Orphic Hymns
TheOrphic Hymnsform a collection87 short religious poems, composed either of theLate Hellenistic period(3rd or 2nd century B.C.E.) or duringearly Roman era(1st–2nd century AD).
The hymns are based on his beliefsOrphism, a mysterious cult and religious philosophy, which attributed its origin to the teachings of the mythical poet and heroOrpheus.
Translations
Orpheus’ Hymns
Translation:Thomas Taylor (1792)
TO MUSEOS
Listen, Musée, my holy song
And find out which ceremony fits the sacrifice.
I appeal to himZeus,GaiaandSolar Light,
Her pure glowMoonand night stars;
YouPoseidonLord of the deep sea,
With the dark hair, which your waves live the land;
the fertileDemeter, beauty,
andPersephoneQueen of Hades, wife of Pluto.
The predator.Artemisand its bright raysPhoebus,
the god that strikes from far, glory of Delphi;
TheDionysus, honored by the heavenly dance,
the ragingAresandHephaestus, god of fire;
the great power that emerged from foam to light,
and the powerfulPlutoin the kingdoms of the night.
The young lady.Hebe, the mightyHercules,
And you taking care of birth,Illiteracy·
respectJusticeandPietyI call,
the famous nymphs andPanGod of all.
The sacredHera, the niceMnemosyne,
and pureMusesI address my prayer;
This is the case in the United Kingdom.GracesandHours,
the beauty girlLetoand its powersDione.
The armedCourites, the domestic gods
(Coryvantes, Curites, Crabs) plead,
together withSaviorsO sons of Zeus, king of all things:
the Ideal gods, the angel of heaven,
and fairThemis, with the wise look.
The ancientNightandLight of the DayI beg,
TheFaithandTrial, awarding the law;
TheCronusandRhea, and the bigThetida,
covered with a veil of blue skylight.
I call the greatOceanAnd the nice crowd of brides
residing in the depths of the sea;
the mightyAtlas, the eternalEternality
And the endlessTime·
the Stygia lake and the meek gods beside it,
and the variousDemonssupervising people;
the brilliantWelfare, the brave crowd of demonic figures
Filling the ether
or reside in the air, water, earth or fire,
or withdraw deep below the solid ground.
TheDionysusandSemeli, friends of all, call,
and whiteLeukotheathe sea;
the generousPalaemon, the big oneIndifference,
and sweet languageNike, successfully raised;
The GreatAsclepium, knowledgeable treatment,
And the awesomeAthena, who rejoices in fierce battles;
TheThunderandWind, enclosed in strong poles,
Who roar terribly asking for a way out.
TheAttisThe mother of the upper powers,
And the nice one.Adonis, never condemned to death;
principle and end, is everything to everyone;
I call them with gentle and pleasant help.
And in my holy sacrifice I invite
the power reigning in the deepest darkness and at night;
I call theHecate, modest lady,
Earth, water and heavenly,
burial, with a crocodile veil,
accompanied by dark ghosts wandering in the shade;
Persian, invincible hunter, hail,
key master of the world, never defeated;
You like to wander through the rough rocks.
Drive and feed, and be present at our ceremonies.
It has kindly given success to our righteous demands,
Accept our honor
And bless the incense.
I. TO THE GODDESS PROTHIREA
Starch incense
Respectful goddess, hear my prayer,
you who have as your special care the labor pains;
To you, lying in the bed of distress,
Women see, like a mirror, redemption.
Guardian of the genus, with mild mind gifted,
good and kind to the helpless youth;
beneficial food; the great key of Nature
It belongs to no other deity but to you.
You live with what's not visible in the look
And sacred ceremonies are thy joy:
It's your job to solve the virgin zone,
And in every act you are present, known and evident.
You like birth,
and yet you are pleased to see the numerous fruit of fertility;
when, tortured by physical pain and severe pain,
women call upon you as a sure refuge of the soul.
Because only you can give relief to pain,
where art tries to soften, but in vain;
an assistant goddess,Illiteracy, respectful power,
That brings redemption to the terrible hour of childbirth;
Listen to me, I wishArtemis, and accept my prayer,
And make the genus of your babes forever.
II. TO NIGHT (NYX)
An incense with torches
Night, mother goddess, source of sweet rest,
from where both gods and men were born at first;
Listen to me, happyCyprus, decorated with starlight,
That you dwell in the deep silence of sleep, dark night.
Dreams and gentle peace accompany your dark procession,
pleased with the long dark and holy dinner;
diluent of anxiety, friend of joy,
With grim horses you walk the whole earth.
Goddess of spectras and shadow game,
whose hypnotic force divides the natural day;
by fate's decision you always send the light
in the deepest Hades, away from the look of mortals.
Because the terribleNeed, that nothing can beat,
It surrounds the world with shackles.
Be present, goddess, in your prayer,
You who all yearn and all equally respect;
Happy, happy, friendly
cast away the fears of the terrible shadow of the twilight.
