Egyptian Literature Part 42

10 Hail to thee who art in tranquillity: Lord of magnanimity strong in apparel: Lord of the crown high plumed: of the beautiful turban, of the tall white crown: the G.o.ds love thy presence: when the double crown is set upon thy head: thy love pervades the earth: thy beams _arise_ ... men are cheered by thy rising: the beasts shrink from thy beams: thy love is over the southern heaven: thy heart is not (unmindful of) the northern heaven: thy goodness ... (all) hearts: love subdues (all) hands: thy creations are fair overcoming (all) the earth: (all) hearts are softened at beholding thee.

11 The ONE maker of existences: (creator) of ... maker of beings: from whose eyes mankind proceeded: of whose mouth are the G.o.ds: maker of gra.s.s for the cattle (oxen, goats, a.s.ses, pigs, sheep): fruitful trees for men: causing the fish to live in the river: the birds to fill the air: giving breath to those in the egg: feeding the bird that flies: giving food to the bird that perches: to the creeping thing and the flying thing equally: providing food for the rats in their holes: feeding the flying _things_ in every tree.

12 Hail to thee for all these things: the ONE alone with many hands: lying awake while all men lie (asleep): to seek out the good of his creatures: Amen sustainer of all things: Athom Horus of the horizon:(555) homage to thee in all their voices: salutation to thee for thy mercy unto us: protestations to thee who hast created us.

13 Hail to thee say all creatures: salutation to thee from every land: to the height of heaven, to the breadth of the earth: to the depths of the sea: the G.o.ds adore Thy Majesty: the spirits thou hast created exalt (thee): rejoicing before the feet of their begetter: they cry out welcome to thee: father of the fathers of all the G.o.ds: who raises the heavens who fixes the earth.

14 Maker of beings, Creator of existences: Sovereign of life, health, and strength, Chief of the G.o.ds: we wors.h.i.+p thy spirit _who alone_ hast made us: we whom thou hast made (thank thee) that thou hast given us birth: we give to thee praises on account of thy mercy to us.

15 Hail to thee Maker of all beings: Lord of truth father of the G.o.ds: Maker of men creator of beasts: Lord of grains: making food for the beast of the field: Amen the beautiful Bull: beloved in Aptu:(556) high crowned in the house of the obelisk:(557) twice turbaned in An: judge of combatants in the great hall: Chief of the great cycle of the G.o.ds:

16 The ONE alone without peer: Chief in Aptu: King over his cycle of G.o.ds: living in truth forever: (Lord) of the horizon, Horus of the East: he who hath created the soil (with) silver and gold: the precious lapis lazuli at his pleasure: spices and incense various for the peoples: fresh odors for thy nostrils: benignly come to the nations: Amen-Ra Lord of the thrones of the earth: Chief in Aptu: the Sovereign _on his throne_.

17 King alone, _single_ among the G.o.ds: of many names, unknown is their number: rising in the eastern horizon setting in the western horizon: overthrowing his enemies: dawning on (his) children daily and every day: Thoth raises his eyes: he delights himself with his blessings: the G.o.ds rejoice in his goodness who exalts those _who are lowly_: Lord of the boat and the barge: they conduct thee through the firmament in peace.

18 Thy servants rejoice: beholding the overthrow of the wicked: his limbs pierced with the _sword_ fire consumes him: his soul and body are annihilated.

19 Naka(558) saves _his feet_: the G.o.ds rejoice: the servants of the Sun are in peace: An is joyful: the enemies of Athom are overthrown and Aptu is in peace, An is joyful: the giver of life is pleased: at the overthrow of the enemies of her Lord: the G.o.ds of Kher-sa make salutations: they of the Adytum prostrate themselves.

20 They behold the mighty one in his strength: the image of the G.o.ds of truth the Lord of Aptu; in thy name of Doer of justice: Lord of sacrifices, the Bull of offerings: in thy name of Amen the Bull of his mother: maker of men: causing all things which are to exist: in thy name of Athom Chepra:(559) the great Hawk making (each) body to rejoice: benignly making (each) breast to rejoice: type of creators high crowned: ... (Lord) of the wing: Uati(560) is on his forehead: the hearts of men seek him: when he appears to mortals: he rejoices the earth with his goings forth: Hail to thee Amen-Ra Lord of the thrones of the world: beloved of his city when he s.h.i.+nes forth.(561)

Finished well as it was found.(562)

Hymn To Ra-Harmachis

Translated by E. L. Lus.h.i.+ngton, LL.D., D.C.L.

