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.

Utterances (263-271)

337a. To say: The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Rē‘, that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon.

337b. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Harachte that Harachte may ferry over therewith to Rē‘.

337c. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N. that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Rē‘.

337d. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N. that he may ferry over therewith to Harachte, to Rē‘.

338a. It is good for N. (to be) with his ka; N. lives with his ka.

338b. His bȝ-loin-cloth is on him; his Horus-weapon is on his arm; his sceptre is in his hands.

339a. He makes himself serviceable to those who have passed on.

339b. They bring to him those four spirits, the eldest, the first of the wearers of side-locks,

339c. who stand on the eastern side of the sky and lean upon their d‘m-sceptres, 340a. that they may speak the good name of N. to Rē‘

340b. and proclaim N. to Nḥb-kȝ.w,

340c. so that the entrance of N. may be greeted (or protected). The Marshes of Reeds were filled (with water),

340d. so that N. might ferry over the Winding Watercourse.

341a. N. will certainly ferry over to the eastern side of the horizon;

341b. N. will certainly ferry over to the eastern side of heaven.

341c. His sister is Sothis; his mother is the Dwȝ.t (morning star).

342a. To say: The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Horus that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Harachte.

342b. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N. that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Harachte.

342c. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Šsm.ti that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Harachte.

342d. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N. that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Harachte.

343a. The mn‘-canal is open; the Winding Watercourse is inundated;

343b. the Marshes of Reeds are filled (with water).

344a. N. will certainly ferry over to yonder eastern side of heaven,

344b. to the place where the gods will give him birth, where he will certainly be born, new and young,

345a. when this hour of the morrow comes--the hour of the fifth -day,

345b. the hour of the sixth day, the hour of the seventh day, the hour of the eighth day.

346a. N. will be summoned by Rē‘, he will be given something (to eat) by Nḥb-kȝ.w,

346b. like Horus, like him of the horizon,

346c. when this hour of the morrow comes, the hour of the third day, the hour of the fourth day.

347a. When N. stands there like this star which is on the under (side) of the body of the sky;

347b. he judges as a god after he has listened like a prince.

348a. N. calls to them and they bring to him those four gods,

348b. who stand on the d‘m-sceptres of heaven,

348c. that they may speak the name of N. to Rē‘ and announce his name to Horus who inhabits the horizon.

349a. He has come to thee; he has come to thee,

349b. that he may be loosed from the bands and unbound from the fastenings.

350a. He (Rē‘) has freed N. from Hrti; he has not given him to Osiris.

350b. N. has not died the death;

350c. he has become an ȝḫw (or, 3ḫ) in the horizon; he has become everlasting in the Ddw.t.

351a. To say: The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Rē‘ that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Harachte.

351b. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Harachte that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon to Rē‘.

351c. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N. himself

351d. that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon, to Rē‘, to Harachte.

352a. The mn‘-canal is open; the Winding Watercourse is inundated;

352b. the Marshes of Reeds are filled (with water). 353a. N. will certainly ferry over to the eastern side of heaven,

353b. to the place where the gods will be born,

353c. where N. will certainly be born with them, like Horus, like him of the horizon. 354a. N. is justified.

354b. Praise be to N.; praise be to the ka of N.!

355a. Let them be called to N.;

355b. let them be brought to N., those four traffic-guards, the wearers of side-locks,

355c. who stand on their d‘m-sceptres, on the eastern side of the sky,

356a. that they may speak the name of N., the good, to Rē‘,

356b. (and) that they may proclaim the name of N., the good, to Nḥb-kȝ.w.

356c. N. is justified.

356d. Praise be to N.; praise be to the ka of N.!

357a. The sister of N. is Sothis; the mother of N. is the morning star.

357b. N. is that (star) which is with Rē‘ on the under (side) of the body of the sky.

357c. N. is justified.

357d. Praise be to N.; praise be to the ka of N.!

358a. To say: The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Rē‘,

358b. that Rē‘ may ferry over with them to the horizon, to Harachte.

358c. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N.,

358d. that he may ferry over with them to the horizon, to Harachte.

358e. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for Harachte,

358f. that Harachte may ferry over with them to the Horizon, to Rē‘.

358g. The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N.,

358h. that N. may ferry over with them to the horizon, to Rē‘.

359a. The mn‘-canal is open; the Marsh of Reeds is filled with water;

359b. the Winding Watercourse is inundated.

360a. N. will certainly ferry over to the horizon, to Harachte.

360b. Let there be brought to N. these four friendly ones,

360c. the traffic-guards, the wearers of side-locks,

360d. who sit on their d'm-sceptres on the eastern side of heaven.

361a. Ye shall say it (namely) the good name of N. to Nḥb-kȝ.w.

361b. Praise be to N.; praise be to his ka!

361c. N. is justified; the ka of N. is justified by the god.

362a. Rē‘ has [taken] N. to himself to heaven, on the eastern side of heaven;

362b. he is like Horus, of the Dȝ.t; he is like that star which radiates heaven.

363a. The sister of N. is Sothis; [the mother of N. is the morning star];

363b. [N. sits between] them.

363c. Heaven will never be void of N.; never shall the earth be void of N.

363d. By command -----------------------------

363e. ------------------------, bring this (boat) to N.

363f. he will be your third in Heliopolis (or, as a Heliopolitan).

