Prayer.  Praise to thee, O thou who art mighty in thy hour, great and mighty prince, lord and creator of eternity.

Prayer.  Praise to those whose throne is Right and Truth, who hatest fraud and deceit.

Prayer.  Praise to thee who bringest Hapi [the Nile]; in thy boat from his source.

Prayer.  Praise to thee, O creator of the gods, thou king of the North and the South.  O Osiris, the all-conquering one, ruler of the world, lord of the heavens.

VI.—­HYMN OF PRAISE TO THE SETTING SUN

About the mystery of the underworld and about travelling through the underworld.

When he sets on the underworld the gods adore him.  The great god Ra rises with two eyes [sun and moon]; all the seven gods (Kuas) welcome him in the evening into the underworld.  They sing his praises, calling him Tmu.  The deceased one says, “Praise be to thee, O Ra, praise be to thee, O Tmu.  Thou hast risen and put on strength, and thou settest in glorious splendour into the underworld.  Thou sailest in thy boat across the heavens, and thou establisheth the earth.  East and West adore thee, bowing and doing homage to thee day and night.”

VII.—­ABOUT THE RESURRECTION, OR THE COMING BACK TO LIFE (DAY), OF DEPARTED SHADES.

[This is one of the oldest (cir.  B.C. 2700) and most remarkable chapters, though also one of the hardest to follow in its details.  The vignettes reproduced in the editions of Davis, Renouf, and Budge help considerably in following the line of thought.  An exact copy of this chapter has been found on the tomb of Horhotep.

The soul of the deceased encounters all manner of obstacles and opponents in the attempt to pass to the upper air, and he seeks constantly the help of Ra, etc., that he may be victorious].

Of the praises of entering the lower world and of coming out.

(Osiris) the scribe Ani says it is a good and profitable thing on earth for a man to recite this text, since all the words written herein shall come to pass.

I am Ra, who at my rising rule all things.  I am the great self-made god.

I am yesterday and to-morrow.  I gave the command, and a scene of strife among the gods arose [i.e., the sun awakened all the forces of Nature into action].  What is this?  It is Amentet, the underworld.

What is this?  The horizon of my father Tmu [the setting sun].  All of my failings are now supplied, my sins cleansed as I pass through the two lakes which purify the offences which men offer the gods.

I advance on the path, descending to the realm of Osiris, passing through the gate Teser.  O all ye who have passed this way in safety, let me grasp your hands and be brought to your abode.

O ye divine powers of Maert, the sworn foes of falsehood, may I come to you.