Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets
  • Home
  • The Greek Alphabet Song
  • Free Mini-Poster
  • About the Author
  • Hymns of Orpheus Translations
  • Learn about Alpha: A (1)
  • Learn about Beta: B (2)
  • Learn about Gamma: Γ (3)
  • Learn about Delta: Δ (4)
  • Learn about E Psilon: Ε (5)
  • Learn about Wau: Ϝ (6)
  • Learn about Zeta: Ζ (7)
  • Learn about Heta: Η (8)
  • Learn about Theta: Θ (9)
  • Learn about Iota: Ι (10)
  • Learn about Kappa: Κ (20)
  • Learn about Lambda: Λ (30)
  • Learn about Mu: Μ (40)
  • Learn about Nu: Ν (50)
  • Learn about Ksi: Ξ (60)
  • Learn about O Micron: Ο (70)
  • Learn about Pi: Π (80)
  • Learn about Qoppa: Ϙ (90)
  • Learn about Rho: Ρ (100)
  • Learn about Sigma: Σ (200)
  • Learn about Tau: Τ (300)
  • Learn about U Psilon:Υ (400)
  • Learn about Phi: Φ (500)
  • Learn about Chi: Χ (600)
  • Learn about Psi: Ψ (700)
  • Learn about O Mega: Ω (800)
  • Learn about Parakuisma: ϡ (900)
  • Contact

Buy Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets on Amazon

Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets 
by Catherine R. Proppe

Go to Amazon.com

Hymn to Leto  #HymnsOfOrpheus

12/8/2014

0 Comments

 
Hymn to Leto
translated by Catherine Proppe
December 8, 2014


35. Λητοῦς, θυμίαμα σμύρναν.

To Leto
Divine connection: Myrrh

 
Λητὼ κυανόπεπλε, θεὰ διδυματόκε, σεμνή,

Leto[1], cyan-robed[2] Goddess of twins[3] revered

 

Κοιαντίς, μεγάθυμε, πολυλλίστη βασίλεια,

Koios’[4] child, greatly impasssioned, much-prayed to Basileia[5]

 

εὔτεκνον Ζηνὸς γονίμην ὠδῖνα λαχοῦσα,

Zeus’ offspring[6] fertile travail her lot

 

γειναμένη Φοῖβόν τε καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν,

Generative of Phoibe[7], too, and Artemis[8], arrow-shooting

 

τὴν μὲν ἐν Ὀρτυγίηι, τὸν δὲ κραναῆι ἐνὶ Δήλωι,

Then from Ortygia[9] to the rocks of Delos

 

κλῦθι, θεὰ δέσποινα, καὶ ἵλαον ἦτορ ἔχουσα

I call Goddess Despot[10], and give offerings heart-founded

 

βαῖν' ἐπὶ πάνθειον τελετὴν τέλος ἡδὺ φέρουσα.

Standing upon the pantheon, initiation complete, sweetly borne.



[1] Leto (Λητὼ) is most known for her very difficult birth travail. Her name literally means “loosen (Λ) + center (η) + stretch/extend (τ) + bring-forth (ὼ).”


[2] Cyan, also called lapis lazuli, is dark blue with silver highlights.  The lapis lazuli gemstone appears frequently in ancient jewelry and art of Mesopotamia and the Mediterannean. The Sumerian Corpus refers to the holy afterbirth container made of lapis lazuli and the lapis-lazuli measuring tape.

"Aruru . . . the lady of giving birth, is to get the holy birth-bricks as her prerogative. She is to carry off the lancet for umbilical cords, the special sand and leeks. She is to get the sila-ĝara bowl of translucent lapis lazuli (in which to place the afterbirth). She is to carry off the holy consecrated ala vessel. She is to be the midwife of the land! The birthing of kings and lords is to be in her hands."

From: Enki and the world order: c.1.1.3

Note: The “holy birth-bricks” are the bricks squatted upon during birth-giving.

 
"My illustrious sister, holy Nisaba, is to get the measuring-reed. The lapis-lazuli measuring tape is to hang over her arm. She is to proclaim all the great powers. She is to demarcate boundaries and mark borders. She is to be the scribe of the Land."

From: Enki and the world order: c.1.1.3

(Sumerian is the first language for which we have written evidence and its literature the earliest known. The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), a project of the University of Oxford, comprises a selection of nearly 400 literary compositions recorded on sources which come from ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and date to the late third and early second millennia BCE (2300-1700 BCE.)

The corpus contains Sumerian texts in transliteration, English prose translations, and bibliographical information for each composition. The transliterations and the translations can be searched, browsed, and read online using the tools of the website.

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/ )


[3] Leto is the mother of the twins Artemis, Goddess of independence, and Apollo, God of inspiration.


[4] The Titan God Koios, Leto’s father, also called Polos ("of the northern pole"), presides over the heavenly pillar of the north.


[5] Basileia means Queen.


[6] Zeus, the immortal God of lightining, is the father of Leto’s children.


[7] The Titan Goddess Phoibe, Leto’s mother, presides over the navel of the earth at Delphi and the divine inspiration derived there.


[8] Artemis is a Goddess of the hunt, emblematic of her independence from society. She is also a virgin Goddess, emblematic of her independence from males.


[9] Ortygia, “Quail Island,” is an ancient name for the island of Delos and many other islands. Some traditions hold that Artemis was born on Ortygia and Apollo on Delos.


[10] A despot is a ruler who has absolute power.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    This blog is a first-pass attempt to translate the Hymns of Orpheus with the help of the Liddell-Scott Greek-English Lexicon.

    I am a research analyst and a native of Detroit, Michigan.  

    Other Translations of Hymns of Orpheus

    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly