The Egyptian myth of Isis and the seven scorpions - Alex Gendler

Translator: Naomi Castelló Reviewer: Anna Comas-Quinn

A woman in rags emerged from the swamp flanked by seven giant scorpions.

Una dona en parracs va sortir del pantà envoltada per set escorpins gegants.

Carrying a baby, she headed for the nearest village to beg for food.

Carregant un nadó, es dirigia cap a la vila més propera per pidolar menjar.

She approached a magnificent mansion,

Va arribar a una mansió majestuosa,

but the mistress of the house took one look at her grimy clothes

però la mestressa de la casa va donar un cop d'ull a les seves robes brutes

and unusual companions and slammed the door in her face.

i als seus peculiars companys i li va tancar la porta a la cara.

So she continued down the road until she came to a cottage.

Així que va continuar pel carrer fins que va arribar a una casa de pagès.

The woman there took pity on the stranger and offered her what she could:

La dona de la casa va sentir pena per ella i li va oferir el que va poder:

a simple meal and a bed of straw.

un menjar senzill i un llit de palla.

Her guest was no ordinary beggar.

La seva convidada no era una pidolaire comú.

She was Isis, the most powerful goddess in Egypt.

Era l'Isis, la deesa més poderosa d'Egipte.

Isis was in hiding from her brother Set,

Isis s'estava amagant del seu germà Seth,

who murdered her husband and wanted to murder her infant son, Horus.

qui havia assassinat al seu marit i volia assassinar al seu fill, Horus.

Set was also a powerful god, and he was looking for them.

Seth era un déu molt poderòs, i els estava buscant.

So to keep her cover, Isis had to be very discreet—

Per tal de passar desapercebuda, Isis havia de ser molt cautelosa.

she couldn’t risk using her powers.

No es podia arriscar a utilitzar els seus poders.

But she was not without aid.

Però per sort, no li mancava ajuda.

Serket, goddess of venomous creatures,

Serket, la deesa dels animals verinosos,

had sent seven of her fiercest servants to guard Isis and her son.

li havia enviat set dels seus assistents més ferotges per protegir el seu fill.

As Isis and Horus settled into their humble accommodation,

Mentre l'Isis i l'Horus s'instal·laven a la seva modesta cambra,

the scorpions fumed at how the wealthy woman had offended their divine mistress.

els escorpins protestaven per la ofensa de la dona rica cap a la seva mestressa.

They all combined their venom and gave it to one of the seven, Tefen.

Tots ells van ajuntar el seu verí i li van donar a un d'ells, en Tefen.

In the dead of night, Tefen crept over to the mansion.

A mitjanit, en Tefen va anar cap a la mansió.

As he crawled under the door,

Arrossegant-se per sota de la porta,

he saw the owner’s young son sleeping peacefully

va veure el fill de l'amo dormint tranquil·lament

and gave him a mighty sting.

i el va picar ben fort amb l'agulló.

Isis and her hostess were soon awakened by loud wailing.

L'Isis i la seva amfitriona es van aixecar del crit.

As they peered out of the doorway of the cottage,

Mirant per la porta de la caseta,

they saw a mother running through the street,

van veure una mare corrent pel carrer,

weeping as she cradled her son.

amb el seu fill en braços plorant.

When Isis recognized the woman who had turned her away,

Quan l'Isis va reconèixer la dona que li havia donat l'esquena,

she understood what her scorpions had done.

va entendre el que els seus escorpins havien fet.

Isis took the boy in her arms and began to recite a powerful spell:

Isis va agafar el nadó i va començar a recitar un poderòs encantament:

"O poison of Tefen, come out of him and fall upon the ground!

"Oh verí d'en Tefen, surt del nadó i cau a la terra!

Poison of Befen, advance not, penetrate no farther, come out of him,

Verí d'en Befen, no segueixis, no t'endinsis més, surt d'ell,

and fall upon the ground!

i cau a la terra!

For I am Isis, the great Enchantress, the Speaker of spells.

Perquè soc l'Isis, la gran Fetillera, la portaveu dels encantaments.

Fall down, O poison of Mestet! Hasten not, poison of Mestetef!

Cau a terra, oh verí d'en Mestet! No t'apressis, verí d'en Mestetef!

Rise not, poison of Petet and Thetet! Approach not, poison of Matet!"

No creixis, verí d'en Petet i en Thetet! No t'acostis verí d'en Matet!"

With each name she invoked, that scorpion’s poison was neutralized.

Per cada nom que invocava, el verí d'aquell escorpí s'esmenava.

The child stirred, and his mother wept with gratitude

El nadó es movia, i la seva mare plorava d'agraïment

and lamented her earlier callousness,

i lamentava la seva anterior crueltat,

offering all her wealth to Isis in repentance.

oferint penedida tota la seva riquesa a l'Isis.

The woman who had taken Isis in watched in awe—

La dona que havia hospedat a la Isis observava amb admiració—

she had had no idea who she’d brought under her roof.

No tenia idea de qui havia acollit sota el seu sostre.

And from that day on,

I des d'aquell dia,

the people learned to make a poultice to treat scorpion bites,

la gent va aprendre a fer una pasta per tractar les picades d'escorpí,

speaking magical incantations just as the goddess had.

recitant encantaments màgics tal i com havia fet la deesa.