Poem Of Praise To The Sun


You arise beauteous in the horizon of the heavens
Oh living Aten who creates life.
When you shine forth in the Eastern horizon you fill every land with your beauty.
You are so beautiful: you are great; gleaming and high over every land.
Your rays embrace the lands and all you have created;
You are Re and reach out to all your creations, and hold them for your beloved Son.
You are afar, but your rays touch the earth;
Men see you, but know not your ways.

When you set in the Western horizon of the sky
The earth is in darkness like the dead.
People sleep in their rooms with covered heads;
They do not see each other.
If all their possessions were stolen
They would know it not.
Every lion leaves its lair;
All snakes bite;
Darkness covers all.
The world is silent
For the creator rests in his horizon.

When you rise from the horizon the earth grows bright;
You shine as the Aten in the sky and drive away the darkness;
When your rays gleam forth, the whole of Egypt is festive.
People wake and stand on their feet
For you have lifted them up.
They wash their limbs and take up their clothes and dress;
They raise their arms to you in adoration.

Then the whole of the land does its work;
All cattle enjoy their pastures,
Trees and plants grow green,
Birds fly up from their nests
And raise their wings in praise of your spirit.
Goats frisk on their feet,
And all fluttering and flying things come alive
Because you shine on them.
Boats sail up and downstream,
All ways are opened because you have appeared.
The fish in the river leap up to you
Your rays are in the deep of the sea.

You are the creator of the issue in woman,
The seed in men;
You give life to the son in his mother's womb
Soothing him so he does not cry
Oh nurse within the womb.

You give the breath of life to all your creations
From the day they are born.
You open their mouths and give them sustenance.
To the chick that cries "tweet" while still in the egg
You give breath in the shell to let him live,
And make the time for him to break the shell
And come out of the egg at the moment for him to chirp
And patter on his two feet.

How manifold are your works: they are secret from our sight
Oh unique god, no other is like you.
You made the earth after your own heart
When you were alone. All men, herds
And flocks, all on the earth that goes on its feet;
and all that is in the sky and flies with its wings.
The land of Egypt, the foreign lands of Syria and Nubia too -
You put every man in his place and fulfil his needs;
Each one with his sustenance and the days of his life counted,
Their language is different,
And they look different;
Their complexions are different,
For you have distinguished the nations.
You make the seasons to bring into being all your creatures;
Winter to cool them,
And the heat of summer to come from you.
You have made the sky afar off
So when you rise you can see all you have made.
You alone rise in the form of the living Aten
Shining afar, yet close at hand.
You make millions of forms out of you alone,
Towns and villages, fields, roads and river.
All eyes see you before them
For you are the Aten of the day, over all the earth.

You are in my heart and none other knows thee
But your son "Akhenaten";
You have given him understanding of your designs and your power.
The people of the world are in your hand
Just as you have created them.
All men since you have made the earth you have raised for your son
Who came forth from your body,
The King of Egypt who lives in truth,
Lord of Diadems, Akhenaten, whose life is long:
And for his beloved wife
Mistress of Two Lands, NefernefruatenNefertiti
May she live and flourish in eternity.


Compare to the later Psalm 104 :

  1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
  2. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
  3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
  4. Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
  5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
  6. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
  7. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
  8. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
  9. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
  10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
  11. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
  12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
  13. He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
  14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
  15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.
  16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
  17. Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
  18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
  19. He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
  20. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
  21. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
  22. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
  23. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
  24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
  25. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
  26. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
  27. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
  28. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
  29. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
  30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
  31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
  32. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
  33. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
  34. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.
  35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

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