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The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna II

Intercolumnar Wall A and North-East Door (127-133)

Esna 127

  • Location: South-east door, above lintel
  • Date: Unknown, probably Domitian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: Sauneron 1962, pp. 374-375; Sternberg 1985, pp. 100-102 (only cols. 1-8)

    NB: This long text is quite damaged. Many of the surviving snippets can be understood by comparing related inscriptions at Esna, especially those concerning the destruction of enemies such as Apophis on Epiphi 19-20 (Esna III, 259-266), the festival of justification on Khoiak 1-6, and descriptions of the sacred necropolis of North Esna.

    1[…]
    [ʿḫn].n=f [ỉr.ty]=f
    r [ḫfty pn]
    ẖr ẖkr.w nw ʿḥȝ
    […].n=f […]=sn
    […]

    2[…]
    […]=f ʿšȝ
    ỉr=f ḫrwy.t ʿȝ.t ỉm=sn
    hȝ=sn r mw ẖr=f

    wḥm=f qd=f m [ʿḫ]m
    […] ỉry
    […] wn […]
    […].ỉn ḫr m-ʿ=f

    sȝḥ=f 3[…]
    […] wḏȝ.ty […]
    […]
    Rʿ m [nb]-pḥty
    ẖnm=f ḥnʿ=f m sḫ.t
    ỉw ỉb=f ȝw.w

    rdỉ.n=f s(w)
    m nb n sḫ.t
    ḏ(d).tw n=f
    ẖnmw nb-sḫ.t

    mḥn tfn.t ḥr-tp=f
    wpš.n=s m wp.t=f
    m-ẖnw 4ww.t tn nfr
    ḫpr rn=s n Nb.t-ww

    1 […]
    [he closed] his [eyes]
    against [th]is [enemy],
    bearing his battle armor.322
    […] he […] their
    […]

    2 […]
    […] numerous.
    He made a great massacre among them,
    they went down to the water under it.

    He repeated his form as a [cr]ocodile,323
    […] likewise,
    […] was […]
    […] fell with him.

    He reached 3 [….]
    […] the wedjat-eyes […]
    […]
    Re as [Lord] of Strength,
    he joined with him in the Field,
    his heart being happy.

    He made him
    as lord of the Field,
    thus he is called
    ‘Khnum Lord of the Field.’

    Tefnut coiled up upon his head,
    she shone (wpš) on his brow (wp.t),
    within 4 this good field (ww),
    thus her name became ‘Nebtu’ (Nb.t-ww).

    ḏd.ỉn Rʿ n mw.t=f
    nfr-ỉb(=ỉ) ỉqr zp-snw
    ḏr mȝȝ=ỉ zȝ[=ỉ] šw
    m nb-pḥty
    ỉw sn.t=f m tfn.t
    mḥn(.t) m ḥȝ.t=f
    ẖnm.t ḥnʿ ȝḫ.t
    m spȝ.t tn

    ḏ(d).tw pr-ẖnmw-n-sḫ.t
    m rn n ỉȝ.t tn

    Then Re said to his mother:
    ‘My heart is glad, and very excellent,
    because I see [my] son Shu
    as the Lord of Strength,
    his sister is as Tefnut,
    coiled upon his forehead.
    The basin (ẖnm.t) is with the field
    in this district.’324

    So one says Temple of Khnum of the Field
    as the name of this mound.

    5* mȝʿ-ḫrw ỉn ḥm=f
    m snw n zp
    (hrw) 1/6 n ḥb kȝ-ḥr-kȝ

    […] š nṯry
    ḥr šms-ỉb=f m ẖnmw
    ḥr ỉr(.t) zȝ=f
    ḥr mk(.t) ḥʿw=f
    ḥr ḫwỉ ḏ.t=f
    r ḫrwy.t

    wbn ḥm=f m mȝỉ ʿȝ-pḥty
    dỉ=f r tȝ
    6m mȝỉ ḥzȝ-ḥr
    qn ṯnr nʿš […]
    […]
    nwr.n=f ḏw.w m hmhm=f

    pr=f r=sn
    wȝḥ=f ỉmỉ.tw=sn

    ỉỉ pw ỉn sn.t=f tfn.t
    mnḥ.n=s tp.w nw ḫfty.w=f
    7m ḫrpw=s n mȝỉ.t
    mr rn=[s n] Mnḥy.t

    5 Then his majesty was justified
    for a second time,
    on day 5 (= 1/6) of the Khoiak Festival.325

    […] the sacred lake,
    following his heart as Khnum,
    making his protection,
    guarding his flesh,
    protecting his body
    against massacre.

    His majesty shone as a lion great of strength,
    and he appeared on earth
    as a wild-faced lion,
    might, brave, raging […]
    […]
    the mountains tremble at his war cry.326

    He came forth against them,
    and installed himself in their midst.

    Then his sister, Tefnut, arrived,
    cutting off the heads of his enemies,
    in her manifestation of a lioness,
    in [her] name [of] Menhyt.

    […].n=f gs n […]
    m bȝ=tkk
    tqr-pḥty
    nḫt-ʿ smȝ bdš.w
    ỉr ʿḏ.t m ʿȝpp
    pḥty pḥty=f m pr-nṯr [….]

    […] he […] the half of […]
    as the raging Ba,
    fierce of strength,
    mighty of arm, who slays the disaffected,
    who makes a slaughter of Apophis:
    his strength is strong in Per-netjer […]

    8pr=f m mȝʿ-ḫrw
    m wp.wt[=f] nb.w
    wdỉ=sn qn n wḏ[=s]
    […]

    pȝ wpy ʿȝ
    ḫr.tw r=f

    ỉt=f Rʿ m ḥqȝ ȝw.t-ỉb
    m ḥb=f nfr
    n wḏʿ-mdw
    nṯr.w spȝw.t nỉw.wt […]
    […]
    9 ʿn.wy ỉry m sw wʿ
    r mȝȝ nfrw n ỉtn.wy

    8 He emerged in justification327
    from all [his] trials (wp.t).
    They deliver harm to whomever [she] commands328
    […]
    the Great wpy-Festival
    so they call it.

    His father Re is ruler of happiness,
    in his good festival
    of issuing judgements.
    The gods of nomes and cities […]
    [come to see him…]329
    9 beautiful, likewise, on Day 1
    to see the beauty of the two disks.330

    psḏ.t=f m ỉhȝy
    ỉȝ.t=f nṯry twr.tw n kȝ=f
    tȝ-r-ḏr=f ẖr ḥry.t=f

    pr pn nfr
    n pḏ-nmt.t ḫnt sḫ.t=f
    s.t ḏsr.t pw nt Itm
    10ḥw.t-ỉmn wr zp-snw
    nỉ rḫ ỉmỉ=s
    nỉ ḫnd=s zȝṯ
    nn ʿr=s z.t
    nỉ sš bwt-nṯr m ḫnt=s

    ḥr.tw zp-snw r bwt=s
    swḏȝ tȝ (r)-ḏr=f
    r ḫrwy.t

    ẖʿq(?) wnḫ
    pȝ nty ʿq r=s
    mw n ḥsmn
    pȝ nty sḫn ỉm=s
    11[pẖ]r nb r=s
    twr.tw r zȝṯ
    wʿb.tw r s.t
    m wʿb nt hrw 8

    ỉb n z ḥr wȝ.t=s
    r swtwt ỉḫt r pr=s
    n rʿ-[nb]
    fqȝ.w=s […]
    […] tȝ-šmʿ mḥw
    nr=s pẖr(.w) m tȝ.wy ḫȝs.wt
    nỉ ḥȝt-ỉb m-ḫnt=s [rʿ-nb]

    His Ennead is in jubilation,
    his divine mound is purified for his Ka,
    they whole land is in terror of him.

    This good domain,
    of Wide of Steps within his Field:
    it is the sacred place of Atum,
    the extra secret temple.331
    One does not know what is inside,
    impurity cannot trespass it,
    a woman may not approach it,
    the divine abomination may not pass inside.

    Avoid its abomination,
    and keep the entire land safe
    from calamity!

