Poetry from Ancient Egypt
The Ancient Egyptian Creation Myth Song
Neb djer djed if:
Khieper-ie khieper khieper-oe
Khieper-koeijie em khieper-oe en khieprie, khieper em sep tepi,
Khieper-koeijie em khieper-oe en khieprie khieper-ie
Khieper Khieper-oe poe,
En pia-en-ie ijoe pia-oet-ijoü ir-en-ie
Pia-en-ie em pia-oet-ijoe
Pia iren-ie ijoe-essen ir-ie pia-oet pia-oet-ijoe
Translation:
The Lord of the Universe declares:
When I called upon myself to appearance, I already existed.
I came into the appearance in the form of all existing,
already originated in the First Time.
As I came into the appearance as the existing of the already existing,
I already existed. Thus the existing came into the appearance,
for I was older than the Both Elders that I created,
for I came before the Both Elders,
for my Name was older than Their Names,
for thus I made Time older than the Both Elders....
(Sauneron & Yoyotte, "La Naissance du Monde", Sources Orientales, ed. du Seuil, p.49)
