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Translated
by E.A. Wallis Budge
Who are
those who preside over their altars?
"Those
who preside over their altars are the similitude of the Eye of Ra, and
the similitude of the Eye of Horus. "O Ra-Tem, thou Lord of the Great
House [in Anu], thou Sovereign (life, strentgh, health [be to thee]) of
all the gods, deliver thou the scribe Nebseni, whose word is truth, from
the god whose face is like unto that of a greyhound, whose brows are like
those of a man, who feedeth upon the dead, who watcheth at the Bend of
the Lake of Fire, who devoureth the bodies of the dead, and swalloweth
hearts, and who voideth filth, but who himself remaineth unseen."
Who is
this greyhound-faced god?
"His
name is 'Everlasting Devourer,' and he liveth in the Domain [of Fire]
(the Lake of Unt). "As concerning the Domain of Fire, it is that
Aat which is in Naarutef, and is near the Sheniu chamber. The sinner who
walketh over this place falleth down among the knives [of the Watchers].
"Others, however, say that the name of this god is 'Mates,' and that
he keepeth watch over the door of Amentet; others say that his name is
'Beba,' and that he keepeth watch over the Bend [of the stream] of Amentet,
and yet others say that his name is 'Herisepef.' "Hail, Lord of Terror,
Chief of the Lands of the South and North, thou Lord of the Desert, who
dost keep prepared the block of slaughter, and who dost feed on the intestines
[of men]!"
Who is
this Lord of Terror?
"It
is the Keeper of the Bend [of the stream] of Amentet."
Who is
this Keeper?
"It
is the Heart of Osiris, which is the devourer of all slaughtered things.
"The Urrt Crown hath been given unto him, with gladness of heart,
as Lord of Hensu."
Who is
this?
"He
to whom the Urrt Crown hath been given with gladness of heart as Lord
of Hensu is Osiris. He was bidden to rule among the gods on the day of
the union of earth [with earth] in the presence of Nebertcher."
Who is
this?
"He
who was bidden to rule among the gods is the son of Isis (Horus), who
was appointed to rule in the room of his father Osiris. "As concerning
[the words] 'day of the union of earth with earth,' they have reference
to the union of earth with earth in the coffin of Osiris, the Soul that
liveth in Hensu, the giver of meat and drink, the destroyer of wrong,
and the guide to the everlasting paths."
Who is
this?
"It
is Ra himself."
"[Deliver
thou the Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth] from the great god
who carrrieth away souls, who eateth hearts, who feedeth upon offal, who
keepeth watch in the darkness, who dwelleth in the Seker Boat; those who
live in sin fear him."
Who is
this?
"It
is Suti, but others say that it is Smamur, the soul of Keb. "Hail,
Khepera in thy boat, the two Companies of the Gods are in thy body. Deliver
thou the Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, from the Watchers
who pass sentences of doom, who have been appointed by the god Nebertcher
to protect him, and to fasten the fetters on his foes, and who slaughter
in the torture chambers; there is no escape from their fingers. May they
never stab me with their knives, may I never fall helpless into their
chambers of torture. I have never done the things which the gods hate.
I am he who is pure in the Mesqet chamber. And saffron cakes have been
brought unto him in Tannt."
Who is
this?
"It
is Khepera in his boat; it is Ra himself. "As concerning the Watchers
who pass sentences of doom, they are the Apes Isis and Nephthys. "As
concerning the things which the gods hate, they are acts of deceit and
lying. He who passeth through the place of purification within the Mesqet
chamber is Anpu (Anubis), who is hard by the coffer which containeth the
inward parts of Osiris. He to whom saffron cakes have been brought in
Tannt is Osiris. "Others, however, say that the saffron cakes in
Tannt represent heaven and earth, and others say that they represent Shu,
the strengthener of the Two Lands in Hensu; and others say that they represent
the Eye of Horus, and that Tannt is the burial-place of Osiris.
"Tem
hath builded thy house, and the double Lion-god hath laid the foundations
of thy habitation. Lo! medicaments have been brought. Horus purifieth
Set and Set strengtheneth, and Set purifieth and Horus strengtheneth.
"The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth before Osiris, hath
come into this land, and he hath taken possession thereof with his two
feet. He is Tem, and he is in the city. "Turn thou back, O Rehu,
whose mouth shineth, whose head moveth, turn thou back before his strength."
Another reading is, 'Turn thou back from him who keepeth watch, and is
himself unseen.' Let the Osiris Ani be safely guarded. He is Isis, and
he is found with her hair spread over him; it is shaken out over his brow.
He was conceived
by Isis, and engendered by Nephthys, and they have cut away from him the
things which should be cut from him. "Fear followeth after thee,
terror is about thine arms. Thou hast been embraced for millions of years
by arms; mortals go round about thee.Thou smitest down the mediators of
thy foes, and thou seizest the arms of the power of darkness. Thy two
sisters (Isis and Nephthys) are given to thee for thy delight. Thou hast
created that which is in Kher-aha, and that which is Anu. Every god feareth
thee, for thou art exceedingly great and terrible; thou [avengest] every
god on the man who curseth him, and thou shootest arrows at him. Thou
livest according to thy will. Thou art Uatchet, the Lady of Flame, evil
befalleth those who set themselves up against thee."
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