DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5066#0435
404 THE STELA OF PIANKHI oh. xvi.-
The fear of thee is in my body, and distress before thee in my bones.
I sit not in (134) the festive hall (lit. the chamber of mead), nor'
do I take down the harp. I eat bread for hunger, and I drink
water for (135) thirst every day, since thou hast heard of my name.
A shivering is in my bones, my head is shorn, my garments (136)'
are old, in order that I may appease the goddess Nit. Long is
the race which has brought thee to me. Turn thy (face from) above
on me who am below. Is it well to (137) torment my existence?
Purify thy servant from his haughtiness. Come ! receive my pro-
perty for thy treasury : (138) gold and jewels, also the most
excellent of the horses. They may pay for all. (139) Let a mes-
senger straightway come to me. Let him chase away the anguish
from my heart. My desire is to go up into a sanctuary before him :
I will purify myself by an oath (140) before God.'
Then his Majesty sent the leader of the prayers, Pet-Amen-nes-
taui, and the general Pa-ur-Maat. He (i.e. Tefnekht) presented (141)
them with silver and gold, with robes and jewels. He went up
into a sanctuary. He prayed to God, he (142) purified himself by an
oath before God, speaking thus : ' I will not transgress the king's-
command, nor will I neglect (143) the words of his Majesty. I will
not compass harm to any prince without thy knowledge. I will
behave according to the words (144) of the king, and will not
transgress what he has commanded.' With this his Majesty was-
satisfied.
Tidings were brought to (145) his Majesty : ' The city of Croco-
dilopolis has opened its fortress and the city of Matennu has
surrendered.'
(146) Thus no district was shut against his Majesty, of the
nomes of the South and of the North. The West and the East
and the islands in the midst had submitted through fear before
him, and (147) brought their presents to the place where his-
Majesty resided, as subjects of the palace.
When the earth grew light, in the morning, (148) very early>-
there came the two kings of the South and two kings of the'
North, with their royal serpent-diadems, to worship before the-
presence (149) of his Majesty. With them also the kings of
Upper Egypt and the princes of Lower Egypt, who came to
behold the grace of his Majesty. (150) Their legs were the legs
of women. They did not enter the king's house, because they
were unclean, (151) and besides they ate fish, which is an abomina-
tion to the king. But as for King Nimrod, he went (152) into the
king's house, because he was clean and ate no fish. They stood,
there (153) upon their legs, every one at the entrance of the kings-
house.
The fear of thee is in my body, and distress before thee in my bones.
I sit not in (134) the festive hall (lit. the chamber of mead), nor'
do I take down the harp. I eat bread for hunger, and I drink
water for (135) thirst every day, since thou hast heard of my name.
A shivering is in my bones, my head is shorn, my garments (136)'
are old, in order that I may appease the goddess Nit. Long is
the race which has brought thee to me. Turn thy (face from) above
on me who am below. Is it well to (137) torment my existence?
Purify thy servant from his haughtiness. Come ! receive my pro-
perty for thy treasury : (138) gold and jewels, also the most
excellent of the horses. They may pay for all. (139) Let a mes-
senger straightway come to me. Let him chase away the anguish
from my heart. My desire is to go up into a sanctuary before him :
I will purify myself by an oath (140) before God.'
Then his Majesty sent the leader of the prayers, Pet-Amen-nes-
taui, and the general Pa-ur-Maat. He (i.e. Tefnekht) presented (141)
them with silver and gold, with robes and jewels. He went up
into a sanctuary. He prayed to God, he (142) purified himself by an
oath before God, speaking thus : ' I will not transgress the king's-
command, nor will I neglect (143) the words of his Majesty. I will
not compass harm to any prince without thy knowledge. I will
behave according to the words (144) of the king, and will not
transgress what he has commanded.' With this his Majesty was-
satisfied.
Tidings were brought to (145) his Majesty : ' The city of Croco-
dilopolis has opened its fortress and the city of Matennu has
surrendered.'
(146) Thus no district was shut against his Majesty, of the
nomes of the South and of the North. The West and the East
and the islands in the midst had submitted through fear before
him, and (147) brought their presents to the place where his-
Majesty resided, as subjects of the palace.
When the earth grew light, in the morning, (148) very early>-
there came the two kings of the South and two kings of the'
North, with their royal serpent-diadems, to worship before the-
presence (149) of his Majesty. With them also the kings of
Upper Egypt and the princes of Lower Egypt, who came to
behold the grace of his Majesty. (150) Their legs were the legs
of women. They did not enter the king's house, because they
were unclean, (151) and besides they ate fish, which is an abomina-
tion to the king. But as for King Nimrod, he went (152) into the
king's house, because he was clean and ate no fish. They stood,
there (153) upon their legs, every one at the entrance of the kings-
house.