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Sometime during the Old Kingdom, a wise man, grand vizier of the land, advisor to the king and
keeper of secrets, Ptah-Hotep, recorded his much sought after advice for posterity. The teachings of of Ptah-Hotep was recorded in it?s entirety, in the Papyrus Prisse, Paris. The manuscript had, no doubt, been edited by the Middle Kingdom and comes to us today as a result of several translations made during the 20th century. On this page, we shall, offer interpretations of the sages' advice.
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THE WISDOM OF PTAH-HOTEP
An Introduction
The beautifully expressed utterances, spoken by the prince and count, the father of the god and
beloved of the god, the bodily son of the king, the superintendent of the capital and vizier,
Ptah-Hotep, while instructing the ignorant in knowledge and in the rules of elegant discourse, the weal of him that will hearken thereto and the woe of him that shall transgress them.
THOU CANST LEARN SOMETHING FROM EVERY ONE.
Be not arrogant because of thy knowledge, and have no confidence in that thou art a learned
man. Take counsel with the ignorant as with the wise, . . . A good discourse is more hidden
than the precious green stone, and yet is it found with slave-girls over the mill-stones.
THOU WILT GET ON BEST IN LIFE
WITH THE AID OF RIGHT AND TRUTH.
If thou art a leader and givest command to the multitude, strive after every excellence, until there be no fault in thy nature. Truth is good and its worth is lasting, and it hath not been disturbed since the day of its creator, whereas he that transgesseth its ordinances is punished. It lieth as a right path in front of him that knoweth nothing. Wrongdoing hath never yet brought its venture to port. Evil indeed winneth wealth, but the strength of truth is that it endureth and the upright saith: ?It is the property of my father.?
THOU CANST OBTAIN NOTHING IN LIFE BY BLUSTER.
WHAT HATH COME TO PASS
IS THE COMMAND OF GOD.
BE FAITHFUL IN THE DELIVERING OF MESSAGES.
If thou art one of the trusted ones, whom one great man sendeth to another, act rightly in the
matter when he sendeth thee. Thou shalt deliver the message as he saith it. Be not secretive
concerning what may be said to thee, and beware of any forgetfulness. Hold fast to the truth and
overstep it not, even if thou recountest nothing that is gratifying.
PERMIT THEY SELF TIME FOR RECREATION.
Follow thine heart so long as thou livest, and do not more than is said. Diminish not the time in
which thou followest the heart, for it is an abhorrence to the ka if its time is diminished.
PROCLAIM THY BUSINESS WITHOUT CONCEALMENT.
One ought to say plainly what one knoweth and what one knoweth not.
WARNING AGAINST COVETOUSNESS.
If thou desirest thy conduct to be good, to set thyself free from all that is evil, then beware of
covetousness, which is a malady diseaseful, incurable. Intimacy with it is impossible. It maketh the sweet friend bitter, it alienateth the trusted one from the master, it maketh bad of father and mother, together with the brothers of the mother, and it divorceth a man?s wife.
BE LIBERAL TOWARDS THINE INTIMATES.
Satisfy thine intimates with that which hath accrued to thee, as one favored of God. To do this is prudent, for there is none that knoweth his condition, if he thinketh of the morrow. If, therefore, a misfortune befalleth the favored ones, it is the intimates that still say ?Welcome!? ho him . . .
REPEAT NOT FRIVOLOUS SPEECHES,
THE UTTERANCE FOR INSTANCE
OF ONE THAT IS HEATED...
BE CAUTIOUS IN SPEECH.
Be silent--this is better than teftef flowers. Speak only if thou knowest that thou canst unravel
the difficulty. It is an artist that speaketh in council and to speak is harder than any other work.
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* This text liberally adapted from a collection of translations, Ancient Egyptian Poetry and
Prose, Adolf Erman, editor. Dover Press 1995, (from the English translation of Die Literatur der
Agypter, 1923.)
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