The hymn to Amen-Ra-Harmachis (the Sun identified with the Supreme Deity), of which a translation is here attempted, is found, with other compositions of a similar nature, among the Berlin papyri. (No. 5, published in Lepsius, "_Denkmaler_," Abth. vi. Bd. 12, pp. 115-117.)

It probably belongs to the Ramesside period; the writing is careful and for the most part very distinct; some _lacunae_ are met with toward the end, and in a few pa.s.sages the characters baffle the present translator's skill in deciphering.

Citations from this hymn occur not unfrequently in the writings of eminent Egyptian scholars, as Brugsch, Deveria, and others; compare especially Chabas, "_Le Nom de Thebes_," p. 16, where the long ant.i.thesis of epithets bestowed on Ra and his adversaries is described as "furnis.h.i.+ng a page of the Egyptian dictionary."

As far as I am aware, no complete translation of it was published till the appearance of Professor Maspero's "_Histoire Ancienne_," Paris, 1875; where the whole is rendered into French, pp. 32-35. My own translation was made before I had the opportunity of seeing this work; since consulting it I have modified my version of one or two pa.s.sages in accordance with M.

Maspero's views.

HYMN TO RA-HARMACHIS

Adoration to Ra-Harmachis at the front of the morning.(563) _Say_: Thou wakest beauteous Amen-Ra-Harmachis, thou watchest in triumph, Amen-Ra, Lord of the horizon. O blessed one beaming in splendor, towed by thy mariners who are of the unresting G.o.ds, sped by thy mariners of the unmoving G.o.ds. Thou comest forth thou ascendest, thou towerest in beauty, thy barge divine careers wherein thou speedest, blest by thy mother Nut each day, heaven embraces thee, thy foes fall as thou turnest thy face to the west of heaven.

Counted are thy bones, collected thy limbs, living thy flesh, thy members blossom, thy soul blossoms, glorified is thy august form, advanced thy state on the road of darkness. Thou listenest to the call of thy attendant G.o.ds behind thy chamber; in gladness are the mariners of thy bark, their heart delighted, Lord of heaven who hast brought joys to the divine chiefs, the lower sky rejoices, G.o.ds and men exult applauding Ra on his standard, blest by his mother Nut; their heart is glad. Ra hath quelled his impious foes, heaven rejoices, earth is in delight, G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses are in festival to make adoration to Ra-Hor, as they see him rise in his bark. He fells the wicked in his season, the abode is inviolate, the diadem _mehen_ in its place, the _urs_ hath smitten the wicked.

O let thy mother Nut embrace thee,(564) Lord Ra, those who are with her tell thy glories. Osiris and Nephthys have uplifted thee at thy coming forth from the womb of thy mother Nut. O s.h.i.+ne Ra-Harmachis, s.h.i.+ne in thy morning as thy noonday brightness, thy cause upheld over thy enemies, thou makest thy cabin speed onward, thou repellest the false one in the moment of his annihilation: he has no rest(565) in the moment when thou breakest the strength of the wicked enemies of Ra, to cast him into the fire of Nehaher,(566) encircling in its hour the children of the profane.

No strength have they, Ra prevails over his insensate foes, yea, putting them to the sword thou makest the false one cast up what he devoured.

Arise O Ra from within thy chamber, strong is Ra, weak the foes: lofty is Ra, down-stricken the foes: Ra living, his foes dead: Ra full of meat and drink, his foes ahungered and athirst: Ra bright, his foes engulfed: Ra good, his foes evil: Ra mighty, his foes puny: Ra hath despoiled Apap.

O Ra thou givest all life(567) to the King, thou givest food for his mouth, drink for his throat, sweet-oil for his hair. O blessed Ra-Harmachis thou careerest by him in triumph, those in thy bark exult to quell and overthrow the wicked. Cries of joy in the great seat, the divine cabin is in gladness, acclamation in the bark of millions of years. Ra's sailors are charmed at heart to see Ra hailed as supreme of the order of great G.o.ds, they gain delight in doing adoration to the great bark, homage in the mysterious chamber. O s.h.i.+ne Amen-Ra-Harmachis self-sprung, thy sister G.o.ddesses stand in Bech,(568) they receive thee, they uplift thee into thy bark, which is perfect in delights before Lord Ra, thou begettest blessings. Come Ra, self-sprung, thou lettest Pharaoh receive plenty in his battlemented house, on the altar of the G.o.d whose name is hidden.

