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The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna II

Column C (166-172)

Esna 166

nsw.t-bỉty
nṯr nṯry ḥqȝ pȝwty.w
ỉty nb nṯr.w rmṯ
nḫt wr-pḥty
smȝ bdš
ỉr ʿḏ(.t) m ʿȝpp
ẖnm-Rʿ nb sḫ.t

The King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
the divine god, ruler of the primeval gods,
sovereign, lord of gods and men,
mighty, greath of strength,
who slaughters the rebel,
and makes a massacre of Apophis:
Khnum-Re, Lord of the Field.

Esna 167

Cartouches of Heka the Child, before Khnum-Re Lord of Esna and Khum-Re Lord of the Field.

Esna 168

  • Location: Column C, middle bandeau
  • Date: Domitian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: None

nṯr nfr stp n ṯnn
ḫnty ms.w=f
ṯny.n=f ḥr-tp ndb.wt=f
ỉr.n=f ḥb-sd.w ʿšȝ
(twmtyns ḫ(wỉ))

The good god, chosen by Tatenen,
from among his children,
he distinguished him above his lands,
and made for him numerous Sed Festivals:
(Domitian Augustus)

Esna 169

1nṯr nfr
wṯz ḥr.t n mw.t=f
m s.t=ỉb=s
mỉ šw ḥr wṯz p.t
(ḥr) sqȝ s.t-Rʿ
n mw.t-Rʿ
r wnwn ỉm=s
ḥr rnm ỉfd.w=s
(ḥr) smn zḫn.w ẖr=s
ḥr wȝḥ=s n rn=s
mỉ mr.t ẖr [ỉwn-ḥʿʿ…]

[…]=s ḫnt nṯr.w
gȝw ỉr.t nb.w
n snḏ=s
dḫn.n=f sḫm n mw.t=f wsr.t

1 The good god,
who elevates heaven for his mother,
in her favorite place,
like Shu, elevating491 the sky,
lifting up the Place of Re
for the Mother of Re,
in order to move about therein,
supporting its four corners492,
establishing the supports beneath it,
making it endure for her name,493
like the sky bearing [the moon].494

[…] her […] among the gods(?),495
(Since) all eyes are stunned496
from fear of her:
he concealed the image of his mighty mother.

2ỉwn pn
(ḥr) dwn ẖr s.t=k
ẖnmw ỉwn n ʿnḫ

This pillar (ỉwn),497
extends (dwn) beneath your place,
Khnum,498 air-pillar (ỉwn) of life.

3šnʿ pw štȝ
r ḫft-ḥr=k
šdỉ nnw=f (?) m 4sšn
m wbȝ=k

This capital (šnʿ)499 is remote (štȝ)
from your temple dromos (ḫft-ḥr),
you who raises (šdỉ) his child(?)500 from a lotus (sšn)
in your forecourt.

wȝḏ pf
wn=k 5m-ḫnt=f
wȝḏy.t wbn.tw
m 6wp.t=k

This papyriform pillar (wȝḏ),
in which you are (wn),
Wadjet (wȝḏy.t) shines (wbn)501
on 6 your brow (wp.t).

ṯwf pw
ṯȝy ỉb=k
7ṯȝ.wy=f mn(.w) ḥnʿ=k
ȝḫȝḫ.tw m rw.t-dỉ-mȝʿ.t=k
wȝḏwȝḏ.w m bȝḥ=k
ṯḥn.tw […] n ḥr=k

This papyrus plant (ṯwf),
which seizes (ṯȝy) your heart,
7 your children (ṯȝ.wy)502 stay with you,
flourishing in your forecourt,
verdant before your,
scintillating […] in your presence.

ȝḫy pf
ȝḫ.tw m ỉb=k
ršw [nṯr.w?]
n dgȝ=f
8hrw ḥr=k
r mȝȝ šnw=f
ṯḥn=f wḏȝ.ty=k
m rnp.w r ḥn.ty

This papyrus thicket (ȝḫy),
is excellent (ȝḫ) in your heart,
the [gods?] delight
[from] seeing it,
8 your face is happy
from seeing its flowers,503
it scintillates your wedjat-eyes,504
with fresh plants for the future.

