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 Apep 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.
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