'Shall it be backward now, ere Thoth can slay?
Shall it be on to Pharaoh, come what may?
And, lo, when Pharaoh asks me where those two,
His children, are, what is it I shall say?
"I took thy children to a burning land
And living let them die; and here I stand."
I will not speak it.'—Then he bade them bring
A band of finest linen, such a band
As dead kings wear, to bind them at the last;
And seven times round his body made it fast,
And close against his body bound the Book
Firm; and from out the canopy he passed.
And, lo, the River took him, and the will
Of Ra was done. And they on board did fill
The air with wailing: 'Great woe! Grievous woe!
Dead, dead, is the Good Scribe and all his skill.'
And down the stream the pleasure-ship sailed on
Toward Memphis, and to no man there was known
Where Nefrekepta lay; and when they came
Message was brought to Pharaoh on his throne.
And Pharaoh came in robes of funeral,
And all the folk of Memphis, great and small,
And Ptah's High Priest and all the Priests of Ptah,
And Pharaoh's council and his household, all;
And saw the ship, and, lo, beneath it drowned
Saw Nefrekepta lying, both hands wound
About the rudder, guiding still his ship;
So great a scribe was Nefrekepta found.
They raised him, and against his body dead
They found the Book pressed close. And Pharaoh said:
'Behold the Book he died for! Let it lie
In this King's grave, a pillow for his head.'
Then sixteen days embalming did they keep
For Nefrekepta, thirty-five of deep
Wrapping; of burial threescore days and ten;
And here he resteth in the House of Sleep.
And I, Ahure, far away must lie
In Coptos; but my heart within doth cry
For Nefrekepta, and our shadows come
Waking and watch beside him sleeplessly.