Departure of the Fleet
1“Steer to port.” (An offering) for the life, prosperity, and health of her majesty, to Hathor, mistress of Punt ..., that she may bring wind. Sailing in the sea, beginning the goodly way toward God's-Land, journeying in peace to the land of Punt, by the army of the Lord of the Two Lands, according to the command of the Lord of Gods, Amon, lord of Thebes, presider over Karnak, in order to bring for him the marvels of every country, because he so much loves the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, [Makere (Hatshepsut)], for his father Amon-Re, lord of heaven, lord of earth, more than the other kings who have been in this land forever.
Reception in Punt
2[The arrival] of the king's-messenger in God's-Land, together with the army which is behind him, before the chiefs of Punt; dispatched with every good thing from the court, L. P. H., for Hathor, mistress of Punt; for the sake of the life, prosperity, and health of her majesty. The coming of the chiefs of Punt, doing obeisance, with bowed head, to receive this army of the king; they give praise to the lord of gods, Amon-Re. They say, as they pray for peace: “Why have you come to this land, which the people do not know? Did you come down upon the ways of heaven, or did you sail upon the waters, upon the sea of God's-Land? Have you trodden (the way of) Re? Lo, as for the King of Egypt, is there no way to his majesty, that we may live by the breath which he gives?” The chief of Punt, Perehu. His wife, Eti. The ass which bears his wife.
The Traffic
3Pitching the tent of the king's-messenger and his army, in the myrrh-terraces of Punt on the side of the sea, in order to receive the chiefs of this country. There are offered to them bread, beer, wine, meat, fruit, everything found in Egypt, according to that which was commanded in the court, L. P. H. Reception of the tribute of the chief of Punt, by the king's-messenger. The coming of the chief of Punt bearing tribute at the side of the sea before the king's-[messenger] ....
Loading the Vessels
4(Look to) your feet, you people! Behold! the load is very heavy! Prosperity be with us, for the sake of the myrrh tree in the midst of God's-Land, for the house of Amon; there is the place where it shall be made to grow for Makere, in his temple, according to command. The loading of the ships very heavily with marvels of the country of Punt; all goodly fragrant woods of God's-Land, heaps of myrrh-resin, with fresh myrrh trees, with ebony and pure ivory, with green gold of Emu, with cinnamon wood, khesyt wood, with ihmut-incense, sonter-incense, eye-cosmetic, with apes, monkeys, dogs, and with skins of the southern panther, with natives and their children.[1] Never was brought the like of this for any king who has been since the beginning.
The Return Voyage
5Sailing, arriving in peace, journeying to Thebes with joy of heart, by the army of the Lord of the Two Lands, with the chiefs of this country behind them. They have brought that, the like of which was not brought for other kings, being marvels of Punt, because of the greatness of the fame of this revered god, Amon-Re, Lord of Thebes.
Presentation of the Tribute to the Queen
6[Kis]sing the earth to Wosretkew (Hatshepsut) by the chiefs of Punt ... the Nubian Troglodytes of Khenthennofer, every country ... of ... doing obeisance with bowed head, bearing their tribute to the place where her majesty is .... ... ways not trodden by others ... every country is dominion of her majesty and counted ... lord of Thebes, as tribute each year, which her father Amon [appointed] for her, who has set all the lands beneath her sandals, living forever. They say as they pray for peace from her majesty: “Hail to you, king of Egypt, Re, who shines like the sun, your sovereign, mistress of heaven .... Your name reaches as far as the circuit of heaven, the fame of [Makere (Hatshepsut)] encircles the [sea] ....”
The Queen Offers the Gifts to Amon
7The King himself, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makere (Hatshepsut); presentation of the marvels of Punt, the treasures of God's-Land, together with the gifts of the countries of the South, with the impost of the wretched Kush, the baskets of Nubia, to Amon, lord of Thebes, presider over Karnak, for the sake of the life, prosperity, and health of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makere (Hatshepsut), that she may live, abide, and her heart be joyful; that she may rule the Two Lands like Re, forever. Thirty-one fresh myrrh trees, brought as marvels of Punt for the majesty of this god, Amon, lord of Thebes; never was seen the like since the beginning. Electrum; eye-cosmetic; throw-sticks of the Puntites; ebony; ivory, shells. A southern panther alive, captured for her majesty in the [south] countries. Electrum; many panther-skins; 3,300 (small cattle).
Weighing and Measuring the Offerings
8The king himself, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makere (Hatshepsut). Taking the measure of the electrum, laying the hand on the ... of the heaps, first instance of doing the good things. Measuring of the fresh myrrh to Amon, lord of Thebes, lord of heaven, the first of the harvest ... of the marvels of the countries of Punt. The lord of Khmunu (Thoth) records them in writing; Sefkhet counts the numbers. Her majesty herself is acting with her two hands, the best of myrrh is upon all her limbs, her fragrance is divine dew, her odor is mingled with Punt, her skin is gilded with electrum, shining as do the stars in the midst of the festival-hall, before the whole land. There is rejoicing by all the people; they give praise to the lord of gods, they laud Makere (Hatshepsut) in her divine qualities, because of the greatness of the marvels which have happened for her. Never did the like happen under any gods who were before, since the beginning. May she be given life, like Re, forever. Heaps of myrrh in great quantities. Measuring the fresh myrrh, in great quantities, for Amon, lord of Thebes; marvels of the countries of Punt, treasures of God's-Land, for the sake of the life, prosperity and health ....[2] Recording in writing, reckoning the numbers, summing up in millions, hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, thousands and hundreds; reception of the marvels of Punt, for Amon-Re, lord of Thebes, lord of heaven. The balances, accurate and true, of Thoth, which the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, [Make]re (Hatshepsut), made for her father, Amon, lord of Thebes, in order to weigh the silver, gold, lapis lazuli, malachite, and every splendid costly stone, for the sake of the life, prosperity, and health of her majesty. Weighing the gold and electrum, the impost of the southern countries, for Amon-Re, lord of Thebes, ..., presider over Karnak .... Recording in writing, reckoning the numbers, summing up in millions, hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, thousands, and hundreds. Reception of the marvels of the South countries, for Amon, lord of Thebes, presider over Karnak.
Announcement of the Expedition Before Amon
9Horus: Mighty in Ka's; Favorite of the Two Goddesses: Fresh in Years; Golden Horus: Divine in Diadems; King of Upper and Lower Egypt: Makere (Hatshepsut), ... of Amon, whom he loves, who is upon his throne, for whom he has made to flourish the inheritance of the Two Lands, the kingdom of the South and North, to whom he has given that which the sun encompasses, that which Keb and Nut enclose. She has no enemies among the Southerns, she has no foes among the Northerns; the heavens and every country which the god has created, they all labor for her. They come to her with fearful heart, their chiefs with bowed head, their gifts upon their back. They present to her their children that there may be given to them the breath of life, because of the greatness of the fame of her father, Amon, who has set all lands beneath her sandals. The king himself, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makere (Hatshepsut). The majesty of the court made supplication at the steps of the lord of [gods]; a command was heard from the great throne, an oracle of the god himself, that the ways to Punt should be searched out, that the highways to the Myrrh-terraces should be penetrated: “I will lead the army on water and on land, to bring marvels from God's-Land for this god, for the fashioner of her beauty.” It was done, according to all that the majesty of this revered god commanded, according to the desire of her majesty, in order that she might be given life, stability, and satisfaction, like Re, forever. Utterance of Amon-Re, lord of Thebes: “Welcome, my sweet daughter, my favorite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makere (Hatshepsut), who makes my beautiful monuments, who purifies the seat of the great ennead of gods for my dwelling, as a memorial of her love. You are the king, taking possession of the Two Lands, Khnemet-Amon, Hatshepsut, great in oblations, pure in food-offerings. You satisfy my heart at all times; I have given you all life and satisfaction from me, all stability from me, all health from me, all joy from me. I have given to you all lands and all countries, wherein your heart is glad. I have long intended them for you, and the aeons shall behold them until those myriads of years of usefulness which I have thought to spend. I have given to you all Punt as far as the lands of the gods of God's-Land.” “No one trod the Myrrh-terraces, which the people did not know; it was heard of from mouth to mouth by hearsay of the ancestors .... The marvels brought from there under your fathers, the Kings of Lower Egypt, were brought from one to another, and since the time of the ancestors of the Kings of Upper Egypt, who were of old, as a return for many payments; none reaching them except your carriers.” “But I will cause your army to tread them, I have led them on water