Hail to thee, Ra, lord of truth,
Whose sanctuary is hidden!
Whose sanctuary is hidden!
Warner - World's Best Literature - v09 - Dra to Eme
5303 (#475) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5303
us.
HYMN TO USERPESEN III.
[This hymn is the most remarkable example of Egyptian poetry known to
It was found by Mr. Petrie near the pyramid and temple of Usertesen II. ,
in the town which was founded there for the accommodation of the workmen
employed upon these buildings, and for the priestly staff who performed the
services for the dead Pharaoh in his chapel. The hymn is addressed to the
son and successor of that king,– to Usertesen III. ,— an active and warlike
prince, who, as the poet also testifies, used his power for the benefit of his
country and the pious support of its institutions. It is a marvel that the
delicate papyrus on which the hymn is written should have been preserved for
nearly 5,000 years. It has not, however, resisted the attacks of time without
suffering injury; and the lacunæ, together with the peculiar language em-
ployed by the scribe, are baffling to the decipherer. Four stanzas only can be
read with comparative completeness and certainty.
The parallelism of the sentences, the rhythm, the balancing of the lines of
verse, and the pause in each, recall the style of the Hebrew Psalms. The
choice of metaphors, too, is in a similar direction. Unfortunately our limited
knowledge of the ancient language does not permit us to analyze closely the
structure of the verses, nor to attempt any scansion of them. The radicals
only of Egyptian words are known to us; of the pronunciation of the lan-
guage at the time of the XIIth Dynasty we are entirely ignorant. ]
I
OMAGE to thee, Kha-kau-ra: our “Horus Divine of Beings. ” I
Hº Safeguarding the Band and widening his boundariese restrain-
arrow
ing the foreign nations by his kingly crown.
Inclosing the two lands? within the compass of his arms: seizing the
nations in his grip.
Slaying the Pedti without stroke of the club: shooting an
without drawing the bowstring.
Dread of him hath smitten the Anu in their plain: his terror hath
slain the Nine Races of Men. %
His warrant hath caused the death of thousands of the Pedti who had
reached his frontier: shooting the arrow as doth Sekhemt," he
overthroweth thousands of those who knew not his mighty spirit.
* Kha-kau-ra, «Glory of the Kas of the Sun,” was the principal name that
Usertesen III. , following the custom of the Pharaohs, adopted on his accession
to the throne. «Horus, Divine of Beings,) was the separate name for his royal
Ka assumed at the same time. The ka of a person was his ghostly Double,
before and after death, and to the Egyptian this shadowy constituent of the
whole being had a very distinct existence.
? 1. e. , Upper and Lower Egypt.
3 To the Egyptian the world was inhabited by nine races of men.
* Sekhemt, a goddess represented with the head of a lioness, the embodiment
of the devastating power of the Sun and of the wrath of Ra. See p. 5240.
## p. 5304 (#476) ###########################################
5304
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
The tongue of his Majesty bindeth Nubia in fetters: his utterances
put to flight the Setiu.
Sole One of youthful vigor, guarding his frontier: suffering not his
subjects to faint, but causing the Pat? to repose unto full daylight.
As to his timid youth in their slumbers: his heart? is their protec-
tion.
His decrees have formed his boundaries: his word hath armored the
two regions.
II
Twice jubilant are the gods: thou hast established their offerings,
Twice jubilant are thy children: thou hast made their boundaries.
Twice jubilant are thy forefathers: thou hast increased their por-
tions. 3
Twice jubilant is Egypt in thy strong arm: thou hast guarded the
ancient order.
Twice jubilant are the Pat in thine administration: thy mighty spirit
hath taken upon itself their provisionment.
Twice jubilant are the two regions in thy valor: thou hast widened
their possessions.
Twice jubilant are thy paid young troops: thou hast made them to
prosper.
Twice jubilant are thy veterans: thou hast made them to renew their
youth.
Twice jubilant are the two lands in thy might: thou hast guarded
their walls.
Twice jubilant be thou, O Horus, who hast widened his boundary:
thou art from everlasting to everlasting.
III
Twice great is the lord of his city, above a million arms: as for other
rulers of men, they are but common folk.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a dyke, damming
the stream in its water flood.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a cool lodge,
letting every man repose unto full daylight.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a bulwark, with
walls built of the sharp stones of Kesem.
1 « Pat» seems to be a name for mankind, or perhaps for the inhabitants
of Egypt.
? We speak of the head » as the seat of the intellect; to the Egyptians
it was the “heart. »
3 Ancestor worship being universal in Egypt, the endowments for funerary
services and offerings for the deceased kings must have been very large.
## p. 5305 (#477) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5305
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a place of refuge,
excluding the marauder.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were an asylum, shield-
ing the terrified from his foe.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a shade, the cool
vegetation of the food-time in the season of harvest.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a corner warm
and dry in time of winter.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a rock barring
the blast in time of tempest.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were Sekhemt to foes
who tread upon his boundary.
IV
He hath come to us, that he may take the land of the South Coun-
try: the Double Crown hath been placed upon his head.
He hath come, he hath united the two lands: he hath joined the
Reed to the Hornet. ?
He hath come, he hath ruled the people of the Black Land: he hath
placed the Red Land in his power. :
He hath come, he hath protected the two lands: he hath tranquillized
the two regions.
He hath come, he hath made the people of Egypt to live: he hath
destroyed its afflictions.
He hath come, he hath made the Pat to live: he hath opened the
throat of the Rekhyt. *
He hath come, he hath trampled on the nations: he hath smitten the
Anu who knew not his terror.
He hath come, he hath secured his frontier: he hath delivered him
who was stolen away.
He hath come:
he granteth reward-in-old-age by what his
mighty arm bringeth to us.
He hath come, we nurture our children: we bury our aged ones: by
his good favor.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
slation . .
(Translat
.
1 The «Double Crown) was that of Upper and Lower Egypt.
2 The Reed and the Hornet were the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt
respectively.
3 The Black Land” is the alluvial of Egypt, the “Red Land” is its sandy
border.
4 «Rekhyt,” like “Pat," seems to be a designation of the Egyptians. Το
open the throat) of a man is to give him life by enabling him to breathe.
5 A "good burial» after a «long old age › was a characteristic wish of the
Egyptians.
## p. 5306 (#478) ###########################################
5306
1
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
HYMN TO THE ATENI
THE
1
1
He following hymn addressed by King Akhenaten (B. C. 1450) to
his one god, the visible Sun itself, was perhaps originally writ-
ten in ten-line stanzas like the (Hymn to Usertesen III. ,' but
the known texts of it are all too mutilated and uncertain for us to
attempt any thorough restoration of the composition at present. A
good edition of the hymn has been published by Professor Breasted
of Chicago, and his text is here followed.
King Akhenaten was one of the most original minds known to us
in Egyptian history. His bringing up was probably far more favor-
able to awakening powers of thought than was usually the case with
the Pharaohs. Through his mother, Queen Tiy, he had been in
close contact with the religions of Mesopotamia, perhaps even with
Israelite monotheism; suddenly he cast off the traditions of his own
country and all its multitudinous deities of heaven, earth, and the
underworld, and devoted himself to the worship of one god, visible
and exalted, before whom all else seemed either petty, gross, or
unreal. His inotto, as Professor Petrie has remarked, was living in
truth”; and according to his lights he lived up to it. Fervently he
adored his god; and we may well believe that the words of this
hymn are those which flowed from his own heart as he contemplated
the mighty and beneficent power of the Sun.
This heretical doctrine roused the passions of the orthodox, who,
triumphing over Akhenaten's reform, condemned his monuments to
systematic destruction.
Beautiful is thy resplendent appearing on the horizon of
heaven,
O living Aten, thou who art the beginning of life.
When thou ascendest in the eastern horizon thou fillest every
land with thy beauties;
Thou art fair and great, radiant, high above the earth;
Thy beams encompass the lands to the sum of all that thou
hast created.
Thou art the Sun; thou catchest them according to their sum;
Thou subduest them with thy love.
Though thou art afar, thy beams are on the earth;
Thou art in the sky, and day followeth thy steps.
i The Aten is the name of the visible sun rather than of an abstract Sun
god. It is pictured as a radiant disk, the rays terminating in human bands,
often resting beneficently on the figure of the worshiper, bestowing upon
him symbols of life, or graciously accepting his offerings.
