Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology [Paperback]

John L. Foster (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

"Do not be arrogant because of your knowledge;
approach the unlettered as well as the wise.
The summit of artistry cannot be reached,
nor does craftsman ever attain pure mastery.
More hidden than gems is chiseled expression
yet found among slave girls grinding the grain."

—from the Maxims of Ptahhotep

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of the New Kingdom and Hymns, Prayers, and Songs: An Anthology of Ancient Egyptian Lyric Poetry, as well as previously unpublished translations of four longer and two short poems.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.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This exceptional sampling of one of the world's most ancient literatures offers more than 40 hymns, stories, prayers, and songs revolving around religion, the Pharaohs, life, death, love, and more. The literary translation presents a critical reading of the ancient texts rather than a strict literal rendering. We do not know for certain how to pronounce the language as it was spoken 3000 to 4000 years ago, but Foster (research associate, Oriental Inst., Chicago) includes a number of poems in their original hieroglyphs, adding an exotic touch. The introduction to ancient Egyptian literature, as well as information about the authorship and chronology of each selection, helps to place the works in context. An excellent glossary explains many of the ancient concepts for the modern reader, who will discover that the splendor of Pharaonic visual art of which we know and see plenty has its parallel in literature. Highly recommended for all literary collections, this is also of interest to comprehensive collections of Egyptology, Near Eastern history, world literature in translation, and religion. Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

It is hard for the Western mind to look farther back in history than to King David, but a literature older than the Psalms does exist. Some of these poems, translated from hieroglyphics by a scholar of both English literature and Egyptology, were carved into pots and stones and tablets a full millennium before Israel's great king. Older than the Buddha and the Bhagavad Gita, these poems constitute a truly ancient literature, and Foster's rich and textured translations make genuine love poems and exhortations to the gods out of what, to most of us, are just pictures. Perhaps most amazing are the Leiden Hymns, written in praise of a single, unified God. Jewish and Christian readers will hear anticipations of the Psalms, and Muslims, of Koranic themes, in these reflections from the dawn of monotheistic thought. Although a glossary is provided, Foster doesn't furnish enough context for those with no prior knowledge of Ancient Egypt. Even rank amateur Egyptologists, however, should be fascinated by these, some of the first poems ever written. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; Lst Ed edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292725272
• ISBN-13: 978-0292725270
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #746,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous literature from a not-so-distant time, October 26, 2002

By 

ferretk4 (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology (Paperback)

This is a wonderful collection of stories and poems from ancient Egypt, translated of course. Someone once said "Poetry is that which is lost in translation," but that does not hold true for this book. Most of its stories are in poetic form, and they are all as fascinating and engaging as any non-translated work might be.
Some of the best works in the book are its love poems, which range from tender and sweet to erotic-and often both. They are delightful to read, not to mention startlingly modern; love has not changed much over 3000 years, it appears.
For a glimpse at what life 3000 years ago might have been like; or a taste of the incredible culture that existed then; or an eye-opening example of how close we are to people from all places and times; or simply a fabulous collection of literature, I would definitely recommend this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative & entertaining, December 31, 2007

By 

hapixii (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology (Paperback)

I have enjoyed reading this anthology of ancient Egyptian literature translated by John Foster. The study of ancient Egyptian literature has come a long way since its early days, with de Rouge's publication for the tale "Two Brothers" in 1852, based an ancient Egyptian papyri, which was acquired by Elizabeth d'Orbiney. In his well-written introduction, the author outlines his personal introduction as a graduate student at the University of Michigan to ancient Egyptian literature; and he further indicates that he finished his work in American literature and modern poetry, and that by profession he taught English. He outlines the historical background for the study of ancient Egyptian literature. A major feature of this anthology is that it tends to be more of a "literary" vis a vis a more "literal" translation, while keeping the original ancient Egyptian writers' "presumed" intent in mind. I tend to think that the author seems to have been reasonably successful in producing a literary translation to a great extent. The book also includes the sources of the texts and a bibliography, which I tend to think, would be useful for the readers.

I noted with interest the translation as compared with other recent publications of ancient Egyptian literature such as the three volumes on "Ancient Egyptian Literature" by M. Lichtheim, which tends to be more of a literal vis a vis literary translation. I have two observations to point out. The first is about maxim 1 of Ptahhotep, which advises against arrogance for those who attain knowledge. Ptahhotep admonishes the reader in the author's literary translation "more hidden than gems is the chiseled expression, yet found among slave girls grinding the grain". This may be compared with Lichtheim more literal translation "good speech is more hidden than greenstone, yet may be found among maids at the grindstone". Though the literary translation flows a lot more smoothly than the literal one, it leaves the reader with the impression that the Old Kingdom ancient Egyptians used salves, as compared with maids, a notion rejected by most of the scholars of that period of ancient Egyptian history. The second observation is about the story of Sinuhe. Whereas the author's literary translation shows the story as a poem, Lichtheim translation more literal translation shows it as a narration interspersed with three poems and an exchange of correspondence.

Again the major feature of this anthology is that it targets a more literary as compared with a more literal translation. This of course is a tall order, which offers both advantageous and disadvantageous prospects. Perhaps the specialists will always need to look at more literally oriented and ever refined translations, however the more literary translation offers more enjoyable reading for cotemporary readers. In general terms this is an informative and entertaining reading for a good representative selection of ancient Egyptian literature.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathing Life into a Lively Ancient World, October 2, 2009

By 

R. Adams "taoist, artist, person" (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology (Paperback)

John L. Foster's translation of ancient Egyptian poetry and prose is fresh, revealing, and true to the original spirit and humor of the ancient writers. It provides a solid, grounded angle on Egyptian literature, remaining loyal enough to provide a fully legitimate translation, while also playing with the barrier between languages--so as to express the intent of the original work, the way the author likely intended. His background in Modernist poetry (in fact of all poetry) helps this tender, joyful rendition.