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TheprophecyofNeferty

Dateofcomposition:12thdynasty
Dateofmanuscripts:mostcomplete:18thdynasty;many
partialonesfrom19th20thdynasties.
Translation:TheTaleofSinuheandotherAncientEgyptian
Poems19401640BC,translatedbyR.B.Parkinson,Oxford:
ClarendonPress1997:131143.
1)Now,therewasonceatimewhentheMajestyoftheDual
KingSneferu,thejustified,
wastheworthykingofhisentireland.
Ononeofthosedays
theCounciloftheResidenceentered
intotheGreatHouse(l.p.h.!)topaytheirrespects.
Theythenwentout,havingpaidtheirrespects,
aswastheirdailycustom.
AndhisMajesty(l.p.h.!)saidtothefunctionarywhowas
besidehim,
GobringmetheCounciloftheResidence,
whohavejustleftherefromtodaysrespects!
Andtheywereusheredintohimimmediately.
Andtheywereonceagainprostrate
infrontofhisMajesty(l.p.h.!).
AndhisMajesty(l.p.h.!)saidtothem,Lads!{9}
Look,Ivehadyoucalledtomakeyouseekmeout
asonofyourswhoisamanofunderstanding,
abrotherofyourswhoisacleverman,
afriendofyourswhocanachieveaperfectdeed,
whowilltellmeafewperfectwords,
choiceverses,
whichhisMajestywillbeentertainedtohear.
Andtheyonceagainprostratedthemselves,
infrontofhisMajesty(l.p.h.!).
2)AndtheysaiduntohisMajesty(l.p.h.!),
Bastethasachieflectorpriest,{10}
sovereign,ourlord,
calledNeferty.
Heisastrongarmedcommoner,
ascribewithcleverfingers.
Heisawealthyman,whohasgreaterrichesthananyofhis
equals.
OlethimbebroughtforyourMajestytosee!
AndhisMajesty(l.p.h.!)said,Gobringhimtome!
1

Andhewasusheredintohimimmediately.
AndhewasprostrateinfrontofhisMajesty(l.p.h.!).
AndhisMajesty(l.p.h.!)said,Comenow,
Neferty,myfriend,
andtellmeafewperfectwords,
choiceverses,
whichmyMajestywillbeentertainedtohear!
AndthelectorpriestNefertysaid,
Ofwhathashappened,orofwhatwillhappen,
sovereign,mylord?
AndhisMajesty(l.p.h.!)said,Butofwhatwillhappen,
fortodayhappensandthenitispassedby!
Thenhestretchedhishandouttoaboxofwriting
equipment.
Thenhetookforhimselfaroleandapalette.
Andhewaswritingdown
whatthelectorpriestsaid.
HewasasageoftheEast;
hebelongedtoBastetinherOrient.
HewasachildoftheHeliopolitannome.
3)Hepondersthehappeningsintheland.
HerecallsthesadstateoftheEast,
theAsiaticsjourneyingintheirstrength,
terrorizingtheheartsoftheharvesters,
andseizingthecattlefromploughing.
Hesays,Stir,myheart,
andbeweepthisland,inwhichyoubegan,
forsilenceiswhatoverwhelms!
Look,whatshouldbedenouncedwillberespected,
andlook,theofficialwillbelaidlowintheland!
4)Donottire!Look,thisisinfrontofyou!{11}
Mayyouattendtowhatisbeforeyou!
Look,therewillbenoofficialsintheaffairsoftheland,
andwhatisdonewillbewhatisundone.
MaytheSungodbegintorecreate!
Forthelandhasbeenruinedentirely,noremnantexists.
Noteventhetotalofonefingernailwillsurviveitsfate.
5)Destroyedisthisland,andnoonecaresaboutit,
noonespeaksout,nooneshedstears.
Whatisthislandlike?
Forthesuniscovered,andwillnotshineforfolktosee.
Theywillnotstayalive,whencloudscover.
2

Andeveryonewillbenumbforlackofit.
Iwillsaywhatisinfrontofme;Iwillprophesynothing
thatwillnotcome.{12}
6)AndtheriverofEgyptisdry,
sothatwateriscrossedonfoot;
waterwillbesoughtforshipstosailon,
foritscoursehasbecomeasandbank.
Thebankwillbeaflood,
andthewatersplacewillbewhatwasoncethebanks.{13}
Thesouthwindwillopposethenorthwind;
thereisnoskywithasinglewind.
Analienbirdwillbreed
inthelagoonsoftheDelta,
havingmadeitsnestuponitsneighbors,
andthepeoplewillhavetoapproachitforwant.{14}
7)Destroyedindeedarethosethingsofhappinessthe
fishpools,
whichwerefullofpeopleguttingfish,
whichoverflowedfulloffishandfowl;
allhappinesshasfled,andthelandislaidlowwithpain,
bythosefeedingSyrianswhogothroughouttheland.
EnemieshavearisenintheEast!
AsiaticshavecomedowntoEgypt;
asecurestrongholdislacking:someoneelseiscloseby
withtheguardshearing;
aladderwillbewaitedforinthenight,
thestrongholdwillbeentered,
andslumberintheeyeswillbesweptaway
justasthesleepersays,Iamawake.
8)Andtheflockoftheforeigncountrieswilldrinkatthe
riverofEgypt.{15}
Theywillcoolthemselvesontheirbanks,
lackinganythingtomakethemfearful.
Thelandwillgotoandfro;
theconsequenceisunknown,andwhatwillhappenishidden,
likethesaying,Seehowthehearerisdeaf!
Themutetakesthelead!
Ishallshowyouthelandincatastrophe,
whatshouldnothappen,happening:
armsofwarwillbetakenup,
andthelandwilllivebyuproar.

