PSALMS OF EGYPT

(Mazmor dMitzrin)

Psalm 1
The Great Hymn
1
Your appearing is beautiful in the horizon of heaven, the Living Aten *, the
beginning of life you rise in the horizon of the east, you fill every land with your
beauty.
*(See PrS 2:3)
2

You are very beautiful, brilliant and exalted above earth.

Your beams encompass all lands which you have made.

You are the sun, you set their bounds, You bind them with your love.

You are afar off, but Your beams are upon the land; You are on high, but the
day passes with Your going.
5

You rest in the western horizon of heaven, and the land is in darkness like the
dead.
6

They lie in their houses, their heads are covered, their breath is shut up, and
eye sees not to eye; their things are taken, even from under their heads, and they
know it not.
7

Every lion comes forth from his den, and all the serpents then bite, the night
shines with its lights, the land lies in silence for he who made them is in his
horizon.
8

The land brightens, for You rise in the horizon, shining as the Aten in the day,
the darkness flees, for You give Your beams, both lands are rejoicing every day.
9

Men awake and stand upon their feet, for You lift them up; they bathe their
limbs, they clothe themselves, they lift their heads in adoration of Your rising,
throughout the land they do their labours.
10

The cattle all rest in their pastures, where grow the trees and herbs, the birds
fly in their places of safety, their wings adoring Your Spirit, all the flocks leap
upon their feet, the small birds live when You rise upon them.
11

12

The ships go forth north and south, for every way opens at Your rising.

The fishes in the river swim up to greet You; Your beams are within the depth
of the great sea.
13

You created conception in women, making the issue of mankind, You make the
son to live in the body of his mother; You quiet him that he should not mourn,
nursing him in the body, giving the spirit that all his growth may live.
14

When he comes forth on the day of his birth, You open his mouth to speak;
You do what he needs.
15

The small bird in the egg, sounding within the shell, You give to it breath
within the egg, to give life to that which You make.
16

It gathers itself to break forth from the egg, it comes from the egg, and chirps
with all its might; it runs on its feet, when it has come forth.
17

18

How many are the things which You have made!

You give life by Your will, You alone, to the land with its peoples, herds and
flocks, everything on the face of the earth that walks on its feet, everything in the
air that flies with its wings.
19

In the hills from Syria to Kush, and the plain of Egypt, You give to every one
his place; You frame their lives, to every one his belongings, reckoning his length
of days.
20

Their tongues are diverse in their speech, their natures in the colour of their
skin.
21

22

As the divider You divide the various peoples.

When You have made the Nile beneath the earth, You bring it according to
Your will to make the people to live: Even as You have formed them unto
Yourself, You are throughout their Lord, even in their weakness. O Lord of the
land that rises for them.
24
Aten of the day, revered by every distant land, You give them life, You placed a
Nile in heaven that it may rain upon them, that it may make waters upon the
hills like the great sea, watering their fields amongst their cities. How excellent
are Your ways!
23

O Lord of eternity, the Nile in Heaven is for the strange people, and all wild
beasts that go upon their feet.
25

The Nile that comes from below the earth is for the land of Egypt, that it may
nourish every field. You shine and they live by You.
26

You make the seasons of the year to create all Your works the winter making
them cool, the summer giving warmth.
27

You make the far-off heaven, that Your Presence may rise in it, that You may
see all that You made when You were alone.
28

29

Rising in Your forms as the living Aten, shining afar off and returning.

