The following collection of hymns to Amen Ra is from the orthodox
worship of the New Kingdom; that is to say, it dates from the period
beginning in the XVIIth Dynasty, about 1700 B.C. The series is contained
in a papyrus now preserved in the museum at Gizeh and in very perfect
condition.
In the original, the lines are punctuated with red dots, and the stanzas
are marked by rubrics, a very valuable clue being thus provided both as
to meanings and form.
The first hymn is divided into five stanzas of seven lines each,[222]
but the fourth stanza contains an error of punctuation which has perhaps
prevented this arrangement from being noticed hitherto. The other hymns
do not appear to be so divisible.
The text presents several instances of embellishment by farfetched, and
to our minds very feeble, puns and punning assonances. It is impossible
to reproduce these to the English reader, but some lines in which they
occur are here marked with asterisks indicating the words in question.
Although these hymns have been much admired, it must be confessed that
they are somewhat arid in comparison with the simple expression of
Akhenaten's devotion in the 'Hymn to the Aten.' To the Egyptians,
however, the mythological references were full of meaning, while to us
they are never fully intelligible. Such an enumeration as that of the
symbols and insignia of divine royalty which we find in the second hymn,
is as empty to us as references to the Stars and Stripes, the White
House, the Spread Eagle, the Union Jack, the Rose, the Shamrock, and the
Thistle may be to the lords of the world in 5000 to 6000 A.D.
_Praise of Amen Ra!
The bull in Heliopolis, the chief of all the gods,
The beautiful and beloved god
Who giveth life to all warm-blooded things,
To all manner of goodly cattle!_
I
Hail to thee, Amen Ra! lord of the thrones of the two lands,
Thou who dwellest in the sanctuary of Karnak.
Bull of his mother, he who dwelleth in his fields,
Wide-ranging in the Land of the South.
Lord of the Mezau[223], ruler of Punt,
Prince of heaven, heir of earth,
Lord of all things that exist!
Alone in his exploits even amongst the gods,
The goodly bull of the Ennead[224] of the gods,
Chiefest of all the gods,
Lord of truth, father of the gods,
Maker of men, creator of animals,
Lord of the things which are, maker of fruit-trees,
Maker of pasture, who causeth the cattle to live!
Image made by Ptah[225], youth fair of love!
The gods give praise unto him;
Maker of things below and of things above, he illuminateth the two
lands:
He traverseth the sky in peace.
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ra the Justified, chief of the two
lands.
Great one of valor, lord of awe;
Chief, making the earth in its entirety!
Nobler in thy ways than any god,
The gods rejoice in his beauties!
To him are given acclamations in the Great House,
Glorious celebrations in the House of Flame;
The gods love his odor when he cometh from Punt.
Prince of the dew, he entereth the land of the Mezau!
Fair of face, coming to the Divine Land[226]!
The gods gather as dogs at his feet,
Even as they recognize his majesty as their lord.
Lord of fear, great one of terror,
Great of soul, lordly in manifestations,
Flourishing of offerings, maker of plenty,
Acclamations to thee, maker of the gods,
Thou who dost upraise the sky, and press down the ground!