This cycle of hymns for the cult of king Senusret III is preserved in a single copy, on an incomplete papyrus retrieved during the 1889 Petrie excavations at Lahun; the other side of the papyrus bears the end of a narrative literary episode, and a rectangular section had been torn from the end of the sheet in ancient times for reuse as a small sheet (perhaps for writing a short letter or account). The hymns provide a succinct introduction to the imagery of divine kingship during the Middle Kingdom (about 2025-1700 BC), a period of strongly centralised power.

The final section possibly identifies the content (praise of Khakaura) and implies the occasion, by its reference to transport on a ship; the fourth section of the cycle opens each acclamation with the phrase 'he has come', and the emphasis on 'riverbanks' throughout the cycle may also indicate a quayside setting.

Earlier editors of the hymns tended to assume that the hymns would have been sung to the king during his reign, and postulated a visit by the king to the town at Lahun where the papyrus was found. The strongest indication that the hymns were sung during the life-time is the epithet 'may he live for ever and eternity' at the end of the cycle; in accounts papyri this epithet follows the name of living kings, whereas 'true of voice' is written after the names of deceased kings.

However, from the point of view of the cult of the king, there might be no difference between a hymn to the living king, and a hymn for the cult of the dead king: both during and after his lifetime, hymns would be sung to each king, as part of the cult maintaining his kingship. Even if the hymn was composed during the reign of Senusret III, later performances and a later written copy might not have changed the epithet 'may he live for ever and eternity' after the name of the king. The handwriting seems close to manuscripts from the reign of his son Amenemhat III, following a major revision of handwriting style in the early reign of Amenemhat III, visible in Lahun temple accounts papyri now in Cairo and Berlin. However, handwriting is an insufficient sole guide to date, other than to general periods, because an individual writer might have old-fashioned handwriting.

The pyramid complex at Lahun was built for the cult and burial of king Senusret II, father of Senusret III. Accounts papyri preserved in Berlin and Cairo give lists of the statues in that complex, and those include images of both kings as well as certain women in their family. In sum, it seems possible that the hymns were sung at any one or more of the following moments:

• visit of king Senusret III to Lahun
• arrival of a statue of the king for installation in the temple of his father king Senusret II
• cult of king Senusret III during his lifetime, following installation of his statues in the valley temple of the Lahun pyramid complex
• cult of king Senusret III after his lifetime, through the statues of the king in the valley temple of the Lahun pyramid complex

Photograph of the papyrus UC 32157 (hymns on front side only)

(click on the images for a larger picture)

Transcription of the papyrus UC 32157 (hymns on front side only)

Transliteration and translation of the papyrus

Part One: the king as protector of Egypt

(column 1)

Hr [nTr] xprw nbty nTr mswt
Hr nbw xpr
nswt bity xa-kAw-ra
sA ra snwsrt
iT.[n.]f tAwy m mAa-xrw

(column 1)

Horus [divine] of forms, He of the Two Ladies, divine of births
Horus of Gold, who has come into being
Dual King Khakaura
Son of Ra Senusret
He has taken up the two lands as the one true of voice

(columns 2-3)

i.nD Hr.k xa-kAw-ra
Hr.n nTr xprw
mk tA swsx tASw.f
dAir xAswt m wrrt.f
inq tAwy m r-awy.fy

(columns 2-3)

Hail Khakaura
Our Horus, divine of forms
Protector of the land, extender of its boundaries
He who defeats foreign lands by his Great Crown
He who embraces the two lands with his action

(columns 4-5)

[...] xAswt m rmnwy.fy
smA pdtyw nn sxt xt
sti Ssr n itH rwd
Hw.n nrw.f iwntyw m tA.sn
smA snd.f pDt psDt
rdi.n Sat.f mwt xAw m pdwt
[...] pHw tAS.f

(columns 4-5)

He who [...] the foreign lands with his two arms
Who slaughters the bowmen without a blow of a weapon
Who fires the arrow without the string being drawn
He whose dread has smitten the nomads in their land
He whose fear slaughters the nine bows,
whose massacre causes the death of thousands of bowmen,
who [had dared?] to reach his border

(columns 6-7)

sti Ssr mi ir sxmt
sxr.f xAw m x[mw] bAw.f
nst n Hm.f rtH sti
Tsw.f sbhA stiw

(columns 6-7)

He who fires an arrow as Sekhmet does,
he fells thousands of those unaware of his power
The tongue of his Person is the restraint on the Bow-land
and his commands are what set the nomads to flight

(columns 7-9)

wa rnp [nxt?] Hr tAS.f
tm rdi wrd mrt.f
rdi [s]Dr pat r Ssp
DAmw.f n qddw.sn

(columns 7-9)

Unique and youthful one [who fights?] at his border,
who never lets his workers grow weary,
who enables the nobles sleep to daybreak,
with his troops in their sleep

