O Bast the Great, You come to guard the Two Lands!
Sekhmet the Great, You come to guard the Two Lands!
Djehuty calls You when the sun is rising.
With claw and flame, go forth to guard the Two Lands
in splendor!
Notes: Written in December 2011 for the festival of Djehuty Calls Bast and Sekhmet to Guard the Two Lands.
Mother, Mother, I am Your strong daughter
Mother, Mother, I can find my way
through the darkness, through the shadows
through the dawn into the breaking day
Mother, Mother, I am Your strong daughter
Mother, Mother, my heart is for You
No regrets for all that might have been
No doubt, no fear, when I am true
Mother, Mother, I am Your strong daughter
Mother, Mother, fill me with Your joy
Yours the power to make things happen
So fierce, so fine, You do what must be done
Mother, Mother, like You may I
light this world just like the rising sun
Atemet
Lady of All
Atemet
Mother of All
You who made the land
river, and sea
with water and fire
make the world green
Atemet
Your garden blooms
as Your heart wishes
lovely for You
Lady of Per-Bast
spitting forth life
the power of Sia
lives in Your eye
Nekhbet, Wadjet
Amunet, Nunet
Raet-Temet, Mut, Aset,
Nebet-hetepet
Hethert, Menhyt
Nebt-het and Nit
Rising up in the east
O Lady of Dawn!
Atemet
splendid as Ra
Atemet
You speak like Ptah
All that You desire
shall come to be
May Your ka rejoice
at all You see
Atemet
open the sky
Atemet
O holy Eye!
Atemet
You open the sky
Atemet
O holy Eye!
Notes: Written in July 2011. Atemet is the female version/counterpart to the creator God Tem, here identified with Bast, who was paired with Tem in Her temple at Per-Bast. Inspiration for the song was largely taken from the article “Mut Enthroned” by Lana Troy and from the Henadology page on Hethert, which identified one of Her four faces as Temet who is the Lady of Bubastis (Per-Bast). The Goddesses in the middle verse are all either identified with Temet or have Temet as an epithet, according to either the Lexikon der ägyptischen Götter und Götterbezeichnungen or the Henadology page.
Mother, I see You
everywhere shining.
O Mother, may You
see me!
Mother, I hear You
whispering, singing.
O Mother, may You
hear me!
Mother, I touch You,
sun heat and velvet.
O Mother, may You
touch me!
Mother, I love You,
now and forever.
O Mother, may You
love me!
As my fragrance and my flame
rise toward the sky,
send Your perfume on the wind,
sweet with Your gifts of life!
[repeat first four verses]
Mother, I love You,
now and for always.
O Mother, may You
love me!
Notes: Written for Bast in January 2010. Very loosely inspired by the traditional incense prayer (“Your perfume goes to me, O Netjer; may my perfume go to You,” etc.)
Beautiful Nebet-Ankhtawy,
come with Your fire to guard me!
O fearsome Nebet-Ankhtawy,
unsheathe Your claws to protect me!
Neither a male nor a female thief
shall assail me while You watch over me!
Neither a male nor a female snake
shall assail me while You watch over me!
Beautiful Nebet-Ankhtawy,
rising like Ra in Zep Tepi!
Radiant Nebet-Ankhtawy,
until the dawn You bring light for me!
Neither a male nor a female thief
shall assail me while You watch over me!
Neither a male nor a female snake
shall assail me while You watch over me!
O Mistress of life and prosperity!
O Great Bast! Nebet-Ankhtawy….
Notes: Written in October 2010. Nebet-Ankhtawy is a title of Bast, specifically in Her role as guardian of the great necropolis at Mennefer. Neither a male nor a female…: this echoes a number of traditional Kemetic spells, which protect against “a male dead, a female dead, a male enemy, a female enemy,” etc. Zep Tepi: the First Time, the moment of creation.
Mighty Mother,
You keep me safe from
every danger
no matter where I wander.
Gentle Mother,
I feel You hold me,
warm embrace and
Your purr like quiet thunder.
Great in Per-Bast,
greatly beloved;
Raised on high on
Your hill in Henen-nesut;
sweet of perfume,
Mennefer’s Lady;
where the heart lives,
Mistress of Joy, we find You.
Mighty Mother, come and lift me into the light of day.
Gentle Mother, come and comfort me when my heart’s afraid.
Mighty Mother, come and lift me into the light of day.
Gentle Mother, come and comfort me when my heart’s afraid.
[repeat first 2 verses]
Notes: Written in October 2010 — for Bast, in case there was any doubt. The second verse names Her in three aspects: Bast of Per-Bast (Bubastis); Bast of Henen-nesut (Herakleopolis, where there was in fact a Hill of Bast); and Bast of Mennefer (Memphis, where She was paired with Ptah).
She of Joy, O Beautiful One,
offerings we will bring for You.
She of Joy, O Perilous One,
offerings for You.
She of Joy, O Elegant One,
offerings we will bring for You.
She of Joy, O Peerless One,
all that pleases You.
In our hands we bring incense,
cool water, and bright flame for You.
In our songs we bring words of
love for You.
Be with us in the darkness,
be with us in the shining noon,
close as breath, close as heartbeat —
She of Joy.
Notes: Offering song written for Bast in the spring of 2009, although it has occasionally been sung for Hethert as well.