I am Aset (Isis),
pregnant with her child, bearing Horus divine, and I gave birth to
Horus, the son of Osiris/Wesir, in the nest of Khemmis. I very much
rejoiced at that, for in him I saw the avenger of his father. I hid
him and concealed him for fear of that one.
I wandered begging all the while. I longed for the child the whole
day whilst taking care of his needs. I returned to embrace Horus,
but I found that he, the beautiful Horus of gold, the innocent,
fatherless child, had moistened the banks with his tears and drool.
His body was limp, his heart weak, and his veins did not beat.
I uttered a cry, saying, “It is I, it is I.” But the child was too
weak to answer. My breasts were full, but his stomach was empty and
his mouth longed for its food. I wanted to come and protect him;
great was the mischief, an innocent child, who still resisted the
bottle and had been left alone too long. I was afraid, because
nobody came on my voice.
My father is in the Netherworld, my mother in the realm of the dead.
My elder brother is in the sarcophagus, the other is an enemy,
obstinate in his malice towards me. My younger sister is in his
house.
Whom among men shall I call to? Then their heart will care for me. I
shall call to the inhabitants of the marshes. They will immediately
care for me. The fishermen came from their houses for me, they
hastened to me on my voice. They all cried saying:
“How great is your
misery.”
But there was nobody
amongst them who could exorcise him with his spell. Although
everyone of them wailed loudly, there was nobody amongst them who
had the knowledge to cure him.
Then a woman came to me, known in her town and a queen in her nome.
She came to me bearing a life-sign whilst she had every confidence
in her knowledge:
“Fear not, fear not,
son Horus, be not despondent, be not despondent, mother of the
god. The child is protected against the malice of his brother.
The bush is hidden. Death does not penetrate into it. It is the
magic power of Atum, father of the gods, who is in heaven, who
has made my life-sign. Set does not penetrate into this nome, he
does not go about at Khemmis. Horus is protected against the
malice of his brother. His followers do not injure him. Look for
the reason why this happened, then Horus will live for his
mother. Certainly, a scorpion has stung him or an evil snake has
bitten him.”
Aset (Isis) put her nose
into his mouth to know the smell of it in his skull. She examined
the disease of the divine heir. She found that he had been poisoned.
She quickly embraced her son, jumping about with him like fishes put
on a coal-fire:
Horus has been
bitten, Horus has been bitten, o Ra, your son has been bitten.
The heir of your heir, who has tied the kingship of Shu. The lad
of Khemmis, the sacred child in the House of the Prince, the
beautiful child of gold, the innocent, fatherless child, the son
of Wennofer, born from Isis divine, the guiltless one, the young
son among the gods, he of whom I took continually care, for in
him I saw the avenger of his father. He who was already anxious
in he hidden place, who was already afraid in his mother’s womb.
Horus has been bitten, Horus has been bitten, he over whom I
watched, keeping an eye upon him, and on account of whom I loved
life.”
The innocent child wept
in distress, they who were around the child were upset; Nephthys
came running along, crying, her cries rang out in the marshes.
Serqet said,
“What is the matter
with the child? Sister Isis, do call to heaven then there will
be a standstill with the crew of the boat of Ra, and there will
be no favorable wind in the boat of Ra as long as Horus lies on
his side.”
Aset (Isis) uttered her
cry to heaven, her lamentation to the boat of millions. Aten stopped
in front of her and did not move from his place.
Djehuty (Thoth) came provided with magic power and with the high
command of justification:
“What is the matter,
what is the matter, Aset (Isis) divine, skilful one, who knows
her spell. Horus your son is not in mischief, I hope? His
protection is the boat of Ra. Today I have come from the barque.
Aton is in his place of yesterday. Darkness has come, the light
has been driven away until Horus will be healthy for his mother
Isis, until the patient will be healthy for his mother and every
person who has been bitten likewise.”
Aset (Isis) divine said,
“Djehuty, how
self-confident you are, but how slow are your plans! Have you
really come provided with magic power, and with the high command
of justification? Misery upon misery, the number whereof is not
known. Behold, Horus is in distress on account of the poison.
The mischief is the deed of his brother, death is their complete
destruction. Would I were with the eldest son of his mother.
