This is a first-pass attempt to translate the Orphic Hymn to Selene, Goddess of the Moon, with the aid of the Liddell-Scott Greek-English Lexicon. The Moon is the most prominent celestial body in the night sky, while Helios, the God of the Sun, is most prominent in the daylight hours.
After all the excitement of Helios racing around in a four-horse chariot, this hymn takes a quieter, more serene tone. May have been accompanied by a large circle lit up with the light beginning as a crescent, waxing to full, and then waning, perhaps illuminating a torch-bearing Goddess with long, flowing robes, perhaps wandering a bit about the stage. Suppliants may have been invited to follow this Goddess at the completion of the hymn.
The words "calendar" and "month" are derived from words for the moon: calends and moon.
Interesting tidbit: Celery takes its name from Selene, because when chopped crosswise it takes the crescent shape of the moon.
9. Εἰς - enter
Σελήνην, - Selene
θυμίαμα - incense
ἀρώματα. - aromatic, spices, perfumes
Κλῦθι, - call
θεὰ - Goddess
βασίλεια, - Queen
φαεσφόρε, - light (φαεσ) + bearing/bringing (φόρε)
Σελήνη, - Selene
ταυρόκερως - bull (ταυρό) + horned (κερως)Μήνη - Moon
νυκτιδρόμε, - night (νυκτι) + coursing, running (δρόμε)
ἠεροφοῖτι, - air (ἠερο) + wandering, roaming, repeated going and coming, wanderer, roamer (φοῖτι)
ἐννυχία, - in night
δαιδοῦχε, - fire-brand, pine-torch (δαι) + holder (δοῦχε) = torch-bearer
κόρη,- girl, daughter, Persephone/Kore
εὐάστερε, - essence pure + of the stars, starry, astronomy (άστερε)
Μήνη, - Moon
αὐξομένη - increasing/growing (αὐξο) + in strength/force/might (μένη)
καὶ - and
λειπομένη, - leaving, departing (λειπο) + in strength/might/force (μένη)
θῆλύς - female
τε - then too
καὶ - and
ἄρσην, - and male
αὐγάστειρα, - light, rising light (αὐγά) + among the stars, astral (άστειρα)
φίλιππε, - loving (φίλ) + horses (ιππε)
χρόνου - time, chronos
μῆτερ, - mother (the moon serves as the "calend"ar, and measures the "mon"th)
φερέκαρπε, - bearing/bringing fruit
ἠλεκτρίς, - electric, amber (a magnetically-charged fossil)
βαρύθυμε, - heavy, weighty; strong, deep (βαρύ) + soul, spirit (θυμε)
καταυγάστειρα, - pure (κατ) + light, rising light (αὐγ) + among the stars, astral (άστειρα)
νυχία, - of night
πανδερκής, - pan- all- (παν) + seeing; seen clearly, clear-sighted (δερκής)
φιλάγρυπνε, - lover of, fond of (φιλά) + sleepless nights, sleeplessness, lying awake (άγρυπνε)
καλοῖς - beautiful
ἄστροισι - among the stars, astral
βρύουσα, - full, bursting, full, full to bursting
ἡσυχίηι - silent, quiet, still, at peace, at rest; in solitude, sequestered
χαίρουσα - glad, joyful, rejoicing, delight
καὶ - and
εὐφρόνηι - essence pure + mind, spirit, thought, will; purpose, intention, sense, judgment, practical wisdom, in one's right mind, prudent (φρόνηι) = with kind/prudent mind
ὀλβιομοίρωι, - whole (ὀλ) + life (βιο) + fate, lot, destiny, portion (μοίρωι) = happy, blest fate
λαμπετίη, - lamp, torch, light (epithet of Selene)
χαριδῶτι, - joy, delight, grace, beauty (χαρι) + giver (δῶτι)
τελεσφόρε, - telesphore = fulfillment, perfection (τελε) + bring, bear, carry (φόρε)
νυκτὸς - night
ἄγαλμα, - glory, delight, honor, pleasing gift; statue, portrait, picture, ornament, image
ἀστράρχη, - astral foundation, queen of the stars = astral/stars (ἀστρ) + foundation, from the beginning (άρχη)
τανύπεπλ', - flowing, long, outstretching (τανύ) + robe, peplos (πεπλ)
ἑλικοδρόμε, - winding, meandering, twisting (ἑλικο) + course (δρόμε)
πάνσοφε - all- pan- (πάν) wise, soph- (σοφε)
κούρη, - daughter
ἐλθέ, - Goddess who brings children to birth, Eleithyia, Goddess of childbirth
μάκαιρ', - happy, blessed
εὔφρων, - cheerful, merry, kindly, gracious, of sound mind, reasonable; essence pure + mind, spirit, thought, will; purpose, intention, sense, judgment, practical wisdom, in one's right mind, prudent (φρόνηι) = with kind/prudent mind
εὐάστερε, - essence pure + astral, starry (άστερε)
φέγγεϊ - light, splendor, lustre, moonlight, make bright
τρισσῶι - three-fold (probably waning, full, waxing)
λαμπομένη, - lamp + mighty/strong (μένη)
σῴζουσα - savior, keep or preserve, save, keep
νέους - new,
ἱκέτας - suppliant, one who comes to seek aid or purification
σέο - together with, in sync with
κούρη. - the daughter/Kore/Persephone
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