Poetry from the AMARNA PERIOD
AKHENATEN'S GREAT HYMN TO ATEN
(1) "Thou arisest beauteous in the horizon of heaven, O living Aten, beginner of life when thou didst shine forth in the eastern horizon, and didst fill every land with thy beauty.
(2) Thou art comely, great, sparkling, and high above every land, and thy rays enfold the lands to the limit of all that thou hast made, thou being the sun and thou reachest their limits and subjectest them to thy beloved son.
(3) Being far off, yet thy rays are upon the earth. Thou art in men's faces, yet thy movements are unseen. When thou settest in the western horizon, the earth is in darkness after the manner of death. The night is passed in the bedchamber, heads covered, no eye can see its fellow. Their belongings are stolen, even though they be under their heads, and they perceive it not. Every lion is come forth from its lair and all snakes bite. Darkness is (the sole) illumination while the earth is in silence, their maker resting in his horizon.
(4) The earth grows bright, when thou hast arisen in the horizon, shining as Aten in the daytime. Thou banishest darkness and bestowest thy rays. The Two Lands are in festival, awakened they stand on their feet, thou hast lifted them up. Their limbs are cleansed, clothes put on, and their hands are upraised in praise at thy glorious appearing. The entire land does its work. All cattle are at peace upon their pastures. Trees and pasture grow green. Birds taking flight from their nest, their wings give praise to thy spirit. All animals frisk upon their feet. All that flyeth or alighteth live when thou arisest for them. Ships fare north and likewise fare south. Every road is opened at thy appearing. The fish in the river leap before thy face. Thy rays are in the GreatGreen [sea]. Who causest the male fluid to grow in women and who makest the water in mankind; bringing to life the son in the body of his mother; soothing him by the cessation of his tears; nurse (already) in the body, who givest air to cause to live all whom thou makest, and he descendeth from the body to breathe on the day of his birth; though openest his mouth fully and makest his sustenance. The chick in the egg, speaketh in the shell; thou givest him air in it to make him live; thou hast made for him his completion so as to break it, even the egg, and he cometh forth from the egg to speak of his completion, and he walketh upon his two feet when he comes forth from it.
(5) How manifold are thy works. They are mysterious in men's sight. Thou sole god, like to whom there is none other. Thou didst create the earth after they heart, being alone, even all men, heards and flocks, whatever is upon earth, creatures that walk upon feet, which soar aloft flying with their wings, the countries of Khor [Palestine and Syria] and of Kush, and the land of Egypt. Thou settest every man in his place, and makest their sustenance, each one possessing his food, and his term of life counted; tongues made diverse in speech and their character likewise; their complexions distinguished country and country.
(6) Thou makest the Nile-flood in the netherworld, and bringest it at thy pleasure to give life to the common folk, even as thou makest them for thyself, the lord of the all who travailest with them; the lord of every land who shinest for them, the Aten of the daytime, great of majesty. All distant lands, thou hast made their life. Thou hast set a Nile-flood in the sky [rain], and it descendeth for them and maketh waves upon the mountains like the Great-Green to drench their fields in their villages. How efficacious are thy plans, thou lord of eternity. A Nile-flood in heaven, it is thy gift to the foreign countries and to the animals of every country which walk upon feet. But the Nile-flood comes forth from the netherworld for the land of Egypt. Thy rays foster every mead. When thou shinest forth, they live and they grow for thee.
(7) Thou makest the seasons in order to prosper all that thou hast made, the winter to cool them, the summer-heat that they may taste of thee. Thou hast made the sky distant to shine in it and to see all that thou hast made, being alone and shining in thy various forms as the living Aten, appearing gloriously and gleaming, being both distant and near. Thou makest millions of forms out of thee alone, towns and villages, fields, roads, and rivers. Every eye beholds thee in front of it, thou being the disk of the daytime. ...
(8) There is none other that knoweth thee except thy son Neferkheprure-Waenre. Thou hast caused him to be skilled in thy ways and in thy strength. The earth comes into being upon thy hand even as thou makest them. Thou hast shone forth and they live. Thou settest and thy die. Thou thyself art lifetime and men live by thee. Eyes are in presence of beauty until thou settest. All work is laid aside when thou settest on the right [west]. Rising thou makest prosper ... for the king, movement is in every leg since thou didst found the earth. Thou raisest them up for thy son who came forth from thy body, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living on Truth, the lord of the Two Lands Neferkheprure-waenre, the son of Re, living on Truth, Lord of glorious appearings Akhenaten great in his duration; with the kings's great wife, whom he loves, the lady of the Two Lands, Nefernefruaten-Nefertiti, may she live and flourish for ever and ever."
A part of the Great Hymn to Aten by Pharaoh Akhenaten
A view on the Nile harbour of Akhet Aten, Akhenaten's Realm of the Sun