9/9/2017 The stele of Mry (Louvre C3)

The stele of Mry (Louvre C3)

The stela of the assistant sealer Mery contains twenty-one lines of text overlapping two
registers where he is figuring making offerings to his parents (Hor and Menkhut) and sitting on
a seat surrounded by members of his family. The lower register depicts a scene of sacred oils
offering three offerors and three recipients sitting on chairs, one of which is accompanied by
his wife.
The text has two parts: the first seven lines relate to its participation in the work of the temple
of Osiris-Khentimentyou and the following consist of an offering formula sometimes called
"Abydos formula", in a highly developed form.

Translite ration and translation

HA.t-sp 9 Abd 2 n (y) Ax.t sw 20,

Year 9, 2nd month of the (season) Akhet , day 20,

xn Hm n (y) r anx-ms.wt, Nbty anx-ms.wt, n (y) -sw.t bjty # pr-kA-Ra,

under the Majesty of Horus nkhmesout, Nebty nkhmesout, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Kheperkare,

(x) = (x, y), where x is the number of roots of x, (y) .t hrw n (y) .t ra nb, jmAxw,
the son of Re, Senousret (Sesostris), who lives like Re, eternally! His truly affectionate servant, who does all that he
(the king) praises, day after day, the blessed,

(w) -wA.t, aA-od, bnr-mrw.t. (n) jmAx, xtmw Xr (y) -a Mry, ms (w) -n Mnx.wt, Dd
possessor of veneration, the seated bearer of the seal, Mery son of Menkhut, who said: "I was an obedient
servant, great in character, sweet in love.

hAb - n wj nb = jm wpw.t n-aA.tn (yt) mDd-wA.t, r xrp n = f st n (y) .t nHH, wr.t rn r R (A) -% TAw ,
xnt.tm Xr (y) .w
It is because of (my) obedience, that my master sent me on mission, to direct for him (the building of) a place of
eternity, Ro-Staou, superior in provisions

r st nb.t, war.t mnx.t nTr.w. jw jnb.w = s, d (m) ~ n (y) pt, S, SAd (= w), pH ~ n = f jtrw; sbA.w txn ~ n
(y)
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to any other place, the perfect district of the gods. Its walls tore the sky, the lake, which had been dug, reached
the river; the doors pierced

bjA, m jnr HD n (y) R (A) - Awy. (W) = (j) (j) = (j) xrp (w) .t = j.
the firmament, being of white stone of Toura. Osiris-Khentimentyou rejoiced at the monuments of (my) master,
while I myself was in joy, (my) heart being transported because of what I directed (construction).

dn (y) -sw.t Wsjr Htp nb + w, # nty-Jmnty.w nTr aA nb ABDW, Wp (w) -wA.wt, xnty ABDW, d ot
HNA $ nmw,
May the king that s 'Soothes Osiris Lord of Busiris, Khentimentyou the great god lord of Abydos, and Oupouaout
who presides in Abydos, can Heqet and Khnoum,

(y) -a Mry, (n) (y) nA (w) m m </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s>
</s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s>
</s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> ms (w) ~ n Mnx.wt, mAa-xrw. ms = t (w) n = f a.wy
and all the gods of Abydos, grant an invocatory offering (consisting of) a thousand all sorts of good and pure
things for the ka of the blessed seal bearer Mery, that brought into the world Menkhout, right of voice. (1) Present
the arms

(Yt) -nTr Hna Smsw n (y) Wsjr. sAx sw wr.wn (y) .w + dw, Sny.t jm (y) .t AbDw. wp = f wA.wt mrr
(w) .t = f
loaded with offerings during the feasts of the Necropolis with the followers of Osiris. (2) Let the great of Busiris
glorify him, as well as the courtiers who are in Abydos. (3) May he open the paths he desires,

m Htp (sp sn). (y), and a-wr, wab.wn (y) .w nTr aA. d = t (w) n = f a.wy m NSm.t Hr wA.wt Jmn.t.
Dsr = f H (A) p.wt m Mskt.t,
in peace, in peace. (4) Let them exalt those who are in Ta-Our, the pure priests of the great god. (5) May his
hands be given in Nechemet on the roads of the West. (6) May he hold the oars in the (bark) Mesketet ,