Then I would not have lived to see this after him. From the
beginning however I submitted to it and I waited to avenge him.
Horus, Horus, remain on the earth! Since the day I conceived
him, I yearned to implore the ka of his father.”
[Djehuty says]
“Fear not, fear not,
Isis divine. Nephthys, lament not. I have come from heaven with
the breath of life to cure the child for his mother. Horus,
Horus, your heart be strong, be it not weak on account of the
fire.
The protection of Horus is he who is in his disk and who
illuminates the two lands with his two eyes. The protection of
the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the eldest in heaven, who rules
everything that exists. The protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is that great dwarf who goes round about
the Netherworld at twilight. The protection of the patient
likewise.
The protection of Horus is the lion of the night who travels in
the western Mountain. The protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the great hidden Ba, who goes about
in his two eyes The protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the great flacon who flies in the
sky, on earth and in the Netherworld. The protection of the
patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the sacred beetle in the sky. The
protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the secret corpse whose mummy is
sacred in its sarcophagus. The protection of the patient
likewise.
The protection of Horus is the Netherworld, the lands where
faces are reversed, secret of contents. The protection of the
patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the divine phoenix who sits in his
eyes. The protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is his own body. The magic power of his
mother Isis is his protection. The protection of the patient
likewise.
The protection of Horus are the names of his father, his images
in his nomes.
The protection of Horus is the lamentations of his mother, the
cries of his brothers. The protection of Horus is his own name.
The gods care for him, protecting him.
Wake up Horus, your protection is permanent. Comfort your
mother’s heart. The words of Horus will delight the hearts. He
reassures the distressed one.
Rejoice you who are in heaven, for Horus avenges his father.
Recede, poison.
Behold, you are conjured by the mouth of Ra, the tongue of the
great god averts you. The boat of Ra stands still and does not
sail. Aton is in his place of yesterday, until Horus will be
healthy for his mother Isis, until the patient will be healthy
for his mother likewise.
Fall out to the earth, then the boat will sail and the crew of
heaven will sail. The foods are stopped up ,the temples blocked,
until Horus will be healthy for his mother Isis. The misery
which is yonder will turn the disturbance to its place of
yesterday, until Horus will be healthy for his mother Isis and
the patient will be healthy likewise.
The demon of the dark goes about, the seasons are not separated,
the figures of the shadow are not seen, until Horus will be
healthy for his mother Isis and the patient will be healthy
likewise. The sources are blocked, the crops are withering, the
food is taken from mankind, until Horus will be healthy for his
mother Isis and until the patient will be healthy likewise.
Fall out to the earth, o poison, then the hearts will rejoice
and the light of the sun will go round. I am Djehuty, the
eldest, son of Ra, with the command of Atum, the father of the
gods, that Horus may be healthy for his mother Isis and that the
patient may be healthy for his mother just as he is.
Horus, Horus, your Ka is your protection, your followers protect
you. The poison is dead, its heat driven away from stinging the
son of the lady. Depart to your homes, for Horus lives for his
mother.”
Then Aset (Isis) divine
said,
“May you give
instructions concerning him to the inhabitants of Khemmis, the
nurses who are in Buto. Order them emphatically to guard the
child for his mother. Do not let them know my position at
Khemmis, a beggar-woman, chased away from her town.”
Djehuty said to these
gods and he spoke to the inhabitants of Khemmis:
“O, nurses who are
in Buto, they who have struck with their hands and have pounded
with their arms on account of that great one, who has gone away
from among them, watch over this child, look for his way among
men, and confuse the ways of those who rebel against him, till
he has seized the throne of both the lands. Ra in heaven vouches
for him, his father watches over him, the magic power, of his
mother is his protection, while she makes love go about for him
and brings fear of him amongst men.
They are waiting for me to push off the evening-boat and to make
the morning-boat sail. Horus belongs to you, assigned to life. I
shall inform his father that he is alive and give joy to those
who are in the boat and cheers to the crew so that she mail
sail: For Horus lives for his mother. The poison is powerless.
Then the official is praised for his task in delivering his
report to him who sent him.
Rejoice, Ra-Harakhty, your son Horus has been assigned to life.
All people and all animals which are poisoned will live
likewise.”
