Pert em Hru — The Chapters of Coming Forth by Day
The Book of the Dead — known to the Egyptians as Pert em Hru, "Coming Forth by Day" — is the great funerary literature of ancient Egypt: a collection of spells, hymns, and declarations composed to guide the dead through the perils of the underworld and into eternal life. The texts evolved over more than a thousand years, from the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom through the Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom into the fully illustrated papyrus scrolls of the New Kingdom and later periods.
This edition follows the Papyrus of Ani, the finest and most complete surviving manuscript of the Theban recension, created for the royal scribe Ani and his wife Tutu during the Nineteenth Dynasty (c. 1250 BCE). The papyrus, originally a continuous scroll of seventy-eight feet, was acquired by E. A. Wallis Budge for the British Museum in 1888 and remains there as EA 10470. It contains hymns to Ra and Osiris, chapters of transformation, spells for the protection of the body, the great Judgment Scene in the Hall of Double Maat — the weighing of the heart against the feather of Truth — and the vision of the Field of Reeds, the blessed land of the afterlife.
This is a Good Works Translation from Egyptian, produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church with AI assistance. It is not a reproduction of any existing English translation. The rendering aims for clarity, fidelity, and a voice that lets the Egyptian breathe in modern English — following the translation principles established in the Church's Daodejing and Rigveda translations. Egyptian terms are transliterated using standard Egyptological conventions. The source text is the hieroglyphic record of the Papyrus of Ani as published in scholarly editions, cross-referenced with the broader Theban recension.
A Hymn of Praise to Ra When He Rises in the Eastern Sky
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, who records the holy offerings of all the gods, says:
Hail to you who have come as Khepera,
Khepera who created the gods!
You rise, you shine,
you make bright your mother Nut,
crowned as king of the gods.
Your mother Nut greets you with both her hands.
The land of Manu receives you in contentment
and the goddess Maat embraces you at morning and at evening.
May he give splendour and power and triumph
and a coming-forth as a living soul
to see Horus of the Two Horizons —
to the ka of the Osiris, the scribe Ani, who says:
Hail, all you gods of the Temple of the Soul,
who weigh heaven and earth in the balance,
who provide food and abundance!
Hail, Tatenen, the One,
creator of humankind and of the substance of the gods
of the south and the north, the west and the east!
Give praise to Ra, lord of heaven,
the Prince, Life, Strength, and Health,
the creator of the gods —
adore him in his beautiful presence
as he rises in the morning boat.
Those who dwell in the heights worship you.
Those who dwell in the depths worship you.
Thoth and Maat are your recorders.
Your enemy is given to the fire.
The evil one has fallen,
his arms are bound,
and Ra has taken his legs from him.
The children of impotent revolt shall never rise again.
The House of the Prince keeps festival
and the sound of rejoicing fills the mighty dwelling.
The gods are glad when they see Ra in his rising —
his beams flood the world with light.
The majesty of the god sets forth
and comes to the land of Manu.
He makes the earth bright at his birth each day.
He comes to the place where he was yesterday.
O may you be at peace with me!
May I behold your beauties.
May I advance upon the earth.
May I strike down the Ass.
May I crush the evil one.
May I destroy Apep in his hour.
May I see the abtu-fish at the time of his creation
and the ant-fish in his pool.
May I see Horus at the helm
with Thoth and Maat beside him.
May I grasp the bow of the evening boat
and the stern of the morning boat.
May he grant to the ka of the Osiris Ani
to behold the disk of the Sun
and to see the Moon-god without ceasing, every day.
May my soul come forth
and walk here and there
and wherever it pleases.
May my name be proclaimed
when it is found upon the board of offerings.
May offerings be made to me in my presence
as they are made to the followers of Horus.
May there be prepared for me a seat in the boat of the Sun
on the day of the going-forth of the god.
May I be received into the presence of Osiris
in the land of triumph!
Hymn to Osiris
Glory to Osiris Un-nefer, the great god within Abydos,
king of eternity, lord of the everlasting,
who passes through millions of years in his existence!
Eldest son of the womb of Nut,
begotten by Seb the Ancestor,
lord of the crowns of the North and the South,
lord of the lofty white crown —
As prince of gods and of men
he has received the crook and the flail
and the dignity of his divine fathers.
Let your heart which is in the mountain of Amenta be content,
for your son Horus is established upon your throne.
You are crowned lord of Tattu
and ruler in Abydos.
Through you the world grows green in triumph
before the might of Neb-er-tcher.
He leads in his train that which is and that which is not yet,
in his name the One Who Draws the Earth.
He tows the world in triumph
in his name Seker.
He is exceeding mighty and most terrible
in his name Osiris.
He endures for ever and for ever
in his name Un-nefer.
Hail to you, King of kings, Lord of lords,
Prince of princes!
From the womb of Nut you have possessed the world
and ruled all lands and Akert.
Your body is of gold,
your head is of lapis lazuli,
and turquoise light encircles you.
O An of millions of years,
all-pervading with your body,
beautiful of countenance in the Holy Land —
Grant to the ka of the Osiris, the scribe Ani,
splendour in heaven and might upon earth
and triumph in the underworld.
Grant that I may sail down to Tattu as a living soul
and up to Abydos as a bennu-bird,
that I may go in and come out without repulse
at the pylons of the Tuat.
May there be given to me
loaves of bread in the house of coolness
and offerings of food in Heliopolis
and a homestead for ever in the Field of Reeds
with wheat and barley therefor.
Chapter I: Coming Forth by Day
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you Bull of the West!
Thoth, the King of Eternity, is with me.
I am the great god by the side of the divine boat.
I have fought for you.
I am one of those gods,
those divine chiefs
who proved the word of Osiris true
against his enemies
on that day of the weighing of words.
I am your kinsman, Osiris.
I am one of those gods born of Nut
who slay the enemies of Osiris
and hold captive the fiends on his behalf.
I am your kinsman, Horus.
I have fought for you.
I have come for your name's sake.
I am Thoth who proved the word of Osiris true
against his enemies
on that day of the weighing of words
in the great House of the Prince
which is in Heliopolis.
I am Teti, the son of Teti.
I was conceived in Tattu, I was born in Tattu.
I am with those who weep for Osiris,
with the women who bewail Osiris
in the Two Lands of Rekhti,
and I prove the word of Osiris true
against his enemies.
Ra commanded that Thoth should do this —
to prove the word of Osiris true
against his enemies —
and the command was done for me by Thoth.
I am with Horus on the day
of the dressing of Teshtesh,
of the opening of the wells for the washing of the Still-Heart,
of the unbolting of the door of hidden things
in Rosetau.
I am with Horus as the guardian
of the left shoulder of Osiris
who is in Sekhem.
