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Contents:
IntroductionIn
ancient Egyptian literature Instructions in Wisdom are directed to the
living and illustrate some of the humanistic values of ancient Egyptian
society. The basic format of these instructions is that of a father passing
on his wisdom to his son. The Instruction of Amenemope comes from the period
of the Rameses kings, probably around 1100 BCE. In the extracts given here,
the ideal man is described as tending towards silence and tranquility and
is contrasted to the heated man—a hot-headed agitator who has a lot to
say.
Amenemope
was a resident of Akhim, a town in Upper Egypt on the east side of the
Nile. This instruction can be compared with the earlier one by Ptahhotep
and the later one by Jesus Ben Sirach.
A similar instruction can be found in Cervantes,
as Don Quixote advises Sancho Panza how to govern.
Respect the Weak, Reject the Evil1
Beware of robbing a wretch,
Of
attacking a cripple;
Don't
stretch out your hand to touch an old man,
Nor
open your mouth to an elder.
Don't
let yourself be sent on a mischievous errand,
Nor
be friends with him who does it.
2
Don't raise an outcry against one who attacks you,
Nor
answer him yourself.
He
who does evil, the shore rejects him,
Its
floodwater carries him away.
The
northwind descends to end his hour,
It
mingles with the thunderstorm.
The
storm cloud is tall, the crocodiles are vicious,
You
heated man, how are you now?
Time Changes All3
Do not say: "Today is like tomorrow",
How
will this end?
Comes
tomorrow, today has vanished,
The
deep has become the water's edge.
Crocodiles
are bared, hippopotami stranded,
The
fish crowded together.
Jackals
are sated, birds are in feast,
The
fishnets have been drained.
Act with Rectitude4
Do not move the markers on the borders of fields,
Nor
shift the position of the measuring-cord.
Do
not be greedy for a cubit of land,
Nor
encroach on the boundaries of a widow.
5
Recognize him who does this on earth:
He
is an oppressor of the weak,
A
foe bent on destroying your being,
The
taking of life is in his eye.
His
house is an enemy to the town,
His
storage bins will be destroyed;
His
wealth will be seized from his children's hands,
His
possessions will be given to another.
Beware
of destroying the borders of fields.
Lest
a terror carry you away . . .
6
Do not set your heart on wealth,
There
is no ignoring Fate and Destiny;
Do
not let your heart go straying,
Every
man comes to his hour.
Do
not strain to seek increase,
What
you have, let it suffice you.
If
riches come to you by theft,
They
will not stay the night with you.
They
made themselves wings like geese,
And
flew away to the sky.
7
Do not rejoice in wealth from theft,
Nor
complain of being poor.
If
the leading archer presses forward,
His
company abandons him;
The
boat of the greedy is left on the mud,
While
the bark of the silent sails with the wind.
8
Set your goodness before people,
Then
you are greeted by all;
Avoid Trouble-Making9
Guard your tongue from harmful speech,
Then
you will be loved by others. . .
10
Do not befriend the heated man,
Nor
approach him for conversation.
Keep
your tongue from answering your superior,
And
take care not to insult him.
Let
him not cast his speech to catch you,
Nor
give free rein to your answer.
Converse
with a man of your own measure,
And
take care not to offend him.
11
Swift is the speech of one who is angered,
More
than wind over water.
He
tears down, he builds up with his tongue,
When
he makes his hurtful speech.
He
gives an answer worthy of a beating,
For
its weight is harm.
He
hauls freight like all the world,
But
his load is falsehood.
He
is the ferryman of snaring words,
He
goes and comes with quarrels.
When
he eats and drinks inside,
His
answer is heard outside.
The
day he is charged with his crime
Is
misfortune for his children.
12
He runs before every wind like clouds,
He
dims the radiance of the sun;
He
flips his tail like the crocodile's young,
He
draws himself up so as to strike
His
lips are sweet, his tongue is bitter,
A
fire burns in his belly.
Don't
leap to join such a one,
Lest
a terror carry you away. . .
13
Do not bear witness with false words,
So
as to brush aside a man by your tongue.
Do
not assess a man who has nothing,
And
thus falsify your pen.
Be Generous towards Others14
If you find a large debt against a poor man,
Make
it into three parts;
Forgive
two, let one stand,
You
will find it a path of life.
After
sleep, when you wake in the morning,
You
will find it as good news.
Better
is praise with the love of men
Than
wealth in the storehouse;
Better
is bread with a happy heart
Than
wealth with vexation . . .
15
Do not confound a man in the law court,
In
order to brush aside one who is right.
Do
not incline to the well-dressed man,
And
rebuff the one in rags.
Don't
accept the gift of a powerful man,
And
deprive the weak for his sake . . .
16
If you see one greater than you outdoors,
Walk
behind him respectfully;
Give
a hand to an elder sated with beer,
Respect
him as his children would.
The
arm is not hurt by being bared,
The
back is not broken by bending it.
A
man does not lose by speaking sweetly,
Nor
does he gain if his speech bristles.
The
pilot who sees from afar,
He
will not wreck his boat . . .
Source1-16 Ancient Egyptian Literature -- A Book of Readings Volume II: The Old and Middle Kingdomsby Miriam Lichtheim. The University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 1976. pp 150-161. Copyright ©1973-80 The Regents of the University of California. Published by permission of the University of California Press.Web Page: Wisdoms from Amenope by Rik Den Herder |
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