The Papyrus of Ani, Chapter 17

Text:

The beginning of the exaltations and glorifications, of coming forth and going down in the underworld, of reciting formulae in beautiful Amentet, of coming forth by day in whatever form he desires, of playing senet, of sitting in the hall, and of coming forth as a living soul.

Words spoken by the Osiris scribe Ani after he arrives at the haven: It is beneficial to do it on earth; all the words of Atum come into being. I am Atum at his rising up. I am alone; I have become as Nu. I am Ra when he ascends, when this ruler begins for him. Who then is this? It is Ra when he ascends in Herakleopolis as a rising king. The pillars of Shu had not come into being when he was on the hill in Hermopolis.

I am the great god himself who comes into being; Nu, that is, when his name created the company of gods as god. Who then is this? This is Ra creating the names of his limbs; it is their coming into being as gods in [his] following.

I am he who is not driven back from the gods. Who then is this? This is Atum in his Disk, otherwise said, this is Ra when he rises in the eastern horizon of Heaven.

I am yesterday; I know tomorrow. What then is this? As for yesterday, it is Osiris, and as for tomorrow, it is Ra, on the day when the enemies of Neb-er-djer are destroyed, and when his son Horus comes to rule; otherwise said, the day when we established the festival; it is the promotion of the mummy of Osiris by his father Ra.

The fight was done by the gods when Osiris, lord of Amentet, commanded us. What then is this? It is Amentet, that which was done for the the souls of the gods when Osiris commanded to the Mountain of Amentet; otherwise said, it is Amentet; it is that which Ra gives to me. When any god comes down to it, he stands and fights for it.

I know this god who is in it. Who then is this? This is Osiris, otherwise said, his name is Ra; is is the phallus of Ra with which he himself copulated with himself.

I am the phoenix which is in Heliopolis; I am the keeper of the register of that which exists. Who thin is this? This is Osiris, otherwise said, this is his corpse, otherwise said, as for his excrement, as for that which exists, it is his corpse, otherwise said, this is eternity and infinity. As for eternity, it is the day, and as for infinity, it is the night.

I am Min when he comes forth; I have placed his two plumes on my head. What then is this? As for Min, he is Horus, the avenger of his father. As for his coming forth, it is his birth. As for his two plumes on his head, [the are] the going of Isis and Nephthys to place themselves on his head. They are as the two ancestral goddesses who relieve the sickness of his head; otherwise said, they are the two great uraei on the head of their father Atum; otherwise said, the two plumes on his head are his eyes.

The Osiris scribe of the offerings of all the gods Ani, true of voice, is in his land, he has come from his town. What this is this? It is the horizon of his father Atum.

I expel my sin; I destroy my wickedness. What then is this? This is the cutting of the umbilical cord of the Osiris scribe Ani, true of voice before all the gods; it is the driving away of the evil which he possesses. What then is this? It is the purification, on the day when he was born.

I am pure in my two great nests in Herakleopolis, on the day of offerings of the people of the great god who is there. What this is this? "Millions of years" is the name of one, "Great Green" is the name of the other; it is the lake of natron, and it is the lake of salt; otherwise said, "Leader of Millions of Years" is the name of one, and "Great Green" is the name of the other; otherwise said, "Begetter of Millions of Years" is the name of one, and "Great Green" is the name of the other. Now as for the the great god who is there, it is Ra himself.

I have gone on the way; I knew the head of the Island of Truth. What then is this? As for Re-Staw, it is the southern door of the Land where Nothing Grows, and the northern door of the tomb. And as for the the Island of Truth, it is Abydos; otherwise said, it is the way, it is the going of his father Atum upon it when he journeys to the Field of Reeds, where the food of the gods is produced behind the shrines. And as for the holy door, it is the door of the pillars of Shu; it is the northern gate of the underworld; otherwise said, the two leaves of the door though which Atum journeyed when he journeyed [to] the eastern horizon of heaven.

You who are in the presence there, give me your arms; I am that god who came into being among you. What then is this? It is the blood which comes forth from the phallus of Ra after he went away to perform the mutilation of himself. And it became as gods in the following of Ra, Hu and Sia who are in the following of Atum every day.

I, the Osiris scribe Ani, true of voice, have filled the Wedjat for you, after it was crushed on the day of the battle of the two fighters. What then is this? This is the day when Horus fought, and Set threw filth in the face of Horus, and Horus seized the testicles of Set. And as for Thoth, he performed this [the filling of the Wedjat] with his own fingers.

I have held up the stormcloud at the time of raging thunder. What then is this? It is the right eye of Ra in its rage, after he [Set] sent it [the storm]. It was Thoth who held up the cloud there. He brought it living, strong, and healthy without any defect; otherwise said it is when the eye was in pain, it was weeping for its companion, and it was Thoth who spat upon it.

I have seen Ra born yesterday from the loins of Mehweret; his strength is my strength; my strength is his strength. Who then is this? The Celestial Ocean, otherwise said, it is the image of the eye of Ra at dawn when he is born every day. As for Mehweret, she is the Wedjat of Ra.