## p. 5307 (#479) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5307
When thou settest on the western horizon of heaven,
The land is in darkness like unto death;
They sleep in their chambers;
Their heads are covered, their nostrils are closed, the eye seeth
not his fellow;
All their goods are stolen from under their heads, and they
know it not.
Every lion cometh forth out of its cave,
All creeping things bite.
The earth is silent, and he that made them resteth on his
horizon.
At dawn of day thou risest on the horizon and shinest as Aten
by day.
Darkness flees, thou givest forth thy rays, the two lands are in
festival day by day:
They wake and stand upon their feet, for thou hast raised
them up;
Their limbs are purified, they clothe themselves with their
garments;
Their hands are uplifted in adoration at thy rising.
The whole land goeth about its several labors.
Flocks rest in their pastures;
Trees and plants grow green;
Birds fly forth from their nests, –
Their wings are adoring thy Ka. '
All flocks leap upon their feet;
All flying things and all hovering things, they live when thou
risest upon them.
Ships pass down-stream, and pass up-stream likewise,
Every way is open at thy rising.
The fishes on the river leap up before thee;
Thy rays are within the great waters.
It is thou who causest women to be fruitful, men to beget.
Thou quickenest the child in its mother's womb;
Thou soothest it that it cry not;
Thou dost nurture it within its mother's womb,
Thou givest breath to give life to all its functions.
It cometh forth from the womb upon the day of its birth.
Thou openest its mouth, that it may speak;
Thou providest for its wants.
* See note, p. 5303. The word occurs in these translations often, but not
with any very definite meaning.
## p. 5308 (#480) ###########################################
5303
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
When there is a chick within an egg, cheeping as it were
within a stone,
Thou givest it breath therein to cause thy handiwork to live;
It is full-formed when it breaketh through the shell.
It cometh out of the egg when it cheepeth and is full-formed;
It runneth on its feet when it cometh out thence.
How manifold are thy works,
O one god who hast no fellow!
Thou createdst the earth according to thy will, when thou
wast alone,--
(Its) people, its herds, and all flocks;
All that is upon earth going upon feet,
All that is on high and flieth with wings,
The countries of Syria, of Ethiopia, of Egypt.
Thou settest each person in his place,
Thou providest for their wants,
Each one his circumstances and the duration of his life,
Tongues distinct in their speech,
Their kinds according to their complexions -
O distinguisher who distinguishest the races of mankind.
Thou makest the Nile in the deep,
Thou bringest it at thy pleasure,
[for thyself -
That it may give life to men, even as thou hast made them
O Lord of them all who art outwearied for them!
O Lord of earth who risest for them!
O Aten of day that awest all distant countries!
Thou makest their life;
Thou placest the Nile in heaven, that it may descend to them,
That it may rise in waves upon the rocks like the sea,
Watering their fields in their villages.
How excellent are thy ways, O Lord of Eternity!
A Nile in heaven poureth down for nations,
For all manner of animals that walk upon feet.
[But] the Nile cometh from the deep to the land of Egypt.
Thy rays nourish every field;
Thou risest and they live for thee. ?
Thou makest the seasons to bring into existence all that thou
hast made:
The winter season to refresh them, the heat [to warm them).
The Nile here stands for the main sources of water: that in heaven give
ing rain on the mountains and fields, that in the deep” or “underworld »
giving rise to springs, wells, and rivers.
## p. 5309 (#481) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5309
Thou madest the heaven afar off, that thou mightest rise
therein,
That thou mightest see all thou didst make when thou wast
alone,
When thou risest in thy form as the living Aten,
Splendid, radiant, afar, beauteous-
(Thou createdst all things by thyself ]
Cities, villages, camps, by whatsoever river they be watered.
Every eye beholdeth thee before it;
Thou art the Aten of day above the earth.
Thou art in my heart,
There is none other that knoweth thee but thy son, Fairest of
the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra';
Thou causest him to be exercised in thy methods and in thy
might.
The whole earth is in thy hand even as thou hast made them;
At thy rising all live, at thy setting they die.
(Tr
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith. ) %
HYMNS TO AMEN RA?
TH
3
HE following collection of hymns to Amen Ra is from the ortho-
dox worship of the New Kingdom; that is to say, it dates
from the period beginning in the XVIIth Dynasty, about 1700
B. C. The series is contained in a papyrus now preserved in the
museum at Gizeh and in very perfect condition.
In the original, the lines are punctuated with red dots, and the
stanzas are marked by rubrics, a very valuable clue being thus pro-
vided both as to meanings and form.
The first hymn is divided into five stanzas of seven lines each,
but the fourth stanza contains an error of punctuation which has
perhaps prevented this arrangement from being noticed hitherto.
The other hymns do not appear to be so divisible.
1« Fairest of the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra," is the title which
Akbenaten took when first he ascended the throne, and which he continued
to bear all through his reign, notwithstanding his reform.
2 Amen was god of Thebes; and under the XVIIIth Dynasty, when Thebes
was the capital of the whole country and Egypt was at the height of her
power, Amen took the first place in the national pantheon. He was then
identified with Ra the Sun god, perhaps to make him more acceptable to the
nation at large. Hence a hymn to Amen Ra was practically a hymn to the
supreme Sun god.
3 Compare the seven-line stanza in the inscription of Una, above, p. 5298.
## p. 5310 (#482) ###########################################
5310
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
The text presents several instances of embellishment by far-
fetched, and to our minds very feeble, puns and punning assonances.
It is impossible to reproduce these to the English reader, but some
lines in which they occur are here marked with asterisks indicating
the words in question.
Although these hymns have been much admired, it must be con-
fessed that they are somewhat arid in comparison with the simple
expression of Akhenaten's devotion in the Hymn to the Aten. ' To
the Egyptians, however, the mythological references were full of
meaning, while to us they are never fully intelligible. Such an enu-
meration as that of the symbols and insignia of divine royalty which
we find in the second hymn, is as empty to us as references to the
Stars and Stripes, the White House, the Spread Eagle, the Union Jack,
the Rose, the Shamrock, and the Thistle may be to the lords of the
world in 5000 to 6000 A. D.
>
Praise of Amen Ra!
The bull in Heliopolis, the chief of all the gods,
The beautiful and beloved god
Who giveth life to all warm-blooded things,
To all manner of goodly cattle !
I
Hail to thee, Amen Ra! lord of the thrones of the two
lands,
Thou who dwellest in the sanctuary of Karnak.
Bull of his mother, he who dwelleth in his fields,
Wide-ranging in the Land of the South.
Lord of the Mezau,' ruler of Punt,
Prince of heaven, heir of earth,
Lord of all things that exist !
Alone in his exploits even amongst the gods,
The goodly bull of the Ennead? of the gods,
Chiefest of all the gods,
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, creator of animals,
Lord of the things which are, maker of fruit-trees,
Maker of pasture, who causeth the cattle to live!
Image made by Ptah, youth fair of love!
The gods give praise unto him;
Mezau and Punt were on and about the east coast of Africa, in Nubia
and Somaliland.
2 The supreme god was surrounded by eight other gods, and together they
formed an Ennead, or group of nine.
3 Ptah was the great god of Memphis, the ancient capital of the country.
## p. 5311 (#483) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5311
Maker of things below and of things above, he illuminateth
the two lands:
He traverseth the sky in peace.
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ra the Justified, chief of
the two lands.
Great one of valor, lord of awe;
Chief, making the earth in its entirety!
Nobler in thy ways than any god,
The gods rejoice in his beauties!
To him are given acclamations in the Great House,
Glorious celebrations in the House of Flame;
The gods love his odor when he cometh from Punt.
Prince of the dew, he entereth the land of the Mezau !
Fair of face, coming to the Divine Land 1!
The gods gather as dogs at his feet,
Even as they recognize his majesty as their lord.
Lord of fear, great one of terror,
Great of soul, lordly in manifestations,
Flourishing of offerings, maker of plenty,
Acclamations to thee, maker of the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky, and press down the ground!
II
Wake in health, Min-Amen!
Lord of the everlasting, maker of eternity,
Lord of adorations, dwelling in [Khemmis),
Established of two horns, fair of face,
Lord of the uræus crown with lofty double plume,
Beautiful of diadem, with lofty white crown,
The kingly coif with the two uræi are on his forehead.
He is adorned within the palace,
With the Sekhet crown, the Nemes cap, and the Khepersh
helmet.
