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 (539)

1303a. To say: The head of N. is like that of the vulture,

1303b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1303c. The skull of N. is like that of divine stars,

1303d. when it ascends and [lifts itself to the sky].

1304a. [The forehead of N. is like that of] ---- and Nu,

1304b. when it ascends and lifts itself to the sky.

1304c. The face of N. is like that of Wepwawet,

1304d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1305a. The eyes of N. (are like those of) the Great One who is chief of the Souls of Heliopolis,

1305b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1305c. The nose of N. is like that of Thot,

1305d. when he ascends [and lifts himself to the sky].

1306a. [The mouth of] N. is like that of him who traverses the great lake,

1306b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1306c. The tongue of N. is like that of truth in the boat of truth,

1306d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1307a. The teeth of N. are (like those of) spirits,

1307b. when he ascends and lifts, himself to the sky.

1307c. The lips of N. are like those of -----)

1307d. [when he ascends and lifts] himself to the sky.

1308a. The chin of N. is like that of Hrti-ḫnti-Ḫm,

1308b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1308c. The back of N. is like that of the wild-bull,

1308d. when he ascends, and lifts himself to the sky.

1309a. The arms of N. are like those of Set,

1309b. when he ascends and lifts himself [to the sky].

1309c. ---------------------

1309d. [when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky].

1310a. ----- like -- Bȝibw,

1310b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1310c. The heart of N. is like that of Bastet,

1310d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1311a. The belly of N. is like that of Nut,

1311b. when he ascends and lifts himself [to the sky].

1311c. -----------------

1311d. [when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky].

1312a. ----- of N. -- like --- of the Two Enneads,

1312b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1312c. The seat of N. is like that of Ḥeḳet,

1312d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1313a. The buttocks of N. are like those of the boat of the evening, and the boat of the morning,

1313b. when he ascends and lifts, himself to the sky.

1313c. The phallus of N. is like that of Ḥapi,

1313d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1314a. The thighs of N. are like those of Neit and Śerḳet,

1314b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1314c. The legs of N. are like those of the two souls who are before the field dr,

1314d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1315a. The feet of N. are like those of the two morning boats of the sun,

1315b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1315c. The toes of N. are like those of the Souls of Heliopolis,

1315d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1316a. N. is he who belongs to a god, the son of a god,

1316b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1316c. N. is the son of Rē‘, his beloved,

1316d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1317a. N. is begotten of Rē‘,

1317b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1317c. N. is conceived of Rē‘,

1317d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1318a. N. is born of Rē‘,

1318b. when he ascends, and lifts himself to the sky.

1318c. This magic is in the body of N.,

1318d. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1319a. N. is the great sceptre in the great court in Heliopolis,

1319b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1320a. (He is) Hnnw,

1320b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1320c. (He is) Horus, the child, the youth,

1320d. when this N. ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1321a. Nut (is) she who cannot be fertilized without putting (down) her arms,

1321b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1321c. Geb is not diverted from his way,

1321d. when N. ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1322a. Each god who constructs not a stairway for N.,

1322b. when he ascends and lifts himself to the sky,

1322c. he shall have no pḳ-cake, he shall have no shade,

1323a. he shall not wash himself in the ḫȝw-bowl,

1323b. he shall not smell (taste) a leg (of meat); he shall not pass a cutlet (over the mouth) (i.e., he shall not taste a cutlet),

1323c. the earth shall not be hoed for him; the wdn.t-offerings shall not be made for him,

1323d. when this N. ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1324a. It is certainly not N. who says that against you, O gods;

1324b. it is magic which says that against you, O gods.

1324c. N. belongs to a region under magic.

1325a. Each god who constructs stairs (or, stairway) for N.,

1325b. when N. ascends and lifts himself to the sky;

1325c. each god who vacates his throne in his boat,

1325d. when this N. ascends, and lifts himself to the sky,

1326a. the earth shall be hoed for him, the wdn.t-offering shall be made for him,

1326b. a nmt.t-bowl shall be made for him,

1326c. he shall smell a leg (of meat), he shall pass a cutlet (over the mouth),

1326d. when this N. ascends and lifts himself to the sky.

1327a. Each god who takes the arm of N. to the sky,

1327b. when he comes to the house of Horus which is in ḳbḥ.w,

1327c. his ka shall be justified before Geb.