  This papyrus was found by the late Mr. Passalaqua, in the ruins of Thebes, in the interior of a statue representing Osiris. It is divided into two parts, very distinct. The first contains chapters of the funeral ritual in the hieroglyphic writing; the second, of which a translation here follows, consists of five pages of a fine hieratic writing of the lower epoch (probably about the time of the Ptolemies). This manuscript now belongs to the Royal Museum of Berlin, where it is registered under the No. 1425. A partial translation of it was published in 1852 by M. H. Brugsch (“Die Adonisklage und das Linoslied”). He translated the second page and the beginning of the third, but without giving the hieratic text. I have since published and completely translated this interesting document (“Les Lamentations d'Isis et de Nephthys,” Paris, 1866), and now give the English translation revised. The composition has a great analogy with the “Book of Respirations,” a translation of which will be added here. Both refer to the resurrection and renewed birth of Osiris (the type of man after his death), who, in this quality, is identified with the sun, the diurnal renewal of which constantly recalled the idea of a birth eternally renewed. The object of the prayers recited by Isis and Nephthys is to effect the resurrection of their brother Osiris, and also that of the defunct to whom the papyrus is consecrated. Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys Recital of the beneficial formulÆ made by the two divine Sisters570 in the house of Osiris who resides in the West, Great god, Lord of Abydos, in the month of Choiak, the twenty-fifth day. They are made the same in all the abodes of Osiris, [pg 361]and in all his festivals; and they are beneficial to his soul, giving firmness to his body, diffusing joy through his being, giving breath to the nostrils, to the dryness of the throat; they satisfy the heart of Isis as well as (that) of Nephthys; they place Horus on the throne of his father, (and) give life, stability, tranquillity to Osiris-Tentrut571 born of Takha-aa, who is surnamed Persais the justified. It is profitable to recite them, in conformity with the divine words. Evocation By Isis.572 (She says:) Come to thine abode, come to thine abode! Thine enemies (exist) no more. O excellent Sovereign, come to thine abode! Look at me; I am thy sister who loveth thee. Do not stay far from me, O beautiful youth. Come to thine abode with haste, with haste. I see thee no more. My heart is full of bitterness on account of thee. Mine eyes seek thee; I seek thee to behold thee. will it be long ere I see thee? Will it be long ere I see thee? (O) excellent Sovereign, will it be long ere I see thee? Beholding thee is happiness; Beholding thee is happiness. (O) god An, beholding thee is happiness. Come to her who loveth thee. Come to her who loveth thee. Come to thy sister, come to thy wife. [pg 362]Come to thy sister, come to thy wife. I am thy sister by thy mother; do not separate thyself from me. Gods and men (turn) their faces toward thee, weeping together for thee, whenever (they) behold me. I call thee in (my) lamentations (even) to the heights of Heaven, and thou hearest not my voice. I am thy sister who loveth thee on earth; no one else hath loved thee more than I, (thy) sister, (thy) sister. Evocation By Nephthys. (She says:) O excellent Sovereign, come to thine abode. Rejoice, all thine enemies are annihilated! Thy two sisters are near to thee, protecting thy funeral bed; calling thee in weeping, thou who art prostrate on thy funeral bed. Thou seest (our) tender solicitude. Speak to us, Supreme Ruler, our Lord. Chase all the anguish which is in our hearts. Thy companions, who are gods and men, when they see thee (exclaim): Ours be thy visage, Supreme Ruler, our Lord; life for us is to behold thy countenance; let not thy face be turned from us; the joy of our hearts is to contemplate thee; (O) Sovereign, our hearts are happy in seeing thee. I am Nephthys, thy sister who loveth thee. Thine enemy is vanquished, he no longer existeth! I am with thee, protecting thy members forever and eternally. Invocation By Isis.576 (She says:) Hail (O) god An! Thou, in the firmament, shinest upon us each day. We no longer cease to behold thy rays. Thoth is a protection for thee. He placeth thy soul in the bark