Entering into the Hall of Maati to Praise
Osiris Khenti-amenti
The Osiris the
scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: I have come unto
thee. I have drawn nigh to behold thy beauties (thy
beneficient goodness). My hands are [extended] in
adoration of thy name of Maat. I have come. I have drawn
nigh unto [the place where] the cedar-tree existeth not,
where the acacia tree doth not put forth shoots, and
where the ground produceth neither grass nor herbs. Now I
have entered into the habitation which is hidden, and I
hold converse with Set. My protector advanced to me,
covered was his face.... on the hidden things. He entered
into the house of Osiris, he saw the hidden things which
were therein. The Tchatchau Chiefs of the Pylons were in
the form of Spirits. The god Anpu spake unto those about
him with the words of a man who cometh from Ta-mera,
saying, He knoweth our roads and our towns. I am
reconciled unto him. When I smell his odour it is even as
the odour of one of you. And I say unto him: I the Osiris
Ani, whose word is truth, in peace, whose word is truth,
have come. I have drawn nigh to behold the Great Gods. I
would live upon the propitiatory offerings [made] to
their Doubles. I would live on the borders [of the
territory of] the Soul, the Lord of Tetu. He shall make
me to come forth in the form of a Benu bird, and to hold
converse [with him.] I have been in the stream [to purify
myself]. I have made offerings of incense. I betook
myself to the Acacia Tree of the [divine] Children. I
lived in Abu in the House of the goddess Satet. I made to
sink in the water the boat of the enemies. I sailed over
the lake [in the temple] in the Neshmet Boat. I have
looked upon the Sahu of Kamur. I have been in Tetu. I
have held my peace. I have made the god to be master of
his legs. I have been in the House of Teptuf. I have seen
him, that is the Governor of the Hall of the God. I have
entered into the House of Osiris and I have removed the
head-coverings of him that is therein. I have entered
into Rasta, and I have seen the Hidden One who is
therein. I was hidden, but I found the boundary. I
journeyed to Nerutef, and he who was therein covered me
with a garment. I have myrrh of women, together with the
shenu powder of living folk. Verily he (Osiris) told me
the things which concerned himself. I said: Let thy
weighing of me be even as we desire.
And the Majesty of
Anpu shall say unto me, Knowest thou the name of this
door, and canst thou tell it? And the Osiris the scribe
Ani, whose word is truth, in peace, whose word is truth,
shall say, Khersek-Shu is the name of this door. And the
Majesty of the god Anpu shall say unto me, Knowest thou
the name of the upper leaf, and the name of the lower
leaf? [And the Osiris the scribe Ani] shall say:
Neb-Maat-heri-retiu-f is the name of the upper leaf and
Neb-pehti-thesu-menment [is the name of the lower leaf.
And the Majesty of the god Anpu shall say], Pass on, for
thou hast knowledge, O Osiris the scribe, the assessor of
the holy offerings of all the gods of Thebes Ani, whose
word is truth, the lord of loyal service [to Osiris].
From
the Papyrus of Nu, Brit. Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 22:
[The following] words shall be said by the steward of the
keeper of the seal, Nu, whose word is truth, when he
cometh forth to the hall of Maati, so that he may be
separated from every sin which he hath committed, and may
behold the faces of the gods. The Osiris Nu, whose word
is truth, saith: Homage to thee, O great God, Lord of
Maati! I have come unto thee, O my Lord, and I have
brought myself hither that I may behold thy beauties. I
know thee, I know thy name, I know the names of the
Forty-two Gods who live with thee in this Hall of Maati,
who live by keeping ward over sinners, and who feed upon
their blood on the day when the consciences of men are
reckoned up in the presence of the god Un-Nefer. In truth
thy name is Rehti-Merti-Nebti-Maati. In truth I have come
unto thee, I have brought Maati (Truth) to thee. I have
done away sin for thee. I have not committed sins against
men. I have not opposed my family and kinsfolk. I have
not acted fraudulently in the Seat of Truth. I have not
known men who were of no account. I have not wrought
evil. I have not made it to be the first [consideration
daily that unnecessary] work should be done for me. I
have not brought forward my name for dignities. I have
not [attempted] to direct servants [I have not belittled
God]. I have not defrauded the humble man of his
property. I have not done what the gods abominate. I have
not vilified a slave to his master. I have not inflicted
pain. I have not caused anyone to go hungry. I have not
made any man to weep. I have not committed murder. I have
not given the order for murder to be committed. I have
not caused calamities to befall men and women. I have not
plundered the offerings in the temples. I have not
defrauded the gods of their cake-offerings. I have not
carried off the fenkhu cakes [offered to] the Spirits. I
have not committed fornication. I have not masturbated
[in the sanctuaries of the god of my city]. I have not
diminished from the bushel. I have not filched [land from
my neighbour's estate and] added it to my own acre. I
have not encroached upon the fields [of others]. I have
not added to the weights of the scales. I have not
depressed the pointer of the balance. I have not carried
away the milk from the mouths of children. I have not
driven the cattle away from their pastures. I have not
snared the geese in the goose-pens of the gods. I have
not caught fish with bait made of the bodies of the same
kind of fish. I have not stopped water when it should
flow. I have not made a cutting in a canal of running
water. I have not extinguished a fire when it should
burn. I have not violated the times [of offering] the
chosen meat offerings. I have not driven away the cattle
on the estates of the gods. I have not turned back the
god at his appearances. I am pure. I am pure. I am pure.
My pure offerings are the pure offerings of that great
Benu which dwelleth in Hensu. For behold, I am the nose
of Neb-nefu (the lord of the air), who giveth sustenance
unto all mankind, on the day of the filling of the Utchat
in Anu, in the second month of the season Pert, on the
last of the month, [in the presence of the Lord of this
earth]. I have seen the filling of the Utchat in Anu,
therefore let not calamity befall me in this land, or in
this Hall of Maati, because I know the names of the gods
who are therein, [and who are the followers of the Great
God].
|