The Shipwrecked Sailor

The wise servant said, " Let your heart be at peaceLet thy heart be satisfied, O my lord, because we have come backfor that we have come back to our country. After a long voyage and much rowing, the bow of our ship has at last touched landthe country; after we have long been on board, and rowed much, the prow has at last touched land. All the people rejoice, and embrace us one after another. Moreover, we have come back in good health, and no one is missingnot a man is lacking; although we have been to the ends of Wawat and through the land of Senmut, we have returned in peace. Our own land—look, we have come back to italthough we have been to the ends of Wawat, and gone through the land of Senmut, we have returned in peace, and our land—behold, we have come back to it. Listen to me, my lordHear me, my lord; I have no other refuge. Wash yourselfWash thee, and pour the water over your fingersturn the water over thy fingers; then go and tell the tale to His Majestythe majesty."

His lord replied, "Your thoughts still wander! A man’s words may save him, but they may also bring him shameThy heart continues still its wandering words! but although the mouth of a man may save him, his words may also cover his face with confusion. Will you act as your heart guides you?Wilt thou do then as thy heart moves thee? Say what you wish to say calmly."This that thou wilt say, tell quietly "

The sailor then answered, "Now I will tell you what happened to me—to me myselfNow I shall tell that which has happened to me, to my very self. I was going to the mines of Pharaoh, and I sailed out to seaI went down on the sea on a ship about eighty metres long and twenty metres wide, with 150 of the best sailors in Egypton a ship of 150 cubits long and 40 cubits wide, with 150 sailors of the best of EgyptExplanation: The original gives 150 cubits by 40 cubits. Using the Egyptian cubit of about 52 centimetres gives roughly 78 by 21 metres, rounded here to help picture the ship. These are approximate equivalents., who had seen heaven and earth, and whose hearts were stronger than lions. They had said that the wind would not blow against us, or that there would be no windthe wind would not be contrary, or that there would be none. But as we approached the land the wind arose, and raised waves about four metres highthrew up waves eight cubits highExplanation: The original gives waves eight cubits high. With an Egyptian cubit of about 52 centimetres, that is roughly four metres.. As for me, I seized a piece of wood; but everyone else in the ship diedthose who were in the vessel perished, without one remaining. A wave threw me on an island, after I had spent three days alone, with no companion but my own heartafter that I had been three days alone, without a companion beside my own heart. I lay downI laid me in a thicket, and the shadow covered me. Then I stretched out my limbs to look for something to eatThen stretched I my limbs to try to find something for my mouth. I found there figs and grapes, all kinds of good herbsall manner of good herbs, berries and grain, melons of all kinds, fishes and birds. Nothing was lacking. I ate my fill and left on the ground what remained of the food I had gathered in my armsAnd I satisfied myself; and left on the ground that which was over, of what my arms had been filled withal. I dug a pit, I lit a fireI lighted a fire, and I burnt an offering to the godsmade a burnt-offering unto the gods.

"Suddenly I heard a noise like thunder, which I thought was a wave of the seaa noise as of thunder, which I thought to be that of a wave of the sea. The trees shook, and the earth trembledthe earth was moved. I uncovered my face, and I saw a serpent approachingI saw that a serpent drew near. He was about sixteen metres long, and his beard was over a metre longthirty cubits long, and his beard greater than two cubitsExplanation: The original gives thirty cubits for the serpent and more than two for his beard. With an Egyptian cubit of about 52 centimetres, these are roughly sixteen metres and over a metre. The equivalents remain approximate.; his body looked as though it was covered in gold, and his colour was that of real lapis lazulihis body was as overlayed with gold, and his colour as that of true lazuli. He coiled himself before me.

"Then he opened his mouth, as I lay face down before him, and said to mewhile that I lay on my face before him, and he said to me, 'What has brought youthee, what has brought youthee, little one, what has brought youthee? If you do not quickly saythou sayest not speedily what has brought youthee to this islandthis isle, I will teach you a lessonI will make thee know thyself; like a flame you will vanishas a flame thou shalt vanish, if you do not tell meif thou tellest me not something I have not heard, or did not know before you arrivedor which I knew not, before thee.'

