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The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna II

Intercolumnar Wall B (134-138)

Esna 134

Cartouches of Domitian.

Esna 135

Title

1ḥnk ʿnḫ-ḏd-wȝs n ỉt=f
ʿšȝ ḥtp.w

1 Offering ʿnḫ-ḏd-wȝs to his father,360
numerous of offerings.

The King

2nsw.t-bỉty
(ywtgr(tr) ksrs)|
3zȝ-Rʿ
(twmtyns ḫwỉ)|
4mry Nḫb.t ḥd(.t) Nḫn

2 The King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
(Autokra(tor) Caesar)|
3 Son of Re,
(Domitian Augustus)|
4 beloved of Nekhbet, the White of Nekhen.

The Solar Disk

5Bḥdty

5 He of Behedet.

Nekhbet

6ḥb-sd nb
ʿnḫ-ḏd-wȝs nb
snb nb
ȝw.t-ỉb nb
ḥr s.t-ḥr
ḫnty ʿnḫ.w ḏ.t

6 All Sed Festivals,
all ʿnḫ-ḏd-wȝs, all health,
all happiness
upon the throne of Horus,
foremost of the living, forever.

Behind the King

8mn n=k ḥḥ n ʿnḫ-ḏd-wȝs
nsw=k tȝ.wy m nḏm-ỉb(?)
ʿnḫ=k ḏd=k wȝs=k
ʿȝ šfy.t=k
ḫr ḥr nb

8 Take millions of ʿnḫ-ḏd-wȝs,
may you rule the Two Lands in happiness(?),361 you live, you endure, you are mighty,
your prestige is great
before everybody.

Shemanefer

9ḏd-mdw n šmʿ-nfr
Sbk 10zȝ N.t
nṯr šps pr m Rʿ
11qmȝ n(ty)
ỉr wnn.t

12nsw.t-bỉty
ỉwʿʿ n N.t
smsw n Rs.t-ḥw.wt=s

ḫfḫf nṯry
ḫʿỉ m hrw
ḫprw ʿȝ n nṯr nb
rȝ-ḥzȝ
nḫt ḫpš.w
13ỉty sẖr ḫfty.w=f
ḫnt wr n tȝ

štȝ-ḫʿ.w
wḥm msḫʿ.w
rnp n nḥḥ ḏ.t
šmʿ-nfr nṯr ʿȝ ḥr-ỉb tȝ-sn.t

9 Words spoken by Shemanefer,
Sobek, 10 son of Neith,
august god who came forth from Re,
11 who created what is,
and made what exists.

12 King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
heir of Neith,
eldest of Rs.t-ḥw.wt=s.

Divine ḫfḫf-crocodile,
who appears in the day,
the great manifestation of every god,
the wild-mouthed crocodile,
strong of limbs,
13 Sovereign, who fells his enemies,
great ḫnt-crocodile of the earth.

Mysterious of appearances,
who repeats births,
who rejuvenates forever and ever:
Shemanefer, the great god within Esna.

Wadjet

14Wȝḏy.t ỉr.t-Rʿ nb.t p.t
15dỉ=s ʿnḫ-wȝs nb
snb nb ȝw.t-ỉb nb ḏ.t

14 Wadjet, Eye of Re, Lady of Heaven,
15 she gives all ʿnḫ-wȝs,
all health, all happiness, eternally.

Behind Shemanefer

16šzp.n=ỉ ʿnḫ
ȝm.n=ỉ ḏd
ḫfʿ=ỉ wȝs m ʿ.wy=ỉ
ʿnḫ=ỉ
ḏd=ỉ
wsr=ỉ

ḏỉ=ỉ n=k ỉḫt nb
pr m tȝ

16 As I have received ʿnḫ,
so I have grabbed ḏd,
and I have grasped wȝs in my hands.
I live (ʿnḫ),
I endure (ḏd),
I am mighty (wsr).

I give to you all good things
which come forth from the earth.

Esna 136

Title and Formula

1pḏ šs
m ḥw.t-ỉt
nḏr qd
m ḥw.t-mw.t

2mn.n=ỉ nbȝ.t tp-sms
pḏ=ỉ šs ḥnʿ sšȝ.t
smȝwỉ=ỉ pr ḥr snṯ=f
ḥts(=ỉ) 3ỉrw
m ỉr r-nfr
nn ḫnn m r’-ʿ.wy=n
ḫntỉ m kȝ.t mnḫ.t n.t nḥḥ

1 Pulling the cord
in the Temple of the Father,
beginning construction
in the Temple of the Mother.

2 I take the stake and the mallet,
I stretch the cord with Seshat,
I renew the temple on its foundation,
I complete 3 the work,
being done properly,
without collapse in our handiwork,
foremost of effective work of eternity.

