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 (375-400)

660a. To say: N. is he whom TW will protect; N. is he whom Tšii will deliver.

660b. Bring thy message, messenger of Tšii; bring thy message while it is fresh, messenger of Tšii.

660c. Mayest thou not come against N., son of a Great One, (as) a knife which castrates.

661a. To say: The knife which castrates!

661b. Brilliant, brilliant; triumphant, triumphant.

661c. Let the seaman cast off his garments (as a sail) for the boat of the sun!

1d. --------

662a. To say: Thou shalt land, in thy name of "Fortress";

662b. thou shalt capsize, in thy name of "’Igȝi,"

662c. for thou art indeed the Hpi.w-serpent, which is on his belly,

662d. who lives on the hearts of those gods who are in Heliopolis.

662e. Give way; also, go away.

663a. To say: The uraeus-serpent belongs to heaven; the centipede of Horus belongs in the earth.

663b. It is the sandal (or, sole of the foot) of Horus which has trod upon the (dangerous) serpent,

663c. the serpent (dangerous) for Horus, a young child, his finger in his mouth.

664a. N. is also a Horus, a little child, his finger in his mouth.

664b. If it is dangerous for N., he will tread upon thee (serpent);

664c. be wise for N., so will he not tread upon thee,

665a. for thou art indeed the mysterious, the hidden, as the gods call thee,

665b. because thou hast no legs, because thou hast no arms,

665c. with which thou mayest go in the following of thy brothers, thy gods.

666a. O ye both who are unlucky, O ye both who are unlucky; O ye both who arise, O ye both who arise,

666b. ye who make the mti-knot of the god, protect N. that he may protect you.

667. To say: Thy water is in heaven; thy thousands are on earth; O ’iśii-ḥȝ!

668a. To say: Doer, doer; passer, passer;

668b. thy foot, behind thee; guard thyself against the "great Great,"

669a. To say: The great centipede descends after he has charmed the householder;

669b. the householder is charmed by the centipede.

670a. To say: ’Iḳr.w-serpent or ’iḳr.t-serpent, go away from N. who is in the d‘‘miw.

670b. Horus circulates behind his eye.

670c. Reverse-serpent, make ruin (in) the earth (decay (in) the earth).

671a. To say: Tt.w-serpent, tt.w-serpent, where to?, where wilt thou go?

671b. Stand by N.; he is the d‘‘miw, should thy father, the d‘‘miw, die?

671c. A servant (holy person), who belonged to the Ennead (pelican), (once) fell into this Nile. Thou who art in hpnn, come here.

672a. To say: This hand of N., which is come against thee,

672b. is the hand of tt.t, the great, who is in the "house of life."

672c. He who was seized by her has lived no longer; he who was struck by her has not fastened on his head (again).

672d. Fall, glide away.

673a. To say: Rē‘ dawns against thee;

673b. Horus bends his Nine Bows against this spirit which comes out of the earth,

673c. with severed head and clipped tail.

673d. Dśr-serpent, Ddi, son of Śrḳ.t-ḥtw,

674a. turn around, turn over, that one may forgive (?) thee in respect of him (the dead).

674b. Ḥfn.w-serpent, ḥfnn.t-serpent,

675a. pay attention to him, pay attention to the earth, pay attention to thy father Geb.

675b. If thou payest not attention to him, his. branding-iron which is on (over) thy head will pay attention to thee.

675c. Śri.w-serpent, lie down.

676a. Spring up, ȝkr (earth), seize him; Hole-in-the-earth, straighten thy tail.

676b. If N. moves his arm against thee thou shalt die;

676c. if the arm of N. lets thee go thou shalt not live.

677a. The (my) watercourse is thy watercourse, says Shu.

677b. Shu stands on thy fetters.

677c. Turn around, turn over.

677d. The fingers of N. which are upon thee are the fingers of the mȝfd.t-lynx, who lives in the "house of life,"

678a. that thou mayest spit out. Fall, flee, turn over.

678b. Horus would have struck thee down, and thou wouldst not be alive;

678c. Set would have cut thee to pieces, and thou wouldst not rise (again).

679a. To say: N. comes to thee, ’iwti.w.

679b. Mayest thou let N. pass by through "the divided opening."

679c. If thou drivest N. back, he will drive thee, back.

679d. Horus fell because of his eye; Set suffered because of his testicles.

