〈Stele des Rediuikhnum (Kairo CG 20543)〉 / Stele des Rediuikhnum (Kairo CG 20543)

An offering which the king gives and Osiris, lord of Busiris, Khentamenti, Lord of Abydos in [all his places: a voice-offering of bread and bear, bulls and fowl,] alabaster [and clothing?], a thousand of all good things for the royal seal-bearer and sole friend, a trusted one of his great mistress, one enduring of steps in pouring libations and censing, [one who ... his?] name (?), one who knows his position, stable of seal, perfect of form(??), one able of performance at any event, possessor of respect and generous, one faultless of appearance, white of clothes, noble of body, divine to behold, one who knows the norms of conduct, balanced of heart, who mingles with officials, one open-hearted, with bright entrails, friendly to the one who comes so that he might say what is in his heart, a trusted confidant of his mistress, whom she favors, one whom she placed to the great "gate", a character beloved in the mouth of the people, one foremost of place in the royal palace, steward, the dignified Rediukhnum, who says: I am one beloved of his mistress, her praised one in the course of every day. I spent a long period of years under the lady, the king's ornament Neferukayet, one great of her kas, foremost of her places, great of fathers, foremost of mothers, for whose forefarthers this sky was lifted up, a noble one at the fore of this (?) land, a primaeval spirit at the fore of Upper Egypt; as she was a royal daughter and a king's wife that he loved, who inherited from all her mothers, and re-organized Upper Egypt, the foremost of people - starting at Elephantine down to the 10th Upper Egyptian nome - with women and among estate managers and officials from the entire land. I grew up under the feet of Her Majesty since (my) earliest youth, because she knew that my actions were excellent and that I followed the path of the officials. Then she appointed me in Dendera, in the great cow barn of her mother - great of documents, foremost of provisions, the greatest administrative unit of Upper Egypt. I spent a long time there, a long period of years for it (?). There never came a (bad) thing therein, for I was a knower of things. I reorganised it, improving its administration to be (lit. as one) better than before. I restored what I had found broken; I set up that which I had found fallen; I replenished that which I had found mutilated/missing. I did not neglect (lit. damage) any festivals that I found being performed in this estate; sacrifice was established for all daily offerings; and every festival was performed in its time for the sake of the health of (my) mistress Neferukayet for all eternity. I managed the estate well, I enlarged all its portals, I gave a gift to the one who demanded it, I helped the one I did not know like the one I knew, so that my name would be good in the mouth of those who are on earth. I am indeed an official great in his heart, a beloved sweet plant. I was not drunken, I was not forgetful, I was not feeble in my performance. It was my heart that promoted my place; it was my character that caused my top (position) to last. I did all that I did, being a trusted one of his mistress. I was acute, I acquired possessions (or: I created wealth), I equipped all services by which the estate was managed, so that I could send support to that which I had found fallen. One says: "It is very useful when a man does what is useful in (?) his heart for his mistress who promotes his monuments." I did for her a great quantity of all noble things, exceeding that which I had found done by anyone who had been in this place/position (before). I surpassed all my equals who were governing in this estate. I am one who knows himself, one foremost of men, a noble staff that god made, one to whom was given the excellence of his plans and the great nobility of his performance. My lady is the mistress of Upper Egypt, the august one of the Two Lands, the great one of this land. May her ka endure on the great throne, may she make millions of years living like Re forever. An invocation offering for the praised one Rediukhnum on the wag festival, on the Thoth festival, on the Hedjedet festival, on the festival of Sokar (?), on the Rekeh festival, on the festival of first day of the year, on the great festival, on the great procession, and on all festivals. May a hand be extended to him with offerings that come forth in the presence of Hathor. May the ones at the fore of the sanctuary dignify him, the wab-priests of the noble terrace. May he open the ways that he wishes, in peace, in peace! The praised one, Rediukhnum, says: I am one who made his own character, one beloved by the people in the course of every day. The butler Antef. Festive scent oil, hekenu-oil, resinous oil, nekhenem-oil, tewat-oil, best cedar oil, (best) Libyan oil. Opening the unguents in front of the ka of the dignified Rediukhnum. His friend Idedi. Ipuy. Tjanebu.