CHAPTER XXI.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Renouf, P. Le Page (Peter Le Page) and Naville, Edouard
Chapter whereby the mouth of a person is given to him in the Netherworld.
Hail to thee, Lord of Light, who art Prince of the House which is encircled by Darkness and Obscurity. I am come to thee glorified and purified.
My hands are behind thee; thy portion is that of those who have gone before thee.(1)
Give me my mouth that I may speak with it; and guide(2) my heart at its hour of Darkness and Night.
Notes.
The oldest papyrus containing this chapter is that of Ani, and the translation is based upon it. But the text differs both from those written on the very ancient coffins of Heru and Set-Bastit, copied by M. Maspero,[34] and from the later texts.
The second paragraph seems to be spoken by the god, the first and third being from the deceased.
“My hands are behind thee” is a formula implying protection.
On the coffins the invocation is addressed not to “Osiris, Lord of Light” or “Radiant One” , but to the , “one whose head is clothed with radiant white, of the House of Darkness and Obscurity.”
Instead of “obscurity” the coffin has without a determinative, but shows what the word means.
This ancient text continues—“Come thou to me, glorified and purified; let thy hands [here the text is obliterated], shine thou with thine head (). Give me my mouth that I may speak with it, and guide me on the glorious roads which are in heaven.”
The Turin text is very corrupt, and parts of it are incapable of translation.
1..
2. “Let me guide,” according to the Ani Papyrus. But the later (hieratic) texts have the second person , which is more correct.
PLATE X.
PLATE XI.
Source notes
34. Mission Archéologique Française, II, p. 216 and 223. The text is unfortunately incomplete on both coffins.