    Shaved(?)332 and clothed must be,
    all (men) who enter it;
    water and natron (bath is required)333
    for all who visit inside;
    11 [who ] came around to it,
    cleansed from filth,
    purified from (contact with) a woman,
    for a purification of 8 days.

    If a man desires to enter her road,
    in order to bring gifts to her temple,
    [any] day,
    she rewards [him…]
    […] Upper and Lower Egypt.
    Fear of her encircles all lands,
    there is no sadness inside it, [daily].

Esna 128

  • Location: South-east door, lintel
  • Date: Unknown, probably Domitian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: None

1 [ṯȝw nfr n ỉȝbt.t ]
[h]n-ḫss rn=f

ntf 2[wṯz] hȝy.ty
r ḥr.t m hȝw 2 […]
r wbg ỉz.ty m ḥḏḏ.wt

4[…] ḥḥ.tw m stw.t […]
[…].n=f m ȝw […]
5[…]=f ḥw.t-nṯr
n nb nḥp
sʿnḫ=f sw

ʿnḫ Ptḥ 6m ḥȝy=f
nḏm [sṯỉ]=f m ḥȝy […]

1 [The good wind of the east:]
[H]en-kheses is his name.334

It is he 2 [who lifts] the two luminaries
up to the sky in the time/area 3 of […]
to illumine Egypt in radiance.

4 […] speeding while […]
[…] he in […]
5 he […] the temple
of the Lord of the Potter’s wheel,
so he might enliven him

Ptah lives 6 from his wind
his [scent] is sweet as the wind […]

Esna 129

  • Location: North-East Door, interior, left
  • Date: Probably Domitian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: Sternberg 1985, pp. 103-105; see also Tempeltexte 2.0
  • Parallels: Esna III, 196, 3-5. Note that the latter text was inscribed on Column 1, immediately inside this north-east door, and thus very close to the present inscriptions. The same is true of vague parallels between Esna 129 and Esna III, 197.

1ỉr rȝ nṯry
nty [ḥr gs ỉmnty]
n pr-ẖnmw n sḫ.t
s.t-ḥr.t rn[=f]
[…]
ȝḫȝḫ.tw m s[nḏm?] […]

[…ḥw.t-ḥr] nb.t ỉnr.ty
r mȝȝ […]
[…] zȝ=f šw
ḥtp ỉb=f
m-ḫt mȝȝ=f s(w)

As for the divine portal,
which is [on the western side]
[of] Per-Khnum of the Field,335
[its] name is the Upper Place
[…]
flourishing while s[itting?…]

[…Hathor] Lady of Gebelein,336
to see […]
[…] his son Shu.
His heart is satisfied
after he sees him.337

2ḏd.ỉn zȝ n ỉt=f
ỉȝw tw ỉt-ỉtw
tm m ḥʿw=f

ḏd.tw n=f
Itm pȝ wrš n hrw 9
ḫr.tw r=f
ḏr wrš ḥm=f m hrw pn

2 Then the son said to his father:338 Glory to you, father of fathers, he who is complete (tm) in his body!

So one calls him
Atum (ỉtm), the Guard (wrš) of the 9th Day.339
He is called this,
since his majesty guarded (wrš) on this day.

ỉmn=f sw m [ḥr-ỉb ḏw]
ḏd.tw n=s [ḥw.t-ỉmn wr zp-snw]
[…]
[…] sšm Rʿ
qmȝ(.w) ḫnn m-ḫnt=s

3ḥȝp=n sḫr.w=sn
m s.t štȝ.t
ỉmn=sn m ḥr-ỉb ỉȝ.t tn
ḥtpty.w ỉmy.w ỉz=sn
[ỉzy].t šw
Wsỉr mỉt.t
ỉrw=sn ỉmn(.w) m ḫnt=s
stwḫ (r) nfr m […]

He hid himself with[in the mountain]
so one calls it [the great hidden chapel]340
[…]
[…] guiding Re,
those who created chaos therein.341

