Translated by Catherine Proppe
February 12, 2015
25. Πρωτέως, θυμίαμα στύρακα.
To Proteos
Divine Connection: storax/styrax
Πρωτέα κικλήσκω, πόντου κληῖδας ἔχοντα,
Protea[1] I call, Pontos’[2] key holder
πρωτογενῆ, πάσης φύσεως ἀρχὰς ὃς ἔφηνεν
Protogenes[3] of all Nature’s[4] constructions brought to light
ὕλην ἀλλάσσων ἱερὴν ἰδέαις πολυμόρφοις,
Materially transforming holy forms to many shapes
πάντιμος, πολύβουλος, ἐπιστάμενος τά τ' ἐόντα
Honored by all, exceedingly wise, from the container[5] extended to actualization
ὅσσα τε πρόσθεν ἔην ὅσα τ' ἔσσεται ὕστερον αὖτις·
Foreseeing the potential strength in all four essences to the autonomous afterbirth
πάντα γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔχων μεταβάλλεται οὐδέ τις ἄλλος
Extending over all, soul foundation of metabolizing[6] and not any of the other
ἀθανάτων, οἳ ἔχουσιν ἕδος νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου
Immortals holding the thrones of snowy Olympos[7]
καὶ πόντον καὶ γαῖαν ἐνηέριοί τε ποτῶνται·
And Pontos’ and Gaia’s[8] aerial winged creatures
πάντα γὰρ Πρωτεῖ πρώτη φύσις ἐγκατέθηκε.
In every direction before here and before there Phusis’ egg purely encased,
ἀλλά, πάτερ, μόλε μυστιπόλοις ὁσίαισι προνοίαις
But, Father, bring the mystic axis of hallowed foresight,
πέμπων εὐόλβου βιότου τέλος ἐσθλὸν ἐπ' ἔργοις.
Send whole life completion and goodness upon these works.
[1] Protea means the first; before; before birth, suggesting that this deity gives form to beings in the womb and in the seed and in eggs, literally before (Πρω) + stretch/extension (τέα).
[2] Pontos is the immortal God of the sea.
[3] Protogenes means pre-generative, first-creator.
[4] Phusis is the immortal Goddess of physics/nature.
[5] “The container” is probably a reference to pregnancy and seeds and eggs.
[6] Metabolism means the chemical processes by which a plant or an animal uses food, water, etc., to grow and heal and to make energy.
[7] Olympos is a mountain in Greece believed to be the home of the Olympian deities.
[8] Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
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