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Afterwards one day Pharaoh Osir[mare went] to the court (?) of Pharaoh's house in Memphis. [The council], the princes, the generals, the great men of Egypt [were standing] according to their rank at court. Came (?) //////// [saying (?)]: "This is a communication that an ate of Ethiopia made [a sealed (?)] letter (carried) on my body."
The announcement of it was made before Pharaoh. He was brought to the court and prayed: "Is there someone who reads his letter which I have brought (?) to Egypt before Pharaoh without spoiling its seal (?), who will read the writing in it without opening it. Should there be [no good scribe and learned man in] Egypt who is able to read it without opening it, I will take the humiliation of Egypt to the land of Nehes, my country
When Pharaoh heard these words [with his princes who did not know the place on] earth where they were, they said: "By [the great god (?)] Ptah, [is there (?)] the strength in the hand of a good scribe and learned man to read writings of which he shall see their country, or is it possible (?) to read a letter [without opening it?"
Said] Pharaoh: "Let there be summoned Setme [Kham]wesy my son."
They ran and brought him at that instant. He bowed to the ground. He saluted [Pharaoh]. He [raised] himself, stood on his feet, making the blessings of the salutation of Pharaoh.
Pharaoh said to him: "My [son] Setme, have you heard the words that this ate [of Ethiopia] has said before me: 'Is there a good scribe or learned man in Egypt who shall be able to read this letter that is in my hand without breaking its seal, and shall know what is written in it without opening it?' "
When Setme heard these words he did not know the place on earth where he was and he said: "My great lord, who is he that shall be able to read writing without opening it? Give me ten days of delay (?) that I may see what I shall be able to do, to prevent the humiliation of Egypt being reported in the land of Nehes, the country of eaters of gum."
Said Pharaoh: "They are for my son Setme."
Apartments were given (to Setme) of turning (?) the face to the Ethiopian, there was made for him wickedness (?) like an Ethiopian. Pharaoh rose from court, his heart was heavy with grief. He lay down without drinking and eating. Setme went to his apartments without knowing the place in the world he was going to. He covered himself with his clothes from head to foot, not knowing the place on earth in which he was.
His wife Meh-wesekht was informed of it. She came to the place where Setme was. She reached inside his clothes and did not find any warmth. He lay quiet (?) in his clothes. She said to him: 'My brother Setme, there is no warmth in your lap, sheby (?) in the flesh, illness, (and) sadness of heart."
He said to her: "Do not bother me, my sister Me-wesekht, the matter on account of which my heart is grieved is not a things that it is right to reveal to a woman."
The child Si-Osiri came in. He stood over Setme his father and said to him: "My father Setme, what are you lying here for with a sad heart? Tell me the things that are enclosed in your heart that I may make them cease." brother: often used for beloved.
He said: "Don't bother me my son Si-Osiri, about the things in my heart. You are young of age, you are not grown yet, look after yourself."
Si-Osiris said: "Tell me so I may lighten your heart."
Setme said: "My son Si-Osiri, an ate of Ethiopia has come to Egypt, carrying a sealed letter on his body and he says: 'Is there somebody who will (?) read it without opening it? And if there is no good scribe and learned man in Egypt who is able to read it, I will carry the news of the humiliation of Egypt to the land of Nehes, my country.'
Behold! I lay down, my heart saddened because of this, my son Si-Osiri."
you are not grown yet, look after yourself
When Si-Osiri heard these words he laughed for a long time. Setme said to him: "Why are you laughing?"
He answered: "I am laughing because you are lying, telling me that your heart is sad because of small matter like this one. Get up, my father Setme, I shall be able to read the letter that was brought to Egypt without opening it and to know what is written in it without breaking its seal."
When Setme heard these words he got up at once and said: "What is your pledge that you are speaking the truth, my son Si-Osiri?"
He said to him: "My father Setme, go to the apartments on the ground floor. (With) every book you take out of the case I will tell you what book it is, (and) I will read it without seeing it, standing above you in your apartments on the ground floor."
Setme got up and stood on his feet. He did everything that Si-Osiri had said to him. Si-Osiri read every book that Setme his father lifted up, without opening them. Setme came up from the apartments on the ground floor and his joy was boundless.
