Ancient Egyptian literature : an anthology

Format:

Book (regular print)

Title:

Ancient Egyptian literature : an anthology

Other title(s):

Egyptian literature

ISBN:

9780292725263

9780292725270

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Austin, TX : University of Texas Press, 2001.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 272 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Contents:

Poems: Akhenaten's hymn to the sun -- Tale of the shipwrecked sailor -- "Why, just now, must you question your heart" -- "I love you through the daytimes" -- "My love is one and only" -- "Love, how I'd love to slip down to the pond" -- "Love of you is mixed deep in my vitals" -- "I think I'll go home and lie very still" -- Songs of the birdcatcher's daughter -- Instruction for little Pepi on his way to school -- Longing for Memphis -- "Oh, I'm bound downstream on the Memphis ferry" -- Rebuke addressed to a dissipated scribe -- Menna's lament -- Debate between a man tired of life and his soul -- Resurrection of King Unis -- Prayer to the King to rise up -- Hymn to the King as a primordial God -- Hymn to the King as a flash of lightning -- Hymn to the King as a star fading in the dawn -- Prophecy of Neferty -- Testament of Amenemhat -- Two spells -- Spell for causing the beloved to follow after -- Power from the four winds of heaven -- Greatness of the King -- Prayer of King Ramesses II -- For a portrait of the Queen -- Hymn to Osiris -- Hymn to the Nile -- Hymn to the rising sun -- In praise of Amun -- Lament to Amun -- Tale of Sinuhe -- From the Leiden hymns -- Prayers of Pahery -- From the tomb of King Intef -- Harper's song for Inherkhawy -- From the eloquent peasant -- Peasant's eighth complaint -- From the maxims of Ptahhotep -- Instruction for Merikare -- Wisdom of Amenemopet -- Immortality of writers.

Summary:

"This anthology offers an extensive sampling of all the major genres of ancient Egyptian literature. It includes all the texts from John Foster's previous book Echoes of Egyptian voices, along with selections from his Love songs of the new kingdom and Hymns, prayers, and songs: an anthology of ancient Egyptian lyric poetry, as well as previously unpublished translations of four longer and two short poems."--Cover.

Subject(s):

Egyptian literature -- Translations into English.

Genre:

Translations.

Translations into English.

Added Author:

Foster, John L. (John Lawrence), 1930-2011.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	893.1 Ancient 2001	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

All major genres of Egyptian literature are represented in this anthology of poems, all translated into elegant English verse and providing an intimate glimpse into the lives of ancient Egyptians. The 41 pieces include hymns, such as Akhenaten's Hymn to the Sun, yarns, Ramesside love songs, laments, schoolboy' texts and instructions, visions and religious thoughts. Includes a glossary.

Reviews (3)

Booklist Review

It is hard for the Western mind to look farther back in history than to King David, but a literature older than the Psalms does exist. Some of these poems, translated from hieroglyphics by a scholar of both English literature and Egyptology, were carved into pots and stones and tablets a full millennium before Israel's great king. Older than the Buddha and the Bhagavad Gita, these poems constitute a truly ancient literature, and Foster's rich and textured translations make genuine love poems and exhortations to the gods out of what, to most of us, are just pictures. Perhaps most amazing are the Leiden Hymns, written in praise of a single, unified God. Jewish and Christian readers will hear anticipations of the Psalms, and Muslims, of Koranic themes, in these reflections from the dawn of monotheistic thought. Although a glossary is provided, Foster doesn't furnish enough context for those with no prior knowledge of Ancient Egypt. Even rank amateur Egyptologists, however, should be fascinated by these, some of the first poems ever written. --John Green

Choice Review

As professor emeritus of English (Roosevelt Univ.), Foster took up postdoctoral work at the Oriental Institute, Univ. of Chicago, and began more than three decades of translating Egyptian literature. Here he offers a representative sampling of ancient Egyptian literature: "wisdom" texts, hymns and prayers, love poems, tales, etc. His translations are highly readable, engaging, and flowing--uninterrupted by critical apparatus. Though it is much less comprehensive and scholarly than Miriam Lichtheim's three-volume Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings (1973-80), Foster's book gives the undergraduate reader a good sense of the beauty and diversity of this literature in one volume (replete with footnotes and more literal, Lichtheim's translations are less readable). There is little overlap between the two volumes. On the negative side, Foster provides insufficient background for the nonexpert, and the organization of texts is puzzling. A glossary provides useful information, but words glossed are not marked in the text. And, of the 44 translations included, only six are published here for the first time; the remainder appeared in Foster's previous anthologies, which include Echoes of Egyptian Voices (1992) and Hymns, Prayers, and Songs (1995). Large undergraduate collections supporting Middle Eastern and African literature. S. M. Most Eastern Michigan University

Library Journal Review

This exceptional sampling of one of the world's most ancient literatures offers more than 40 hymns, stories, prayers, and songs revolving around religion, the Pharaohs, life, death, love, and more. The literary translation presents a critical reading of the ancient texts rather than a strict literal rendering. We do not know for certain how to pronounce the language as it was spoken 3000 to 4000 years ago, but Foster (research associate, Oriental Inst., Chicago) includes a number of poems in their original hieroglyphs, adding an exotic touch. The introduction to ancient Egyptian literature, as well as information about the authorship and chronology of each selection, helps to place the works in context. An excellent glossary explains many of the ancient concepts for the modern reader, who will discover that the splendor of Pharaonic visual art of which we know and see plenty has its parallel in literature. Highly recommended for all literary collections, this is also of interest to comprehensive collections of Egyptology, Near Eastern history, world literature in translation, and religion. Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

List of Hieroglyphic Passages

Preface

Acknowledgments

The Poems Akhenaten'

Hymn to the Sun

The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor

"Why, just now, must you question your heart"

"I love you through the daytimes"

"My love is one and only"

"Love, how I'd love to slip down to the pond"

"Love of you is mixed deep in my vitals"

"I think I'll go home and lie very still"

Songs of the Birdcatcher' Daughter

The Instruction for Little Pepi on His Way to School

Longing for Memphis

"Oh, I'm bound downstream on the Memphis Ferry"

Rebuke Addressed to a Dissipated Scribe

Menna' Lament

Thc Debate between a Man Tired of Life and His Soul

The Resurrection of King Unis

Prayer to the King to Rise Up

Hymn to the King as a Primordial God

Hymn to the King as a Flash of Lightning

Prayer of the King as a Star Fading in the Dawn

The Prophecy of Neferty

The Testament of Amenemhat

Two Spells

Spell for Causing the Beloved to Follow After

Power from the Four Winds of Heaven

The Greatness of the King

Prayer of King Ramesses II

For a Portrait of the Queen

Hymn to Osiris

Hymn to the Nile

Hymn to the Rising Sun

In Praise of Amun

Lament to Amun

The Tale of Sinuhe

From

The Leiden Hymns

The Prayers of Pahery

From the Tomb of King Intef

The Harper' Song for Inherkhawy

From

The Eloquent Peasant

The Peasant' Eighth Complaint

From

The Maxims of Ptahhotep

The Instructionfor Merikarecirc

The Wisdom of Amenemopet

The Immortality of Writers (Epilogue)

Chronology

Glossary

Sources of the Texts

Bibliography

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Reviews (3)

Booklist Review

Choice Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents