Translating Peter Rabbit (hieroglyph edition)
In order to read the transliterated words aloud, Egyptologists insert an ‘eh’ sound between the consonants so the little face symbol above ‘ḥr’ is pronounced ‘hehr’/'hair’.
After transliterating, you need to translate, which involves picking out the individual words. As ancient Egyptian didn’t use spaces between words nor punctuation, sometimes this can be rather difficult. This is why you need sign lists and dictionaries. As I am only providing a literal translation, I’m not even going to get involved in grammar or verb forms etc, which also isn’t the easiest. (Update 11/06/12: I am now attempting a translation into readable English.)
OK. Onto the translation.
I will only show the cover and the first page of the book (copyright, schmopyright), but will provide as much of a transliteration and literal translation (without punctuation etc) of the entire book as I can. If anyone finds any mistakes, let me know (via Twitter).
COVER
Line 1: sḏdt n
Tale of
Line 2: ptr sẖˤt
Peter hare
PAGE 1
Line 1:
wn pw sẖˤt nḏst 4 irw rn sn
Be this is Lives this/it hare small 4 (unknown) (shape?) names their
Line 2:
m fw3psy mw3psy
with(?) namely Fwapsy Mwapsy
Line 3:
sd mḥw ptr wn sn ḥnˤ
Tail of Linen Peter be they together with
Line 4:
mwt sn ḥr ṯs ẖr mnyt n
mother they upon sandbank under root of
Line 5:
cš ˤ3 wrt
cedar tree great great
Update June 10th
PAGE 2
Line 1
ḥḏ n rf t3 ḥḏ-n-t3 ḏd.n sẖˤt i3t (det. ‘old’) (det. ‘woman’)
Dawn (thus?) land said/spoke our hare old woman
Line 2
i mr-w 3 (det. ‘family’) (det. ‘woman’) di (det. ‘woman’) šm tn
Oh! My love Loves (unknown) (family of woman?) please go you (pl.)
Line 3
r š3 r w3t tn r pw im n tn
to country to road you that speak(?) (utterance? intent?) this is there (when?) together not you(pl.)
Line 4
nswt(?) šm r ḥrt-š in s3 grgr
but go to garden in Son of Gregor
Update June 11
PAGE3
Line 1
ir-n tw st3w r itf-tn
‘born of/whom made’ them crimes to/at/concerning father your(pl)
Line 2
im rdi n(y)-sw ḥm.t s3 grgr
when placed he belong to wife son of gregor
Line 3
m t srf
in bread warm
Update June 12
PAGE 4
Line 1
3s irf tn m ir dw.t
hasten (so)too you(pl.) with/from take action(?) evil
Line 2 nbt mk w r prt
lady/mistress See! I to go
Update June 13
PAGE 5
Line 1
ˤḥˤ n ṯ3i n s sẖˤt i3t
stood up (to?) (past tense. doh!) took up/seized snatched (to?) her(?) Old (female) Rabbit (Mrs Rabbit?)
Line 2
mnḏm šwyt s šm n s
basket sunshade go (she?)
Line 3
ẖr nhwt r pr rtḥy in
carrying/under(?) protection(?) trees to house baker fetch
Line 4
n s t p3t m wnšty 5
bread loaf in/from/namely(?) plum/raisin/currant 5
Update June 13
PAGE 6
Line 1
ist rf wn fw3psy mw3ps
(encl. part.) (encl. part.) lives/content(?) Fwapsy Mwaps
Line 2
y sd mḥw m sẖˤt nḏs
y Tail of Linen with/from/in rabbits small
Line3
t(det pl.) nfr bi3.yt (det ‘says’) sn h3 n
beautiful marvels say(?) descended
Line 4
sn r w3t/w3i tn r in nt bnrt
They towards road/start you(?) to get/fetch (belonging to) dates.
Update June 18
PAGE 7
Line 1
iw ms ptr m bin (det small) wr.t sḫ
Surely/Indeed Peter in/with/as bad (det small) great(very)
Line 2
s (det movement) in.f r š n s3 grgr
hurry/flee (by him? can’t quite get what in.f means) to garden of Son of Gregor
Line 3
ḥr ˤwy
immediately
UPDATE 18th June
My (attempt at a) translation into English directly from this text, not from the original book- “There live four small hares. Their names are Fwapsy Mwapsy Linentail and Peter. They live together with their mother upon a sandbank under a very large cedar tree.
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