Translated by Catherine Proppe, December 11, 2015
To the Liberation of the Wine-Press
Κλῦθι, μάκαρ, Διὸς υἷ', ἐπιλήνιε Βάκχε, διμάτωρ,
I call the son of blessed Dios[1] to the grape-press, Bacchos[2], of two mothers[3],
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυώνυμε, λύσιε δαῖμον,
Seed of many courtships, many-realmed, liberating spirit
κρυψίγονον μακάρων ἱερὸν θάλος, εὔιε Βάκχε,
Concealed at birth, blessed, holy child, Bachhos.
εὐτραφές, εὔκαρπε, πολυγηθέα καρπὸν ἀέξων,
Well-nurtured fair fruit, with Goddess Ge’s many fruits flourishing,
ῥηξίχθων, ληναῖε, μεγασθενές, αἰολόμορφε,
Rending earth’s surface, then to the wine-press[4], mighty, strong, eternally changing form,
παυσίπονον θνητοῖσι φανεὶς ἄκος, ἱερὸν ἄνθος,
Pausing the toil of mortals, enlightening remedy, holy bloom,
χάρμα βροτοῖς φιλάλυπον, ἐπάφιε, καλλιέθειρε,
Joy of humanity, friend of grief, emitting beautiful tendrils[5]
λύσιε, θυρσομανές, βρόμι', εὔιε, πᾶσιν ἐύφρων,
Unleash a thyrsus-mantic noise, holy child, all-wise.
οἷς ἐθέλεις θνητῶν ἠδ' ἀθανάτων ἐπιφαύσκων
Happily bring enlightenment to mortals and immortals.
νῦν σε καλῶ μύσταισι μολεῖν ἡδύν, φερέκαρπον.
Now, noble mystae, come, sweetly bearing fruit.
[1] Dios is a reference to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
[2] Dionysos/Bacchos is the immortal God of wine and its effects.
[3] Dionysos/Bacchos’ has two mothers because his gestational mother, the mortal Semele, died in a blaze of Zeus’ lightning. Zeus then sewed the fetus into his own thigh to complete gestation. Dionysos/Bacchos was then entrusted to the care of either the Nymphs on Mount Nysa or Ino-Leukothea of Kadmos, the citadel of Thebes.
[4] The lenai (ληναῖε) is the grape- or wine-press, used to crush the fruit to make wine. Lenai (ληναῖε) literally means “release (λ) + center (η) + prevail/tipping point (ν) αῖε.”
[5] The tendrils of a grape vine twine around objects and support the vine. http://vintage2014.com/veraison/tendrils
To the Liberation of the Wine-Press
Κλῦθι, μάκαρ, Διὸς υἷ', ἐπιλήνιε Βάκχε, διμάτωρ,
I call the son of blessed Dios[1] to the grape-press, Bacchos[2], of two mothers[3],
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυώνυμε, λύσιε δαῖμον,
Seed of many courtships, many-realmed, liberating spirit
κρυψίγονον μακάρων ἱερὸν θάλος, εὔιε Βάκχε,
Concealed at birth, blessed, holy child, Bachhos.
εὐτραφές, εὔκαρπε, πολυγηθέα καρπὸν ἀέξων,
Well-nurtured fair fruit, with Goddess Ge’s many fruits flourishing,
ῥηξίχθων, ληναῖε, μεγασθενές, αἰολόμορφε,
Rending earth’s surface, then to the wine-press[4], mighty, strong, eternally changing form,
παυσίπονον θνητοῖσι φανεὶς ἄκος, ἱερὸν ἄνθος,
Pausing the toil of mortals, enlightening remedy, holy bloom,
χάρμα βροτοῖς φιλάλυπον, ἐπάφιε, καλλιέθειρε,
Joy of humanity, friend of grief, emitting beautiful tendrils[5]
λύσιε, θυρσομανές, βρόμι', εὔιε, πᾶσιν ἐύφρων,
Unleash a thyrsus-mantic noise, holy child, all-wise.
οἷς ἐθέλεις θνητῶν ἠδ' ἀθανάτων ἐπιφαύσκων
Happily bring enlightenment to mortals and immortals.
νῦν σε καλῶ μύσταισι μολεῖν ἡδύν, φερέκαρπον.
Now, noble mystae, come, sweetly bearing fruit.
[1] Dios is a reference to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
[2] Dionysos/Bacchos is the immortal God of wine and its effects.
[3] Dionysos/Bacchos’ has two mothers because his gestational mother, the mortal Semele, died in a blaze of Zeus’ lightning. Zeus then sewed the fetus into his own thigh to complete gestation. Dionysos/Bacchos was then entrusted to the care of either the Nymphs on Mount Nysa or Ino-Leukothea of Kadmos, the citadel of Thebes.
[4] The lenai (ληναῖε) is the grape- or wine-press, used to crush the fruit to make wine. Lenai (ληναῖε) literally means “release (λ) + center (η) + prevail/tipping point (ν) αῖε.”
[5] The tendrils of a grape vine twine around objects and support the vine. http://vintage2014.com/veraison/tendrils
RSS Feed