The King

4nsw.t-bỉty
nb-tȝ.wy
(ȝwtwkrtwr kysrs)|
5zȝ-Rʿ nb-ḫʿ.w
(ȝtryns nty-ḫwỉ)|

6ỉqr-ḏbʿ.w
m-snỉ r rḫ-sỉ

4 The King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Lord of the Two Lands,
(Autokrator Caesar)|
5 Son of Re, Lord of Appearances,
(Hadrian Augustus)|

6 Excellent of finds,
just like Rekh-si (Thoth).

Seshat

7ḏd-mdw n sšȝ.t wr.t
nb.t sš.w ḫnt pr-mḏȝ.t

šȝʿ pḏ šs m 8s.t nb
qdi.t ʿn ṯzm
ỉr(?) ȝḫ.w m gs.w-pr.w

nb.t nỉw.wt
9snṯ spȝ.wt
grg ḥw.wt-nṯr ẖr ʿḫm=sn

10wn=ỉ ḥnʿ=k m mnḫ kȝ.t
rwḏ ʿ.wy=ỉ
n ỉr(.t) m ỉb=ỉ
pḏ=ỉ šs 11m ḥw.t-nṯr
sʿḥʿ=ỉ pr ḥr snṯ=f

sỉp=ỉ tȝ-sn.t m ḥḥ.w n rnp.wt
m […] ḏ.t

12ḏỉ=ỉ n=k ḫȝ-wr
ḥr snṯ
tp.w-rd.w=f
m ḥn.ty nḥḥ

7 Words spoken by Seshat the great,
Lady of writing within the Library.

Who began pulling the cord in 8 all places.
The builder, pleasant of walls,
who does(?) excellent work in temples.

Lady of cities,
9 who makes foundations for districts,
who founds temples bearing their images.

10 I am with you in effective work,
my arms are firm
realizing what is in my mind.
I pull the cord 9 in the temple,
I erect the domain upon its foundation.

I fix Esna for millions of years, in […] of eternity.

12 I give you the great office
upon the foundation,
all of its regulations
for the limits of eternity.

Neith

13ḏd-mdw n N.t wr.t
mw.t-nṯr nb.t tȝ-sn.t
štȝ.t ʿȝ.t
šȝʿ.t 14ḫpr m ḥȝ.t
ỉt mw.t n zȝ.w-n=sn
tȝ-ṯnn pw ṯnỉ r nṯr.w

15bȝ.t mnḫ.t
ḥnw.t tȝ-šmʿ tȝ-mḥw
tmȝ.t n Rʿ
nḏ.t m ḥȝ.t=f
ỉr=f ỉḫt 16ḫft wḏ=s
qmȝ gb.t
wȝḥ ḫt-mn
ỉr wnn(.t) nb m tȝ pn

17ḏi=ỉ n=k ḫt-mn […]

13 Words spoken by Neith the great,
Mother of God, Lady of Esna,
the great Mysterious one,
who began 14 creation in the beginning,
father and mother of the guardian deities,
that is Tatenen, distinguished of the gods.

15 Beneficient female Ba,
mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt,
mother of Re,
guardian on his brow,
he does things 16 as she decrees,
who created the celestial vault,
who establishes the earth,
who made all that exists on this earth.

17 I give you the earth […]

Esna 137

[…n]fr ḥr ỉfdw=f
ỉn sšȝ.t pḏ-sšr
nbỉ n ẖnmw m ʿ.wy=f ḏs=f
rsy-ỉnb=f ḥr swȝḥ=f
ḫwsỉ ỉn šw
ḫtỉ(?) m sš.w
n ḏḥwty m ḏbʿ.w=f
nḫb ḥr=f

[…g]ood […] upon its four corners,
by Seshat who stretched the cord,362
fashioned by Khnum with his own hands,
Resy-inebef (Ptah) makes it stable,
being founded by Shu,
inscribed(?) with the writings
of Thoth with his fingers,
dedications are on it363

Esna 138

1 - Nile

[…]
rnp r nw=f
sṯỉ […]
ḥʿʿ-ỉb nb n […]
m [.] Nwn
ḥʿʿ ḏȝ(m).w n ỉỉ=f

[…]
who rejuvenates at his time,
who pours out […]
every heart rejoices when […]
as […] Nun.
Generations rejoice when he arrives.

2 - Field

[sḫ.t qbb.t…]
ḏd-mdw

[ỉỉ].n
([…][ḫr=k]
[ẖnmw-Rʿ] nb tȝ-sn.t

ỉn=f n=k qbb.t
[…]
mnw ẖr šmȝ.w
wbg […]
[wȝḏ?]wȝḏ […]
[…]
qbb.t qmȝ sm.w=s

The [field qbb.t…]364
Words spoken:

[The king (…)]
has [come before you],
[…Khnum-Re] Lord of Esna365.

He brings to you the qbb.t-field
[…]
pools bearing blossoms,
blooming […]
verdure(?) […]
[…]
Qbb.t which creates her plants.