Fragment III
319 Words
Fragment IIIWhat powers of darkness, what gods of evil, prompted me to take thy mother to the festival given in honor of Har-urdu?
She had watched the preparations for the glorious reception into the city of the victorious general, and evinced a childish longing to be present among those who welcomed the royal prince home.
The high priest, much pleased with the work I had done for the new temple, deigned to listen to my request, that I and my wife might be among the assistants at the solemn sacrifice Har-urdu would offer to great Set, in thanksgiving for the victory of his arms. We were both assigned places in the tribune, not three lengths away from Pharaoh's throne, and in full view of the victor's procession as it marched up to the sacrificial altar.
Thy mother looked very beautiful that day, her kalasiris—of a rich hue, like the turquoise—swathing and moulding her graceful figure in perfect sculptural lines. There were thousands of other women there, rich ladies of high degree, covered from head to foot in brilliant and costly jewellery, and yet all eyes turned to thy mother when she walked in with me, looking with childlike wonderment at the brilliant scene before her; we were poor people, and she wore no ornament, save a necklace of shining pebbles which I had once collected and mounted for her, and a pink lotus-flower fastened in her bosom.
I remember every moment of that day, my son! the day on which I buried my happiness.
But above all, I remember him, the great general, the royal prince, Har-urdu, the winner of a hundred victories, the invincible leader of the glorious armies of Pharaoh—and the destroyer of my happiness.
Oh! holy mother Isis! Oh! great and glorious Osiris! Ye had given him so much glory, so much power, such wealth and such victories, and yet ye gave him in addition what I would have sacrificed my eyesight to retain.
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