Dispute of a man with his ba

Nederhof - English
Created on 2006-11-04 by Mark-Jan Nederhof. Last modified 2009-06-08.
Transliteration and translation for Dialogue of a Man and his Ba, Papyrus Berlin 3024, following the
transcription and facsimile in Goedicke (1970). An older transcription can be found in Faulkner
(1956) and Barta (1969).
The transliteration throughout follows Hannig (1995).
For published translations, see Barta (1969); Faulkner (1956); Goedicke (1970); Lichtheim (1975),
pp. 163-169; Parkinson (1997), pp. 151-165; Simpson (1972), pp. 201-209.
Bibliography
W. Barta. Das Gesprch eines Mannes mit seinem BA. Verlag Bruno Hessling, Berlin, 1969.
R.O. Faulkner. The man who was tired of life. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 42:21-40,
1956.
R.O. Faulkner. A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian. Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum,
Oxford, 1962.
H. Goedicke. The Report about the Dispute of a Man with his Ba. Johns Hopkins Press,
Baltimore, 1970.
R. Hannig. Grosses Handwrterbuch gyptisch-Deutsch: die Sprache der Pharaonen (2800-950
v.Chr.). Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1995.
M. Lichtheim. Ancient Egyptian Literature -- Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms. University
of California Press, 1975.
R.B. Parkinson. The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems 1940-1640 BC. Oxford
University Press, 1997.
W.K. Simpson (editor). The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, and
Poetry. Yale University Press, 1972.

Nederhof
Created on 2014-12-11 by Mark-Jan Nederhof. Last modified 2014-12-23.
Transcription of The Debate between a Man and his Soul, using the photographs from Erman
(1896), on the basis of transcriptions by Faulkner (1956) and Allen (2011).
Thanks go to Hany Mohamed Ali Rashwan for making an initial MdC encoding available to me.
For contentious readings, we follow Allen, pp. 262-311, with the following exceptions:

Line 17: Transcribed is , the sign that is meant, rather than , the sign that appears to be
written.

Line 26: Transcribed is rather than , as it concerns the word wjA.

Lines 50, 138: Transcribed is
followed by rather than the reversed order.
Line 53: The fourth sign is transcribed as
rather than .
Line 65: The more conventional transcription is used.

i
 Lines 66, 87, 89, 91, 93, 96, 98, 99, 101: Transcribed is

(generic fish determinative) rather than
.
Line 111: Transcribed is rather than the reversed order.
Line 141: Transcribed is in front of .

As in Allen's transcription, omitted are all (potential) occurrences of in front of .

Bibliography
J.P. Allen. The Debate between a Man and His Soul. Brill, Leiden, 2011.
A. Erman. Gesprch eines Lebensmden mit seiner Seele, aus demPapyrus 3024 der
Kniglichen Museen. Abhandlungen der Kniglichen Preuischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
zu Berlin, 1896.
R.O. Faulkner. The man who was tired of life. The Journal ofEgyptian Archaeology, 42:21-40,
1956.

ii
 1 2
Ne [...] =Tn r Dd [...] n nma n[s=sn]
1 2
Ne [...] you [...] to say: [...] their tongues were not partial.
1
2

Ned


3
Ne [j]w r XA[=sn nb] DbAw n nma ns=sn
Ne Concerning [their] opposing [a briber], their tongues were not partial.'

Ned

4
Ne jw wp .n=j rA=j n bA=j wSb=j Ddt.n=f
Ne I opened my mouth to my soul, that I might answer what he had said:

4


Ned


5
Ne jw nA wr r=j m mjn
5
Ne 'This is much against me today,

5

Ned
6
Ne n mdw bA=j Hna=j jw grt wr r aba
6
Ne whereas my soul has not quarrelled with me before. It is more than exaggeration,
6

Ned

7
Ne jw mj wsf =j jm Sm bA=j aHa=f n=j Hr=s
Ne it is like I am ignored. May my soul not depart, may it attend to me in this!