Fair of face, he taketh the Atef crown,
Loving its south and its north.
Lord of the Sekhemt sceptre, receiving the Ames sceptre,
Lord of the Meks sceptre, holding the Nekhekh,
Beautiful Ruler, crowned with the white crown!
Lord of rays, making light!
The gods give praises unto him
Who giveth his two hands [for aid] to him that loveth him,
1 Or the Land of the Gods. ) a name for the lands of the East, and
especially for “Punt. »
## p. 5312 (#484) ###########################################
5312
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Who casteth his enemies in the fire;
His eye it is which overthroweth the wicked;
It casteth its lance at the devourer of Nu;
It causeth the serpent Nak to cast up that which it swal-
lowed.
Hail to thee, Ra, lord of truth,
Whose sanctuary is hidden! lord of the gods,
Khepera in the midst of his bark,
He gave command, and the gods were created.
Tum, maker of the Rekhyt,
Distinguishing their kinds, making their lives,
Distinguishing their complexions one from another.
Hearing the complaint of him who is oppressed,
Kindly of heart when called upon.
He delivereth the timid from him who is of a froward
heart,
He judgeth the cause of the weak and the oppressed.
Lord of Understanding, Taste is on his lips,
The Nile cometh at his desire.
Lord of sweetness, great one of love,
He maketh the Rekhyt to live,
He giveth keenness to every eye.
He is made out of Nu,
Creating the rays of light.
The gods rejoice in his beauties,
Their hearts live when they behold him.
III
Ra, exalted in Karnak!
Great of splendor in the House of the Obelisk
Ani, lord of the New Moon festival,
To whom are celebrated the festival of the sixth day and
of the quarter month.
Liege lord, to whom Life, Prosperity, Health! lord of all
the gods,
Who see him [? ] in the midst of the horizon,
Chief over the Pat and Hades,
His name is more hidden * than his birth,
In his name of Amen,* the hidden One.
Hail to thee who art in peace!
Lord of enlargement of heart, lordly in manifestations,
Lord of the uræus crown, with lofty double plume;
Fair of diadem, with lofty white crown!
The gods love the sight of thee,
## p. 5313 (#485) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5313
The Sekhemt* crown is established upon thy forehead.
Thy loveliness is shed * abroad over the two lands;
Thy rays shine forth in the eyes of men; fair for the Pat
and the Rekhyt is thy rising,
Weary are the flocks when thou art radiant.
Thy loveliness is in the southern sky, thy sweetness in the
northern sky,
Thy beauties conquer hearts,
Thy loveliness maketh arms to droop,
Thy beautiful form maketh hands to fail,
Hearts faint at the sight of thee.
Sole figure, who didst make all that is!
One and only one, maker of all that are,
From whose eyes mankind issued,
By whose mouth the gods were created,
Who makest the herbage, and makest to live the cattle,
goats, swine, and sheep,
The fruit-trees for the Henememt.
He maketh the life of fishes in the river,
The fowl of the air,
Giving breath to that which is in the egg;
Making the offspring of the serpent to live;
Making to live therewith the flies,
The creeping things, and the leaping things, and the like.
Making provision for the mice in their holes;
Making to live the birds in every tree,
Hail to thee, maker of all these!
One and only one, with many arms!
At night wakeful while all sleep,
Seeking good for his flock.
Amen,* who * establishest all things!
Tum Horus of the horizon!
Praises be to thee in that all say,
"Acclamations to thee, for that thou outweariest thyself
with us!
Obeisance to thee for that thou didst make us ! »
Hail to thee, from all animals!
Acclamations to thee from every land,
To the height of heaven, to the breadth of earth,
To the depth of the great waters!
The gods bow before thy majesty,
Exalting the mighty spirit that formed them;
They rejoice at the coming of him who begat them;
They say unto thee:-“Come, come in peace!
IX-333
## p. 5314 (#486) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5314
Father of the fathers of all the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky and press down the ground. “
Maker of that which is, former of those which have being,
Liege lord - to whom Life, Prosperity, Health! - chief of
the gods,
We adore thy mighty spirit even as thou madest us;
Who were made for thee when thou fashionedst us.
We give praises unto thee for that thou outweariest thyself
with us.
Hail to thee who didst make all that is!
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, fashioner of animals,
Lord of corn,
Making to live the animals of the desert.
Amen, bull fair of face,
Beloved in Thebes,
Great one of splendors in the House of the Obelisk,
Twice crowned in Heliopolis,
Thou who judgest between the twain in the Great Hall!
Chief of the great Ennead of the gods,
One and only one, without his peer,
Dwelling in Thebes,
Ani in his divine Ennead,
He liveth on truth every day.
God of the horizon, Horus of the East,
Who hath made the hills that have silver, gold,
Real lapis lazuli, at his pleasure:
Gums and incense are mingled for the Mezau,
Fresh incense for thy nostrils.
Fair of face he cometh to the Mezau,
Amen Ra, lord of the throne of the two lands,
He who dwelleth in Thebes,
Ani in his sanctuary.
IV
Sole King is he, even in the midst of the gods;
Many are his names, none knoweth their number.
He riseth on the horizon of the east, he is laid to rest on
the horizon of the west.
He overthroweth his enemies
In the daily task of every day;
In the morning he is born each day;
Thoth raiseth his eyes,
And propitiateth him with his benefits;
## p. 5315 (#487) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5315
The gods rejoice in his beauties,
Exalting him who is in the midst of adorers !
Lord of the Sekti and of the Madet bark,
Which traverse for thee Nu in peace!
Thy crew rejoice
When they see the overthrow of the wicked one,
Whose members taste the knife;
The flame devoureth him;
His soul is more punished than his body;
That Nak serpent, he is deprived of movement.
The gods are in exultation,
The crew of Ra are in peace,
Heliopolis is in exultation,
The enemies of Tum are overthrown.
Karnak is in peace, Heliopolis is in exultation.
The heart of the uræus goddess is glad,
The enemies of her lord are overthrown;
The gods of Kheraha are in acclamation,
The dwellers in the sanctuaries are in obeisance;
They behold him mighty in his power,
Mighty prince of the gods!
Great one of Justice *, lord of Karnak,
In this thy name, «Doer of Justice *,”
Lord of Plenty, Peaceful Bull*;
In this thy name, «Amen, Bull of his Mother,"
Making mankind *, creating * all that is,
In this thy name of “Tum * Khepera *,)
Great hawk, adorning the breast !
Fair of face adorning the bosom.
Figure lofty of diadem.
The two uræi fly on wings before him,
The hearts of men run up to him [like dogs),
The illuminated ones turn towards him.
Adorning the two lands by his coming forth,
Hail to thee, Amen Ra, lord of the throne of the two
lands!
His city loveth his rising.
This is the end,
in peace,
as it was found.
Translation of F. Li. Griffith.
:)
);
## p. 5316 (#488) ###########################################
5316
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
SONGS TO THE HARP
[Frequently in the tombs is figured a scene in which a harper plays before
the deceased. His song is ever on the same theme: Enjoy life while it lasts,
for all things pass away, and are succeeded by others which also perish in
their turn. Such were the encouragements to conviviality which the Egyp-
tians put into the mouths of their minstrels.
One of these songs was apparently engraved in front of the figure of a
harper in the tomb or pyramid of King Antef (of the XIth or perhaps XIIIth
Dynasty, not less than 2000 B. C. ), and a copy of it has been handed down
to us on a papyrus of the XVIIIth Dynasty: fragments of the same song
are moreover preserved at Leyden on slabs from a tomb of the same period.
Part of another song of the same kind may be read on the walls of the
fine tomb of Neferhetep at Thebes (temp. XVIIIth Dynasty).
was a long one, but the latter part of it is now mutilated and hopelessly de.
stroyed; yet enough of the sequel remains to show that it rose to a somewhat
higher level of teaching than the first song, and counseled men to feed the
poor and to win a good name to leave behind them after death.
The songs seem to fall naturally into stanzas of ten lines each, though
the inscriptions and papyri on which they are preserved to us are not punctu-
ated to indicate these divisions. In the first song the ten lines fall readily
into pairs, thus producing five-line stanzas. ]
This song
I
Songs which are in the tomb of King Antef, justified, which are in
front of the singer on the harp
H
APPY is this good lord! | A goodly fate is spoiled.
One body passeth | and others are set up since the time of the
ancestors.
