{"schema_version":1,"access":"public","rights":"Public-domain or compatibly licensed source editions; provenance is retained per record.","work":{"slug":"great-hymn-aten","title":"Great Hymn to the Aten","author":"Unknown court composer","tradition":"egyptian","language":"egy","genre":"hymn","period":"14th c. BCE","source_url":"https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/amarna/belief.html","original":{"text":"### Title and Dedication\n\n001  dwA (anx-ra-Hrw-Axty-Hay-m-Axt)|\n\n002  (m-rn.f-m-Sw-nty-m-itn)|\n\n003  anx(w) Dt (n)HH itn anx wr imy Hb-sd nb\n\n004  Snnt nb itn nb pt nb tA nb n pr itn m Axt itn nsw bity anx mAat nb tAwy\n\n005  (nfr-xprw-ra-wa-n-ra)| sA\n\n006  anx mAat nb Axtw (itn Ax n)|\n\n007  aA m aHa.f Hmt mryt.f nbt tAwy (nfr-nfrw-itn nfrt-iiti)|\n\n008  anxt snbti rnp ti Dt tA nHH\n\n### Main Hymn\n\n001  xay.k nfr m Axt nt pt\n\n002  itn anx SAa anx\n\n003  iw.k wbn.ti m Axt\n\n004  mH.n.k tA nb m nfrw.k\n\n005  iw.k an.ti wr.ti THn.ti qA.ti Hr-tp tA nb\n\n006  stwt.k inH.sn tAw r r-a irt.n.k nb\n\n007  iw.k m ra in.k r r-a.sn\n\n008  waf.k sn (n) sA-mr.k\n\n009  iw.k wA.ti stwt.k Hr tA\n\n010  tw.k m Hr.sn nw Smw.k\n\n011  Htp.k m Axt imntt tA m kk m sxr n mwt\n\n012  sDrw m Ssp tpw Hbs\n\n013  n ptr.n irt snwt.s\n\n014  iTA.tw xt.sn nb iw.w Xr tp.sn n am.sn\n\n015  mAi nb pr m rwty.f\n\n016  Ddft nb psH.sn\n\n017  kkw HAw tA m sgr pA ir.sn Htp m Axt.f\n\n018  HD-tA wbn.ti m Axt psd.ti m itn m h(rw)\n\n019  rwi.k kkw di.k stwt.k\n\n020  tAwy m Hb rs aHa Hr rdwy\n\n021  Tsy.n.k sn wab Haw.sn Sspw wnxw\n\n022  awy.sn m iAw n xaa.k\n\n023  tA r-Dr.f ir.sn kAt.sn\n\n024  iAt nb Htp Hr smw.sn\n\n025  Snw smw Hr AxAxw\n\n026  Apdw pAw m Ssw.sn\n\n027  dnHw.sn m iAw n kA.k\n\n028  awt nb Hr Tbhn Hr rdwy\n\n029  pAyw xnnt nb\n\n030  anx.sn wbn n.k sn\n\n031  aHaw m xd xnty m-mitt\n\n032  wAt nb wn n xa.k\n\n033  rmw Hr itrw Hr tft n Hr.k\n\n034  stwt.k m-Xn wAD-wr\n\n035  sxpr mAyw m Hmwt\n\n036  ir mw m rmT\n\n037  sanx sA m Xt n mwt.f\n\n038  sgrH sw m tmt rmy.f\n\n039  mnat m Xt dyw TAw r sanx irt.f nb\n\n040  hA.f m Xt r tpt hrw msw.f\n\n041  wpw.k r.f Hr qd\n\n042  ir.k xrt.f\n\n043  iw TA m swHt mdw m inr\n\n044  di.k n.f TAw m-Xnw.s r sanx.f\n\n045  ir.n.k n.f dmdy.f r sd.s m swHt\n\n046  pr.f m swHt r mdt r dmdy.f\n\n047  Sm.f Hr rdwy.fy pr.f im.s\n\n048  aSA.wy siry.k iw.w StAw m Hr\n\n049  pA nTr wa nn ky Hr-xw.f\n\n050  qmA.k tA n ib.k iw.k wa.ti\n\n051  m rmT mnmnt awt nb\n\n052  nty Hr tASm.w Hr rdwy\n\n053  nty m ax Hr pAyw m dnHw.sn\n\n054  xAswt xAr kS pA tA n kmt\n\n055  di.k s nb r st.f\n\n056  ir.k Xrt.sn\n\n057  wa nb Xry r wnmw.f Hsb aHa.f\n\n058  nsw wpw m mdwt qdw.sn m mitt\n\n059  inmw.sn stnw stn.k xAswt\n\n060  ir.k Hapy m dwAt in.k sw r mr.k\n\n061  r sanx rxyt mi ir.k sn n.k\n\n062  nb iry.sn r-Aw im.sn\n\n063  pA nb n tA nb wbn n.sn pA itn n hrw aA Sft\n\n064  xAst nb wAt ir.k anx.sn\n\n065  di.n.k Hapy m pt hAy.f n.sn\n\n066  ir.f hnw Hr Dww mi wAD-wr\n\n067  r txb AHwt.sn m dmi.sn\n\n068  smnx.wy sy sxrw.k pA nb HH\n\n069  Hapy m pt sw n xAstyw n awt xAst nb Smw rdwy\n\n070  Hapy iy.f m dwAt n tA mri\n\n071  stwt.k Hr mna SA nb\n\n072  wbn.k anx.sn rwd.sn n.k\n\n073  ir.k trw r sxpr iry.k nb\n\n074  prt r sqb.sn hh dp.f st tw\n\n075  ir.n.k pt wA.ti r wbn im.s\n\n076  r mA iry.k nb iw.k wa.ti wbn.ti m xprw.k m itn anx\n\n077  xa.ti psd.ti wA.ti Xn.ti\n\n078  ir.k HHw n xprw im.k way\n\n079  niwt dmiw AHt mtn itrw\n\n080  gmH tw irt nb r aqy.sn\n\n081  iw.k m itn n hrw Hr tp n Sm.n.k\n\n082  n wnn irt nb qmA.k Hr st r tm.k mA Haw [...] wa irt.n.k\n\n083  iw.k m ib.i nn wn ky rx.tw\n\n084  wp Hr sA.k nfr-xprw-ra wa-n-ra\n\n085  di.k sSA.f m sxrw.k m pHty.k\n\n086  