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Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep · 21 of 36

Of Opening the Tomb

(From the Papyrus of Nebseni, British Museum, No. 9,900, sheet 6)

The chapter of opening the tomb of the soul—and—to the shade of Osiris the scribe Nebseni, the lord of reverence, born of the lady of the house, Mut-restha, triumphant, so that he may come forth by day and have dominion over his fleet. He saith:

“That which was shut fast hath been opened, that is to say, he that lay down in death—hath been opened—. That which was open hath been shut to my soul through the command of the Eye of Horus, which hath strengthened me and which maketh to stand fast the beauties which are upon the forehead of Ra, whose strides are long as—he—lifteth up—his—legs—in journeying—. I have made for myself a way, my members are mighty and are strong. I am Horus the avenger of his divine father. I am he who bringeth along his divine father, and who bringeth along his mother by means of his sceptre (?), And the way shall be opened unto him who hath gotten dominion over his feet, and he shall see the Great God in the Boat of Ra,—when—souls are counted therein at the bows, and when the years are also counted up. Grant that the eye of Horus, which maketh the adornments of light to be firm upon the forehead of Ra, may deliver my soul for me, and let there be darkness upon your faces, O ye who would hold fast Osiris. Oh, keep not captive my soul, Oh, keep not ward over my shade, but let a way be opened for my soul—and—and for my shade, and let—them—see the Great God in the shrine on the day of the judgment of souls, and let—them—recite the utterances of Osiris, whose habitations are hidden, to those who guard the members of Osiris, and who keep ward over the Khus, and who hold captive the shades of the dead who would work evil against me, so that they shall—not—work evil against me. May a way for thy double—Ka—along with thee and along with—thy—soul be prepared by those who keep ward over the members of Osiris, and who bold captive the shades of the dead. Heaven shall—not—keep thee, the earth shall—not—hold thee captive, thou shalt not have they being with the divine beings who make slaughter, but thou shalt have dominion over thy legs, and thou shalt advance to thy body straightway in the earth—and to—those who belong to the shrine and guard the members of Osiris.”

(From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477, sheet 6)

The chapter of not sailing to the east in the underworld. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“Hail, phallus of Ra, who departest from thy calamity—which ariseth—through opposition (?), the cycles have been without movement for millions of years. I am stronger than the strong, I am mightier than the mighty. If I sail away or if I be snatched away to the east through the two horns,” or—as others say—“if any evil and abominable thing be done unto me at the feast of the devils, the phallus of Ra shall be swallowed up,—along with—the head of Osiris. And behold me, for I journey along over the fields wherein the gods mow down those who make reply unto—their words—; now verily the two horns of the god Khepera shall be thrust aside, and verily pus shall spring into being in the eye of Tem along with corruption if I be kept in restraint, or if I have gone toward the east, or if the feast of devils be made in my presence, or if any malignant wound be inflicted upon me.”

(From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477, sheet 7)

The chapter of being nigh unto Thoth. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I am he who sendeth forth terror into the powers of rain and thunder, and I ward off from the great divine lady the attacks of violence—I have smitten like the god Shat—i.e., the god of slaughter—, and I have out libations of cool water like the god Ashu, and I have worked for the great divine lady—to ward off—the attacks of violence—, I have made to flourish—my—knife along with the knife which is in the hand of Thoth in the powers of rain and thunder.”

(From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477, sheets 19 and 20)

The chapter of being nigh unto Thoth and of giving glory unto a man in the underworld. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I am the god Her-ab-maat—i.e., ‘he that is within his eye—, and I have come to give right and truth to Ra; I have made Suti to be at peace with me by means of offerings made to the god Aker, and to the Tesgeru deities, and by—making—reverence unto Seb.”

The following—words are to be recited in the Sektet boat: “—Hail,—sceptre of Anubis, I have made the four Khus who are in the train of the lord of the universe to be at peace with me, and I am the lord of the fields through their decree. I am the divine father Bah—i.e., the god of the water flood—, and I do away with the thirst of him that keepeth ward over the Lakes. Behold ye me, then, O great gods of majesty who dwell among the Souls of Annu, for I am lifted up over you. I am the god Menkh—i.e., Gracious One—who dwelleth among you. Verily I have cleansed my soul, O great god of majesty, set not before me the evil obstacles which issue from thy mouth, and let not destruction come round about me, or upon me. I have made myself clean in the Lake of making to be at peace,—and in the Lake of—weighing in the balance, and I have bathed myself in Netert-utchat, which is under the holy sycamore tree of heaven. Behold—I am—bathed,—and I have—triumphed—over—all—mine enemies—straightway who come forth and rise up against right and truth. I am right and true in earth. I, even I, have spoken (?) with my mouth—which is—the power of the Lord, the Only one, Ra the mighty, who liveth upon right and truth. Let not injury be inflicted upon me,—but let me be—clothed on the day of those who go forward (?) to every—good—thing.”

(From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477, sheet 9)

The chapter of bringing along a boat in heaven. The chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“Hail to thee, O thou Thigh which dwelleth in the northern heaven in the Great Lake, which art seen and which dieth not. I have stood up over thee when thou didst rise like a god. I have seen thee, and I have not lain down in death; I have stood over thee, and I have risen like a god. I have cackled like a goose, and I have alighted like a hawk by the divine clouds and by the great dew. I have journeyed from the earth to heaven. The god Shu—made—me to stand up, the god of Light hath made me to be vigorous by the two sides of the ladder, and the stars which never rest set—me—on—my—way and bring—me—away from slaughter. I bring along with me the things which drive back calamities as I advance over the passage of the god Pen; thou comest, how great art thou, O god Pen! I have come from the Pool of Flame which is in the Sekhet-Sasa—i.e., the Field of Fire.—Thou livest in the Pool of Flame in Sekhet-Sasa, and I live upon the staff of the hold—god. Hail, thou god Kaa, who dost bring those things which are in the boats by the . . . I stand up in the boat and I guide myself—over—the water: I have stood up in the boat and the god hath guided me. I have stood up. I have spoken.—I am master of the—crops. I sail round about as I go forward, and the gates which are in Sekhem—Letopolis—are opened unto me, and fields are awarded unto me in the city of Unni—Hermopolis—, and laborers (?) are given unto me together with those of my own flesh and bone.”