7/23/2019 Orphic-Hymns, Segunda Traducción http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/orphic-hymns-segunda-traduccion 1/31 The Orphic Hymns Translation by Apostolos N. Athanassakis Orpheus to Mousaios Friend, use it to good fortune Learn now, Mousaios, a rite mystic and most holy; A prayer which surely ecels all others. !ind "eus and #aia, hea$enly and pure flames of the %un, %acred light of the Moon and all the %tars; &oseidon too, dark'maned holder of the earth, &ure &ersephone and (emeter of the splendid fruit, Artemis, the arrow'pouring maiden, And kindly &hoibos, who dwells on the sacred ground of (elphoi. And (ionysos, the dancer, whose honors among the blessed gods are the highest. %trong'spirited Ares, holy and mighty )ephaistos, And the goddess foam'born to whose lot fell sublime gifts; And you, di$inity ecellent, who is king of the *nderworld. + call upon )ebe, and ileithyia, and the noble ardor of )erakles, The great blessings of -ustice and &iety, The glorious Nymphs and &an the greatest, And upon )era, buom wife of aegis'bearing "eus. + also call upon lo$ely Mnemosyne and the holy Muses, all nine, As well as upon the #races, the %easons, the ear; Fair'tressed Leto, di$ine and re$ered (ione, The armed !ouretes, the !orybantes, the !ubeiroi, #reat sa$iors, "eus/ ageless scion, The +daian gods, and upon )ermes, messenger and herald of those in hea$en; *pon Themis too, di$iner of men + call, And on Night, oldest of all, and light'bringing (ay0 Then upon Faith, (ike, blameless Thesmodoteira, 1hea, !ronos, dark'dwelling Tethys, The great 2keanos together with his daughters, The might of preeminent Atlas and Aion, 3hronos the e$er'flowing, the splendid water of the %ty, All these gentle gods and also &ronoia, And the holy (aimon as well as the one baneful to mortals; Then upon the di$inities dwelling in hea$en, air, water, 2n earth, under the earth and in the fiery element. +no, Leukothea, &alaimon gi$er of bliss, %weet'speaking Nike, 4ueenly Adresteia, The great king Asklepios who grants soothing,
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5hose delight is in 4uiet and slumber'filled serenity.
3heerful and delightsome, 2 mother of dreams, you lo$e the nightlong re$el,
And your gentleness rids of cares, and offers respite from toil.#i$er of sleep, belo$ed of all you are, as you dri$e your steeds and gleam in darkness.
$er incomplete, now terrestrial and now again celestial,
ou circle around in pursuit of sprightly phantoms,ou force light into the nether world, and again you flee into )ades.
(readful Necessity go$erns all things.
8ut now, 2 blessed one, yea beatific and desired by all,+ call on you to grant a kind ear to my $oice of supplication,
And bene$olent, come to disperse fears that glisten in the dark.
4. To Ouranos+ncense0 Frankincense
2uranos, father of all, eternal cosmic element,
&rime$al, beginning of all and end of all,Lord of the uni$erse, mo$ing about the earth like a sphere, home of the blessed gods.
our motion is roaring whirl, and you en$elop all as their celestial and terrestrial guard.+n you breast lies nature/s in$incible dri$e;
(ark'blue, indomitable, shimmering, $eriform,
All'seeing father of !ronos, blessed and most sublime di$inity,)earken and bring a life of holiness to the newly initiated.
5. To Ether
+ncense0 3rocus
ours are "eus/ lofty dwellings and endless power,
And of the stars, the sun, and the moon you claim a share.2 tamer of all, fire'breather, life/s spark for e$ery creature,
%ublime ther, best cosmic element, radiant luminous, starlit offspring,
+ call upon you and beseech you to be temperate and clear.
6. To Protogonos
+ncense0 Myrrh
*pon two'natured, great and ether'tossed &rotogonos + call;
8orn of the egg, delighting in his golden wings he bellows like a bull,
This begetter of blessed gods and mortal men.rikepaios, seed unforgettable, attend to my rites,
+neffable, hidden, brilliant scion, whose motion is whirring,
ou scattered the dark mist that lay before your eyes, and, flapping your wings,ou whirled about and throughout this world, you brought pure light.