I go in and I come out
among those who are there
on the day of the destruction of the Fiends
in Sekhem.
I am with Horus on the day of the festival of Osiris,
making offerings on the sixth-day feast
and on the Tenat feast in Heliopolis.
I am a priest in Tattu.
I perform the rites in Abydos.
I am one who is given entrance
to raise up the Tet-pillar in Tattu
and to set the shrine upon its sledge.
O you who open up paths,
who open up paths!
O you who open up paths
for the perfected souls in the House of Osiris —
open up a path for me,
open up a path for the ka of the Osiris, the scribe Ani,
with you!
May he go in boldly and come out in peace
from the House of Osiris
without being turned back,
without being repulsed.
May he go in as he pleases
and come out as he desires.
May he be proven true.
May his commands be done in the House of Osiris.
May he walk and speak with you,
may he be a shining one with you.
He has not been found wanting there.
The Balance is free of his wrongdoing.
Chapter II: Coming Forth by Day and Living After Death
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you One who shines from the Moon!
Hail, you One who shines from the Moon!
Let the Osiris Ani go forth among your multitudes outside.
Let him who is in the underworld be released.
Let the Osiris Ani not be kept captive
among those who would hold him.
If the Osiris, the scribe Ani, be kept captive,
then Atum shall be kept captive.
If the Osiris Ani be held back,
then Atum shall be held back.
Every god who would hold back the Osiris Ani
shall be held back himself.
He is Horus, the son of Hathor.
His head shall not be taken from him.
And my head shall not be taken from me.
I have knit myself together.
I have made myself whole and complete.
I am the heir of the great goddess.
My face has been given to me and my head has been restored.
I am Osiris, lord of eternity.
Chapter VI: The Chapter of the Ushabti Figure
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
O you ushabti figure!
If I am called upon,
if I am appointed to do any work
that is done in the underworld —
if indeed any obstacle is set before me
as a man at his duties —
you shall appoint yourself for me
at all times,
to plough the fields,
to fill the channels with water,
to carry the sand from the east to the west.
"Here I am!" you shall say. "I shall do it."
Chapter VIII: Passing Through the Western Horizon
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
The cavern of the west is opened.
The cavern of the west is thrown wide.
Behold — the Osiris Ani comes forth by day!
Atum is the opener of my gate.
I know the deep waters — I have power over them.
I am he who guards the great Passage.
I am he who knows the deep.
I am he who makes his way.
Hail to the soul of Osiris Ani!
He is seen in the underworld.
He is known in the land of the dead.
He comes, and he is not turned back.
Chapter IX: Coming Forth by Day After Passing Through the Tomb
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you Soul, you mighty one of terror!
Behold, I have come to you.
I see you.
I have passed through the underworld.
I see my father Osiris.
I have driven away the darkness.
I am his beloved.
I have come. I see my father Osiris.
He has slain Set.
I have opened every path
in heaven and on earth.
I am the son beloved of his father Osiris.
I am noble, I am a spirit,
I am equipped —
O all you gods and all you spirits,
make a path for me!
Chapter XVII: The Great Chapter of Coming Forth by Day
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am Atum when I was alone in the Nun.
I am Ra in his first rising,
when he began to rule that which he had made.
What does this mean?
It means Ra when he first began to rule as king, when the pillar of Shu had not yet been raised, when he was upon the high ground of the One of Hermopolis.
I am the great god who came into being of himself,
who created his names, the lord of the company of the gods,
whom none can withstand among the gods.
What does this mean?
It means Ra, the creator of the names of his limbs, which came into being in the form of the gods who are in the following of Ra.
I am the one among the gods who cannot be repulsed.
What does this mean?
It means Atum who is in his disk. Another reading: it means Ra when he rises in the eastern horizon of heaven.
Yesterday belongs to me and I know tomorrow.
What does this mean?
Yesterday is Osiris. Tomorrow is Ra. It is the day when the enemies of the Lord of All are destroyed and his son Horus is established as ruler.
I am the battlefield of the gods.
I know the name of that great god who is therein.
What does this mean?
It is Osiris. Another reading: the name of the great god is Ra-Atum, the self-created, the maker of his names, the lord of the company of the gods.
The praise of Ra is mine. I am the Bennu-bird which is in Heliopolis,
the keeper of the register of what exists and what shall come to be.
What does this mean?
The Bennu-bird is Osiris. Another reading: the register of what exists and what shall come to be — this means eternity and everlastingness. Eternity is the day, everlastingness is the night.
I am Min in his going forth.
I have placed the double plume upon my head.
What does this mean?
Min is Horus who champions his father. His going forth means his birth. The double plumes upon his head — Isis and Nephthys went and placed themselves upon his head as two hawks, and they abide there for ever.
I am in my domain. I am in my city.
What does this mean?
It means the horizon of my father Atum.
All evil that was upon me has been removed,
and every wrong that clung to me has been cut away.
What does this mean?
It means the cutting of the navel string of the Osiris, the scribe Ani, justified, when he was born. The fault that was upon him was washed away. He was purified on the day of his birth in the great Lake of the Prince which is in Suten-henen, on that day when the people make offerings to the great god who is therein.
I have gone through the great Lake of Suten-henen.
I have passed over the way to Rosetau,
which is the gate of the underworld on the south side of Naarutf.
What does this mean?
Rosetau is the gate at the south of Naarutf, and it is the northern gate of the tomb. Now as for the Lake of Maat, it is Abydos.
I am the Aged One in the Field of the Aged One.
What does this mean?
The Aged One is Osiris. Another reading: the name of the Aged One is Yesterday. The Field of the Aged One — it is the region extending from Naarutf to the House of Isis, lady of the northern wall.
I have seen the Eye of Horus when it was full.
I know the Being who guards the Emerald.
What does this mean?
The Eye of Horus is the left eye of Ra, the night when it is full on the fifteenth day of the month. The Being who guards it is Thoth, who raises it whole and sound on the shoulder of Ra.
I am not taken into custody.
I am not kept in prison.
For the Aged One has opened his eye,
and he has seen me,
and I have been given Maat.
I know the deep waters.
My name is not unknown in the Great House.
My name is not forgotten in the House of Fire.
Hail to you, you who are in the holy mountain!
Hail to you, you tiller of the holy field!
I know you, and I know your name.
I know the names of the forty-two gods
who are with you in the Hall of Double Maat.
They live on those who cherish evil.
They swallow their blood
on the day of reckoning before Un-nefer.
I know you, Lords of Maat!
I bring you Maat.
I have destroyed wrongdoing for you.
I have not sinned against men.
I have not oppressed the members of my family.
I have not done wrong in the place of truth.
I have not known worthless people.
I have not done evil.
I have not set my labor above what was due.
I have not brought my name forward for honours.
I have not treated servants cruelly.
