃𓂻𓊪𓅱[⯑]𓆓𓂧𓋴𓏏𓂜𓂋𓂧𓌗𓏛𓊽𓂧𓏏𓁐𓇋𓈖sj msḥ šꜣs pw jri̯[.y] [r] ḏd st n R(w)d-ḏd,t jn
12.20 𓅯𓄿𓇋𓇋𓋴𓌢𓈖𓀀𓅠𓅓𓈖𓆑𓂋𓂧𓌗𓏛𓊽𓂧𓏏𓁐𓈞𓊃𓀉𓍘𓇋𓁶𓏤𓋴𓁷𓏤𓌳𓄿𓊨𓏏𓂾𓋴pꜣy =s ⸢sn⸣ gmi̯.n =f R(w)d-ḏd,t ḥmsi̯.tj tp =s ḥr mꜣs,t =s
12.21 𓄣𓏤𓋴𓈋𓏴𓅪𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏥𓎟𓏏𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓆑𓈖𓊃𓎛𓏌𓏏𓁐𓀀𓁹𓂋𓏏𓅯𓄿jb =s ḏwi̯ r ḫ,t nb.t ꜥḥꜥ.n ⸢ḏd.n⸣ =f n =s ḥnw,t =j jrr =t pꜣ
12.22 𓄣𓏤𓁷𓏤𓅓𓂝𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓋴𓏏𓄿𓊪𓅱𓎡𓏏𓏏𓅪𓁐[⯑]𓅓𓅯𓄿𓉐𓏤𓅓𓂝𓎡𓄟𓋴𓀁jb ḥr-m ꜥḥꜥ.n ḏd.n =s tꜣ pw kt,t ḫp[r.t] ⸢m⸣ pꜣ pr m =k ms
12.23 𓋴𓏭𓈝𓅓𓂻𓍘𓇋𓂋𓆓𓂧𓇋𓅱𓀀𓂋𓈝𓅓𓏏𓂻𓅱𓍿𓊃𓍞𓀁𓀀𓊢𓂝𓈖𓂋𓂝𓈖𓆑𓁶𓏤𓆑sj šm.tj r-ḏd jw =j r šm.t wṯs =j ꜥḥꜥ.n rḏi̯.n =f ⸢tp⸣ =f
12.24 𓅓𓂝𓌨𓂋𓅱𓈇𓊢𓂝𓈖𓆓𓂧𓈖𓆑𓎛𓏌𓏏𓁐𓀀𓐍𓈖𓅯𓀁𓋴𓏭[⯑]𓂋𓆓𓂧𓈖𓀀 […] 𓀀m-ẖr,w ꜥḥꜥ.n ḏd.n =f ḥnw,t =j ḫn sj jyi̯.tj r ḏd n =j […] =⸮j?
12.25 𓁹𓇋𓇋𓋴𓄿𓂾𓈇𓏤𓂋𓐛𓏤𓀀𓊢𓂝𓈖𓁹𓈖𓀀𓈖𓊃𓋴𓐍𓏏𓂡𓃀𓇋𓈖𓏏𓅪𓊢𓂝𓈖𓈝𓅓𓂻𓍘𓇋𓂋[⯑]𓈖𓊃𓈖𓉔𓏭𓅪𓈒𓏥𓈖𓈗𓊢𓂝𓈖𓎁𓏏𓂡𓈖𓋴𓏭[⯑] […]jri̯.y =s ꜣ r-gs =j ꜥḥꜥ.n jri̯.n =j n =s sḫ,t bjn,t ꜥḥꜥ.n =[s] [š]m.tj r [j]k[n] n =s nhj n(,j) mw ꜥḥꜥ.n jṯi̯.n sj msḥ […]
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Egyptian, line for line, covering the whole surviving text of Papyrus Westcar (Berlin P 3033), columns 1–12, from line 1.12 to the end of column 12, 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).
