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

To Hera, Goddess of Air  #HymnsOfOrpheus

9/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Translated by Catherine Proppe, September 30, 2015

16. Ἥρης, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.

 
Κυανέοις κόλποισιν ἐνημένη, ἀερόμορφε,
Deep blue vault enthroned, aereal-formed,
 
Ἥρη παμβασίλεια, Διὸς σύλλεκτρε μάκαιρα,
Hera[1], all-Basileia[2], Dios’[3] blessed bed-partner[4],
 
ψυχοτρόφους αὔρας θνητοῖς παρέχουσα προσηνεῖς,
Soul[5]-nurturing breath, mortal foundation, gentle
 
ὄμβρων μὲν μήτηρ, ἀνέμων τροφέ, παντογένεθλε·
Mother of rainstorms, wind-nurturer, giving birth to all.
 
χωρὶς γὰρ σέθεν οὐδὲν ὅλως ζωῆς φύσιν ἔγνω·
Separate, for of thou, and not the whole, life’s origin[6] is engendered;
 
κοινωνεῖς γὰρ ἅπασι κεκραμένη ἠέρι σεμνῶι·
In common, for all mixes by means of air divine;
 
πάντων γὰρ κρατέεις μούνη πάντεσσί τ' ἀνάσσεις
Overall, for by your power alone all four[7] are ruled.
 
ἠερίοις ῥοίζοισι τινασσομένη κατὰ χεῦμα.
Winds, sounds, motion, the power of every stream.
 
 
ἀλλά, μάκαιρα θεά, πολυώνυμε, παμβασίλεια,
Yet, blessed Goddess, multi-realmed all-Basileia[8],
 
ἔλθοις εὐμενέουσα καλῶι γήθουσα προσώπωι.
Come, kindly Lady, grace beautiful Ge’s[9] sweet-smelling countenance.
 

[1] Hera is the immortal Goddess of air (Empedocles, Poeta Philosophus (On Nature) 6.1-3; Aetius, Opinions 1.3.20 Diels; Plato, Cratylus (404c); Theophrastus; other references in Pease ND vol.2, p.716)
 
“And first the fourfold root of all things hear! –
White gleaming Zeus, life-bringing Hera, Dis [sic: Aidoneus],
And Nestis whose tears bedew mortality.”
Note: Zeus is fire, Hera air, Aidoneus earth, and Nestis water.
(Empedocles. Poeta Philosophus 6.1-3, cited in The Fragments of Empedocles, translated by William Ellery Leonard (Chicago: Open Court Publishing, 1908) 17.)
 
“’Zeus is his name for the seething [zesis] of heavenly fire, ‘life-bearing Hera’ for air [aer], ‘Aidoneus’ for earth, and ‘Nestis’ and ‘the springs of mortals’ for seed, so to speak, and water.” (Aetius, Opinions 1.3.20 Diels)
 
“But perhaps the lawgiver had natural phenomena in mind, and called her Hera as a disguise for air…” (Plato, Cratylus (404c))
 

[2] Basileia means Queen, ruler, seat of governance.

[3] Dios refers to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning/spark-of-fire/spark-of-life.

[4] Hera, the Goddess of air, is wed to Zeus, the God of the spark-of-life, because a spark without air will perish.

[5] Psyche is the immortal Goddess of the soul.

[6] Phusis is the immortal Goddess of nature, of physics, of the elementary substance, of the originating power.

[7] “All four” referes to the four “root” elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

[8] Basileia means Queen, the “base” or seat of rule..

[9] Ge is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
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