Dispute Between a Man and His Ba

thumb|Love me here when you have set aside the West! But when it is wished that you attain the West, that your body joins the earth, I shall alight after you have become weary, and then we shall dwell together! The Dispute Between a Man and His Ba or The Debate Between a Man and His Soul is an ancient Egyptian text probably written down during the rule of Amenemhat III in the Middle Kingdom. It is classed in the genre of sebayt, a form of ancient Egyptian wisdom literature. The text takes the form of a dialogue between a man struggling to come to terms with the hardship of life, and his ba soul. It has received significant scholarly attention, and has been translated into English at least 26 times. Quotes Lo, my name reeksLo, more than carrion smellOn summer days of burning sky.[...]Lo, my name reeksLo, more than that of a wifeAbout whom lies are told to the husband.Lo, my name reeksLo, more than that of a sturdy childWho is said to belong to one who rejects him.Lo, my name reeksLo, more than a king's townThat utters sedition behind his back. First Poem of the Man, sts. 1, 6, 7, 8 (tr. Lichtheim) To whom can I speak today?Brothers are evilAnd the friends of today unlovable. Second Poem of the Man, st. 1 (tr. Faulkner) To whom can I speak today?Gentleness has perishedAnd the violent man has come down on everyone. Second Poem of the Man, st. 3 (tr. Faulkner) To whom can I speak today?I am heavy-laden with troubleThrough lack of an intimate friend.To whom can I speak today?The wrong which roams the earth,There is no end to it. Second Poem of the Man, sts. 15, 16 (tr. Faulkner) Death is in my sight todayAs when a man desires to see homeWhen he has spent many years in captivity. Third Poem of the Man, st. 6 (tr. Faulkner) What my ba said to me: "Now throw complaint on the [wood-pile], you my comrade, my brother! Whether you offer on the brazier, whether you bear down on life, as you say, love me here when you have set aside the West! But when it is wished that you attain the West, that your body joins the earth, I shall alight after you have become weary, and then we shall dwell together!" Solution (tr. Lichtheim) (As for) that which my ba had said to me: "Give up the complaints about the stalling of this companion, my brother, while you last upon the flame, in order to be adamant about life!" (Man:) "As you say! Like me here, after you rejected the West. Please, but like also the West, and your limbs join the earth, I shall alight, after you are weary. Therefore, let us make a harbor for the occasion." Solution (tr. Goedicke) Translations R. O. Faulkner, "The Man Who Was Tired of Life", The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, vol. 42 (1956) pp. 21–40 H. Goedicke, The Report about the Dispute of a Man with his Ba (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press, 1970) V. A. Tobin, in W. K. Simpson (ed.) The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, and Poetry (Yale UP, 1972) pp. 201–209 M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, vol. 1: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (U of California P, 1975) pp. 163–169 J. L. Foster, Echoes of Egyptian Voices: An Anthology of Ancient Egyptian Poetry (Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 1992) pp. 11–18 R. B. Parkinson, The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems 1940–1640 BC (Oxford UP, 1997) pp. 151–165 External links Mark-Jan Nederhof, "Transliteration and translation for Dialogue of a Man and his Ba, Papyrus Berlin 3024", st-andrews.ac.uk (4 November 2006; rev. 8 June 2009) Category:Ancient Egyptian texts Category:Literary works Category:Anonymous works