xpr tA Hr a.k\n\n087  mi ir.k sn\n\n088  wbn.n.k anx.sn\n\n089  Htp.k mwt.sn\n\n090  ntk aHa r Haw.k\n\n091  anx.tw im.k\n\n092  wn irw Hr nfrw.k r Htp.k\n\n093  wAH.tw kAt nb\n\n094  Htp.k Hr imny\n\n095  wbn srwd [...] nswt\n\n096  wn m rd nb Dr snT.k tA\n\n097  wTs.k sn n sA.k pr m Haw.k\n\n098  nswt anx m mAat nb tAwy\n\n099  nfr-xprw-ra wa-n-ra\n\n100  sA ra anx m mAat nb xaw\n\n101  ax-n-itn wr m aHa.f\n\n102  Hmt nswt wrt mrt.f nbt tAwy\n\n103  nfr-nfrw-itn nfrt-ii.ti anx.ti Dt","download_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/great-hymn-aten/original.txt"},"translations":[{"id":"trn_great_hymn_aten_mouseia","translator":"Mouseia","kind":"curated","note":"Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete extant 103-line UCL body witness and the separately identified eight-line secondary dedication witness for fidelity, clarity, structure, imagery, and cadence.","text":"### Title and Dedication\n\n001  Adoration of Re-Horakhty, who rejoices in the horizon,\n\n002  in his name as Shu who is in the Aten,\n\n003  living forever and ever—the living Aten, great in jubilee festivals, lord of all\n\n004  the Aten encircles, lord of sky, lord of earth, lord of the House of Aten in Akhetaten; King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living in truth, lord of the Two Lands,\n\n005  Neferkheperure-Waenre, son,\n\n006  living in truth, lord of appearances, Akhenaten,\n\n007  great in his lifetime; his beloved wife, lady of the Two Lands, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti,\n\n008  may she live, be sound, and grow young forever and ever.\n\n### Main Hymn\n\n001  You appear beautifully in the horizon of the sky,\n\n002  living Aten, origin of life.\n\n003  When you rise in the horizon,\n\n004  you fill every land with your beauty.\n\n005  You are radiant, great, gleaming, high above every land.\n\n006  Your rays embrace the lands to the limit of all you have made.\n\n007  You are Re, and you reach their limits;\n\n008  you bind them for your beloved son.\n\n009  Though you are far away, your rays are upon the earth;\n\n010  you are in their faces, though your going is unknown.\n\n011  When you rest in the western horizon, the earth lies in darkness, in the condition of death.\n\n012  They sleep in chambers, their heads covered;\n\n013  no eye sees its fellow.\n\n014  All their possessions may be stolen from beneath their heads, and they do not know it.\n\n015  Every lion comes out from its den;\n\n016  every serpent bites.\n\n017  Darkness is a shroud, the land in silence, for its maker rests in his horizon.\n\n018  At daybreak, when you rise in the horizon, shining as the Aten by day,\n\n019  you drive away darkness and give your rays.\n\n020  The Two Lands are in festival, awake and standing on their feet.\n\n021  You have raised them; their bodies are cleansed, their clothes put on,\n\n022  their arms lifted in praise at your appearing.\n\n023  The whole earth performs its work.\n\n024  Every herd rests upon its pasture;\n\n025  trees and plants flourish.\n\n026  Birds fly from their nests,\n\n027  their wings raised in praise of your spirit.\n\n028  All cattle leap upon their feet;\n\n029  all that fly and alight,\n\n030  they live when you rise for them.\n\n031  Ships sail downstream and upstream alike;\n\n032  every road opens at your appearing.\n\n033  Fish in the river dart before your face;\n\n034  your rays are within the great green sea.\n\n035  You create seed in women,\n\n036  and make semen in men.\n\n037  You give life to the son in his mother’s womb,\n\n038  calming him so that he does not weep.\n\n039  Nurse within the womb, giver of breath to sustain everything he has made,\n\n040  when he descends from the womb on the day of his birth,\n\n041  you open his mouth completely\n\n042  and provide what he needs.\n\n043  When the chick in the egg speaks within the shell,\n\n044  you give it breath inside her to keep it alive.\n\n045  You have made for it its appointed time to break her from within the egg.\n\n046  It comes out of the egg to speak at its appointed time;\n\n047  it walks upon its two feet when it comes from her.\n\n048  How many are your works, though hidden from sight,\n\n049  sole god, with no other beside him!\n\n050  You created the earth according to your heart, while you were alone:\n\n051  people, herds, every kind of animal,\n\n052  all that tread the earth on their feet,\n\n053  and all that are in the sky, flying on their wings;\n\n054  the foreign lands of Syria and Kush, and the land of Egypt.\n\n055  You set every person in his place\n\n056  and provide what they need.\n\n057  Each has his food, and his lifetime is reckoned.\n\n058  Their tongues differ in speech, and their forms likewise;\n\n059  their skins are distinct, for you distinguish the peoples.\n\n060  You make the Nile flood in the underworld and bring it forth as you desire,\n\n061  to keep the people alive, just as you made them for yourself,\n\n062  lord who made them all and is among them.\n\n063  Lord of every land, who rises for them, Aten of daytime, great in majesty,\n\n064  every distant foreign land—you make their life.\n\n065  You have placed a Nile flood in the sky, that it may descend for them.\n\n066  It makes waves upon the mountains like the great green sea,\n\n067  to drench their fields within their towns.\n\n068  How effective are your plans, lord of eternity!\n\n069  The Nile flood in the sky is for the foreigners and for the animals of every foreign land that walk on feet;\n\n070  the Nile flood comes from the underworld for the beloved land.\n\n071  Your rays nurse every field.\n\n072  When you rise, they live and flourish for you.\n\n073  You make the seasons to bring forth everything you have made:\n\n074  winter to cool them, and heat that they may taste you.\n\n075  You made the distant sky so that you might rise within it,\n\n076  to see everything you made, while you alone rise in your form as the living Aten,\n\n077  appearing, shining, far away and near.\n\n078  You make millions of forms from yourself, the one:\n\n079  cities, towns, fields, roads, and river.\n\n080  Every eye beholds you as you face them.\n\n081  You are the Aten of daytime overhead, for you have not departed.\n\n082  No eye exists that you created in its place not to see your body [...] the one alone that you made.\n\n083  You are in my heart, and there is no other who knows you\n\n084  except your son, Neferkheperure-Waenre.\n\n085  You cause him to understand your plans and your power.\n\n086  The earth comes into being by your hand,\n\n087  just as you made them.\n\n088  When you rise, they live;\n\n089  when you rest, they die.\n\n090  You yourself are the span of life;\n\n091  life is lived through you.\n\n092  Faces are open to your beauty until you rest.\n\n093  Every work is laid aside\n\n094  when you rest in the west.\n\n095  When you rise, you sustain [...] the king.\n\n096  Every leg is in motion since you founded the earth.