(columns 9-10)

HAty.f m mkty.sn
ir.n wDw.f tASw.f
sAq.n mdw.f idbwy

(columns 9-10)

His heart is their protector,
his decrees have drawn up his borders,
his words have assembled the two riverbanks

Haa-wy [...] rwd.n.k pAwt.sn
Haa-wy [...].k ir.n.k tAS.sn
Haa-wy i[...] imy-bAH saA.n.k [ps]Sw.sn
Haa-wy km [...] xpS.k mk.n.k iswt[.sn?]
Haa-wy pat m sxr.k iT.n bAw.k HAw[.sn?]
Haa-wy idbwy m nrw.k swsx.n.k Xrt.sn
Haa-wy DAmw.k sTst rdi.n.k rwd.sn
Haa-wy tAwy m pHty.k mk.n.k inbw.sn

How the [...] rejoice, for you have made their offerings flourish
How the [...] rejoice at your [...], for you have drawn up their border
How the [...] in the presence rejoice, for you have enlarged their shares
How the Egyptians (?) rejoice at your strong arm, for you have protected [their ?] traditions
How the nobles rejoice at your activity, for your power has grasped [their?] prosperity
How the two riverbanks rejoice at your dread, for you have extended their domain
How your recruits at levy rejoice, for you have caused them to flourish
How the two lands rejoice at your might, for you have protected their walls

inyt.f Hr swsx tAS.f wHm.k nHH

its refrain: Horus extender of his border, may you repeat eternity

wr-wy nb n niwt.f awy HH pw nDs pw kwy xA rmT
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw a pw dni itrw r Afnw.f nw mw
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw mnqb pw rdi sDr s nb r Ssp
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw imDr pw Hsmn Ssm
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw ibt pw tmm SAS drt.f
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw nht pw nHmt snd m-a xrww.f
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw Swt pw Axt qbt m Smw
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw qaH pw Sm Sww r tr n prt
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw Dw p[w] mDr Da r tr n nSnn pt
wr-wy nb n niwt.f isw sxmt pw r xryw xndw Hr tAS[.f?]

How great is the lord for his city! he is a million arms, a thousand men are little beside
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is the dam that stops the river at its torrents of water
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is the cool room that allows every man to sleep to daybreak
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is a rampart, in the bronze of Shesem
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is a refuge, unwavering his hand
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is a shelter, rescuing the fearful from his enemy
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is a sunshade at Flood, cool in Summer
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is a warm corner, dry in Winter time
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is a mountain resisting the storm at the time the sky rages
How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is Sekhmet against the enemies who tread on [his?] border

ii.n.f n.n iT.f tA Sma Xnm.n sxmty m tp.f
ii.n.f smA.n.f tAwy Abx.n.f Swt n bit
ii.n.f HqA.n.f kmt rdi.n.f dSrt m ab.f
ii.n.f mk.n.f tAwy sgrH.n.f idbwy
ii.n.f sanx.n.f kmt xsr.n.f Snw.s
ii.n.f sanx.n.f pat srq.n.f Htyt rxyt
ii.n.f ptpt.n.f xAswt Hw.n.f iwntyw xmw snd[.f]
ii.n.f [..]A.n.f tAS.f nHm.n.f awA
ii.n.f [..] Xrdw.n qrs.n iAw.n Hr (?)

He has come to us, grasping the land of Upper Egypt, the Double Crown has joined his head
He has come, he has united the Two Lands, he has merged the reed with the bee
He has come, he has ruled the Black Land, he has placed the Red Land in its midst
He has come, he has protected the Two Lands, he has calmed the two riverbanks
He has come, he has given Egypt life, he has dispelled her woes
He has come, he has given the nobles life, he has given breath to the throats of the people
He has come, he has trampled the foreign lands, he has struck the nomads ignorant of [his] fear
He has come, he has [..] his border, he has rescued the oppressed
He has come, [...] our children, we may bury our old .. (?)

mr.tn xa-[kAw]-ra anx Dt r nHH [...]
wdd ir.f kAw.tn nHm [...]
sAw.n rx snfy apr (?) [...]
DbA.tn n.f m anx wAs HHw n [...]

(space)

Hst xa-kAw-ra anx Dt r n[HH]
fAt a nfw m wi[A?]
Xkry m Dam r [...]
[..].n idbwy r s..s (?) [...]
[..].n.sn mtnw [...]

May you love Kharkaura, alive for ever and eternity [...]
He who is ordained to create your sustenance, who rescues [...]
Our guardian who knows how to make (us) breathe, who is equipped (?) [...]
May you reward him with life and power and millions of [...]

(space)

Praise of Khakaura, alive for ever and eternity [...]
raising the arm of the captain in the [bark? ...]
adorned with electrum more than [...]
the two riverbanks have [...] at ... (?) [...]
they have [...] the paths

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