The star of Sirius where the soûl of Isis dwelt

96 THE LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS

Invocation by Nephthys. She says :

Excellent Sovereign ! corne to thine abode !

Unnefer the justified, corne to Tattu.

Oh fructifying Bull, corne to Anap.

Beloved of the Adytum, corne to Kha.

Corne to Tattu, the place which thy soûl prefers.

The spirits of thy fathers second thee.

Thy son, the youth Horus, the child of (thy) two sisters1 2, is before thee.

At the dawn of light, I am thy protection each day.

1 never separate myself from thee.

Oh god An, corne to Sais.

Sais is thy name.

Corne to Aper ; thou wilt see thy mother NeithV Beautiful Child, do not stay far from her.

Corne to her nipples ; abundance is in them3.

Excellent Brother, do not stay far from her.

Oh son, corne to Sais !

Osiris-Tarut, surnamed Nainai, born of Persais, the justified, corne to Aper, thy city.

Thine abode is Tab.

Thou reposest (there) by thy divine mother, for ever.

She protecteth thy nembers, she disperseth thine enemies,

She is the protection of thy members for ever.

Oh excellent Sovereign ! corne to thine abode.

Lord of Sais, corne to Sais.

1. Isis having, with the aid of her sister Nephthys, reunited the parts of Osiris’ body dispersed by Set, formed of them the infant Horus.

2. Neith personified the Lower Hemisphere, whence Osiris, the rising sun, appeared under the form of Horus.

3. The sun nightly sinks into the bosom of his mother Neith, who personifies the Lower Hemisphere of heaven.

THE LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS

Invocation by Isis 1 . She says :

Corne to thine abode ! corne to thine abode.

Excellent Sovereign, corne to thine abode.

Corne (and) behold thy son Horus as Suprême Ruler of gods and men.

He hath taken possession of the cities and the districts, by the grandeur of the respect he inspires.

Heaven and earth are in awe of him, the barbarians are in fear of him.

Thy companions, who are gods and men, hâve become his, in the two hemispheres, to accomplis!! thy ceremonies.

Thy two sisters are near to thee, offering libations to thy person ;

thy son Horus accomplisheth for thee the funeral offering, of bead, of beverages, of oxen and of geese.

Thoth chaunteth thy festival-songs, invoking thee by his bénéficiai formulæ.

The children of Horus are the protection of the members, benefiting thy soûl each day.

Thy son Horus saluteth thy name (in) thy mysterious abode,

in presenting thee the things consecrated to thy person. The gods hold vases in their hands to make libations to thy being.

Corne to thy companions,

Suprême Ruler, our Lord !

Do not separate thyself from them.

When this is recited, the place (where one is) is holy in the extreme.

Let it be seen or heard by no one,

1. Osiris again coming forth under the form of Horus conqueror (or the Rising Sun), becomes the Lord of the universe.

Bibl. égypt., t. xvii.

98 THE LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS

excepting by the principal Kher-heb' and the Sam'1 2 3.

Two women, beautiful in their members, having been introduced, are made to sit down on the ground at the principal door of the Great Hall '

(Then) the names of Isis and Nephthys are inscribed on their shoulders.

Crystal vases (full) of water are placed in their right hands ; loaves of bread made in Memphis in their left hands.

Let them pay attention to the things done

at the third hour of the dav,

and also at the eighth hour of the day.

Cease not to recite this book at the hour of the ceremony !

It is finished.