180 EEV. J. N. FRADENBUEGH^ PH.D., D.D., Lh.J)., 



She is charming, her bower is green, 



Greener than (the papyrus). 



She is laden with fruit, 



Redder than the ruby. 



The colour of her leaves is as glass, 



Her stem is as the colour of the opal. 



It is cool in the shadow. 



She sends her letter by a little maiden, 



The daughter of her chief gardener. 



She makes her haste to her beloved : 



Come and linger in the (garden). 



The servant who belong to thee 



Come with the dinner things ; 



They are bringing her of eveiy (kind) 



With all manner of bread, 



Flowers of yesterday and of to-day, 



And all kinds of refreshing fruit. 



Come, spend this festive day 



And to-morrow and the day after to-morrow 



Sitting in my shadow. 



Thy companion sits at thy right hand, 



Thou dost make him drink." 



A beautiful conceit is the form of the love song in which 

 each couplet begins with the name of a floAver and a play 

 upon the word lightly connects the whole. The maiden 

 wears a wreath and, as she adds, flower after flower, each 

 one reminds her of her love. Replacing this word-play by 

 one of like import in our own language, Professor Erman 

 renders a couplet as follows, as she picks out a rose and 

 wears it in the chaplet : 



" Blush roses are in it, one blushes before thee, 

 I am thy first ' sister ' ; 

 And thou art to me .as the garden. 

 Which I have planted with flowers 

 And all sweet-smelling herbs. 

 I directed a canal into it, 

 That thou mightest dip thy hand into it. 

 When the north wind blows cool ; 

 The beautiful place where we take a walk, 

 When thine hand rests within mine 

 With thoughtful mind and joyful heart, 

 Because we walk together. 

 It is intoxicating to me to hear thy voice, 

 And my life depends upon hearing thee. 

 Whenever I see thee 

 It is better to me than food and drink." 



We present one more example of Egyptian poetry — the 

 festal dirge of King Antuf of the eleventh dynasty : 



