The Lament of a Suicidal Man | Reconstructed and Performed on Ancient Egyptian Lyre

The Dispute Between a Man and His Ba is a Middle Kingdom text which you can read here: https://mjn.host.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/... It holds the hieroglyphics as well which is very exciting! I talk about the phonetic reconstruction of the ancient Egyptian language on Patreon, so subscribe there if you want to check it out!   / reconstructing-156316729   ---------- The lyre used in this video is the a replica of the Leiden Lyre, lovingly handcrafted by the Luthieros in Greece, a family of luthiers who have dedicated their lives to reviving the ancient lyre. www.luthieros.com ---------- (Note: These verses are purely arbitrary and are mainly used to track where you are in the text in comparison with the other translations.) Lyrics: English: Verse 1: Whom can I talk to today? I'm laden with misery for lack of an intimate friend. Verse 2: Whom can I talk to today? The evil that scourges the earth is without end. Verse 3: Death is in my sight today, a cure of a sick man, like going outside after confinement. Death is in my sight today, like the smell of myrrh, like sitting under a sail on a windy day. Verse 4: Death is in my sight today, like the smell of lotus flowers, like sitting on the shore of drunkenness. Death is in my sight today, like a path washed by rain, like a man's coming home from an expedition. Verse 5: Death is in my sight today like the sky's clearing, like a man's grasping thereby what he didn't know before. Death is in my sight today, like a man's longing to see home after he has spent many years in captivity. Transliteration: 1: wn(.w) ḏd=j n-m mjn jw=j ꜣṯp=k w ẖr mꜣr n gꜣw ꜥq-jb 2: ḏd=j n-m mjn nf ḥw tꜣ nn wn pḥwj=fj 3: jw mwt m-ḥr=j m mjn snb mr mj prt r ḫntw r-sꜣ jhmt jw mwt m-ḥr=j mjn mj sṯ ꜥntjw mj ḥmst ẖr ḥtꜣw hrw ṯꜣw 4: jw mwt m-ḥr=j mjn mj sṯ sšnw mj ḥmst ḥr mryt nt tḫt jw mwt m-ḥr=j mjn mj wꜣt ḥwyt mj jw s m mšꜥ r pr=sn 5: jw mwt m-ḥr=j mjn mj kft pt mj s sḫt jm r ḫmt n=f jw mwt m-ḥr=j mjn mj ꜣbb s mꜣꜣ pr=sn jr.n=f rnpwt ꜥšꜣt jṯ(.w) (My) Reconstruction: 1: un t’at’ə nəm man aw=ə ātip.ki u xer mar nə gəu ʕak’-ib 2: t’at’ə nəm man nəf ħaw ta nən un paħə.fə 3: iw mawt ma ħiirə ma man sanib mar may parə rə ɣənatu rə-sə ahīmə iw mawt ma ħiirə man may astay ʕantə may ħimāsə xer ħātə hārə tʰāu 4: iw mawt ma ħiirə man may astay sāšinu may ħimāsə ħiir miryt nit tīɣə iw mawt ma ħiirə man may wat ħuə may iw sə ma māçʕə rə pʰar.si 5: iw mawt ma ħiirə man may kaftə pitʰ may sə sāɣə am rə ɣəma nə.fə iw mawt ma ħiirə man may əbāb sə méa pʰar.si ir.nəf ranpu ʕašaiə itə ---------- May you find peace, health, and happiness my friend. He was not bits of husk, or a puddle that freezes overnight, or a comb that cracks when you use it, or a pod crushed open on the ground... His pure gold wine pours on the thick wine dregs. They mix and rise and separate again. Your name has been erased from the roaring volume of speech... (Sanai by Rumi)