User:MSantoro/New Kingdom Love Songs

New Kingdom Love Songs

The New Kingdom Love Songs are the earliest recorded songs found in regards to Ancient Egypt, dating to the New Kingdom of pharonic Egypt (1600 B.C. – 1085 B.C.). They were discovered in four locations: on the Harris Papyrus 500 (currently located at the British Museum), the Chester Beatty Papyrus (currently located at the British Museum), the Turin 1966 (currently located at the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy), and one ostracon (the fragments of a vase) (ostracon 25218 is located in the Cairo Museum and was found at Deir el-Medina). The songs themselves date back to an oral tradition of the ancient world; they detail humorous, satirical, idyllic, and naïve romance. Although written using sophisticated language, they detail examples of daily life for the average Egyptian. Unfortunately, a good deal of the love songs found on the ostracon at Deir el-Medina are fractured—while most have been translated, some are missing enough parts to be untranslatable.

Although the songs were written down, they are the verbal equivalent of the hieratic writing (the cursive form of ancient hieroglyphs). Since the songs were grouped together on the papyri, they were separated through a series of dots called “verse points” or a notation before the poem/song (either a number, such as on the Chester Beatty Papyrus, or a forearm with a hand palm down in Papyrus Harris 500). It is interesting to note that following the transcription of a song, the scribe would add a colophon (a particular hieroglyph) to show he was an accurate copyist.

Ancient Egyptian Society and the Love Songs
Egyptians placed a great deal of importance upon the name of a person or an object- this was due to the magic inherent in its name. Because hieroglyphs were pictures, images and words became closely linked. Due to the mysticism and many-layered nature of the culture of ancient Egypt, their songs were multifaceted, full of double-entendre and extensive word play. Even if a poem appeared to reference sexual activities, the character of their society was such that the song was referring to love. It was also common for a love song to have one person speak of their lover, or for a third party, such as an old man or a fruit tree, to speak of a couple- it was very rare for the subject of love itself to be written down. Even so, the love songs spoke of uncomplicated and ardent love. All senses were used in appreciating their partner, or potential partner. One of the more erotic poems, on the ostracon from Deir el-Medina, involved a half-clothed woman. Although the sight of nudity was not uncommon in Ancient Egypt, the use of imagination on wet and see-through garments was perceived as incredibly erotic.

In regards to the lovers themselves, the love songs use the salutation of 'brother' or 'sister.' The act of incest was typically exclusive to royalty- calling one by brother or sister was seen as safer, especially when written down, than using the lover's actual name. Unlike later prejudices, while marriages in ancient Egypt were achieved with dowries and status in mind, women were not treated harshly. Children, and especially boys, were prized- the pharoah Akhenaten was often seen showing physical (and public) affection towards his wives and his children. While women were not able to live as equals to men, the presence of romantic love referred to in the songs and poems shows a degree of freedom uncommon in the ancient world.

Examples of Love Songs
I think I’ll go home and lie very still –Harris Papyrus 500, Song Cycle I I think I’ll go home and lie very still
 * Feigning terminal illness

Then the neighbors will all troop over to stare,
 * My love, perhaps, among them.

How she’ll smile while the specialists
 * Snarl in their teeth—
 * She perfectly well knows what ails me.

Ho, what she’s done to me— that girl –scribe Nakht-Sobek from the City of the Dead Ho, what she’s done to me— that girl!
 * And I’m to grin and just bear it?

Letting me stand there huge in her door
 * While she goes catfoot inside.

Not even a word: “Have a quiet walk home!”
 * (dear god give me relief)

Stopping her ears the whole damned night
 * And me only whispering, “Share!”

John L. Foster
The premier translator of the Love Songs (and Egyptian literature in general) was John L. Foster. Although he became interested in Egyptology in graduate school, he did not pursue the field until entering the doctorate program at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. His graduate degree at the University of Michigan involved American Literature, modern poetry, and English. After gaining his doctorate, Foster spent more than 35 years translating Egyptian poetry into modern English. In the preface of one of his works, he admitted that he believed in translating meaning instead of words; by converting hieroglyphs into direct translation, he felt that not only would the intent and the meaning be lost, but it would also end up in broken English.