The villages, the cities, and the tribes, on the road and the river, all eyes see
You before them; You are the Aten of the day over all the land.
30

You are in my heart, there is none who knows You, excepting Your son
Akhenaten*; You have willed that he should have understanding, in Your ways
and in Your might.
*(See PrS 3:2)
31

The land is in Your hand, even as You have given life to it; You shine and all its
inhabitants live, and when You set they die; for by You the people live. They
look on Your excellencies until Your setting; they put aside all their labours
when You set in the west, and when You rise, they grow.
32

Since the day that You laid the foundations of the earth, You raised them up
for Your son who came forth from Your substance, the king of Egypt, living in
Truth, lord of both lands, Akhenaten, son of the sun, living in Truth, Akhenaten,
great in his duration NeferneferuAten Nefertiti, living and flourishing for ever
eternally.
33

Psalm 2
A Hymn of Praise
1
A Hymn of Praise to Aten when He rises like a great falcon in the heights of the
Two Horizons.
Homage to You, Aten, Beautiful One of every day! You shoot up at sunrise
without fail - how many are Your works, O Great Creator. Your radiance is in
Your face, and as far as bright copper metal it does not resemble Your many
splendours.
2

Self-existent One, You moulded Your members into physical-like forms; giving
birth, but he was not born; One by himself by reason of his power or abilities,
Traverser of Eternity, He who is over the ways of millions of years, maintaining
His Divine Form.
3

As are the beauties of the celestial regions even so are Your beauties. More
brilliant is Your complexion than that of the heavens.
4

You sail across the heavens, all faces look at You as You go, though You
Yourself are hidden from their eyes.
5

You manifest the symbol of Your power at the break of day in beams of light,
strong is Your Divine Barge* under Your majesty. In a little day You journey over
a road of millions and hundreds of thousands of minutes. When Your day
passes, You set.
*(or, Ship)
6

The hours of the night likewise You make to fulfil themselves. No interruption
takes place in Your toil. All eyes direct their gaze upon You, they cease not to do
so. You quickly rise up early in the morning, Your sparkling rays flash in the
eyes.
7

Praise be to You, O Aten of the day, Creator of mortals and Creator of their life.
Praise be to You!
8

You are like a Great Hawk whose feathers are many coloured, You, O Creator,
who raise Yourself up from non-existence!
9

10

He exists by His own power; He was not born, He who dwells in the heights.

11

Humankind cries out joyfully at His rising and at His setting likewise.

He is the provider of what the ground produces, conqueror of the Two Lands,
from the great one to the little one.
12

You, Mother, splendid over all gods and men, artificer, gracious one,
exceedingly great, progressing in her work.
13

The cattle cannot be counted. The strong herdsman, driving his strong beasts,
You provide shelter for them.
14

He provides the sustenance for their life, springing up, traversing the course of
the Creator, manifesting Himself and raising up His beautiful form.
15

He illumines the Two Lands with His Divine Symbol the Disc, he is the
primeval substance of the Two Lands.
16

17

He makes Himself known.

He looks on what He has accomplished, the One Lord, bringing along into
captivity countless lands every day, observing those who walk about upon the
earth; shining in the sky He performs transformations by day.
18

19
20

He makes the seasons from the months.

He loves the heat of summer. He loves the cold of winter.

21

He makes every member of the body to droop.

22

He embraces every land.

23

All of creation cries out in adoration of Him when He rises daily.

His son Akhenaten says, I am the representative of the throne of Aten for the
earth and the overseer of works in His sanctuary, and His beloved son, the Lord
of the Two Lands, the giver of life, which Aten made for you.
24

My Lord appointed me to be the officer in charge of the great city of God and
all its monuments and treasures.
25

I keep watch diligently, I serve the office of director strenuously, performing

the laws of the heart of Aten.
26

I know how to teach you so you may have rest upon the Truth, making you
great to do it upon the earth.
27

28

I am truth who abominates false words and deeds.

I never take pleasure in any conversation wherein are words of exaggeration

and lies.
29

30

I take pleasure in your affairs.

Psalm 3

A Hymn to Aten
1
A Hymn to Aten when He Rises* on the Horizon and when He Sets.
*(See ToS 4:8)
Praise be to You, O Aten, who rises as the One God in the circle above the earth.

