There is a lot of wisdom in these sayings, and because they contain universal truths, they are as applicable to our lives today as they were when they were first written over four millennia ago. The first three translations are my own, from my class of Middle Egyptian at University of California at Berkeley. The last quote is from William Kelley Simpson's The Literature of Ancient Egypt . The others are from Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature , vol. The limit of art has not been reached, and no artisan has mastered his craft.
Beautiful speech is more hidden than malachite.
If you become a leader, governing the masses, seek for yourself every beneficent act, so that your conduct is without blemish. Ma'at is great and its effectiveness endures. If you find a disputant in his moment, a self-controlled heart who is superior to you, bend your arms and bend your back. If you defy him, he will not support you when you belittle evil speech. Report a thing observed, not heard.