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 (540-552)

1328a. To say: N. comes to thee, his father; he comes to thee, Osiris.

1328b. He has brought to thee this thy ka; how wonderful it is!

1328c. His mother Nut has punished him who shines on her forehead.

1329a. Ḥtmw.t has raised thee up;

1329b. thy mouth is opened by Šśȝ, chief of the city of Šn‘.t;

1329c. thy mouth is opened by Dwȝ-wr in the house of gold;

1329d. [thy mouth] is opened by the tt.wi which are before the house of natron;

1330a. thy mouth is opened by Horus with his little finger,

1330b. with which he opened the mouth of his father, with which he opened the mouth of Osiris.

1331a. N. is thy son; N. is Horus;

1331b. N. is the beloved son of his father, in this his name of "Son whom he loves."

1332a. Thou art purified: thou art dried. Thy clothing is given (to thee),

1332b. thy thousand of alabaster (vessels), thy thousand of garments,

1332c. which N. has brought to thee, that he might clothe thee therewith.

1333a. To say: Children of Horus,

1333b. Ḥȝpi, Dwȝ-mu.t.f, ’Imś.ti, Ḳbḥ-śn.w.f,

1333c. protect life for your father, Osiris N.

1333d. from the time that he is given his endurance (or, that he endure) among the gods.

1334a. Smite Set, protect this Osiris N. from him before the earth is brightened.

1334b. Horus is powerful; he himself will avenge this his father, Osiris N.

1334c. The father has caused that you honour him.

1d. --------

1335a. To say: It is Horus; he is come to reclaim his father, Osiris N.;

1335b. he has proclaimed a royal (death) decree in the places of Anubis--everyone recognizing it, he shall not live.

1336a. Thot, spare not any among those who wronged the king;

1336b. Thot, hasten that thou mayest see (grasp) this; O father (Thot), announce to him his (death) decree.

1337a. To say: Bring (him) to this Osiris N.

1337b. Osiris N., he who killed thee is brought to thee; let him not escape from thee.

1337c. Osiris N., he who killed thee is brought to thee; perform his execution.

1337d. Osiris N., he who killed thee is brought to thee, cut (him) in three.

1338a. To say: Children of Horus, go to this Osiris N.;

1338b. Children of Horus, hurry, put yourselves under this Osiris N.; let there be none among you who shall withdraw.

1338c. Carry him.

1339a. To say: Osiris N., he who killed thee is brought to thee; cut (him) up; perform his execution.

1339b. Children of Horus,

1339c. Ḥȝpi, Dwȝ-mu.t.f, ’Imś.ti, Ḳbḥ-śn.w.f,

1340a. carry your father, this Osiris N.; lead him.

1340b. Osiris, N., make thy endurance; open thy mouth; stand up.

1341a. To say: I am Nut; bring to (me) Osiris N.,

1341b. give him to (me), that I may embrace him.

1342a. To say: O father, Osiris N., I betake myself to thee;

1342b. Osiris N., approach thyself to (me).

1343a. To say: The mouth of the earth opens for Osiris N.; Geb said to him:

1343b. "N. is great like a king, mighty like Rē‘."

1343c. "Come in peace," say the Two Enneads to N.

1343d. The eastern door of heaven is open for him, to the abode of kas.

1344a. The great Nut gives her arms to him, she of the long horn, she of the protruding breast.

1344b. She will nurse N.; she will not wean him.

1345a. She takes him to herself to heaven, she does not cast him down to the earth.

1345b. She makes this N. remain as chief of the two ’itr.t-palaces.

1345c. He descends into the boat like Re‘, on the shores of the Winding Watercourse.

1346a. N. rows in the ḥnbw-boat,

1346b. where he takes the helm, towards the field of the two lower heavens,

1346c. to the beginning of this land of the Marsh of Reeds.

1347a. His arm is taken by Rē‘; his head is raised up by Atum;

1347b. his forward cable is taken by Isis; his stern cable is seized by Nephthys.

1348a. Ḳbḥ.w.t places him at her side, and puts him among the ḫnti.w-š,

1348b. as the herdsmen of (his) calves.

1349a. To say: Back, Bȝbwi, red-eared, with coloured hind-quarters,

1349b. pass thou the cutlet, from thy chapel (or, of thy lady), over thy mouth.

1350a. To say: Back, Km-wr,

1350b. glide away in Babylon (Hri-‘ḥȝ), in the place where they glided (i.e. fell).

1351a. To say: Open, Frontier (?), open --- as its (?) barrier inclines;

1351b. back, Rw-ḥȝ.t; retreat Pḥ.wi,

1351c. let thou (me) pass by, the passing by of a god.

1352. To say: I am alive, says N., for ever.