For this + call you &hanes and lord &riapos and bright'eyed Antauges.
8ut, 2 blessed one of many counsels and seeds,
3ome gladly to the celebrants of this holy and elaborate rite.
#littering lo$er of horses, mother of time, bearer of fruit.
Amber'colored, brooding, shining in the night, all'seeing, $igilant,
%urrounded by beautiful stars, you delight in 4uiet and in the richness of the night.%hining in the night, like a 6ewel, you grant fulfillment and fa$or.
Long'cloaked marshal of the stars, wise maiden whose motion is circular,
3ome7 8lessed and gentle lady of the stars,+n three ways shine your redeeming light upon your new initiates.
1". To Physis+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
2 &hysis, resourceful mother of all, celestial and rich di$inity, oldest of all,
:ueen, all'taming and indomitable, lustrous ruler,$er honored mistress of all, highest goddess, imperishable, first'born,
Fabled glorifier of men, nocturnal, knowing, light'bringing, irrepressible,
%wift is the motion of your feet and your steps noiseless,
2 pure marshal of the gods, end that has no end.All partake of you but you alone partake of one;
%elf'fathered and hence fatherless, lo$ely, 6oyous, great and accessible,
ou nurse flowers, you lo$ingly comingle and twine,
And you lead, rule and bring life and nourishment to all.%elf'sufficient, many'named persuasion of the #races, (ike herself,
:ueen of hea$en and earth and sea,
ou are bitter to the $ulgar and sweet to those who obey you.
5ise in all, gi$er of all, nurturing 4ueen of all,Abundant nourishment is your as you dissol$e whate$er ripens.
Father and Mother of all, nurturer and nurse, you bring swift birth, 2 blessed one,
And a wealth of seeds and the fe$er of seasons are yours.An opulent and might di$inity, you gi$e shape and form to all things;
ternal, setting all in motion, skilled and discreet,
ou are e$er'turning the swift stream into an unceasing eddy.Flowing in all things, circular, e$er changing form,
Fair'throned, precious, you alone accomplish your designs
And, loud'roaring, you rule mightily o$er sceptered kings.
Fearless, all'taming, destined fate, fire'breathing,ou are life e$erlasting and immortal pro$idence.
%ince you fashion these things, you are e$erything.
ou are the all, for you alone do these things to bring peace, health and growth to all.
11. To Pan
+ncense0 et $aria
+ call upon &an, the pastoral god, and upon the uni$erse,
That is, upon sky and sea and land, 4ueen of all,
And the immortal fires; all these are &an/s realm.
Father "eus, sublime in the course of the bla9ing cosmos you dri$e on,
And ethereal and lofty the flash of your lightning,
As you shake the seat of the immortals with di$ine thunderbolts.5ith the fire of your lightening you embla9on the rain clouds.
%torms you bring and hurricanes and mighty thunder,
8la9ing and roaring thunder' like a shower of arrows'5hich with horrific might and strength sets all aflame,
This dreadful missile that makes hearts pound and hair bristle.
)oly and in$isible, it comes with a sudden crash, an endless spiral of noise,
*nbreakable, threatening and ineluctable.The gale/s sharp and smoke'filled shaft swoops down with a flash,
(readed by land and sea.
5ild beasts cringe when they hear the noise,
Faces reflect the brilliance of thunder roaring in the celestial hollows.ou tear the robe that cloaks hea$en and hurl the fiery thunderbolt.
8ut, 2 blessed one calm down<= the anger of sea wa$es and mountain peaks.5e all know your power. n6oy this libation and gi$e all things that please the heart,
A life of prosperity, 4ueenly health, di$ine peace that nurtures youth,
And is with honor crowned, and an eistence e$er blooming with cheerful thoughts.
2". To *strapaios 'eus
+ncense0 &owdered Frankincense
+ call upon great, pure, resounding, illustrious, ethereal and bla9ing "eus,
5hose racing fire shines though the air.
