O my beautiful one,
I wish I were part of your affairs, like a wife.
With your hand in mine
your love would be returned.
I implore my heart:
“If my true love stays away tonight,
I shall be like someone already
in the grave.”
Are you not my health and my life?
How joyful is your good health
for the heart that seeks you!

-Egyptian Poem..

[Count, governor of the South], chamber-attendant, attached to Nekhen, lord of Nekheb, sole companion, revered before Osiris, First of the Westerners, Uni. He says:

“[I was a child] who fastened on the girdle under the majesty of Teti; my office was that of supervisor of [….] and I filled the office of inferior custodian of the domain of Pharaoh.”  ……..

[I was] the eldest of the […] chamber under the majesty of Pepi. His majesty appointed me to the rank of companion and inferior prophet of his pyramid-city. While my office was ….. his [majesty made me] judge attached to Nekhen. He loved me more than any servant of his. I “heard,” being alone with (only) the chief judge and vizier, in every private matter …. in the name of the king, of the royal harem, and of the six courts of justice, because the king loved me more than any official of his, more than any noble of his, more than any servant of his.

Then I [be]sought … the majesty of the king that there be brought for me a limestone sarcophagus from Troja. The king had the treasurer of the god ferry over, together with a troop [of] sailors under his hand, in order to bring for me this sarcophagus from Troja; and he arrived with it, in a large ship belonging to the court, together with [its] lid, the false door; the [setting]. two [….], and one offering-tablet. Never was the like done for any servant, for I was excellent to the heart of his majesty, for I was pleasant to the heart of his majesty, for his majesty loved me.

While I was judge, attached to Nekhen, his majesty appointed me sole companion and superior custodian of the domain of the Pharaoh, and […] of the four superior custodians of the domain of the Pharaoh, who were there. I did so that his majesty praised me, when preparing court, when preparing the king’s journey (or) when making stations. I did throughout so that his majesty praised me for it above everything.

When legal procedure was instituted in private in the harem against the queen, Imtes his majesty caused me to enter, in order to hear the case alone. No chief judge and vizier at all, no prince at all was there, but only I alone, because I was excellent, because I was pleasant to the heart of his majesty; because his majesty loved me. I alone was the one who put (it) in writing, together with a single judge attached to Nekhen; while my office was (only) that of superior custodian of the domain of Pharaoh. Never before had one like me heard the secret of the royal harem, except that the king caused me to hear (it), because I was more excellent to the heart of his majesty than any official of his, than any noble of his, than any servant of his.

When his majesty took action against the Asiatic Sand-dwellers, his majesty made an army of many tens of thousands from all of Upper Egypt: from Yebu in the south to Medenyt in the north; from Lower Egypt: from all of the Two-Sides-of-the-House and from Sedjer and Khen-sedjru; and from Irtjet-Nubians, MedjaNubians, Yam-Nubians, Wawat-Nubians, Kaau-Nubians; and from Tjemeh-land.

His majesty sent me at the head of this army, there being counts, royal seal-bearers, sole companions of the palace, chieftains and mayors of towns of Upper and Lower Egypt, companions, scout-leaders, chief priests of Upper and Lower Egypt, and chief district officials at the head of the troops of Upper and Lower Egypt, from the villages and towns that they governed and from the Nubians of those foreign lands. I was the one who commanded them-while my rank was that of overseer of [royal tenants]-because of my rectitude, so that no one attacked his fellow, so that no one seized a loaf or sandals from a traveller, so that no one took a cloth from any town, so that no one took a goat from anyone.

I led them from Northern Isle [and] Gate of Iyhotep [in] the district of Horus-lord-of-truth while being in this rank. —————- . I determined the number of these troops. It had never been determined by any servant.

This army returned in safety,
It had ravaged the Sand-dwellers’ land.
This army returned in safety,
It had flattened the sand-dwellers’ land.
This army returned in safety,
It had sacked its strongholds.
This army returned in safety,
It had cut down its figs, its vines.
This army returned in safety,
It had thrown fire in all its [mansions].
This army returned in safety,
It had slain its troops by many ten-thousands.
This army returned in safety,
[It had carried] off many [troops] as captives.

His majesty praised me for it beyond anything. His majesty sent me to lead this army five times, to attack the land of the Sand-dwellers as often as they rebelled, with these troops. I acted so that his majesty praised me [for it beyond anything].

Told there were [marauders] among these foreigners at the nose Gazelle’s-head, I crossed in ships with these troops. I made a landing in the back of the height of the mountain range, to the north of the land of the Sand-dwellers, while half of this army was on the road. I came and caught them all and slew every marauder among them.

-Autobiography of Weni