Book of the Dead chapter 99

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)

r n int mXnt m Xrt-nTr
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 mXnt Ts n.i aqA r prt.i im.f
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

Formula for bringing the ferry
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 rnw.tn
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

Tell me my name, says the mooring-post:
Your name is Lord of the Two Lands in the shrine.
Tell me my name, says the mallet: Your name is haunch of the Apis
Tell me my name, says the prow rope:
Your name is tress of the mooring of Anubis, in the labour of the embalmers
Tell me my name, say the wedjyt-timbers: your name is the ... of the necropolis
Tell me my name, says the rudder: Your name is Aker
Tell me my name, says the mast:
Your name is bringer of the great goddess after her distance
Tell me my name, says the lower ...: Your name is standard of Wepwawet
Tell me my name, says the ...: Your name is gullet of Imsety (?)
Tell me my name, says the sail: Your name is Nut
Tell me my name, say the water-skins: your name is product of the skin of Menwer, and the sinews of Seth
Tell me my name, say the oars: your names are the fingers of Horus the Elder
Tell me my name, says the scoop: your name is the hand of Isis dressing the blood from the eye of Horus
Tell me my name, says the ... of its contents:
your names are Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, Qebehsenuf, Haqu, Itjemawa, Manitef, Irnefdjesef
Tell me my name, says its uniter: Your name is Foremost of gardens
Tell me my name, says the ...: Your name is Meret
Tell me my name, says the steering-oar:
Your name is Accurate, shining in water at the border of your wings
Tell me my name, says the boat:
Your name, it is hand of Isis cut by Ra violently to bring blood to the Evening Boat
Tell me my name, says the captain: Your name is leaner
Tell me my name, says the wind, when you bear with me:
Your name is north wind that comes from Atum to the nose of Khentamentiu
Tell me my name, says the river, when you sail on me: Your name is Whom they See
Tell me my name, says the riverbank: Your name is Destroyer of him with the raised arm in the place of purification
Tell me my name, says the ground, when you tread upon me:
Nose of the sky, who comes from the embalmers, who is in the Field of Reeds, who
emerges continually, over whom there is rejoicing

(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 wDA.f wDA.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; he is well, I am well.
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

At this point the version in the papyrus of Hepres (UC 71000) ends; other manuscripts continue as below, and part of this end section is preserved in the papyrus of Satiah (UC 71001):

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.

The papyrus concludes in versions such as the papyrus of Satiah (UC 71001) with this declaration of the advantage of knowing the formula:

ir rx r pn iw.f pr.f m sxt-iArw
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.