Translated by Catherine Proppe, August 20, 2016
7. Ἄστρων, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Astron, the Night Sky
Divine medium: aromatics
Ἄστρων οὐρανίων ἱερὸν σέλας ἐκπροκαλοῦμαι
Starry, heavenly, holy light I call forth,
εὐιέροις φωναῖσι κικλήσκων δαίμονας ἁγ(ν)ούς.
Sacred sounds call forth divinities pure.
Ἀστέρες οὐράνιοι, Νυκτὸς φίλα τέκνα μελαίνης,
Starry heavens, dark Night’s beloved children,
ἐγκυκλίοις δίναισι περιθρόνια κυκλέοντες.
Circling, whirling ‘round Her throne,
ἀνταυγεῖς, πυρόεντες, ἀεὶ γενετῆρες ἁπάντων,
Glittering light, fired within, eternally giving birth to all
μοιρίδιοι, πάσης μοίρης σημάντορες ὄντες,
Destinies, all fates’ signaling source,
θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων θείαν διέποντες ἀταρπόν,
Mortal humans’ divine director of paths,
ἑπταφαεῖς ζώνας ἐφορώμενοι, ἠερόπλαγκτοι,
Seven illuminated zones tend aerial planets,
οὐράνιοι χθόνιοί τε, πυρίδρομοι, αἰὲν ἀτειρεῖς,
Heavenly; earthly, too; fiery paths eternally give rise to portents.
αὐγάζοντες ἀεὶ νυκτὸς ζοφοειδέα πέπλον,
Shining zones of eternal Night’s dark peplos,
μαρμαρυγαῖς στίλβοντες, ἐύφρονες ἐννύχιοί τε
Sparkling, glittering, gladdening the night,
ἔλθετ' ἐπ' εὐιέρου τελετῆς πολυΐστορας ἄθλους
Bring holy fulfillment to many challenging inquiries,
ἐσθλὸν ἐπ' εὐδόξοις ἔργοις δρόμον ἐκτελέοντες
May noble, honorable works’ paths come to completion.
NOTES
Studying the night sky was a favorite pastime in ancient times when the moon and stars provided the only natural sources of light at night. Sailors steered by the stars; the seasons and months were defined by the position of the sun, moon, and stars; and the destinies of children and societies were thought to be influenced by the position of the moon, stars, and planets.
Aristotle’s seven classical planetary zones and the time to complete their cycles are:
1. Helios (Ήλιος) (Sun), daily
2. Io (Ίώ) (Moon), monthly
3. Aphrodite (Άφροδίτη) (Venus), the so-called Morning Star, annually
4. Hermes (Έρμῆς) (Mercury), the Fiery Star, annually
5. Ares (Ἅρης) (Mars), every two years,
6. Zeus (Ζεύς) (Jupiter), every 12 years
7. Kronos (Κρόνος) (Saturn), every thirty years.[1]
The planets (πλάνητες), including the moon, follow wandering, irregular (πλαγκτοι) paths compared to the steady, predictable positions of the more distant stars.
The immortal Goddess of Night, mother of the stars, was the third deity to emerge from Chaos at creation, after Earth and Darkness.[2]
A peplos (πέπλος) usually refers to a woman’s robe but can be any woven cloth used for a covering, such as a sheet, curtain, or veil.
The night sky appears to be carpeted or covered with stars. Stro- (στρῶ-) is a prefix meaning spread, covering. Astro- (ἄστρω-) means “above (Ἄ) + spread (στρω-).”
[1] Sir Thomas L. Heath, Greek Astronomy, quoting De Mundo (from Aristotelian corpus cc. 5-6) (New York: Dover Publications, 1991) 159-160.
[2] Hesiod Theogony (123-124) (trans. Evelyn-White).
7. Ἄστρων, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Astron, the Night Sky
Divine medium: aromatics
Ἄστρων οὐρανίων ἱερὸν σέλας ἐκπροκαλοῦμαι
Starry, heavenly, holy light I call forth,
εὐιέροις φωναῖσι κικλήσκων δαίμονας ἁγ(ν)ούς.
Sacred sounds call forth divinities pure.
Ἀστέρες οὐράνιοι, Νυκτὸς φίλα τέκνα μελαίνης,
Starry heavens, dark Night’s beloved children,
ἐγκυκλίοις δίναισι περιθρόνια κυκλέοντες.
Circling, whirling ‘round Her throne,
ἀνταυγεῖς, πυρόεντες, ἀεὶ γενετῆρες ἁπάντων,
Glittering light, fired within, eternally giving birth to all
μοιρίδιοι, πάσης μοίρης σημάντορες ὄντες,
Destinies, all fates’ signaling source,
θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων θείαν διέποντες ἀταρπόν,
Mortal humans’ divine director of paths,
ἑπταφαεῖς ζώνας ἐφορώμενοι, ἠερόπλαγκτοι,
Seven illuminated zones tend aerial planets,
οὐράνιοι χθόνιοί τε, πυρίδρομοι, αἰὲν ἀτειρεῖς,
Heavenly; earthly, too; fiery paths eternally give rise to portents.
αὐγάζοντες ἀεὶ νυκτὸς ζοφοειδέα πέπλον,
Shining zones of eternal Night’s dark peplos,
μαρμαρυγαῖς στίλβοντες, ἐύφρονες ἐννύχιοί τε
Sparkling, glittering, gladdening the night,
ἔλθετ' ἐπ' εὐιέρου τελετῆς πολυΐστορας ἄθλους
Bring holy fulfillment to many challenging inquiries,
ἐσθλὸν ἐπ' εὐδόξοις ἔργοις δρόμον ἐκτελέοντες
May noble, honorable works’ paths come to completion.
NOTES
Studying the night sky was a favorite pastime in ancient times when the moon and stars provided the only natural sources of light at night. Sailors steered by the stars; the seasons and months were defined by the position of the sun, moon, and stars; and the destinies of children and societies were thought to be influenced by the position of the moon, stars, and planets.
Aristotle’s seven classical planetary zones and the time to complete their cycles are:
1. Helios (Ήλιος) (Sun), daily
2. Io (Ίώ) (Moon), monthly
3. Aphrodite (Άφροδίτη) (Venus), the so-called Morning Star, annually
4. Hermes (Έρμῆς) (Mercury), the Fiery Star, annually
5. Ares (Ἅρης) (Mars), every two years,
6. Zeus (Ζεύς) (Jupiter), every 12 years
7. Kronos (Κρόνος) (Saturn), every thirty years.[1]
The planets (πλάνητες), including the moon, follow wandering, irregular (πλαγκτοι) paths compared to the steady, predictable positions of the more distant stars.
The immortal Goddess of Night, mother of the stars, was the third deity to emerge from Chaos at creation, after Earth and Darkness.[2]
A peplos (πέπλος) usually refers to a woman’s robe but can be any woven cloth used for a covering, such as a sheet, curtain, or veil.
The night sky appears to be carpeted or covered with stars. Stro- (στρῶ-) is a prefix meaning spread, covering. Astro- (ἄστρω-) means “above (Ἄ) + spread (στρω-).”
[1] Sir Thomas L. Heath, Greek Astronomy, quoting De Mundo (from Aristotelian corpus cc. 5-6) (New York: Dover Publications, 1991) 159-160.
[2] Hesiod Theogony (123-124) (trans. Evelyn-White).
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