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Hymn to Mother Antaias #Orpheus

9/3/2013

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This is a first-pass attempt to translate the Orphic Hymn to Antaias (Demeter) with the aid of the Liddell-Scott Greek-English Lexicon.

The Hymn seems to link the travail of childbirth with Demeter's search for her kidnapped daughter.

The word "Antaia" is the basis for the words "antagonist" and "antonym" and the prefix "anti-." It expresses a thing that balances another thing, or stands opposite another thing, literally "arising prevailing-point," with the prevailing point being the point when one force prevails over an opposing force.

Since the word "Eleusia" is another term for the Goddess of childbirth, (literally "essence loosened"), it suggests that the Mysteries of Eleusis may be the mysteries of childbirth. It is perhaps possible that Antaia refers to the tipping point of parturition?

41. Μητρὸς - Mother

Ἀνταίας, - Reciprocal? "besought with prayers, gracious, open to entreaty" Of balance? Literally "arising prevailing-point tension-force"
θυμίαμα - incense
ἀρώματα. - aromatic, spices

Ἀνταία - Reciprocal? "besought with prayers, gracious, open to entreaty" Prevailing?
βασίλεια, - Queen
θεά, - Goddess
πολυώνυμε - many, multi, poli (πολυ) + named (ώνυμε)
μῆτερ - Mother 

ἀθανάτων - immortals
τε - too then
θεῶν - divine
ἠδὲ - and
θνητῶν - mortal
ἀνθρώπων, - humans

ἥ - here
ποτε - when? at what time? at some time, at any time, ever
μαστεύουσα - seek, search after, crave, need
πολυπλάγκτωι - many, multi poli (πολυ) + wandering, roaming (πλάγκτωι)
ἐν - in
ἀνίηι - send up, let go free, loosen, let go

νηστείαν - fast, go without food 
κατέπαυσας - put an end to, stop: purely (κατέ) + pause (παυσας)
Ἐλευσῖνος - Eleusis'
ἐν -in
γυάλοισιν - hollow, dell, vale (a reference to Demeter (the Mother) taking a rest from her search and breaking her fast for her kidnapped daughter, Kore, in the town of Eleusis)

ἦλθές - come (?)
τ' - too then
εἰς - in, into, to
Ἀίδην - Aidon/Hades
πρὸς - before
ἀγαυὴν - noble
Περσεφόνειαν - Persephone

ἁγνὸν - pure
παῖδα - child
Δυσαύλου - desolate
ὁδηγητῆρα - journey (ὁδ) + guide (ηγητῆρα)
λαβοῦσα, - handle, grip, hold, loose part

μηνυτῆρ' - informer, guide, one who shows/reveals, disclose what is secret
ἁγίων - sacred, holy, pure, holy of holies
λέκτρων - couch, bed, marriage-bed
χθονίου - earth, foundation
Διὸς - Demeter
ἁγνοῦ, - pure

Εὔβουλον - Euboulos, good counselor
τέξασα - child-bearing, birth, nativity
θεὸν - divine
θνητῆς - of mortals
ἀπ' - inspiring?
ἀνάγκης. - bodily pain, anguish, necessity, what is compulsory, Ananke (Goddess of Necessity/Inevitablility--at the beginning of Time existed along with time (Chronos) before Phanes) (probably a reference to birth pains/travail)

ἀλλά, - but
θεά, - Goddess
λίτομαί - simple, poor, frugal; beg, pray
σε, - together
πολυλλίστη - sought with many prayers, much entreated, much approached by suppliants, much moved by prayer = many, multi, poli (πολυ) + moved by prayer (λίστη)
βασίλεια, - Queen

ἐλθεῖν - start out, come
εὐάντητον - accessible, gracious, open to entreaty, epithet of the Meter Theon (Mother of the Gods) = essence pure (εὐ) +  in-balance, in direct opposition, right opposite/anti- (άντητον); άντη=prayer
ἐπ' - epi, upon
εὐιέρωι - essence pure (εὐ) + holy (ιέρωι)
σέο - together, in-sync
μύστηι. - initiate, mystery, of or for the mysteries, one initiated

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    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.  

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