It is thou who causest women to be fruitful, men to beget. Thou quickenest the child in its mother's womb; Thou soothest it that it cry not; Thou dost nurture it within its mother's womb, Thou givest breath to give life to all its functions. It cometh forth from the womb upon the day of its birth. Thou openest its mouth, that it may speak; Thou providest for its wants. When there is a chick within an egg, cheeping as it were within a stone, Thou givest it breath therein to cause thy handiwork to live; It is full-formed when it breaketh through the shell. It cometh out of the egg when it cheepeth and is full-formed; It runneth on its feet when it cometh out thence. How manifold are thy works, ... O one god who hast no fellow! Thou createdst the earth according to thy will, when thou wast alone,-- [Its] people, its herds, and all flocks; All that is upon earth going upon feet, All that is on high and flieth with wings, The countries of Syria, of Ethiopia, of Egypt. Thou settest each person in his place. Thou providest for their wants, Each one his circumstances and the duration of his life, Tongues distinct in their speech, Their kinds according to their complexions-- O distinguisher who distinguishest the races of mankind. Thou makest the Nile in the deep, Thou bringest it at thy pleasure, That if may give life to men, even as thou hast made them for thyself-- O Lord of them all who art outwearied for them! O Lord of earth who risest for them! O Aten of day that awest all distant countries! Thou makest their life; Thou placest the Nile in heaven, that it may descend to them, That it may rise in waves upon the rocks like the sea, Watering their fields in their villages. How excellent are thy ways, O Lord of Eternity! A Nile in heaven poureth down for nations, For all manner of animals that walk upon feet. [But] the Nile cometh from the deep to the land of Egypt Thy rays nourish every field; Thou risest and they live for thee.[219] Thou makest the seasons to bring into existence all that thou hast made: The winter season to refresh them, the heat [to warm them]. Thou madest the heaven afar off, that thou mightest rise therein, That thou mightest see all thou didst make when thou wast alone, When thou risest in thy form as the living Aten, Splendid, radiant, afar, beauteous-- [Thou createdst all things by thyself] Cities, villages, camps, by whatsoever river they be watered. Every eye beholdeth thee before it; Thou art the Aten of day above the earth. * * * * *