I have not thought scorn of the god.
I have not robbed the poor.
I have not done what the gods abominate.
I have not caused a slave to be ill-treated by his master.
I have not caused suffering.
I have not caused hunger.
I have not caused tears.
I have not killed.
I have not given the order to kill.
I have not caused pain to anyone.
I am pure! I am pure! I am pure! I am pure!
My purity is the purity of that great Bennu-bird
which is in Suten-henen.
For I am that nose of the Lord of Breath
who gives life to all the people
on that day when the Eye of Horus was filled full
in Heliopolis, in the second month of winter,
on the last day of the month,
in the presence of the lord of this earth.
I have seen the Eye of Horus when it was full.
No evil shall befall me in this land,
in this Hall of Double Maat,
because I know the names of these gods
who are therein, the followers of the great god.
The cat who split the ished-tree on its side in Heliopolis
on that night of battle
and of overthrowing the enemies of the Lord of All —
What does this mean?
The male cat is Ra himself. He is called "Cat" when Sia spoke of him: "He is like that which he has made, and his name became Cat." Another reading: it is Shu, who makes over the possessions of Seb to Osiris.
As for the splitting of the ished-tree near him in Heliopolis — it was when the children of impotent revolt were given what they had done.
As for that night of battle — it means the entry of the eastern part of heaven by the children of impotent revolt, whereupon a great battle arose in heaven and on all the earth.
I know that god who passes through the fire,
with two long horns upon his head.
He reaps and he sows.
What does this mean?
It is Osiris. Another reading: it is Ra. The two horns are Isis and Nephthys. They place themselves on his head as his protectors.
O Ra-Atum, Lord of the Great House!
Prince, Life, Strength, and Health,
lord of all the gods!
Deliver the Osiris Ani from that god
whose face is that of a greyhound,
whose brows are the brows of a man,
who feeds on the dead,
who watches at the bend of the Lake of Fire,
who devours bodies and swallows hearts,
who casts filth but is not seen.
What does this mean?
His name is "Swallower of Millions." He is in the Lake of Unt. As for the Lake of Fire — it is between Naarutf and the House of the Lake. He who is beside the Lake of Maat — every god who has no strength falls into the knife at the utterance of his name.
Deliver the Osiris Ani from those slaughter-gods
whose hands are foul,
whose fingers are evil,
who strangle the helpless —
They shall not have dominion over me.
I shall not fall to their knives.
I shall not enter their shambles.
I shall not sit in the dark.
I shall not fall into the pits prepared for the enemies
of the Aged One.
I am Ra, coming forth from the Nun.
My soul is God.
I am the creator of the Word.
Evil is my abomination.
I do not look upon it.
I have made offerings of Maat to Ra.
I have pacified him with that which he loves.
I am the waters.
I am Shu who lifts up Atum.
I am the great soul, self-born.
I am one of those gods of the great company
whom Nut brought forth —
What does this mean?
It means the kas of Ra and the kas of Osiris. They are every god and every goddess and all their kas that are with them.
I am yesterday.
I know today.
What does this mean?
Yesterday is Osiris. Today is Ra. It is the day of destroying the enemies of the Lord of All, and of establishing Horus as ruler.
It is the day on which we celebrate
the meeting of the dead Osiris with his father Ra
and the battle of the gods —
when the funeral of Osiris was commanded
by his father Ra.
I am the pillar of Shu
which was raised in the field of Aal.
What does this mean?
It is Ra himself.
I know the gate from which Ra goes forth in the east.
What does this mean?
It is the gate of Shu at the eastern side of heaven, through which Ra comes forth. It is the northern gate of the underworld.
O you who are exalted, who are adored!
O you great gate!
I have made my way.
I know you, I know your name.
I know the name of the god who guards you.
The earth is his fireplace,
the snake is his fuel —
he lives upon the fallen.
Keeper of the gate!
Open to me!
What does this mean?
It is Aker, the lion-god who guards the earth, who has an opposite face — the one looking toward the yesterday of yesterday, the other toward the tomorrow of tomorrow.
I am equipped.
I am a shining one.
I have opened the way through every gate.
Chapter XXII: Restoring the Mouth
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I have risen from the egg which is in the secret land.
My mouth has been given to me
that I may speak with it
before the great god, the lord of the underworld.
My hand shall not be repulsed
by the divine tribunal of any god.
I am Osiris, lord of Rosetau.
The Osiris Ani has his portion
with the one who is on the top of the stairs.
I have come according to the wish of my heart
from the Lake of Fire.
I have quenched it.
Hail, Lord of Light,
who is at the head of the House of the Hidden One!
I am the shining one.
I have come.
I have finished the passage.
Chapter XXIII: Opening the Mouth
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
My mouth is opened by Ptah!
The bonds that are upon my mouth
have been loosed by my city-god.
Thoth has come, equipped with words of power.
He has loosed the bonds of Set from my mouth.
Atum has hurled them back
at those who would bind me with them
and has cast them at him.
My mouth is opened.
My mouth is split open by Shu
with that iron tool of his
with which he split open the mouths of the gods.
I am Sekhmet.
I sit upon the great western side of heaven.
I am among the stars
that never set.
My mouth is opened.
My mouth is split open.
I shall speak.
Chapter XXIV: Bringing Words of Power
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am Atum-Khepera who came into being of himself
upon the thigh of his divine mother.
Those who are in the Nun are given to me.
Those who are among the gods are given to me.
I have made myself whole.
I have gathered my words of power
from every place where they were,
faster than the greyhound,
swifter than light.
Hail, you who tow the boat of Ra
over the canal of fire!
I have gathered my words of power
from every place where they were
and from every person who had them,
faster than the greyhound,
swifter than light.
O you shining image of the All-Lord,
who are provided with the fire of command —
my words of power are in my belly
and I shall not hand them over to you.
Chapter XXV: Causing the Deceased to Remember His Name
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Let my name be given to me in the Great House.
Let me remember my name in the House of Fire
on the night of the counting of the years
and of the telling of the months.
I am with the Holy One.
I sit on the eastern side of heaven.
If any god comes to me,
I will proclaim his name at once.
Chapter XXVI: Giving a Heart to the Deceased
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
My heart is given to me in the House of Hearts.
My heart is given to me in the House of Hearts.
My heart is mine and it rests in me.
I shall eat of the food of the Harvest-god,
and I shall row to any place I desire
upon the great waters.
My heart is mine.
It shall not be taken from me.
I am the lord of hearts,
the slayer of the heart's attacker.
I live in Maat, day by day.
My heart — it is mine.
My heart — it is with me.
It shall not be taken.
I am master of my own heart.
My body is whole.
My heart shall not fall from me.
No terror shall drive it from me.
I have come forth in peace.
