  The following Litany of Ra is the translation of a long text which is to be found at the entrance of several of the largest tombs of the kings, in the valley called Biban el Moluk at Thebes. It is a kind of introduction to the long pictures which adorn the walls of the royal sepulchres, and which generally represent the course of the sun at the different hours of night. Although very nearly connected with the “Book of the Dead,” this text has not yet been found complete in any funereal papyrus; the second section of the fourth chapter only is contained in a papyrus of the British Museum. [pg 367]The importance of this text consists in this, that it gives us an idea of the esoteric doctrine of the Egyptian priests, which was clearly pantheistic, and which certainly differed from the polytheistic worship of the common people. The present translation has been made from the book “La Litanie du Soleil” (Leipzig, 1875, avec un vol. de XLIX planches), where this text has been first translated in French, with a commentary. Among the different tombs where this inscription was collected, that of Seti I, commonly called Belzoni's tomb, has been chosen as the standard text. The Litany of Ra CHAPTER I Title. The beginning of the book of the worship of Ra in the Ament588 of the worship of Temt589 in the Ament. When anyone reads this book, the porcelain figures are placed upon the ground, at the hour of the setting of the Sun, that is of the triumph of Ra over his enemies in the Ament. Whoso is intelligent upon the earth, he is intelligent also after his death. 1 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the master of the hidden spheres who causes the principles to arise, who dwells in darkness, who is born as590 the all-surrounding universe. 2 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the beetle that folds his wings, that rests in the empyrean, that is born as his own son. 3 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, Tonen591 who produces his members,592 who fashions what is in him, who is born within his sphere. 4 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who discloses the earth and lights the Ament, he whose principle has (become) his manifestation, and who is born under the form of the god with the large disk. 5 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the soul that speaks, that rests upon her high place, that creates the hidden intellects which are developed in her. [pg 368]6 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the only one, the courageous one, who fashions his body, he who calls his gods (to life), when he arrives in his hidden sphere. 7 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who addresses his eye, and who speaks to his head,593 he who imparts the breath of life to the souls (that are) in their place; they receive it and develop. 8 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the spirit that walks, that destroys its enemies, that sends pain to the rebels. 9 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who shines when he is in his sphere, who sends his darkness into his sphere, and who hides what it contains. 10 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who lights the bodies which are on the horizon, he who enters his sphere. 11 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who descends into the spheres of Ament, his form is that of Tum. 12 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who descends into the mysteries of Anubis, his form is that of Chepra (Atmu). 13 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he whose body is so large that it hides his shape, his form is that of Shu. 14 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who leads Ra into his members, his form is that of Tefnut. 15 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who sends forth the plants in their season, his form is that of Seb. 16 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the great one who rules what is in him, his form is that of Nut. 17 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who goes always toward him who precedes him, his form is that of Isis. 18 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he whose head shines more than he who is before him, his form is that of Nephthys. 19 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the urn594 of the creatures, the only one, that unites the generative substances, its form is that of Horus. 20 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the brilliant one who shines in the waters of the inundation, his form is that of Nun. [pg 369]21 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who creates the water which comes from within him, his form is that of Remi.595 22 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the two vipers that bear their two feathers, their form is that of the impure one. 23 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who enters and comes forth continually from his highly mysterious cavern, his form is that of At.596 24 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the spirit that causes his disappearance, his form is that of Netert.597 25 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the spirit that sets up (those whom he has created), that creates598 his descendants, his form is that of Ntuti.599 26 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who raised his head and who lifts his forehead, the ram, the greatest of the creatures. 