Hymn to the Aton
(Note: I transcribed this years ago from a book, I don't remember
which. The source text is probably the tomb of Aye, however.)

Thou appearest beautifully on the horizon of heaven,
Thou living Aton, the beginning of life!
When thou art risen on the Eastern Horizon,
Thou hast filled every land with thy beauty.
Thou art gracious, great, glistening, and high over every land,
Thy rays encompass the lands to the limit of all thou hast made;
Though thou art far away, thy rays are on earth;
When thou settest in the Western Horizon,
The land is in darkness, in the manner of death.
People sleep in a room, with heads wrapped up,
Nor sees one eye the other.
Every lion is come forth from his den;
All creeping things, they sting.
At daybreak, when thou arisest on the horizon,
Thou drivest away the darkness;
The Two Lands are in festivity every day.
Awake, men do their work.
All beasts are content with their pasturage;
Trees and plants are flourishing.
The birds which fly from their nests,
Their wings are stretched out in praise of thee.
The ships are sailing north and south as well,
For every way is open to thy appearance.
The fish in the river dart before thy face;
Thy rays are in the midst of the great green sea.
Creator of the son in the womb of his mother,
On the day he is born
Thou openest his mouth completely,
Thou suppliest his necessities.
Thou seeest to it that the chick breaks from its shell
That it cheeps and runs about when it comes from the egg.
Thou hast created men and beasts, all that goes about on the earth,
The lands of Syria, Nubia, and the land of Egypt.
Thou hast given men various tongues.
Thou hast created the Nile, which springs forth from the nether world,
Thou hast placed a Nile in the sky,
That it may water the fields.
Glorious are thy plans, O Lord in Eternity!
The Nile in the sky is for foreign lands,
The Nile from the nether world is for Egypt.
Thy rays awaken all gardens to life.
Thou makest the seasons, winter's cold and summer's heat.
Thou hast made millions of forms out of thyself.
In villages and cities, in streets and on streams,
Eyes are raised up to thee, who passes radiant over the earth.
Thou art in my heart; there is none who knows thee
Except thy son Akhenaton.
Thou hast given him to see
That the world is in thy hand.
Thou art life; every man lives through thee.
Since thou hast created the earth, it is prepared for thy son
Who came forth from thee...

Back to Temple Main Page