7

Ned

1
 8
Ne [...]=f nn aDA=f
8
Ne [...] He will not be guilty

8

Ned

9
Ne [wA]=f m Xt=j m Snw nwH
9
Ne that he [will distance himself] from my body, from a net of cord,
9


Ned


10
Ne nn xpr m-a=f rwj=f hr[w qsnt]
Ne and it will not happen due to him that he flees on the day [of suffering].
10

Ned


11 12
Ne mTn bA=j Hr tht=j n sDm.n=j n=f
11 12
Ne Look, my soul is disobeying me, while I do not listen to him,
11
12
Ned


Ne Hr sTA=j r mwt n jjt(=j) n=f
Ne is dragging me toward death, before I have come to it,

Ned


13
Ne Hr xAa(=j) Hr xt r sAmt=j
13
Ne and is throwing me on the fire to burn me up,
13

Ned

14
Ne [jw]tt mnt=f [jm] [...] sA [...]
14
Ne [without] him suffering [therein]. [...]
14

Ned

2
 15
Ne [jw] =f tkn=f jm=j hrw qsnt
Ne He will stay close to me on the day of suffering.

15

Ned
16
Ne aHa=f m pf gs mj jr nHnw
16
Ne He should stand on yonder side, like a praise singer does:

16

Ned
17
Ne pA js pw prr jn.n=f sw rf
17
Ne "This is one who goes forth, as he has brought himself!"
17 1


Ned
1 Appearance as .
18
Ne bA =j wxA(.w) r sdH Ah Hr anx
Ne My soul is ignorant about easing the misery that is due to life,
18

Ned

19
Ne jhm wj r mwt n jjt=j n=f
19
Ne and restrains me from death before I have come to it.
19


Ned
20
Ne snDm n=j jmnt jn-jw qsnt pw
Ne The west gives me pleasure. Is it suffering?

20
Ned

3
 21
Ne pXrt pw anx jw xtw xr=sn
Ne It is a turning-point of life; trees fall.

21

Ned


22
Ne xnd rk Hr jsft wAH mAr=j
22
Ne Trample on evil, and cast aside my misery!

22

Ned

23 24
Ne wDa wj DHwtj Htp nTrw
23
Ne May Thoth declare concerning me: "The gods are satisfied."

23 24

Ned



25
Ne xsf xnsw Hr=j sS m-mAat
25
Ne May Khons defend me: "A true scribe."
25

Ned



26
Ne sDm ra mdw =j sg wjA
Ne May Re hear my utterance: "Stop the barque!"

26
Ned
27
Ne xsf jsds Hr=j m at Dsr[t]
Ne May Isdes defend me in the sacred hall.

27


Ned

4
 28
Ne [Hr] ntt sAr=j wdn(.w)
28
Ne For my need is heavy
28


Ned
29
Ne [r] fA nf n=j
29
Ne [to] to weigh it on my behalf.


29
Ned


30
Ne nDm xsf nTrw StAw Xt=j
Ne It is pleasant that the gods should eliminate the concealment of my body.'

30


Ned


31 32
Ne Ddt.n n=j bA=j n ntk js s jw=k tr anx.tj
32
Ne What my soul said to me: 'Are you not a man? You are alive!
31
32

Ned
33
Ne ptr km=k mHy=k Hr anx mj nb aHaw
33
Ne What do you achieve if you are concerned about life like a possessor of wealth?'

33

Ned

34
Ne Dd=j n Sm=j jr nfA r tA
34
Ne 'I would say to someone who is about to go: "As to that burial,
34


Ned

5
 35
Ne nHm.nj Tw Hr tfyt nn nwt=k
35
Ne you are taken away from leaping around. Without your taking care,

35
Ned
36
Ne xnr nb Hr Dd jw=j r jTt=k jw grt=k mwt(.tj)
36
Ne every criminal will say: 'I will take you!' When you are dead,

36


Ned



37
Ne rn=k anx(.w) st nfA nt xnt
37
Ne but your name still lives, that is a resting-place

37

Ned


38
Ne afd nt jb dmj pw jmnt
38
Ne attractive to the heart. The west is a harbour,

38

Ned

39
Ne Xnt n s [...] Hr jr sDm n=j bA=j
Ne a voyage [...]." If my soul listens to me,

39

Ned


40 41
Ne [s]n =j [b]T twt jb=f Hna=j jw=f r mar
41
Ne my [neglectful] [brother], with his heart in accord with mine, he will prosper.
40
41

