The World's Progress Part 21

A champion of the Tenu came to defy me in my tent: a bold man without equal, for he had vanquished the whole country. He said, "Let Sanehat fight with me;" for he desired to overthrow me, he thought to take my cattle for his tribe. The prince counseled with me. I said, "I know him not. I certainly am not of his degree, I hold me far from his place. Have I ever opened his door, or leaped over his fence? It is some envious jealousy from seeing me; does he think that I am like some steer among the cows, whom the bull overthrows? If this is a wretch who thinks to enrich himself at my cost, not a Bedawi fit for fight, then let us put the matter to judgment. Verily a true bull loves battle, but a vain-glorious bull turns his back for fear of contest; if he has a heart for combat, let him speak what he pleases.

Will G.o.d forget what he has ordained, and how shall that be known?" I lay down; and when I had rested I strung my bow, I made ready my arrows, I loosened my dagger, I furbished my arms.

At dawn the land of the Tenu came together; it had gathered its tribes and called all the neighboring people; it spake of nothing but the fight. Each heart burnt for me, men and women crying out; for each heart was troubled for me, and they said, "Is there another strong one who would fight with him? Behold the adversary has a buckler, a battle-axe, and an armful of javelins." Then I drew him to the attack; I turned aside his arrows, and they struck the ground in vain.

One drew near to the other, and he fell on me, and then I shot him. My arrow fastened in his neck, he cried out, and fell on his face: I drove his lance into him, and raised my shout of victory on his back.

Whilst all the men of the land rejoiced, I, and his va.s.sals whom he had oppressed, gave thanks unto Mentu (the G.o.d of war). This prince, Amu-an-shi, embraced me. Then I carried off his goods and took his cattle, that which he had wished to do to me, I did even so unto him; I seized that which was in his tent, I spoiled his dwelling. As time went on I increased the richness of my treasures and the number of my cattle....

[But at last the exile desired to return to his native land, and sent a pet.i.tion to the King of Egypt, asking permission.]

Then the majesty of King Kheper-ka-ra, the blessed, spake upon this my desire that I had made to him. His majesty sent unto me with presents from the king, that he might enlarge the heart of his servant, like unto the province of any strange land; and the royal sons who are in the palace addressed themselves unto me.

_Copy of the decree which was brought to lead me back into Egypt._

"The Horus, life of births, lord of the two crowns, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Kheper-ka-ra, son of the Sun, Amen-em-hat, ever living unto eternity. Order for the follower Sanehat. Behold this order of the king is sent to thee to instruct thee of his will.

"Now, although them hast gone through strange lands from Adim to Tenu, and pa.s.sed from one country to another at the wish of thy heart--behold, what hast thou done, or what has been done against thee, that is amiss? Moreover, thou reviledst not; but if thy word was denied, thou didst not speak again in the a.s.sembly of the n.o.bles, even if thou wast desired. Now, therefore, that thou hast thought on this matter which has come to thy mind, let thy heart not change again; for this thy Heaven (queen), who is in the palace is fixed, she is flourishing, she is enjoying the best in the kingdom of the land, and her children are in the chambers of the palace.

"Leave all the riches that thou hast, and that are with thee, altogether. When thou shalt come into Egypt behold the palace, and when thou shalt enter the palace, bow thy face to the ground before the Great House; thou shalt be chief among the companions. And day by day behold thou growest old; thy vigor is lost, and thou thinkest on the day of burial. Thou shalt see thyself come to the blessed state, they shall give thee the bandages from the hand of Tait, the night of applying the oil of embalming. They shall follow thy funeral, and visit the tomb on the day of burial, which shall be in a gilded case, the head painted with blue, a canopy of cypress wood above thee, and oxen shall draw thee, the singers going before thee, and they shall dance the funeral dance. The weepers crouching at the door of thy tomb shall cry aloud the prayers for offerings: they shall slay victims for thee at the door of thy pit; and thy pyramid shall be carved in white stone, in the company of the royal children. Thus thou shalt not die in a strange land, nor be buried by the Amu; thou shalt not be laid in a sheep-skin when thou art buried; all people shall beat the earth, and lament on thy body when thou goest to the tomb."

When this order came to me, I was in the midst of my tribe. When it was read unto me, I threw me on the dust, I threw dust in my hair; I went around my tent rejoicing and saying, "How may it be that such a thing is done to the servant, who with a rebellious heart has fled to strange lands? Now with an excellent deliverance, and mercy delivering me from death, thou shalt cause me to end my days in the palace."

I made a feast in Iaa, to pa.s.s over my goods to my children. My eldest son was leading my tribe, all my goods pa.s.sed to him, and I gave him my corn and all my cattle, my fruit, and all my pleasant trees. When I had taken my road to the south, and arrived at the roads of Horus, the officer who was over the garrison sent a messenger to the palace to give notice. His majesty sent the good overseer of the peasants of the king's domains, and boats laden with presents from the king for the Sati who had come to conduct me to the roads of Horus. I spoke to each one by his name, and I gave the presents to each as was intended. I received and I returned the salutation and I continued thus until I reached the city of Thetu (Thebes).

When the land was brightened, and the new day began, four men came with a summons for me; and the four men went to lead me to the palace.

I saluted with both my hands on the ground; the royal children stood at the courtyard to conduct me: the courtiers who were to lead me to the hall brought me on the way to the royal chamber.

I found his majesty on the great throne in the hall of pale gold. Then I threw myself on the ground; this G.o.d, in whose presence I was, knew me not. He questioned me graciously, but I was as one seized with blindness, my spirit fainted, my limbs failed, my heart was no longer in my bosom, and I knew the difference between life and death. His majesty said to one of the companions, "Lift him up, let him speak to me."

