Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology

by John L. Foster (Translator)

Poetry, stories, hymns, prayers, and wisdom texts found exquisite written expression in ancient Egypt while their literary counterparts were still being recited around hearth fires in ancient Greece and Israel. Yet, because of its very antiquity and the centuries during which the language was forgotten, ancient Egyptian literature is a newly discovered country for modern readers.

This anthology offers an extensive sampling of all the major genres of ancient Egyptian literature. It includes all the texts from John Foster's previous book Echoes of Egyptian Voices, along with selections from his Love Songs of the New Kingdom and Hymns, Prayers, and Songs: An Anthology of Ancient Egyptian Lyric Poetry, as well as previously unpublished translations of four longer and two short poems. Foster's translations capture the poetical beauty of the Egyptian language and the spirit that impelled each piece's composition, making these ancient masterworks sing for modern readers. An introduction to ancient Egyptian literature and its translation, as well as brief information about the authorship and date of each selection, completes the volume.

Genres: Poetry, History, Egypt, Anthologies, Religion, Short Stories, Egyptology

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1901

Reviews

[Slow Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘‘I think I’ll go home and lie very still’’

I think I’ll go home and lie very still,
feigning terminal illness.
Then the neighbors will all troop over to stare,
my love, perhaps, among them.
How she’ll smile while the specialists
snarl in their teeth!—
she perfectly well knows what ails me.


xiii
‘‘The farmer, he complains incessantly,
his cry more raucous than the raven’s;
His fingers go about their duties
through all the raging of the storm;
Wearied beyond reward down in the marshes,
he becomes a living wreck.
His storehouse is depleted by the lions,
worse ills from hippopotami are his;
His creatures there lack dwellings
so he must leave them unprotected.
He reaches home exhausted
and the taxman cuts him down."

"wearied beyond reward down in the marshes, he becomes a living wreck" is nuts, to me

[EJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

u know what i love: Mesopotamian literature

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although some of the pieces in this anthology date back almost 5,000 years, I was amazed by the parallelisms I noticed between the Egyptian poems/tales and the Biblical and Classic works I've studied. This is a comprehensive anthology of some of the most prominent works of Egyptian literature, and for anyone who desires to read Classic literature, Egyptian has now become, to me, an integral part of any study into ancient literature. Not only is the original message insightful -- and highly quotable -- but the translation is as poetic as its ancient counterpart. Foster's introduction to each piece displays great understanding of the writings and their meanings. I recommend this for any student of Classic literature or anyone who is looking for an interesting, quick read.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished this book after my class ended, but not because I enjoyed it. This book has tons of information in it that is great for the study of Ancient Egpytian history. But nonetheless it is still just a textbook and I would ingore it on the level of a fun read, because that it is not. Please leave on the shelf unless absolutely necessary for research or class.

[Juniperus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The love songs were the best part. Just ordered his Love Songs of the New Kingdom. The rest were probably valuable for academic study but not too interesting to the casual reader. I really did love Foster's introduction where he argues that Kemetic lit should be studied alongside the Grecoromans as part of our classical canon.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent in every way. Great selection, great introduction, great translation by Foster. Really beautiful literature, and I loved the inclusion of prints of the original hieroglyphics.

[Ellise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read, made somewhat difficult by the fact that most of the form was lost in translation. But a great start to Egyptian poetry.