Thursday 16 December 2010

Hatshepsut- In her Words

I have been reading Joyce Tyldesley's "Hatchepsut the female Pharaoh".

On page 210 is a message from Hatshepsut, which i think is very much related to the Hatshepsut Project, and anyone else with an interest in Hatshepsut. Here it is:

"Now my heart turns this way and that, as i think what the people will say. Those who shall see my monuments in years to come, and who shall speak of what i have done"

(Extract from the obelisk Inscription of King Hatshepsut, translated by S.R. Snape)

Well, Pharaoh Hatshepsut, I couldn't speak highly enough of your achievements. And i am not alone..

Regards,
Stuart

5 comments:

Alice said...

Hello Stuart !
The translation is not complete. Hatshepsut is actually worried about what malicious people shall tell about her after her death. I try to translate my own translation : "My heart is restless when I'm thinking of the rekhyt speech who shall see my monuments in years to come and who shall speak of what I've done.
Be careful, so that you don't say : "I don't know (twice) what this was done : to build an entire gold hill like anythig which happens".

Stuart Tyler said...

Evening, Alice.
Thank you for your own translation. It's also pleasing to see the use of the word "rekhyt".

I have been looking further into the inscriptions and came across the following:

http://www.timetrips.co.uk/TKH-obelisk%20inscription.htm

The section in red gives another translation. What do you think about this alternative?

Regards,
Stuart

Alice said...

Hi Stuart !
This translation is better than my (pathetic) attempt to translate my French text ;). Only two things could be corrected :
"what people speak and think" : the verb "think" isn't in the Egyptian text.
"which lives for Re, and loves me" : it is the beginning of the next sentence : "As long as (in French : "aussi vrai que"), according to me, I live, Re loves me, my father Amon supports me...". It's a traditional expression for a oath.
Regards !

Stuart Tyler said...

Afternoon Alice,

I do not know the author of the above link but the inscription translations do seem very good and your own is far from pathetic too.

""As long as (in French : "aussi vrai que"), according to me, I live, Re loves me, my father Amon supports me...". "

That's a lovely expression. Can you show this in Hieroglyphs? I have a computer program for glyphs, but have no idea how this looks.

My limits are along the lines of "who is given life like Re forever" and the very typical formulas we see in Luxor today (lord of the 2 lands, beloved of ...). I will get there one day.

Au revoir for now (my limits in French!),

Stuart

Stuart Tyler said...

@ Alice:

"au revoir mon ami" is what i meant to say at the end of the last comment...

Stuart