Chapter XXVII: Not Allowing the Heart to Be Taken
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you who carry off hearts!
Hail, you who steal hearts!
Hail, you who make the heart of a man to be still!
Hail, you who transform hearts!
You shall not carry off my heart.
You shall not steal my heart.
You shall not make my heart be still.
You shall not transform my heart.
I am the Lord of Hearts.
My heart is mine.
Set shall not triumph over me,
for I am the lord of my heart,
and my heart is in my body,
and my body is whole,
and my heart shall not be taken.
Chapter XXVIII: Not Allowing the Heart to Be Carried Away
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, Lion-god! I am the Flower.
Maat is my body.
I shall not let this heart of mine
be carried away from me
by the slaughter-gods.
My heart belongs to the Lord of Joy.
My heart belongs to the Great One
whose word is maat on the day of weighing.
I am strong.
My heart is strong.
I live. My heart lives.
It sits in its place.
It does not fall.
Chapter XXIX: Not Allowing the Heart to Be Carried Off
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Back, you messenger of any god!
Have you come to carry off this heart of mine?
This heart of mine shall not be given to you.
The gods who are on high give ear to me,
the gods who are below listen to me —
You shall not take my heart.
I am the lord of hearts!
I am the slayer of hearts!
I live by Maat.
I live by what I love.
The words of power are with me.
My heart is with me and it shall not be taken.
I am the master of my own heart,
the maker of my own body.
My heart obeys my will —
it is in its place
and I command it.
Chapter XXX-B: The Spell of the Heart Scarab
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
O my heart of my mother!
O my heart of my mother!
O my heart of my becoming!
Do not stand against me as witness.
Do not oppose me in the tribunal.
Do not be hostile to me
before the keeper of the balance.
You are my ka within my body,
the god Khnum who makes whole my limbs.
Come forth to the place of happiness
to which we go.
Do not make my name to stink
before the judges who put people in their places.
It is good for us. It is good for the judge.
It is good for the heart of him who weighs.
Do not speak lies against me
before the great god, lord of the West!
See — your worthiness depends on your being found true.
Chapter XLIII: Not Allowing the Head to Be Cut Off
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the great One, son of the great One.
I am Fire, son of Fire.
My head was given to me
and it was set upon me after it had been cut off.
The head of Osiris was not taken from him —
my head shall not be taken from me.
I have knit myself together.
I have made myself whole.
I am renewed. I am young again.
I am Osiris, lord of eternity.
Chapter XLIV: Not Dying a Second Time
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
My hiding place is opened.
My hiding place is revealed.
Light has fallen upon the darkness.
The Eye of Horus has made me holy.
Wepwawet has nursed me.
I have hidden myself with you,
O you stars that never set.
My face is the face of Ra.
My limbs are the limbs of a god.
I am delivered. I am delivered.
I shall not die a second time
in the underworld.
Chapter XLV: Not Decaying
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
O you who are unmoving —
you who are in Rosetau —
you of the millions of years —
My members shall not decay.
My bones shall not perish.
My flesh shall not be destroyed.
My body shall not fall apart.
My limbs shall not be annihilated.
I exist! I live! I wake in peace.
My intestines shall not perish.
My eye shall not decay.
The form of my face shall not disappear.
My ear shall not become deaf.
My head shall not be separated from my neck.
My tongue shall not be removed.
My hair shall not be cut off.
My eyebrows shall not be shaved away.
No evil thing shall come upon me.
My body is established.
It shall not crumble.
It shall not be destroyed upon this earth.
Chapter XLVI: Not Perishing in the Underworld
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am Ra who rises from the Nun.
My soul is God.
I am he who created the Word.
Evil is my abomination.
I look not upon it.
I am a prince. I shall not die.
I am the Bull of the divine herd.
I enter and I come forth.
I live! I live!
I grow, I grow,
I wake in peace.
I shall not decay.
My intestines shall not perish.
I shall not suffer injury.
My eye shall not decay.
My face shall not fall.
My ear shall not become deaf.
My head shall not be cut off.
My body shall be established
and it shall not fall into ruin.
Chapter LIV: Giving Air to the Deceased
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
O Atum! Give me the sweet breath
that is in your nostrils.
I am the Egg that is in the Great Cackler.
I watch over this great egg
which Seb has parted from the earth.
If I live, it lives.
If I grow old, it grows old.
If I breathe, it breathes.
I am the Egg. I am the Egg.
Chapter LVIII: Breathing Air and Having Power Over Water
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Open to me!
Who are you? Where have you come from?
What has happened to you?
I am one of you.
I have come from the Waters.
The door was opened for me
by the god of the single face.
Hail, you sycamore of the sky-goddess!
Give me the air and the water that are in you.
I embrace the throne that is in Hermopolis.
I have guarded the egg of the Great Cackler.
If it flourishes, I flourish.
If it lives, I live.
If it breathes, I breathe air.
Chapter LIX: Breathing Air and Having Power Over Water in the Underworld
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you sycamore of Nut!
Give me the water and the air that dwell in you.
I embrace that throne which is in Khmunu.
I have watched and guarded
the egg of the Great Cackler.
It grows — I grow.
It lives — I live.
It breathes — I breathe air.
It breathes air — I breathe air.
Chapter LXXII: Coming Forth by Day and Opening a Way Through the Underworld
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
The place of retreat is opened!
What was shut has been thrown wide!
The place of retreat is opened for my soul!
The Eye of Horus has delivered my soul.
Ornaments of glory are on the forehead of Ra.
My stride is long.
My legs are lifted high.
I have made the far journey.
My limbs are strong.
I am Horus, the avenger of his father,
who brings the crown to set it upon his head.
The way of souls is opened!
My twin soul sees the great god
within the boat of Ra on the day of souls.
My soul is in the front,
the counter of the years is at its side.
Come! The Eye of Horus
has delivered my soul, my ornaments, my limbs.
I am established. I am equipped.
I have come forth by day.
Chapter LXXVII: Being Transformed into a Golden Falcon
I have risen! I have risen!
I have gathered myself together
like the beautiful golden falcon
that has the head of the Bennu-bird!
Ra enters to hear my words.
I have taken my seat among the great gods
who are in the presence of Nut.
The fields of offering are before me.
I eat of their food.
I am equipped.
I am a shining one.
I fly as a hawk.
I cackle as a goose.
I alight upon the way
on the festival of the great one.
What I abominate, I shall not eat.
Filth — I shall not eat it.
What my ka abominates
shall not enter my body.
I live upon maat.
I live upon what the gods live upon.
I am strong.
I have gathered words of power,
more than the hounds,
more than the shining ones.
Give me these my wings!
I am one who is ready to fly.
I fly! I fly!
I have risen as a golden falcon!
I come forth from the thighs of the great one
who dwells in the light.
