  This hymn is important as bearing witness to the state of religious thought in Egypt in the time of Merneptah, the son of Rameses II, nineteenth dynasty, according to the generality of Egyptologers, contemporary with Moses. It is extant in two papyri, “Sallier,” ii, p. 11, “Select Papyri,” pls. xx-xxiii, and “Anastasi,” vii. “Select Papyri,” pls. cxxxiv-cxxxix, published by the trustees of the British Museum. The name of the author Enna is well known. He wrote the “Romance of the Two Brothers” and other works preserved in the “Select Papyri,” and partially translated by Mr. Goodwin, in “Cambridge Essays,” 1858, p. 257, and M. G. Maspero, in “Genre Épistolaire chez les anciens Egyptiens,” Paris, 1872. A translation of this hymn was published by Maspero (“Hymne au Nil”), in 1868, with an introduction and critical notes of great value. The attention of the reader is specially called to the metrical structure of this poem. The stanzas, containing upon an [pg 336] Hymn to the Nile I. Strophe Adoration of the Nile 1 Hail to thee O Nile! 2 Thou showest thyself in this land, 3 Coming in peace, giving life to Egypt: 4 O Ammon, (thou) leadest night unto day,472 5 A leading that rejoices the heart! 6 Overflowing the gardens created by Ra.473 7 Giving life to all animals; 8 Watering the land without ceasing: 9 The way of heaven descending:474 10 Lover of food, bestower of corn, 11 Giving light to every home, O Ptah! II. 1 Lord of fishes, when the inundation returns 2 No fowls fall on the cultures.475 3 Maker of spelt; creator of wheat: 4 who maintaineth the temples! 5 Idle hands he loathes476 6 For myriads, for all the wretched. [pg 337]7 If the gods in heaven are grieved,477 8 Then sorrow cometh on men. III. 1 He maketh the whole land open to the oxen,478 2 And the great and the small are rejoicing; 3 The response of men at his coming!479 4 His likeness is Num!480 5 He shineth, then the land exulteth! 6 All bellies are in joy! 7 Every creature receives nourishment! 8 All teeth get food. IV. 1 Bringer of food! Great lord of provisions! 2 Creator of all good things! 4 All are combined in him. 5 He produceth grass for the oxen; 6 Providing victims for every god. 7 The choice incense is that which he supplies. 8 Lord in both regions, 9 He filleth the granaries, enricheth the storehouses, 10 He careth for the state of the poor. V. 1 He causeth growth to fulfil all desires, 2 He never wearies of it. 3 He maketh his might a buckler.482 4 He is not graven in marble,483 5 As an image bearing the double crown. 6 He is not beheld: [pg 338]7 He hath neither ministrants nor offerings: 8 He is not adored in sanctuaries: 9 His abode is not known: 10 No shrine is found with painted figures.484 VI. 1 There is no building that can contain him!485 3 Thy youth delight in thee, thy children: 5 Thy law is established in the whole land, 6 In the presence of thy servants in the North:488 7 Every eye is satisfied with him:489 8 He careth for the abundance of his blessings. VII. 1 The inundation comes, (then) cometh rejoicing; 2 Every heart exulteth: 3 The tooth of the crocodiles, the children of Neith490 4 (Even) the circle of the gods who are counted with thee. 5 Doth not its outburst water the fields, 6 Overcoming mortals (with joy): 7 Watering one to produce another.491 8 There is none who worketh with him; 9 He produces food without the aid of Neith.492 10 Mortals he causes to rejoice. VIII. 1 He giveth light on his coming from darkness:493 2 In the pastures of his cattle [pg 339]3 His might produceth all: 4 What was not, his moisture bringeth to life, 5 Men are clothed to fill his gardens: 6 He careth for his laborers. 7 He maketh even and noontide, 8 He is the infinite Ptah and Kabes.494 9 He createth all works therein, 10 All writings, all sacred words, 11 All his implements in the North.495 IX. 1 He enters with words the interior of his house,496 2 When he willeth he goeth forth from his mystic fane. 3 Thy wrath is destruction of fishes.497 5 “That the Thebaid may be seen like the Delta. 6 That every man be seen bearing his tools, 7 No man left behind his comrade! 8 Let the clothed be unclothed, 9 No adornments for the sons of nobles, 10 No circle of gods in the night!” 11 The response (of the god) is refreshing water, 12 Filling all men with fatness. X. 1 Establisher of justice! men rejoice 3 Worshipped together with the mighty water! 4 Men present offerings of corn, 5 Adoring all the gods: 6 No fowls fall on the land.500 7 Thy hand is adorned with gold,501 [pg 340]8 As moulded of an ingot of gold, 9 Precious as pure lapis lazuli,502 10 Corn in its state of germination is not eaten.503 XI. 1 The hymn is addressed to thee with the harp; 2 It is played with a (skilful) hand to thee! 3 The youths rejoice at thee! 4 Thy own children. 5 Thou hast rewarded their labor. 6 There is a great one adorning the land; 7 An enlightener, a buckler in front of men, 8 Quickening the heart in depression. 9 Loving the increase of all his cattle. XII. 1 Thou shinest in the city of the King; 2 Then the householders are satiated with good things, 3 The poor man laughs at the lotus.504 4 All things are perfectly ordered. 5 Every kind of herb for thy children. 6 If food should fail, 7 All enjoyment is cast on the ground, 8 The land falls in weariness. XIII. 1 O inundation of Nile, offerings are made to thee: 2 Oxen are slain to thee: 3 Great festivals are kept for thee; 4 Fowls are sacrificed to thee; 5 Beasts of the field are caught for thee 6 Pure flames are offered to thee; 7 Offerings are made to every god, 8 As they are made unto Nile. 9 Incense ascends unto heaven, 10 Oxen, bulls, fowls are burnt! [pg 341]11 Nile makes for himself chasms in the Thebaid;505 12 Unknown is his name in heaven, 13 He doth not manifest his forms! 14 Vain are all representations!506 XIV. 1 Mortals extol (him), and the cycle of gods! 2 Awe is felt by the terrible ones; 4 To enlighten all Egypt.508 5 Shine forth, shine forth, O Nile! shine forth! 6 Giving life to men by his oxen: 7 Giving life to his oxen by the pastures! 8 Shine forth in glory, O Nile. |
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