The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems
by Anonymous & translated by Richard Parkinson
A collection of Egyptian literary texts made accessible through notes and introductions.
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“The Tale of Sinuhe, which was composed around 1875-1850 BCE, is the fictional story of an official’s flight from Egypt, his life in exile, and return in old age. It is written as if in the tradition of an autobiography for his tomb. Many copies have been found, and it is thought to have been a very popular work of literature in ancient Egypt. In today’s globalised world, the themes of culture, identity and belonging are perhaps what resonate most with this story.” Read more...
Tuva Kahrs, Five Books Editor
“This is a wonderful collection starting with the most famous Egyptian poem, the Tale of Sinuhe. It’s short, only about 16 pages in this edition. Although numerous written copies are known, including versions used in teaching at Deir el-Medina, we think the life of these stories was primarily oral, performed by one storyteller or a group of performers, perhaps in court contexts…The Tale of Sinuhe…is the story of an individual who flees Egypt when the king dies; he is worried that he will be accused of conspiracy. He becomes very successful in his new life in Syria-Palestine but all this success is hollow because the only life that is meaningful is a life in Egypt.” Read more...
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Elizabeth Frood, Historian
