CHAPTER CXXX.

_A Book whereby the Soul is made to live for ever, on the day of
entering into the Bark of Rā, and to pass the Sheniu of the Tuat. Made
on the Birthday of Osiris._(1.)


Opened be the gates of Heaven; opened be the gates of Earth; opened be
the gates of the East; opened be the gates of the West; opened be the
gates of the Southern and of the Northern sanctuaries.

Opened be the gates and thrown wide the portals as Rā riseth up from the
Mount of Glory; opened to him be the doors of the Sektit boat, thrown
open to him be the portals of the Māātit, as he scenteth Shu and setteth
in motion Tefnut, and those follow who are in the train of the Osiris
_N_, who followeth Rā and taketh possession of his arms of steel.(2.)

I am coffined in an ark like Horus, to whom his cradle(3.) is brought:
and secret is the place, hard by his own shrine, which the god openeth
to whom he willeth.

And so it cometh that I lift up Right to the Lord of Right, and that I
make fast the cord which windeth about the shrine.

The Osiris _N_ avoideth the raging storm: the Osiris _N_ is not to be
kept away from Rā, not to be repulsed is he.

Let not the Osiris _N_ advance into the Valley of Darkness: let not the
Osiris _N_ enter into the dungeon of the captives: let him not leap into
the grip of Fate, let him not fall among those who imprison souls or
come forth among those who would drag him behind the slaughtering block
of the Armed god.(4.)

Salutations to you, ye sejant gods.(5.)

The divine Sword(6.) is concealed in the hands of Seb, at daybreak, for
he delighteth in drawing to himself both old and young at his own
season.

And now behold Thoth in the secret of his mysteries. He maketh
purifications and endless reckonings; piercing the steel firmament and
dissipating the storms around him.

And so it cometh that the Osiris _N_ hath reached every station of his.

He hath fashioned his staff, and received the oblations of Rā, the swift
of speed and beautiful in his rising and almighty through what he hath
done.

He putteth an end to his pain and suffering, and the Osiris _N_ putteth
an end to his own pain; yea, he gladdeneth the countenance of Thoth by
the worship of Rā and Osiris.

The Osiris _N_ entereth the Mount of Glory of Rā, who hath made his Bark
and saileth prosperously, lightening up the face of Thoth, that he may
listen to Rā and beat down the obstacles in his way, and put an end to
his adversaries.

Let not the Osiris _N_ be shipwrecked on the great voyage by him whose
face is in his own lap:(7.) for the name of Rā is upon the Osiris, and
his token of honour is on his mouth, which speaketh to him who listeneth
to the words of the Osiris _N_.

Glory to thee, O Rā, Lord of the Mount of Glory. Hail to thee, who
purifiest the generations yet unborn and to whom this great quarter of
heaven offered homage.

The steering keepeth clear from misadventure.

Lo, here is Osiris who proclaimeth Right, because of the marvel in the
West, for he hath put an end to the rage of Apepi, for he is himself the
god in Lion form among the associate gods and protecteth Rā against
Apepi daily, that he may not approach him, and he keepeth watch upon
him. Osiris seizeth the scrolls and receiveth the offerings.

And Thoth supplieth the Osiris _N_ with that which he shall perform for
him. It is granted that the Osiris shall carry Maāt at the head of the
great Bark, and hold up Maāt among the associate gods, and that Osiris
gain endless triumphs.

The Sheniu marshal the Osiris _N_, and they procure for the Osiris a
voyage amid acclamations.

The Satellites of Rā make their round, in the train of the exaltation of
Maāt, who followeth her Lord. And glory is given to the Inviolate one.

The Osiris receiveth the Amsu-staff(8.) wherewith he goeth round Heaven.

The unborn generations of men give him glory, as to one who standeth
without ever resting. Rā exalteth him by this, that he alloweth the
Osiris to disperse the cloud and behold his glories. He maketh firm his
rudders that the Bark may go round in Heaven and that he may make his
appearance in Antu. Thoth is in the centre of his eye, sejant in the
great Bark of Chepera. The Osiris becometh one whose words come to pass.
He it is who passeth over Heaven unto the West, and the Chabasu gods of
Light rise up to him with acclamation. They receive the cable of Rā from
his rowers, and Rā goeth on his round and seeth the Osiris who issueth
his decrees;(9.) the Osiris _N_, the Victorious; in peace! in peace!

Not to be repelled is he; not to be caught by the fire of thy fate. Let
not the tempest of thy mouth come forth against him.