The gods? who were aforetime | rest in their sepulchres,
So also the nobles glorified buried in their sepulchres.
Palaces are built and their places are not | behold what hath been
done with them!
I have heard the words of Imhetep and Herdedef / who spake thus
continually in their sayings:
« Behold their places, their walls are ruined | their places are not, as
though they had not been.
None cometh thence to tell their lot | to tell their estate,
To strengthen our hearts | until ye approach the place to which they
have gone. ”
Be thou of good cheer thereat | [as for me) my heart faileth me in
singing thy dirge.
11. e. , the kings, who were always reckoned divine, and as ruling by divine
right.
## p. 5317 (#489) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5317
Follow thy heart so long as thou existest | put frankincense on thy
head;
Be clothed in fine n, be anointed with pure ben oil | things fit for
a god.
Enjoy thyself beyond measure | let not thy heart faint.
Follow thy desire and thy happiness while thou art on earth | fret
not thy heart till cometh to thee that day of lamenta-
tions.
The Still-of-Heart heareth not their lamentations | the heart of a man
in the pit taketh no part in mourning.
With radiant face, make a good day,'
And rest not on it.
Behold, it is not given to a man to carry his goods
with him!
Behold, there is none who hath gone,
And cometh back hither again!
II
[Saith the player on the harp who is in the tomb of the Osirian, the divine
father of Amen, Neferhetep, Justified, he saith :-)
O how weary! Truly a prince was he!
That good fate hath come to pass.
Bodies pass away since the time of God,
The youthful come in their place.
Ra presenteth himself every morning,
Tum 3 setteth in the Mountain of the West,
Men beget and women conceive;
Every nostril tasteth the breath of sunrise;
Those whom they bring forth all of them
They come in their stead.
Make holiday, O divine father!
Set gums and choice unguents of every kind for thy nose,
Garlands of lotuses on the shoulders,
And on the breast of thy sister, who is in thy heart,
Who sitteth at thy side.
Set singing and music before thy face,
Put all sorrow behind thee,
Bethink thyself of joys,
1
1. e. ,
« make holiday. ”
2 Title of a priest of Amen.
3 God of the setting sun.
## p. 5318 (#490) ###########################################
5318
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Until there cometh that day on which thou moorest at the land that
loveth silence,
Before the heart of the son whom thou lovest is still.
Make holiday, O Neferhetep, Justified! | the excellent divine father,
pure of hands!
There are heard all the things | that have happened to the ancestors
who were aforetime;
Their walls are ruined | their places are not;
They are as though they had never been | since the time of the god.
May thy walls be established | may thy trees flourish on the bank of
thy pond!
May thy soul sit beneath them, that it drink their waters!
Follow thy heart greatly | while thou art on earth.
Give bread to him, who is without plot of land.
Mayest thou gain a good name | for the eternal future!
Mayest thou
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
FROM AN EPITAPH
[In the British Museum there is a memorial tablet of Ptolemaic date for a
lady of highest sacerdotal descent, on her mother's side as well as on her
father's. She was married to the chief priest of Ptah, and on her death she
addresses her male relations and friends among the priests of chief rank with
words and sentiments very different from the orthodox prayers and formulæ
which cover the funerary stelæ of Pharaonic times; though much the same
line of thought found utterance in the songs of the harpers. ]
O
BROTHER, husband, friend, thy desire to drink and to eat
hath not ceased, [therefore] be drunken, enjoy the love of
women, make holiday. Follow thy desire by night and by
day. Put not care within thine heart. Lo! are not these the
years of thy life upon earth? For as for Amenti, it is a land of
slumber and of heavy darkness, a resting-place for those who
have passed within it. Each sleepeth (there] in his own form;
they never more awake to see their fellows, they behold not
their fathers nor their mothers, their heart is careless of their
wives and children.
The water of life with which every mouth is moistened is
corruption to me, the water that is by me corrupteth me; I know
not what to do? since I came into this valley. Give me running
1 An expression of utter bewilderment; lit. , I know not the estate which
is upon me. »
## p. 5319 (#491) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5319
water; say to me: “Water shall not cease to be brought to thee. ”
Turn my face to the north wind upon the edge of the water.
Verily thus shall my heart be cooled, refreshed from its pain. '
Verily I think on him whose name is “Come! ” All who are
called of him come to him instantly, their hearts terrified with
fear of him. There is none whom he regardeth among gods or
men; with him the great are as the small. His hand cannot
be held back from aught that he desireth; he snatcheth the child
from its mother, as well as the aged who are continually meeting
him on his way. All men fear and pray before him, but he
heedeth them not. None cometh to gaze on him in wonder; he
hearkeneth not unto them who adore him. He is not seen 2 that
propitiatory offerings of any kind should be made to him.
Translation of F. LI. Griffith.
FROM A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS SOUL
D*
[The following is found on a papyrus of the XIIth ynasty, preserved
at Berlin. After some obscure arguments the man apparently admits that the
present life is full of dissatisfaction, and proceeds. )
EATH is ever before me [? ] like the healing of a sick man, or
like a rise in life after a fall.
Death is ever before me like the smell of frankincense, or like
sitting under an awning on a day of cool breeze, 3
Death is ever before me like the scent of lotuses, like sitting on the
bank of the Land of Intoxication. *
Death is ever before me like a road watered (? ), or as when a man
cometh from a campaign to his home.
Death is ever before me like the unveiling of the sky, or as when a
man attaineth to unexpected fortune.
Death is ever before me like as man desireth to see his house
when he hath spent many years in pulling [the oars ? ]. 5
1 To these thinkers, thirst (since the presence of water would induce putre-
faction of the body) and suffocation were the chief material sufferings of the
dead.
2 From this curious expression it is evident that the Egyptians considered
it necessary that a deity should be visibly represented by statue or animal, in
order that he should receive the offerings presented to him. They never per-
sonified a god of Death, only a god of the Dead.
3 The sunshine may be taken for granted in Egypt.
*Our “on the verge of intoxication” is an almost identical expression,
but without a poetical significance.
5 A slight correction of the original would give in captivity » (kidnapped).
a
## p. 5320 (#492) ###########################################
5320
1
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
i
1
Verily he that is therein is as a living god punishing the error of the
evil-doer.
Verily he that is therein standeth in the boat of Ra and causeth
choice viands to be given thence to the temples. '
Verily he that is therein is as a wizard; he is not prevented from
complaining to Ra even as he would speak.
My soul said unto me: “Lay aside [? ] mourning, O Nessu my
brother, that thou mayest offer upon the altar even as thou fightest
for life, as thou sayest, ‘Love me continually. ' Thou hast refused
the grave; desire then that thou mayest reach the grave, that thy
body may join the earth, that I may hover (over thee) after thou art
weary. Let us then make a dwelling together. ”
Translation of F. Li. Griffith.
(THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION)
[It may be thought that the fundamental ideas of Egyptian morality
would be most succinctly expressed in the so-called Negative Confession)
contained in the Book of the Dead. When the deceased appeared before
Osiris he was supposed to recite this confession, in which he alleged his free-
dom from a long catalogue of sins: he repeated it in two forms. After the
XVIIIth Dynasty, B. C. 1500, it was considered as perhaps the most essential
of all the texts deposited in the tomb with the mummy, for the guidance of
the deceased person before his fate was finally settled. It is therefore to be
found in thousands of copies, but unfortunately this much-worn text is as
corrupt as most of the other sections of the Book of the Dead. The hack
scribes and calligraphists were content to copy without understanding it, often
bungling or wresting the sense according to their very imperfect lights. It is
seldom that different copies agree precisely in their readings: often the differ-
ences are very material and leave the true sense altogether uncertain. Again,
where the reading seems comparatively sure, the meaning remains
obscure, owing to the occurrence of rare words or expressions. All the
phrases begin with the negative (not. ”]
even
FIRST CONFESSION
I
HAVE not done injury to men.
I have not oppressed those beneath me. 3
I have not acted perversely (prevaricated ? ), instead of
straightforwardly.
1 The advantages of the life beyond seem to consist in being like gods
and in full communion with the greatest of them, Ra.
? This closing speech of the soul is barely intelligible.
3 Or perhaps my kindred. ”
## p. 5321 (#493) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5321
I have not known vanity. '
I have not been a doer of mischief.
I have not done what the gods abominate.
I have not turned the servant against his master.
I have not caused hunger.
