the Book of the Dead ( PDF )

Plate XXV.
Vignette: A green hawk, holding a flail, and standing upon a pylon-shaped pedestal.
[1. See Lepsius, Todtenbuch, Bl. 32.]
{p. 333}
Text [CHAPTER LXXVIII.]: (1) THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO A SACRED HAWK. Saith
Osiris Ani: (2) "Hail, thou mighty one, come unto Tattu. Make thou my paths, and let me pass round [to
visit] my (3) thrones. Make me to renew myself and make me to wax strong. (4) Grant that I may be
feared, and make me to be a terror. May the gods of the underworld fear me, and may they fight for me
in their (5) habitations. Let not him that would do harm unto me draw nigh unto me. Let me walk through
the house of darkness. May I (6), the feeble, clothe and cover myself; and may they (i.e., the gods) not do
the like unto me. Hail, ye gods who hear my speech! Hail, ye rulers who are among the followers of
Osiris. Be ye therefore silent, O ye gods, [when] the god speaketh with me; he heareth what is right and
(7) true. What I speak unto him, do thou also speak, O Osiris. Grant thou that I may go round my course
according to the order which cometh forth from thy mouth concerning me. May I see thy forms; (8) may
I be able to understand thy will. Grant that I may come forth, that I may get power over my legs, and that
I may be like unto Neb-er-tcher (9) upon his throne. May the gods of the underworld fear me, and may
they fight for me in their habitations. Grant thou that I may pass on my way with the godlike ones who
rise up (10). May I be set up upon my resting-place like unto the Lord of Life; may I be joined unto Isis,
the divine Lady. May the gods (11) make me strong against him that would do harm unto me, and may
no one come to see me fall helpless. May I pass over the paths (12), may I come into the furthermost
parts of heaven. I entreat for speech with Seb, I make supplication unto Hu (13) and unto Neb-er-tcher
that the gods of the underworld may fear me, and that they may fight for me in their habitations, when
they see that thou hast (14) provided me with the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea.
"I am one of those shining ones who live in rays of light. (15) 1 have made my form like unto the form
[of the god] who cometh out and manifesteth himself in Tattu; for I have become worthy of honour by
reason of his honour, (16) and he hath spoken unto thee of the things which concern me. Surely he hath
made the fear of me [to go forth], and hath created terror of me! The gods of the
Next: Plate XXVI.
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