Part 23 (1/2)
This is the prayer to his master of the humble servant who is saved from a foreign land.
”O wise King, the wise words which are p.r.o.nounced in the wisdom of the majesty of the sovereign, thy humble servant fears to tell. It is a great thing to repeat. O great G.o.d, like unto Ra in fulfilling that to which he has set his hand, what am I that he should take thought for me? Am I among those whom he regards, and for whom he arranges? Thy majesty is as Horus, and the strength of thy arms extends to all lands.
”Then let his Majesty bring Maki of Adma, Kenti-au-ush of Khenti-keshu, and Tenus from the two lands of the Fen-khu; these are the princes who bear witness of me as to all that has pa.s.sed, out of love for thyself.
Does not Tenu believe that it belongs to thee like thy dogs? Behold this flight that I have made: I did not have it in my heart; it was like the leading of a dream, as a man of Adehi (Delta) sees himself in Abu (Elephantine), as a man of the plain of Egypt who sees himself in the deserts. There was no fear, there was no hastening after me, I did not listen to an evil plot, my name was not heard in the mouth of the magistrate; but my limbs went, my feet wandered, my heart drew me; my G.o.d commanded this flight, and drew me on; but I am not stiff-necked. Does a man fear when he sees his own land? Ra spread thy fear over the land, thy terrors in every strange land. Behold me now in the palace, behold me in this place; and lo! thou art he who is over all the horizon; the sun rises at thy pleasure, the water in the rivers is drunk at thy will, the wind in heaven is breathed at thy saying.
”I who speak to thee shall leave my goods to the generations to follow in this land. And as to this messenger who is come even let thy majesty do as pleaseth him, for one lives by the breath that thou givest. O thou who art beloved of Ra, of Horus, and of Hathor; Mentu, lord of Thebes, desires that thy august nostril should live forever.”
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.
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 my belly; 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.” And his Majesty said, ”Behold thou hast come, thou hast trodden the deserts, thou hast played the wanderer. Decay falls on thee, old age has reached thee; it is no small thing that thy body should be embalmed, that the Pedtiu shall not bury thee. Do not, do not, be silent and speechless; tell thy name; is it fear that prevents thee?” I answered in reply, ”I fear, what is it that my lord has said that I should answer it? I have not called on me the hand of G.o.d, but it is terror in my body, like that which brings sudden death. Now behold I am before thee; thou art life; let thy Majesty do what pleaseth him.”
The royal children were brought in, and his Majesty said to the Queen, ”Behold thou 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 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 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, Samehit 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.”
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 afterward to the Great Gates. I was placed in a house of a king's son, in which were delicate things, a place of coolness, fruits of the granary, treasures of the White House, clothes of the King's guardrobe, frankincense, the finest perfumes of the King and the n.o.bles whom he loves, in every chamber. All the servitors were in their several offices.
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-sha. 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; beside the gifts of the royal children, always without ceasing. There was built for me a pyramid of stone among 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 a strong building were there used. There were given to me peasants; there were made for me a garden, and fields 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 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!
(_This is finished from beginning to end, as was found in the writing_.)
THE TELL AMARNA TABLETS
Translated by C. R. Conder, D.C.L., LL.D., M.R.A.S.
The Hitt.i.te Invasion Of Damascus
No. 36 B. M.-”To King _Annumuria_(127) (Amenophis III) Son of the Sun, my Lord thus (says) this thy servant _Akizzi_.(128) Seven times at the feet of my Lord I bow. My Lord in these my lands I am afraid. Mayst thou protect one who is thy servant under the yoke of my Lord. From the yoke of my Lord I do not rebel. Lo! there is fear of my foes. The people of this thy servant are under thy yoke: this country is among thy lands: the city _Katna_(129) is thy city: I am on the side of my Lord's rule (yoke). Lo!
the soldiers and the chariots of my Lord's government have received corn and drink, oxen and beasts (oil and honey?), meeting the soldiers and the chariots of my Lord's dominion (coming?) to me. And now let my Lord ask the great men of his dominion. My Lord, all lands tremble before thy soldiers and thy chariots. If these lands are under the dominion of my Lord's land, and they are seizing them, let him order his soldiers and his chariots this year, and let him take the land of _Marha.s.se_,(130) the whole of it, to the yoke of my Lord, when-my Lord-the soldiers of the slaves(131) are(132) ... For six days ago he went out into the land of _Hu(ba)_, and truly _Aziru_ is sending them, and if in this year my Lord does not send out the soldiers and the chariots of his government ... to meet _Aziru_ (and) make him flee ... all will rebel ... My Lord, know him.