creator = Mark-Jan Nederhof
name = Nederhof
labelname = Ne
created = 2006-11-04
modified = 2015-08-06
version = 
scheme = 
language = eng
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hieroglyphic = ignored
transliteration = shown
translation = shown
lexical = ignored

Transliteration and translation for &quot;The myth of the Destruction
of Mankind&quot;, following the transcription of De Buck (1948), pp.
123-126.

The transliteration throughout follows Hannig (1995).

For published translations, see Hornung (1991); Lichtheim (1976), pp.
197-199.

###

A. De Buck. <i>Egyptian Readingbook</i>. Ares Publishers, Chicago,
Illinois, 1948.

R. Hannig. <i>Grosses Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch: die Sprache
der Pharaonen (2800-950 v.Chr.)</i>. Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1995.

E. Hornung. <i>Der Ägyptische Mythos von der Himmelskuh</i>.
Universitätsverlag Freiburg Schweiz, 1991.

M. Lichtheim. <i>Ancient Egyptian Literature -- Volume II: The New
Kingdom</i>. University of California Press, 1976.

###

<1> xpr swt [...] Hm n ^ra nTr xpr Ds=f
;
<1> It happened that the majesty of Re, the god who created himself,
[...],

m-xt wnn=f m nswyt
;
after he had exercised kingship,

rmT nTrw m jxt watj
;
and mankind and gods were (still) united.

wn.jn rmT Hr <2> kAt mdwt r=f
;
Mankind then <2> conspired against him,

jsTw rf Hm=f a.w.s. jAw.w
;
while His Majesty (l.p.h.!) had grown old,

qsw=f m HD Haw=f m nbw Snj=f m xsbD mAat
;
his bones were of silver, his flesh of gold, and his hair of real
lapis lazuli.

wn.jn Hm=f <3> Hr sjA mdwt ntt kA.tw r=f jn rmT
;
His Majesty <3> perceived the conspiring that was done against him by
mankind,

Dd.jn Hm=f a.w.s. n ntjw m-xtjw=f
;
and His Majesty (l.p.h.!) said to those in his retinue:

njs mj n=j r jrt=j r ^Sw <4> ^tfnwt ^gbb ^nwt
;
'Summon to me my Eye, and Shu, <4> Tefnut, Geb, Nut,

Hna jtw mwwt wnnyw Hna=j
;
and the fathers and mothers who were with me

jsT wj m nwn
;
when I was in the primordial water,

Hna gr nTr=j ^nwn
;
and also my god Nun,

jnn=f Snyt=f <5> Hna=f
;
and he shall bring his courtiers <5> with him.

jnn=k st m ktkt
;
Bring them stealthily,

jm mAA rmT jm war jb=sn
;
so that mankind doesn't see and lose heart.

jy=k Hna=sn r Hwt-aAt
;
Come with them to the palace,

Dd=sn sxrw=sn Drtw
;
so that they may give their excellent counsel.

<6> jw=j m nwn
;
<6> I shall return to the primordial water,

r bw xpr.n=j jm
;
to the place where I came into being.'

jn{j}.jn.tw nn n nTrw
;
Then these gods were brought,

wn.jn nn n nTrw jpn Hr gs=fj Hr dhn tA
;
and these gods came at his two sides, kneeling to the ground

m-<7>bAH Hm=f
;
before His Majesty,

Dd=f mdwt=f m-bAH jt smsww
;
that he might present his issue before the father of the eldest,

jr rmT nsw rxyt
;
who created mankind, the king of the people.

Dd.jn=sn xft Hm=f
;
And they said to His Majesty:

mdw <8> n=n r sDmt=n st
;
'Speak <8> to us, that we may hear it!'

Dd.jn ^ra n ^nwn
;
Then Re said to Nun:

nTr sms xpr.n=j jm=f
;
'O eldest god, in whom I came into being,

nTrw tpjw-a
;
and ancestor gods,

mTn rmT xpr<9>w m jrt=j
;
look, mankind, which issued from my Eye,

kA.n=sn mdwt r=j
;
they have conspired against me.

Dd n=j jrt=Tn r=s
;
Tell me what you would do about it,

mTn wj HHj=j
;
since I am deliberating

n smA.n=j st r sDmtw=j Dd<10>tj=Tn r=s
;
and I cannot slay them until I have heard what you might say about
it.'

Dd.jn Hm n ^nwn
;
Then the majesty of Nun said:

sA=j ^ra nTr aA r jr sw
;
'My son Re, god who is greater than he who begot him,

wr r qmAyw sw
;
and most august than they who created him,

Hms st=k
;
be seated!

<11> wr snD=k
;
<11> Great is the fear of you,

jw jrt=k r wAyw jm=k
;
since your Eye is on those who scheme against you.'

Dd.jn Hm n ^ra
;
The majesty of Re then said:

mTn st war(.w) r xAst
;
'Look, they have fled to the desert,

jbw=sn snD.w Hr Dd=j n=<12>sn
;
because their hearts are fearful about what I said to <12> them.'

