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 (570)

1443a. To say: The face of heaven is washed; the vault of heaven is bright;

1443b. a god is brought to birth by the sky upon the arms of Shu and Tefnut, upon the arms of N.

1444a. "Great wbn," say the gods;

1444b. "hear it, this word which N. says to thee;

1444c. let thy heart be glad for this N., for this N. is a Great One, the son of a Great One;

1444d. N. is with thee; take this N. for life, joy, and eternity, with thee."

1445a. "Khepri, hear it, this word, which is spoken to thee by N.;

1445b. let thy heart be glad for N., for N. is a Great One, the son of a Great One;

1445c. N. is with thee; take him with thee."

1446a. "Nun, hear it, this word, which is spoken to thee by N.;

1446b. let thy heart be glad for N., for N. is a Great One, the son of a Great One;

1446c. N. is with thee; take him with thee."

1447a. "Atum, hear it, this word, which is spoken to thee by N.;

1447b. let thy heart be glad for N., for N. is a Great One, the son of a Great One;

1447c. N. is with thee; take him with thee."

1448a. "Wȝš, son of Geb; Śḫm, son of Osiris,

1448b. hear it, this word is spoken to thee by N.;

1448c. let thy heart be glad for N., for N. is a Great One, the son of a Great One;

1448d. N. is with thee; take him with thee."

1449a. Mayest thou be near to N., in thy name of "Rē‘"; drive thou away the garments (darkness) of the sky. 11449b. May Horus of the Horizon cause him to hear his glory and his praise

1449c. out of the mouth of the Two Enneads.

1450a. "How beautiful art thou," said his mother; "(mine) heir," said Osiris.

1450b. N. has not swallowed the eye of Horus,

1450c. so that men might say, "he will die for that."

1450d. N. has not swallowed a limb of Osiris,

1450e. so that the gods might say, "he will die for that."

1451a. N. lives on the ’isnw (bread of offering) of his father Atum; protect him, Nḫb.t;

1451b. thou hast protected N., Nḫb.t, in the princely house which is in Heliopolis.

1452a. Thou hast commended him to him who is within his ḥn.ti (two limits),

1452b. that N. may be expedited.

1452c. He who is within his ḥn.ti (two limits) has recommended N. to him who is on his carrying litter,

1452d. that N. may be expedited.

1453a. N. has escaped his day of death,

1453b. even as Set escaped his day of death;

1453c. N. has escaped the half-months of death,

1453d. even as Set escaped his half-months of death;

1453e. N. has escaped his months of death,

1453f. even as Set escaped his months of death;

14539. N. has escaped the year of death,

1453h. even as Set escaped his year of death,

1454a. by ploughing the earth. The hands of N. support Nut, like Shu,

1454b. even the bones of N. which are firm (or, iron; or, copper), and his imperishable limbs;

1455a. for N. is a star, the light-scatterer of the sky.

1455b. Let N. ascend to the god; let N. be avenged,

1455c. so that heaven may not be void of N., so that earth (lit. this land, i.e. Egypt) may not be void of N., for ever.

1456a. N. lives a life in accordance with your rule,

1456b. O gods of the lower sky, imperishable stars,

1456c. which traverse the land of Libya, which are supported by their d‘m-sceptres;

1456d. just as N. is supported, with you, by a wȝś-sceptre and a d‘m-sceptre.

11457a. N. is your fourth,

1457b. O gods of the lower sky, imperishable stars,

1457c. which traverse the land of Libya, which are supported by their dm-sceptres;

1457d. just as N. is supported, with you, by a wȝś-sceptre and a d‘m-sceptre.

1458a. N. is your fourth,

1458b. O gods of the lower sky, imperishable stars,

1458c. which traverse the land of Libya, which are supported by their d'm-sceptres;

1458d. just as N. is supported, with you, by a wȝś-sceptre and a d‘m-sceptre,

1458e. by command of Horus, hereditary prince and king of the gods.

1459a. N. seizes the white crown; that upon which is the wire of the green crown.

1459b. N. is the ’i‘r.t-serpent, which comes forth from Set, which was robbed, but which was returned.

1459c. N. was robbed; he is returned; he is made alive.

1460a. N. is this (kind of) colour which comes out of Nun.

1460b. N. is the eye of Horus, which was not chewed, nor spit out;

1460c. he is not chewed nor spit out.

1461a. Hear it, this word, O Rē‘, said by N. to thee:

1461b. "Thy body is in N., O Rē‘; let thy body live in N., O Rē‘."

1462a. "The baboon is a wild-ox," so said knm.wt;

1462b. "knm.wt is a wild-ox," so said the baboon.

1462c. O that castrated one! O this man! O he who hurries him who hurries (?), among you two!

1462d. These-this first corporation of the company of the justified

1463a. was born before there was any anger;

1463b. was born before there was any clamour (lit. voice);

1463c. was born before there was any strife.,

1463d. was born before there was any conflict;

1463e. was born before the eye of Horus was plucked out; before the testicles of Set were torn away.

1464a. N. is blood' which came from Isis; N. is red blood which came from Nephthys.

1464b. N. does dḥ‘w3 against his bnw; there is nothing which the gods can do against N.;

1464c. N. is the deputy of Rē‘; N. shall not die.

1465a. Hear, O Geb, hereditary prince of all the gods, endue him with his form.

1465b. Hear, O Thot, who art among the peaceful ones of the gods, 1465c. let a door for N. be opened by Horus; let N. be protected by Set.

1465d. N. appears in the eastern side of the sky,

1465e. like Rē‘ who shines in the eastern side of the sky.