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
“ ‘I will not let thee tread upon me,’ saith the floor of the Hall of
double Maāti, ‘because I am silent and I am holy, and because I do not
know the name[s] of thy two feet wherewith thou wouldst walk upon me;
therefore tell them to me.’ ‘Traveller(?) of the god Khas’ is the name of
my right foot, and ‘Staff of the goddess Hathor’ is the name of my left
foot. ‘Thou knowest me,’ [it saith,] ‘pass on therefore over me.’ ”
“ ‘I will not make mention of thee,’ saith the guardian of the door of
this Hall of double Maāti, ‘unless thou tellest [me] my name;’ ‘Discerner
of hearts and searcher of the reins’ is thy name. ‘Now will I make mention
of thee [to the god]. But who is the god that dwelleth in his hour? Speak
thou it’ (_i.e._, his name). Māau-Taui (_i.e._, he who keepeth the record
of the two lands) [is his name]. ‘Who then is Māau-Taui?’ He is Thoth.
‘Come,’ saith Thoth. ‘But why hast thou come?’ I have come, and I press
forward that I may be mentioned. What now is thy condition? I, even I, am
purified from evil things, and I am protected from the baleful deeds of
those who live in their days; and I am not among them. ‘Now will I make
mention of thee [to the god].’(106) ‘[Tell me now,] who is he(107) whose
heaven is of fire, whose walls [are surmounted by] living uræi, and the
floor of whose house is a stream of water? Who is he? I say.’ It is
Osiris. ‘Come forward, then: verily thou shalt be mentioned [to him]. Thy
cakes [shall come] from the Eye of Rā, and thine ale [shall come] from the
Eye of Rā, and the sepulchral meals [which shall be brought to thee] upon
earth [shall come] from the Eye of Rā. This hath been decreed for the
Osiris the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu,
triumphant.’ ”
(THE MAKING OF THE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT SHALL HAPPEN IN THIS HALL OF
DOUBLE MAATI.) THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE SAID [BY THE DECEASED] AFTER HE HATH
BEEN CLEANSED AND PURIFIED, AND WHEN HE IS ARRAYED IN APPAREL, AND IS SHOD
WITH WHITE LEATHER SANDALS, AND HIS EYES HAVE BEEN PAINTED WITH ANTIMONY,
AND [HIS BODY] HATH BEEN ANOINTED WITH UNGUENT OF _ANTI_, AND WHEN HE
OFFERETH OXEN, AND FEATHERED FOWL, AND INCENSE, AND CAKES, AND ALE, AND
GARDEN HERBS. AND, BEHOLD, THOU SHALT DRAW A REPRESENTATION OF THIS IN
COLOR UPON A NEW TILE MOULDED FROM EARTH UPON WHICH NEITHER A PIG NOR
OTHER ANIMALS HAVE TRODDEN. AND IF [THOU] DOEST THIS BOOK UPON IT [IN
WRITING, THE DECEASED] SHALL FLOURISH, AND HIS CHILDREN SHALL FLOURISH,
AND [HIS NAME] SHALL NEVER FALL INTO OBLIVION, AND HE SHALL BE AS ONE WHO
FILLETH (_I.E._, SATISFIETH) THE HEART OF THE KING AND OF HIS PRINCES, AND
BREAD, AND CAKES, AND SWEETMEATS, AND WINE, AND PIECES OF FLESH SHALL BE
GIVEN UNTO HIM UPON THE ALTAR OF THE GREAT GOD; AND HE SHALL NOT BE TURNED
BACK AT ANY DOOR IN AMENTET, AND HE SHALL BE BROUGHT IN ALONG WITH THE
KINGS OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, AND HE SHALL BE IN THE TRAIN OF
OSIRIS(108) CONTINUALLY AND REGULARLY FOREVER.
Of The Hour Apes(109)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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