Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I Quotes

Rate this book
Clear rating
Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms by Miriam Lichtheim
263 ratings, 4.18 average rating, 22 reviews
Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I Quotes Showing 121-150 of 155
“As watercourse is replaced by watercourse,
So no river allows itself to be concealed.
It breaks the channel in which it was hidden.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“To every action there is a response.
While generation succeeds generation,
God who know's characters is hidden;
One can not oppose the lord of the hand,
He reaches all that the eyes can see.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“A goodly office is kingship,
It has no son, no brother to maintain its memorial.
But one man provides for the other;
A man acts for him who was before him,
So that what he has done is preserved by his successor.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“There is no one who has no enemy.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
tags: enemy
“He who is silent toward violence diminishes the offerings.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“The foe loves destruction and misery.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“As a man's name is not made small by his actions.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Do not build your tomb out of ruins,
(Using) what had been made for what is to be made.
Behold, the king is lord of joy,
You may rest, sleep in your strength,
Follow your heart, through what I have done, There is no foe within your borders.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Be merciful on account of it,
renew the treaties.
No river lets itself be hidden,
It is good to work for the future.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Endow your monuments according to your wealth.
Even one day gives to eternity,
An hour contributes to the future,
God recognizes him who works for him.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“The bet comes to the place it knows,
It does not miss its former path,
No kind of magic holds it back
It comes to those who give it water.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Wealthy is he who is rich in his nobles.
Speak truth in your house.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Copy your fathers, your ancestors,
See, their words endure in books,
Open, read them, copy their knowledge,
He who is taught becomes skilled.
Don’t be evil, kindness is good..”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“On the day of judging the miserable,
In the hour of doing their task.
It is painful when the accuser has knowledge,
Do not trust in length of years,
They view a lifetime in an hour!”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“God smites the rebels in blood.
He who is merciful lifetime;
Do not kill a man whose virtues you know.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Is there [a man] who lives forever ?
He who comes with Osiris passes,
Just as he leaves who indulged himself.
Advance your officials, so that they act by your laws.
He who has wealth at home will not be partial.
He is a rich man who lacks nothing.
The poor man does not speak justly,
Not righteous is one who says, “I wish I had,”
He inclines to him who will pay him.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Strengthen your borders, your frontier patrols;
It is good to work for the future.
One respects the life of the foresighted,
While he who trusts fails.
Make people come [to you] through your good nature,
A wretch is who desires the land [of his neighbor],
A fool is who covets what others possess.
Life on earth passes, it is not long,
Happy is he who is remembered,”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“See, their words endure in books,
Open, read them, copy their knowledge,
He who is taught becomes skilled.
Don’t be evil, kindness is good,
Make your memorial last through love of you.
Increase the [people], befriend the town,..”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“I did not seize a man's daughter, nor did I seize his field

STELA OF THE TREASURER ITI OF IMYOTRU”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“All forms of evil which people hate have been suppressed.

THE FIRST PART OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANKHTIFI”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“The ideal man is a man of peace.”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“There is no speedy advance except at its proper time.
- Alan Henderson Gardiner”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“When you drink with a drunkard.
Take when his heart is content.

THE INSTRUCTION ADDRESSED TO KAGEMNI
Papyrus Prisse, pp. 1-2
Fragment”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“If you love life, 0 Horus, upon his life staff of truth
Do not lock the gates of heaven ,
Do not bolt its bars,

Utterance 440
Sarcophagus Chamber, West Wall
The king asks for admittance to the sky”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Rise up,
0 Teti, you shall not die!

Utterance 373
Antechamber, West Wall
The king is raised from his tomb”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
tags: die
“Unas is lord of seed who takes wives from their husbands,
Whenever Unas wishes, as his heart urges.

Utterance 317
Entrance to the Antechamber, West Wall
The king appears as the crocodile-god Sobk”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Hail to the herbs within you!
Welcome is the pure to me

Utterance 304
Antechamber, North Wall
The king climbs to the sky on a ladder”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
tags: herb, pure
“The dignities of Unas will not be taken from him,
For he has swallowed the knowledge of every god;
Unas's lifetime is forever, his limit is eternity
In his dignity of "If-he-likes-he-does if-he-hates-he-does-not,"
As he dwells in lightland for all eternity.
Lo, their power is in Unas's belly,
Their spirits are before Unas as broth of the gods,
Cooked for Unas from their bones.
Lo, their power is with Unas,
Their shadows (are taken) from their owners,
For Unas is of those who risen is risen, lasting lasts.
Not can evildoers harm Unas's chosen seat
Among the living in this land for all eternity!

Utterances 273·274
Antechamber, East WaU
The king feeds on the gods”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
“Awake in peace, you of back-turned face, in peace,
You who looks backward, in peace...

Unas has come to you
That you may ferry him in this boat in which you ferry the gods.
Unas has come to his side as a god comes to his side,
IInas has come to his shore as a god comes to his shore

Utterance 270
Antechamber, South Wall
The king summons the ferryman”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
tags: peace
“Unas eats their magic, swallows their spirits:
Their big ones are for his morning meal,
Their middle ones for his evening meal,
Their little ones for his night meal,
And the oldest males and females for his fuel

Utterances 273·274
Antechamber, East WaU
The kingfeeds on thegods”
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms