Descriptions of Asiatic life from the Tale of Sinuhe
Excerpt from the Tale of Sinuhe on a piece of limestone 13th century BCE Picture source: British Museum site |
Description of Asiatic life from the Tale of SinuheMiddle Bronze Age (ca. 1930 BCE)He set me at the head of his children. He married me to his eldest daughter. He let me choose for myself of his country, (80) of the choicest of that which was with him on his frontier with another country. It was a good land, named Yaa. Figs were in it and grapes. It had more wine than water. Plentiful was its honey, abundant were its olives. Every (kind of) fruit was on its trees. Barley were there and emmer. There was no limit to any (kind of) cattle. (85) Moreover, great was that which accrued to me as a result of the love for me. He made me ruler of a tribe of the choicest of his country. Bread was made for me as daily fare, wine as daily provision, cooked meat and roast fowl, beside the wild beasts of the desert, for they hunted (go) for me and laid before me, beside the catch of my (own) hounds. Many . . . were made for me, and milk in every (kind of) cooking.
I spent many years, and my children grew up to be strong men, each man
as the restrainer of his (own) tribe. The messenger who went north or who
went south to the Residence City
A mighty man of Retenu came, that he might challenge me
Every heart was sick for me. They said: "Is there another strong man who
could fight against him?" Then (he took) his shield, his battle-axe,
Pritchard, James B. Ancient Near Eastern Texts
Princeton, 1969, pp. 18-19
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| The Tale of Sinuhe, translated by A.H.Gardiner | ||
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| The Story of Sinuhe, From M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I | ||
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| Reading the Story of Sinuhe by David Lorton | ||
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January 2001