5ith an ear'splitting clap your light flashes through the clouds,
2 horrid, wrathful, pure, and in$incible god.
*pon you + call, lord of lightening, begetter of all and great king,To be kind and bring a sweet end to my life.
21. To the +$ou(s
+ncense0 Myrrh
Airy clouds that nourish fruits and ro$e the sky,
ou gi$e rain as you are dri$en e$erywhere by the wind.Filled with bla9ing thunder and water, you resound with awesome crashes
+n the air'filled $ault of hea$en when you are repelled by the onrush of raging winds.
To you + pray, you whose dewy cloaks are blown by fair bree9es,%end fruit'nourishing rains to mother earth.
+ call upon gray'eyed Tethys, bride of 2keanos, dark'$eiled 4ueen,
5hose wa$es dance as they are blown into the land by sweet bree9es.ou break your tall wa$es upon rocky beaches,
And you are calmed by races that are gentle and smooth.
ou delight in ships and your waters feed wild beasts, mother !ypris,Mother of dark clouds and of e$ery spring round which nymphs swarm.
)ear me, 2 holy one. !indly help, and blessed one, send a fair tall wind to ships.
23. To Nereus
+ncense0 Myrrh
The sea/s foundations are your realm, an abode of glossy blackness,And you eult in the beauty of your fifty daughters as they dance amid the wa$es.
2 Nereus, god of great renown, foundation of the sea, end of the earth,
8eginning of all; you make (emeter/s sacred throne tremble,
5hen you imprison the gusty winds dri$en to your gloomy depths.8ut, 2 blessed one, ward off earth4uakes, and send to the initiates peace,
&rosperity and gentle'handed health.
24. To the Nerei(s
+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
2 lo$ely'faced and pure Nymphs, daughters of Nereus who li$e in the deep,
At the bottom of the sea you gambol and dance in the water.
Fifty maidens re$el in the wa$es, maidens riding on the backs of Tritons,(elighting in animal shapes and bodies nurtured by the sea,
And in other dwellers of the Triton/s billowy kingdom.
our home is the water, and you leap and whirl round the wa$es,Like glistening dolphins ro$ing the roaring seas.
+ call upon you to bring much prosperity to the initiates,
For you were first to know the holy rite of sacred 8acchos and of pure &ersephone.
ou and !alliope and Apollon, the lord.
25. To Proteus+ncense0 %tora
+ call upon &roteus, key'holding master of the sea, first'born,5ho showed the beginnings of all nature, changing matter into a great $ariety of forms.
)onored by all, he is wise and knows what is now, what was before, and what will be.
)e has all at his disposal and he is transformed far beyond the other immortals5ho dwell on snowy 2lympos and fly through the air and o$er land and sea,
For nature was the first to place e$erything in &roteus.
8ut, father, attended by holy pro$idence $isit the mystic initiates,
and bring a good end to a life of industry and prosperity.
1e$ered &allas, you alone great "eus bore by himself,
Noble and blessed goddess, bra$e in the din of war.
1enowned and ca$e'haunting, you may and may not be spoken of.our domain is the wind'swept hilltops and shaded mountains, and dells charm your
heart.
Arms please you, and you strike men/s souls with fren9y,2 maiden $igorous and horrid'tempered.
%layer of #orgo, blessed mother of the arts, you shun the bed of lo$e,
And, 2 impetuous one, you bring madness to the wicked and prudence to the $irtuous.Male and female, begetter of war, counselor, she'dragon of many shapes,
Fren9y'lo$ing, illustrious, destroyer of the &hlegraian #iants, dri$er of horses,
Tritogeneia, you free us from suffering, 2 $ictorious goddess.
(ay and night, e$er into the small hours, hear my prayer,And gi$e a full measure of peace, of riches, and health accompanied by happy seasons,
2 gray'eyed and in$enti$e 4ueen to whom many pray.
33. To Ni#e+ncense0 &owdered Frankincense
+ call upon mighty Nike, belo$ed of mortals,
For she alone frees men from the eagerness of contest,
And from dissent when men face each other in battle.+n war you are the 6udge of deeds deser$ing pri9es,
And sweet is the boast you grant after the onslaught.