He hurried to the place where Pharaoh was. He related before him everything that the child Si-Osiri had said to him. His heart was very glad because of it.
Pharaoh washed himself for feasting with Setme. He ordered Si-Osiri to be brought to the feast before him. They drank and made merry.
The morning of the next day came. Pharaoh came forth to the court between his great men. Pharaoh ordered the ate of Ethiopia to be fetched. He was brought to the court, the sealed (?) letter on his body. He stood in the middle of the court. The child Si-Osiri advanced to the centre (and) stood near the ate of Ethiopia. He spoke against him: "Woe! Wicked one of Ethiopia, may Amen, his god, smite him! You have come up to Egypt, the beautiful garden of Osiris, the footstool of Ra-Harakht, the beautiful horizon of the Spirit, saying: 'I will report [its] humiliation to the land of Nehes.'
The inspiration (?) of your god Amen is cast on thee. The words that I shall narrate are written in this latter. Do not utter falsehoods concerning them before Pharaoh, your sovereign
When the ate of Ethiopia looked at the child Si-Osiri standing in the court, he put his head to the ground. He said: "I will not speak falsehood concerning any word that you will say."
Si-Osiri began relating before Pharaoh and his nobles and the people of Egypt paid close attention to what he said: "What is written in the letter of the ate of Ethiopia who is standing in our midst is as follows: Once upon a time in the days of Pharaoh Menkh-pa-Ra Si-Amon ruled as the beneficent king of the whole land, Egypt was overflowing with everything in his time, he was abundant in giving expenditure, work in the great temples of Egypt. There happened a day, the Kwr (?) of the land of Nehes making ///////// in the fields /////////// of the land of Amen, behold! he heard the voice of three ate of Ethiopia [in the (?) draughthouse (?), one of them said in a loud voice: 'That Amen may not find for me evil nor the Kwr of (?) Egypt cause [abomination be done to me], I would (?) cast my magic up to Egypt that I might cause the people of Egypt to pass three days (and) three nights without seeing light except the kiki (?).
Si-Osiri finished narrating the story before Pharaoh and his princes, and the people of Egypt heard his voice. He said: "The inspiration of your god Amen is cast on you. Are the words I have recounted those that are written in the letter which is in your hand?"
The ate of Ethiopia said: "Continue reading! Every word you have said is true."
Si-Osiri said to Pharaoh: "After these things had happened, they returned Pharaoh Si-Amon up to Egypt, his hinder parts beaten with many lashes. He lay down in the shrine of Per-Hor (?) his hinder parts hurting from the cruel beating. The morning of the next day arrived. Pharaoh said to his courtiers: 'What has happened in Egypt when I (was made to ?) depart from it?'
Shame on (?) the words of the courtiers who said: 'Probably Pharaoh has lost his mind.'
They said: 'You are well, you are well, O Pharaoh, our great lord. The great goddess Isis will stop ////// your troubles (?). What is the meaning of the words that you have said before [us, O Pharaoh], our great lord? You were lying down [in] the shrine [of Pi-]Hor, the gods protect you.'
Pharaoh got up, showed his courtiers his back which had been beaten exceedingly and he said: 'By the life of the (great) god Ptah someone (?) took me to the land of Nehes in the night, someone beat me with 500 blows of the stick before the Viceroy, and they returned me up to Egypt in six hours.
When they saw the hinder parts of Pharaoh which had been beaten cruelly, they made a great noise. Menkh-pa-Ra Si-Amen had a librarian (?) who was called Hor, son of Pa-neshe, who was a highly [learned] man. He came to the palace where Pharaoh was and he exclaimed: 'My [great lord], these were the sorceries of the Ethiopians. By the life of your //////// I will order them to be thrown into your house of torment (?) and execution (?).'
[The pharaoh] said to him: 'Come quickly to me! Don't let me be taken to the land of Nehes another night.'
The librarian (?) Hor, son of Pa-neshe, came at once. He took his books and amulets [to the place] where [Pharaoh] was. He read spells to him and fastened an amulet on him to prevent the sorceries of the Ethiopians from getting power over him.
