〈Stele des Mentuhotep (London UC 14333)〉 / Stele des Mentuhotep (London UC 14333)

An offering which the king gives and Osiris, lord of Djedu, great god: may he give an invocation offering of a thousand of alabaster, pieces of linen (and) every good and pure thing to the dignified hereditary noble and local prince, overseer of priests, Mentuhotep, conceived of Hepy, justified, who says: I was one stable of leg, one loyal, one whose love his lord gave (i.e. one whom his lord caused to be loved). I was one great of the secret [place], a friendly one, free of nervosity/complacency (?), I was not rude before a mighty one (or: in proportion as I was powerful). The love of me was in the body of the great officials of the palace and of him who was enthroned there. (I am) one who came to his lord with the great ones behind him, the watchers of the portal bowing, until I reached the place where (his) majesty was; (I am) one who went therefrom with an exalted heart, and with praises (visible) in front of everyone. His Majesty did this for his servant, because I was loyal. He made me a trusted one of His Majesty in Armant, the first (city) of his nomes. The wise and the ignorant loved me, everyone praised god [for me] and prayed to those who remain on earth (?; oder: und betete für mich, dass ich auf Erde dauern würde), because His Majesty praised me more than any others who grew up in this city. I was one who brought up the child and buried everyone old and miserable (?). I gave bread to the hungry and clothes to the one who was naked. I was the son of Neper, the husband of Tayt, one for whom Sekhat-hor made cattle exist, a possessor of riches, consisting of every precious stone from (?) the birthplace of Khnum, the maker of people. In year 25 came a low flood, I did not let (my) nome hunger, I gave to it weak barley and emmer. I did not let food-lack happen in it until great floods came. I nourished children with my hands, I anointed widows; no commoner was miserable in my time. I strove to create love for me, in order that my name be good and that I may be justified in the necropolis: an instructor of children in calm speaking; a kindly one, one who did not fight against a commoner - (for) there is no arrogant superior who is beloved - one who inclines his heart until he (the commoner) has said his misery, until he has rid himself of all that troubles him; one who listens to his speech, dispels his misery; one who appoints a man so that he is true (i.e. to his proper position); 〈one free〉 from excess; one who is silent when the heart is suppressed; one respectful to everyone; one who does not turn his face away from the hungry one. A friendly hand is that which is beloved; people are of the same skin. There is (in me) no fighting against any inspector or any seal-bearer of the administration, rather (I) said: "Incline your heart, don't be prejudiced against a petitioner until he has said that because of which he had come." The situation of the poor, the widows, as well as the orphans were reported to me. I acted [for] them [all] (?) in order to let breathe the one who fell into misery. The good character of a man is for him more than thousands of gifts indeed (?). The testimony of the people is in that utterance, which is in (lit.: on) the mouth of the commoners / great ones (?): "The monument of a man is his goodness; he whose character is evil will be forgotten." If it happens as one says, my name shall be good and lasting in (my) city, and my monument shall not perish forever.