th, shine forth, O Nile! shine forth!
6 Giving life to men by his oxen:
7 Giving life to his oxen by the pastures!
8 Shine forth in glory, O Nile.

The Solemn Festal Dirge Of The Egyptians

Translated by C. W. Goodwin, M.A.

This dirge or hymn, which is that alluded to by Herodotus,(509) is
contained in one of the "Harris Papyri" (No. 500), the same from which I
have already translated the "Story of the Doomed Prince." The first line
of the hymn ascribes it to the authorship of King Antuf, one of the
Pharaohs of the eleventh dynasty. The papyrus itself is, however, of the
time of Thothmes III, eighteenth dynasty, but that is no reason why all
the texts in the MSS. should be of the latter date. The translation here
given was printed by myself for the first time in the "Transactions of the
Society of Biblical Archaeology," Vol. III, part 1, but the hieroglyphic
text remains yet to be published. A fragment of another copy of this
identical hymn is to be found in the "_Monumens __ du Musee de Leide_,"
part iii, pl. 12, and from it several words which were wanting in the
Harris papyrus have been restored.

FESTAL DIRGE

1 (Wanting.)

2 The song of the house of King Antuf, deceased, which is
(written) in front of

3 the player on the harp.(510)
All hail to the good Prince,
the worthy good (man),
the body is fated(?) to pass away,
the atoms(511)

4 remain, ever since the time of the ancestors.
The gods who were beforetime rest in their tombs, the
mummies

5 of the saints likewise are enwrapped in their tombs.
They who build houses, and they who have no houses, see!

6 what becomes of them.
I have heard the words of Imhotep(512) and Hartatef.(513)
It is said in their sayings,

7 After all, what is prosperity?
Their fenced walls are dilapidated.
Their houses are as that which has never existed.

8 No man comes from thence
who tells of their sayings,
who tells of their affairs,
who encourages our hearts.
Ye go

9 to the place whence they return not.(514)
Strengthen thy heart to forget how thou hast enjoyed thyself,
fulfil thy desire whilst thou livest.

10 Put oils upon thy head
clothe thyself with fine linen adorned with precious metals

11 with the _gifts_ of God
multiply thy good things,
yield to thy desire,