CHAPTER CXXX.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Renouf, P. Le Page (Peter Le Page) and Naville, Edouard
A Book whereby the Soul is made to live for ever, on the day of entering into the Bark of Rā, and to pass the Sheniu of the Tuat. Made on the Birthday of Osiris.(1)
Opened be the gates of Heaven; opened be the gates of Earth; opened be the gates of the East; opened be the gates of the West; opened be the gates of the Southern and of the Northern sanctuaries.
Opened be the gates and thrown wide the portals as Rā riseth up from the Mount of Glory; opened to him be the doors of the Sektit boat, thrown open to him be the portals of the Māātit, as he scenteth Shu and setteth in motion Tefnut, and those follow who are in the train of the Osiris N, who followeth Rā and taketh possession of his arms of steel.(2)
I am coffined in an ark like Horus, to whom his cradle(3) is brought: and secret is the place, hard by his own shrine, which the god openeth to whom he willeth.
And so it cometh that I lift up Right to the Lord of Right, and that I make fast the cord which windeth about the shrine.
The Osiris N avoideth the raging storm: the Osiris N is not to be kept away from Rā, not to be repulsed is he.
Let not the Osiris N advance into the Valley of Darkness: let not the Osiris N enter into the dungeon of the captives: let him not leap into the grip of Fate, let him not fall among those who imprison souls or come forth among those who would drag him behind the slaughtering block of the Armed god.(4)
Salutations to you, ye sejant gods.(5)
The divine Sword(6) is concealed in the hands of Seb, at daybreak, for he delighteth in drawing to himself both old and young at his own season.
And now behold Thoth in the secret of his mysteries. He maketh purifications and endless reckonings; piercing the steel firmament and dissipating the storms around him.
And so it cometh that the Osiris N hath reached every station of his.
He hath fashioned his staff, and received the oblations of Rā, the swift of speed and beautiful in his rising and almighty through what he hath done.
He putteth an end to his pain and suffering, and the Osiris N putteth an end to his own pain; yea, he gladdeneth the countenance of Thoth by the worship of Rā and Osiris.
The Osiris N entereth the Mount of Glory of Rā, who hath made his Bark and saileth prosperously, lightening up the face of Thoth, that he may listen to Rā and beat down the obstacles in his way, and put an end to his adversaries.
Let not the Osiris N be shipwrecked on the great voyage by him whose face is in his own lap:(7) for the name of Rā is upon the Osiris, and his token of honour is on his mouth, which speaketh to him who listeneth to the words of the Osiris N.
Glory to thee, O Rā, Lord of the Mount of Glory. Hail to thee, who purifiest the generations yet unborn and to whom this great quarter of heaven offered homage.
The steering keepeth clear from misadventure.
Lo, here is Osiris who proclaimeth Right, because of the marvel in the West, for he hath put an end to the rage of Apepi, for he is himself the god in Lion form among the associate gods and protecteth Rā against Apepi daily, that he may not approach him, and he keepeth watch upon him. Osiris seizeth the scrolls and receiveth the offerings.
And Thoth supplieth the Osiris N with that which he shall perform for him. It is granted that the Osiris shall carry Maāt at the head of the great Bark, and hold up Maāt among the associate gods, and that Osiris gain endless triumphs.
The Sheniu marshal the Osiris N, and they procure for the Osiris a voyage amid acclamations.
The Satellites of Rā make their round, in the train of the exaltation of Maāt, who followeth her Lord. And glory is given to the Inviolate one.
The Osiris receiveth the Amsu-staff(8) wherewith he goeth round Heaven.
The unborn generations of men give him glory, as to one who standeth without ever resting. Rā exalteth him by this, that he alloweth the Osiris to disperse the cloud and behold his glories. He maketh firm his rudders that the Bark may go round in Heaven and that he may make his appearance in Antu. Thoth is in the centre of his eye, sejant in the great Bark of Chepera. The Osiris becometh one whose words come to pass. He it is who passeth over Heaven unto the West, and the Chabasu gods of Light rise up to him with acclamation. They receive the cable of Rā from his rowers, and Rā goeth on his round and seeth the Osiris who issueth his decrees;(9) the Osiris N, the Victorious; in peace! in peace!
Not to be repelled is he; not to be caught by the fire of thy fate. Let not the tempest of thy mouth come forth against him.
Let not the Osiris N advance upon the paths of misfortune: let him avoid disasters, let them not attain him.
The Osiris N enters into the Bark of Rā, he succeedeth to thy throne; he receiveth thine insignia.
The Osiris N inaugurateth the paths of Rā and prayeth that he may drive off the Lock which cometh out of the flame against thy Bark out of the great Stream.
But the Osiris N knoweth it, and it attaineth not thy Bark. For the Osiris N is within it; the Osiris N who maketh the divine offerings.
Said over a Bark of Rā, coloured in pure green.(10) And thou shalt place a picture of the deceased at the prow thereof. And make a Sektit boat on the right side of it and an Atit boat on the left side of it.(11)
Notes.
1. This title is given to the Chapter in the later recensions, and nearly resembles that given in the Berlin papyrus of Nechtu-amen (of the XIXth dynasty). That given in another papyrus of the older period is quite different,—“Chapter whereby the Chu is fortified.” Instead of the Sheniu of the Tuat, Ba (the papyrus of Nechtuamen) has the Sheniu of Fire , a reading suggested by the the circuit of fire, which occurs in the title of another chapter. The Sheniu of this chapter are living personages who attend upon the Osiris and greet him with their acclamations. The word is often translated ‘princes,’ ‘officers,’‘officers,’ but it signifies those who are in the circle of a king or god, hence ‘ministrants,’ ‘courtiers,’ as in the rubric of Chapter CXXV.
The words made on the Birth-day of Osiris are only found in the later texts, but the old papyrus Lc, which has another title, has the words . The important word which is here carelessly omitted is supplied by the rubric. For the Birth-day of Osiris, was the first of the five supplementary days, added to the year of 360 days. On this day the chapter was to be recited and the usual oblations offered (see Note 11). So we must understand , ‘which is to be made or done.’
2.Arms of steel, .
3.Cradle or Nest, ; the ‘Nest of Reeds’ so often represented in pictures of the later periods.
4.The Armed god, Septu, called . (Unas 282) and septu ābu, ‘armed with horns,’ that is, rays of light. In pictures he is represented as a hawk armed with bow and arrows, and there is one picture in which he is in the form of Bes, destroyer of the Menti.
5.Sejant gods. I am compelled for want of a better word to use the heraldic term which most nearly expresses the posture of gods sitting on the ground with their knees raised up against their breasts. The posture is a very common one in Egyptian pictures. The second Sallier Papyrus represents an unfortunate artisan as sitting, “with his two knees at the pit of his stomach.” The is the limb between the knee and the pelvis.
6.This divine Sword. Unseen fate brings down the old and the young alike to the Grave ever ready to receive them. Seb, the φυσίζοος αἶα, is here, as elsewhere, spoken of in reference to his κατοχή of the dead in the Tuat, as in Unas 210.
7.Whose face is in his own lap, . Cf.Note 5.
8.The Amsu staff. The name of it is phonetically written in the later texts. It is the emblem both of Osiris and of Horus, and is constantly represented along with bows, arrows, and other weapons, in the oldest coffins, as belonging to the celestial armoury of the deceased person.
9.Who issueth his decrees. See Maspero, Bibl. Egyptol. II., p. 3 (note) and 39.