Ned

6
 42
Ne rDj=j pH=f jmnt mj ntj m mr=f
42
Ne I will make him reach the west, like someone in his pyramid,

42

Ned


43
Ne aHa.n Hrj-tA Hr qrs=f
Ne to whose burial a survivor has attended.

43


Ned
44
Ne jw=j r jrt njAj [Hr] XAt=k
44
Ne I will create a breeze [over] your corpse,

44


Ned
45
Ne sDdm=k ky bA m nnw jw=j r jrt njAj
Ne and you will make another soul in weariness envious. I will create a breeze,

45

Ned

46
Ne jx tm=f Hsw
46
Ne so that it will not be freezing,

46

Ned
47
Ne sDdm=k ky bA ntj tA.w
Ne and you will make another soul who is hot envious:

47

Ned

7
 48
Ne swr=j mw Hr bAbAt Tsy=j Swy
48
Ne 'I will drink water at the watering-place.' I will heap up hay,

48



Ned
49
Ne sDdm=k1 ky bA ntj Hqr(.w)
49
Ne and you will make another soul who is hungry envious.

49

Ned

1 Written sDm=k.

50
Ne jr jhm =k wj r mwt m pA qj
50
Ne But if you restrain me from a death in this form,

50

Ned
51
Ne nn gm=k xnt=k Hr=s m jmnt
Ne you will not find a place on which you can rest in the west.

51


Ned


52
Ne wA[H] jb=k bA=j sn=j r xprt
Ne Be favourable, my soul, my brother, to what will happen!

52

Ned
53
Ne jwaw drp.tj=fj
53
Ne An heir who will make offerings

53

Ned

8
 54
Ne aHa.tj=fj Hr HAt hrw qrs sAry=f Hnkyt
54
Ne and stand at the tomb shaft on the day of burial will wish a bier

54

Ned
55
Ne n Xrt-nTr jw wp.n n=j bA=j rA=f
55
Ne at the necropolis.' My soul opened his mouth to me

55

Ned

56
Ne wS b=f Ddt.n=j jr sxA=k qrs
Ne that he might answer what I had said: 'If you would call burial to mind,

56


Ned

57 58
Ne n HAt-jb pw jnt rmyt pw m sj nd s
Ne it is heartache, it is bringing of tears, making a man sad,
57

58

Ned


59
Ne Sdt s pw m pr=f xAa(.w) Hr qAA nn pr.n=k r Hrw
59
Ne it is taking a man from his house, left on a hill. You cannot come up

59

Ned

60
Ne mA=k ra
60
Ne to see the sun.

60

Ned

9
 61
Ne qdw m jnr n mAT
Ne Those who built in granite,

61

Ned

62
Ne xws qn mr nfrw m kAt nfrt
62
Ne who constructed and completed beautiful pyramids, in perfect realization,

62

Ned


63
Ne xpr sqdw m nTrw abAw jrj wS(.w)
63
Ne when the builders became gods, their altars were bare,

63

Ned

64
Ne mj nnw mwt.w Hr mryt
64
Ne like those of weary ones who are dead on a riverbank

64

Ned

65
Ne n gAw Hrj-tA jT.n nwy pH=fj
65
Ne for lack of a survivor. After the water has taken its toll,

65

Ned



66
Ne Axw m-mjtt-jrj
66
Ne and sunlight as well,

66

Ned

10
 67
Ne mdw n=sn rmw spt n mw. sDm rk n=j
Ne the fish of the waterside speak to them. Listen to me,

67

Ned


68
Ne mk nfr sDm n rmT Sms hrw nfr smx mH
68
Ne as it is good to listen to people! Have a good time and forget worries!
68

Ned

69
Ne jw nDs skA=f Sdw=f
69
Ne A commoner cultivates his plot,

69

Ned
70
Ne jw=f ATp=f Smw =f r-Xnw dpt
Ne he loads his harvest into a boat,

70

Ned
71
Ne sTA=f sqd wt Hb=f tkn(.w)
Ne and tows the transport, as his feast is near