27 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the light that is in the infernal regions, its form is that of Ament. 28 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the penetrating spirit who is in the Ament, his form is that of Kerti.600 29 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the timid one who sheds tears, his form is that of the afflicted. 30 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who raises his hand and who glorifies his eye601 his form is that of the god with the hidden body. 31 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the spirit who is raised upon the two mysterious horizons, his form is that of Chentament.602 32 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power; the god with the numerous shapes in the sacred dwelling, his form is that of the beetle. 33 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who puts his enemies into their prison, his form is that of the lion. 34 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the ray of light in his sarcophagus, its form is that of the progenitor. [pg 370]35 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the covering of the body, which develops the lungs, its form is that of Teb-ati.603 36 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who calls the bodies into the empyrean, and they develop, who destroys their venom, his form is that of the transformer. 37 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the being with the mysterious face, who makes the divine eye move, his form is that of Shai. 38 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the supremely great one who embraces the empyrean, his form is that of the spirit who embraces (space). 39 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who hides his body within himself, his form is that of the god with the hidden body. 40 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who is more courageous than those who surround him, who sends fire into the place of destruction, his form is that of the burning one. 41 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who sends destruction, and who causes the development of his body in the empyrean, his form is that of the inhabitant of the empyrean. 42 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the wonderful one who dwells in his eye,604 who lights the sarcophagus, his form is that of Shepi.605 43 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who unites the substances, who founds606 Amto, his form is that of one who joins substances. 44 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who invents607 secret things, and who begets bodies, his form is that of the invisible (progenitor). 45 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who furnishes the inhabitants of the empyrean with funeral things, when he enters the hidden spheres, his form is that of Aperto.608 46 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, his members rejoice when they see his body, the blessed spirit who enters into him, his form is that of the joyful one. [pg 371]47 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the adult who dilates his eyeball, and who fills his eye,609 his form is that of the adult. 48 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who makes the roads in the empyrean, and who opens pathways in the sarcophagus, his form is that of the god who makes the roads. 49 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the moving spirit who makes his legs stir, his form is that of the moving one. 50 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who sends forth the stars and who makes the night light, in the sphere of the hidden essences, his form is that of the shining one. 51 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who makes the spheres and who creates bodies; from thy person emanating from itself alone, thou hast sent forth, Ra, those who are and those who are not, the dead, the gods, the intellects; his form is that of creator of bodies. 52 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the mysterious, the hidden one, he whom the spirits follow as he conducts them, he gives the step to those surrounding him, his form is that of Ameni. 53 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the horn, the pillar of the Ament, the lock of hair that shines in ...610 its form is that of the horn. 54 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the eternal essence who penetrates the empyrean, who praises the spirits in their spheres, his form is that of the eternal essence. 