He left Pharaoh, taking his offerings and libations, and went on board a boat and sailed to Khmun without delay. He went into the temple of Khmun, [he made his] offerings (and) libations before Thoth the great great great great great [great great great], the lord of Khmun, the great god. He said a prayer before him: 'Look upon me favourably, my lord Thoth. Let not the Ethiopians report the humiliation of Egypt to the land of Nehes. It is you who ///////// magic in writing, you suspended the heaven, established the earth, the underworld, and placed the gods among the stars (?). Let me know how to save Pharaoh [from the sorceries of the] Ethiopians.'
Hor, son of Pa-neshe (?), lay down in the temple. He dreamed a dream that night in which the great god Thoth spoke to him: "Are you Hor, son of Pa-neshe (?), the librarian of Pharaoh Menkh-pa-Ra Si-Amen? When the morning of tomorrow comes, go to the library of the temple of Khmun. You shall find a shrine (which is) closed and sealed. Open it. You shall find a box in that shrine. There is a roll of papyrus (?) in it, which I wrote with my own hand. Bring it up, make a copy of it, and return it to its place. Its name is 'The Book of Magic'. It protected me from the impious, it shall protect Pharaoh, that he may be saved from the sorceries of the Ethiopians.'
Hor, son of Pa-neshe, awoke from the dream, he remembered what he had seen. It was in the hand of the god. He did everything according to what he had been told in his dream. He hurried to the place where Pharaoh was. He made for him an amulet against sorceries in writing (?).
The sorceries of Hor, the son of the Negress, returned to Egypt by night, to the place where Pharaoh was. They returned to the place where the Viceroy was at that time. They could not get power over Pharaoh because of the amulets with the spells that the librarian Hor, son of Pa-neshe, had bound (?) upon him. The morning of the next day arrived.
Pharaoh told the librarian Hor, son of Pa-neshe, about everything that he had seen by night, and how the sorceries of the Ethiopians had turned away, unable to get power over him. Horus, son of Pa-neshe, ordered pure and abundant wax brought to him. He made a group [of] four bearers. He pronounced spells over them. He gave them the breath of life. He made them come alive. He commanded them: 'Go to the land of Nehes tonight. Bring the Viceroy up to Egypt, to the place where Pharaoh is. After he has been beaten with 500 blows of the stick before Pharaoh, you shall return him to the land of Nehes in six hours.'
They said: 'Certainly, we will not let anything go amiss.'
The sorceries of Hor, son of Pa-neshe, travelled under (?) the clouds of heaven, they hurried to the land of Nehes by night. They overpowered the Viceroy. They brought him up to Egypt, he was beaten with 500 blows of the stick before Pharaoh. They returned him to the land of Nehes in six hours, all the way."
Si-Osiri narrated this story before Pharaoh and his nobles, the people of Egypt heard his voice, saying: "The power of your god Amen is cast upon you, O wicked one from Ethiopia. The words I have spoken, are they written in this letter?"
The Ethiopian, his head turned to the ground, said: "Continue reading! Every word you have spoken is written in this letter."
Si-Osiri said: "After all these events had happened, after they had brought back the Viceroy to the land of Nehes in six hours, they put him in his place, he lay down.
He rose in the morning, badly beaten by the blows that had been given him above in Egypt.
'(They) beat me with 500 blows of the stick before Pharaoh of Egypt. They returned (me) to the land of Nehes.'
He turned his back towards the princes, they uttered loud lamentations. The Viceroy ordered them to go after Hor, son of the Negress. He said: 'May Amen curse you, the bull of Meroe, my god! You went to the men of Egypt, consider and let me see the method with which you will save me from the hand of Hor, son of Pa-neshe.'
He made his sorceries and bound them on the Viceroy to save him from the sorceries of Hor, son of Pa-neshe. The night of the next day came.
The sorceries of Hor, son of Pa-neshe, travelled to the land of Nehes. They carried the Viceroy up to Egypt. He was beaten with 500 blows of the stick before Pharaoh. He was taken back to the land of Nehes in six hours all told.
This happened to the Viceroy for three days, the sorceries of the Ethiopians were not able to save the Viceroy from the hand of Hor, son of Pa-neshe.
