Wisdom Teachings
Sebayt
Demotic Ptolemaic Wisdom text
iry lḫ lḫ
friend (of an) idiot (is an) idiot
iry rmt-rḫ rmt-rḫ
friend (of a) wise man (is a) wise man
iry rmt-swg rmt swg
friend (of a) foolish man (is a) foolish man
(~ref Non-Verbal Predication in Ancient Egyptian By Antonio Loprieno)
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Dispute of a Man and His Ba
iw mt m Hr.i m min snb mr mi prt r xntw r sA ihmt
Death is in my sight today recovery for a sick man, like going outside after confinement.
iw mt m Hr.i min mi sT(y) antyw mi Hmst Xr HtAw hrw TAw
Death is in my sight today like the smell of myrrh resin, like sitting under an awning on a windy day.
iw mt m Hr.i min mi sT(y) sSnww mi Hmst Hr mryt nt txt
Death is in my sight today like the smell of the lotus flowers, like sitting on the shore of the Drunkenness.
iw mt m Hr.i min mi wAt Hwyt mi iw s m mSa r pr.sn(w)
Death is in my sight today like the path of the rain, like when a man comes home from an expedition.
iw mt m Hr.i min mi kft pt mi s sxt im r xmt.n.f
Death is in my sight today like a clearing of the sky, like a man acquiring therein what he didn't think of before.
iw mt m Hr.i min mi Abb s mAA pr.sn(w)
Death is in my sight today like the desire of a man to see his home
ir.n.f rnpwt aSAt iT(w) m nDrt
after he spent many years held in a prison.
wnn ms nty im m nTr anx(w) Hr xsf iw n irr sw
But, surly who lives is there god, because of punishing the corruption of the one who does it.
~ lines 130-144 (my translation)
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Maxims of Ptaḥḥotep
m aA ib.k Hr rx.k
𓅓𓇋𓉻𓂝𓄿𓏜𓄣𓎡𓏤𓁷𓏤𓂋𓐍𓏛𓎡
Do not make your ego huge on account of your knowledge,
m mH ib.k Hr ntt tw m rxw
𓅓𓎔𓏛𓄣𓎡𓏤𓁷𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏲𓅓𓂋𓐍𓏛𓀀
Do not put all your confidence in this or that teacher.
nDnD r.k Hna xmw mi rxw
𓈖𓆓𓈖𓆓𓐩𓀁𓂋𓎡𓏤𓎛𓈖𓂝𓐍𓅓𓂜𓀀𓏇𓇋𓂋𓐍𓏛𓀀
Inquire of the uneducated together with the educated.
ni in.tw Drw Hmwt
𓂜𓏎𓈖𓏏𓅱𓇥𓂋𓅱𓈐𓍍𓏏𓏛𓏤
The height of your craft is never reached:
nin Hmww apr Axw.f
𓂜𓈖𓍍𓅱𓅱𓀀𓂝𓊪𓂋𓆬𓏜𓅜𓐍𓅱𓏛𓏥𓆑
And there is no craftsman whose craft is entirely perfect.
dgAw mdwt nfrwt r wAD
𓂧𓎼𓄿𓏲𓀃𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓂋𓇆𓈙
Good words are harder to find than malachite,
~sbAyt nt ptH-Htp/ Maxims of Ptaḥḥotep
Maxims of Ptaḥḥotep
2 (Papyrus Prisse, column 5, lines 4-6)
Dd.in Hm n nTr pn
Then the Power of this god said:
sbA r.k sw r mdt Xr HAt
Teach him then the speech from the past
ix ir.f biA n msw wrw
that he may provide the example for the children of the great.
aq sDm im.f mtrt ib nb
May hearing enter into him, the measure of every heart.
Dd n.f nn msy siA
Speak to him. For noone can be born wise.
Maxims of Ptaḥḥotep
3 (Papyrus Prisse, column 5, lines 6-8)
m sbA xmw r rx
in teaching the ignorant to be wise
r tp-Hsb n mdt nfrt
according to the rules of fine words,
m Axt n sDm.ty.fy
something useful to whoever heeds,
m wggt n nty r tht st
and something harmful to whoever transgresses it.