Nike, mistress of all, on you and your good name depends noble glory,
#lory that comes from strife and teams with festi$ities.8ut, 2 blessed and belo$ed one, come with 6oy in your eyes,
3ome for works of renown and bring me a noble end.
2r yet you eult in hallowed wheat'bearing fields along gypt/s ri$er,
5ith your di$ine mother, the august black'robed +sis, and your triad of nurses.
Lady, kindheartedly come to those contesting for noble pri9es.
43. To the Horai
+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
)orai, daughters of Themis and lord "eus, umonie and (ike and thrice'blessed irene,
&ure spirits of spring and of the blossoming meadow,ou are found in e$ery color and in all the scents wafted by the bree9es.
$er'blooming, re$ol$ing and sweet'faced, 2 )oria,
ou cloak yoursel$es with the dew of luuriant flowers.
ou are holy &ersephone/s companions at play, when the Fates and the #races,+n circling dances come forth to light, pleasing "eus and their fruit'gi$ing mother.
3ome to the new initiates and their re$erent and holy rites,
And bring seasons perfect for growth of goodly fruit.
44. To See$e
+ncense0 %tora
+ call upon the daughter of !admos, 4ueen of all,
Fair %emele of the lo$ely tresses and the full bosom,Mother of thyrsus'bearing and 6oyous (ionysos.
%he was dri$en to great pain by the bla9ing thunderbolt,
5hich, through the counsels of immortal !ronian "eus, burned her,
And by noble &ersephone she was granted honors among mortal men,)onors gi$en e$ery third year.
Then they reenact the tra$ail for your son 8acchos,
The sacred ritual of the table, and the holy mysteries. Now you, goddess, do + beseech, daughter of !admos, 4ueen,
Always to be gentle'minded towards the initiates.
45. Hyn to /ionysos assareus an( Triennia$
3ome, blessed (ionysos, bull'faced god concei$ed in fire,
8assareus and 8acchos, many'named master of all.ou delight in bloody swords and in the holy maenads,
As you howl throughout 2lympos, 2 roaring and fren9ied 8acchos.
Armed with the thyrsus and wrathful in etreme, you are honored8y all the gods and by all the men who dwell on earth.
3ome, blessed and leaping god, and bring much 6oy to all.
BC. To Liknites+ncense0 &owdered Frankincense
+ summon to these prayers (ionysos Liknites, born at Nysa,
8lossoming, belo$ed and kindly 8acchos,
Nursling of the nymphs and fair'wreathed Aphrodite.
The forest once felt your feet 4ui$er in the dance,
As fren9y dro$e you and the graceful nymphs on,
And the counsels of "eus brought you to noble &ersephone,5ho reared you to be lo$ed by the deathless gods.
!ind'heartedly come, 2 blessed one, and accept the gift of this sacrifice.
47. Peri#ionios
+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
+ call upon 8acchos &erikionios, gi$er of wine,
5ho en$eloped all of !admos/ house and with his might,
3hecked and calmed the hea$ing earth when the bla9ing thunderbolt,
And the raging gale stirred all the land.Then e$eryone/s bonds sprang loose.
8lessed re$eler, come with 6oyous heart.
4. To Sa)aios+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
)ear me, father %aba9ios, son of !ronos, illustrious god.
ou sewed into your thigh 8acchic (ionysos, the roaring iraphiotes,
That he might come whole to noble Tmolos, by the side of fair'cheeked )ipta.8ut, 2 blessed ruler of &hrygia and supreme king of all,
3ome kind'heartedly to the aid of the initiates.
4!. To Hipta+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
+ call upon )ipta, nurse of 8acchos, maiden possessed.+n mystic rites she takes part, and she eults in pure %abos/ worship,
And in the night dances of roaring +acchos.
2 4ueen and chthonic mother, hear my prayer, whether you are on +da,&hrygia/s sacred mountain, or you take pleasure on Tholos, fair seat of the Lydians.
3ome to these rites, with 6oy on you holy face.
