Translated by C. W. Goodwin, M.A.

The Solemn Festal Dirge Of The Egyptians

This dirge or hymn, which is that alluded to by Herodotus, is contained in one of the “Harris Papyri” (No. 500), the same from which I have already translated the “Story of the Doomed Prince.” The first line of the hymn ascribes it to the authorship of King Antuf, one of the Pharaohs of the eleventh dynasty. The papyrus itself is, however, of the time of Thothmes III, eighteenth dynasty, but that is no reason why all the texts in the MSS. should be of the latter date. The translation here given was printed by myself for the first time in the “Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archæology,” Vol. III, part 1, but the hieroglyphic text remains yet to be published. A fragment of another copy of this identical hymn is to be found in the “Monumens [pg 342] du Musée de Leide,” part iii, pl. 12, and from it several words which were wanting in the Harris papyrus have been restored.

Festal Dirge

1 (Wanting.)

2 The song of the house of King Antuf, deceased, which is (written) in front of

3 the player on the harp.

All hail to the good Prince,

the worthy good (man),

the body is fated(?) to pass away,

the atoms

4 remain, ever since the time of the ancestors.

The gods who were beforetime rest in their tombs, the

mummies

5 of the saints likewise are enwrapped in their tombs.

They who build houses, and they who have no houses, see!

6 what becomes of them.

I have heard the words of Imhotep and Hartatef.

It is said in their sayings,

7 After all, what is prosperity?

Their fenced walls are dilapidated.

Their houses are as that which has never existed.

8 No man comes from thence

who tells of their sayings,

who tells of their affairs,

who encourages our hearts.

Ye go

9 to the place whence they return not.

Strengthen thy heart to forget how thou hast enjoyed thyself,

fulfil thy desire whilst thou livest.

[pg 343]

10 Put oils upon thy head

clothe thyself with fine linen adorned with precious metals

11 with the gifts of God

multiply thy good things,

yield to thy desire,

fulfil thy desire with thy good things

12 (whilst thou art) upon earth,

according to the dictation of thy heart.

The day will come to thee,

when one hears not the voice

when the one who is at rest hears not

13 their voices.

Lamentations deliver not him who is in the tomb.

14 Feast in tranquillity

seeing that there is no one who carries away his goods with him.

Yea, behold, none who goes thither comes back again.