Book
of the Dead Chapter 26
The composition is not attested
in the Middle Kingdom; it first occurs among other Book of the Dead chapters
on the coffin of the king's wife Mentuhotep of the Seventeenth Dynasty. However, the first two
phrases of the second part does occur in the formulae written on the sides of
Middle Kingdom coffins (Coffin Text 226, first part, in the numbering system
assigned the coffin formulae by de Buck).
The
version below follows the Book of the Dead of Nu (Lapp
1997: pl.13).
Transliteration
First part
r n rdit ib
n wsir N n.f m Xrt-nTr
ib.i n.i m pr ibw
HAty.i n.i m pr HAtyw
iw n.i ib.i Htp.f im.i
n is wnm.i Satt nt wsir
Hr gs pfy iAby n gAy
xwxt m xd kt m xnt
nn hA.i r xwxt imt.k
iw n.i r.i r mdt rdwy.i
r Smt
awy.i r sxrt xftyw.i
Translation
First part
Formula for giving the
heart of the Osiris N to him in the underworld
My heart is mine in the
house of hearts,
my chest is mine in the
house of chests,
My heart is mine, and
is content with me.
For I have not eaten
the offering-loaf of Osiris
on that left side of
the Basin.
A khukhet-boat is faring
north, another faring south.
I can never fall down
into the khukhet-boat that holds you.
My mouth is mine to speak,
my legs are mine to walk,
my arms for overthrowing
my enemies.
Transliteration
Second part
wn n.i aAwy
tA
psS.n gb iry
pat nTrw [..]wy.fy r.i
wn.f irty.i Sntt dwn.f
rdwy.i qrf
srwd.n inpw mAsty.i wTs.i
ist nTrt
wnn.i m pt ir.tw wdt.n.i
m Hwt-kA-ptH
rx.i m ib.i sxm.i m [...]
sxm.i m awy.i sxm.i m
rdwy.i
iry.i mrt kA.i
nn xnri.tw [bA.i] Swt.i
Hr sbAw nw imnt Dt r
nHH
Translation
Second part
The doors of earth are
opened for me,
Geb, the gods' leader
of the nobles, has spread his jaws at me,
opening my closed eyes, stretching my bent legs,
and Anubis has strengthened my knees that support me,
as does the goddess.
I exist in the sky, and what I ordered is done in Hutkaptah (=Memphis)
I have knowledge by my heart, I have power over [my breast],
I have power over my arms, I have power over my legs,
so that I may accomplish what my ka desires,
without [my soul] or my shade being repelled
at the gates of the west for ever and eternity.
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