Once upon a time he
practiced a spear-throwing for his pleasure on the territory of the
Memphite nome, in its southern and northern extent, where he slung
brazen bolts at the target, and hunted lions in the valley of the
gazelles. He rode in his two-horsed chariot, and his horses were
swifter than the wind. With him were two of his attendants. No man
knew them.
Then was the hour in which he granted rest to his servants. He took
advantage of it to present to Horemkhu, near the (temple of) Seker
in the city of the dead, and to the goddess Rannu, an offering of
the seeds of the flowers on the heights [and to pray to the great
mother Isis, the lady of] the north wall and the lady of the south
wall, and to Sekhet of Xois, and to Set.
For a great enchantment
rests on this place from the beginning of time, as far as the
districts of the lords of Babylon, the sacred road of the gods to
the western horizon of On-Heliopolis, because the form of the Sphinx
is a likeness of Kheper-Ra, the very great god who abides at this
place, the greatest of all spirits, the most venerable being who
rests upon it. To him the inhabitants of Memphis and of all towns in
his district raise their hands to pray before his countenance, and
to offer him rich sacrifices.
On one of these days it
happened, when the king's son Tuthmosis had arrived on his journey
about the time of mid-day, and had stretched himself to rest in the
shade of this great god, that sleep overtook him.
He dreamt in his slumber
at the moment when the sun was at the zenith, and it seemed to him
as though this great god spoke to him with his own mouth, just as a
father speaks to his son, addressing him thus:
' Behold me, look at
me, thou, my son Tuthmosis. I am your father Horemkhu, Kheper,
Ra, Tmu. The kingdom shall be given to you .... and you shall
wear the white crown and the red crown on the throne of the
earth-god Seb, the youngest (among the gods).
The world shall be
yours in its length and in its breadth, as far as the light of
the eye of the lord of the universe shines. Plenty and riches
shall be yours; the best from the interior of the land, and rich
tributes from all nations; long years shall be granted to you as
your term of life. My countenance is gracious towards you, and
my heart clings to you; [I will give you] the best of all
things.
'The sand of the district in which I have my existence has
covered me up. Promise me that you will do what I wish in my
heart; then shall I know whether you are my son, my helper. Go
forward let me be united to you. I am . . . '
After this [Tuthmosis
awoke, and he repeated all these speeches,] and he understood (the
meaning) of the words of the god and laid them up in his heart,
speaking thus with himself:
'I see how the
dwellers in the temple of the city honour this god with
sacrificial gifts [without thinking of freeing from sand the
work of King] Khaf-Ra, the statue which was made to Tmu-Horemkhu.'