55 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, when he arrives in the good Ament, the spirits of the empyrean rejoice at sight of him, his form is that of the old man. 56 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the great lion that creates the gods, that weighs words, the chief of the powers inhabiting the holy sphere, his form is that of the great lion. 57 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, when he speaks to his eye and when he addresses his eyeball, the bodies shed tears; his form is that of the being who speaks to his eye.611 58 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who raises his [pg 372] 59 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the high spirit who hunts his enemies, who sends fire upon the rebels, his form is that of Kaba.613 60 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the substance which hides the intestines and which possesses the mind and the limbs, its form is that of Auai.614 61 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the great eldest one who dwells in the empyrean, Chepri who becomes two children, his form is that of the two children. 62 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the great walker who goes over the same course, the spirit who anoints the body, Senekher, his form is that of Senekher.615 63 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who creates his body and who detaches his members by the sacred flame of Amto, his form is that of the flame of Amto.616 64 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the master of the hooks (who struggles) against his enemies, the only one, the master of the monkeys, his form is that of Anteti.617 65 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who sends the flames into his furnaces, he who cuts off the head of those who are in the infernal regions, his form is that of the god of the furnace. 66 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the parent who destroys his children, the only one who names618 the earth by his intelligence, his form is that of Tonen. 67 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who sets up the urshi619 themselves upon their foundation, no one sees their mysteries, his form is that of the urshi. 68 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the vessel of heaven, the door of the empyrean, he who makes the mummy come forth, his form is that of Besi. 69 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the monkey ...620 the being in his nature, his form is that of the monkey of the empyrean. 70 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who opens the [pg 373] 71 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, he who is armed with teeth, who consumes his enemies, the flame that lights the wick, his form is that of Nehi.622 72 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the walker, the moving luminary, who makes darkness come after his light, his form is that of the walker. 73 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the master of souls who is in his obelisk, the chief of the confined gods, his form is that of the master of souls. 74 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the double luminary, the double obelisk, the great god who raises his two eyes, his form is that of the double luminary. 75 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, the master of the light, who reveals hidden things, the spirit who speaks to the gods in their spheres, his form is that of the master of the light. 76 Homage to thee, Ra! Supreme power, O Ra of the sphere, O Ra who speakest to the spheres, O Ra who art in thy sphere, homage to thee, Ra Keschi, four times. They sing praises to the spirit Keschi,623 the spheres honor his spirit, they glorify thy body which is in thee, saying, Homage to thee, great Keschi! four times. They sing praises in thy honor, spirit Keschi in thy seventy-five forms which are in thy seventy-five spheres. The royal Osiris knows them by their names, he knows what is in their bodies, all their hidden essences. The royal Osiris speaks to them in their forms, they open to the royal Osiris, they display the hidden doors to his spirit which is like thy spirit, thou createst them, thou createst the royal Osiris; the development of his body is like thine because the royal Osiris is one of thy companions, who are in their spheres, and who speak in their caverns, those who are blessed through thy creation and who transform themselves when thou commandest it. The royal Osiris is like one of those who speak in their hidden spheres. Ha! he has arrived, he advances in the train of the spirit of Ra. Ha! he has completed the journey [pg 374] 77 O Ra of the Ament, who hast created the earth, who lightest the gods of the empyrean, Ra who art in thy disk, guide him on the road to the Ament, that he may