III. TO THE Uranus (Uranus)
Flax incense
MaximumUrane, whose mighty body knows no rest,
father of all, from where the world was born;
Listen to me, generous ancestor, beginning and end of all,
You are perpetually wandering around the Earth sphere.
Residence of the gods whose prison power
surrounds the eternal World with bounds uninterrupted;
whose broad bay and circular arms
keep nature's terrible necessity.
Ether and earthen together, whose diverse form,
blue and full of shapes, no force can tame;
panoptUrane, his fatherTime (Cronus),
Forever happy, supreme deity.
Be favored in a new secret glow
And crowned his desires with divine life.
IV. TO THE PUR (ATHEP)
Yeast of yolks
Oh, my God.Fire (Athera),
Who reign high in his kingdomsZeus, sovereign of heaven;
the glorious Sun with its dazzling glow,
As well as the Moon and the stars, from you they draw their light.
Power that tames everything, essential fire that shines,
whose life-giving breaths inspire the heat of life;
An excellent element of the world, bearer of light,
with star radiation shining, bright flower.
Listen to my prayer prayers
And may your nature always remain pure, serene and day.
V. TO THE PRIMARY, THE FIRST
Myrrh incense
O mightyPrimary, firstborn, hear my prayer,
twine, oval, wandering in the air;
bulldozer, boasting of your golden wings,
where the genus of gods and mortals originates.
Hericapas, glorious power,
unspeakable, occult, bright flower;
From dark eyes you drive away the darkness of the night,
Panternative brilliance, light pure and sacred.
That’s whyFannyThey call you the glory of heaven.
With flying wings you fly around the world.
Priap, dark-eyed glow, I praise you,
Insemination, pansophius, always blessed king.
With a happy look brighten happily
our divine ceremonies and our sacred sacrifice.
VI. TO STARS (ASTRON)
Flavoured incense
With a holy voice I invokeStarheights,
pure holy lights and demons of heaven;
heavenly stars, its genusNight,
In roundabouts you emit away your light.
Brilliant rays scatter around the heavens,
eternal fire, source of what's down here;
with flames that meanFatesshine,
And righteously mark for men a divine course.
In seven bright zones you run with misguided flames,
And heaven and earth make up your clear bodies;
with tireless orbit, pure and firelights,
shine continuously through the veil of the Night.
Hello, sparking, gladness, alert fire:
Please light all my righteous desires:
turn conscious rays at these sacred ceremonies
and complete our works dedicated to your anthem.
VII. TO THE SUN (SUN)
Flax and manna incense
Listen to me, gold.Titan, whose eternal eye,
a wide view illuminates the whole sky;
self-born, tire in the diffusion of light,
mirror of joy for every look.
Lord of times, with your fiery chariot
and your fucking horses, radiating light from afar;
with your right hand source of morning light,
and the left father of the night.
Emotional and firm, respectfulSun,
Fire and shine, running around the heavens;
an enemy of the unjust, but a guide to the good,
You're happily overseeing every step of it.
With various sounds, with gold lyres,
I own to fill the world with divine harmony.
Father of the ages, guide of happy works,
Governor of the world, acting by brilliant horses;
ImmortalZeus, panopto, bearer of light,
a source of existence, pure and fiery;
fruitful, almighty lord of the years,
Emotional and warm, which every force respects.
Great eye of Nature and starry sky,
destined with immortal flames to set and rise;
Distributor of justice, friend of currents,
Great lord of the world, supreme of all.
Loyal protector and eye of the righteous,
master of horses and light of life;
With the sound whip you drive four fiery horses,
When, glorious, you run the chariot of the day.
Shine favorably upon these secret works
And bless your pleadings with life divine.
VIII. TO THE SOLEN
An incense from Aromatics
Listen, queen goddess, who is spreading silver light,
Candles and wandering through the darkness of the Night.
Surrounded by stars, with a flame extending in a wide circle,
cross the sky;
Male and female with borrowed rays you shine,
complete or in phase of reduction.
Mother of the ages, moon fruitful [Men],
the apple day the bullet mirrors at noon on the night.
Horse worshiper, brilliant, queen of the Night,
Invisible force, adorned with starlight.
Lover of alertness, enemy of strife,
happy in peace, with a good life;
Lambano night, ornament and her friend,
which gives nature's works their intended purpose.
Queen of stars, whole, I salute!
dressed in amorphous garment and a glowing veil;
Come, blessed goddess, gentle, stellar and brilliant,
Moon lamp with pure and bright light,
Light these sacred ceremonies with favorable rays,
And accept with pleasure the mystery hymn of your benefactor.
IX. TO NATURE
An incense from Aromatics
Nature, mother of all, ancient and divine,
Mother of art, art is yours.
Heavenly, rich, respected queen, in every corner of your dominion visible.
Adamant, almighty, eternally radiant,
All mistress, honored and extremely bright.
Immortal, primary, always the same, nightly, stellar, brilliant and glorious.
The trail of your steps on a circular course,
With constant power you turn them.
Pure ornament of all divine powers,
Of course you're supernaturally glowing.·
Common in everything and known in everything,
But indivisible and alone.
