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The Litany of Sekhmet
1. O Sekhmet, Eye of Ra, Great of Flame, Lady of protection
who surrounds her creator! Come toward the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the
Master of the Double Land, the Son of Ra, the Lord of crowns,
the Living Image! Protect him and preserve him from every arrow and every impurity of this year, because it is Ra from whom
you are descended.
2. O Sekhmet, You who illumine the Double
Land with your flame and give the faculty of sight to all! Come toward
the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Free him, preserve him from all the evil contagions of this year, so that they never
hold ascendancy over him.
3. O Sekhmet, Lady of Flame, Great of Flame, Great of Terror, in fear of whom the Double
Land trembles! Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Make him pass far from every fever, from every pestilence
of the year, for you are his Sole Protectress!
4. O Sekhmet, with red heart toward him from whom she issues forth,
when he brought her back after imploring her! Come to the Living Image! Protect him, save him, deliver him; protect him from
the massacre of slaughtering spirits so that he will not die because of them.
5. O Sekhmet, Uraeus on the head of her
master, who hides (i.e., protects) him with her flame! Come towards the Living Image! Liberate him, put your protection around
him! Protect him from every arrow and from every pestilence of the year! Preserve him from the one who plots against him,
for it is he who in his name of Ra is eternally in the sky.
6. O Sekhmet, the one who makes every eye to see, without
blindness happening! Come to the Living Image, the Living Falcon! For it is Ra from whom you issue forth, it is he who is
the Protected One of this year so that he will go away from . . . So that he will be preserved from every arrow, from every
contagion, from every bitterness, and from every fever, because he is Heru the Offspring.
7. O Sekhmet, when you rise,
the Light appears; when you go back, darkness comes! Grant that the King of Upper
and Lower Egypt, the Master of the Double Land, the Son of Ra, the Lord of crowns, does not die from your arrow, and grant
that your fever does not catch him, for he is the god from whom you come forth. He is Heru, the Offspring.
8. O Sekhmet,
who clothes her master in her light, and who conceals him inside her pupil! Come to the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Protect
him from every evil fly of this year, so that it does not cling to him, . . . .
9. O Sekhmet, Ardent Flame, who lights a fire, when she took the torch! Come to the Living Image, the Living
Falcon! Preserve him from every evil . . . Because he is Ra who cannot go toward your slaughtering spirits!
10. O Sekhmet, whose flame is well-respected among mankind! Who causes her flame to rise. Preserve the Living
Image, the Living Falcon! Protect him and deliver him from the pestilence of the year which reigns in the land, for he is
the Unique One who is indestructible . . . .
11. O Sekhmet, for whom the two skies open at once after she shows herself
in splendor! Preserve the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Free him, protect him as well as his people, his mate, and his
children from every terror, from every evil arrow of this year, and from all difficulties, . . .
12. O Sekhmet, Lady
of Slaughter the way you like, the one who turns her face toward the south, the north, the west, and the east, in such a way
that mankind is in fear! Come toward the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Master of the Double Land, Son of Ra, the Lord of crowns,
the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Protect him . . .
13. O Sekhmet, who enters in the opening of the mountains, she
from which the flame fills for him (i.e., Ra) the Double Land, who inspires fear in the gods! She from which the flame fills for him the Double Land; (and
which) she places among the gods. Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Preserve him, deliver him, make him to
pass well away (from harm), (for) he is the Protected One of your arm of this year.
14. O Sekhmet, who fashions her
Lord on herself, whose place is preeminent in front of him! Do not send your messengers against the Living Image! . . . In
order that he cannot go in front of any of your evil arrows.
15. O Sekhmet, the one who spreads out your terror upon
everything, the one who has been asked for life by those who rest in your hand! Preserve the Living Image, the Living Falcon,
from your Slaughtering Spirits, because it is he who is the only recourse of his people, (the only recourse) of his mates
and of his children . . . .
16. O Sekhmet, Eater of blood, the one who does not push away the arm’s grip, the
one who establishes her domination in the house of the gods! Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Deliver him
from the impurity which you have spread out in this year, so that he does not go toward this impurity, because he is the one
to whom the two Eyes have been sent, . . .
17. O Sekhmet, more divine than the gods, more glorious than the Ennead,
Lady of Light, whose place is preeminent on the head of her Lord! Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Make him
pass away from all contagion, from every evil arrow, every pernicious fever, so that they do not penetrate into him, for he
is Atum, the night, who cannot die for all eternity.
18. O Sekhmet, Lady of Flame, the one who is in her moment (of
rage), who grasps hearts for herself! Preserve the Living Image, the Living Falcon; deliver him from every disastrous death
of this year, . . .
19.
O Sekhmet, the one who presides as the Power for capturing the Wanderers, Lady of Life of the Double Land, who can be the cause of death!
Make to pass far from all evil the Living Image, the Living Falcon! (Repeat) Protect him, for it is he who has the name spty.f(y)
, the one who must exist on earth.
20. O Sekhmet the Great, Lady of the Uraeus, the one whom we fear around the shrine!
Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Protect him, place your protection around him, for he is Horus the Offspring.