\n\n097  You raise them for your son who came from your body,\n\n098  the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living in truth, lord of the Two Lands,\n\n099  Neferkheperure-Waenre,\n\n100  son of Re, living in truth, lord of appearances,\n\n101  Akhenaten, great in his lifetime,\n\n102  and the great royal wife, his beloved, lady of the Two Lands,\n\n103  Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, living forever.","download_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/great-hymn-aten/translations/trn_great_hymn_aten_mouseia.txt"},{"id":"trn_great_hymn_aten_plain","translator":"Mouseia","kind":"plain","note":"Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the complete extant 103-line UCL body witness and the separately identified eight-line secondary dedication witness.","text":"### Title and Dedication\n\n001  Praise of the Living Re-Horakhty, who rejoices in the horizon,\n\n002  in his name as Shu who is in the Aten,\n\n003  living forever and ever, the living Aten, great in jubilees, lord of all,\n\n004  all that the Aten encircles, lord of heaven, lord of earth, lord of the House of the Aten in Akhetaten, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living by truth, lord of the Two Lands,\n\n005  Neferkheperure-Waenre, son\n\n006  living by truth, lord of the horizons, the Aten effective for\n\n007  the great one in his lifetime, and his beloved wife, lady of the Two Lands, Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti.\n\n008  May she live, be healthy, and remain young forever and ever.\n\n### Main Hymn\n\n001  You appear beautifully in the horizon of heaven,\n\n002  living Aten, origin of life.\n\n003  When you rise in the horizon,\n\n004  you fill every land with your beauty.\n\n005  You are radiant, great, gleaming, and high above every land.\n\n006  Your rays embrace the lands, as far as everything you have made.\n\n007  You are Re, and you reach their limits.\n\n008  You bind them for your beloved son.\n\n009  Though you are far away, your rays are on the earth.\n\n010  You are in their faces, though no one knows your movement.\n\n011  When you set in the western horizon, the earth is in darkness, in the state of death.\n\n012  People sleep in rooms, their heads covered,\n\n013  and no eye sees another.\n\n014  All their belongings may be stolen from beneath their heads, and they do not know it.\n\n015  Every lion comes out of its den.\n\n016  Every snake bites.\n\n017  Darkness covers the earth, which lies silent while its maker rests in his horizon.\n\n018  At daybreak, you rise in the horizon, shining as the Aten by day.\n\n019  You drive away darkness and give your rays.\n\n020  The Two Lands celebrate, awake and standing on their feet.\n\n021  You have raised them up. Their bodies are washed and clothed,\n\n022  and their arms are raised in praise at your appearance.\n\n023  The whole earth does its work.\n\n024  Every animal is content with its pasture.\n\n025  Trees and plants flourish.\n\n026  Birds fly from their nests,\n\n027  their wings raised in praise of your life force.\n\n028  Every animal leaps on its feet,\n\n029  and all that fly and alight,\n\n030  they live when you rise for them.\n\n031  Boats sail downstream and upstream alike.\n\n032  Every road opens when you appear.\n\n033  Fish in the river leap before your face.\n\n034  Your rays are within the great green sea.\n\n035  You create seed in men and form offspring in women.\n\n036  You make water into human beings.\n\n037  You give life to the son in his mother’s womb,\n\n038  soothing him so that he does not cry.\n\n039  You are the nurse within the womb, giving breath to sustain everything you have made.\n\n040  When he descends from the womb on the day of his birth,\n\n041  you open his mouth completely\n\n042  and provide what he needs.\n\n043  When the chick is in the egg, speaking within the shell,\n\n044  you give it breath inside to sustain it.\n\n045  You have made its appointed time for breaking the shell.