71

Ned
72
Ne mAn=f prt wx At nt mHyt rs=f n dpt
Ne and he sees the darkness of a north wind arise. He waits for a boat

72


Ned
73
Ne ra Hr aq prt
73
Ne as the sun sets and rises,

73

Ned
11
 74
Ne Hna Hmt=f msw=f
74
Ne and meanwhile his wife and his children

74

Ned
75
Ne Aq(.w) tp S Sn m grH Xr-mryt
75
Ne perish in a pond surrounded at night by crocodiles.

75

Ned
76
Ne Dr.jn=f Hms(.w) psS=f m xrw Hr Dd
76
Ne At last he sits down, and argues1:

76

Ned

1 Exact meaning is unclear.

77
Ne n rm=j n tfA mst
77
Ne "I do not weep for that mother,

77


Ned
78
Ne nn n=s prt m jmnt r kt Hr tA
78
Ne for whom there is no escape from the west for another term on earth.

78

Ned

79
Ne mHy=j Hr msw=s sD.w m swHt
79
Ne But I will grieve for her children, who were crushed in the egg,

79

Ned

12
 80
Ne mA.w Hr n xntj n anxt=sn
80
Ne who saw the face of Khenty before they had lived."

80

Ned
81
Ne jw nDs dbH=f mSr wt jw Hmt=f Dd=s n=f
Ne A commoner asks for dinner. His wife says to him:
81


Ned

82
Ne jw r msyt jw=f pr=f r1 xntw r ssT2
82
Ne "It will be supper." He goes outside to [???]

82

Ned



1 Erroneously omitted in the transcription by Goedicke (1970).
2 Unknown causative verb. Barta (1969), note 65 on p. 35, suggests this verb may be related to wsT. Goedicke

(1970), p. 141, suggests a connection to, amongst others, sAt.

83
Ne r At ann=f sw r pr=f
83
Ne until the moment that he returns to his house.

83
Ned

84
Ne jw=f mj ky Hmt=f Hr sSA n=f n sDm.n=f n=s
84
Ne He is like another man. His wife pleads with him but he can't hear her,

84

Ned

85
Ne sT.n=f1 wS(.w) jb n wpwtjw
85
Ne after he has [???], incapable of communication.'

85
Ned
1 Unknown verb, likely the simplex of the verb in line 82.

13
 86
Ne jw wp.n=j rA=j n bA=j wSb=j Ddt.n=f
86
Ne I opened my mouth to my soul, that I might answer what he had said:

86

Ned


87 88
Ne mk baH rn=j m-a=k r sT Asw m hrww Smw
88
Ne 'My name reeks through you more than the smell of bird droppings on summer days

87 88

Ned

89
Ne pt tA.tj mk baH rn=j m-a=k Ssp sbnw
Ne when the sky is hot. My name reeks through you, a haul of catfish

89
Ned
90
Ne m hrw rsf pt tA.tj
90
Ne on a fishing day when the sky is hot.

90

Ned


91 92
Ne mk baH rn=j m-a=k r sT Apdw1
91 92
Ne My name reeks through you, more than the smell of ducks,
91
92
Ned
1 Written Apsw.

93
Ne r bwAt nt twr Xr msyt
93
Ne more than a covert of reeds full of fowl.

93


Ned

14
 94
Ne mk baH rn=j m-a=k r sT HAmw
94
Ne My name reeks through you, more than the smell of fishermen,

94


Ned
95
Ne r xAsw nw sSw HAm.n=sn
95
Ne more than the creeks of marshes they have fished.


95

Ned

96
Ne mk baH rn=j m-a=k
Ne My name reeks through you,

96

Ned

Ne r sT msHw
Ne more than the smell of crocodiles,

Ned
97 98
Ne r Hmst Xr spAt1 Xr-mryt mk baH rn=j m-a=k
97
Ne more than sitting on sandbanks2 of crocodiles. My name reeks through you

97

98

Ned
1 Uncertain.
2 Following Faulkner (1956).