3 Let us hide their condition
in a remote place,342
and hide them within this mound:
the blessed dead within their tombs,
[the cre]w of Shu,343
Osiris, likewise.
Their physical forms are hidden within it,
being mummified well in […]

[…] ḥr ỉr(.t) ỉz nȝy
r fnḏ=sn rʿ nb
4ḫʿỉ=f r ssw[=f?]
[…] m ḏbȝ.t=sn
m ʿȝ n šfy.t=f

ḫʿ.ỉn Is.t m pr-nṯr
wp=s […]
[… sfsf] ȝw
kȝ[….]
ḫr.tw r bw pn

ʿq nṯr ỉm [….]
[…] m ḫnt=s
ỉw bw mry[=f?]
nỉ sk ḏ.t nḥḥ

[…] making sweet air344
for their noses, daily.
4 He appears at [his?] day
[…] in their coffins,
from the greatness of his prestige.

Then Isis appears in Per-netjer,345
she opens […]
[…to deposit] offerings
[…]
so one calls this place.

The god enters therein […]
[…] inside it,
it is the place [he?] loves,
without fail, for all eternity.

Esna 130

1ỉr ỉȝ.t tn
nty ḥr gs-rsy
n pr-ẖnmw n sḫ.t

s.t-ʿȝ.t rn=s […]
[…].w nty ỉm […]
[nṯr.w] 3 [nṯr.yt] 4
m rn=sn

[Ws]ỉr[-nḫt Inpw ỉmy-P]
ḥr.t zȝ.t-Rʿ ỉwt.t-ww nb.t-ww

ms.w-Rʿ pw
ḫw(.w) mk(.w) m-ḫnt=s
mỉ ỉmḥ.t ẖr 2 ḥtpty.w

wbn ỉt=sn Rʿ
m-ʿqȝ=s
(ḥr) ỉr(.t)-ʿ n ḥts
[…]
[…]=s nty ỉm

1 As for this mound,
which is to the south
of Per-Khnum of the Field.

The Great Place346 is its name […]
[…]s that are there […]
3 [gods] and 4 [goddesses]347
[in] their names:

[Os]iris [the Mighty, Anubis, He who is in Pe],
Horit, Daughter of Re, Iutu(?),348 Nebtu.

They are the children of Re,
guarded and protected within it,
like the cavern349 bearing 2 the blessed dead.

Their father Re rises
across from it
performing the action of mummifying
[…]
[…] which is there.

ḏḥwty pw ḥr shr ỉb=sn
[…]
ẖnm nṯr 8
ḏd.tw n=f
ỉmȝ-ỉb
pȝ-wrš-n-hrw-8
ḫr.tw r=f

3s[..]=f st m ỉhȝy
qbb ỉb=sn ỉm

nỉ ỉr.tw sgb m-ẖnw ỉȝ.t tn
nn ṯȝỉ.tw ṯb.ty m-ḫnt=s
ʿq.tw r=s […]
[…] wʿ.t
nỉ ṯȝ.tw srp.t m-ḫnt=s
m gs-ḥry […]

[…]
ḥr swr nṯr.w ʿȝ.w
ḥtp(.w) m-ḫnt=s
mw nṯry ỉm[…]

He is Thoth, delighting their hearts
[…]
[j]oining the 8 gods.
One says [to] him:
‘Be gracious!’
Thus he is called
the Guard of the 8th Day.350

3 He […] them in jubilation,
their hearts are cooled therein.

One may not shout within this mound,
one may not wear sandals351 within it,
whoever enters it […]
[…of] 1 [day];352
one may not wear ram-skin(?)353 in it,
in the upper part […]

[…]
magnifying the great gods
who rest within it.
The divine water is there […]

4wnn ỉȝ.t tn
ḥr mḥ.t n pr-ẖnmw n sḫ.t

ỉmỉ-wȝḏ=s pw
ỉȝ.t nbw.t-ʿȝy.t rn=s
m rȝ n rȝ

ʿḥʿ tfn.t ḥr=s
m ỉʿrr.t m-ẖnw
wȝḏ n gnš.w
r ḥȝp=s r nṯr.w

ỉỉ.ỉn Rʿ […]
[…]
5[…] wȝḏ.w pn

ḏ(d).ỉn Rʿ
m wȝḏ.w s(t) nfr
ḏd.tw ỉmy-wȝḏ=s
m rn n ỉȝ.t tn

ḏ(d).ỉn [Rʿ] n tf[n.t]
[…] nbw[…]
[…] mỉ [Rʿ] ḏ.t

4 Now this other mound,
to the north of Per-Khnum of the Field:

It is ỉmy-wȝḏ=s,
its name is also ‘Mound of the Great Gold’,354
in oral tradition.