5". To 0ysios 0enaios
)ear, 2 blessed son of "eus and of two mothers,
8acchos of the $intage, unforgettable seed, many'named and redeeming demon,)oly offspring of the gods born in secrecy, re$eling 8acchos,
&lump gi$er of the many 6oys of fruits which grow well.
Mighty and many'shaped god, from the earth you burst forth to reach the wine'press,And there become a remedy for man/s pain, 2 sacred blossom7
A sorrow'hating 6oy to mortals, 2 lo$ely'haired paphian,
ou are a redeemer and a re$eler whose thyrsus dri$e to fren9y,
And who is kind hearted to all, gods and mortals, who see his light.
+ call upon you now to come, a sweet bringer of fruit.
51. To the Nyphs+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
Nymphs, daughters of great'hearted 2keanos, you dwell inside the earth/s damp ca$es,And your paths are secret, 2 6oyous and chthonic ones, nurses of 8acchos.
ou nourish fruits and haunt meadows,
2 sprightly and pure tra$elers of winding roads who delight in ca$es and grottoes.%wift, light'footed, and clothed in dew, you fre4uent springs.
isible and in$isible, in the ra$ines and among flowers,
ou shout and frisk with &an upon mountain sides.
#liding down on rocks, you hum with clear $oice,
2 mountain'haunting, syl$an maidens of fields and streams.
2 sweet'smelling $irgins, clad in white, fresh as the bree9es,
5ith goat'herds, pastures and splendid fruits in your domain.ou are lo$ed by creatures of the wild.
Tender though you are, you re6oice in cold and you gi$e sustenance and growth to many,2 playful and water'lo$ing )amadryad maidens.
(wellers of Nysa, fren9ied and healing goddesses who 6oy in spring,
Together with 8acchos and (eo you bring grace t mortals.5ith 6oyful hearts come to this hallowed sacrifice,
And in the seasons of growth pour streams of salubrious rain.
52. To the -o( o, the Triennia$ east +ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
+ call upon you, blessed, many'named and fren9ied 8acchos,8ull'horned Nysian redeemer, god of the wine'press, concei$ed in fire.
Nourished in the thigh, 2 Lord of the 3radle,
ou marshal torch'lit processions in the night, 2 filleted and thyrsus'shaking ubouleus.Threefold is your nature and ineffable your rites, 2 secret offspring of "eus.
&rime$al, rikepaios, father and son of gods,
ou take raw flesh, and, sceptered, you lead into the madness of re$el and dance
+n the fren9y of triennial feasts that bestow calm on us.ou burst forth from the earth in a bla9e... 2 son of two mothers,
And, horned and clad in fawnskin, you roam the mountains,
2 lord worshiped in annual feasts.&aian of the golden spear, nursling, decked with grapes,
8assaros, eulting in i$y, followed by many maidens...
-oyous and all'abounding, come, 2 blessed one to the initiates.
53. To the -o( o, the *nnua$ east
+ncense0 all other things sa$e frankincense' a libation of milk too.
+n$enti$e and two'natured, he is master of all, of hea$enly ether,
2f the sea, of the land of the all'begetting winds which for mortals
Are nurtured by the goddess of the green fruit,And of all that lies in Tartaros and in the roaring sea.
ou alone go$ern the course of all these.
8ut, blessed one, come to the initiates with pure thought,And banish from them $ile impulses.
5!. To the ates+ncense0 Aromatic )erbs
8oundless Fates, dear children of dark Night,
)ear my prayer, 2 many'named dwellers on the lake of hea$en,5here the fro9en water by night/s warmth is broken inside a sleek ca$e/s shady hollow;
From there you fly to the boundless earth, home of mortals,
And, thence, cloaked in purple you march towards men whose aims are as noble,
As their hopes are $ain, in the $ale of doom, where glory dri$es her chariot on,All o$er the earth, beyond the goal of 6ustice, of anious hope, of prime$al law,
And of the immeasurable principle of order.+n life Fate alone watches.
The other immortals who dwell on the peaks of snowy 2lympos do not,cept for "eus/ perfect eye.
