The Leiden Hymns
[God is a master craftsman]
God
is
a
master
craftsman;
Yet
none
can
draw
the
lines
of
his
Person.
Fair
features
first
came
into
being
In
the
hushed
dark
where
he
mused
alone;
He
forged
his
own
figure
there,
Hammered
his
likeness
out
of
himself—
All
powerful
one
(yet
kindly,
Whose
heart
would
lie
open
to
men).
He
mingled
his
heavenly
god‐seed
With
the
inmost
parts
of
his
being,
Planting
his
image
there
In
the
unknown
depths
of
his
mystery.
He
cared,
and
the
sacred
form
Took
shape
and
contour,
splendid
at
birth!
God,
skilled
in
the
intricate
ways
of
the
craftsman,
First
fashioned
Himself
to
perfection.
[When Being began back in the days of the genesis]
When
Being
began
back
in
days
of
the
genesis,
It
was
Amun
appeared
first
of
all,
Unknown
his
mode
of
inflowing;
There
was
no
god
come
before
him,
Nor
was
[another]
god
with
him
there
When
he
uttered
himself
into
visible
form;
There
was
no
mother
to
him,
that
she
might
have
borne
him
his
name,
There
was
no
father
to
father
the
one
Who
first
spoke
the
words,
“I
Am!”
Who
fashioned
the
seed
of
him
all
on
his
own,
Sacred
first
cause,
whose
birth
lay
in
mystery,
Who
crafted
and
carved
his
own
splendor—
He
is
God
the
Creator,
self‐created,
the
Holy;
All
other
gods
came
after;
With
Himself
he
began
the
world.
Egyptian Love Songs
[I was simply off to see Nefrus my friend]
I
was
simply
off
to
see
Nefrus
my
friend,
Just
to
sit
and
chat
at
her
place
(about
men),
When
there,
hot
on
his
horses,
comes
Mehy
(oh
god,
I
said
to
myself,
it’s
Mehy!)
Right
over
the
crest
of
the
road
Wheeling
along
with
the
boys.
Oh
Mother
Hathor,
what
shall
I
do?
Don’t
let
him
see
me!
Where
can
I
hide?
Make
me
a
small
creeping
thing
to
slip
by
his
eye
(sharp
as
Horus’s)
Unseen.
Oh,
look
at
you,
feet—
(this
road
is
a
river!)
You
walk
me
right
out
of
my
depth!
Someone,
silly
heart,
is
exceedingly
ignorant
here—
Aren’t
you
a
little
too
easy
near
Mehy?
If
he
sees
that
I
see
him,
I
know
He
will
know
how
my
heart
flutters
(Oh,
Mehy!)
I
know
I
will
blurt
out,
“[I
love
you,
Mehy!]”
(I
mustn’t!)
No,
all
he
would
do
is
[make
me
one
of
his
Temporary
girlfriend]…..(I
know)
[.
.
.]
(Oh,
Mehy!)
[I think I’ll go home and lie very still]
I
think
I’ll
go
and
lie
very
still,
Feigning
terminal
illness.
Then
the
neighbors
will
all
troop
over
to
stare,
My
love,
perhaps,
among
them.
How
she’ll
smile
while
the
specialists
Snarl
in
their
teeth!—
She
perfectly
well
knows
what
ails
me.