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Cleopatra
Cleopatra

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Cleopatra is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.
I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.
I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.
I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.
I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Cleopatra

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Cleopatra is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.
Line 2
I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.
Line 3
I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.
Line 4
I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.
Line 5
I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

betrayal noun US /bɪˈtreɪ.əl/

The action of betraying one's country, a group, or a person; breach of trust.

From this reading “I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.”

Hereditary adjective US /hərˈedəteri/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

From this reading “I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.”

Pharaoh noun US /ˈferoʊ/

the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

From this reading “I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.”

reared verb US /rɪrd/

past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds

From this reading “I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.”

ruling noun US /ˈruːlɪŋ/

the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)

From this reading “I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.”

sleeps noun US /sliːps/

plural of “sleep” — a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading “By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.”

undone adjective US /ənˈdʌn/

not done

From this reading “I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.”

woes noun US /woʊz/

plural of “woe” — misery resulting from affliction

From this reading “I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.”

All words in this reading · 84

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

Abouthis

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

aforetime

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

Amenti

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

asideadverbUS /əˈsaɪd/

on or to one side

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

betrayalnounUS /bɪˈtreɪ.əl/

The action of betraying one's country, a group, or a person; breach of trust.

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

betrayedverbUS /bɪˈtreɪd/

past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

CrownnounUS /kraʊn/

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/

An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

desertverbUS /ˈdezərt/

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

divineadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaɪn/

emanating from God

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

DoubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/

increase twofold

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

EgyptnounUS /ˈiːdʒəpt/

a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

gloriousadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɔːriəs/

having or deserving or conferring glory

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

Harmachis

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

hearkening

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

HereditaryadjectiveUS /hərˈedəteri/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

HimpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

justifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/

having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

LandnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

losingverbUS /ˈluːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

LowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

Osirisnoun

Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead; husband and brother of Isis; father of Horus

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

PharaohnounUS /ˈferoʊ/

the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

PriestnounUS /priːst/

a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

rearedverbUS /rɪrd/

past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

rulingnounUS /ˈruːlɪŋ/

the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

Sethi

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

sleepsnounUS /sliːps/

plural of “sleep” — a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

tastedverbUS /ˈteɪstɪd/

past form of “taste” — have flavor; taste of something

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

TemplenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading I, Harmachis, Hereditary Priest of the Temple, reared by the divine Sethi, aforetime a Pharaoh of Egypt, and now justified in Osiris and ruling in Amenti.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

undoneadjectiveUS /ənˈdʌn/

not done

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

UpperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading I, Harmachis, by right Divine and by true descent of blood King of the Double Crown, and Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Land.

utterlyadverbUS /ˈʌtərli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

woesnounUS /woʊz/

plural of “woe” — misery resulting from affliction

From this reading I, Harmachis, the fallen, in whom are gathered up all woes as waters are gathered in a desert well, who have tasted of every shame, who through betrayal have betrayed, who in losing the glory that is here have lost the glory which is to be, who am utterly undone--I write, and, by Him who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading I, Harmachis, who cast aside the opening flower of our hope, who turned from the glorious path, who forgot the voice of God in hearkening to the voice of woman.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading By Osiris who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.

Chapter 1 of Cleopatra by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 70 sentences, grouped into 14 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Cleopatra contain?

Chapter 1 holds 70 sentences of Cleopatra, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Cleopatra by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 70 sentences, grouped into 14 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Cleopatra?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Cleopatra

Common questions about reading Cleopatra by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Cleopatra?

Yes. All 4941 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2769 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Cleopatra is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2769, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Cleopatra take to read?

About 411 minutes of reading across 989 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Cleopatra section by section

How to work through Cleopatra section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of Cleopatra to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Cleopatra

Words and structures a reader meets early in Cleopatra, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Osiris
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cleopatra; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sleeps
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cleopatra; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Abouthis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cleopatra; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Write
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cleopatra; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.