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The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna II

Outer Frame of the Facade (46-48)

Esna 46

  • Location: Facade, corniche
  • Date: Claudius and Vespasian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: None

Alternating cartouches of Claudius and Vespasian.

Esna 47

NB: Esna 47 A, Esna 47 B, and Esna 97 all present canonical Egyptian epithets of the Roman emperor, collected and analyzed by Grenier 1987. An excellent, fully-preserved example can be found in Opet I, 232.

Esna 47 A

Left (South)

Aʿnḫ ḥr
ṯmȝ-ʿ wr-pḥty
ḥqȝ ḥqȝ.w
stp.n Ptḥ
Nwn-wr ỉt-ntr.w

A Live the Horus,
Valiant of Arm, Great of Strength,
Ruler of Rulers,
chosen by Ptah,
Great Nun, father of the gods.

ỉṯ.n=f ỉȝw.t n Rʿ
ns.t n Gbb
rdỉ(.w) [n=f ỉmy.t]-pr n šw

ʿq=f tȝ-mry
hr(.w) tȝ-šmʿ tȝ-mḥw m ḥʿʿ
Rʿ psḏ m ȝḫ.t

As he seized the office of Re,
and the throne of Geb,
so [he was] given the inheritance of Shu.

When he enters Egypt
Upper and Lower Egypt delight in joy,
Re who shines in the Akhet.

ỉty
ḥqȝ zȝ ḥqȝ
wḏ=f pw tkn r ḥr.t
sbty n bỉȝ ḥȝ Bȝq.t

mrỉ sw ḥp-ʿnḫ
sr=f n=f hȝ.w ʿšȝ.w nfr.w

The sovereign,
ruler, son of the ruler,
it is his command which reaches up to heaven,
a wall of iron around all Egypt.

The living Apis loves him,
announcing for him numerous, excellent years.

smn=f hp.w nw tȝ r-ḏr=f
mỉ ḏḥwty ḥr ỉr(.t) mȝʿ.t

smnḫ tȝ.wy
pȝ ẖnw ʿȝ wr tpy mr=f
ỉṯ tȝ.wy hrwm.t

He establishes laws for the entire land
like Thoth, performing Maat.

He who makes excellent the two lands
and the very great, first capital he prefers (= Rome),
who seizes the two lands and Rome.

nsw.t-bỉty
nb-tȝ.wy
(tbrys grwtys ksrs nty-ḫwỉ)
zȝ Rʿ nb-ḫʿ.w
(krmnyqs ȝwdgrtwr)
mrỉ ẖnmw-Rʿ nb tȝ-sn.t
dỉ(.w) ʿnḫ mỉ-Rʿ ḏ.t

The King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Lord of the Two Lands,
(Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus)|
Son of Re, Lord of Appearances,
(Germanicus Autokrator)|
beloved of Khnum-Re Lord of Esna,1
given life like Re forever.

Esna 47 B

Right (North)

Bʿnḫ ḥr
ṯmȝ-ʿ wr-pḥty
ḥqȝ ḥqȝ.w
stp.n Ptḥ
Nwn-wr ỉt-ntr.w

B Live the Horus,
Valiant of Arm, Great of Strength,
Ruler of Rulers,
chosen by Ptah,
Great Nun, father of the gods.

ỉṯ.n=f ỉȝw.t n Rʿ
ns.t n Gbb
[rdỉ(.w)] n[=f ỉmy.t-pr n šw * ] tȝ-šmʿ tȝ-mḥw m ḥʿʿ
Rʿ psḏ m ȝḫ.t

As he seized the office of Re,
and the throne of Geb,
[so he] was [given the inheritance of Shu. ]
Upper and Lower Egypt [delight] in joy,
Re who shines in the Akhet.

ỉty
ḥqȝ zȝ ḥqȝ
wḏ=f pw tkn r ḥr.t
sbty n bỉȝ ḥȝ Bȝq.t

mrỉ sw ḥp-ʿnḫ
sr=f n=f hȝ.w

The sovereign,
ruler, son of the ruler,
it is his command which reaches up to heaven,
a wall of iron around all Egypt.

The living Apis loves him,
announcing for him years.

smn=f hp.w nw tȝ r-ḏr=f
mỉ ḏḥwty ḥr ỉr(.t) mȝʿ.t

smnḫ tȝ.wy
pȝ ẖnw ʿȝ wr tpy mr=f
ỉṯ tȝ.wy hrwm.t

He establishes laws for the entire land
like Thoth, performing Maat.

He who makes excellent the two lands
and the very great, first capital he prefers (= Rome),
who seizes the two lands and Rome.

nsw.t-bỉty
nb-tȝ.wy
(ȝwtwkrdwr gysrs)
zȝ Rʿ nb-ḫʿ.w
(wspysyns nty-ḫwỉ)
mrỉ ẖnmw-Rʿ nb sḫ.t
nṯr ʿȝ nb tȝ-sn.t
dỉ(.w) ʿnḫ mỉ-Rʿ ḏ.t

The King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Lord of the Two Lands,
(Autokrator Caesar)|
Son of Re, Lord of Appearances,
(Vespasian Augustus)|
beloved of Khnum-Re Lord of the Field,
great god, lord of Esna,
given life like Re forever.

