Ancient Egyptian work translated into English for Penguin Classics

WRITINGS from one of the world’s oldest and greatest civilisations will finally be widely accessible to the public.

The Egyptian god Thoth (the large standing character in the pyramid wall decoration) shown recording the weight of a heart.

ANCIENT Egyptian works are set to be translated into English for the very first time giving unprecedented insight and access to one of the world’s earliest great civilisations.

A Cambridge academic has undertaken the monumental task to translate the hieroglyphic writings into modern English for publication.

Until now Egyptian texts have been largely overlooked. Ancient Greek and Roman texts are widely available in modern languages but there has been a tendency to view certain Egyptian works as decorative or simply artistic rather than entirely linguistic.

As a result the great monuments such as the Sphinx and the pyramids have largely dominated our lasting view of ancient Egypt.

But Toby Wilkinson wants to change that.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said the public was missing out on a rich literary history with many people considering the hieroglyphic writings as “mere decoration”. He wants to translate the “life of the mind, as expressed in the written word” — something he feels is missing from modern the study of ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian civilisation had its heyday in between 3000BC and 1000BC, but the civilisation remained very much relevant for centuries after. The writing tradition which is believed to have lasted around 3500 years could be found scrawled all over the walls of temples and tombs.

Karkak Temple hieroglyphics, Luxor. Picture: Barry O'Brien

Penguin Classics is releasing the first book from Wilkinson’s translations.

It includes a fictional story called The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor in which a giant snake who rules a magical island convinces a shipwrecked sailor to face his troubles.

“I was here with my brothers and my children ... we totalled 75 snakes ... Then a star fell and they were consumed in flames ... If you are brave and your heart is strong, you will embrace your children, you will kiss your wife and you will see your house,” the story reads.

Other stories include letters written by a farmer called Heqanakht date from 1930BC which reflect surprisingly modern agrarian concerns.

Obviously the picture based language of hieroglyphs is vastly different from English, with only a few people understanding the subtlety and nuance of the unique language — and that’s what makes the publication so special.

“These writings have never before been published together in an accessible collection,” said Penguin Publishers.

Stories and fables translated from Ancient Egypt.