reach the hidden spirits; guide him on the road which belongs to him, guide him on the Western road; that he may traverse the sphere of Ament, guide him on the road to the Ament, that the King may worship those who are in the hidden dwelling, guide him on the road to the Ament, make him descend to the sphere of Nun. Hail, Ra! the royal Osiris is Nun. Hail Ra! the royal Osiris is thyself and reciprocally. Hail, Ra! thy spirit is that of Osiris, thy course is his in the empyrean. Hail, Ra! he dwells in the empyrean, he traverses the good Ament. Such as thou art, such is the royal Osiris. Thy intellect, Ra, is his. Osiris worships the hidden gods, he praises their spirits, these latter say to one another that thy course (Ra!) is that of Osiris, that thy way is his, great god who dwellest in the empyrean. Hail! god of the disk with the brilliant rays, praise be to the spirit Keschi! four times. 78 Hail to thee, universal covering, who createst thy soul and who makest thy body grow; the King traverses the most secret sphere, he explores the mysteries contained in it. The King speaks to thee like Ra, he praises thee with his intelligence, the King is like the god; and reciprocally. He moves by himself, he moves by himself. The all surrounding universe says: Ah, guide him unto the interior of my sphere; four times. 79 This chapter is said to the most mysterious god, these words are written like those upon the two sides of the door of the empyrean ...625 this book is read every day, when he has retired in life, according to custom, perfectly. [pg 375]CHAPTER II 1 Worship of the Spheric Gods, when Ra sets in life. Hail, gods of the spheres, gods who are in the Ament, perfect gods ...626 the enemies of Ra, you make the universal covering627 grow ...628 you worship the god who is in his disk ...629 thou commandest thy enemies, great god who art upon the horizon; four times. Thou commandest thy enemies, Osiris Temt; four times. 2 The royal Osiris commands his enemies in heaven and upon earth, by authority of all the gods and all the goddesses, by authority of Osiris Chentament, because the royal Osiris is Ra himself, the great inhabitant of the heavens, he speaks in the presence of Ament. The King governs by favor of the great powers. The royal Osiris is pure, what is in him is pure, the royal Osiris governs the two worlds, the royal Osiris commands his enemies; four times. 3 He is powerful, Ra in the empyrean, he is powerful, Ra in the empyrean. He traverses the empyrean with joy, for he has struck Apap;630 there is joy for thee, god of the horizon, Osiris, King of the Ament, there is joy for thy triumphant spirit, for thou destroyest his enemies; thou art delighted, Tesherti, red spirit who openest the Ament. Thou givest thy hand to Osiris, thou art received in the good Ament, and the gods rejoice over thee. Osiris gives thee his hand, thou art received by Chentament. He is brilliant, the spirit of Ra in the empyrean, he is brilliant, the body of Teb Temt. Ra commands in the empyrean, because he has struck Apap. Teb Temt commands; he worships the spirit of the two horizons; the spirit of the two horizons worships him. 4 The royal Osiris receives dominion over his enemies from the great powers of the mysterious avenger, he who reveals the mysterious empyrean, who dissipates the darkness, who chases away the rain, he who hurries, and who makes the blessed servants of Ra come forth. He631 sees the body of the god when he assumes forms with a mysterious name, when he sheds his rays in obscurity, and when he hides the uncovered bodies; when he traverses the mysterious [pg 376] 5 Hail, Ra! give eyes to the royal Osiris, give him divine eyeballs, and may they guide the royal Osiris. Hail, Ra! give a heart to the royal Osiris; he traverses the earth, he traverses the world like Ra. 6 Thou takest care that what thou commandest to exist, exists; thou rulest the royal Osiris like Chuti632 and the King honors thy spirit, he glorifies thee. 7 Thou commandest Osiris to be like Khuti, the brilliant triangle which appears in the shining place. 8 Thou commandest Osiris to be like the mysterious spirit which comes forth from the mysterious place. 9 Thou commandest Osiris to be like the blessed spirit which comes forth from the blessed place. 10 Thou commandest Osiris to be like the destructive spirit which comes forth from the place of destruction. 11 Thou commandest Osiris to be like the revealing spirit which comes forth from the opening. 12 Thou commandest Osiris to be like the elevated spirit which comes forth from the high place. 13 Thou commandest Osiris to be like the hidden spirit which comes forth from the Ament. 