Chapter LXXVIII: Being Transformed into a Divine Falcon
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail to you, O you who have come forth from the underworld!
I have come. I have advanced to see your beauties.
I am he who flies.
I fly as a divine falcon.
Horus has furnished me with his nature.
He has furnished me with his Eye.
He has given me power over my legs.
I have risen as the divine falcon.
I have risen above the circle of the sky.
I have passed over the land of Shu.
I know the deep waters.
I fly like a falcon.
I have come from the ends of heaven.
I have sailed over the celestial Nile.
I have seen the great water-flood.
Hail, you who bring offerings!
I am Horus, the divine falcon.
Horus has given me his Eye,
he has given me his nature.
I enter as a falcon.
I come forth as the Bennu-bird.
The Morning Star makes a path for me
and I enter in peace
into the beautiful West.
I am Horus, the son of Osiris,
and I have come to the boundaries of heaven.
The two sisters know me.
They give me bread, they give me beer.
I sit with the great ones.
I enter with the falcon.
I come forth with the Bennu.
It is Horus! It is Horus!
The scribe Ani — he is Horus!
Chapter LXXXII: Being Transformed into Ptah
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I eat bread. I drink ale.
I put on garments.
I fly like a hawk.
I cackle like the semen-goose.
I alight upon the path
hard by the hill of the dead
on the festival of the great Being.
What is abominable, what is abominable —
I shall not eat.
What my ka abhors — I shall not eat.
I shall not eat filth.
I shall not swallow it.
My hands shall not touch it.
I shall not tread upon it with my sandals.
For my bread is of white grain
and my beer is of red grain of the Nile.
It is the Sektet-boat and the Atet-boat
that bring them to me,
and I feed upon them
beneath the shade of the branches of the tree
that I know.
How beautiful are the shining ones of Heliopolis!
I am Ptah. I eat maat.
Chapter LXXXIII: Being Transformed into a Bennu-Bird
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the Bennu, the soul of Ra,
the guide of the gods into the underworld.
The divine souls come forth upon the earth
to do the will of their kas —
let the soul of the Osiris Ani come forth
to do the will of his ka.
I flew up as the primeval god
and I took the form of Khepera.
I grew as a plant.
I was hidden as a tortoise.
I am the grain of every god.
I know the deep waters.
I know the name of the god of the Nun
who sits at the base of the sky —
I am the Bennu-bird which is in Heliopolis.
I am the keeper of the book of things that are
and of things that shall be.
What is this?
It is eternity — and everlastingness.
Eternity is the day.
Everlastingness is the night.
Chapter LXXXIV: Being Transformed into a Heron
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I have come into the city of the god.
I know the region.
I have entered the Field of Reeds.
I am in the city of the god.
I am the heron.
I am the heron.
My heart is upon its seat.
My crown is upon my head.
My face is that of Ra.
My steps are long.
I devour the Ass by the great tamarisk.
Hail! I am the heron.
I have alighted, I have alighted.
Chapter LXXXV: Being Transformed into a Living Soul
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the soul of Ra who went forth from the Nun —
the divine soul who created the gods.
I am Shu, the divine soul of Ra.
I shall not decay.
I shall not rot.
I shall not putrefy.
I shall not become worms.
I shall not see corruption
before the eye of the god Shu.
I am! I am!
I live! I live!
I grow! I grow!
I shall wake in peace.
I shall not decay.
My bowels shall not perish.
I shall not suffer injury.
My eye shall not decay.
The form of my face shall not disappear.
My ear shall not become deaf.
My head shall not be separated from my neck.
My tongue shall not be taken away.
My hair shall not be cut off.
My eyebrows shall not be shaved.
No evil thing shall come upon me.
My body is established.
It does not crumble.
It shall not be destroyed upon this earth.
I am Ra who rises from the Nun.
My soul is God.
I am the one who created the Word.
I am the soul, the creator of the Nun,
who makes his dwelling-place in the underworld.
My couch is not seen.
My egg is not broken.
I am the lord of those who are on high.
I have made my nest on the borders of heaven.
I come down to the earth of Seb
and I put a stop to evil.
I see my father, the lord of the evening.
I breathe the air.
I am not grasped. I am not seized.
No evil thing shall come upon me.
I am Ra who rises from the Nun.
My soul is God.
I am he who created the Word.
Evil is my abomination.
I do not look upon it.
I live in maat.
I am the lord of maat.
I shall not be destroyed.
Chapter LXXXVI: Being Transformed into a Swallow
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the swallow. I am the swallow.
I am the Scorpion-goddess, the daughter of Ra.
Hail, you gods whose scent is sweet!
Hail, you gods whose scent is sweet!
Hail, you Flame that comes from the horizon!
Hail, you who are in the city!
Take me with you, take me with you!
I have the words of power.
I know the way.
I am the swallow. I am the swallow.
If anything be brought against me,
it shall be judged before the Earth-god.
For I have set maat in the place of evil.
I know the deep waters.
I know the name of this god.
Make me a way! Let me pass!
I am Ra who comes forth from the horizon!
Chapter LXXXVII: Being Transformed into a Serpent
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the serpent Sata, long of years.
I lie down. I am born.
I am renewed. I grow young each day.
I am the serpent Sata who dwells
in the uttermost parts of the earth.
I lie down. I die.
I am born again. I am renewed.
I grow young each day.
Chapter LXXXVIII: Being Transformed into a Crocodile
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the divine crocodile
who is in the midst of his terror.
I am the divine crocodile.
I seize my prey like a ravening beast.
I am the great Fish
which is in Kamui.
I am the lord of those who bow down
in Sekhem.
The Osiris Ani — he is the crocodile.
His face is terror.
His power is among the spirits.
He is the divine crocodile.
Chapter XVIII: The Praises of Thoth
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, Thoth! What has happened to the divine children of Nut?
They have done battle, they have upheld strife,
they have made slaughter, they have caused trouble.
They have done evil, they have created hostilities,
they have made slaughter, they have caused imprisonment —
In all their doing the mighty have worked against the weak.
Grant, O Thoth, that what Atum has decreed may be done!
You who judge and do not show regard for evil,
you who are at peace and do not rage,
you who are not influenced by offerings —
Do not cause suffering to the Osiris, the scribe Ani!
Do not deliver him to those who would slay him!
Let him not sit in the court of those who are hostile!
Let not his enemies prevail against him
in the tribunal before the great god.
Hail, Thoth, who proved the word of Osiris true
against his enemies!
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, is proved true
before the great tribunal of the gods
which is in Heliopolis,
which is in Abydos,
which is in Tattu,
on that night of the Judgment
and of the weighing of words.
He is proved true.
He is vindicated.
He has gained the victory!
Chapter XCIX: Bringing a Boat in the Underworld
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you who bring a boat over to this riverbank!