For now the Osiris scribe Ani, true of voice, is a great one among these gods who are in the following of Horus, who speak on his behalf as his lord desires. Who then is this? Imset, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebesenuf.

Homage to you, lords of truth, chiefs behind Osiris who let the wicked ones in the following of Hetep-sekhwes be slain. Behold me; I am come before you; may you drive out all the evil which I possess, as you did for the seven glorified spirits who are in the following of their lord Sepa. Anubis has made their place on that day of [saying] "Come then there." What then is this? As for the lords of truth, they are Thoth and Asdes, lord of Amentet. As for the chiefs behind Osiris, they are Imset, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebesenuf, those who are behind the consellation Thigh in the northern sky. As for those who let the wicked ones in the following of Hetep-Sekhwes be slain, it is Sebek in the water. As for Hetep-Sekhwes, she is the eye of Ra; otherwise said, the fire which is behind Osiris burns the souls of his enemies. And as for all the evil which the Osiris scribe of the offerings of all the gods, Ani, true of voice, possesses, since he came forth from his mother's womb. As for the seven glorified spirits, [the are] Imset, Hapy, Duamutef, Qebesenuf, He Who Sees his Father, He Who is Under his Olive Tree, and Horus at the Front of the Blind, whom Anubis has placed as protectors of the mummy of Osiris; otherwise said, behind the pure house of Osiris; otherwise said, as for the seven glorified spirits, [they are] the Strengthener [?], He Who Turns Around, He Who Does Not Give his Flame at the Front of his Fire, He Who Enters In at his Hour, Red-Eyed One in the Temple of Cloth, Flame-Faced One Who Comes Forth and Goes Back and Who Sees in the Night, and He Who Brings by Day. As for the head of the Council of the Land where Nothing grows, it is Horus, the avenger of his father. And as for that day of [saying] "come then there," it is when Osiris said to Ra, "Come then there."

May what was decreed for me be seen in Amentet. I am his soul within the two brothers. Who then is this? This is Osiris, entering into Busiris; there he found the soul of Ra standing to embrace another, which came into being as souls within the two brothers. And as for the souls within the two brothers...

[The scribe has omitted a long section of the chapter here.]

...from this god who steals away the soul, devourers of hearts, living in filth, the keeper of darkness in the boat of Seker, he who is feared by the helpless ones. Who then is this? This is Suti, otherwise said, Smam-wer, the soul of Geb.

O Khepri who is in his boat, whose body is the two companies of gods, rescue the Osiris Ani, true of voice, from they who are the keepers of the inquiry, whom Neb-er-djer has placed to protect him and to perform the fettering of his enemies, who allow slaughter in their slaughter houses, and who come forth from their restraints. May they not plunge their knives in me; may I not enter into their slaughter houses; may I not lie helpless inside their chambers; may nothing be done to me which is loathsome to he gods, because I am pure upon the chamber of the bull's hide. He has brought evening-bread of faience in Tanent. Who then is this? Khepri in his boat is Ra himself. As for those keepers of the inquiry, they are the apes, Isis and Nephthys. As for that which is loathsome to the gods, it is the excrement of falsehood. As for he who passes through the place of purification in the chamber of the bull's hide, it is Anubis. He is behind the coffer which has the intestines of Osiris. As for he who gives evening-bread of faience in Tanent, is is Osiris, otherwise said, as for the evening-bread of faience in Tanent, it is heaven and earth, otherwise said, it is the striking of the two lands by Shu in Herakleopolis. As for the evening-bread of faience, it is the eye of Horus. As for Tanent, it is the reunion of Osiris.

Build your house, Atum; found your mansion, Ruruti. The medicines have arrived. The purification of Horus is the cleansing of Set; the cleansing of Set is the purification of Horus. He has come from this land; he has taken his legs, the Osiris scribe Ani, true of voice before Osiris. He is Atum; he is in your city behind you. Ruhu, bright of mouth, shining of head, flee from his power, otherwise said, flee from him who performs the guardianship. He is not seen who is the guardian of the Osiris Ani. He is Isis, whom he has found. He spreads hair on his face, I disshevel it on his brow. He was conceived in Isis; he was begotten in Nephthys; they cut away his confusion. Fear is in your following; your might is on his arms; your shoulder is at their sides for countless years. You encircle the people; you destroy the kin of your enemies; you have laid bare the demons with their arms. The two sisters are given to you. Your creations in Kher-aha and in Heliopolis are a delight to you. Every god fears you greatly; great is your might. Every god [...] from one who curses him and shoots [...]. You live as you desire; you are Wadjit, lady of flame. They who have nothing among themselves come up to you. What then is this? "Hidden of from, given by Menhu" is the name of the tomb; "He is seen at once" is the name of the slaughterhouse where the enemies of Osiris are slain, otherwise said, the name of the block of execution. As for he who is bright of mouth and shining of head, it is the phallus of Osiris, otherwise said, it is the phallus of Ra. As for "You spread out your hair; you dishevel it on your brow," it is Isis, because of the secret in it; she ties up her hair there. As for Wadjit, the lady of flame, she is the eye of Ra.