14 Deliver him from the crocodiles which frighten the spirits, like geese; let them not do their work upon the royal Osiris, in the presence of the gods armed with swords; may Osiris never fall into their furnaces, may their nets never entangle him; his spirit flies away and soars into the heavens, his spirit returns and enters into the empyrean, because the royal Osiris knows the mysteries which are in the empyrean, the secret forms of Osiris, that none of his servants know, in the secret of his hidden dwelling. Hail! the royal Osiris knows thy form, great and mysterious god. 15 Deliver the royal Osiris from the agile demons furnished with legs, from the cruel gods who pluck out hearts and who throw them into their furnaces. May they never do their work upon the royal Osiris, may they never put him in their furnaces, because Osiris is Ra; and reciprocally. His soul is that which is in the disk. His body is in the middle of [pg 377] 16 The soul of Ra shines in his shape, his body rests amid the invocations which are addressed to him; he enters into the interior of his white disk, he lights the empyrean with his rays, he creates it, he makes the souls remain in their bodies, they praise him from the height of their pedestal. He receives the acclamations of all the gods who open the doors, the hidden essences who prepare the way for Ra's soul, and who allow the King of souls access to the fields. He traverses his disk himself; he calls (to life) the body of Kat;633 he places the gods of the stars upon their legs; these latter make the god An634 come at their hours; the two sisters join themselves to him, they decorate his head, as a spirit worthy of adornment. 17 O, Ra, place the royal Osiris in thy train; he is the divine key which opens his haunts, he knows admirable means of obtaining the great victory over his enemies; Osiris is powerful through thy two eyes; walking god, the course of Osiris is thy course. Ra, the journeys of Osiris are thy journeys, Osiris makes thee rule over thy enemies, thou makest Osiris rule over his enemies, by means of the great splendor which is the splendor of Ra in the empyrean, they cry to him: Bull of the country of the dead, thou art Ra, thy body rests in peace, thou art blessed in thy mysteries. CHAPTER III 1 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Highly glorious Teb Temt. 2 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Thou makest thy soul young again and thou givest birth to thy body. 3 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Lead him into the holy dwelling. 4 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Guide him on the good ways. 5 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Guide him on the roads of Nun. 6 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Guide him on the roads of Nut. [pg 378]7 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He restores the body of Osiris. 8 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He places the corpse upon its foundation, in its place that no one knows. 9 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He calls his body Osiris. 10 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He sees him who is in the sarcophagus. 11 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. The rays of Aten635 are upon his person. 12 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He has taken the good ways. 13 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He worships thy soul upon the horizon. 14 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. Thou speakest to him as to the god who is upon the ground. 15 O, Ra, come to the King! truly. He is one of thy Nine Gods. CHAPTER IV Section I 1 Thou art what he is, Ra, thou givest birth to the royal Osiris, thou makest him exist like thyself, god of the two horizons; the birth of Osiris is the birth of Ra in the Ament, and reciprocally; the birth of Osiris in the heavens is the birth of the soul of Ra in the heavens, and reciprocally; the life of Osiris is the life of Ra, and reciprocally; the development of his body is the development of Ra's body. Ra conceived, Tum gave birth to Osiris; it is the young Chepra; Nut brings Osiris into the world, she nourishes Osiris, like Ra's soul which issued from her. 2 O, Ra who art in the Ament ...636 who art in the empyrean, deliver Osiris from thy conductors who separate souls from their bodies, the agile beings who move quickly in thy places of torment. May they never seize Osiris, may they never take him, may they never quicken their steps toward him, may they never put him in their places of torture, may they never cast their toils round him, may they never place him upon their altars, may he never tremble in the land of the condemned, may he never be lost in the [pg 379] 3 The gods of the empyrean bless him, the hidden gods rejoice over him; they say to him: thy person is the god of the country of the dead, thy form is Teb Temt. The hidden gods speak to the royal Osiris, they rejoice on seeing him; (they say to him:) Hail, blessed and perfect one, who comest forth from Tonen, the god who destroys the forms; it is great, thy essence, spirit, shadow that no one destroys, that lives where you live. He knows the essences of the primitive beings, he knows the mysterious flames of the empyrean, for he attains to holy and mysterious things. 