I have not caused weeping.
I have not inurdered.
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5303
us.
HYMN TO USERPESEN III.
[This hymn is the most remarkable example of Egyptian poetry known to
It was found by Mr. Petrie near the pyramid and temple of Usertesen II. ,
in the town which was founded there for the accommodation of the workmen
employed upon these buildings, and for the priestly staff who performed the
services for the dead Pharaoh in his chapel. The hymn is addressed to the
son and successor of that king,– to Usertesen III. ,— an active and warlike
prince, who, as the poet also testifies, used his power for the benefit of his
country and the pious support of its institutions. It is a marvel that the
delicate papyrus on which the hymn is written should have been preserved for
nearly 5,000 years. It has not, however, resisted the attacks of time without
suffering injury; and the lacunæ, together with the peculiar language em-
ployed by the scribe, are baffling to the decipherer. Four stanzas only can be
read with comparative completeness and certainty.
The parallelism of the sentences, the rhythm, the balancing of the lines of
verse, and the pause in each, recall the style of the Hebrew Psalms. The
choice of metaphors, too, is in a similar direction. Unfortunately our limited
knowledge of the ancient language does not permit us to analyze closely the
structure of the verses, nor to attempt any scansion of them. The radicals
only of Egyptian words are known to us; of the pronunciation of the lan-
guage at the time of the XIIth Dynasty we are entirely ignorant. ]
I
OMAGE to thee, Kha-kau-ra: our “Horus Divine of Beings. ” I
Hº Safeguarding the Band and widening his boundariese restrain-
arrow
ing the foreign nations by his kingly crown.
Inclosing the two lands? within the compass of his arms: seizing the
nations in his grip.
Slaying the Pedti without stroke of the club: shooting an
without drawing the bowstring.
Dread of him hath smitten the Anu in their plain: his terror hath
slain the Nine Races of Men. %
His warrant hath caused the death of thousands of the Pedti who had
reached his frontier: shooting the arrow as doth Sekhemt," he
overthroweth thousands of those who knew not his mighty spirit.
* Kha-kau-ra, «Glory of the Kas of the Sun,” was the principal name that
Usertesen III. , following the custom of the Pharaohs, adopted on his accession
to the throne. «Horus, Divine of Beings,) was the separate name for his royal
Ka assumed at the same time. The ka of a person was his ghostly Double,
before and after death, and to the Egyptian this shadowy constituent of the
whole being had a very distinct existence.
? 1. e. , Upper and Lower Egypt.
3 To the Egyptian the world was inhabited by nine races of men.
* Sekhemt, a goddess represented with the head of a lioness, the embodiment
of the devastating power of the Sun and of the wrath of Ra. See p. 5240.
## p. 5304 (#476) ###########################################
5304
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
The tongue of his Majesty bindeth Nubia in fetters: his utterances
put to flight the Setiu.
Sole One of youthful vigor, guarding his frontier: suffering not his
subjects to faint, but causing the Pat? to repose unto full daylight.
As to his timid youth in their slumbers: his heart? is their protec-
tion.
His decrees have formed his boundaries: his word hath armored the
two regions.
II
Twice jubilant are the gods: thou hast established their offerings,
Twice jubilant are thy children: thou hast made their boundaries.
Twice jubilant are thy forefathers: thou hast increased their por-
tions. 3
Twice jubilant is Egypt in thy strong arm: thou hast guarded the
ancient order.
Twice jubilant are the Pat in thine administration: thy mighty spirit
hath taken upon itself their provisionment.
Twice jubilant are the two regions in thy valor: thou hast widened
their possessions.
Twice jubilant are thy paid young troops: thou hast made them to
prosper.
Twice jubilant are thy veterans: thou hast made them to renew their
youth.
Twice jubilant are the two lands in thy might: thou hast guarded
their walls.
Twice jubilant be thou, O Horus, who hast widened his boundary:
thou art from everlasting to everlasting.
III
Twice great is the lord of his city, above a million arms: as for other
rulers of men, they are but common folk.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a dyke, damming
the stream in its water flood.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a cool lodge,
letting every man repose unto full daylight.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a bulwark, with
walls built of the sharp stones of Kesem.
1 « Pat» seems to be a name for mankind, or perhaps for the inhabitants
of Egypt.
? We speak of the head » as the seat of the intellect; to the Egyptians
it was the “heart. »
3 Ancestor worship being universal in Egypt, the endowments for funerary
services and offerings for the deceased kings must have been very large.
## p. 5305 (#477) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5305
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a place of refuge,
excluding the marauder.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were an asylum, shield-
ing the terrified from his foe.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a shade, the cool
vegetation of the food-time in the season of harvest.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a corner warm
and dry in time of winter.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were a rock barring
the blast in time of tempest.
Twice great is the lord of his city: he is as it were Sekhemt to foes
who tread upon his boundary.
IV
He hath come to us, that he may take the land of the South Coun-
try: the Double Crown hath been placed upon his head.
He hath come, he hath united the two lands: he hath joined the
Reed to the Hornet. ?
He hath come, he hath ruled the people of the Black Land: he hath
placed the Red Land in his power. :
He hath come, he hath protected the two lands: he hath tranquillized
the two regions.
He hath come, he hath made the people of Egypt to live: he hath
destroyed its afflictions.
He hath come, he hath made the Pat to live: he hath opened the
throat of the Rekhyt. *
He hath come, he hath trampled on the nations: he hath smitten the
Anu who knew not his terror.
He hath come, he hath secured his frontier: he hath delivered him
who was stolen away.
He hath come:
he granteth reward-in-old-age by what his
mighty arm bringeth to us.
He hath come, we nurture our children: we bury our aged ones: by
his good favor.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
slation . .
(Translat
.
1 The «Double Crown) was that of Upper and Lower Egypt.
2 The Reed and the Hornet were the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt
respectively.
3 The Black Land” is the alluvial of Egypt, the “Red Land” is its sandy
border.
4 «Rekhyt,” like “Pat," seems to be a designation of the Egyptians. Το
open the throat) of a man is to give him life by enabling him to breathe.
5 A "good burial» after a «long old age › was a characteristic wish of the
Egyptians.
## p. 5306 (#478) ###########################################
5306
1
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
HYMN TO THE ATENI
THE
1
1
He following hymn addressed by King Akhenaten (B. C. 1450) to
his one god, the visible Sun itself, was perhaps originally writ-
ten in ten-line stanzas like the (Hymn to Usertesen III. ,' but
the known texts of it are all too mutilated and uncertain for us to
attempt any thorough restoration of the composition at present. A
good edition of the hymn has been published by Professor Breasted
of Chicago, and his text is here followed.
King Akhenaten was one of the most original minds known to us
in Egyptian history. His bringing up was probably far more favor-
able to awakening powers of thought than was usually the case with
the Pharaohs. Through his mother, Queen Tiy, he had been in
close contact with the religions of Mesopotamia, perhaps even with
Israelite monotheism; suddenly he cast off the traditions of his own
country and all its multitudinous deities of heaven, earth, and the
underworld, and devoted himself to the worship of one god, visible
and exalted, before whom all else seemed either petty, gross, or
unreal. His inotto, as Professor Petrie has remarked, was living in
truth”; and according to his lights he lived up to it. Fervently he
adored his god; and we may well believe that the words of this
hymn are those which flowed from his own heart as he contemplated
the mighty and beneficent power of the Sun.
This heretical doctrine roused the passions of the orthodox, who,
triumphing over Akhenaten's reform, condemned his monuments to
systematic destruction.
Beautiful is thy resplendent appearing on the horizon of
heaven,
O living Aten, thou who art the beginning of life.
When thou ascendest in the eastern horizon thou fillest every
land with thy beauties;
Thou art fair and great, radiant, high above the earth;
Thy beams encompass the lands to the sum of all that thou
hast created.
Thou art the Sun; thou catchest them according to their sum;
Thou subduest them with thy love.
Though thou art afar, thy beams are on the earth;
Thou art in the sky, and day followeth thy steps.
i The Aten is the name of the visible sun rather than of an abstract Sun
god. It is pictured as a radiant disk, the rays terminating in human bands,
often resting beneficently on the figure of the worshiper, bestowing upon
him symbols of life, or graciously accepting his offerings.
