Teaching Amenemhat I, section 4

The Teaching of King Amenemhat I
Transliteration

(4)
in wnm kA.i ir Tst
rdi.n.i n.f awy.i Hr sxpr Hr im
wnxw paqt.i Hr mA n.i mi Swy
wrHw antyw stiw mw Hry

Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Translation

(4)
THE VERY EATER OF MY BREAD MADE THE UPRISING.
The one to whom I gave my arms, was creating fear from it,
The one clothed in my fine linen was looking at me as if in rags,
The one anointed with myrrh was as one who poured lowly water.

Commentary to the translation. Detailed points

(4)
uprising
The word is echoed in section 9

Cloth of my fine linen
This may refer directly to the quality elsewhere named as 'linen of the king': as the speaker here is Amenemhat I, 'my linen' must automatically be 'king's linen'.

Anointing with myrrh
Myrrh is a conventional translation to evoke the sense of an aromatic precious substance. For the difficulties in identifying Ancient Egyptian oils and resins, see Serpico, M and White, R in Nicholson, P and Shaw, I, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, Cambridge 2000

lowly water
The meaning is uncertain: the passage appears to accuse the privileged of feigning need.