8ut Fate and "eus/ mind know all things for all time.
+ pray to you to come, gently and kindly,
Atropos, Lachesis, and !lotho, scions of noble stock.Airy, in$isible, ineorable and e$er indestructible,
ou gi$e and take all, being to men the same as necessity.
Fates, hear my prayers and recei$e my libations.#ently come to the initiates to free them from pain.
This is the end of the Fate/s song, which 2rpheus composed.=
6". To the -races
+ncense0 %tora
)ear me, 2 illustrious and renowned #races,(aughters of "eus and full'bosomed unomia, Aglaia, Thalia and blessed uphrosyne.
Lo$ely, wise and pure mothers of 6oy, many'shaped, e$er'blooming, belo$ed of mortals,
5e pray that each in her turn, spell'binding and with petal'soft face,3ome, e$er accessible to the initiates, to confer prosperity.
CD. To Nemesis
Nemesis, + call upon you, goddess and greatest 4ueen,
5hose all'seeing eye looks upon the li$es of man/s many races.
ternal and re$ered, you alone re6oice in the 6ust,
And he alone steers the course of e$erything that breathes,
$er the steadfast companion of righteous thought.&rime$al and wise, in peace he shares the same house with all who abide by law,
5hile he $isits harsh $engeance upon the lawless.
8ut, 2 blessed bringer of prosperity, belo$ed of all and honored,)a$e kindness of heart and make me mindful of your lordship.
65. To *res+ncense0 Frankincense
*nbreakable, strong'spirited, mighty and powerful demon,
(elighting in arms, indomitable, man'slaying, wall'battering;Lord Ares, yours is the din of arms, and e$er be'spattered with blood,
ou find 6oy in killing and in the fray of battle, 2 horrid one,
5hose desire is for the rude clash of swords and spears.
%tay the raging strife, rela pain/s grip on my soul,And yield to the wish of !ypris and to the re$els of Lyaios,
changing the might of arms for the words of (eo,earning for peace that nurtures youths and brings wealth.
66. To Hephaistos+ncense0 &owdered Frankincense
&owerful and strong'spirited )ephaistos,
*nwearying fire that shines in the gleam of flames,#od, bringing light to mortals, mighty'handed and eternal artisan.
5orker, cosmic part and blameless element,
)ighest of all, all'eating, all'taming, all'haunting, ether, sun, stars, moon and pure light;For it is a part of )ephaistos all these re$eal to mortals.
All homes, all cities and all nations are yours,
And, 2 mighty gi$er of many blessings, you dwell in human bodies.)ear me, lord, as + summon you to this holy libation,
That you may always come, gentle, to make work a 6oy.
nd the sa$age rage of untiring fire,
%ince, through you, nature itself burns in our bodies.
67. To *s#$epios
+ncense0 Frankincense
Asklepios, lord &aian, healer of all, you charm away the suffering of men in pain.
3ome, mighty and soothing, bring health,And put an end to sickness and the harsh fate of death.
)elper, blessed spirit of growth and blossoming, you ward off e$il,
)onored and mighty scion of &hoibos Apollon.
nemy of disease, whose blameless consort is )ygeia,
3ome, 2 blessed one, as sa$ior and bring life to a good end.
6. To Hygeia+ncense0 Frankincense
:ueen of all, charming and lo$ely and blooming, blessed )ygeia,Mother of all, bringer of prosperity, hear me.
Through you $anish the diseases that afflict men,
And through you e$ery house blossoms to fullness of 6oy, and the arts thri$e.The world desires you, 2 4ueen, and only soul'destroying )ades e$er loathes you.
$er youthful, e$er belo$ed, you are a ha$en for mortals.
Apart from you all is without a$ail for men0
5ealth, sweet to those feast, and gi$er of abundance, fails,And man ne$er reaches the many pains of old age,
For you are sole mistress and 4ueen of all.
8ut, goddess, come, e$er helpful to the initiates,
And keep away the accursed distress of harsh disease.
6!. To the Erinyes+ncense0 %tora, &owdered Frankincense