364a. Thy heart belonged to thee, Osiris; thy legs belonged to thee, Osiris; thine arm(s) belonged to thee, Osiris.

364b. The heart of N. belongs to himself; his legs belong to himself; his arm(s) belong(s) to himself.

365a. A stairway to heaven shall be laid down for him, that he may ascend to heaven thereon;

365b. he ascends on the smoke (incense) of the great censing.

366a. N. flies, as a goose; he alights as a scarab;

366b. he flies as a goose; he alights as a scarab 366c. upon the empty throne which is in thy boat, O Rē‘.

367a. Stand up, remove thyself, thou who knowest not the reed-thicket,

367b. that N. may sit in thy place and row (around) in heaven in thy boat, O Re.

368a. N. pushes off from the earth in thy boat, O Rē‘;

368b. so when thou goest forth from the horizon, he (N.) has his sceptre in his hand,

368c. as navigator of thy boat, O Rē‘,

369. Thou (N.) mountest up to heaven; thou separatest thyself from the earth, a separation from wife and office (royal-apron).

370a. To say: N. washes himself, Rē‘ appears, the Great Ennead sparkles;

370b. the Ombite is high as chief of the ’itr.t-palace;

371a. N. puts humanity off from him as a limb;

371b. N. seizes the wrr.t-crown from the hand of the Ennead.

371c. Isis nurses him, Nephthys suckles him,

372a. Horus takes him by his fingers (to his side),

372b. he purifies N. in the lake of the jackal,

372c. he makes, the ka of N. clean in the lake of the Dȝ.t.

372d. He rubs down the flesh of the ka of N. and his own

372e. with that which is near Rē‘ in the horizon, that which he (Rē‘) took,

373a. when the two lands beamed and when he bared the face of the gods.

373b. He brings the ka of N. and himself to the great palace,

373c. after offices (?) were made for him and the ḥmȝtt was knotted for him.

374a. N. leads the imperishable stars,

374b. he ferries over to the Marshes of Reeds,

374c. the inhabitants of the horizon row him, the inhabitants of ḳbḥ.w navigate him.

375a. N. is very capable (mighty), his arms will not desert him;

375b. N. is very excellent (foremost), his ka comes to him (to his aid).

376a. To say: The fire is laid, the fire shines;

376b. the incense is laid on the fire, the incense shines.

376c. Thy fragrance comes to N., O Incense; the fragrance of N. comes to thee, O Incense.

377a. Your fragrance comes to N., O ye gods; the fragrance of N. comes to you, O ye gods.

377b. May N. be with you, O ye gods; may you be with N., O ye gods.

377c. May N. live with you, O ye gods; may you live with N., O ye gods. p. 91 378a. May N. love you, O ye gods; love him, O ye gods.

378b. The pȝḳ-pellet (of incense) comes, the pȝd-pellet (of incense) comes, (they) come forth from the thigh (or lap, m3ś.t) of Horus.

379a. Those who have ascended are come, those who have ascended are come; those who have climbed are come, those who have climbed are come.

379b. Those who lifted themselves up like Shu are come; those who have lifted themselves up like Shu are come.

379c. N. ascends on the hips of Isis; N. climbs up on the hips of Nephthys.

380a. The father of N., Atum, lays hold of the arm of N.; he assigns N.

380b. to those gods, who are the nimble, the wise, the imperishable stars.

381a. Mother of N., ’Ipii,

381b. give to N. thy breast,

381c. that N. may pass it over his mouth (taste it),

381d. and that N. may suck thy milk, which is white, light and sweet.

382a. That (yonder) land in which (where) N. goes,

382b. N. will not thirst in it, N. will not hunger in it for ever.

383a. To say: Awake thou in peace, (thou) whose face is behind him in peace, (thou) who seest behind him in peace,

383b. ferryman of heaven in peace, ferryman of Nut in peace,

383c. ferryman of the gods in peace.

384a. N. comes to thee,

384b. that thou mayest ferry him over in that ferry in which thou ferriest the gods over.

385a. N. comes to his side as a god comes to his side,

385b. he comes to his temple as a god comes to his side,

385c. N. comes to his temple as a god comes to his temple.

386a. There is no accuser of the living who is against N., there is no accuser of the dead who is against N.;

386b. there is no accuser of a goose who is against N., there is no accuser of an ox who is against N.

387a. If thou dost not ferry N. over, he will spring up

387b. and set himself upon the wing of Thot.

387c. He it is who will ferry N. over to yonder side.

388a. It is N. who inundated the land after it had come out of the ocean; it is N. who pulled up the papyrus;

388b. it is N. who reconciled the two lands; it is N. who united the two lands;

388c. it is N. with whom his mother, the great wild-cow, will be united.

389a. Mother of N., thou wild-cow, who is upon the herb (-overgrown) hill, who is upon the hill of the sḥsḥ-bird.

389b. the two dd-pillars are standing, the broken steps are falling down.

390a. N. ascends on the ladder which his father Rē‘ made for him,

390b. Horus and Set lay hold of the arm of N.; they take him to the Dȝ.t.

391a. He (Horus) to whom it was signalled (winked): "Guard thyself against him to whom (this) is ordered";

391b. he (Set) to whom it was ordered: "Guard thyself against him to whom (this) is signalled (winked)."

391c. The face of god is open (revealed) to N.; N. sits (takes his place) upon the great throne at the side of the god.