The Viceroy was in deepest anguish. He ordered Hor, the son pf the Negress, to be brought to him. He said to him: 'Woe, you enemy from Ethiopia, you have caused me to be humiliated by hand of the men of Egypt. You could not save me from their hands. By the life of Amen, the bull of Meroe my god, should it be that you should not be able to save me from the aerial cars of the men of Egypt,I will order them to put you to an evil death.'
He said: 'My master, the Viceroy, sent me up to Egypt that I may meet him who does magic among them, that I may strive against him, that I may let him see the scorn that is (?) in my heart (?) for his skill.'
Hor, the son of the Negress, was sent away from before the Viceroy. He came to the place where his mother the Negress was.
'You are going up to Egypt to do sorcery there, beware of the men of Egypt. You will not be able to contend with them. Don't let yourself be caught by their hands, so that you will not return to the land of Nehes forever.'
He said: 'There is nothing to what you are saying. I shall not be able to avoid going up to Egypt in order to cast my magic on it.'
The Negress his mother said to him: 'Should it happen that you do go to Egypt, let us agree on some signs between me and you: Should you fail I will come to you in order to see whether I be able to save you.'
He said to her: 'Should I be overcome (?) then should you be drinking [or eating flesh (?)], the water before you will turn the colour of blood, the food that are before you will turn the colour of flesh, the sky shall turn the colour of blood before your eyes.'
Hor, the son of the Negress, having set the signs between (?) himself and his mother, went up to Egypt, crammed (?) with magic. He traversed from that which Amen made //////// as far as Memphis, to the place where Pharaoh was, hunting after him who was doing magic in Egypt.
He came to the court, (stood) before Pharaoh and spoke in a loud voice: 'Ho! you who do magic against me in the court of Pharaoh, the people of Egypt looking at him, you two scribes of the House of Life (or) you, scribe of the House of Life, who casts magic spells on the Viceroy, bringing him up to Egypt in spite of me.'
As he was speaking these words, Hor, son of Pa-neshe was standing in the court before Pharaoh. He said: 'Ho! Enemy from Ethiopia, are you not Hor, son of the Negress, whom I saved (?) in the reeds of Re, (with) your companion from Ethiopia who accompanied you, you were drowning (?) in the water, you were cast (?) down from the hill on the east of On? Did you not repent the freeing (?) of Pharaoh, your sovereign, after you had caused his hinder parts to be beaten in the place where the Viceroy was? You have come up to Egypt, asking: "Is he who does magic against me, here?" By the life of Atum, lord of On, the gods of Egypt have brought you to requite you in their country.'
When Hor, son of the Negress, heard the words spoken by Hor, son of Pa-neshe, he answered him: 'Is it he to whom I taught jackal-language (?) who does sorcery against me?'
The man of Ethiopia made an effort to cast a written spell: he caused fire to come out in the court. Pharaoh with the princes of Egypt uttered a loud cry: 'Hasten to our side, librarian Hor, son of Pa-neshe!'
Hor, son of Pa-neshe, cast a written spell. He caused the sky to open up with southern rain over the flame. It was extinguished in an instant.
On: Heliopolis

The Ethiopian made another effort of magic in writing. He created a great covering (?) over the court. No one (could) see his brother or his companion. Hor, son of Pa-neshe, read a spell to the sky. He caused it to cease. It cleared from the evil wind.
Hor, the son of the Negress, made another effort of written magic. He caused a great vault of stone, 200 cubits in length by (?) 50 cubits of width, to appear above Pharaoh and his princes, with the intention to leave Egypt without a king, the world (?) deficient of a sovereign. Pharaoh looked at the sky, he saw the vault of stone above him. He opened his mouth and uttered a loud cry, together with the people that were in court. Hor, son of Pa-neshe, pronounced a magic formula: He caused an air-boat of papyrus to appear, which proceeded with the vault of stone. Behold! It flew with it forward to the Mighty Pool, the great water of Egypt.

The man of Ethiopia knew that he was not able to contend with [the Egyptian]. He made an effort to cast a written spell to prevent his seeing him in court, with the intent of translating himself to the land of Nehes, his city. Hor, son of Pa-neshe, pronounced a spell causing the sorceries of the Ethiopian to be revealed, causing Pharaoh to see him, with the people of Egypt that were standing in the court. He was (in the ) form of a bad fox-gander and was about to depart. Hor, son of Pa-neshe, pronounced a spell causing him to turn back, and there was a fowler standing over him, his piercing knife in his hand. He was going to do to it an abomination.