Dd.jn=sn xft Hm=f
;
And they said to His Majesty:

Dj Sm jrt=k Hw=s n=k st
;
'Let your Eye go, that it may smite them for you,

wAw m Dw
;
the schemers of evil.

nn jrt xntj jm=s r Hwt n=k st
;
There is no Eye that is more able than she to smite them for you.

<13> hA=s m ^Hwt-^Hr
;
<13> May it descend as Hathor!'

jw.jn rf nTrt tn smA.n=s rmT Hr xAst
;
This goddess returned after she had slain mankind in the desert,

Dd.jn Hm n nTr pn
;
and the majesty of this god said:

jjj.wj m Htp ^Hwt-^Hr jrt n jrw
;
'Welcome in peace, Hathor, who helped the creator

j.n=j r=s
;
when I came to her!'

<14> Dd{j}.jn nTrt tn
;
<14> And this goddess said:

anx=k n=j
;
'As you live for me,

jw sxm.n=j m rmT
;
I have overpowered mankind,

jw nDm Hr jb=j
;
and it was pleasure to my heart.'

Dd.jn Hm n ^ra
;
And the majesty of Re said:

jw=j r sxm jm=sn m nsw
;
'I shall take power over them as king,

<15> m sanDw st
;
<15> as he who diminished them.'

xpr ^sxmt pw Sbbt nt grH
;
Thus Sachmet came into being, concoction of the night,

r rhnt Hr snf=sn SAa m ^nnj-nsw
;
to wade in their blood as far as Herakleopolis.

Dd.jn ^ra
;
Then Re said:

<16> njs mj n=j wpwtjw xAxw sjnw
;
<16> 'Summon to me swift, nimble messengers,

sxs=sn mj Swt nt Xt
;
that they may rush like a body's shadow!'

jn.jn.tw nn n wpwtjw jpn <17> Hr-awj
;
And these messengers were brought <17> immediately.

Dd.jn Hm n nTr pn
;
The majesty of this god then said:

SAs{n} r ^Abw
;
'Go to Elephantine,

jn n=j djdjt r wr
;
and bring me haematite in great quantity!'

jn.jn.tw n=f nn n djdjt
;
And this haematite was brought to him.

rDj.jn Hm n nTr pn aA
;
Then the majesty of this great god ordered

Hn<18>kt{t} ntj m ^jwnw Hr nD djdjt jpn
;
that the Braided in Heliopolis grind this haematite,

jsTw gr Hmwt Hr tS jt r Hnqt
;
while maidservants grind barley for beer.

rDj.jn.tw djdjt jpn Hr Sbbt tn
;
Then the haematite was put into this beer mash,

wn.jn mj sn<19>f n rmT
;
and it became like human blood;

jr{t}.jn.tw Hnqt hbnt 7000
;
seven thousand jars of beer were made.

jw.jn rf Hm n nsw-bjtj ^ra
;
Then the majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Re came

Hna nTrw jpn
;
together with these gods

r mAA nn n Hnqt
;
to see this beer.

jsTw HD tA <20> n smA rmT
;
When the day dawned <20> on which mankind would be slain

jn nTrt
;
by the goddess,

m sww=sn nw xntyt
;
among their days of travelling south,

Dd.jn Hm n ^ra
;
the majesty of Re said:

nfr.wj st
;
'How good it is!

jw=j r mkt <21> rmT Hr=s
;
I will protect <21> mankind against her.'

Dd.jn ^ra
;
And Re said:

fAy mj st r bw Dd.n=s smA=j rmT jm
;
'Carry it to the place of which she had said &quot;I will slay mankind
there.&quot; '

nhp.jn Hm n nsw-bjtj ^ra
;
The majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Re rose early,

<22> m nfrw grH
;
<22> in the middle of the night,

r rDjt stj.tw nn n sDrt
;
to have this sleeping potion poured out,

wn.jn AHwt ntj Ssp 3 Hr mH m mw
;
and the fields were flooded three palms high with the liquid,

m bAw n Hm n nTr pn
;
by the might of the majesty of this god.

Sm{t}.jn <23> nTrt tn m dwAw.wj
;
Then this goddess came in the early morning

gm.n=s nn Hr mHt
;
and found that these (fields) were flooded,

nfr.jn Hr=s{t} jm
;
and her gaze was pleased by it.

wn.jn=s{t} Hr swr nfr Hr jb=s{t}
;
Then she drank and it pleased her heart.

jj.n=s tx.tj nn sj<24>A.n=s rmT
;
After she returned drunk without having perceived mankind,

Dd.jn Hm n ^ra n nTrt tn
;
the majesty of Re said to this goddess:

jj.{t}wj m Htp jmAyt
;
'Welcome in peace, O gracious one!'

xpr nfrwt pw m ^jmAw
;
Thus beautiful women came into being in Momemphis.