Let not the Osiris _N_ advance upon the paths of misfortune: let him
avoid disasters, let them not attain him.

The Osiris _N_ enters into the Bark of Rā, he succeedeth to thy throne;
he receiveth thine insignia.

The Osiris _N_ inaugurateth the paths of Rā and prayeth that he may
drive off the Lock which cometh out of the flame against thy Bark out of
the great Stream.

But the Osiris _N_ knoweth it, and it attaineth not thy Bark. For the
Osiris _N_ is within it; the Osiris _N_ who maketh the divine offerings.

_Said over a Bark of Rā, coloured in pure green.(10.) And thou shalt
place a picture of the deceased at the prow thereof. And make a Sektit
boat on the right side of it and an Atit boat on the left side of
it._(11.)

NOTES.

1. This title is given to the Chapter in the later recensions, and
nearly resembles that given in the Berlin papyrus of Nechtu-amen (of the
XIXth dynasty). That given in another papyrus of the older period is
quite different,—“_Chapter whereby the Chu is fortified_.” Instead of
the _Sheniu of the Tuat, Ba_ (the papyrus of Nechtuamen) has the _Sheniu
of Fire_ ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, a reading suggested by the
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ _the circuit of fire_, which occurs in the
title of another chapter. The _Sheniu_ of this chapter are living
personages who attend upon the Osiris and greet him with their
acclamations. The word is often translated ‘princes,’ ‘officers,’ but it
signifies _those who are in the circle_ of a king or god, hence
‘ministrants,’ ‘courtiers,’ as in the rubric of Chapter CXXV.

The words _made on the Birth-day of Osiris_ are only found in the later
texts, but the old papyrus _Lc_, which has another title, has the words
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. The important word ⁂⁂⁂ which is
here carelessly omitted is supplied by the rubric. For the Birth-day of
Osiris, was the first of the five supplementary days, added to the year
of 360 days. On this day the chapter was to be recited and the usual
oblations offered (see Note 11). So we must understand ⁂, ‘which is
to be made or done.’

2. _Arms of steel_, ⁂⁂⁂⁂.

3. _Cradle_ or _Nest_, ⁂⁂; the ‘Nest of Reeds’ ⁂⁂ so often
represented in pictures of the later periods.

4. _The Armed god_, ⁂⁂ _Septu_, called ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
(_Unas_ 282) and ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ _septu ābu_, ‘armed with horns,’
that is, rays of light. In pictures he is represented as a hawk armed
with bow and arrows, and there is one picture in which he is in the form
of Bes, destroyer of the _Menti_.

5. _Sejant gods_ ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. I am compelled for want of a
better word to use the heraldic term which most nearly expresses the
posture of gods sitting on the ground with their knees raised up against
their breasts. The posture is a very common one in Egyptian pictures.
The second Sallier Papyrus represents an unfortunate artisan as sitting,
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ “with his two
knees at the pit of his stomach.” The ⁂⁂⁂⁂ is the limb
between the knee and the pelvis.

6. _This divine Sword_ ⁂⁂⁂. Unseen fate brings down the old
and the young alike to the Grave ever ready to receive them. Seb, the
φυσίζοος αἶα, is here, as elsewhere, spoken of in reference to his
κατοχή of the dead in the Tuat, as in _Unas_ 210.

7. _Whose face is in his own lap_, ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. _Cf._
Note 5.

8. _The Amsu staff._ The name of it is phonetically written
⁂⁂⁂⁂ in the later texts. It is the emblem both of Osiris
and of Horus, and is constantly represented along with bows, arrows, and
other weapons, in the oldest coffins, as belonging to the celestial
armoury of the deceased person.

9. _Who issueth his decrees. See_ Maspero, _Bibl. Egyptol._ II., p. 3
(note) and 39.

10. _Green._ The Egyptian ⁂⁂ is probably nearer in meaning to
the Greek χλωρός, ‘pale green, yellowish-green.’

11. The Rubric ends here in _Pb_. _Lc._ adds, _“They shall offer bread,
beer, and all good things_ on the Birth-day of Osiris. _And if these
rites are performed for him, his soul will rise up and live for ever; he
will not ever die a second time in the divine Nether world._”

The later texts add the information that the text was discovered in the
great hall of the palace in the time of king Septa, and that it was
found in a pit or chamber in the rock, ⁂⁂⁂. It was made by
Horus for his father Osiris Unneferu. Septa is the fifth royal name on
the great tablet of Abydos.

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