Without a father your miraculous essence,
you father where your essence came from.
Zoodotras, ubiquitous, known by multiple names,
Justice, supreme in power,
The ruler of the order of the waters and the heavens.
Immortal Providence, the world is yours,
And you're everything, divine architect.
Listen, blessed goddess, your beggar,
And make my future life the object of your care.
He gave plenty of times, sufficient wealth,
And crowned my days with peace and health.
X. TO ALL
An incense from Various Perfumes
I call the mightyPan, substance of the whole,
etheric, marine, earthly, general soul,
Immortal flame· The world is yours,
And all parts of you, power divine.
Come, blessed Pan, that the rural areas rejoice in you,
Come jumpy, emotional, wandering, with starlight·
The Hours and the Seasons obey your command,
And around your throne they stand in a decent order.
Tragedy, keratus, Bacchian Pan,
Manic power, from which the world began,
where your various parts, inspired by you,
They are connected to endless dance and divine melody.
In you we find refuge from our fears,
those who are particularly human.
The shepherds, the waters, and the goats rejoice in you,
You love hunting, and the secret voice of Sound.
All the nymphs, playboys, follow you,
And all your works fulfill their destination.
Oh almighty, well-known goddess,
The world belongs to you, the abundance is yours.
XI. TO HERAKLE
A incense from Livani
Listen, mighty Hercules, fierce and strong,
Who owns huge hands and great works,
Immortal Titan, behave and benefactor,
with multiple forms, eternal and divine,
Father of Time [Cronus], theme of general praise,
Inconceivable, worship in many ways.
Magnitude in governing, divination skills you possess,
and sports field games unoccupied.
You aim for everything, destroying the savage crowds,
To you men as a savior pray.
No, no, no.
who love peace and works peacefully.
Self-born, with primary flame you shine,
multiple names and heart full of power.
Your head supports morning light,
And bring the silent, gloomy night.
From east to west, with divine power,
Twelve great feats to fulfill.
With fingers unrestrained and infinite, divine,
Come on, blessed power, and in our sacred ceremonies bed·
Bring disease relief, and cast out calamities.
XII. TO THE CROSS
Storax incense
Eteroid father, mighty Titan, listen,
A great flame of gods and men, all respected.
With wisdom and strength equipped,
you belong to perfection and reduction.
By you, everything that dies daily is destroyed.
And from you they are born again.
The vast world in chains eternally held,
Your power is strong and irresistible.
Father of great eternity, divine,
with a variety of reasons you respect·
Flower of the earth and the star, wife of Rea,
and wife of Prometheus.
Respected root of obstetric nature,
From which the forms of existence manifest.
There are no parts that your power does not involve,
spread out into everything, from where the world emerged.
Oh, better all, little minded being,
Listen to sacred prayers with joy.
He attended the sacred ceremonies,
And he gave an undefiled life and blessed end.
XIII. TO REAS
An incense from Aromatics
Daughter of the great Protogen, goddess,
Brilliant Rhea, to my prayer turn,
To drag your sacred chariot at speed,
Pulled by wild lions, terrible and powerful.
Mother of Zeus [Zez], whose strong hand
It can hold the vengeful lightning and shake the terrible shield.
With drums loud, maniac, brilliant,
With a bronze voice, your honor, blessed queen of Saturn.
You rejoice in the mountains and the turbulent battles,
And the terrible cries of men cheer you up.
Mother of war, strong, imposing,
crafty saves, liberator.
Mother of gods and men, from which the Earth [Gaes]
and the high heavens [Uranus] draw their birth.
The skies and the deep seas come from you.
Come on, happy with the wanderings, blessed and divine,
bring peace to our works and rich abundance,
And wherever it is, remove the disease to the ends of the earth.
XIV. TO DI [ZES]
Storax incense
Oh precious Zeus, supreme,
We dedicate our sacred ceremonies to you.
Our prayers and atonements, O king divine,
They glow around your head.
The earth is yours, and the mountains that rise,
the sea deep, and all in the sky.
King Cronion, descending from above,
generous, trustee, Jupiter State Sceptre.
All-generator, beginning and end of all,
Your almighty power shakes this Earth sphere.
Even nature trembles at your strong nod,
The mighty lightning and thunder-speaking God.
Source of plenty, pure king,
as diverse, from which all natures emerge,
Listen to my prayer,
Give health undefiled, peace divine and necessary wealth.
XV. TO HERA
An incense from Aromatics
Oh Queen Hera, with an imposing look,
essential, divine, blessed wife of Zeus,
Throat in the heart of the blue sky,
mankind is under your constant care.
Cool winds spring only from your power,
that feed the life that every life desires.
Mother of clouds and winds, all things are produced by you,
known human life thanks to you.
All natures participate in your divine character,
And only you possess world domination.
With strong winds the seas and rivers swell,
When they move from you.
Come, blessed goddess, famous all-powerful queen,
with a pleasant look, happy and calm.
George Bibas
Written by George Biba — Researcher and creator of Mythoi.org, on the subject of Greek mythology, ancient religion and heroic myths.