679e. Serpent with raised head (dśr-tp), who is in the nȝw.t-bush, fall, glide away.

680a. To say: A Great One is fallen: a servant (holy person) who belongs to the Ennead (pelican) is fallen.

680b. Monster (beast), lie down.

681a. To say: Horus is risen; he escaped the combat-serpent. Behold N.,

681b. N. is Horus, who escaped the combat-serpent. Hurry;

681c. --(as) no messenger is given to him, (and) his "boy" is taken away from him--(and say):

681d. The serpent, "Fowling-with-the-phallus,"

681e. Horus has smashed its mouth with his foot (or, sole of his foot).

682a. To say: A face is upon thee, thou who art in his (thy) hole.

682b. Lay thee on thy back, thou god, who art in it (the hole), before N.

682c. N. is the great mistress (or, damsel).

682d. He whom N. sees will not live;

682e. upon whom the face of N. falls, his head will not (again) be attached.

682f. Śri.w-serpent, glide away, thou who art in the nȝw.t-bush, turn over.

683a. To say: N. is pure, his ka is pure.

683b. How well is N., how well is N.--the bodily health of Horus!

683c. How well is N., how well is, N.--the bodily health of Set!

683d. The bodily health of N. is (to be) between you.

684a. It is N. who stretched the cord (of a bow) as Horus, who draw the string as Osiris.

684b. It is that one (the dead) who has gone; it is this one (Osiris) who comes (again).

685a. Art thou Horus? A face is upon thee; thou shalt be set on thy head.

685b. Art thou Set? A face is upon thee; thou shalt be laid on thy back.

685c. This foot of N. [which he has placed upon thee is the] foot of Mȝfd.t;

685d. [that] hand of N., which he has placed upon thee, is the hand of Mȝfd.t, who lives in the "house of life."

686a. N. strikes thee in thy face,

686b. so that thy saliva runs away. [He ------- so that] thy cheek ---.

686c. Śiw-serpent, lie down; n‘w-serpent, glide away.

687a. To say twice: On [thy] side! Thou shalt lie down.

687b. Escape, escape; hence, hence --------------

687c. [Deliv]er N.; protect N.

687d. Thy message is ready; thy testament is received; that which is before thee is restful.

688. To say: The water of N. is in heaven; the people of N. are on earth. The heart is sad (?)

689a. To say: Thy protective -sycamore is thy corn; thy corn is thy protective-sycamore.

689b. Thy tail shall be in thy mouth, combat-serpent. Turn thyself . around thy turning, great bull.

669c. ----- his (?) --- the Great escaped from him whom he had charmed.

689d. Sȝ-tȝ-serpent, protect thyself against the earth; sȝ-tȝ-serpent, protect thyself against Geb

691a. To say twice: Earth, protect thyself against the earth; sȝ-tȝ-serpent, protect thyself against Geb (?).

691b. Protect thyself against thy father who begat Osiris; sȝ-tȝ-serpent, protect thyself against Geb.

691a. To say twice: Earth, protect thyself against the earth; sȝ-tȝ-serpent, protect thyself against Geb (?).

691b. Protect thyself against thy father who begat Osiris; sȝ-tȝ-serpent, protect thyself against Geb.

692a. To say: Tirf-serpent, (there is a) smell of the drawing (of the plough through) the earth.

692b. To say: Art thou the d‘‘mw -----------?

692c. He is effervescent; he is effervescent; Shu, let thy arms be about N.

693a. To say: Hoer, thou who hoest the earth, hoe not the earth.

693b. Protect thyself from the enemy.

693c. N. is conceived of d‘‘mw N. is born to d‘‘mw.

693d. It is d‘‘mw who went to his mother with him.

694. To say: Thy water is in heaven; thy people are on earth; O ’isii-hii!

695a. To say: The eye of Horus drips on the tuft of the dn.w-plant.

695b. Ye two Horuses who are chief of the houses, great lord of food in Heliopolis,

695c. mayest thou give bread to N., mayest thou give beer to N.; mayest thou refresh N.,

696a. while thou refreshest the dining-table (?) of N.,

696b. while thou refreshest the slaughtering-bench of N.

696c. If N. is hungry, so will the two lions hunger;

696d. if N. is thirsty, so will she of el-Kâb thirst.

696e. Hdnw.t, Hdnw.t, 696f. bring not the smell of thy hdn to N.;

696g. thou shalt not bring the smell of thy hdn to N.