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 gods, sped by thy mariners of the unmoving gods. 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 [pg 357] 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 gods 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, gods 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, gods and goddesses 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 uroes 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 shine Ra-Harmachis, shine 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 rest565 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 life567 to the King, thou givest food [pg 358] 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 gods, they gain delight in doing adoration to the great bark, homage in the mysterious chamber. O shine Amen-Ra-Harmachis self-sprung, thy sister goddesses 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 god 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. Gods 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 [pg 359] 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 god, self-existing, traversing paths in the divine vessel, thou roarest in smiting thy foes, making thy great bark sweep on, men hail thee, gods fear thee, thou hast felled thy foes before it. Courier of heaven outstripped by none, to illumine earth for his children, uplifted above gods and men, shining upon us; we know not thy form when thou lookest on our faces, thy bulk passes our knowledge.

O blessed Ra-Harmachis thou penetratest ... Bull at night, Chieftain by day, beauteous orb 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 worshipped 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 assigned to thee the Uta on her seat, he makes them ... he assigned 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.