The Great Hymn to Aten

The Great Hymn to Aten, c. 1353 BCE, by Akhenaten

"You arise beauteous in the horizon of the heavens

O 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 Ra, 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 arise 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 egg planted 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 One 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 fulfill 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 no other one knows you

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 (Ankh-em-Ma'at)

Lord of Diadems, Akhenaten, whose life is long:

And for his beloved wife, the Royal Queen,

Mistress of Two Lands, Nefer-Neferu-Aten Nefertiti

May she live and flourish in eternity."

Modern English Translation by Donald John Long, Egyptologist, 2001.