After all these things had happened, the signs which Hor, son of the Negress, had set between himself and his mother, they all happened in front of her (eyes). She immediately went up to Egypt, taking on the form of a fox-goose. She stood over the palace of Pharaoh bewailing (?) her son with her voice, while he was in the form of an evil fox-gander and the fowler was standing over him.
Hor, son of Pa-neshe, looked at the sky, He saw the Negress in the guise in which she was. He knew that it was the Ethiopian Negress. He pronounced a spell causing her to be turned on her back with a fowler standing over her about to kill her with his knife.
She changed from the form in which she was, she took on the guise of an Ethiopian woman, praying: 'Do not make an end (?) to us, Hor, son of Pa-neshe, let go for us this occasion of failure (?). Should you give us an aerial boat, we will not return to Egypt ever.'
Horus, son of Pa-neshe, swore an oath by Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, saying: 'I will not remove my spell, until you have sworn an oath to me not to return up to Egypt for any kind (?) of purpose (?).'
The Negress raised her hand (and swore) not to come up to Egypt for all eternity. Hor, the son of the Negress, swore an oath, saying: 'I will not come up to Egypt for 1500 years.'
Hor, son of Pa-neshe withdrew his hand from his written spell. He gave an aerial boat to Hor, the son of the Negress, and the Negress, his mother. They proceeded to the land of Nehes, their city."
Si-Osiri made this narration before Pharaoh, the people of Egypt heard his voice. Setme, his father, saw everything. The head of the man from Ethiopia was facing the ground. Si-Osiri said: "By the life of your face, my great lord, this man who is standing before you, is Hor, the son of the Negress. This man, whose words I am relating, who has not repented of those things that he did long ago, has come up to Egypt at the end of 1500 years to cast the sorceries here.
By the life of Osiris, great good lord of Amenti, before (?) whom I rest (?), I am Hor, son of Pa-neshe, this man who stands before Pharaoh, found this out, that the wicked one of Ethiopia would cast his sorceries up into it and there would be no good scribe and learned man in Egypt at the time able to contend with him.
I prayed before Osiris in Amenti to let me come forth to the world again, to prevent reporting the humiliation of Egypt to the land of Nehes. Osiris commanded to bring me out into the world. I awoke. I flew to the crown of the head to find Setme, the son of Pharaoh, upon the gebel of On (or) the gebel of Memphis. I grew as this vine with the intent of returning to the body again, that I might be born to the world to do magic against this enemy from Ethiopia who stands in court."
Hor, son of Pa-neshe, in the shape of Si-Osiri, cast a written spell on the man of Ethiopia. He caused the fire to surround him, it consumed him in the middle of the court. Pharaoh saw him together with the nobles and the people of Egypt.
Si-Osiri passed away as (?) a shadow from the company of Pharaoh and Setme, his father. They did not see him. Pharaoh marvelled with his great men at the things they had seen in the court and they said: "There is no good scribe and learned man like Hor, son of Pa-neshe. There will not be his like ever." it: Egypt

Setme opened his mouth and shouted loudly when Si-Osiri had passed away as a shadow, and he had not seen him. Pharaoh rose (from) court, anger in his heart at the things that he had seen. He started preparations to be made before Setme to lodge him because of Si-Osiri, his son, to refresh his heart.
When evening fell Setme went to his apartments, his heart exceedingly sad. Meh-wesekht lay at his side. She conceived from him that night. She did not delay (and) gave birth to a male child, who was given the name of Wesy-Ment-Hor (?).
Setme did not cease to make offerings and libations before the genius of Hor, son of Pa-neshe, at every occasion.
This is the end of this book, written /////////////

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Posts: 1038 | From: Franklin Park, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged | 

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According to Gearldine Pinch the text probably dates to Ptolemaic Egypt instead of the Ramesside period.

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Posts: 1038 | From: Franklin Park, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged | 

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Good job
Might be very useful to me
I haven't read it thoroughly but I will later on

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Posts: 1038 | From: Franklin Park, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged |