Wine and Beer in the Daily Lite and Religion of the Ancient Orientals. 



103 



according to the bidding of thy heart! 

 That day of lamentation will come to thee, 

 (in which) he of a paralyzed heart will not (be able 



to) hear their mournings. 

 Weeping will not compel 

 the heart of a man (to beat) in the tomb. 

 Moral(.f'): Celebrate the joyous day! 

 Do not rest in it! 

 Behold! It was not granted, 

 to take along one's possession. 

 Behold! There is none, who has gone hence 

 and has returned again. 

 At banquets the harp-player was seldom missing. We 

 possess an interesting, though very difficult text^, which 

 describes the manner of life this minstrel lived and parti- 

 cularly his struggle for existence. He is in want and priva- 

 tion. He knows only one song, of which the theme is "I am 

 hungry and thirsty". When he goes to the banquets of the 

 rich, he first eats and drinks. But moderation in eating and 

 drinking is an unknown virtue to him. "He drinks for two, 

 he eats for three, he satiates himself for five". When he is 

 called upon to play his harp and accompany his instrument 

 with his song, he is so drunk that he is unable to perform 

 and the guests chase him away from the banquet-hall. 



"He has doctrine and he has not. (He is) like one who 

 can not speak, although (being) intelligent, and who does 

 not know to answer in a satisfactory way. (He is) like 

 a fool who has digested a book, in which is contained 

 every teaching, and (yet) he is able to sing only one 

 song, since he was born: "I am hungry, Twish to drink. 



Is there nothing to eat(.^)" when before him 



he sees meat. He searches after the blood more than 

 . the fly, (more than) the vulture that has decried the mas- 

 sacre. 



He will be able to pass four days awake, to look for 

 provisions, being fulh' dressed they call unto him "There is 



l) Vienna Demotic papyrus No. 31. This text was lirst transl ated by 

 Revillout in tlie Revue cgypt. After this first endeavor, Krall publishe^l partly 

 a new translation. Sec now Revue J'^gypL-, 19 19. 



