Philip Glass Scene 1: Funeral of Amenhotep III Lyrics

The scene presents the funeral of Akhnaten's father, Amenhotep III. As the starting point of the opera, it represents the historical moment immediately before the "Amarna period" or the reign of Akhnaten and depicts the society in which the reforms of Akhnaten (reforms which appeared so extreme that they can be called revolutionary) took place. The action of the scene centers on the funeral rites of the New Empire of the 18th Dynasty. It is dominated by the Amon priests and appears as ritual of extraordinary traditional character drawn from The Egyptian Book of the Dead.

The funeral cortege enters downstage led by two drummers and followed by a small body of Amon priests who in turn are led by Aye (father of Nefertiti, advisor to the recently dead pharaoh, and the Pharaoh to be).

Text: Sung in Egyptian by the Funeral Chorus (from Budge, The Egyptian Book of the Dead)

Live life, thou shalt not die
Thou shall exist for millions
of millions of years
For millions of millions of years

Ankh ankh, en mitak
Yewk er heh en heh
Aha en heh

As the music goes to the cellos alone, the deceased Amenhotep III enters behind the procession. He appears to be headless and is holding his head in his hands.

The music for orchestra, small chorus and solo bass voice (Aye) resumes:

Text: Sung in Egyptian by small chorus (from Budge, The Egyptian Book of the Dead)

Hail, bringer of the boat of Ra
Strong are thy sails in the wind
As thou sailest over the Lake of Fire
In the Underworld

Ya inen makhent en Ra,
rud akit em mehit
em khentik er she nerserser
em netcher khert

During the next section for orchestra alone, the funeral cortege (Amon priests and Amenhotep III) moves upstage. Akhnaten and the people of Thebes join Aye downstage.

In the final section of the funeral, the people of Thebes and Aye join the orchestra in a last salute to the departing Amenhotep III:

Hail, bringer of the boat of Ra, etc.

Live life, thou shalt not die, etc.

Ya, inen makhent en Ra, etc.

Ankh ankh, en mitak, etc.