99
Ne r sT Hmt Dd gr g r=s n TAy
Ne more than the smell of a wife about whom a lie has been told involving a man.

99

Ned

15
 100
Ne mk baH rn=j m-a=k r Xrd qn
Ne My name reeks through you more than a diligent child

100

Ned
101
Ne Dd r=f jw=f {jw=f} n msDw=f
Ne about whom is said "He belongs to his rival."1

101
Ned

1 I.e. "he is an illegitimate child".

102
Ne mk baH rn=j m-a=k
102
Ne My name reeks through you,

102
Ned
103
Ne dmj n jty Snn bSTw mAA sA=f
103
Ne city of a sovereign that conspires to rebel when his back is turned.
103

Ned



Ne Dd=j n-m mjn snw bjn(.w)
Ne Whom can I talk to today? Brothers are evil

Ned


104 105
Ne xnmsw nw mjn n mr.nj Dd=j n-m mjn
104
Ne and friends of today don't love each other. Whom can I talk to today?

104
105

Ned

16
 106
Ne awn jbw s nb Hr jTt jxt snnw=f
106
Ne Hearts are greedy and every man is stealing things from his fellow.

106

Ned


107 108
Ne jw sf Aq(.w) nxt-Hr hA.w n bw- nb
107
Ne Kindness has vanished and rudeness has descended upon everyone.
107


108

Ned
Ne Dd=j n-m mjn Htp Hr bjn
Ne Whom can I talk to today? One is contented with evil

Ned


109 110
Ne rDj rf1 bw-nfr r tA m st nbt Dd=j n-m mjn
109 110
Ne and goodness is cast on the ground everywhere. Whom can I talk to today?

109

110

Ned

1 I see no grammatical justification for the reading rdi.t.f of Goedicke (1970), on p. 161. Hence I adopt here the
transcription by Faulkner (1956).

Ne sxar s m sp=f bjn

Ne Who should enrage a man by his ill deed


Ned

111
Ne ssbT =f bw-nb jw=f Dw
Ne makes everyone laugh by his evil wrongdoing.
111

Ned

17
 112
Ne Dd=j n-m mjn jw HaDA.tw
112
Ne Whom can I talk to today? One steals,

112

Ned

113
Ne s nb Hr jTt snnw =f Dd=j n-m mjn
Ne every man is robbing his fellow. Whom can I talk to today?

113

Ned


114
Ne bTw m aq-jb sn jrr Hna=f
114
Ne The villain is an intimate friend and the brother with whom one dealt

114

Ned


115
Ne xpr(.w) m xft Dd=j n-m mjn n sxA.tw sf
Ne has become an enemy. Whom can I talk to today? Yesterday is not remembered,
115

Ned


116
Ne n jr.tw n jr m tA At Dd=j n-m mjn
116
Ne one does not help now who has given help. Whom can I talk to today?

116


Ned


117 118
Ne snw bjn(.w) jnn.tw m DrDrw r mtt nt jb
117 118
Ne Brothers are evil and one turns to strangers for honesty.

117


118

Ned

18
 119
Ne Dd=j n-m mjn Hrw Htm(.w)
119
Ne Whom can I talk to today? Faces are blank,

119

Ned


120
Ne s nb m Hr m Xrw r snw=f
120
Ne every man has his face downcast concerning his brothers.


120

Ned

121
Ne Dd=j n-m mjn jbw awn(.w) nn wn jb n s
121
Ne Whom can I talk to today? Hearts have become greedy and there is no man's heart

121

Ned



122
Ne rhn.tw Hr=f Dd=j n- m mjn nn mAatjw
Ne on which one may rely. Whom can I talk to today? None are righteous

122

Ned



123
Ne tA sp(.w) n jrw jsft Dd=j n-m mjn
123
Ne and the land is left to evildoers. Whom can I talk to today?

123

Ned




124
Ne jw Sw m aq-jb jnn.tw m xmm
Ne An intimate friend is lacking and one turns to a stranger

124



Ned

19
 125 126
Ne r srxt n=f Dd=j n-m mjn nn hr jb pfA
125
Ne to complain to. Whom can I talk to today? None is content there,
125