## p. 5307 (#479) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5307
When thou settest on the western horizon of heaven,
The land is in darkness like unto death;
They sleep in their chambers;
Their heads are covered, their nostrils are closed, the eye seeth
not his fellow;
All their goods are stolen from under their heads, and they
know it not.
Every lion cometh forth out of its cave,
All creeping things bite.
The earth is silent, and he that made them resteth on his
horizon.
At dawn of day thou risest on the horizon and shinest as Aten
by day.
Darkness flees, thou givest forth thy rays, the two lands are in
festival day by day:
They wake and stand upon their feet, for thou hast raised
them up;
Their limbs are purified, they clothe themselves with their
garments;
Their hands are uplifted in adoration at thy rising.
The whole land goeth about its several labors.
Flocks rest in their pastures;
Trees and plants grow green;
Birds fly forth from their nests, –
Their wings are adoring thy Ka. '
All flocks leap upon their feet;
All flying things and all hovering things, they live when thou
risest upon them.
Ships pass down-stream, and pass up-stream likewise,
Every way is open at thy rising.
The fishes on the river leap up before thee;
Thy rays are within the great waters.
It is thou who causest women to be fruitful, men to beget.
Thou quickenest the child in its mother's womb;
Thou soothest it that it cry not;
Thou dost nurture it within its mother's womb,
Thou givest breath to give life to all its functions.
It cometh forth from the womb upon the day of its birth.
Thou openest its mouth, that it may speak;
Thou providest for its wants.
* See note, p. 5303. The word occurs in these translations often, but not
with any very definite meaning.
## p. 5308 (#480) ###########################################
5303
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
When there is a chick within an egg, cheeping as it were
within a stone,
Thou givest it breath therein to cause thy handiwork to live;
It is full-formed when it breaketh through the shell.
It cometh out of the egg when it cheepeth and is full-formed;
It runneth on its feet when it cometh out thence.
How manifold are thy works,
O one god who hast no fellow!
Thou createdst the earth according to thy will, when thou
wast alone,--
(Its) people, its herds, and all flocks;
All that is upon earth going upon feet,
All that is on high and flieth with wings,
The countries of Syria, of Ethiopia, of Egypt.
Thou settest each person in his place,
Thou providest for their wants,
Each one his circumstances and the duration of his life,
Tongues distinct in their speech,
Their kinds according to their complexions -
O distinguisher who distinguishest the races of mankind.
Thou makest the Nile in the deep,
Thou bringest it at thy pleasure,
[for thyself -
That it may give life to men, even as thou hast made them
O Lord of them all who art outwearied for them!
O Lord of earth who risest for them!
O Aten of day that awest all distant countries!
Thou makest their life;
Thou placest the Nile in heaven, that it may descend to them,
That it may rise in waves upon the rocks like the sea,
Watering their fields in their villages.
How excellent are thy ways, O Lord of Eternity!
A Nile in heaven poureth down for nations,
For all manner of animals that walk upon feet.
[But] the Nile cometh from the deep to the land of Egypt.
Thy rays nourish every field;
Thou risest and they live for thee. ?
Thou makest the seasons to bring into existence all that thou
hast made:
The winter season to refresh them, the heat [to warm them).
The Nile here stands for the main sources of water: that in heaven give
ing rain on the mountains and fields, that in the deep” or “underworld »
giving rise to springs, wells, and rivers.
## p. 5309 (#481) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5309
Thou madest the heaven afar off, that thou mightest rise
therein,
That thou mightest see all thou didst make when thou wast
alone,
When thou risest in thy form as the living Aten,
Splendid, radiant, afar, beauteous-
(Thou createdst all things by thyself ]
Cities, villages, camps, by whatsoever river they be watered.
Every eye beholdeth thee before it;
Thou art the Aten of day above the earth.
Thou art in my heart,
There is none other that knoweth thee but thy son, Fairest of
the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra';
Thou causest him to be exercised in thy methods and in thy
might.
The whole earth is in thy hand even as thou hast made them;
At thy rising all live, at thy setting they die.
(Tr
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith. ) %
HYMNS TO AMEN RA?
TH
3
HE following collection of hymns to Amen Ra is from the ortho-
dox worship of the New Kingdom; that is to say, it dates
from the period beginning in the XVIIth Dynasty, about 1700
B. C. The series is contained in a papyrus now preserved in the
museum at Gizeh and in very perfect condition.
In the original, the lines are punctuated with red dots, and the
stanzas are marked by rubrics, a very valuable clue being thus pro-
vided both as to meanings and form.
The first hymn is divided into five stanzas of seven lines each,
but the fourth stanza contains an error of punctuation which has
perhaps prevented this arrangement from being noticed hitherto.
The other hymns do not appear to be so divisible.
1« Fairest of the Forms of Ra, the Only One of Ra," is the title which
Akbenaten took when first he ascended the throne, and which he continued
to bear all through his reign, notwithstanding his reform.
2 Amen was god of Thebes; and under the XVIIIth Dynasty, when Thebes
was the capital of the whole country and Egypt was at the height of her
power, Amen took the first place in the national pantheon. He was then
identified with Ra the Sun god, perhaps to make him more acceptable to the
nation at large. Hence a hymn to Amen Ra was practically a hymn to the
supreme Sun god.
3 Compare the seven-line stanza in the inscription of Una, above, p. 5298.
## p. 5310 (#482) ###########################################
5310
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
The text presents several instances of embellishment by far-
fetched, and to our minds very feeble, puns and punning assonances.
It is impossible to reproduce these to the English reader, but some
lines in which they occur are here marked with asterisks indicating
the words in question.
Although these hymns have been much admired, it must be con-
fessed that they are somewhat arid in comparison with the simple
expression of Akhenaten's devotion in the Hymn to the Aten. ' To
the Egyptians, however, the mythological references were full of
meaning, while to us they are never fully intelligible. Such an enu-
meration as that of the symbols and insignia of divine royalty which
we find in the second hymn, is as empty to us as references to the
Stars and Stripes, the White House, the Spread Eagle, the Union Jack,
the Rose, the Shamrock, and the Thistle may be to the lords of the
world in 5000 to 6000 A. D.
>
Praise of Amen Ra!
The bull in Heliopolis, the chief of all the gods,
The beautiful and beloved god
Who giveth life to all warm-blooded things,
To all manner of goodly cattle !
I
Hail to thee, Amen Ra! lord of the thrones of the two
lands,
Thou who dwellest in the sanctuary of Karnak.
Bull of his mother, he who dwelleth in his fields,
Wide-ranging in the Land of the South.
Lord of the Mezau,' ruler of Punt,
Prince of heaven, heir of earth,
Lord of all things that exist !
Alone in his exploits even amongst the gods,
The goodly bull of the Ennead? of the gods,
Chiefest of all the gods,
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, creator of animals,
Lord of the things which are, maker of fruit-trees,
Maker of pasture, who causeth the cattle to live!
Image made by Ptah, youth fair of love!
The gods give praise unto him;
Mezau and Punt were on and about the east coast of Africa, in Nubia
and Somaliland.
2 The supreme god was surrounded by eight other gods, and together they
formed an Ennead, or group of nine.
3 Ptah was the great god of Memphis, the ancient capital of the country.
## p. 5311 (#483) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5311
Maker of things below and of things above, he illuminateth
the two lands:
He traverseth the sky in peace.
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ra the Justified, chief of
the two lands.
Great one of valor, lord of awe;
Chief, making the earth in its entirety!
Nobler in thy ways than any god,
The gods rejoice in his beauties!
To him are given acclamations in the Great House,
Glorious celebrations in the House of Flame;
The gods love his odor when he cometh from Punt.
Prince of the dew, he entereth the land of the Mezau !
Fair of face, coming to the Divine Land 1!
The gods gather as dogs at his feet,
Even as they recognize his majesty as their lord.
Lord of fear, great one of terror,
Great of soul, lordly in manifestations,
Flourishing of offerings, maker of plenty,
Acclamations to thee, maker of the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky, and press down the ground!
II
Wake in health, Min-Amen!
Lord of the everlasting, maker of eternity,
Lord of adorations, dwelling in [Khemmis),
Established of two horns, fair of face,
Lord of the uræus crown with lofty double plume,
Beautiful of diadem, with lofty white crown,
The kingly coif with the two uræi are on his forehead.
He is adorned within the palace,
With the Sekhet crown, the Nemes cap, and the Khepersh
helmet.
Fair of face, he taketh the Atef crown,
Loving its south and its north.
