_Book whereby the Deceased acquireth Might(1.) in the Netherworld in
presence of the great Cycle of the gods._ [_Said on the first day of
the Month_].(2.)
Rā maketh his appearance at the Mount of Glory, with the Cycle of gods
about him: the Strong one issueth from his hidden abode.
The Twinklers(3.) fall away from the Mount of Glory at the East of
Heaven, at the voice of Nut as she buildeth up the paths of Rā, before
the Ancient one who goeth round.
Be thou lift up, O Rā who art in thine shrine; breathe thou the breezes,
inhale the north wind ... (4.)on the day when thou discernest the Land
of Maāt.
Thou dividest them that follow; the Bark advanceth and the Ancient ones
step onwards at thy voice.
Reckon thou thy bones, and set thy limbs, and turn thy face towards the
beautiful Amenta.
For thou art the golden Form,(5.) with a couch of the heavenly orbs,
with the Twinklers amongst whom thou goest round, and art renewed daily.
Acclamation cometh from the Mount of Glory, and greeting from the lines
of measurement.(6.)
The gods who are in heaven, they see the Osiris _N_, they present to him
their adorations as to Rā.
He is the Great one, who seeketh the Crown and reckoneth up that which
is needful.
He is the One, who cometh forth this day from the primeval womb of them
who were before Rā, and his coming forth taketh place upon earth and in
the Netherworld. His coming forth is like Rā daily.
Without haste, but unresting, is the Osiris _N_ on this Land of
Eternity.
Twice blessed is he that seeth with his eyes and heareth with his ears.
Right, right is the Osiris _N_: and his future, his future,(7.) is in
Annu.
His oars are lifted as in the service of Nu.
The Osiris _N_ hath not told what he hath seen; he hath not repeated
what he hath heard in the house of the god who hideth his face.
There are hailing and cries of welcome to the Osiris _N_, the divine
body of Rā, on traversing the Nu, and whilst the _ka_ of the god is
being propitiated, according to his pleasure.
The Osiris _N_ is the Hawk, rich in variety of Forms.
The Deceased acquireth might with Rā, and is enabled to possess power
among the gods, for the gods are made to regard him as one of
themselves, and when the Dead ones see him they fall upon their faces.
He is seen in the Netherworld even as the beams of Rā.
_Said over a Boat of four cubits in length, painted green. And let a
starry sky be made, clean and purified with natron and incense. And see
thou make an image of Rā upon a tablet of light green colour at the prow
of the Boat. And see thou make an image of the Deceased whom thou
lovest, that he may be made strong in this boat, and that his voyage be
made in the Bark of Rā, and that Rā himself may look upon him. Do not do
this for any one except for thine own self, thy father and thy son. And
let them be exceedingly cautious for themselves. The Deceased acquireth
might with Rā, and made to possess power among the gods, who regard him
as one of themselves, and when men or the Dead see him they fall upon
their faces. He is seen in the Netherworld as the image of Rā._(8.)
NOTES.
The earliest known text of this chapter is that of the Tomb of
Amenemhait at Thebes (_Ta_), of the time of Thothmes III. It is almost
as inaccurate as that of Nebseni (_Aa_), or the Brockelhurst _Ax_. Nor
is the text of Ani of any use towards clearing up any of the
difficulties.