9)Armswillbemadeoutofcopper;{16}
breadwillbeaskedforwithblood;
asickmanwillbelaughedatoutloud;
deathwillnotbeweptat;
thenightwillnotbefastingfordeath,
foramansheartisconcernedonlywithhimself.
Mourningwillnotbedonetoday,
forthehearthasturnedawayfromitentirely.
Amanwillsitandbowhisback
whileonepersoniskillinganother.
Ishallshowyouasonasafoe,
abrotherasanenemy,
amankillinghisownfather.
10)EverymouthisfullofIwant!,
allgoodnesshasfled.
Thelandisruined,thoughlawsaredecreedagainstit,
fordestructioniswhatisdone,
andlossiswhatisfound,
andwhatisdoneisundone:
amansbelongingshavebeentakenfromhim,andgivento
someonewhowasanoutsider.
Ishallshowyouthelordinsorrow,
andtheoutsideratpeace,
themanwhodidnothinghelpinghimself,
andthemanwhodidsomething,inwant.
Withhatred,theywillgivesomething
onlytosilenceamouththatspeaks,
andansweraphrasewithanarmthrustingastick,
andspeakbackbykilling.
11)Totheheart,spokenwordsseemlikefire;
whatcomesfromthemouthcannotbeendured.
Shrunkisthelandmanyitscontrollers.
Itisbareitstaxesaregreat.
Littleisthegrainlargeisthemeasure,
anditispouredoutinrisingamounts.
TheSungodseparateshimselffrommankind.
Hewillrisewhenitistime,
butnooneknowswhenmiddayoccurs,noonecandistinguish
Hisshadow.
NoonesfaceisbrightwhenHeisglimpsed;
nooneseyesaremoistwithwater.
Heisinthesky,butlikethemoon.
Histimesofnightfallwillnotstray,
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butHisraysontheface
arenowathingofthepast.
12)Ishallshowyouthelandincalamity,
theweakmanasthelordofforce,
andhewhodidthegreetinggreeted.
Ishallshowyouthelowermostuppermost,
themanwhofollowedafter,nowthemanleadinga
generation.
Theywillliveinthenecropolis.
Thewretchedwillmakeriches;
thegreatwillbegtoexist.
Onlythepoorwilleatbread,
whileforcedlaborersareexultant.
ThelandwillhavenoHeliopolitannome,
thebirthplaceofeverygod.
13)Infact,akingfromthesouthwillcome,{17}
calledAmeny.
HeisthesonofawomanofBowland;{18}
heisachildofSouthernEgypt.
HewilltaketheWhiteCrown;hewilluplifttheRedCrown.
HewillunitetheTwoPowers;hewillappeasetheTwo
Lords{19}withwhattheywish;
withtheFieldencirclergrasped{20}
andtheoarinmotion.
14)Thepeopleofhistimewillbejoyful,
andthegentlemanwillmakehisname,
foreternityandalltime!
Thosewhofallintoevilandthosewhoplotrebellion
havefelledtheirownspeechforfearofhim.
Asiaticswillfallforhisslaughtering,
andLibyanswillfalltohisflame.
Rebelsbelongtohisrage,
andmalcontentstohisawesomeness.
Theuraeuswhichisonhisforehead
nowquietensthemalcontentsforhim.
15)AndTheWallsoftheRulerwillbebuilt{21}.
TherewillbenolettingAsiaticscomedowntoEgypt,
sotheywillaskforwaterassuppliantsdo,tolettheir
flocksdrink.
Truthwillreturntoitsproperplace,
withChaosdrivenoutside.
5

Hewhowillwitness,andwhowillfollowtheking,willbe
joyful!
Thesagewillpouranofferingofwaterforme,
whenheseesthatwhatIhavesaidhascomeabout.
Soitends,fromstarttofinish,asfoundinwriting.
Notes:
{9} Theregulardailyvisitbycouncilorshasbeen
replacedbyanunofficialevent
{10} Bastet=goddessofBubastisineasternDelta,who
protectsEgyptsborders.Nameofpriest,Nefertyincludes
nefer,perfectandperfectwords,andreflectsSneferu,
hewhomakesperfect.
{11} Beginningoftheprophecy.Heurgesnottodespairof
death(tire).
{12} Lackofsun.
{13} Lackofwater,andreversaloforderwithbank
flooded.
{14} Birds=foreigners
{15} Invadersarerepresentedasflocksofanimals.
{16} Reversalofallusualpractices,>coppermusthave
hadpeacefulconnotations.
{17} AmenyisshortforAmenemhat,butitalsomeansHewho
ishidden.Thekingisthusalsothehiddengodwho
withdrew.Thechaosofthenorthiscontrastedtothesouth.
{18} =verysouthofEgypt.
{19} HorusandSeth.
{20} Fieldencirclerandoararecarriedbykingwhenhe
doesritualrunning.
{21} =fortressontheeasternborder.Egyptisnowsafe
behindwalls.

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