Esna 48

  • Location: Facade, Upper Bandeau, lower row
  • Date: Unknown, probably Vespasian
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: Sauneron 1962, p. 74 (48 A, partial translation); Sauneron 1961, p. 233 (48 A, partial translation)

Esna 48 A: Bandeau South (left)

Adgȝ Rʿ jm=f m ḫy šps
ms m dwȝw
ẖnm=f ḥnʿ jt=f Tȝ-ṯnn
ʿḫ[.n]=f p.t ẖr=f
n ȝbd 3 pr.t sw 1

A Re is seen within as an august child,
who is born in the morning.
He unites with his father, Tatenen,
after he (Tatenen) lifted up the sky [bear]ing him,
on III Peret (Phamenoth 1).

ḥr-ȝḫty sḥḏ tȝ.wy
ʿnḫ(.w) n mȝwy=f
wpš nn.t
šnbtj nb hȝy.ty
ḫprj pw rʿ-nb

Harakhty, who illumines the two lands,
from whose rays (one) lives,
who brightens the sky,
falcon, lord of the double firmament,
this one is Khepri, every day.

wsn pfy
jr nḏmnḏm
bȝ sṯj n fdw ḥr.w
ḫnt nb-ʿnḫ

That one2 (Khnum-Tatenen) is the virile one,
he who creates sexual pleasure,
the engendering ram with four faces,3
foremost of Neb-ankh.4

sḥḏ.n=f ḥw.t-jt
m pr=f
bẖ.n=f ḥw.t-ṯȝ.wy
m wbn=f
jrr sḫ.t m nqr

As he illumined the Temple of the Father
by his coming forth,
so did he brighten the Temple of the Two Children
by his rising,
so that the field is overlaid5 with gold dust.

ḏ(d).tw js Jmn m rn=f
wṯz.n=f p.t m hȝy.t n bȝ=f
wḏ.n=f dwȝ.t r ḥȝp ḏ.t=f

He is moreover called “Amun” by name:6
as he raised up the sky as a chapel for his Ba,
so did he ordain the Duat to conceal his body.

nṯr pn šps
ẖnm-Rʿ nb-tȝ-sn.t
nṯr-ʿȝ nb sḫ.t

This august god,
Khnum-Re Lord of Esna,
Great god, Lord of the Field.

Esna 48 B: Bandeau North (right)

Bdgȝ Rʿ ỉm=f
ms n tmȝ.t
m ḫy tp nḫb

sr.n=f n=f
šzp n wnny.w
wpš ỉtn
bs=f […] ḥr.t
ḫrs mȝwy=f kwkw

ḏsr=s nw.t m kȝr=f
srnp=s ḏ.t n Rʿ m wḥm
m sštȝ=s wr.t
nt Rs.t-ḥw.wt=s

B The sight of Re is in it,
born of the Mother,
as a child upon the lotus.

He (sic) announced for him
light for those who exist,
the sundisk shines,
his image goes up […] heaven,
and his rays dispel darkness

She sanctifies the sky as his shrine,
she rejuvenates the body of Re again,
in her great mysterious form,
of Rs.t-ḥw.wt=s.

ỉʿb.tw Wsỉr m Pr-nṯr
ḥnʿ ḏȝỉs.w wr.w nw Mḥ.t-wr.t
nty ỉmn(.w) m ỉmḥ.t
nỉ mȝȝ=s rmṯ
nỉ rḫ=s nṯr.w
tȝ (r)-ḏr=f wʿb.tw
r bwt=s

Is.t ḥnw.t
ḥr ỉr(.t) qbḥw snṯr n kȝ=s(n)
ḥnʿ ḥtpty.w

Osiris is buried in Per-netjer,
with the great Djaisu of Mehet-weret,
who are concealed in the cavern.
People cannot see it,
gods cannot know it,
the whole world is pure
from its abomination.

Isis, the mistress,
performs cool water and incense for their Ka,
along with the blessed dead.

Mȝʿ.t ỉỉ.tw m p.t ḫr Rʿ
ỉr=s s.t=s m tȝ pn
nṯr.w nṯry.t twt(.w) r mȝȝ=s

mw.t ḥnʿ ỉt-m-šȝʿ
šȝʿ ḫpr nỉ ḫpr ḫpr
ḫpr ḫpr nb
m-ḫt ḫpr=s

mw.t pw nt Rʿ
ʿq=s pr=s
ỉw ỉb=s ȝw(.w)

N.t wr.t mw.t-nṯr
nb.t tȝ-sn.t
Mnḥy.t-Nb.t-ww ḥqȝ.t m pr-nṯr

Maat came down from heaven to Re,
and made her seat in this land,
gods and goddesses assemble to see her.

The mother and father in the beginning,
who began creation, before creation existed,
all creation came into existence
after they came into existence.

She is the mother of Re,
as she enters her domain
her heart is glad.

Neith the great, Mother of God,
Lady of Esna.
Menhyt-Nebtu ruler in Per-netjer.