Bring me a boat.
For I know you, and I know your name,
and I know the name of the god who watches over you.
The name of this boat — "Gatherer of Souls" is its name.
The planks are made from the sycamore of Nut.
The rudder was fashioned by the craftsman from the backbone of Osiris.
The hold is the hand of Isis.
The mast is from the spine of Apuat.
The ropes are the tresses of Nephthys.
I know every part.
I know every name.
Make me a way! I am coming forth by day!
Chapter CX: The Field of Hetep
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I know the Field of Reeds.
Its wall is of iron.
The height of its grain is five cubits —
the ears are two cubits and the stalks are three cubits.
The blessed dead who are nine cubits tall
reap it beside the Eastern Souls.
I know the eastern gate of heaven
from which Ra goes forth with a fair wind.
I am master of the Field.
I plough in it. I reap in it. I eat in it. I drink in it.
I do everything there that is done upon earth.
The Field of Hetep — I know it.
It is the land of the blessed.
I have come into it.
Hail, Field of Offerings!
I have come to you.
My soul is behind me and before me.
I plough the fields.
I reap the wheat and the barley.
I gather the harvest into my boat.
I eat bread in the Field of Maat.
The waterways are open to me.
I bathe in the Lake of Peace.
Offerings are given to me —
bread and beer and every good thing.
Isis and Nephthys prepare the field before me.
I am at peace.
I reap. I sow.
I plough.
I make love.
I rest upon the blessed field.
The grain is five cubits tall.
The ears are two cubits.
The stalks are three cubits.
The blessed ones,
they who are nine cubits tall,
reap it.
I am at peace in the Field of Hetep.
Chapter CXXIV: Going Down to the Tribunal of Osiris
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the flame which shines
and which was ignited by the god of light.
I am bright. I am new.
Hail to you, Judge of the gods,
who rests upon his throne!
The path is open before me.
Give me your arm.
I have come to appear before you
that I may know your decrees.
I know the deep waters.
I know the name of the seven spirits.
I know the name of the forty-two assessors.
I have come to you.
I bring maat.
I have destroyed sin for you.
Chapter CXXV: The Entrance into the Hall of Double Maat
The Address to Osiris
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail to you, great god, lord of Double Maat!
I have come to you, my lord.
I have been brought to behold your beauty.
I know you, and I know your name,
and I know the names of the forty-two gods
who are with you in this Hall of Double Maat,
who live on those who cherish evil,
who swallow their blood
on that day of reckoning before Un-nefer.
Behold, "Lord of Maat" is your name.
I have come to you.
I have brought you Maat.
I have destroyed wickedness for you.
I have not done evil to mankind.
I have not oppressed the members of my family.
I have not wrought evil in the place of Maat.
I have not known worthless people.
I have not wrought evil.
I have not set my labour above what was due.
I have not put my name forward for honours.
I have not treated servants cruelly.
I have not thought scorn of the god.
I have not defrauded the poor.
I have not done what the gods abominate.
I have not spoken evil of a servant to his master.
I have not caused pain.
I have not caused hunger.
I have not caused tears.
I have not killed.
I have not given the order to kill.
I have not caused suffering to anyone.
The Negative Confession
Hail, Wide-Strider who comes from Heliopolis — I have not done wrong.
Hail, Flame-Embracer who comes from Kheraha — I have not robbed with violence.
Hail, Long-Nose who comes from Hermopolis — I have not been greedy.
Hail, Shadow-Eater who comes from the cave — I have not stolen.
Hail, Savage-Face who comes from Rosetau — I have not killed men or women.
Hail, Double-Lion who comes from the sky — I have not destroyed food.
Hail, Eyes-of-Fire who comes from Letopolis — I have not committed fraud.
Hail, Flame who comes forth backwards — I have not robbed the temples.
Hail, Bone-Crusher who comes from Suten-henen — I have not spoken lies.
Hail, Blaze-Kindler who comes from Memphis — I have not stolen food.
Hail, Dweller-in-the-Pit who comes from the West — I have not been quarrelsome.
Hail, White-Teeth who comes from the Fayyum — I have not transgressed.
Hail, Blood-Eater who comes from the shambles — I have not slain the cattle of the god.
Hail, Entrail-Eater who comes from the House of Thirty — I have not acted deceitfully.
Hail, Lord-of-Maat who comes from the Hall of Double Maat — I have not stolen cultivated land.
Hail, Backward-Strider who comes from Bast — I have not been an eavesdropper.
Hail, Hot-Foot who comes from the twilight — I have not spoken against anyone.
Hail, Dark One who comes from the darkness — I have not been hot-tempered.
Hail, Bringer-of-His-Peace who comes from Sais — I have not been deaf to the words of truth.
Hail, He-of-Many-Faces who comes from Tjebu — I have not made disturbance.
Hail, Accuser who comes from Utjenet — I have not committed acts of impurity.
Hail, Horned One who comes from Siut — I have not been violent.
Hail, Nefertem who comes from Memphis — I have not transgressed, I have not done evil.
Hail, Dark One who comes from the darkness — I have not been quarrelsome.
Hail, Disposer-of-Speech who comes from Unu — I have not been impatient.
Hail, Lord-of-Faces who comes from Nedjefet — I have not been a stirrer of strife.
Hail, Accuser who comes from the Lake of Wetjenet — I have not judged hastily.
Hail, Provider-of-Mankind who comes from your house — I have not been an eavesdropper.
Hail, Giver-of-Goods who comes from Maati — I have not multiplied my words upon words.
Hail, Serpent-with-Raised-Head who comes from the cave — I have not done harm, I have not done evil.
Hail, You-of-the-Cavern who comes from the West — I have not cursed the king.
Hail, You-Whose-Heart-Burns who comes from Bowels-Town — I have not polluted the water.
Hail, Bringer-of-Thy-Face who comes from your chamber — I have not raised my voice.
Hail, Child who comes from the nome of Heliopolis — I have not cursed the god.
Hail, Announcer-of-Speech who comes from Weryt — I have not committed acts of arrogance.
Hail, Neheb-Nefert who comes from the Lake District — I have not been puffed up.
Hail, Disposer-of-Matters who comes from Wensi — I have not wanted more than what was mine.
Hail, Exalted-of-Head who comes from the cave — I have not cursed the god in my city.
Hail, Carrier-of-His-Portion who comes from Huy — I have not spoken in anger.
Hail, Giver-of-Knowledge who comes from Sais — I have not polluted the earth.
Hail, Navigator who comes from Tattu — I have not cursed anyone in the city.
Hail, Provider-of-Faces who comes from Tjebu — I have not looked upon evil with favour.
The Second Address
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail to you, gods who are in this Hall of Double Maat!
I know you. I know your names.
