Egyptian religious poetry

108 EGYPTIAN RELIGIOUS POETRY

perfumes are set before thee ; mahu-flowers and lilies for the arms of thy beloved. Come, songs and music are before thee. Set behind thee all thy cares ; think only upon gladness, until the day cometh whereon thou shalt go down to the land that loveth silence. [B.D.R., p. 185]

5

Hat, brother, husband, friend ! Cease not to drink wine, to enjoy the love of women, and to pass thy days happily ; follow thy desires day and night. Set not sorrow in thy heart, for the years are not many. Amentet is a land where black darkness cannot be pierced by the eye, it is a place of misery for the dwellers in it. The holy ones sleep there, they wake not to see their parents, they have no desire for their wives or children. The living water of the earth is not for them that are here, stagnant water is for me, stagnant water is for me !_ I long for running water, I say, “ Let not my attendant remove the pitcher from the stream.” O that I could turn my face to the north wind on the bank of the river and could cry out to it to cool the pain in my heart. Death calls every one to him, they come to him with quaking heart, and are terrified through fear of him. By him is no distinction made between gods and men, with him princes are as the lowly. His hand is not turned away by those who love, for he snatches the babe from its mother even as he doth the aged man. He goes about on his way, and all men fear him ; they make supplication before him, but he turns not his face from them. Useless is it to make supplication to him ; if offerings are made to him he will not regard them. [Arch., xxxix, pp. 332 seq.]