"Then he took me in his mouth and carried me to his resting-place, and laidlayed me down without any hurt. I was safe and sound, with nothing missingI was whole and sound, and nothing was gone from me. Then he opened his mouth to speak to me as I lay face down before himopened his mouth against me, while that I lay on my face before him, and he said, 'What has brought youthee, what has brought youthee, little one, what has brought youthee to this islandthis isle which is in the sea, and whose shores are surrounded by wavesof which the shores are in the midst of the waves?'

"Then I replied to him, and with my arms held low before him, I saidholding my arms low before him, I said to him, 'I set sail for the mines on His Majesty’s orders. The ship was about eighty metres long and twenty metres wideI was embarked for the mines by the order of the majesty, in a ship, 150 cubits was its length, and the width of it 40 cubitsExplanation: The original gives 150 cubits by 40 cubits. Using the Egyptian cubit of about 52 centimetres gives roughly 78 by 21 metres, rounded here to help picture the ship. These are approximate equivalents.. It had 150 of the best sailors in Egypt150 sailors of the best of Egypt, who had seen heaven and earth, and whose hearts were stronger than lionsthe hearts of whom were stronger than lions. They said that the wind would not blow against us, or that there would be no windthe wind would not be contrary, or that there would be none. Each surpassed his companions in good judgement and strength, and I was equal to any of themEach of them exceeded his companion in the prudence of his heart and the strength of his arm, and I was not beneath any of them. A storm came upon us while we were on the sea. We could barely reach the shore when the wind grew even stronger, and the waves rose to about four metresHardly could we reach to the shore when the wind waxed yet greater, and the waves rose even eight cubitsExplanation: The original gives waves eight cubits high. With an Egyptian cubit of about 52 centimetres, that is roughly four metres.. As for me, I seized a piece of wood, but everyone else in the boat died. I was alone for three dayswhile those who were in the boat perished without one being left with me for three days. See me now before youBehold me now before thee, for a wave of the sea brought me to this islandfor I was brought to this isle by a wave of the sea.'

"Then he said to meThen said he to me, 'Fear not, fear not, little one, and do not look sadmake not thy face sad. If you havethou hast come to me, it is God who has let youthee live. It is HeFor it is He who has brought youthee to this blessed islandthis isle of the blest, where nothing is lacking, and which is filled with all good things. Now you will spend one month after another here, until you have been on this island for four monthsSee now, thou shalt pass one month after another, until thou shalt be four months in this isle. Then a ship will comeThen a ship shall come from yourthy land with sailors, and you willthou shalt leave with them and go to yourthy country, and you willthou shalt die in yourthy town.

"'Conversation is pleasingConverse is pleasing, and those who enjoy it get through their miseryhe who tastes of it passes over his misery. So I will tell you about what is on this islandI will therefore tell thee of that which is in this isle. I am here with my brothersmy brethren and my children around me; we are seventy-five serpents, children and relatives—not counting a young girl who was brought to me by chancechildren, and kindred; without naming a young girl who was brought unto me by chance, and on whom the fire of heaven fell, and killed herburnt her to ashesExplanation: For children, the description of the girl’s body being burnt to ashes is softened. Her death and the fire falling from heaven remain in the story..

"'As for you, ifAs for thee if you arethou art strong, and if yourthy heart waits patiently, you willthou shalt press your young childrenthy infants to your chestto thy bosom and embrace yourthy wife. You willThou shalt return to yourthy house full of all good things. You will see your own land, where you will live among your relativeswhich is full of all good things, thou shalt see thy land, where thou shalt dwell in the midst of thy kindred.'

