The Literature of the Ancient EgyptiansBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
History
The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- History and criticism; Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
"The skies lower, the Star-gods tremble, the Archers[1] quake, the bones
of the Akeru[1] gods tremble, and those who are with them are struck
dumb when they see Unas rising up as a soul, in the form of the god who
liveth upon his fathers, and who turneth his mothers into his food. Unas
is the lord of wisdom, and his mother knoweth not his name. The
adoration of Unas is in heaven, he hath become mighty in the horizon
like Temu, the father that gave him birth, and after Temu had given him
birth Unas became stronger than his father. The Doubles (_i.e._ vital
strength) of Unas are behind him, the soles of his feet are beneath his
feet, his gods are over him, his serpents are [seated] upon his brow,
the serpent-guides of Unas are in front of him, and the spirit of the
flame looketh upon [his] soul. The powers of Unas protect him. Unas is a
bull in heaven. He directeth his steps where he willeth. He liveth upon
the form which each god taketh upon himself, and he eateth the flesh of
those who come to fill their bellies with the magical charms in the Lake
of Fire. Unas is equipped with power against the spirit-souls thereof,
and he riseth in the form of the mighty one, the lord of those who dwell
in power (?). Unas hath taken his seat with his back turned towards Keb
(the Earth-god). Unas hath weighed his words[2] with the hidden god (?)
who hath no name, on the day of hacking in pieces the firstborn. Unas is
the lord of offerings, the untier of the knot, and he himself maketh
abundant the offerings of meat and drink. Unas devoureth men, and liveth
upon the gods, he is the lord of envoys whom he sendeth forth on his
missions. 'He who cutteth off hairy scalps,' who dwelleth in the fields,
tieth the gods with ropes. Tcheser-tep shepherdeth them for Unas and
driveth them unto him; and the Cord-master hath bound them for
slaughter. Khensu, the slayer of the wicked, cutteth their throats, and
draweth out their intestines, for it is he whom Unas sendeth to
slaughter [them], and Shesmu[3] cutteth them in pieces, and boileth
their members in his blazing caldrons of the night. Unas eateth their
magical powers, and he swalloweth their spirit-souls. The great ones
among them serve for his meal at daybreak, the lesser serve for his
meal at eventide, and the least among them serve for his meal in the
night. The old gods and the old goddesses become fuel for his furnace.
The mighty ones in heaven light the fire under the caldrons wherein are
heaped up the thighs of the firstborn; and he who maketh those who live
in heaven to go about for Unas lighteth the fire under the caldrons with
the thighs of their women; he goeth about the Two Heavens in their
entirety, and he goeth round about the two banks of the Celestial Nile.
Unas is the Great Power, the Power of Powers, and Unas is the Chief of
the gods in visible forms. Whatsoever he findeth upon his path he eateth
forthwith, and the magical might of Unas is before that of all the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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