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
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Preface |
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Introduction |
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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) |
| 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) |
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Utterances (338 | 339 | 340 | 341 | 342 | 343 | 344 | 345 | 346 | 347 | 348 | 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 338.
551 a. To say: Hunger, come not to N.,
551b. go away to Nun, be off (begging) to the ȝgbi-flood.
551c. N. is sated;
551d. N. hungers not by reason of that bread of Horus which he has eaten,
551e. which his head-maid made for him, with which he is satisfied, (and) whereby he wins back his (normal) condition.
552a. N. thirsts not by reason of Shu; N. hungers not by reason of Tefnut.
552b. 552b. Ḥpi, Dwȝ-mw.t.f, Ḳbḥ-śn.w.f, ’Imś.ti,
552c. they will expel this hunger, which is in the body of N.,
552d. and this thirst which is on the lips of N.
Utterance 339.
553a. To say: The hunger of N. is from the hand of Shu; the thirst of N. is from the hand of Tefnut.
553b. N. lives on the morning bread, which comes at its (appointed) time.
553c. N. lives on that on which Shu lives;
553d. N. eats, that which Tefnut eats.
Utterance 340.
554a. N. comes to thee, Nḫḫ;
554b. mayest thou fall back before N., as the east wind falls back before (behind?) the west wind;
554c. mayest thou come behind N., as the north wind comes behind the south wind.
554d. To say: Deposit (an offering?).
Utterance 341.
555a. To say: The face of Horus is opened by ȝkr; the face of ȝkr is opened by Horus.
555b. Abundance has extended her arm to N.;
555c. The arms of N. have embraced fowling.
555d. All which the marsh produces belongs to her son, Ḥȝb.
555e. N. has eaten with him to-day.
Utterance 342.
556a. To say: It is N., O Isis; it is N., O ȝśb.t; it is N., O Nephthys.
556b. Come, see thy son.
556c. He has passed through the nome of Athribis, after he has passed through the (region of the) wrr.t-crown.
557a. The handbag of N. is of twn-plant;
557b. N. comes; he brings what is desired and what is given.
557c. the basket of N. is of nn.t-plant.
Utterance 343.
558a. To say: Bdš.t comes; the fire-pan burns.
558b. Those with (ready) hands stand to give an offering to N.
Utterance 344.
559a. To say: Greetings to thee, O Great Flood (ȝgb-wr),
559b. cup-bearer of the gods, leader of men,
559c. mayest thou make men and gods favourable to N., that they may give an offering to him.
Utterance 345.
560a. To say: O Wr-kȝ.f,
560b. cup-bearer of Horus, chief of the dining-pavillion of Rē‘, chef of
Ptaḥ,
560c. give generously to N.; N. eats as much as thou givest.
Utterance 346.
561a. To say: Kas are in Buto; kas were in Buto as of old.
561b. Kas will be in Buto; the ka of N. is in Buto,
561c. red as a flame, living as Khepri.
561d. Be cheerful, be cheerful. A meal (fit) for butchers.
562a. It is now thou givest, my lady, love to N., veneration to N.;
562b. it is now thou givest, my lady, veneration to N., liking to N.,
562c. in the body of all gods.
Utterance 347.
563a. To say: The mouth of N. is in incense; the lips of N. are in myrrh.
563b. Descend, O N., from the field of thy ka to the Marsh of Offerings.
563c. of N. is from the n‘r.t; the meal of N. is like (that of) the divine boat.
564a. The life of N. will be more than that of Rnp.t; the food of N. will be more than (that of) Ḥpi (the inundation).
564b. O ka of N., bring (food) that N. may eat with thee.
Utterance 348.
565a. To say: Greeting to thee, O Great Flood,
565b. cup-bearer of the gods, leader of men,
565c. mayest thou make the gods favourable to N., that they may . refresh N.,
565d. that they may love N., that they may render N. well.
Utterance 349.
566a. To say: O Wr-kȝ.f.
566b. cup-bearer of Horus, chief of the dining-pavillion of Rē‘, chef of Ptaḥ,
566c. give generously to N.; N. eats as much as thou givest, a generous portion of his meat.
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