May he live, may he live eternally, for ever and ever!
21. O Sekhmet, the one who opens the mountains, the one for
whom the desert animals have been killed on account of the fear which she inspires! Come to the Living Image, the Living Falcon!
Save him; do not permit that your massacre is exercised on him; do not strike him, for he is the one who is protected by his
eye.
22. O Sekhmet, the sight of whom reduces all things to ashes, while humans throw themselves down upon their faces
(lit., on their forehead)! Come toward the Son of Ra, the Lord of crowns, the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save him, protect
him from this your terror, for he is the One protected (sheltered) from your arm.
23. O Sekhmet, woman who plays the
role of the male, and whom every god fears! Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! For he is possessor of your protection,
and if you live, he lives; if you are in good health, he is in good health, (and) he will not be destroyed, no, not ever!
24.
O Sekhmet, the one who is at the head of all things, thanks to whom what every eye sees can be contemplated! Come toward the
Living Image, the Living Falcon! Make him to pass well away from harm, for he is Ra, he is the Venerable Falcon, and his name
is the name of Ra, each day.
25. O Sekhmet, the one who shines, on account of whom one jubilates when it is ordered
that her flame advances! When you shine, one jubilates because of you; (when) you are kind, the flame is pacified. Come towards
the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Push away your messengers; do not permit them to be sent against him, so that they cannot
have power against him.
26. O Sekhmet, at whose setting the darkness appears, in such a way that if someone nods his
head (lit., makes a nod of the head) to his neighbor, they will not see one another! Come toward the Living Image, the Living
Falcon! Control every contagion, every arrow, . . . (and) all malicious things . . . so that they cannot be sent against him,
not ever.
27. O Sekhmet, Lady of Flame, Great One who causes (all) to tremble, the power of any other god turns out
to be non-existent when he is handed over to her. Come toward the Son of Ra, the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Protect
him and save him . . . . (from harmful things) issuing from you, (in order that) he does not die because of them.
28.
O Sekhmet,Lady of Maat, the one who hates the thief, the one who devours him to satiation, in accordance with your desire!
Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save him, make him to pass far away from the illness wnm-ct (gnaw-limbs)
of this year, for he is the ultimate protected body.
29. O Sekhmet, for whom heads are severed by her messengers, the
one who is at the head of her wandering spirits. Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Keep away from him all .
. . . . . For he is the one whom one does not attack, . . .
30. O Sekhmet, the one who fills the ways with blood (and)
who slays to the limit of all she sees! Come toward the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Protect him, (and) save him from
every contagion (and) from every arrow of this year [hurled against his faculty of sight].
31. O Sekhmet, the one who
opens and one lives; the one who seals, (and) one dies; Lady of Life who awards according to her desire! Come toward the Son
of Ra, the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Grant him to live, (for) he is the one who survives every evil arrow of this year,
of this month, of this instant.
Invocation against the Seven Arrows of the Year
32. O Sekhmet, the one who presides
over the country, Lady of Vegetation, Generous One, Sekhmet who protects the Double
Land! Come toward the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the
Double Land,
the Son of Ra, Lord of crowns, [name], the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save him, protect him, (and) preserve him from
the First Arrow of the year!
33. O Sekhmet, the Curled One, Lady of Obscurity, Wadjet the Great! Come toward the King
of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Double Land, the Son of Ra, Lord of crowns, [name], the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save
him, protect him, (and) preserve him from the Second Arrow of the year!
34. O Sekhmet, the one who moves in light,
the one who terrifies the gods by her massacre! Come toward the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Double Land, the Son
of Ra, Lord of crowns, [name], the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save him, protect him, (and) preserve him from the Third
Arrow of the year!
35. O Sekhmet, the one who guides mankind, Lady of the (Two) Shores, (and Lady) of humanity! Come
toward the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Double
Land, the Son of Ra, Lord of crowns, [name], the Living Image, the Living
Falcon! Save him, protect him,(and) preserve
him from the Fourth Arrow of the year!
36. O Sekhmet, Luminous One,
the Great, preeminent in the Mansion of Fire, who terrorizes the Double Land by her fear! Come toward the King of Upper and
Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Double Land,
the Son of Ra, Lord of crowns, [name], the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save him, protect him, (and) preserve him from
the Fifth Arrow of the year!
37. O Sekhmet, the one who loves Maat and who detests Evil, Lady of rekhyt. Come toward
the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Double Land, the Son of Ra, Lord of crowns, [name], the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save
him, protect him, (and) preserve him from the Sixth Arrow of the year!
38. O Sekhmet, Uraeus who opens the acacia*,
Sovereign (One), the Great! Come toward the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Double Land, the Son of Ra, the Lord of crowns,
[name], the Living Image, the Living Falcon! Save him, protect him, (and) preserve him from the Seventh Arrow of the year!
*
Possibly in the sense of "who causes the acacia to bloom" as the wamth of the sun brings forth the blossoms on a tree.
(Translated
and adapted into English by Richard Reidy from the French text "Sekhmet Et La Protection Du Monde" by Phillippe Germond)
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