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The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna II

Intercolumnar Wall D (68-70)

Esna Tempel 10

Esna 68

  • Location: Facade, intercolumnar wall D
  • Date: Vespasian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: None

Cartouches of Vespasian.

Esna 69

jj.tw m ḥtp
[ẖnm=k? pr]-wr
ḫʿ=k m nfrw=k
m r’ n pr=k
mj Rʿ psḏ m ȝḫ.t

Wp-Wȝ.wt m-ḥȝ.t=k
psḏ.t ḥnʿ=k
bȝ.w P Nḫn jmyt-ḫ.t=k
ḥr ḥr sqȝ sšm=k
jw=k ḫʿ.tw [ḥr] s.t-ḥr ḏ.t

Welcome in peace!122
[May you enter the Per]-wer,123
appearing in your perfection
at the gate of your temple,
like Re shining in the Akhet.

Wepwawet is before you,
the Ennead is with you,
the Bas of Pe and Nekhen follow you,
and Horus lifts up your image,
you appear [upon] the throne of Horus, eternally

Esna 70

The King

1nsw.t-bỉty
nb-tȝ.wy
(ṯybrys)
2zȝ-Rʿ nb-ḫʿ.w
(kysrs nty-ḫwỉ)

1 The King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Lord of the Two Lands,
(Tiberius),
2 Son of Re, Lord of Appearances,
(Caesar Augustus)

Nekhbet

3ḏd-mdw ỉn Nḫb.t
ḥḏ.t Nḫn

dmḏ=ỉ ḥnʿ sn.t=ỉ
ḥr ḫfʿ ʿ.wy=k
4r mȝȝ=k ỉt=k
ẖnmw nb nṯr.w rmṯ

5bs r ḥw.t-nṯr n ỉt=k
nb Iwny.t
ỉr=f ʿnḫ r fnḏ=k

ỉmy n=ỉ ʿ.wy=k
snb=ỉ ḥʿw=k
mȝȝ=k nṯr
ỉỉ.n=k ḫr=f

3 Words spoken by Nekhbet,
the luminous one of Nekhen:

I join together with my sister,
grasping your hands,
4 so you might see your father,
Khnum, Lord of gods and people.

5 Approach the temple of your father,
the lord of Iunyt,
so he might create life for your nose.

Give to me your hands,
I shall make your body healthy,
so you might see the god,
before whom you have come.

Wadjet

6ḏd-mdw ỉn Wȝḏy.t
nb.t ḏp P

ḫʿỉ=k ḥnʿ=n
šzp.tw=k
7nb nḥp m [nḏm/ȝw.t]-ỉb
sʿšȝ=f ḏȝm.w=k

8spr r ḥw.t-ẖnmw
n ỉt-ỉt.w […]
sšm=ỉ k(w) (ḥr) wȝ.t
sqd=k ỉm=s
snṯr(=ỉ) k(w)
r pʿ.t rḫy.t

6 Words spoken by Wadjet,
Lady of Dep and Pe:

May you appear together with us,
so the Lord of the Potter’s wheel
7 might receive you in joy,
and magnify your population.

8 Arrive to the Temple of Khnum,
of the father of fathers […]
I guide you (upon) the path124
through which you travel,
I make you more sacred
than nobles or commoners.125

Before both goddesses

9mỉ ḥnʿ=n m bȝḥ ỉt=k ẖnmw
šzp=f tw=k m nfr
ỉw ỉb=f hr.w

dỉ=f n=k
nḥḥ m nsw.t tȝ.wy
ḏ.t m ḥqȝ ȝw.t-ỉb

9 Come with us before your father, Khnum,
so he might receive you well,
his heart being glad.

May he give you
cyclical eternity as king of the two lands,
linear eternity as ruler of happiness.

Heka

10ḥkȝ pȝ ẖrd
ʿȝ wr tpy n ẖnmw

10 Heka the Child,
the very great first-born of Khnum.

Khnum-Re Lord of Esna

11ḏd-mdw ỉn ẖnmw-Rʿ nb tȝ-sn.t
sḫm šps
ḥry nṯr.w nb
Km-ȝ.t=f 12qmȝ wnn.t
kȝ ỉr kȝ.w
ḫpr ḫnt

nfr-ḥr
nb šwty wr
bȝ pw ỉr nṯr.w

13wbn tp=f
ỉw tȝ ȝbḫ(.w) m zmȝwy
ỉr.t=f ḥr sḥḏ tȝ.wy

14qdỉ rmṯ ms nṯr.w
ʿ.wt nb mỉt.t
wnn.t nb ḫpr=sn m ʿ.wy=f
15ẖnm.n=f tȝ (r)-ḏr(=f)
ḥr nḥp=f

ʿnḫ ʿnḫ.tw ỉm=f
ṯȝw n ʿnḫ tp-rȝ=f
16Imn wr
ḫpr ẖr-ḥȝ.t
ỉr p.t tȝ dwȝ.t
mw ḏw.w
nṯr ʿȝ ḥr-ỉb Iwny.t

17dỉ=ỉ n=k rsy.t r-ʿ ṯȝw
mḥy.t r-ʿ mw
tȝ.wy nb (ḥr) snỉ-tȝ n bȝw=k

11 Words spoken by Khnum-Re, Lord of Esna,
the august power,
chief of all the gods,
Kematef, 12 who created what exists,
Ka serpent who made the Kas,
who came about before.

Beautiful of face,
lord of the double plumes,
he is the Ba who made the gods.

13 His head126 arose
while the earth was mixed in darkness,
his eyes illumined the two lands.127

14 He who builds people and fashions gods,
all animals likewise,
all things came about through his hands,
15 he united the entire land
upon his potter’s wheel.

Life, through whom one lives,
whose utterance is the breath of life,
16 Amun the great,
who came about in the beginning,
who made heaven, earth, Duat,
waters and mountains:128
(in short) Great God within Iunyt.

17 I give you the south as far as the wind,
the north as far as the water,
all lands kiss the earth for your power.