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sod = f (m) ManD.yt. Dd = t (w) n = f: "jw m Htp" jn wr.wn (y) .w AbDw. sA = f Hna nTr aA r R (A)
-Por, NSm.t
(7) can sail in the (bark) Mndjyt . (8) That it be said to him: "Welcome in peace" by the Great of Abydos. (9) May
he accompany the great god as far as Ro-Peqer and the great (bark) Nechemet

wr.tr nmt.t = sm Hb.wn (y) .w Xr (yt) -nTr. sAx sw kA-Jmn.t, Hkn n = fm H (A) p.wt = f. sDm = f
hnw
during his travels during the holidays of the Necropolis. (10) Let the bull of the West glorify him while he cheers
him (?) With his oars. (11) Can he hear the praises

m (A) n (y) & A-wr, (m)! A = kr (= j), n (sic) GrH n (y) Dr.t, (m) sDry.tn (y) r-Sn. dndn = f wA.wt
nfr.wt r pgA.w
in the entrance of Ta-Our, at the ( festival- ) Haker , on the night of the Rest, the dormition of Horus-the-Fighter.
(12) May he tread the fine paths to the outlets

Ax.t jmnt (y) .t, r war.t Rd.t-tp.w, ary.t aA.t hmhm.wt. sAx sw $ nmw,! ot,
from the western horizon, to the district of Donner les Offrandes, the great portal of renown. (13) Let him glorify
Khnum and Heqet,

(yw) -a xprw Xr-HA.t msxn.t tp (y). AbDw, prw mr (A) n (y) Ra Ds = f, m Dsr (= w) AbDw Hr = s. d
= sn n = f
the ancestors who came into existence once upon the first place of birth of Abydos, came out of the mouth of Re
itself when Abydos was sanctified because of it. (14) Let them give it

Htp.w wab (.w) t ma Smsw n (y) Wsjr. (x, y), and a-

of the pure offerings on the part of the followers of Osiris. (15) Let those who are in Ta-Our cheer, let Osiris
prevail his position on that of the great who are in the earth

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DSR. baH = f Htp.w, DfA.w, XAm.tx.tn Wsjr m WAg, + Hwty, RkH, Tp-tr, Hb.w
Sacred. (16) May he abound with offerings, provisions, and khamet-khet offerings for Osiris during the festival
Ouag, the feast of Thot, the feast of the Brasier (?), The feast of the beginning of the year, major festivals,

wr (.w), pr.t tp (y) .t aA.t, m Hb.w nb (.w) jrr (ww) n nTr aA. ms n = f MHwn a = fm Htp.wn (yw) nTr
aA. Hms = f Hr jmn.tn (yt) Wsjr,
the First and the Great Procession, during all the celebrations that are celebrated for the great god. (17) Let
Mehoun present his arm to him, with the offerings of the great god. (18) May he sit at the right hand of Osiris,

m-HA.t saH.w Sps.w. spr = f DADA.t nTr, Sms = f sw r wA.wt nb (.w) t wab (.wt), jm (yw) t & A-Dsr.
Ssp = f xt Hr Htp aA, in
front of the august dignitaries. (19) May he reach the Council of the god in order to follow him to all his pure
paths that are in the sacred land. (20) May he receive goods on the great altar,

(y) -a Mry, ms (w) ~ n Mnx.wt. (d) (y) -sw.t Htp Wsjr, pr.t-xrwt, H (n) ot, xA m xt nb.tn jmAx (w)
@r, ms (w) ~ n @ nw.t.
day after day, the blessed bearer of the seal, Mery, whom Menkhut has brought into the world. / Make the king
that Osiris, (so that it gives) an invocatory offering (consisting of) bread, beer and a thousand of all kinds of things
for the venerable Hor (the father of Mery), that put to the world Henout.

image ry

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Bibliography
Claude Obsomer, Sesostris I , (Translation and Transliteration, p.
JH Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt , Vol I, p. 246.
Catalog of the exhibition Birth of Scripture, Paris 1982, p. 127.

[Summa ry]
W ebma st er Sy l v i e Gr i f f on (C est a s, Fr a nce) - C opy r i ght 2010 Sot hi s- Egy pt A l l r i ght r eser v ed.

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