126

Ned




127
Ne Sm Hna=f nn sw wn(.w) Dd=j n-m mjn
Ne and he with whom one walked is no more. Whom can I talk to today?

127

Ned



128
Ne jw=j ATp=k w Xr mAr n gAw aq-jb
Ne I'm laden with misery for lack of an intimate friend.

128
Ned

129 130
Ne Dd=j n-m mjn nf Hw tA nn wn pHwj=fj
129 130
Ne Whom can I talk to today? The evil that scourges the earth is without end.
129

130

Ned


131
Ne jw mwt m-Hr=j m mjn snb mr mj prt r xntw
131
Ne Death is in my sight today, a cure of a sick man, like going outside

131

Ned


132
Ne r-sA jhm t jw mwt m-Hr=j mjn
Ne after confinement. Death is in my sight today,

132

Ned


133
Ne mj sT an tjw mj Hmst Xr HtAw
Ne like the smell of myrrh, like sitting under a sail

133

Ned

20
 134
Ne hrw TAw jw mwt m-Hr=j mjn
134
Ne on a windy day. Death is in my sight today,
134

Ned
135 136
Ne mj sT sSnw mj Hmst Hr mryt nt txt
135 136
Ne like the smell of lotus flowers, like sitting on the shore of drunkenness.
135


136

Ned



137
Ne jw mwt m-Hr=j mjn mj wAt Hwyt
137
Ne Death is in my sight today, like a path washed by rain,

137

Ned
138
Ne mj jw s m mSa r pr=sn jw mwt m-Hr=j mjn
Ne like a man's coming home from an expedition. Death is in my sight today,

138

Ned


139 140
Ne mj kft pt mj s 1
sxt jm
139 140
Ne like the sky's clearing, like a man's grasping thereby

139

140


Ned




1 Read as .
Ne r xmt n=f jw mwt m-Hr=j mjn
Ne what he didn't know before. Death is in my sight today,


Ned

21
 141
Ne mj Abb s mAA pr=sn jr.n=f rnpwt aSAt
141
Ne like a man's longing to see home after he has spent many years
141

Ned

142
Ne jT(.w) m nDrt wnn ms ntj jm m nTr anx(.w)
Ne in captivity. But, who is there is a god who lives,

142
Ned

143
Ne Hr xsf jw n jrr sw
143
Ne because of punishing the evil of one who does it.
143

Ned



144 145
Ne wnn ms ntj jm aHa(.w) m wjA Hr rDjt Dj.tw stpt jm
Ne But, who is there stands in a barque, because of letting its1 choice offerings be given
144

145

Ned

1 It is unclear what this refers back to.

146
Ne n rAw-prw wnn ms ntj jm m rx- jxt n xsf.n.tw=f
Ne to the temples. But, who is there is a wise man who cannot be turned away,

146

Ned




147 148
Ne Hr spr n ra xft mdw=f Ddt.n n=j bA(=j)
147
Ne because of appealing to Re following his word.' What my soul said to me:

147


148

Ned

22
 149
Ne jm rk nxwt Hr XAA nj-s w=j pn sn=j
Ne 'Put whining on a peg, o my comrade, my brother!

149

Ned


150
Ne wdn=k Hr ax r maHA=k Hr anx mj Dd=k
150
Ne May you give offerings upon a brazier, in order to reach for a life as you described.

150
1
Ned

1 Sign should represent a brazier.

151
Ne mr wj aA wjn n=k jmnt
151
Ne Desire me here and dismiss the west!

151

Ned

152
Ne mr Hm pH=k jmnt sAH Haw=k tA
152
Ne But desire to reach the west when your body is buried.

152

Ned
153 154
Ne xny=j r-sA wrD=k jx jr=n dmj n sp
153 154
Ne I will alight when you become weary, and then we'll make harbour together.'

153 154

Ned



155
Ne jw=f pw HAt=f r pH=fj mj gmyt m sS
155
Ne This was copied from start to finish as found in writing.

155

Ned

23