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Translated
by E.A. Wallis Budge
"As
concerning all the faults which are in Osiris, the registrar of the offerings
which are made unto all the gods, Ani, whose word is truth, [these are
all the offences which he hath committed against the Lords of Eternity]
since he came forth from his mother's womb. "As concerning the Seven
Spirits who are Kesta, Hapi, Tuamutef, Qebhsenuf, Maa-atef, Kheribeqef
and Heru-khenti-en-ariti, these did Anubis appoint to be protectors of
the dead body of Osiris. "Others, however, say that he set them round
about the holy place of Osiris. "Others say that the Seven Spirits
[which were appointed by Anubis] were Netcheh-netcheh, Aatqetqet, Nertanef-besef-khenti-hehf,
Aq-her-ami-unnut-f, Tesher-ariti-ami-Het-anes, Ubes-her-per-em-khetkhet,
and Maaem-kerh-annef-em-hru.
"The
chief of the Tchatcha (sovereign princes) who is in Naarutef is Horus,
the Advocate of his father. "As concerning the day wherein [Anubis
said to the Seven Spirits], 'Come ye hither,' [the allusion here] is to
the words 'Come ye hither,' which Ra spake unto Osiris."
Verily may
these same words be said unto me in Amentet.
"I am
the Divine Soul which dwelleth in the Divine Twin-gods."
Who is
this Divine Soul?
"It
is Osiris. [When] he goeth into Tetu, and findeth there the Soul of Ra,
the one god embraceth the other, and two Divine Souls spring into being
within the Divine Twin-gods." APPENDIX APPENDIX (From the Papyrus
of Nebseni, Brit. Mus. No. 9900, Sheet 14, ll. 16ff.)
"As
concerning the Divine Twin-gods they are Heru-netch-her-tefef and Heru-khent-en-Ariti
(Horus the Advocate of his father [Osiris], and Horus the sightless).
"Others say that the double Divine Soul which dwelleth in the Divine
Twin-gods is the Soul of Ra and the Soul of Osiris, and yet others say
that it is the Soul which dwelleth in Shu, and the Sould which dwelleth
in Tefnut, and that these two Souls form the double Divine Soul which
dwelleth in Tetu. "I am the Cat which fought near the Persea Tree
in Anu on the night when the foes of Neb-er-tcher were destroyed."
Who is
this Cat?
"This
male Cat is Ra himself, and he was called 'Mau' because of the speech
of the god Sa, who said concerning him: 'He is like (mau) unto that which
he hath made'; therefore, did the name of Ra become 'Mau.' "Others,
however, say that the male Cat is the god Shu, who made over the possessions
of Keb to Osiris. "As concerning the fight which took place near
the Persea Tree in Anu [these words have reference to the slaughter] of
the children of rebellion, when righteous retribution was meted out to
them for [the evil] which they had done. "As concerning the 'night
of the battle,' [these words refer to] the invasion of the eastern portion
of the heaven by the children of rebellion, whereupon a great battle arose
in heaven and in all the earth.
"O thou
who art in thine egg (Ra,) who showest from thy Disk, who risest on thy
horizon, and dost shine with golden beams in the height of heaven, like
unto whom there is none among the gods, who sailest above the Pillars
of Shu, who sendest forth blasts of fire from thy mouth, [who illuminest
the Two Lands with thy splendour, deliver] thou Nebseni, the lord of fealty
[to Osiris], from the god whose form is hidden, and whose eyebrows are
like unto the two arms of the Balance on the night when the sentences
of doom are promulgated."
Who is
this invisible god?
"It
is An-a-f (he who bringeth his arm.). "As concerning 'the night when
the sentences of doom are promulgated,' it is the night of the burning
of the damned, and of the overthrow of the wicked at the Block, and of
the slaughter of souls."
Who is
this [slaughterer of souls]?
"It
is Shesmu, the headsman of Osiris. "[Concerning the invisible god]
some say that he is Aapep when he riseth up with a head bearing upon it
[the feather of] Maat (Truth). But others say that he is Horus when he
riseth up with two heads, whereon one beareth [the feather of] Maat, and
the other [the symbol of] wickedness. He bestoweth wickedness on him that
worketh wickedness, and right and truth upon him that followeth righteousness
and truth. "Others say that he is Heru-ur (the Old Horus), who dwelleth
in Sekhem; others say that he is Thoth; others say that he is Nefer-Tem;
and others say that he is Sept who doth bring to nought the acts of the
foes of Nebertcher. "Deliver thou the scribe Nebseni, whose word
is truth, from the Watchers, who carry murderous knives, who possess cruel
fingers, andwould slay those who are in the following of Osiris."
May these Watchers never gain the mastery over me, and may I never fall
under their knives!
Who are
these Watchers?
"They
are Anubis and Horus, [the latter being] in the form of Horus the sightless.
Others, however, say that they are the Tchatcha (sovereign princes of
Osiris), who bring to nought the operations of their knives; and others
say that they are the chiefs of the Sheniu chamber. "May their knives
never gain the mastery over me. May I never fall under the knives wherewith
they inflict cruel tortures. For I know their names, and I know the being,
Matchet, who is among them in the House of Osiris. He shooteth forth rays
of light from his eye, being himself invisible, and he goeth round about
heaven robed in the flames which come from his mouth, commanding Hapi,
but remaining invisible himself. May I be strong on earth before Ra, may
I arrive safely in the presence of Osiris. O ye who preside over your
altars, let not your offerings to me be wanting, for I am one of those
who follow after Nebertcher, according to the writings of Khepera. Let
me fly like a hawk, let me cackle like a goose, let me lay always like
the serpent-goddess Neheb-ka."
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