12.1 She opened the chamber and heard singing, music, dancing, and cries of joy—
12.2 all that is customarily performed for a king—inside it. She went and told Ruddedet everything she had heard.
12.3 Ruddedet herself walked through the chamber, but could find no place where it was happening.
12.4 She laid her temple against the sack and discovered that the sounds came from inside it. She put
12.5 it in a chest, set the chest inside another sealable box, bound it with leather, and placed the whole
12.6 in a chamber holding her possessions, sealing the outer box. Rawoser came home
12.7 from the marshes, and Ruddedet told him the whole story.
12.8 His heart rejoiced beyond measure. They sat together for a happy day. Later,
12.9 after some days had passed, Ruddedet quarreled with the maid over something
12.10 and had her punished with blows. The maid said
12.11 to the people in the house, “Is that why she acts this way? Is that truly why—because she has borne
12.12 three future kings? I shall go and tell His Majesty King Khufu of Upper and Lower Egypt, justified.”
12.13 She went and found her eldest brother by their mother binding the gathered flax
12.14 on the threshing floor. He said, “Where are you going, little girl?”
12.15 She told him what had happened. Her brother said, “Is this truly what you intend to do,
12.16 coming to me and drawing me into treason?” He seized
12.17 a bundle of flax against her and dealt her a vicious blow. The maid went
12.18 to fetch herself a bowl of water; then a crocodile seized
12.19 her. Her brother went to tell Ruddedet what had happened.
12.20 He found Ruddedet sitting with her head on her knees,
12.21 her heart more distressed than anything. He said, “My lady, why is your heart
12.22 so troubled?” She replied, “It is the little girl raised in this house. Look,
12.23 she went away saying, ‘I shall go and denounce you!’” He bowed his head
12.24 and said, “My lady, she came to tell me […].
12.25 She stood beside me. I dealt her a vicious blow. Then she went to draw herself some water, and a crocodile seized her. […]”
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Egyptian text, line for line, covering the whole surviving text of Papyrus Westcar (Berlin P 3033), columns 1–12, from line 1.12 to the end of column 12.
12.1 and opened the room. She heard singing, music, dancing, and cheering there,
12.2 all the things usually done for a king. She left and told Ruddedet everything she had heard.
12.3 Then she searched the room, but could not find where the sounds were coming from.
12.4 She put her ear against the sack and found that they came from inside it. Then she put
12.5 it in a wooden box. That box was put inside another sealable box and tied with leather. She placed everything
12.6 in a room that held her belongings and put her seal on the box. Rawoser came
12.7 back from the marshland. Ruddedet told him what had happened, and
12.8 he was happier than he had ever been. They sat together and enjoyed the day. After
12.9 some days had passed, Ruddedet quarreled with the servant over something
12.10 and had her punished with blows. The servant said
12.11 to the people in the house, “Is this why she treats me this way? Is it really because she has given birth to
12.12 3 future kings? I will go and tell His Majesty Khufu, king of Upper and Lower Egypt, who has been declared righteous.” She went
12.13 and found her eldest brother on her mother's side tying bundles of gathered flax
12.14 on the threshing floor. He asked her, “Where are you going, little girl?”
12.15 She told him what had happened. Her brother said, “Is this really what you are doing,
12.16 coming to me so I can join you in betrayal?” He grabbed
12.17 a bundle of flax to use against her and struck her hard. The servant went
12.18 to get herself a bowl of water. Then
12.19 a crocodile seized her. Her brother went to report it to Ruddedet.
12.20 He found Ruddedet sitting with her head on her knees,
12.21 more distressed than ever. He asked her, “My lady, why are you so upset?”
12.22 She answered, “It is that girl who grew up in this house. Look,
12.23 she has gone, saying, ‘I am going to report it!’” He lowered his head
12.24 and said, “My lady, she came to tell me […].
12.25 She stepped beside me. I struck her hard. Then she went to draw some water for herself, and a crocodile seized her […].”