Tefnut stopped upon it,
as a uraeus within
a papyrus thicket of gnš-plants,
to hide herself from the gods.

Then Re came […]
[…]
5 […] this papyrus thicket.

Then Re said:
‘It is nice in the papyrus thicket!’355
Thus one says ỉmy-wȝḏ=s
as the name of this mound.

Then [Re] said to [Te]f[nut]:356
[…] gold […]
[…] like [Re] eternally.

Esna 131

4 […]
5[m rn=k n] bȝw
wȝš r=k
m rn=k n wȝš
6ḏd [bȝ=k]
m rn=k n ḏd-bȝ.w
ḏsr [r=f]
m rn[=k n ḏsr]
7[qfȝ]=k
m rn=k n qfȝ
[…]

4 […]
5 [in your name of] Bau-power!
Be powerful,
in your name of Powerful!357 [May your Ba en]dure,
in your name of Enduring Bas!
Be sacred
in [your] name [of Sacred]!
7 Be [prestigious],
in your name of Prestigious!
[…]

8ỉ sḫm.t m sf
Wȝḏy.t m pȝ hrw
[ỉỉ.n=ṯ]
[swȝḏ=ṯ* 9 *wḏ]ḥw pn
n ẖnmw-Rʿ nb tȝ-sn.t
mỉ [nn ỉr]=ṯ
n ỉt=ṯ 10Rʿ
m pr=ṯ m P

ḫwỉ=ṯ ẖnmw-Rʿ nb tȝ-sn.t
m wȝḏ [pfy] 11n ʿnḫ
m ʿ=ṯ
m rn=ṯ pfy n Wȝḏy.t

wdỉ=ṯ šsr.w=ṯ
m wnmy.w nb nw 12ḫfty.w=f
ḫpr ḫrwy.t ỉm=sn

mỉ nn sḫm[=t]
13m ḫfty.w nw Rʿ
m zp tpy
m rn=ṯ pfy n 14[sḫm.t]

ỉw ḥtp.w n=t
ẖnmw-Rʿ nb tȝ-sn.t
15ntf Rʿ pr.n=ṯ ỉm=f
wn=f wn=ṯ
ṯz-[pẖr]

8 [O] Sakhmet of yesterday,
Wadjet of today:358
[You have come]
so you might preserve] 9 this [al]tar,
for Khnum-Re Lord of Esna,
like [that which] you [did]
for [your] father 10 Re,
when you came forth from Pe (Buto).

May you protect359 Khnum-Re Lord of Esna
with [this] papyrus 11 of life
in your hand,
in this your name of Wadjet.

May you send your arrows
in all food of 12 his enemies,
so that a disaster results from them.

Like the time when [you] took power
13 [over] the enemies of Re
in the first moment,
in this your name of 14 [Sakhmet].

These offerings are for you!
Khnum-Re Lord of Esna,
15 he is Re, from who you emerged.
As long as he exists, you exist,
and vice-versa.

Esna 132

  • Location: North-east door, interior, right
  • Date: Domitian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: None

Cartouches of Domitian, beloved of local divinities.

Esna 133

  • Location: North-east door, ceiling
  • Date: Domitian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: None

Text between two vultures wearing red crowns

Wȝḏy.t nb.t P Dp
dỉ=s nsyw.t ʿȝ.t
n zȝ Rʿ
(tmtyns nty-ḫwỉ)

Wadjet, lady of Pe and Dep,
she gives a great kingship
to the son of Re,
(Domitian, Augustus)