4 The two gods speak to the royal Osiris, they rejoice on seeing him, this blessed, perfect spirit; (they say to him:) This is one of us. The gods speak to the royal Osiris, they rejoice when they see him, him, the splendor of Ra, the splendor of the two goddesses that appears in Heset,643 the supplicant Heset addresses the guardians who watch over the doors, who devour souls and who swallow the shades of the dead; when they approach them, they are led by them to the place of destruction: O guardians who watch over your doors, who swallow souls and devour the shades of the dead; when they approach you, you lead them to the place of destruction; Oh! allow this blessed this most holy spirit, to be in the dwelling of the Akher;644 it is a spirit like [pg 380] 5 O Heset, make him come, O Heset, guide the royal Osiris, O Heset open to him the empyrean, give him the lot of the god of the empyrean; he puts the veil nems645 upon his head at the bottom of the dwelling of the Ament. Hail to thee, he has reached thee; Heset, guide him on the good way, he speaks to thee, he glorifies thee by his invocations, and thou rejoicest on seeing his spirit; Heset, the supplicant, open the doors which are in the empyrean, open his spheres to him, for the club is in the hand of Osiris, and he grasps his lance; his club strikes the enemies, and his lance destroys the rebels; his dwelling is that of the god of the two horizons; his throne is Ra's throne; for he is the Horus of the two horizons.646 He is beautiful, this spirit, he is perfect, he is powerful in both his hands. 6 The two great gods speak to the royal Osiris; they rejoice on his account; they celebrate his victorious strength, they give him their protection, they send him their spirit of life; (they say to him:) He is brilliant like the spirit of the horizon that is the dwelling of Ra in the heavens;647 they communicate their words to him, they give him the power by their authority. He opens the door of heaven and earth like his father Ra; a spirit shining in the place where they burn the offerings, in the arms of Osiris. The royal Osiris rests in the mysterious dwelling, he shines like the god of the luminary, the dwelling of Ra of the horizon.648 The royal Osiris is Ra; and reciprocally, he is the spirit of Osiris, he rests (in him). 7 He reaches the gods of the pyramid; these latter praise him on seeing the happy arrival of Osiris; they address him as Ra of the horizon; praise be to Ra! cheers for the spirit of the horizon, praises to the spirit of Ra! Praise his spirit that inhabits the empyrean, invoke him who is in his disk, bear him to him who created you, carry him unto the pyramid, since you are the gods who accompany Ra Osiris. Here is Osiris, carry him into the hidden sanctuary of Osiris, the lord of years649 who is under the care of the two [pg 381] 8 The royal Osiris is one of you, for his diadem is a vulture; his face is a sparrow-hawk, his head is Ra; his eyes are the Rehti, the two sisters; his nose is Horus of the empyrean; his mouth is the King of the Ament; his lungs are Nun; his two hands are the god Secheni;650 his fingers are the gods who seize him; his body is Chepra; his heart is Horus, the creator; his chest is the goddess of life; his spleen is the god Fenti;651 his lungs are the goddess Heti; his stomach is Apu; his intestines, the god with the mysterious names;652 his back is the corpse-god; his elbows are Makati; the nape of his neck, Horus Thoth; his lips Mehur; his phallus is Tonen;653 ...654 the goddess of Cher; ...655 the two hidden gods; his sitting posture the two goddesses; his legs, he who traverses the hidden places; his shin-bones are urÆus. His members are gods, he is throughout a god, no one of his members is without a god, the gods are of his substance. The royal Osiris is an intelligent essence, his members guide him, his flesh opens the way to him, those who are born of him create him, they rest when they have given birth to him. The royal Osiris is he who gives them birth, it is he who begets them, it is he who makes them exist; his birth is that of Ra in the Ament, Ra gives birth to the royal Osiris, he causes his own birth. Section II 1 O Ra, open to his spirit, for the royal Osiris knows what there is in the empyrean, he is the great mummy, Osiris, the King of the Ament; he is Osiris, he is perfect like Osiris, he is blessed like Osiris, his club is that of Osiris, his sword [pg 382] 2 Hail to thee, inhabitant of the empyrean, praised be what is in thee; hail to thee, inhabitant of the empyrean, the weeping gods cut their hair in honor of thee, they clap their hands, they revere thee, they weep before thee, thy spirit rejoices in their fear, thy body is blessed. 3 Hail to thee, inhabitant of the empyrean, god seated upon his throne, who boldest the sceptre hik,657 King of the empyrean, Prince of the Aker, great Prince crowned with the urer,658 great god who hides his dwelling, Lord of wisdom, Chief of the powers. 