THE FEATHER OF TRUTH

[SETUP: According to Ancient Egyptian mythology, after death, the soul of a person along with the heart, is presented at the ‘Hall of Truth’, to Osiris the god of the underworld and the judge of death. Hereafter the soul makes 42 Negative confessions, and the soul’s heart is weighed against a feather ‘The Feather of Truth’ (belonging to goddess Maat) on a golden scale balance. If the heart is lighter than the feather, the soul is allowed to pass on to after-life. If the heart is found to be heavier than the feather, the heart is thrown to Ammit (referred to as devourer of the dead) to eat. And the soul is cursed and detained on earth forever.

The poem describes the ongoing judgement of confessions of the soul of a non-virtuous person (from the law enforcement). ‘The Feather of Truth’ is narrating the movements in the balance for some of the confession the soul makes]

You say you have served your purpose, unwavering

Claimed to have not sinned at all

But oh!

I can feel your heart getting heavier.

You have never uttered lies, you promised,

Your heart but swells in pride, over the collar, won with deceit and slander,

And so now it drops lower.

You have never stolen anything, you declared,

Your heart rejoices over the stash you kept from raids,

It can but fall even lower.

You have never stolen grain, carried away food you pledged,

Your heart stands witness to your hoarding, the food for the poor,

It has collected more weight, and so I rise.

You have never debauched any man's wife, you vowed, twice,

But your heart's pleasures do not vouch for you,

And so I rise again.

You have not terrorised or made anyone weep you swore,

Your heart sought solace in the miseries, of the ones you enslaved,

And so, your heart lets me ascend.

You are not violent, have not slain anyone, you confessed,

But in the widows and orphans you conceived, your heart found peace,

I can but only ascend.

Finally, you have not polluted yourself, you professed,

But tainted is your heart, by the life that you have led.

Your voice echoes with lies in the hall of truths,

The confessions you are but reciting out of the papyrus.

I shall now ascend one final time,

I let your heart sink below me on the golden scale,

For I am the Feather of truth, and I let your heart fall to Ammit.