Lord of the Sekhemt sceptre, receiving the Ames sceptre,
Lord of the Meks sceptre, holding the Nekhekh,
Beautiful Ruler, crowned with the white crown!
Lord of rays, making light!
The gods give praises unto him
Who giveth his two hands [for aid] to him that loveth him,
1 Or the Land of the Gods. ) a name for the lands of the East, and
especially for “Punt. »
## p. 5312 (#484) ###########################################
5312
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Who casteth his enemies in the fire;
His eye it is which overthroweth the wicked;
It casteth its lance at the devourer of Nu;
It causeth the serpent Nak to cast up that which it swal-
lowed.
Hail to thee, Ra, lord of truth,
Whose sanctuary is hidden! lord of the gods,
Khepera in the midst of his bark,
He gave command, and the gods were created.
Tum, maker of the Rekhyt,
Distinguishing their kinds, making their lives,
Distinguishing their complexions one from another.
Hearing the complaint of him who is oppressed,
Kindly of heart when called upon.
He delivereth the timid from him who is of a froward
heart,
He judgeth the cause of the weak and the oppressed.
Lord of Understanding, Taste is on his lips,
The Nile cometh at his desire.
Lord of sweetness, great one of love,
He maketh the Rekhyt to live,
He giveth keenness to every eye.
He is made out of Nu,
Creating the rays of light.
The gods rejoice in his beauties,
Their hearts live when they behold him.
III
Ra, exalted in Karnak!
Great of splendor in the House of the Obelisk
Ani, lord of the New Moon festival,
To whom are celebrated the festival of the sixth day and
of the quarter month.
Liege lord, to whom Life, Prosperity, Health! lord of all
the gods,
Who see him [? ] in the midst of the horizon,
Chief over the Pat and Hades,
His name is more hidden * than his birth,
In his name of Amen,* the hidden One.
Hail to thee who art in peace!
Lord of enlargement of heart, lordly in manifestations,
Lord of the uræus crown, with lofty double plume;
Fair of diadem, with lofty white crown!
The gods love the sight of thee,
## p. 5313 (#485) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5313
The Sekhemt* crown is established upon thy forehead.
Thy loveliness is shed * abroad over the two lands;
Thy rays shine forth in the eyes of men; fair for the Pat
and the Rekhyt is thy rising,
Weary are the flocks when thou art radiant.
Thy loveliness is in the southern sky, thy sweetness in the
northern sky,
Thy beauties conquer hearts,
Thy loveliness maketh arms to droop,
Thy beautiful form maketh hands to fail,
Hearts faint at the sight of thee.
Sole figure, who didst make all that is!
One and only one, maker of all that are,
From whose eyes mankind issued,
By whose mouth the gods were created,
Who makest the herbage, and makest to live the cattle,
goats, swine, and sheep,
The fruit-trees for the Henememt.
He maketh the life of fishes in the river,
The fowl of the air,
Giving breath to that which is in the egg;
Making the offspring of the serpent to live;
Making to live therewith the flies,
The creeping things, and the leaping things, and the like.
Making provision for the mice in their holes;
Making to live the birds in every tree,
Hail to thee, maker of all these!
One and only one, with many arms!
At night wakeful while all sleep,
Seeking good for his flock.
Amen,* who * establishest all things!
Tum Horus of the horizon!
Praises be to thee in that all say,
"Acclamations to thee, for that thou outweariest thyself
with us!
Obeisance to thee for that thou didst make us ! »
Hail to thee, from all animals!
Acclamations to thee from every land,
To the height of heaven, to the breadth of earth,
To the depth of the great waters!
The gods bow before thy majesty,
Exalting the mighty spirit that formed them;
They rejoice at the coming of him who begat them;
They say unto thee:-“Come, come in peace!
IX-333
## p. 5314 (#486) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5314
Father of the fathers of all the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky and press down the ground. “
Maker of that which is, former of those which have being,
Liege lord - to whom Life, Prosperity, Health! - chief of
the gods,
We adore thy mighty spirit even as thou madest us;
Who were made for thee when thou fashionedst us.
We give praises unto thee for that thou outweariest thyself
with us.
Hail to thee who didst make all that is!
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, fashioner of animals,
Lord of corn,
Making to live the animals of the desert.
Amen, bull fair of face,
Beloved in Thebes,
Great one of splendors in the House of the Obelisk,
Twice crowned in Heliopolis,
Thou who judgest between the twain in the Great Hall!
Chief of the great Ennead of the gods,
One and only one, without his peer,
Dwelling in Thebes,
Ani in his divine Ennead,
He liveth on truth every day.
God of the horizon, Horus of the East,
Who hath made the hills that have silver, gold,
Real lapis lazuli, at his pleasure:
Gums and incense are mingled for the Mezau,
Fresh incense for thy nostrils.
Fair of face he cometh to the Mezau,
Amen Ra, lord of the throne of the two lands,
He who dwelleth in Thebes,
Ani in his sanctuary.
IV
Sole King is he, even in the midst of the gods;
Many are his names, none knoweth their number.
He riseth on the horizon of the east, he is laid to rest on
the horizon of the west.
He overthroweth his enemies
In the daily task of every day;
In the morning he is born each day;
Thoth raiseth his eyes,
And propitiateth him with his benefits;
## p. 5315 (#487) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5315
The gods rejoice in his beauties,
Exalting him who is in the midst of adorers !
Lord of the Sekti and of the Madet bark,
Which traverse for thee Nu in peace!
Thy crew rejoice
When they see the overthrow of the wicked one,
Whose members taste the knife;
The flame devoureth him;
His soul is more punished than his body;
That Nak serpent, he is deprived of movement.
The gods are in exultation,
The crew of Ra are in peace,
Heliopolis is in exultation,
The enemies of Tum are overthrown.
Karnak is in peace, Heliopolis is in exultation.
The heart of the uræus goddess is glad,
The enemies of her lord are overthrown;
The gods of Kheraha are in acclamation,
The dwellers in the sanctuaries are in obeisance;
They behold him mighty in his power,
Mighty prince of the gods!
Great one of Justice *, lord of Karnak,
In this thy name, «Doer of Justice *,”
Lord of Plenty, Peaceful Bull*;
In this thy name, «Amen, Bull of his Mother,"
Making mankind *, creating * all that is,
In this thy name of “Tum * Khepera *,)
Great hawk, adorning the breast !
Fair of face adorning the bosom.
Figure lofty of diadem.
The two uræi fly on wings before him,
The hearts of men run up to him [like dogs),
The illuminated ones turn towards him.
Adorning the two lands by his coming forth,
Hail to thee, Amen Ra, lord of the throne of the two
lands!
His city loveth his rising.
This is the end,
in peace,
as it was found.
Translation of F. Li. Griffith.
:)
);
## p. 5316 (#488) ###########################################
5316
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
SONGS TO THE HARP
[Frequently in the tombs is figured a scene in which a harper plays before
the deceased. His song is ever on the same theme: Enjoy life while it lasts,
for all things pass away, and are succeeded by others which also perish in
their turn. Such were the encouragements to conviviality which the Egyp-
tians put into the mouths of their minstrels.
One of these songs was apparently engraved in front of the figure of a
harper in the tomb or pyramid of King Antef (of the XIth or perhaps XIIIth
Dynasty, not less than 2000 B. C. ), and a copy of it has been handed down
to us on a papyrus of the XVIIIth Dynasty: fragments of the same song
are moreover preserved at Leyden on slabs from a tomb of the same period.
Part of another song of the same kind may be read on the walls of the
fine tomb of Neferhetep at Thebes (temp. XVIIIth Dynasty).
was a long one, but the latter part of it is now mutilated and hopelessly de.
stroyed; yet enough of the sequel remains to show that it rose to a somewhat
higher level of teaching than the first song, and counseled men to feed the
poor and to win a good name to leave behind them after death.
The songs seem to fall naturally into stanzas of ten lines each, though
the inscriptions and papyri on which they are preserved to us are not punctu-
ated to indicate these divisions. In the first song the ten lines fall readily
into pairs, thus producing five-line stanzas. ]
This song
I
Songs which are in the tomb of King Antef, justified, which are in
front of the singer on the harp
H
APPY is this good lord! | A goodly fate is spoiled.
One body passeth | and others are set up since the time of the
ancestors.
The gods? who were aforetime | rest in their sepulchres,
So also the nobles glorified buried in their sepulchres.
