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) |
| 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) |
| |
Utterances (602 | 603 | 604 | 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 602.
1672a. To say by the Earth, by Geb, by Osiris, by Anubis, by Wr-ḥb:
1672b. Make N. festive at the Feast of Horus.
1672c. Let him who is among the falcons hasten to the ka of N., who is Ḥmmi.
1673a. Open for N. his eyes, open for him his nose;
1673b. open for N. his mouth, open for him his ears;
1673c. make prosperous for N. his two plumes.
1674a. Let N. be allowed to pass, by the god,
1674b. filled with the force of the winds.
1674c. After you have eaten this, N. will find what is left by you.
1674d. Give the remainder to N.; behold, he is come.
Utterance 603.
1675a. (N. Jéquier, VII 709 + 40). To say: Lift thyself up, father N.; fasten to thee thy head; take to thee thy limbs;
1675b. (N. VII 709 + 40). lift thyself up upon thy feet; follow thy heart.
1675c. Thy runners hasten; thy messengers rush on behind;
1676a. thy herald of the horizon comes; Anubis approaches thee;
1676b. Ḥtp gives his arm to thee; the gods desire (or, rejoice) ----
1676c (N. VII 709 + 40: Thot comes in his dignity of spirit to the Two Enneads.
1676c + 1 (N. VII 709 + 42). He ferried over the lake; h[e] avoided the Dȝ.t
1677a. -----------------------------------
1677b. ----------------------- with this mighty one who endures each day.
1678a. He comes that he may govern the cities, that he may rule over the settlements,
1678b. that he may command those who are in Nun
1678c. sitting, to him --------------
1679a. -------------------------------------
1679b. ---------------- he rests alive in the West (or, he is satisfied in living in the West),
1679c. among the Followers of Rē‘, who make the way of twilight mount up.
Utterance 604.
1680a. To say: Raise thyself up, father, N., the great; sit before them;
1680b. the apertures of the (heavenly) windows are open for thee;
1680c. broad are thy steps of light;
1680d. this is said to thee, father N. To say: O! Ho!'
Utterance 605.
1681a. To say: Father N., I am come; I bring to thee the green cosmetic;
1681b. I am come; I bring to thee the green cosmetic, which Horus put on Osiris.
1682a. I put thee on my father N., as Horus put thee on his father Osiris,
1682b. when (or, as) Horus filled his empty eye with his full eye.
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