I shall not fall to your knives.
You shall not bring my wickedness to this god
in whose following you are.
No evil deed of mine shall come before you.
You shall speak Maat concerning me before the Lord of All,
because I have done Maat in the land of Egypt.
I have not cursed the god.
No evil deed of mine has come upon the king
who was in his time.
Hail to you, gods in the Hall of Double Maat,
who have no falsehood in your bodies,
who live upon Maat in Heliopolis,
who feed upon Maat before Horus
who dwells in his disk!
Deliver me from Babai
who lives upon the entrails of the great ones
on that day of the great Judgment.
Grant that I may come to you,
for I have committed no wrong,
I have not sinned,
I have not done evil,
I have not borne false witness.
Let nothing be done against me!
I live upon Maat.
I feed upon Maat of the heart.
I have satisfied the god with what he desires:
I have given bread to the hungry,
water to the thirsty,
clothes to the naked,
a boat to him who had none.
I have made offerings to the gods
and funeral offerings to the blessed dead.
Deliver me! Protect me!
Do not accuse me before the great god.
I am pure of mouth and pure of hands.
I am one to whom those who see him say: "Come in peace! Come in peace!"
For I have heard that great word
which the Ass spoke to the Cat
in the House of Hapy-with-Open-Mouth.
I have borne witness before the god.
I know the judgment has been given.
I have seen the splitting of the ished-tree in Rosetau.
I am the helper of the gods.
I know the great ones who are therein.
I have come before you, Lord of Maat.
I am pure.
I am clean.
My front is Maat. My back is Maat.
Maat is in the middle of me.
I have given Maat to the lord of Maat.
I am pure.
Chapter CXXXII: Causing a Man to Return to See His House Upon Earth
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I am the Lion-god who comes forth with long strides.
I have shot arrows. I have wounded the prey.
I am the Eye of Horus.
I have opened the Eye of Horus in his hour.
I have come to the furrows.
Let the Osiris Ani come to his house.
He has seen his house.
He has recognized the gate.
He knows the way.
He has come to his home.
He has come to his fields.
He is at peace.
Chapter CXXXIII: Making Perfect the Khu
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you four apes
who sit in the bow of the boat of Ra,
who convey Maat to the Lord of All!
I am the one who is born of Maat.
I have committed no wrong against any person.
I am the protector of Maat.
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, is clean.
He is pure. He enters the House of Osiris.
He is made perfect.
He is a shining one.
He is equipped with the words of power.
He does not die a second time in the underworld.
Chapter CXXXIV: Entering the Boat of Ra
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, Ra! Worship to you, Atum!
You of the two beautiful eyes!
I have come before you.
My soul is divine.
My body is eternal.
Let me enter the boat of Ra.
Let me sit in the bow.
Let me stand at the stern.
I have seen the disk.
I have worshipped the Moon.
I am one of the Shining Ones.
I shall not die a second time.
Chapter CXXXVII-A: The Four Blazing Torches
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Behold! The fire rises in Abydos
and it comes from the Eye of Horus.
The gods and the spirits
follow its brightness when it shines forth.
I set the flame of the four torches:
The first torch — for Amsit who stands in the East.
The second torch — for Hapi who stands in the North.
The third torch — for Duamutef who stands in the West.
The fourth torch — for Qebhsenuef who stands in the South.
The fire is kindled.
The fire is bright.
The Eye of Horus protects the Osiris Ani.
It purifies him.
It makes him a shining one.
No enemy shall approach him
from the four corners of the earth.
Chapter CXLIV: The Pylons of the House of Osiris in the Field of Reeds
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I know you. I know your names.
The First Pylon
Its guardian is "Reversed of Face, of Many Forms."
Its doorkeeper is "Hearer of Sound."
Its herald is "Hostile of Voice."
I say to the First Pylon: Let me pass! I am a pure one.
The Second Pylon
Its guardian is "He who Opens to Destroy."
Its doorkeeper is "Seizer of Faces."
Its herald is "Loud of Voice."
I say to the Second Pylon: Let me pass! I know the way.
The Third Pylon
Its guardian is "He who Eats the Putrefaction of his Eye."
Its doorkeeper is "Watchful of Face."
Its herald is "Gateway of Darkness."
I say to the Third Pylon: Let me pass! I am equipped.
The Fourth Pylon
Its guardian is "Hostile of Face, of Many Forms."
Its doorkeeper is "Seizer of Faces."
Its herald is "He of the Great Face."
I say to the Fourth Pylon: Let me pass! I am strong.
The Fifth Pylon
Its guardian is "He who Lives on Worms."
Its doorkeeper is "He of the Fiery Eyes."
Its herald is "Lord of Many Faces."
I say to the Fifth Pylon: Let me pass! I am Ra.
The Sixth Pylon
Its guardian is "He who Makes the Moment."
Its doorkeeper is "He of the Sharp Knife."
Its herald is "He of the Burning Face."
I say to the Sixth Pylon: Let me pass! I am Osiris.
The Seventh Pylon
Its guardian is "He who Clothes the Feeble One."
Its doorkeeper is "He of the Loud Voice."
Its herald is "He who Drives Back Destruction."
I say to the Seventh Pylon: Let me pass! I know you. I know your names.
Chapter CXLVI: The Pylons of the House of Osiris
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, First Gate! I have made my way. I know you.
Hail, Second Gate! I am the great one. I know you.
Hail, Third Gate! I am the one who is holy. I know you.
Hail, Fourth Gate! I am the one equipped with power. I know you.
Hail, Fifth Gate! I am the one who has made his name. I know you.
Hail, Sixth Gate! I am the one who has arrived. I know you.
Hail, Seventh Gate! I am the one who is glorious. I know you.
Hail, Eighth Gate! I am the one who is complete. I know you.
Hail, Ninth Gate! I am the one who is from the Great House. I know you.
Hail, Tenth Gate! I am the one who is strong of voice. I know you.
I have come. I know the way.
I know the names.
Let me pass!
Chapter CXLVIII: The Seven Celestial Cows and Their Bull
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, you seven cows and your Bull!
You who give bread and beer,
who give food to the blessed dead —
The first cow, "Mansion of the Ka of Souls" — she gives me bread.
The second cow, "Mistress of the Universe" — she gives me beer.
The third cow, "She of Khemmis whom the god loves" — she gives me offerings.
The fourth cow, "The Much-Beloved, Red of Hair" — she gives me power.
The fifth cow, "She Who Protects with Life" — she gives me strength.
The sixth cow, "She Whose Name Prevails in Her House" — she gives me breath.
The seventh cow, "Storm in the Sky Which Carries the Male" — she gives me fire.
And their Bull, "Bull of the West, the husband" — he gives me triumph.
Hail, you four Steering-Oars of heaven!
