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The Temple of Esna. An Evolving Translation: Esna IV

Architrave E (441-441bis)

Esna 441

1wnn ḥw.t-ẖnmw
wbg.tw rʿ-nb
mỉ gb.t
ẖr dbn.wy

sw mỉ ḥr.t
ẖr ỉtn.wy
Nw.t wr.t
ẖr ḥȝy.ty

psḏ n=s ḫnty-tȝ.wy-nṯr.w
m-ḫnt=s
mỉ psḏ-m-nbw
sḥḏ=f tȝ.wy ỉry
m wbn=f

1 The Temple of Khnum
is radiant (wbg), every day,
like the firmament (gb.t)
bearing the two orbiters (sun and moon).

It is like the sky,
bearing the two disks,
Nut the great,
bearing th two luminous ones (sun and moon).

Foremost of the Lands of the Gods69 shines for it
from within it,
just like He who Shines in Gold (Re):
he illumines all the lands
through his rising.

sʿnḫ(.w) srq-ḥty.t
m st.wt=f
ḥr.w-nb.w 2ḥʿʿ.tw
r mȝȝ=f

ḏȝỉ.n=f p.t
m bȝ mȝʿ rʿ-nb
m ḫprw=f nfr
n bȝ 4
m ḥr.w 4 ḥr nḥb.t wʿ(.t)

ʿḥʿ=f m pr=f
m ʿḥʿy
ḥr sḫpr ʿḥʿ-ḥms
ỉn bȝ.w n nṯr.w m gs.w-pr.w
ḥnʿ bȝ n Wsỉr m sỉn.t

Mortals are enlivened70
by means of his rays,
everybody 2 rejoices
to see him.

That he sails across heaven
is as a Ba (with) good wind, daily,
in his good manifestation
of the four Bas,
with four heads on one neck.

He stops (ʿḥʿ) in his domain
at the zenith (ʿḥʿy),
creating temple meals (ʿḥʿ-ḥms)
for the Bas of gods in the temples,71
along with the Ba of Osiris in Egypt.

zmȝ.n=f sbỉ.w
ḥwỉ.n=f ʿȝpp
ỉr.n=f ḫfty.w=f
m tm-wn

wn=f wn 3nḥḥ
wn nḥḥ wn=f

ḏ.t pw rn=f
ḥtp=f m Mȝnw
m ỉȝw rnp
Ỉtm pw ḫr.tw r=f
sšd=f s(w) m dwȝ.t
r ẖ.t Nw.t rʿ-nb
ḥr wbn ḥtp n ḏ.t
m nḫḫ ỉr ḥwnw
r-mn mỉn

nṯr.w bȝkty.w
(ḥr) sqd m-ḫt=f
ḫȝty.w m šms=f
(r) ḥn.ty nḥḥ

As he slew the rebels,
so did he strike down Apophis,
having made his enemies
non-existent.

As he exists so is cyclical-eternity,
as cyclical-eternity exists so is he.

His name is (also) linear-eternity,
(when) he sets into Manu,
as the old man who rejuvenates.
He is Atum, as he is called,
and he dashes out from the Duat
back up to the belly of Nut, daily,
rising and setting for linear-eternity,
as the old man who becomes young,
up to the present day.

The working gods (stars)
sail behind him,
the slaughtering-demons are in his service
for the limits of cyclical-eternity.

Esna 441bis

1ʿnḫ nṯr nfr
ḫnty ȝḫ.t
ʿnḫ r-ȝw=f
psḏ tȝ.wy
m […] wḏȝ.ty=2f
ḥr.t […]
Ỉwn ỉnỉ [nṯ]r.t(?)
wnn.t [ḥr].tw

1 Live the good god,
foremost of the Akhet,
he who lives entirely,
the two lands shine
from the [….] of his eyes,
the sky […]
Iun-pillar, who brings the [god]ddess(?)
who had been [far] away.

3ʿnḫ nṯr nfr
[ḏ].t=f ẖ.t=f
[…]=sn r=f nḥḥ
ḏ.t pw
wn=f ỉm=f
m swḥ 4n [ʿnḫ?]
mn m […]
ḥr […]=f
ỉỉ […]

3 Live the good god,
[ev]ening and morning,
they […] towards him forever,
that means for linear eternity,
he exists in there,
as the breath 4 of [life?]
which endures in […]
upon […] his […]
who comes […]