Ma-at, in that name which is thine, of God Moon. I have come to contemplate thee. Thy beauties are in the midst of the Sacred Eye,577 in that name which is thine, of Lord of the sixth day's festival. Thy companions are near to thee; they separate themselves no more from thee. Thou hast taken possession of the Heavens, by the grandeur of the terrors which thou inspirest, in that name which is thine, of Lord of the fifteenth day's festival. Thou shinest upon us like Atum.579 Gods and men live because they behold thee. Thou sheddest thy rays upon us. Thou givest light to the Two Worlds. The horizon is filled by thy passage. Gods and men (turn) their faces toward thee; nothing is injurious to them when thou shinest. Thou dost navigate in the heights (of Heaven) and thine enemy no longer exists! I am thy protection each day. Thou who comest to us as a child each month, we do not cease to contemplate thee. Thine emanation heightens the brilliancy of the stars of Orion in the firmament, by rising and setting each day. I do not separate myself from him. The glorious emanation which proceedeth from thee [pg 364]giveth life to gods and men, reptiles and quadrupeds. They live by it. Thou comest to us from thy retreat at thy time, to spread the water of thy soul, to distribute the bread of thy being, that the gods may live and men also. Hail to the divine Lord! There is no god like unto thee! Heaven hath thy soul; earth hath thy remains; the lower heaven is in possession of thy mysteries. Thy spouse is a protection for thee. Thy son Horus is the king of the worlds. Invocation By Nephthys. (She says:) Excellent Sovereign! come to thine abode! Un-nefer the justified, come to Tattu. O fructifying Bull, come to Anap. Beloved of the Adytum, come to Kha. Come to Tattu, the place which thy soul prefers. The spirits of thy fathers second thee. Thy son, the youth Horus, the child of (thy) two sisters,581 is before thee. At the dawn of light, I am thy protection each day. I never separate myself from thee. O god An, come to Sais. Sais is thy name. Come to Aper; thou wilt see thy mother Neith.582 Beautiful Child, do not stay far from her. Come to her nipples; abundance is in them.583 Excellent Brother, do not stay far from her. O son, come to Sais! Osiris-Tarut, surnamed Nainai, born of Persais the justified, come to Aper, thy city. [pg 365]Thine abode is Tab. Thou reposest (there) by thy divine mother, forever. She protecteth thy members, she disperseth thine enemies, she is the protection of thy members forever. O excellent Sovereign! come to thine abode. Lord of Sais, come to Sais. Invocation By Isis.584 (She says:) Come to thine abode! come to thine abode. Excellent Sovereign, come to thine abode. Come (and) behold thy son Horus as supreme Ruler of gods and men. He hath taken possession of the cities and the districts, by the grandeur of the respect he inspires. Heaven and earth are in awe of him, the barbarians are in fear of him. Thy companions, who are gods and men, have become his, in the two hemispheres to accomplish thy ceremonies. Thy two sisters are near to thee, offering libations to thy person; thy son Horus accomplisheth for thee the funeral offering: of bread, of beverages, of oxen and of geese. Toth chanteth thy festival-songs, invoking thee by his beneficial formulÆ. The children of Horus are the protection of thy members, benefiting thy soul each day. Thy son Horus saluteth thy name (in) thy mysterious abode, in presenting thee the things consecrated to thy person. The gods hold vases in their hands to make libations to thy being. Come to thy companions, Supreme Ruler, our Lord! Do not separate thyself from them. [pg 366]When this is recited, the place (where one is) is holy in the extreme. Let it be seen or heard by no one, Two women, beautiful in their members, having been introduced, are made to sit down on the ground at the principal door of the Great Hall.587 (Then) the names of Isis and Nephthys are inscribed on their shoulders. Crystal vases (full) of water are placed in their right hands; loaves of bread made in Memphis in their left hands. Let them pay attention to the things done at the third hour of the day, and also at the eighth hour of the day. Cease not to recite this book at the hour of the ceremony! It is finished. |
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