Palaces are built and their places are not | behold what hath been
done with them!
I have heard the words of Imhetep and Herdedef / who spake thus
continually in their sayings:
« Behold their places, their walls are ruined | their places are not, as
though they had not been.
None cometh thence to tell their lot | to tell their estate,
To strengthen our hearts | until ye approach the place to which they
have gone. ”
Be thou of good cheer thereat | [as for me) my heart faileth me in
singing thy dirge.
11. e. , the kings, who were always reckoned divine, and as ruling by divine
right.
## p. 5317 (#489) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5317
Follow thy heart so long as thou existest | put frankincense on thy
head;
Be clothed in fine n, be anointed with pure ben oil | things fit for
a god.
Enjoy thyself beyond measure | let not thy heart faint.
Follow thy desire and thy happiness while thou art on earth | fret
not thy heart till cometh to thee that day of lamenta-
tions.
The Still-of-Heart heareth not their lamentations | the heart of a man
in the pit taketh no part in mourning.
With radiant face, make a good day,'
And rest not on it.
Behold, it is not given to a man to carry his goods
with him!
Behold, there is none who hath gone,
And cometh back hither again!
II
[Saith the player on the harp who is in the tomb of the Osirian, the divine
father of Amen, Neferhetep, Justified, he saith :-)
O how weary! Truly a prince was he!
That good fate hath come to pass.
Bodies pass away since the time of God,
The youthful come in their place.
Ra presenteth himself every morning,
Tum 3 setteth in the Mountain of the West,
Men beget and women conceive;
Every nostril tasteth the breath of sunrise;
Those whom they bring forth all of them
They come in their stead.
Make holiday, O divine father!
Set gums and choice unguents of every kind for thy nose,
Garlands of lotuses on the shoulders,
And on the breast of thy sister, who is in thy heart,
Who sitteth at thy side.
Set singing and music before thy face,
Put all sorrow behind thee,
Bethink thyself of joys,
1
1. e. ,
« make holiday. ”
2 Title of a priest of Amen.
3 God of the setting sun.
## p. 5318 (#490) ###########################################
5318
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Until there cometh that day on which thou moorest at the land that
loveth silence,
Before the heart of the son whom thou lovest is still.
Make holiday, O Neferhetep, Justified! | the excellent divine father,
pure of hands!
There are heard all the things | that have happened to the ancestors
who were aforetime;
Their walls are ruined | their places are not;
They are as though they had never been | since the time of the god.
May thy walls be established | may thy trees flourish on the bank of
thy pond!
May thy soul sit beneath them, that it drink their waters!
Follow thy heart greatly | while thou art on earth.
Give bread to him, who is without plot of land.
Mayest thou gain a good name | for the eternal future!
Mayest thou
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
FROM AN EPITAPH
[In the British Museum there is a memorial tablet of Ptolemaic date for a
lady of highest sacerdotal descent, on her mother's side as well as on her
father's. She was married to the chief priest of Ptah, and on her death she
addresses her male relations and friends among the priests of chief rank with
words and sentiments very different from the orthodox prayers and formulæ
which cover the funerary stelæ of Pharaonic times; though much the same
line of thought found utterance in the songs of the harpers. ]
O
BROTHER, husband, friend, thy desire to drink and to eat
hath not ceased, [therefore] be drunken, enjoy the love of
women, make holiday. Follow thy desire by night and by
day. Put not care within thine heart. Lo! are not these the
years of thy life upon earth? For as for Amenti, it is a land of
slumber and of heavy darkness, a resting-place for those who
have passed within it. Each sleepeth (there] in his own form;
they never more awake to see their fellows, they behold not
their fathers nor their mothers, their heart is careless of their
wives and children.
The water of life with which every mouth is moistened is
corruption to me, the water that is by me corrupteth me; I know
not what to do? since I came into this valley. Give me running
1 An expression of utter bewilderment; lit. , I know not the estate which
is upon me. »
## p. 5319 (#491) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5319
water; say to me: “Water shall not cease to be brought to thee. ”
Turn my face to the north wind upon the edge of the water.
Verily thus shall my heart be cooled, refreshed from its pain. '
Verily I think on him whose name is “Come! ” All who are
called of him come to him instantly, their hearts terrified with
fear of him. There is none whom he regardeth among gods or
men; with him the great are as the small. His hand cannot
be held back from aught that he desireth; he snatcheth the child
from its mother, as well as the aged who are continually meeting
him on his way. All men fear and pray before him, but he
heedeth them not. None cometh to gaze on him in wonder; he
hearkeneth not unto them who adore him. He is not seen 2 that
propitiatory offerings of any kind should be made to him.
Translation of F. LI. Griffith.
FROM A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS SOUL
D*
[The following is found on a papyrus of the XIIth ynasty, preserved
at Berlin. After some obscure arguments the man apparently admits that the
present life is full of dissatisfaction, and proceeds. )
EATH is ever before me [? ] like the healing of a sick man, or
like a rise in life after a fall.
Death is ever before me like the smell of frankincense, or like
sitting under an awning on a day of cool breeze, 3
Death is ever before me like the scent of lotuses, like sitting on the
bank of the Land of Intoxication. *
Death is ever before me like a road watered (? ), or as when a man
cometh from a campaign to his home.
Death is ever before me like the unveiling of the sky, or as when a
man attaineth to unexpected fortune.
Death is ever before me like as man desireth to see his house
when he hath spent many years in pulling [the oars ? ]. 5
1 To these thinkers, thirst (since the presence of water would induce putre-
faction of the body) and suffocation were the chief material sufferings of the
dead.
2 From this curious expression it is evident that the Egyptians considered
it necessary that a deity should be visibly represented by statue or animal, in
order that he should receive the offerings presented to him. They never per-
sonified a god of Death, only a god of the Dead.
3 The sunshine may be taken for granted in Egypt.
*Our “on the verge of intoxication” is an almost identical expression,
but without a poetical significance.
5 A slight correction of the original would give in captivity » (kidnapped).
a
## p. 5320 (#492) ###########################################
5320
1
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
i
1
Verily he that is therein is as a living god punishing the error of the
evil-doer.
Verily he that is therein standeth in the boat of Ra and causeth
choice viands to be given thence to the temples. '
Verily he that is therein is as a wizard; he is not prevented from
complaining to Ra even as he would speak.
My soul said unto me: “Lay aside [? ] mourning, O Nessu my
brother, that thou mayest offer upon the altar even as thou fightest
for life, as thou sayest, ‘Love me continually. ' Thou hast refused
the grave; desire then that thou mayest reach the grave, that thy
body may join the earth, that I may hover (over thee) after thou art
weary. Let us then make a dwelling together. ”
Translation of F. Li. Griffith.
(THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION)
[It may be thought that the fundamental ideas of Egyptian morality
would be most succinctly expressed in the so-called Negative Confession)
contained in the Book of the Dead. When the deceased appeared before
Osiris he was supposed to recite this confession, in which he alleged his free-
dom from a long catalogue of sins: he repeated it in two forms. After the
XVIIIth Dynasty, B. C. 1500, it was considered as perhaps the most essential
of all the texts deposited in the tomb with the mummy, for the guidance of
the deceased person before his fate was finally settled. It is therefore to be
found in thousands of copies, but unfortunately this much-worn text is as
corrupt as most of the other sections of the Book of the Dead. The hack
scribes and calligraphists were content to copy without understanding it, often
bungling or wresting the sense according to their very imperfect lights. It is
seldom that different copies agree precisely in their readings: often the differ-
ences are very material and leave the true sense altogether uncertain. Again,
where the reading seems comparatively sure, the meaning remains
obscure, owing to the occurrence of rare words or expressions. All the
phrases begin with the negative (not. ”]
even
FIRST CONFESSION
I
HAVE not done injury to men.
I have not oppressed those beneath me. 3
I have not acted perversely (prevaricated ? ), instead of
straightforwardly.
1 The advantages of the life beyond seem to consist in being like gods
and in full communion with the greatest of them, Ra.
? This closing speech of the soul is barely intelligible.
3 Or perhaps my kindred. ”
## p. 5321 (#493) ###########################################
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5321
I have not known vanity. '
I have not been a doer of mischief.
I have not done what the gods abominate.
I have not turned the servant against his master.
I have not caused hunger.
I have not caused weeping.
I have not inurdered.