[…]ḥy pf
ḥʿʿ=k n ḥpt=f
ḥn[…]k
ḥngg=k m ḥzw.t=f
ḫnmw=f nḏm

ʿšȝ n=f rnp.w
wr sm.w sw(t)
nỉ rḫ ṯnw=sn
9ḥtp.w=f mỉ ȝḫ.t
hrw wȝḏ
šmȝ.w=s nb.w
ḥr wp šnʿ=sn
ȝḫȝḫ=sn m wbȝ=k
rʿ nb

ḫntš ỉb=k
ḥr ḥpt=f

This […]ḥy,
you rejoice (ḥʿʿ) to embrace (ḥpt) it,
you hurry(?) […],
and you sing (ḥngg) from its encounter (ḥzw.t),
its smell is sweet.

Fresh flowers are numerous [for] it,
and indeed it is great of [pl]ants:
one cannot know their number.
9 Its ḥtp-flowers (ḥtpw) are like the field
on a green day (hrw);
all of its flowers
are opening up their blossoms505,
they flourish in your forecourt,
every day.506

Tour heart rejoices
to embrace (ḥpt) it.

sʿr pw
sṯỉ m ṯḥn
šbn m ḥrr.w nb.w
šnỉ.w-tȝ nb.w
pr m ḥʿpỉ

snṯ=f ʿšȝ
10ỉw=f ḫnty n sbt.wt
rmṯ nb.w sšȝ(.w)
m sḫr.w=f
snḏ=f m ỉb=sn
zȝ=sn r mȝȝ bȝw=f
ȝw-ỉb=k m sbt.wt=f

This papyriform plant (sʿr),
is strewn (sṯỉ) with fayence,
mixed (šbn) with all flowers,
and all plants (šnỉ-tȝ)
that come forth from Hapi.

His foundation (snṯ) is numerous,
10 it is preeminent in flowers (sbt.wt),
all people are aware (sšȝ)
of his plans/status (sḫr.w),
fear (snḏ) of him is in their hearts,
they guard (zȝ) against seeing his power:
May you delight with its flowers (sbt.wt)!

twȝ=sn m twȝy.t
ḫy=sn m ḫy.t
fȝỉ=sn m fȝy.t
ẖr nb=[sn]
mỉ ḥḥ ḥr wṯz nw.t

Their support is Tuayet,507
their raising is Khayet,
their carrying is Fayet,
bearing [their] lord,508
like Heh, supporting the sky.

Esna 170

11N.t wr.t mw.t-nṯr
nb.t tȝ-sn.t
ỉt-ỉt.w mw.t-mw.wt
štȝ.t ʿȝ.t šȝʿ(.t) ḫpr
m ḥȝ.t
bẖ ỉtn
sḥḏ tȝ (r)-ḏr=f

ỉr=s s.t=s m tȝ-sn.t
m tȝ-šmʿ
(ḥr) dỉ(.t) ỉḫt nb r s.t […]
[…] tȝ r ʿ=s
grg tȝ.wy nb (ẖr) s.t-ḥr=s
wbn šww ỉm=s
m snn=s n štȝ.t

11 Neith the great, Mother of God,
Lady of Esna,
father of fathers, mother of mothers,
great womb who started creation
in the beginning,
who bore the sundisk
and illumined the whole earth.

She makes her seat in Esna
in Upper Egypt,
giving all things to [their] places,
[…] the earth is at her disposal,509
all lands are founded (under) her supervision,
the sun rises from her,
in her form of the Mysterious sky.510

Esna 171

171 A

Aʿnḫ nṯr nfr
mḥ nỉw.t tn
n mw.t=f N.t

A Live the good god,
who fills this city
for his mother, Neith.

171 B

Bʿnḫ nṯr nfr
smȝwỉ wȝsy
mḥ gm-wš
nb snṯ
(twmtyns ḫwỉ)

B Live the good god,
who renews what is ruined,
who fills what is found missing,
lord of the foundation,
(Domitian Augustus)

Esna 172

No inscriptions.