Egyptian Love Poetry

The timeline of history is not a static one. As time progresses, most all aspects of life constantly advance. That being said, some things remain practically unchanged for several millennia. The ways of human nature are still as basic and at the same time incredibly complex today as they were thousands of years ago. A betrayal of a good friend hurts as much today as it did no matter what time period you look at. It is the reason good deeds have always been praised and bad deeds punished. The same may be applied to any facet of life. The pain felt when left in the absence of a loved one, the subject of the lyrical poetry found in the Papyrus Chester Beatty I. Expressed in these lyrics are emotions that readers today can relate with although being written in 1500 B.C. Egypt. The poem consists of seven stanzas, alternating between a man and women, expressing their feelings for the person they love. Stanza seven uses quite powerful analogies to convey how the speaker longs to be with his loved one. The speaker’s mental and physical state are beginning to diminish as he waits for the return of his woman. The significance of this lies in both the content of the words and in the time that this was written. It is amazing that love has held an unexplainable power over humans for some thousands of years, and that it is still one of the most sought after ideas in the world.

Stanza seven is dealing with the likes of a very distraught lover. The man compares his feeling of sadness to an incurable ailment. This idea of a pain-stricken lover longing for the return of their soul-mate can be found in numerous places, be it a Civil War drama or a 1980’s rock ballad. The man describes his attempts to improve his condition with a somber tone, not one alleviating his sadness. The non-advanced nature of life allows little to distract you from your sadness. It seems that human nature is much more prominent and more easily observed in such an environment. It is difficult though at times to determine what lyrics are to be taken literally. The writer explains feeling heavy on all of his limbs, that his heart rejects the medicines of the people who come to treat him. Now was this man actually checked out by a physician of sorts, probably not. He is describing the feeling of being love-sick, a metaphor that most believe wouldn’t have existed so long ago.

Not only is it interesting that these feelings were felt so long ago, but also the fact that they were written down. While it is difficult to determine exactly how poetic the non-translated texts are, it is fascinating that people felt the need to express themselves in a written language rather than simply speaking it. How could we tell that these feelings existed without having them written down? When reading all seven stanzas, it is obvious that the emotions become increasingly more intense as you progress; beginning with praise of their loved one, finishing with a physical manifestation of loneliness. This holds the interest of the reader. The culmination of emotion reaches its peak in the seventh and final stanza. The writer claims that his woman is his amulet, his one prize. The sight of her would be the only thing to revive him. Not only did love poetry exist in this time, but it is as sappy as it ever was. Surely some readers of the time thought