The Pyramid Texts
Translation by Samuel A. B. Mercer
The Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid Texts were funerary inscriptions that were written on the walls of the early Ancient Egyptian pyramids at Sakkara. These date back to the fifth and sixth dynasties, approximately the years 2350-2175 B.C.E. However, because of extensive internal evidence, it is believed that they were composed much earlier, circa 3000 B.C.E. The Pyramid Texts are, therefore, essentially the oldest sacred texts known.
Samuel Mercer was the first to produce a complete English translation of this mysterious text, in 1952. This was also the first complete translation in any language. The Mercer translation was followed by the R.O. Faulkner translation in 1969, which is considered the standard today.
Table Of Contents
| |
Preface |
| |
Introduction |
| |
The Pyramid Texts |
| 1 |
Nut and the Deceased King (1-11) |
| 2 |
Ritual of Bodily Restoration of the Deceased, and Offerings (12-203) |
| 3 |
A Group of Prayers And Charms (204-212) |
| 4 |
A Series of Old Heliopolitan Texts Partly Osirianized (213-222) |
| 5 |
The Deceased King Receives Offerings and is Re-Established in His Functions and Possessions (223-225) |
| |
Utterances (223 | 224 | 225) |
| 6 |
Mostly Serpent Charms (226-243) |
| 7 |
The Deceased King Arrives in Heaven Where He is Established (244-259) |
| 8 |
The Deceased King Triumphs Over His Enemies and is Recognized by the Gods (260-262) |
| 9 |
Means Whereby the Deceased King Reaches Heaven (263-271) |
| 10 |
The Deceased King in Heaven (272-274) |
| 11 |
Charms (275-299) |
| 12 |
The Ferryman and the Deceased King's Ascension (300-311) |
| 13 |
A Series of Five Charms (312-316) |
| 14 |
Miscellaneous Utterances on the Career of the Deceased King in the Hereafter (317-337) |
| 15 |
Offerings for the Deceased King (338-349) |
| 16 |
Miscellaneous Utterances on the Hereafter (350-374) |
| 17 |
Conjurations and Charms (375-400) |
| 18 |
Utterances Concerning Well-Being, Especially Food and Clothes (401-426) |
| 19 |
In Praise of Nut, Utterances (427-435) |
| 20 |
Miscellaneous Texts--Some Largely Osirian (436-442) |
| 21 |
Second Series in Praise of Nut (443-452) |
| 22 |
A Miscellaneous Group (453-486) |
| 23 |
A Series of Food Texts (487-502) |
| 24 |
A Series of Reed-Floats and Ferryman Texts (503-522) |
| 25 |
Miscellaneous Texts Chiefly About the Deceased King's Reception and Life in Heaven (523-533) |
| 26 |
For The Protection of the Pyramid Enclosure Against Osiris and His Cycle (534) |
| 27 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (535-538) |
| 28 |
A Litany of Ascension (539) |
| 29 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (540-552) |
| 30 |
Resurrection, Meal, and Ascension of the Deceased King (553) |
| 31 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (554-562) |
| 32 |
A Purification Litany (563) |
| 33 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (564-569) |
| 34 |
New-Birth of the Deceased King as a God in Heaven (570) |
| 35 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (571-575) |
| 36 |
The Resurrection and Ascension of the Deceased King (576) |
| 37 |
The Resurrection of Osiris with whom the Gods are Satisfied (577) |
| 38 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (578-586) |
| 39 |
An Early Hymn to the Sun (587) |
| 40 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (588-600) |
| 41 |
A Litany-Like Incantation for the Endurance of a Pyramid and Temple (601) |
| 42 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (602-605) |
| 43 |
The Resurrection, Ascension, and Reception of the Deceased King in Heaven (606) |
| 44 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (607-609) |
| 45 |
The Deceased King on Earth and in Heaven (610) |
| 46 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (611-626) |
| 47 |
The Ascended King, His Works, and Identifications (627) |
| 48 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (628-658) |
| 49 |
The Death of the King and His Arrival in Heaven (659) |
| 50 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (660-669) |
| 51 |
The Death, Resurrection, and Spiritualization of the King (670) |
| 52 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (671-675) |
| 53 |
Resurrection, Transfiguration, and Life of the King in Heaven (676) |
| 54 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (677-683) |
| 55 |
The Deceased King Ascends to Heaven (684) |
| 56 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (685-689) |
| 57 |
A Series of Addresses to the Deceased King as a God (690) |
| 58 |
Texts of Miscellaneous Contents (691-704) |
| 59 |
A Series of Unclassifiable Fragments (705-714) |
Utterance 223.
214a. To say: Awake. Turn around. O! O!
214b. O N., up, be seated before a thousand. loaves, a thousand mugs of beer;
214c. the roast, thy double-rib piece (comes) from the slaughtering-bench, the rtḥ-bread from the broad-hall (wśḫ.t).
215a. As a god is provided with divine offerings, so N. is provided with his bread.
215b. Thou art come to thy ba, Osiris, a ba among the spirits, mighty in his domains,
215c. protected by the Ennead in the house of the prince.
216a. O N., betake thyself to me, approach thyself to me,
216b. be not far from the tomb, be not separated from me.
216c. I have given thee the eye of Horus; I have reckoned it to thee. O may it be pleasing to thee, with thee.
217a. O N., up, receive thy bread from (my) hand.
217b. To say four times: O N., I will be to thee a door-keeper.
218a. To say four times: An offering to him in all his dignities, in all his places.
218b. May Geb give an offering in all thy dignities, in all thy places.
Utterance 224.
218c. To say: Awake, N. Turn around, N.
218d. Thou hast come that thou mayest command in the regions of Horus;
218e. thou hast come that thou mayest command in the regions of Set;
218f. thou hast come that thou mayest command in the regions of Osiris.
219a. May the king make an offering: "in all thy dignities".
219b. Thy garment is a bȝ-loin-cloth; thy garment is a hśdd-loincloth;
219c. thou goest in sandals; thou slaughterest an ox;
220a. thou goest in the wȝd-'n-boat, in all thy dignities, in all thy places.
220b. Thy nḥb.t-sceptre is at the head of the living, thy staff is at the head of the spirits,
220c. like Anubis, First of the Westerners; like ‘nd.ti, First of the Eastern nomes.
221a. How fortunate is thy condition! Thou art a spirit, O N., among thy brothers, the gods.
221b. How changed it is! How changed it is! (So) protect thy children; beware of
221c. thy border (limitation) which is in the earth. To say four times: Clothe thy body (and) come into their presence.
Utterance 225.
222a. To say: Awake, N.! Turn around, N.!
222b. Thou hast come that thou mayest command in the regions of Horus; (thou hast come) that thou mayest command in the regions of Set;
222c. that thou mayest speak in the regions of Osiris.
223a. May the king make an offering: Thy son is upon thy throne; thy garment is the pḥ.ti; thy garment is a ḫśdd-loincloth;
223b. thou goest in sandals; thou slaughterest an ox;
224a. thou goest in the wȝd-‘n-boat, in all thy places, in all thy dignities
224b. Thy nḥb.t-sceptre is at the head of the living, thy staff is at the head of the spirits.
224c. The aged is come; he protects his son.
224d. May thy body be clothed, so that thou mayest come to [me]; and may [the eye of Horus] be pleasing to thee.
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