Skip to main content

The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna IV

Bay A (399-404)

Esna 399

  • Location: Bay A
  • Date: Trajan or Geta
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: Von Lieven 2000, pp. 15-19; Altmann-Wendling 2019, pp. 606-612.

A Various constellations and celestial beings

Color photograph after cleaning (left). Credit: Ahmed Amin
Color photograph after cleaning (right). Credit: Ahmed Amin
Color photograph

B 14 gods stand over phases of the moon

Color photograph
Detailed photograph. Credit: Ahmed Amin
Detailed photograph 2. Credit: Ahmed Amin

C Divinities accompany Khnum-Re in the solar bark

Color photograph

D Text over the bark
Photograph after cleaning with text not seen by Sauneron. Credit: Ahmed Amin
Detail of Thoth. Credit: Ahmed Amin
Additional photograph 1
Additional photograph 2
Additional photograph 3

1Ḫprỉ wr m dwȝw
wḥm rnp m Nw.t
sḥḏ tȝ.wy rʿ-nb
m ỉrw=f n Ỉtm
ḏȝỉ r Mȝ(nw) rʿ-nb
m ỉrw=f
n ḥỉšš(?)
ḥtp m ʿnḫ.t

1 Great Khepri in the morning,
who rejuvenates in Nut,
and illumines the two lands, daily,
in his form of Atum;
who sail to Ma(nu?), daily,
in his form
of the hippocampus(?)1
setting in the West.

Esna 400

wnn p.t bȝq(.tw)
m wr.w
psḏ ỉʿḥ ỉmỉ.tw=sn
r-gs ỉtn
mỉ Wsỉr m ỉw-nsrsr

wnn nn (n) nṯr.w
ḥr sḫp(r) nṯr.w nṯry.t
ʿ.wt ȝpd.w rm.w ḥrr.w
ẖ.t wnn.t nb.w tp tȝ
m ḥʿw=sn

nts(n) wḏʿ-mdw
m tȝ (r)-ḏr=f
ḥsb=sn ỉḫt nb
m p.t m tȝ
r-gs Rʿ ỉʿḥ
ḥȝy.ty

The sky is radiant
with the great stars,2
the moon shines between them
beside the sun disk,
like Osiris in the Isle of Flames.

These gods
create the gods and goddesses,
mammals, birds, fish, snakes,
the bodies of all that exists on earth,
all by themselves.

It is they who issue decisions
in the entire earth;
they reckon all things
in heaven and earth,
beside Re and the moon,
the twin luminaries.

bȝ.w ʿnḫ.w nw nṯr.w
pẖr(.w) s.t-Rʿ
nbnb(.w) hȝy.ty
rʿ-nb
wpwty.w m spȝ.wt
sṯy(.w) šsr=sn m r’=sn
r gmḥ=sn nb
wȝ(i.w)
m hrw pn
m ȝbd pn
m rnp.t tn
m wnw.t=sn nb

The living Bas of the gods,
who encircle the throne of Re (the sky),
who revolve around3 the two firmaments,
daily;
the messenger gods of the nomes,
who shoot their arrows from their mouths
against all those whom they behold
from afar:
on this day,
in this month,
in this year,
and in all their hours.

Ỉs.t pw m rr.t
ḥr spḥ msḫtyw
m p.t mḥy.t
r tm rdỉ.t sḫd=f
r dwȝ.t

wnn=f m-ʿ=s
m ỉp.t-wr.t m p.t
nn fḫ ʿ=s ỉm=f
ḏ.t nḥḥ

This is Isis as a hippopotamus,4
lassoing the Big Dipper
in the northern sky,
lest he be allowed to descend
to the Duat.

He remains with her,
as Ipet-weret in the sky;
her arm shall never release him,
for all eternity.

Esna 401

  • Location: Bay A
  • Date: Trajan or Geta
  • Hieroglyphic Text
  • Bibliography: Von Lieven 2000, pp. 29-33; Altmann-Wendling 2019, pp. 606-612.

A Thoth and Horus with a scarab-sun in the solar bark


Color photograph after cleaning. Credit: Ahmed Amin
Color photograph

B 14 Divinities standing on phases of the moon

Color photograph

C Various Astral Beings

Color photograph after cleaning. Credit: Ahmed Amin
Detailed photograph (left side). Credit: Ahmed Amin
Detailed photograph 2 (left side). Credit: Ahmed Amin

Additional photograph

Esna 402

Cartouches of Geta, Khnum-Re Lord of Esna, and Khnum-Re Lord of the Field

Esna 403

Cartouches of Trajan, Khnum-Re Lord of Esna, and Khnum-Re Lord of the Field.

Esna 404

1ʿnḫ nṯr nfr
nbỉ Pr-ẖnmw
ḫwỉ šzp.w=sn
mkỉ ʿḫm.w=sn
nsw.t-bỉty
(tmtyns ḫwỉ)|

1 Live the good god,
who fashions Per-Khnum,
who guards its statues,
and protects its relics,
the King of Upper and Lower Egypt:
(Domitian Augustus)|

2mry ẖnmw-Rʿ
ḥry s.t=f wr.t
ḥry-ỉb ḥw.t-bȝ.w
ỉwn n ʿnḫ
n nṯr.w rmṯ.w
nṯr ʿȝ ḫnty ḥw.t-ẖnmw

2 Beloved of Khnum-Re
upon his Great Throne,
within Temple of the Bas;
air-pillar of life
for gods and humans,
great god within the Temple of Khnum.

3mry Ỉs.t wr.t
mw.t-nṯr
nb(.t) ḥw.t-bȝ.w
ʿȝ.t m p.t
wsr.t m tȝ
ḥqȝ.t ḫnt(.t) tȝ-sn.t

3 Beloved of Isis the great,
Mother of God,
Lady of Temple of the Bas,
great in heaven,
mighty on earth,
Ruler foremost of Esna.

4mry Ḫnsw-Ḏḥwty m s.t tn
sš m p.t
sšm m tȝ
sḫm ʿȝ m nṯr.w

4 Beloved of Khonsu-Thoth in this place,
scribe in heaven,
guide on earth,
great power among the gods.