Swift One running on the height,
swiftly drumming Eye of Ra,
Swift One dancing by moonlight,
come to us, O Eye of Ra!
By the keenness of Your sight,
may no danger befall us,
may no evil befall us.
May the keenness of Your ears
hear the music of our joy.
Wenut, come to us,
bringing prosperity.
Wenut, Eye of Ra,
guarding our families.
Hear us sing for You,
beautiful Wenut!
May it satisfy You,
Lady of Wenu!
Swift One running on the height,
swiftly drumming Eye of Ra,
Swift One dancing by moonlight,
come to us, O Eye of Ra!
By the keenness of Your sight,
may no danger befall us,
may no evil befall us.
May the keenness of Your ears
hear the music of our joy.
Swift One dancing by moonlight,
come to us, O Eye of Ra!
Notes: Written in October 2009. Wenut is the hare-headed Goddess of the fifteenth nome of Upper Egypt and one of the Seven Arrows of Bast.
Great of love, living passionately,
rise in strength to slay anxiety.
When I’m afraid Your power sets me free.
Mighty Bast, send Your Arrows!
Nefertem, Your perfume comes to me.
Heru-hekenu, spread Your wings above me.
Khonsu-Heru, shining beautifully —
Mighty Bast, send Your Arrows!
Gracious Wadjet, come in peace for me.
Wenut, Eye of Ra, come joyfully.
Heryshef, crowned with majesty —
Mighty Bast, send Your Arrows!
Lift me up into the sunlight.
Walk with me by moon and starlight.
Teach me how to defeat my sorrows!
Send Your, send Your, send Your Arrows!
Mighty Bast, O You send Your Arrows!
Notes: Written in June 2010 for the Seven Arrows of Bast. Excellent heka against fear and depression.
Mighty Bes!
Drive all evil away!
Laughing Bes!
Only the good will stay!
You come in like a lion — hu!
And evil runs out the door!
Mighty Bes!
Drive all evil away!
Laughing Bes!
Only the good will stay!
You come in like a lion — hu!
And evil runs out the door!
Shake Your plumes, O mighty Bes!
Shake Your tail, O mighty Bes!
Shake Your plumes, O mighty Bes!
Shake Your tail, O mighty Bes!
Shake Your plumes, O mighty Bes!
Shake Your tail, O mighty Bes!
Every man get up and dance! Raise your hands for Netjer!
Every woman get up and dance! Raise your hands for Netjer!
Every child come dancing! Mighty Bes is dancing!
Every God come dancing! Laughing Bes is dancing!
Drive all evil away!
Mighty Bes!
Drive all evil away!
Laughing Bes!
Only the good will stay!
You come in like a lion — hu!
And evil runs out the door!
Dance with us, O mighty Bes!
Roar for us, O mighty Bes!
Dance with us, O mighty Bes!
Roar for us, O mighty Bes!
Dance with us, O mighty Bes!
Roar for us, O mighty Bes!
Every man get up and dance! Raise your hands for Netjer!
Every woman get up and dance! Raise your hands for Netjer!
Every child come dancing! Mighty Bes is dancing!
Every God come dancing! Laughing Bes is dancing!
Drive all evil away!
Mighty Bes!
Drive all evil away!
Laughing Bes!
Only the good will stay!
You come in like a lion — hu!
And evil runs out the door!
Evil runs out the door!
Evil runs out the door!
Evil runs out the door!
Dua Bes!
Notes: Written in August 2009. The tune was adapted from a Nubian song on the CD The Music of Islam, Vol. 3: Music of the Nubians, Aswan, Egypt. (The song is part of a medley called “Nubian Rhythms.”) It could be sung in call-and-response style — the italic text shows the parts that would be sung by the group, while the rest would be sung by one or more soloists.
Heri-sha-ef, Lord of the Green!
Heri-sha-ef, under Your naret tree,
Heri-sha-ef, bringing the sun’s return,
lengthening days as the year turns!
Heri-sha-ef, Master of Spring!
Heri-sha-ef, give life to everything!
Heri-sha-ef, regal in Your command,
gentle of mien, smile on the land,
O Heri-sha-ef!
Notes: Written in January 2012 for the Feast of Heri-sha-ef (aka Heryshef; here I’m using the House of Netjer’s official spelling rather than the more commonly used one). The naret tree was possibly a sacred tree near His temple, perhaps a sycamore.
Daughter of the river, blue so blue,
shining in the light of Ra,
bringing forth ma’at, so true, so true,
Anuket, O Eye of Ra!
Beautiful they wave, Your plumes, Your plumes,
joyful in the sight of Ra,
as You release the flood of Khnum, of Khnum
to kiss the smiling face of Ra!
Offerings and praise for You, for You
Anuket, O Eye of Ra!
Horn-crowned huntress,
lovely Satet,
shoot Your arrows
at isfet!
[repeat]
Notes: Written in January 2012 (coincidentally on the festival The Goddess Goes South to the Road, which seems vaguely appropriate, considering Satet’s connection to southern Kemet).
Nefertem, beauty at morning,
pure as the blue waters that raise You
into the world of a new day.
Shine for me, shine for me, hey yeah —
Noble God, crowned with the lotus,
sweetness pours from you like the flood,
rising, rising til it meets the sky.
Lift my heart like Ra on the ben-ben!
Zep Tepi, Zep Tepi,
Khepera, You dazzle me like the sun.
Nefertem, You set me free,
kissed by joy to welcome the new day!
Ihy sings, shaking His sistrum.
Heru takes flight from the nest of Heaven.
Wepwawet opens the gates of dawn.
All is new, all is becoming, yeah —
Zep Tepi, Zep Tepi,
spread my flame-bright wings like the bennu,
flowering in ecstasy,
kissed by joy to welcome the new day!
Nefertem, You show us wonders.
Nefertem, You give us a place to stand
close to God, cradled in Your embrace,
Your light and breath of perfume so that we live in
Zep Tepi, Zep Tepi,
Khepera, You dazzle me like the sun.
Nefertem, You set me free,
kissed by joy to welcome the new day!
Zep Tepi, Zep Tepi,
spread my flame-bright wings like the bennu,
flowering in ecstasy,
kissed by joy to welcome the new day!
Zep Tepi, Zep Tepi!
Zep Tepi, Zep Tepi!
Your perfect love is all I need!
Shine for me, shine for me, hey yeah!