"Then I bowed in respectI bowed, in my obeisance, and I touched the ground before him. 'Remember what I have told you beforeBehold now that which I have told thee before. I will tell Pharaoh about you and your greatnessI shall tell of thy presence unto Pharaoh, I shall make him to know of thy greatness, and I will bring you sacred oils and perfumes, and incense from the templesI will bring to thee of the sacred oils and perfumes, and of incense of the temples with which all gods are honoured. I will also tell of what I now see (thanks to him), and praises will be offered to you before all the people of the landI shall tell, moreover, of that which I do now see (thanks to him), and there shall be rendered to thee praises before the fulness of all the land. I will sacrifice donkeys to you, pluck birds for you, and bring you ships full of every kind of Egyptian treasureI shall slay asses for thee in sacrifice, I shall pluck for thee the birds, and I shall bring for thee ships full of all kinds of the treasures of Egypt, as is fitting for a godas is comely to do unto a god, a friend of men in a far country that people do not knowa far country, of which men know not.'

"Then he smiled at my speech, because of what was in his heartbecause of that which was in his heart, for he said to me, ' You areThou art not rich in perfumes, for all that you havethou hast is but common incense. As for me I am prince of the land of Punt, and I have perfumes. Only the oil which you said you would bringthou sayedst thou wouldest bring is not common on this islandnot common in this isle. But, when you departwhen thou shalt depart from this place, you willthou shalt never see this island again; it will turn into wavesnever more see this isle; it shall be changed into waves.'

"And whenAnd, behold, when the ship drew near, just as he had told meaccording to all that he had told me before, I climbed upgot me up into a tall treean high tree, to try to seeto strive to see the people on boardthose who were within it. Then I came and told him this newstold to him this matter; but he already knewbut it was already known unto him before. Then he said to me:Then he said to me. 'Farewell, farewell, go to yourthy house, little one, see your children again, and have a good name in your townsee again thy children, and let thy name be good in thy town; these are my wishes for youthee.'

"Then I bowed before himI bowed myself before him, and held my arms low before him, and he gave meand he, he gave me gifts of precious perfumes, of cassia, of fragrant woodssweet woods, of kohl, of cypress, an abundance of incense, of ivory tusks, of baboons, of apes, and all kinds of precious thingsall kind of precious things. I loaded everythingI embarked all onto the ship that had arrivedin the ship which was come, and, bowing, I prayed to God for himand bowing myself, I prayed God for him.

"Then he said to me, 'You will returnBehold thou shalt come to yourthy country in two months, you willthou shalt hold your children to your chestpress to thy bosom thy children, and you willthou shalt rest in yourthy tomb.' After this I went down to the ship at the shoredown to the shore unto the ship, and I called to the sailors who were there. Then on the shore I worshippedrendered adoration to the master of this island and those who lived therethe master of this isle and to those who dwelt therein.

"When we return to the house of Pharaoh in the second month, just as the serpent said, we will approach the palaceWhen we shall come, in our return, to the house of Pharaoh, in the second month, according to all that the serpent has said, we shall approach unto the palace. I will go in before Pharaoh and bring him the gifts I have brought into the country from this islandAnd I shall go in before Pharaoh, I shall bring the gifts which I have brought from this isle into the country. Then he will thank me before all the people of the landThen he shall thank me before the fulness of all the land. Give me someone to accompany me, and lead me to the king’s courtiersGrant then unto me a follower, and lead me to the courtiers of the king. Look at meCast thy eye upon me, now that I have come back to landafter that I am come to land again, after I have both seen and experienced thisafter that I have both seen and proved this. Listen to my pleaHear my prayer, for it is good to listen to people. It was said tounto me, 'Become a wise man, and you willthou shalt come to honour,' and look, I have become oneand behold I have become such."

This is complete from beginning to end, just as it was found in writingThis is finished from its beginning unto its end, even as it was found in a writing. It is written by the skilful scribethe scribe of cunning fingers Ameni-amen-aa; may he live in life, wealth, and health!