You who are at the four corners of the earth!
Oar of the South — give me a fair wind!
Oar of the North — give me a fair wind!
Oar of the West — give me a fair wind!
Oar of the East — give me a fair wind!
I know you. I know your names.
Give food and drink to the ka of the Osiris Ani.
Let him not hunger. Let him not thirst.
Chapter CL: The Mounds of the Underworld
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
I know the Mounds of the Blessed.
I know the gates of the Tuat.
The First Mound — the Mound of the West. Its god is Osiris.
The Second Mound — the Mound of the Hidden. Its god is Ra.
The Third Mound — the Mound of Spirits. Its god is Osiris in the Lake.
The Fourth Mound — the Mound of the Divine. Its god is Ra-Khepera.
The Fifth Mound — the Mound of the Hidden Soul. Its god is the Aged One.
The Sixth Mound — the Mound of Flame. Its god is the Scorching One.
The Seventh Mound — the Mound of the West. Its god is the Osiris of millions.
The Eighth Mound — the Mound of Fire. Its god is He-of-the-Flame.
The Ninth Mound — the Mound of the Bull. Its god is Osiris Un-nefer.
The Tenth Mound — the Mound of Terror. Its god is He-Who-Brings-His-Arm.
The Eleventh Mound — the Mound of Breath. Its god is the Breathing One.
The Twelfth Mound — the Mound of Dawn. Its god is the Coming One.
The Thirteenth Mound — the Mound of Water. Its god is He-of-the-Lake.
The Fourteenth Mound — the Mound of the Bull. Its god is the Great Bull.
The Fifteenth Mound — the Mound of the Hidden. Its god is He-Who-Makes-His-Form.
I know them. I know their names.
I shall not be turned back from any gate.
Chapter CLV: The Tet of Gold
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Rise up, Osiris!
You have your backbone, O Still-Heart!
You have your neck vertebrae, O Still-Heart!
Place yourself upon your base.
I put water upon you.
I bring you the Tet of gold.
Rejoice in it!
The backbone of Osiris is firm.
The spine of Osiris is strong.
Osiris is raised up.
The Osiris Ani — he has his backbone.
He has his spine.
He is established upon his seat.
He shall not be overthrown.
Rise up, Osiris!
Rise up, Ani!
Your backbone is firm.
Your spine is strong.
Chapter CLVI: The Buckle of Carnelian
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
The blood of Isis,
the virtue of Isis,
the words of power of Isis —
They shall be mighty to protect this great one
and to guard him
from whoever would do evil to him.
The blood of Isis,
the virtue of Isis,
the words of power of Isis —
the buckle of red carnelian.
Chapter CLXXV: Not Dying a Second Time
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, Atum! What is this?
I am journeying to the desert, to the Silent Land.
It has no water, it has no air,
it is deep, unfathomable, dark as the darkest night.
I wander in it helplessly.
A man cannot live here in quietness of heart.
The longing of love is not satisfied here.
But instead of water, and air, and the satisfaction of love,
I have been given blessedness.
Atum speaks:
You shall live in peace of heart.
I have given blessedness in place of water
and air and the satisfaction of love.
The Osiris Ani says:
But what is the length of my life?
Atum speaks:
You shall live for millions of millions of years,
a lifetime of millions.
But I — I shall destroy all that I have made.
This earth shall return to the Nun,
to the flood, as it was in the beginning.
I am what will remain,
together with Osiris,
when I have transformed myself back
into the serpent that no man knows,
that no god sees.
How beautiful is what I have done for Osiris,
more than for all the gods!
I have given him the desert, the Silent Land,
while his son Horus is the heir upon his throne
in the Island of Fire.
I have made his place in the boat of millions.
Horus is established upon his throne
to found his monuments.
The soul of Set is sent away,
greater in fear than all the gods.
I have caused Horus to sail in the boat of millions.
His name shall endure.
His throne shall endure.
His seat of millions shall endure.
He is Horus upon his throne.
He is the heir of Atum.
Chapter CLXXXV: Hymn to Osiris
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail to you, Osiris,
lord of eternity, king of the gods!
You of many names,
you of holy transformations,
you of hidden forms in the temples,
you noble ka!
You are the governor of Tattu,
the mighty one in Sekhem,
the lord of praises in the nome of Abydos,
the one established in Memphis,
the one vindicated in Heliopolis.
Hail to you, Un-nefer,
son of Nut, eldest of the gods!
You make the grain. You give life to the lands.
The stars that never set serve you.
The stars that never rest bow before you.
The doors of the sky are opened for you.
The doors of the earth are opened wide.
The bolt of Seb is drawn.
The heavens are parted.
Your two sisters, Isis and Nephthys, come to you.
They greet you. They embrace you.
They weep for you with tender love.
Your son Horus is upon your throne.
He has received the white crown
and the red crown.
He has taken his seat upon the throne of his father.
Hail, Osiris! Your Ka is established.
Your face is beautiful.
Your head is adorned.
You are strong. You are mighty.
You endure. You endure for ever.
Grant to the ka of the Osiris, the scribe Ani,
life, stability, power,
health, happiness,
and a coming-forth as a living soul
to behold Horus of the Two Horizons.
Chapter CLXXXVI: Hymn to Hathor
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, says:
Hail, Hathor,
lady of the West,
lady of the Holy Land,
Eye of Ra,
dweller in his forehead,
beautiful of face in the boat of millions!
The place of judgment —
it is for your heart.
You embrace the Osiris Ani.
You give him passage to the land of truth.
He follows you.
His heart is content.
He shall not be turned back.
Hail, Hathor!
The Osiris Ani — he has come before you.
Give him bread. Give him air. Give him water.
He shall come forth by day.
He shall live. He shall live.
He shall not die a second time.
His body is whole.
His heart is whole.
His soul comes forth by day.
The Osiris, the scribe Ani, is true of voice.
He is vindicated before the gods.
He comes forth by day.
Colophon
This is a Good Works Translation of the Book of the Dead from Egyptian, produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church with AI assistance, 2026. It follows the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum EA 10470), the finest surviving manuscript of the Theban recension, created for the royal scribe Ani during the Nineteenth Dynasty (c. 1250 BCE).
The translation was produced from the Egyptian hieroglyphic record using the Church's established translation methodology — the same approach used for the Good Works Translation of the Rigveda from Sanskrit. The rendering aims for fidelity to the Egyptian while breathing in modern English: no unnecessary archaism, no scholarly footnotes cluttering the body, no Victorian stiffness. The text speaks for itself.
The Book of the Dead is among the most significant spiritual documents in human history. For more than a thousand years, the Egyptians inscribed these spells to guide their dead through the darkness and into the light of eternal day. The heart is weighed. Maat is spoken. The soul comes forth.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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