W.W. Phelps (Joseph's ghostwriter) quotes the "Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language" amongst other languages.

Date
Dec 1843
Type
Book
Source
W. W. Phelps
LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Reference

General Joseph Smith’s Appeal to the Green Mountain Boys, December 1843 (Nauvoo: Taylor and Woodruff, 1843), 4, The Joseph Smith Papers website, accessed August 11, 2021

Scribe/Publisher
Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor
People
W. W. Phelps, Joseph Smith, Jr.
Audience
Reading Public
Transcription

Were I a Chaldean I would exclaim: Keed’nauh ta-meroon le-hoam elauhayauh dey-shemayauh veh aur’kau lau gnaubadoo yabadoo ma-ar’gnau oomeen tehoat shemayauh alah. (Thus shall ye say unto them: The gods that have not made the heavens and earth, they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.)

An Egyptian: Su-e-eh-ni: (What other persons are those?) A Grecian: Diabolos bassileuei: (The Devil reigns.) A Frenchman: Messieurs sans Dieu, (Gentlemen without God:) A Turk. Ain shems: (The fountain of light.) A German: sie sind unferstandig. (What consummat ignorance!) A Syrian: Zaubol. (Sacrifice!) A Spaniard: ll sabio muda conscio, il nescio no. (A wise man reflects, a fool does not.) A Samaritan: Saunau! (O Stranger!) An Italian: Oh tempa! oh diffidanza! (O the times! o the diffidence!) A Hebrew: Ahtauh ail rauey. (Thou God seest me.) A Dane: Hyad tidende! (What tidings!) A Saxon: Hwaet riht! (What right!) A Sweede: Hyad skilia: (What skill!) A Polander: Nav-yen-shoo bah pon na Jesu Christus; (Blessed be the name of Jesus Christ.) A Western Indian: She-mo-kah she-mo-keh teh ough-negah. (The white man, O the white man, he very uncertain.) A Roman: Procul, o procul este profani! (Be off, be off ye profane!) But as I am I will only add: when the wicked rule the people mourn.

BHR Staff Commentary

It is now generally accepted by historians that W.W Phelps wrote this document as part of his role as the ghost writer for Joseph Smith. For more, see Samuel Brown, "The Translator and the Ghost Writer: Joseph Smith and W.W. Phelps," Journal of Mormon History 34, no. 1 (Winter 2008): 26-62

Copyright © B. H. Roberts Foundation
The B. H. Roberts Foundation is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.