The royal children were brought in, and his majesty said to the queen, "Behold, Sanehat has come as an Amu, whom the Sati have produced."

She cried aloud, and the royal children spake with one voice, saying before his majesty, "Verily it is not so, O king, my lord." Said his majesty, "It is verily he." Then they brought their collars, and their wands, and their sistra[A] in their hands, and displayed them before his majesty; and they sang--

"May thy hands prosper, O king; May the ornaments of the Lady of Heaven continue.

May the G.o.ddess Nub give life to thy nostril; May the mistress of the stars favor thee, when thou sailest south and north.

All wisdom is in the mouth of thy majesty; Thy uraeus[B] is on thy forehead, thou drivest away the miserable.

Thou art pacified, O Ra, lord of the lands; They call on thee as on the mistress of all.

Strong is thy horn. Thou lettest fly thine arrow.

Grant the breath to him who is without it; Grant good things to this traveller, Sanehat the Pedti, born in the land of Egypt, Who fled away from fear of thee, And fled this land from thy terrors.

Does not the face grow pale, of him who beholds thy countenance; Does not the eye fear, which looks upon thee?"

[A] The sistrum was a musical rattle, usually consisting of a thin oval metal band, crossed with metal rods and having a handle.

See cut. p. 39.

[B] The serpent, with raised, projecting head, which was an emblem of sovereignty.

Said his majesty, "Let him not fear, let him be freed from terror. He shall be a Royal Friend amongst the n.o.bles; he shall be put within the circle of the courtiers. Go ye to the chamber of praise to seek wealth for him."

When I went out from the palace, the royal children offered their hands to me; we walked afterwards to the Great Gates.

Years were removed from my limbs: I was shaved, and polled my locks of hair; the foulness was cast to the desert with the garments of the Nemau-shau. I clothed me in fine linen, and anointed myself with the fine oil of Egypt; I laid me on a bed. I gave up the sand to those who lie on it; the oil of wood to him who would anoint himself therewith.

There was given to me the mansion of a lord of serfs, which had belonged to a royal friend. There many excellent things were in its buildings; all its wood was renewed. There were brought to me portions from the palace, thrice and four times each day; besides the gifts of the royal children, always, without ceasing. There was built for me a pyramid of stone amongst the pyramids. The overseer of the architects measured its ground; the chief treasurer wrote it; the sacred masons cut the well; the chief of the laborers on the tombs brought the bricks; all things used to make strong a building were there used.

There were given to me peasants; there was made for me a garden, and fields were in it before my mansion, as is done for the chief royal friend. My statue was inlaid with gold, its girdle of pale gold; his majesty caused it to be made. Such honor is not done to a man of low degree.

May I be in the favor of the king until the day shall come of my death.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] More correctly rendered as Sinuhe.

[2] Sesostris.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE SONG OF THE HARPER.

(Sixteenth century B.C.)

The Song of the Harper was found in the tomb of the priest Neferhotep, near Thebes. It was designed to be sung on the anniversary of his death. He is shown sitting with his wife, son and daughter, while the harper chants. Other copies of this song have come down to us. _Ra_ or _Re_ is the general appellation of the Sun-G.o.d; _Tum_ or _Tmu_ denotes the Sun setting; _Shu_ is the light of the Sun in its life-giving function.

Neferhotep, great and blessed, sleepeth; we protect his sleep.

Since the day when Ra began his race, and Tum hastened to its ending, fathers have gone down to death, and children have arisen in their place.

Even as Ra has his birth in the morning, fathers beget sons; Even as Tum begetteth night, mothers conceive and bring forth; The breath of the morning is in a man's nostrils; Man that is born of a woman vanisheth when his race is run.

Holy Father, vouchsafe that the day return with blessing; Smell thou the fragrant oils that we pour on thy altars, receive the flowers that we bring for an offering.

Lo, thy sister dwelleth in thy heart as in a temple; Give these lotus flowers into her arms, place them in her bosom; Lo, she sitteth at thy right hand; let the harp and the sound of singing be pleasing unto thee, and drive sorrow away.

Rejoice even unto the day when we, pilgrims, enter Amenti, welcomed by him who went before us.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, that the day come quickly; Pure of heart and deed was he whom we loved: The life of earth pa.s.seth away, even so pa.s.sed he away; Behold, he was, and he is not, and no man knoweth his place.

So hath it been, since Ra went forth, O Man, and so shall it be forever.

The eyes of a man are opened, and are quickly closed again.

His soul drinketh of the sacred waters, he drinketh with them that are gone of the waters of the River of Life.

Give unto the poor, who cry to thee when the harvest faileth; so shall thy name be magnified forever.

And to the feast of thy sacrifice mult.i.tudes shall come, worshipping; And the priest, clothed with a panther's skin, shall pour out wine unto thee; And shall offer cakes, and sing songs before thy altars, In that day when thy servants stand before Ra, the Sun-G.o.d.

Shu shall bring forth the harvest in its season, And glory shall be thine, but destruction shall overtake the wicked.

Return quickly, O Neferhotep, let the day of thy honor return: Lo, the works which thou didst upon earth, thou didst leave them in the day of thy going; Rich wast thou, but of thy riches only these ashes are left.

In the day of thy going thou tarriedst not, nothing didst thou save in that day: Yea, though a man have much grain, yet the day of his poverty shall come; Death regardeth not his riches; Death heedeth not the pride of a man.

Friends, the day of your going shall come; let your hearts have understanding.

Whither ye go, thence shall ye not return forever.

The upright man shall prosper, but the transgressor shall perish.

Be ye just, for the just man shall be blessed.

But neither the brave man, nor he that feareth, nor he that hath friends, nor the forsaken one, None shall escape the grave, no man small prevail against Death.

Vouchsafe unto us, therefore, of thine abundance, and be thou blessed forever of Isis.