You are adored. Your beauties are before my eyes, and Your splendour falls
upon my body.
3

You go to your setting in the Divine Barge with fair winds, and Your heart is
glad.
4

The hearts of Your worshippers rejoice.

You stride over the heavens in peace, all Your foes being cast down.

The stars and the planets which never rest sing hymns to You, and the stars
which never vanish glorify You as You set to rest in the horizon of the celestial
heights.
7

You are beautiful at morning and at evening, O Living Lord, the Unchanging
One, my Lord.
8

Homage to You who rise in the east and set in the west in Your beauty.

10

You rise and shine across the sky, O You who are crowned King of the gods.

The sky pays homage to You, and law and Truth embrace You at morning and
evening.
12
Joyfully You stride over the heavens and the great watery abyss in the heavens
is content.
11

Your enemies are cast down headlong, their arms and hands are cut off, and
Your dagger has severed the joints of their backbone.
13

Aten comes like a cool wind, His Barge advances and comes into port.
The winds of the South, the North, the West and the East praise You, O divine
substance, from whom all forms of life spring forth.
14
15

When You speak the earth is flooded with silence, O Self-Existing One, who
has dwelt in heaven before the earth and the mountains ever came into being.
16

O Shepherd, O Lord, O Self-Existent One, Creator of all things, You make the
tongue of all the spirit beings.
17

You have made all that springs forth from the waters, and You shoot up from
them over the land of the pools of the Divine Lake.
18

Let me breathe the air which comes from Your nostrils and the north wind
which is from the Mother.
19

20

Glorify my spirit, and make my soul divine.

O Lord of the gods, You are worshipped, setting in peace, and are exalted
because of all Your wondrous works, shine upon my body each day.
21

Psalm 4
A Hymn to Aten
1
A Hymn to Aten, when He Rises in the East.
Praise be to You Aten, Lord of rays, who rise on the horizon day by day! Shine
with Your beams of light upon the face of those who speak truth, who sing
hymns to You at dawn, and adore You in the evening.
2

Let their souls appear with You in heaven. Let them sail out in the Divine Barge
and arrive in port, and let them cleave their way among the stars that never
vanish.
3

Praise be to You, O Aten, who are the Life-giver, the Self-Existent One!

When You rise and send forth Your beams upon the lands of the South and the
North, You are beautiful, yes, You are beautiful, and all the spirits rejoice when
they see You, the King of the Universe.
5

The denizens of the underworld come to meet You, they bow before You in
homage at the sight of Your Beautiful Form.
6

I would come before You daily to be with You and to behold Your Beautiful and
Divine Symbol. Let me be neither prevented nor repulsed.
7

Grant that when I look upon Your beauties my members may be made young
again, even as are the members of Your favoured ones.
8

I am one who worships You on earth. Let me enter the Eternal Land in the

Everlasting Country. O my Lord, I beseech You to decree this for me.

Praise be to You who rise in the east as Aten on Your horizon and rest in the
west!
10

You pass over the sky, all eyes observe Your course, You yourself being unseen.
You show Yourself at dawn and at evening daily.
11

The Divine Barge of Your Majesty goes forth like a mighty ship, Your beams
fall upon every face, Your variegated lights and colours cannot be numbered,
and cannot be comprehended.
12

May I go forward as You advance without pause, and in a moment pass over
untold leagues and as You sink to rest even so may I.
13

You are crowned with the majesty of Your beauties; You fashion Your
members as You advance, and produce them without the pangs of labour in the
form of Aten, and rise up into the heights.
14

Grant that I may come into the everlasting heaven and the mountain where
Your favoured ones dwell.
15

Let me join myself to those who are holy and perfect in the divine Other
World, and let me appear with them to behold Your beauties in the evening.
16

I lift my hands to You in adoration when You the living One set. You are the
Eternal Creator of Light and are adored at Your setting in the heavens.
17

I have given my heart to You without wavering, O You who are the mightiest of
all.
18

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