Glory to thee, Prince coming forth in thy season, Lord of many faces, diadem producing rays, scattering darkness, all roads are filled with thy splendors, apes make to thee salutations with their arms, they praise thee, they cry aloud to thee, they tell thy glories, their lips exalt thee in heaven, in earth; they conduct thee at thy splendid arising, they open or drive back the gate of the western horizon of heaven, they let Ra be embraced in peace and joy by his mother Nut; thy soul is approved by the tenants of the lower heaven, the divine spirits rejoice at the twofold season of brightness: thou turnest gloom into repose,(569) thou sweetenest pain of Osiris, thou givest breezes in the valley, illuminest earth in darkness, sweetenest pain of Osiris. All beings taste the breath, they make to thee acclamations in thy changes, thou who art Lord of changes, they give adoration to thy might in thy forms of beauty in the morn. G.o.ds hold their arms to thee, those whom thy mother Nut bore.

Come to the King O Ra, stablish his glories in heaven his might on earth.

O Ra heaven rejoices to thee, O Ra earth trembles at thee, O blessed Ra-Harmachis thou hast raised heaven to elevate thy soul, the lower sky has hidden thee in thy mystic forms. Thou hast uplifted heaven to the expanse of thy outstretched arms, thou hast spread out earth to the width of thy stride. Heaven rejoices to thee at thy greatness of soul, thy terror fills earth at thy figure, princely hawk of glittering plume, many colored frame, mighty sailor G.o.d, self-existing, traversing paths in the divine vessel, thou roarest in smiting thy foes, making thy great bark sweep on, men hail thee, G.o.ds fear thee, thou hast felled thy foes before it. Courier of heaven outstripped by none, to illumine earth for his children, uplifted above G.o.ds and men, s.h.i.+ning upon us; we know not thy form when thou lookest on our faces, thy bulk pa.s.ses our knowledge.

O blessed Ra-Harmachis thou penetratest ... Bull at night, Chieftain by day, beauteous...o...b..of _mafek_, King of heaven, Sovran of earth, great image in the horizon of heaven. Ra who hast made beings, Tatanen giving life to mankind, Pharaoh son of Ra has adored thee in thy glories, he has wors.h.i.+pped at thy gracious rising brightness on the Eastern horizon, he makes tranquil thy path, he beats down thy foes before thee in his turning back all thy adversaries, he a.s.signed to thee the _Uta_ on her seat, he makes them ... he a.s.signed to thee honors ... he cleared the way for thee, he established thy rites in Abydos; he opens to thee roads in Rusta, he beats down evil.

The Lamentations Of Isis And Nephthys

Translated by P. J. De Horrack

This papyrus was found by the late Mr. Pa.s.salaqua, in the ruins of Thebes, in the interior of a statue representing Osiris. It is divided into two parts, very distinct. The first contains chapters of the funeral ritual in the hieroglyphic writing; the second, of which a translation here follows, consists of five pages of a fine hieratic writing of the lower epoch (probably about the time of the Ptolemies).

This ma.n.u.script now belongs to the Royal Museum of Berlin, where it is registered under the No. 1425.

A partial translation of it was published in 1852 by M. H. Brugsch ("_Die Adonisklage und das Linoslied_"). He translated the second page and the beginning of the third, but without giving the hieratic text. I have since published and completely translated this interesting doc.u.ment ("_Les Lamentations d'Isis et de Nephthys_," Paris, 1866), and now give the English translation revised.

The composition has a great a.n.a.logy with the "Book of Respirations," a translation of which will be added here. Both refer to the resurrection and renewed birth of Osiris (the type of man after his death), who, in this quality, is identified with the sun, the diurnal renewal of which constantly recalled the idea of a birth eternally renewed. The object of the prayers recited by Isis and Nephthys is to effect the resurrection of their brother Osiris, and also that of the defunct to whom the papyrus is consecrated.

LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS

Recital of the beneficial formulae made by the two divine Sisters(570) in the house of Osiris who resides in the West, Great G.o.d, Lord of Abydos, in the month of Choiak, the twenty-fifth day.

They are made the same in all the abodes of Osiris, and in all his festivals; and they are beneficial to his soul, giving firmness to his body, diffusing joy through his being, giving breath to the nostrils, to the dryness of the throat; they satisfy the heart of Isis as well as (that) of Nephthys; they place Horus on the throne of his father, (and) give life, stability, tranquillity to Osiris-Tentrut(571) born of Takha-aa, who is surnamed Persais the justified.

It is profitable to recite them, in conformity with the divine words.

Evocation By Isis.(572) (She says:)

Come to thine abode, come to thine abode!

G.o.d An,(573) come to thine abode!

Thine enemies (exist) no more.

O excellent Sovereign, come to thine abode!

Look at me; I am thy sister who loveth thee.

Do not stay far from me, O beautiful youth.

Come to thine abode _with haste, with haste_.

I see thee no more.

My heart is full of bitterness on account of thee.

Mine eyes seek thee; I seek thee to behold thee.