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Source for the
composition: before the New Kingdom, chapter 99 occurs among funerary
compositions on early Middle Kingdom coffins ('Coffin Texts', numbers
404-405)
The chapter comprises an initial address to the ferryboat, followed by a set of questions and answers in which the deceased must identify parts of the boat by mythic names, and a final address that recurs as chapter 72, often found on later coffins.
The version below comes from the Book of the Dead of Nu, on a papyrus now preserved in the British Museum (EA 10477)
i innyw mXnt Hr Ts pwy qsn
in n.i mXnt Ts n.i aqA m Htp m Htp
mi mi xAm xAm ii.n.i r mAA it.i wsir
nb insy sxm m Awt-ib i.nb igp TAy sqdwt
i.sqdd Hr Ts pwy n aApp
i.Ts tpw smn wsrt m prt m nspw
i.iry mXnt StAt sAwty aApp
in n.i
tA pn qsn xr sxd-sA im.f Hr Hr.sn
n gm.n.sn Ts.sn st
HnswA nst n ra indbw sSmw tAwy
mngb m Hmw.sn
sxm pw wn itn Hry-tp dSrw
in wi m iw.i
ii Ax sn.i wDA r bw rx.n.k im
O bringers of the ferry over this difficult sandbank
Bring me the ferry, tie for me the cords, in peace, in peace
Come, come, hasten, hasten, I have come to see my father Osiris
O lord of the red cloth, who has power over joy
O lord of the tempest, man of the sailing
O he who sails over this sandbank of Aapep
O binder of heads, fastener of necks, in the emergence from the knives
O keeper of the secret ferry, guard of Aapep
Bring me the ferry, tie for me the cords, that I may emerge from it,
this difficult land in which the overturned fall on their faces
and are unable to raise themselves
Hensua tongue of Ra, Indebu guide of the Two Lands,
Mengeb, with their steering-oars,
That is the power that opens the sun-disk, master of the red
Bring me, do not make me boatless.
'Come spirit, my brother, proceed to the place you know there'
(Twenty-two tabulated addresses
for identification)
Dd n.i rn.i in mnit | nbt-tawy m kAri rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in xrpw | xnd Hpwy rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in HAtt | Hnskt mnit inpw m kat wtw rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in wDyt | aAawt pw nt Xrt-nTr rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in Hpt | akr rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in xtw | in wrt m-xt wA.s rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in iat-nt-xry | iAt nt wp-wawt rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in bDA | Sbb n imsty rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in tAyt | nwt rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in Sdw | ir.n.tw tn m mskA n mn-wr wbdt nt swty rn.tn |
Dd n.i rn.i in wsrw | Dbaw pw n Hr smsw rnw.tn |
Dd n.i rn.i in mDAbt | drt pw n ist Hr pnq snf m irt Hr rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in wgAyw.s imyw-xt.s | imsty Hpy dwA-mwt.f
qbH-snw.f HAq iT-m-awA mA.n-it.f ir.n.f-Ds.f |
Dd n.i rn.i in smAt.f | xntt-Hspw rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in ibsyt | mrt rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in Hmw | aqA rn.k wbn m mw tAS DnHw.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in dpt | wart pw nt ist Sadt.n ra m DAt-a r int snf r sktt rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in nfw | wy rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in TAw Dr fAt.k im.i | mHyt prt m itm r fnd n xnty-imntyw rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in itrw Dr DAt.k im.i | ptri.sn rn.k |
Dd n.i rn.i in axmt | sHtm Aw-a m wabt rn.t |
Dd n.i rn.i in sAtw Dr xnd.k Hr.i | fnd pt pr m wtw imy sxt-iarw prr Hay
im.f |
(Final address in
chapter 99)
Ddt xft.sn
i.nD Hr.tn nfrw kAw nbw xt
wnnyw anx r nHH Hnty rn.tn
Dt
wbA.i r.tn di.tn n.i dbH-Htpw
r r.i mdw.i im.f
Sns qfn ist m-bAH nTr aA
iw.i rx.kwi nTr pn aA dd.tn
DfAw r Srt.f tkm rn.f
iw.f wbA.f m Axt iAbtt nt
pt
iw.f xp.f mAxt imntt nt pt
rwi.f rwi.i
nn dr.tw.i Hr msqt nn sxm sbiw m iwf pn
iw t.i m p hnqt.i
m dpw
Speech before them
Hail beautiful of sustenance,
lords of offerings,
Who exist alive for eternity,
your names extending for ever
I reach you that you may give
me offerings for my mouth that I may speak with it
The offering-cake cooked,
Isis is in the presence of the great god
I know this great god, to
whose nose you give offerings: his name is Tekem
He penetrates the
eastern horizon of the sky
He travels from the western
horizon of the sky - he rests, I rest
I cannot be turned away from
the birth shrine: the rebels have no power over this flesh
My bread is in Pe, my beer
is in Dep
iw n.i Awt-a.Tn nt hrw pn
Awt-a.i pw it bty Awt-a.i
pw anA Hbsw
Awt-a.i anx wDA snb
Awt-a.i pw prt m hrw m xprw
nb mry.i prt im.f m sxt-iArw
Your offerings of this day
are mine:
Barley and emmer wheat are
my offerings; a jug of beer and clothing are my offerings;
life, prosperity and health
are my offerings;
Going out by day in any form
I wish to go out in, in the Field of Reeds, that is my offerings
iw di.tw n.f Sns ds psn Hr
xAwt nt nTr aA
AHwt sTAt + m it bty in Smsw
Hr Asx n.f st
wSa.xr.f m nn it bty sin.xr.f
Haw.f im.sn
wn.xr Haw.f mi nn nTrw
iw.f pr.f m sxt-iArw m xprw
nb mry.i prt im.f
Ss mAa HH n sp
Anyone who knows
this formula can go out in the Field of Reeds
and be given a loaf, jug,
round bread, on the offering-table of the great god,
and an aroura of fields with
barley and emmer wheat - it is the Followers of Horus who reap it for him.
He should chew that barley
and emmer wheat, and rub his limbs with them,
and his body will be like
those gods.
He can go out in the Field
of Reeds in any form I wish to go out in:
a true matter a million times.
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