A Father's Advice to His Son

I read this in my humanities textbook, and thought it was an interesting tribute to motherhood, both ancient and modern. It's translated from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, or so the book says...

(To explain... although Thomas, three of his siblings/siblings in-law, and I all walked for graduation in April, I'm finishing up my remaining required classes this Spring term... after a two year hiatus from school! I'm LOVING my classes so far, even though it's a lot of work. Thomas is being supportive, and learning and growing in his role as full-time stay-at-home dad for the next month and a half...)

A Father's Advice to His Son

Double the food which thou givest thy mother,

carry her as she carried thee. She had a heavy

load in thee, but she did not leave it to me.

After thou wert borne she was still burdened

with thee; her breast was in thy mouth for three

year, and though thy filth was disgusting, he

heart was not disgusted. When thou takest a

wife, remember how thy mother gave birth to

thee, and her raising thee as well; do not let thy

wife blame thee, nor cause that she raise her

hands to the god.

(I'm interpreting the last part to mean: don't make your wife angry with you, remember the example of your mother)

taken from Cunningham, Lawrence S., and John J. Reich, Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, seventh edition. Australia: Wadsowrth Cengage Learning, 2010. 18. Originally excerpt from Mertz, Barbara, Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphics. 1978, 333.