Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-15
OLDEST POEM IN THE WORLD,
Ode to King Usertescn III Turned
Into English After $500 Ycnrs.

Near to the pyramid at Illahun, reports
the London Standard, Prof. Petrie found
during his explorations in 1SS0-G0 the extern
sive town occupied by the workmen en-
ployed by Usertesen II in building his pyra-
mid and other public works. In the office
whore the records Cf the town were kept,
! Prof Petrie discovered a large number of
papyri. Most of these were official and legal
documents, relating TO the works carried on,
accounts of payments to workmen, Of food
and provisions received and issued fiscal
accounts, census papers etc, and all the
usual accumulation CT government Office
i dry and uninteresting on the whole, but
abounding in details which are Of the great
est value to the historian and archaeologist.
The more attractive fields Of general and
scientific literature were not. however, un-
represented, for we have works on medicine,
diseases of women, veterinary surgery and
mathematics; but the gem of the collection
! is a royal ode, or hymn OF welcome ad-
| dressed to Usertesen III, apparently by the
people of the Favoum.
| After long and patient work, these broken
and torn fragments have been arranged and
arc now published with autotype reproduc-
tions. transcripts and partial translations by
| Mr.. F. Llewellyn Griffith. The poem TO
Usertesen III is written in a fine, bold
/ heratic hand upon a papyrus measuring
| forty six inches in length and twelve inches
! in width, and consisted, when COM
| plete, of six stanZas of ten lines
! each. Its value lies in it's being
certainly the oldest poem in the world,
nearly fifteen centuries before the time OF
! Moses; and also in the wonderful way in
which it describes in most fgurative lang
uage, the great work that the king had done
/ in tho expansion of the Egyptian empire.
Homage to thee our Horus divine of beings
! Protecting the land, and widening its
boundaries,
/ Enclosing the two lands within the compass
OF his hands and selling the nations in
his grasp.
The tongue Of his majesty ,bindeth Nub!a,
Sole one of youthful vigor, guarding his
! frontier; suffering not his subjects to
faint; but causing all the people to re-
| AS to his trained youth, in their slumbers,
his heart tmind) is their protection
word maketh strong the two regions
Twice joyful are the gods; thou hast esta-
bished their offerings.
! Twice joyful are thy forefathers: thou hast
increased their portions.
Twice joEfa! Is Egypt IN thy strong arm;
! Twice joyful are the people IN thy policy;
my, mighty spirit hath taken upon itself
Twice joyful are thy paid young troops:
thou hast made them to prosper.
| Twice joyful are thy veterans: thou hast
made them to renew their youth.
Twice great is the lord of his city; he is as
II We're a dixie damming the stream in
its water floods.
| Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as
1t were a cool shelter, letting every man
repose unto daylight
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as
IL were an asylum; delivering the
frightened one from his enemy.
| Twice great is the lord of his city: he Is as
it were verdant shade and cool place In
the time of harvest.
| Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as
IL We're corner warm and dry in time
| OF winter.
Twice great is the lord in his city: he is as
II We're a rock barring the blast in the
time of tempest
! The closing lines are:
He hath come: he hath made the people Of
Egypt to live; he hath destroyed its af
hictions
He hath come: he hath made men and
women to live; and hath opened the
throat CvoiCeO of the Captiyes
lie hath come: We nurture one: we bury
our aged ones Qn peaCe).