\n\n046  It comes out of the egg to chirp at its appointed time.\n\n047  It walks on its two feet when it comes out.\n\n048  How numerous are your creations, though they are hidden from sight,\n\n049  sole god, with no other beside him.\n\n050  You created the earth according to your heart while you were alone:\n\n051  people, herds, and every animal,\n\n052  everything that runs on the ground on its feet,\n\n053  and everything in the sky that flies with its wings,\n\n054  the foreign lands of Syria and Kush, and the land of Egypt.\n\n055  You place each person in his proper place\n\n056  and provide what they need.\n\n057  Each one has his food, and the length of his life is counted.\n\n058  Their tongues differ in speech, and their forms likewise.\n\n059  Their skins are distinct, for you distinguish the foreign peoples.\n\n060  You make the Nile in the underworld and bring it as you wish,\n\n061  to sustain the people, just as you made them for yourself,\n\n062  lord of them all, who labors for all of them.\n\n063  Lord of every land, who rises for them, the Aten of the day, great in majesty,\n\n064  you make every distant foreign land live.\n\n065  You have placed a Nile in the sky, so that it descends for them.\n\n066  It makes waves upon the mountains like the great green sea,\n\n067  to irrigate their fields within their towns.\n\n068  How effective are your plans, lord of eternity!\n\n069  The Nile in the sky is for the foreign peoples and for the animals of every foreign land that walk on their feet.\n\n070  The Nile comes from the underworld for the beloved land.\n\n071  Your rays nourish every field.\n\n072  When you rise, they live and flourish for you.\n\n073  You make the seasons to sustain everything you have made:\n\n074  winter to cool them, and heat so that they may experience you.\n\n075  You made the sky distant so that you could rise in it\n\n076  and see everything you have made, while you alone rise in your form as the living Aten,\n\n077  appearing, shining, distant, yet near.\n\n078  You make millions of forms from yourself, the sole one:\n\n079  cities, towns, fields, roads, and rivers.\n\n080  Every eye beholds you when you enter its sight.\n\n081  You are the Aten of the day above the earth, even when you have gone.\n\n082  No eye at all that you created remains in its place so as not to see the body [...] the sole one you made.\n\n083  You are in my heart, and there is no other who knows you\n\n084  except your son, Neferkheperure-Waenre.\n\n085  You make him wise in your plans and in your power.\n\n086  The earth came into being through your hand,\n\n087  just as you made them.\n\n088  When you rise, they live.\n\n089  When you set, they die.\n\n090  You yourself are the span of life.\n\n091  People live through you.\n\n092  Eyes remain fixed on your beauty until you set.\n\n093  All work is put aside\n\n094  when you set on the right.\n\n095  When you rise, you strengthen [...] the king.\n\n096  There is movement in every leg since you founded the earth.\n\n097  You raise them up for your son who came from your body,\n\n098  the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living by truth, lord of the Two Lands,\n\n099  Neferkheperure-Waenre,\n\n100  son of Re, living by truth, lord of appearances,\n\n101  Akhenaten, great in his lifetime,\n\n102  and the great king’s wife, his beloved, lady of the Two Lands,\n\n103  Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti, living forever.","download_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/great-hymn-aten/translations/trn_great_hymn_aten_plain.txt"}],"retex_markdown_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/great-hymn-aten/retex.md"}}