The Eloquent Peasant
CRITIQUE | THE TEXT
Eloquent Peasant papyrusAlso called
The Tale of the Peasant and the Workman; The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant; The Plea of the Eloquent Peasant
First appearance
c.1875 BCE
Literature form
Story
Genres
Literary
Writing language
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Author's country
Egypt
Length
Approx. 5,000 words in English translation
Notable lines
(From various translations)
There was once a man whose name was Khunanup. He was a peasant of Sekhet-Hernat, and he had a wife named Merit. Now this peasant said to his wife, "Behold, I am going down to Egypt in order to bring provisions from there for my children. Go and measure for me the barley which is in the store house, that which remains from last year's barley.
— First lines
They said that he was of all the world's kings
the gentlest of men, and the most gracious,
the kindest to his people, the keenest for fame.
If you descend to the Lake of Ma'at,
You will sail thereon in the breeze.
The fabric of your sail will not be tom,
Nor will your boat be driven ashore.
There will be no damage to your mast,
Nor will your yards be broken.
You will not founder when you come to land,
Nor will the waves bear you away.
You will not taste the perils of the river,
Nor will you gaze upon the face of fear.
The swiftly swimming fish will come to you,
And you will catch (many) fatted fowl;
For you are a father to the orphan,
A husband to the widow,
A brother to her who has been cast out,
The clothing of him who has no mother.
He who breathes calmly makes people pant.
Only the goodness of the good man is good beyond him.
— Last line
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CRITIQUE | THE TEXT
