Egyptian Literature: Comprising Egyptian tales, hymns, litanies, invocations, the Book of the Dead, and cuneiform writings
Religion
Egyptian Literature: Comprising Egyptian tales, hymns, litanies, invocations, the Book of the Dead, and cuneiform writings
Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY. The overseer of the palace, the
chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:
“The doors of heaven are opened for me, the doors of earth are opened for
me, the bars and bolts of Seb are opened for me, and the first temple hath
been unfastened for me by the god Petra. Behold, I was guarded and
watched, [but now] I am released; behold, his hand had tied cords round me
and his hand had darted upon me in the earth. Re-hent hath been opened for
me and Re-hent hath been unfastened before me, Re-hent hath been given
unto me, and I shall come forth by day into whatsoever place I please. I
have gained the mastery over my heart; I have gained the mastery over my
breast(?); I have gained the mastery over my two hands; I have gained the
mastery over my two feet; I have gained the mastery over my mouth; I have
gained the mastery over my whole body; I have gained the mastery over
sepulchral offerings; I have gained the mastery over the waters; I have
gained the mastery over the air; I have gained the mastery over the canal;
I have gained the mastery over the river and over the land; I have gained
the mastery over the furrows; I have gained the mastery over the male
workers for me; I have gained the mastery over the female workers for me
in the underworld; I have gained the mastery over [all] the things which
were ordered to be done for me upon the earth, according to the entreaty
which ye spake for me [saying], ‘Behold, let him live upon the bread of
Seb.’ That which is an abomination unto me, I shall not eat; [nay] I shall
live upon cakes [made] of white grain, and my ale shall be [made] of the
red grain of Hāpi (_i.e._, the Nile). In a clean place shall I sit on the
ground beneath the foliage of the date-palm of the goddess Hathor, who
dwelleth in the spacious Disk as it advanceth to Annu (Heliopolis), having
the books of the divine words of the writings of the god Thoth. I have
gained the mastery over my heart; I have gained the mastery over my
heart’s place (or breast); I have gained the mastery over my mouth; I have
gained the mastery over my two hands; I have gained the mastery over the
waters; I have gained the mastery over the canal; I have gained the
mastery over the river; I have gained the mastery over the furrows; I have
gained the mastery over the men who work for me; I have gained the mastery
over the women who work for me in the underworld; I have gained the
mastery over [all] the things which were ordered to be done for me upon
earth and in the underworld. I shall lift myself up on my left side, and I
shall place myself on my right side; I shall lift myself up on my right
side, and I shall place myself [on my left side]. I shall sit down, I
shall stand up, and I shall place myself in [the path of] the wind like a
guide who is well prepared.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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