and on land, to explore the waters of inaccessible channels, and I have reached the Myrrh-terraces.” “It is a glorious region of God's-Land; it is indeed my place of delight. I have made it for myself, in order to divert my heart, together with Mut, Hathor, Wereret, mistress of Punt, the mistress, ‘Great in Sorcery,’ mistress of all gods. They took myrrh as they wished, they loaded the vessels to their hearts' content, with fresh myrrh trees, every good gift of this country, Puntites whom the people do not know, Southerns of God's-Land. I conciliated them by love that they might give to you praise, because you are a god, because of your fame in the countries. I know them, I am their wise lord, ... I am the begetter, Amon-Re; my daughter, who binds the lords, is the king [Makere] (Hatshepsut). I have begotten her for myself. I am your father, who sets your fear among the Nine Bows, while they come in peace to all gods. They have brought all the marvels, every beautiful thing of God's-Land, for which your majesty sent them: heaps of gum of myrrh, and enduring trees bearing fresh myrrh, united in the festival-hall, to be seen of the lord of the gods. May your majesty cause them to grow ... my temple, in order to delight my heart among them. My name is before the gods, your name is before all the living, forever. Heaven and earth are flooded with incense; odors are in the Great House. May you offer them to me, pure and cleansed, in order to express the ointment for the divine limbs, to offer myrrh, to make ointment, to make festive my statue with necklaces, while I am making libations for you. My heart is glad because of seeing you.”
Announcement of the Expedition to the Court
10Behold, it was commanded, as follows: “They shall give the court, L. P. H., to the hereditary prince, count, wearer of the royal seal, sole companion, chief treasurer, Nehsi, to dispatch the army [to] Punt.” The king's-dignitaries, the companions of the court, L. P. H. Steward of Amon, Senmut. Year 9, occurred the sitting in the audience-hall, the king's appearance with the atef-crown, upon the great throne of electrum, in the midst of the splendors of his palace. The grandees, the companions of the court, came to hear; a command was brought, a royal edict to his dignitaries, the divine fathers, the companions of the king, the grandees: “I shine forever in your faces through that which my father has desired. Truly, it was greatly my desire in doing, that I should make great him that begot me; and in assigning to my father, that I should make splendid for him all his offerings; that which my fathers, the ancestors did not know, I am doing as the Great One (did) to the Lord of Eternity; I am adding increase to that which was formerly done. I will cause it to be said to posterity: ‘How beautiful is she, through whom this has happened,’ because I have been so very excellent to him, and the heart of my heart has been replete with that which is due to him. I am his splendor on high, and in the nether world. I have entered into the qualities of the august god, he has opened .... He has recognized my excellence, that I speak a great thing which I set among you; it shall shine for you upon the land of the living ... you may grasp my virtues. I am the god, the beginning of being, nothing fails that goes out of my mouth, beloved ... that which he desired. You shall fulfil according to that which I have exacted. Your lifetime is the life that is in my mouth ... for the future. I have given a command of my majesty that the offerings of him who begot me should be made splendid, that the ointment should be increased ... of prime ointment of the pure ox, in order to supply with offerings ....” “... [a decree of] my majesty commanding to send to the Myrrh-terraces, to explore his ways for him, to learn his circuit, to open his highways, according to the command of my father, Amon. ... for choice ointment, in order to express ointment for the divine limbs, which I owed to the lord of gods, in order to establish the laws of his house. Trees were taken up in God's-Land, and set in the ground in [Egypt] ... for the king of the gods. They were brought bearing myrrh therein for expressing ointment for the divine limbs, which I owed to the lord of Gods.” Said my majesty: “I will cause you to know that which is commanded me, I have listened to my father ... that which he has ... commanding me to establish for him a Punt in his house, to plant the trees of God's-Land beside his temple, in his garden, according as he commanded. It was done, in order to endow the offerings which I owed, ... I was [not] neglectful of that which he needed. You shall fulfil according to my regulations without transgression of that which my mouth has given. He has desired me as his favorite; I know all that he loves; he is a god ... his desire and that which he loves .... I have made for him a Punt in his garden, just as he commanded me, for Thebes. It is large for him, he walks abroad in it.” ... Hathor, mistress of myrrh; she has opened to you her two arms with resin ....