Egyptian Poem

Here is an Egyptian poem along with its original pictogram text!

XVII

Do not lie abed fearing tomorrow;

day breaks, what will it be?

Man cannot know what the morrow will bring.

God dwells amid His perfections,

man must live with his failure;

And the words which men speak are fleeting,

and the creatures of God pass away.

So, say nothing that gives injury,

do not you yourself cause pain—

Even though harms attributed to God

be sealed with His own finger.

As there is no perfection apart from God’s hand,

so nothing flawed lives in His presence;

And should He wish to be rid of perfection,

He can destroy it all in an instant.

Be serious of heart, steady your thoughts,

and do not use your tongue to steer by.

Or say man’s tongue is the rudder of a ship,

the Lord of All is still pilot.