The thirteenth domain. O this domain of the water, which none of the
glorious ones can possess, for its water is of fire, its stream is
burning, and its heat is of blazing flame, so that they may not drink
its water in order to quench the thirst which is within them, for their
mighty fear, and their great terror.
The gods and the glorious ones look at its water from afar, they do not
quench their thirst, and their heart is not set at rest, because they
may not go near it.
When the river is full and green like the flowing sap which comes out of
Osiris, I take its water, I draw from its flood like the great god who
is in the domain of the water, and who keeps watch over it for fear that
the gods may drink from its water, and who inspires dread to the
glorious ones.
Hail to thee, thou great god, who art in the domain of the water. I have
come to thee. Grant me to take of thy water, to take of thy stream, as
thou doest to this great god.
When the Nile will come, when he will give birth to the plants, and
cause the herbs to grow; as it is given to the gods, when he appears in
peace, grant that the Nile may come to me, and that I may take his
plants; for I am thy own son for ever.
The fourteenth domain. O this domain of Cher-āba(15.), which drives the
Nile towards Tattu, and which causes the Nile to go and spend its corn
in his course from _Rokekmu_(16.); thou which presentest offerings to
the dead, and mortuary gifts to the glorious ones.
There is a serpent belonging to it, who comes from the two wells at
Elephantine, at the gate of the water. He goes with the water, and stops
at the stream of Cher-āba, near the powers of the high flood; he sees
his hour of the silent evening.
Ye gods who live in the water of Cher-āba, ye powers of the high flood,
open to me your ponds, open to me your lakes, that I may take of your
water, and that I may rest in your stream, that I may eat of your corn,
that I may be satisfied with your food.
I have risen, my heart is high, for I am the great god in Cher-āba.
Make me offerings. I have been filled with the vital sap coming out of
Osiris. I shall not be despoiled of it. The end.
NOTES.
This is one of the interesting chapters of the Book of the Dead. It is
more frequently met with than the other ones, and it generally
constitutes the end of the Theban papyri. It is the chapter of the
various domains which the deceased has to reach, and in which he enjoys
special privileges.
The vignettes generally give the plan of the domain, and very often the
colour with which it is painted; they are either green ⁂⁂⁂ or
light yellow ⁂⁂⁂. In most of the papyri there are only four
yellow—3, 9, 10, and 14.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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