4 Hail to the inhabitant of the empyrean, thy son Horus rests in thee, thou communicatest thy orders to him, thou permittest him to shine like An of the empyrean, the great star who creates his names,659 who knows the empyrean and who traverses the interior of it, he, the son of Ra, proceeding from Tum. The royal Osiris is thy son, thou communicatest thy orders to him, thou permittest him to shine like An of the heavens, the great star who creates his names,660 who knows the empyrean and who traverses the interior of it, he the son of Ra, proceeding from Tum. He rests in the empyrean, he rejoices in the dusk, he enters in there and comes forth, the arms of Tonen receive him, the blessed lift him, they stretch out their hands toward him, the ...661 guide him. Praise him ye blessed, exalt the royal Osiris, ye blessed! Rejoice over him, as over Ra, extol him like Osiris, he has placed your offerings before you, he accords you the favor of receiving your portion as his father Ra commanded. He is his darling, he is his descendant upon the earth, and the blessed show him the way. Let him arrive in the empyrean, and let him penetrate into the good Ament. The royal Osiris fixes the crown upon [pg 383] 5 Look at him, ye blessed, let him receive a perfect intelligence, let him shine like the god of mysteries, deliver him from the gods of the pillory who fasten to their posts. May they never bind Osiris to their posts, may they never put him in the place of destruction, for he is the descendant of Osiris who permits him to receive the diadem in the empyrean. 6 He is sublime, the spirit of Ra in the Ament, his body is blessed there, the spirits rejoice when they develop their forms in the zones of the empyrean, before the soul of Ra, the inhabitant of the empyrean, and Teb Temt who rests in his covering. Hail, yes, hail! Hail spirit of Ra, hail, spirit of the royal Osiris like Temt! Hail, royal Osiris who art Ra, and reciprocally! O Temt who art Ra, and reciprocally, hail! 7 The royal Osiris is one of you. He gives birth to you, he gives you your names, he makes you perfect; ha! he sends his body into you; ha! he is your creator. Look at him, he shines like him who proceeds from you; he honors his father, perfect, blessed, blessing his mother; look at him, make his essence sublime and make him like him who destroys his forms;662 show the way to his spirit, set him upon your pedestals, make him rest in his members, show him his dwelling in the midst of the earth, open your doors to him, unfasten the bolt. 8 O Ra, O Teb-Temt, guide the royal Osiris following the direction of the spirits, following the course of the gods. The royal Osiris is in his gateway (in presence of the) navigating gods; the royal Osiris is the only one, the guardian of his doors, he who puts the gods in their places. He is upon his pedestal in the empyrean, he is the possessor in the midst of the possessors, he is at the extremities of the empyrean, he is blessed in the infernal regions. He rests in the Ament among the spirits who are in the members of the Ament. The royal Osiris is Ra's darling, he is the mysterious phoenix, he enters in peace into the empyrean, he [pg 384] 9 O ye gods, O ye blessed who precede Ra and who escort his spirit, do to the royal Osiris as to Ra, tow him with you in the same way that you conduct Ra and the two navigating gods in the heavens; the royal Osiris is Ra himself, and reciprocally; he is the Chief of his worshippers who gives life to the forms. Section III 1 O Ament, O Ament, O good, O good, O strong, O strong, O powerful, O powerful, O protecting, O protecting, O mysterious, O mysterious (Ament), the royal Osiris knows thee, he knows thy form, he knows the name of thy companions. Ament, hide my corpse, good Ament, hide my body. O resting-place, let me rest in thee; O strong one, may the royal Osiris be strong with thy strength; O powerful one, may he be powerful with thy power! O Ament, open thy arms to him; O protectress, cover his body; O mysterious being, stretch out thy hand to him. Hail, holy Ament of Osiris with the mysterious names, the most holy of the gods, thou who art the most hidden of all mysteries. Hail! the royal Osiris worships thee; he addresses the great god who is within thee. Hail! he worships thee; open thy mysterious doors to him. Hail! he worships thee; (open to him) thy hidden spheres, for he has his dwelling in the heavens like Ra, and his throne is upon the earth like Seb; he is seated upon the throne of Seb, upon the seats of Horchuti; his spirit soars into the heavens, it rests there; his body descends to the earth in the midst of the gods. [pg 385] 2 When this book is read he who reads it purifies himself at the hour when Ra sets, who rests in the Ament of the Ament, when Ra is in the midst of hidden things, completely. |
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