A Hymn Of Praise To Ra When He Riseth In The Eastern Part Of Heaven
Behold,
the Osiris Ani, the scribe of the holy offerings of all the gods,
saith: Homage to thee, O thou who hast come as Khepera, Khepera
the creator of the gods, Thou art seated on thy throne, thou
risest up in the sky, illumining thy mother [Nut], thou art
seated on thy throne as the king of the gods. [Thy] mother Nut
stretcheth out her hands, and performeth an act of homage to
thee. The domain of Manu receiveth thee with satisfaction. The
goddess Maat embraceth thee at the two seasons of the day. May Ra
give glory, and power, and thruth-speaking, and the appearance as
a living soul so that he may gaze upon Heru-khuti, to the KA of
the Osiris the Scribe Ani, who speaketh truth before Osiris, and
who saith: Hail, O all ye gods of the House of the Soul, who
weigh heaven and earth in a balance, and who give celestial food
[to the dead]. Hail, Tatun, [who art] One, thou creator of
mortals [and] of the Companies of the Gods of the South and of
the North, of the West and of the East, ascribe ye praise to Ra,
the lord of heaven, the KING, Life, Strength, and Health, the
maker of the gods. Give ye thanks unto him in his beneficent form
which is enthroned in the Atett Boat; beings celestial praise
thee, beings terrestial praise thee. Thoth and the goddess Maat
mark out thy course for thee day by day and every day. Thine
enemy the Serpent hath been given over to the fire. The
Serpent-fiend Sebau hath fallen headlong, his forelegs are bound
in chains, and his hind legs hath Ra carried away from him. The
Sons of Revolt shall never more rise up. The House of the Aged
One keepeth festival, and the voices of those who make merry are
in the Great Place. The gods rejoice when they see Ra crowned
upon his throne, and when his beams flood the world with light.
The majesty of this holy god setteth out on his journey, and he
goeth onwards until he reacheth the land of Manu; the earth
becometh light at his birth each day; he proceedeth until he
reacheth the place where he was yesterday. O be thou at peace
with me. Let me gaze upon thy beauties. Let me journey above the
earth. Let me smite the Ass. Let me slit asunder the
Serpent-fiend Sebau. Let me destroy Aepep at the moment of his
greatest power. Let me behold the Abtu Fish at his season, and
the Ant Fish with the Ant Boat as it piloteth it in its lake. Let
me behold Horus when he is in charge of the rudder [of the Boat
of Ra], with Thoth and the goddess Maat on each side of him. Let
me lay hold of the tow-rope of the Sektet Boat, and the rope at
the stern of the Matett Boat. Let Ra grant to me a view of the
Disk (the Sun), and a sight of Ah (the Moon) unfailingly each
day. Let my Ba-soul come forth to walk about hither and thither
and whithersoever it pleaseth. Let my name be called out, let it
be found inscribed on the tablet which recordeth the names of
those who are to receive offerings. Let meals from the sepulchral
offerings be given to me in the presence [of Osiris], as to those
who are in the following of Horus. Let there be prepared for me a
seat in the Boat of the Sun on the day wheron the god saileth.
Let me be received in the presence of Osiris in the Land of
Truth-speaking- the Ka of Osiris Ani.
© 1999 Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli