CHEPHREN'S TALE : Translation

1 Then stood up the king's son -
2 Chephren - to speak. He said:
3 I 'll let your Majesty hear
4 of a wonder happened in the time
5 of your ancestor Nebka, justified,
6 who used to go to the temple
7 of Ptah, lord of Ankh-Tawy [Memphis] / of the Two-Lands.
8 Now his majesty had gone
9 to the temple of Ptah, in the district.
10 It was his Majesty himself who would celebrate
11 the rites in the temple, together
12 with the chief lector-priest Wubainer
13 and all the priests who were in that place.
14 Wubainer's wife
15 used to cast sheep's eyes at a commoner.
16 So she ordered to bring him
17 a box full of cothes
18 as her gift to the commoner.
19 And he [the commoner] came
20 escorted by a housemaid.
21 A few days went by after this.
22 Now there was a pavilion
23 in Wubainer's garden.
24 So said this commoner
25 to Wubainer's wife:
26 "That's indeed a pavilion
27 in Wubainer's garden!
28 Look, let's spend some time in it."
29 So Wubainer's wife sent
30 for the steward who
31 looked after this garden, and said:
32 "Let be prepared the pavilion
33 that is in this garden.
34 See that a tent is placed there."
35 And she spent the day there, drinking
36 together with this commoner, with great satisfaction.
37 Evening having arrived
38 go away he did.
39 And went down to the pool in the garden.
40 Now the housemaid informed
41 this steward that looked after the garden.
42 And the steward saw
43 this commoner going to the pool.
44 As soon as the dawn
45 of the next day took form
46 this steward went to report
47 to Wubainer this affair.
48 He said: "I will let you hear, my lord,
49 what happened in your house, in your pavilion,
50 prepared for a commoner!"
51 And he [Wubainer] said:
52 "Oh vortex of the waters!
53 So she did cook the lizard!"
54 And Wubainer said:
55 "Bring me the two papers which are inside
56 my box of ebony and electrum!"
57 And indeed he mixed an invocation
58 in the incense [he burned] to Ptah,
59 while he modelled a crocodile out of wax
60 calling the god seven times.
61 And then he pronounced a spell
62 reciting : "Watch over that commoner
63 who will take a bath in my pool.
64 Take him, since you are bigger
65 than the commoner who is in the water!"
66 And then he gave it
67 to the steward.
68 He said to him :" After the commoner has gone down
69 to the pool, as he is used to do every day,
70 take care that you throw this magic crocodile after him.
71 And the steward took the road
72 holding the crocodile
73 made of wax in his hand.
74 Then Wubainer's wife did send
75 for the steward who looked after the garden
76 and said : "Let be prepared
77 the pavilion which is in the garden.
78 Look, I have come to relax in it."
79 So it was prepared
80 this pavilion with every good thing.
81 And they went
82 and did spend a day
83 beutiful - she and the commoner.
84 Evening having approached
85 the commoner took his leave
86 as he used to do every day.
87 So the steward threw
88 the wax crocodile
89 after him in the water.
90 And it took the shape
91 of a crocodile - seven cubits long.
92 And it seized
93 the commoner who was swimming.
94 Now Wubainer had to stay
95 with the Majesty of the dual king
96 Nebka, justified,
97 for seven days.
98 The commoner was as a food
99 captured, under the water of the pool,
100 non breathing, but alive.
101 The seventh day having come
102 set out the dual king
103 Nebka, justified, renewed.
104 Then the chief lector-priest,
105 Wubainer put himself in the royal presence.
106 And Wubainer said:
107 "My lord, a thing happened, I was told.
108 May your Majesty proceed, so that you may see a wonder
109 happened in the time of your Majesty
110 to a vile commoner
111 who went to bed with my wife
112 in Wubainer's house."
113 And then called Wubainer
114 the crocodile, saying:
115 "Bring this commoner on the bank!"
116 Out came the crocodile
117 with the commoner in its mouth.
118 Then said the lector priest,
119 the chief priest Wubainer
120 to the crocodile: "Lay him down!"
121 And it spat him out.
122 And it did that without hurting him.
123 Look at him in his entirety [safe and sound]!
124 Said the Majesty of the dual king
125 Nebka, justified:
126 "Indeed this crocodile is really monstruous!"
127 Wubainer did bend down.
128 And he seized it.
129 And in his hand there was
130 a waxen crocodile!
131 And the lector priest
132 the chief priest Wubainer
133 recounted that affair
134 done by that commoner in his house
135 in ligue with his wife
136 to the Majesty of the dual king
137 Nebka, justified.
138 And his Majesty said to the crocodile:
139 "Take away what is your own!"
140 Down went the crocodile
141 into the depth of the pool.
142 It is not known the place
143 where it did go with him.
144 And the Majesty of the dual King
145 Nebka, justified,
146 ordered that Wubainer's wife be conducted
147 to a plot North of the Residence.
148 Then he made a fire of her.
149 Her ashes thrown in the river.
150 So this is the wonder happened in the time
151 of your ancestor, the dual king Nebka,
152 worked out by the lector priest,
153 the chief priest Wubainer.