Translated by Catherine Proppe, December 1, 2016
82. Νότου, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To Notos, God of the South Wind
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
Λαιψηρὸν πήδημα δι’ ἠέρος ὑγροπόρευτον,
Swift, nimble, leaping, water-conveying air,
ὠκείαις πτερύγεσσι δονούμενον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα,
Whose fleet wings convulse powerfully to and fro,
ἔλθοις σὺν νεφέλαις νοτίαις, ὄμβροιο γενάρχα·
Come with the southern Nephelai, rain-generating foundation,
τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκ Διός ἐστι σέθεν γέρας ἠερόφοιτον,
Then bring forth Dios’ essence together with ancient air-wandering
ὀμβροτόκους νεφέλας ἐξ ἠέρος εἰς χθόνα πέμπειν.
Rain-born clouds, extract air’s essence and send it to earth.
τοιγάρ τοι λιτόμεσθα, μάκαρ, ἱεροῖσι χαρέντα
Then, too, I pray, O blessed, holy, gracious one,
πέμπειν καρποτρόφους ὄμβρους ἐπὶ μητέρα γαῖαν.
Send fruit-nurturing rain upon Mother Gaia.
NOTES
Notos (Νότος) is the immortal God of the rainy south wind. Epithets of Notos include
ἀργεστής, clearing, brightening, and λευκόνοτος, the white wind.
Notios (νοτιος) means moist, damp, rainy; to the south, southern. Notis (νοτίς) means moisture.
Hesiod, Ovid, Statius, and Nonnos describe the rains brought by Notos:
"…the fierce gales of Notos who accompanies the heavy autumn rain of Zeus and stirs up the sea and makes the deep dangerous."[1]
“And out on soaking wings Notus flew,
His ghastly features veiled in deepest gloom.
His beard was sodden with rain, his white hair drenched;
Mists wreathed his brow and streaming water fell
From wings and chest; and when in giant hands
He crushed the hanging clouds, the thunder crashed
And storms of blinding rain poured down from heaven."[2]
"Auster [Notos] most violent thickens gloom on gloom with whirling eddies of darkness, and pours down rain…[3]
"Auster [Notos] black with rain has upheaved the sea."[4]
"[Demeter] hastened with quick foot to the house of Astraios the [G]od of prophecy . . . The four Winds fitted aprons round their waists as their father’s waiters. Euros (the East Wind) held out the cups by the mixing-bowl and poured in the nectar, Notos (the South Wind) had the water ready in his jug for the meal, Boreas (the North Wind) brought the ambrosia and set it on the table, Zephyros (the West Wind) fingering the notes of the hoboy made a tune on his reeds of spring-time…”[5]
The Nephelai are the immortal Goddesses of the clouds.
Dios, a generic word for deity, refers here to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
[1] Hesiod, Works and Days 663 ff., trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Dodo Press, Lightning Source, UK, 2011, p. 16.
[2] Ovid, Metamorphoses 1. 262 ff. trans. A.D. Melville, Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 9.
[3] Statius, Thebaid 1. 346 ff (trans. Mozley). http://www.theoi.com/Text/StatiusThebaid1.html
Statius, Thebaid, Achilleid. Translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928.
[4] Statius, Thebaid 5. 705 ff. http://www.theoi.com/Text/StatiusThebaid5.html
[5] Nonnos, Dionysiaca 6. 15 ff, 6.37 ff (trans. Rouse), p. 216-217.
82. Νότου, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To Notos, God of the South Wind
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
Λαιψηρὸν πήδημα δι’ ἠέρος ὑγροπόρευτον,
Swift, nimble, leaping, water-conveying air,
ὠκείαις πτερύγεσσι δονούμενον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα,
Whose fleet wings convulse powerfully to and fro,
ἔλθοις σὺν νεφέλαις νοτίαις, ὄμβροιο γενάρχα·
Come with the southern Nephelai, rain-generating foundation,
τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκ Διός ἐστι σέθεν γέρας ἠερόφοιτον,
Then bring forth Dios’ essence together with ancient air-wandering
ὀμβροτόκους νεφέλας ἐξ ἠέρος εἰς χθόνα πέμπειν.
Rain-born clouds, extract air’s essence and send it to earth.
τοιγάρ τοι λιτόμεσθα, μάκαρ, ἱεροῖσι χαρέντα
Then, too, I pray, O blessed, holy, gracious one,
πέμπειν καρποτρόφους ὄμβρους ἐπὶ μητέρα γαῖαν.
Send fruit-nurturing rain upon Mother Gaia.
NOTES
Notos (Νότος) is the immortal God of the rainy south wind. Epithets of Notos include
ἀργεστής, clearing, brightening, and λευκόνοτος, the white wind.
Notios (νοτιος) means moist, damp, rainy; to the south, southern. Notis (νοτίς) means moisture.
Hesiod, Ovid, Statius, and Nonnos describe the rains brought by Notos:
"…the fierce gales of Notos who accompanies the heavy autumn rain of Zeus and stirs up the sea and makes the deep dangerous."[1]
“And out on soaking wings Notus flew,
His ghastly features veiled in deepest gloom.
His beard was sodden with rain, his white hair drenched;
Mists wreathed his brow and streaming water fell
From wings and chest; and when in giant hands
He crushed the hanging clouds, the thunder crashed
And storms of blinding rain poured down from heaven."[2]
"Auster [Notos] most violent thickens gloom on gloom with whirling eddies of darkness, and pours down rain…[3]
"Auster [Notos] black with rain has upheaved the sea."[4]
"[Demeter] hastened with quick foot to the house of Astraios the [G]od of prophecy . . . The four Winds fitted aprons round their waists as their father’s waiters. Euros (the East Wind) held out the cups by the mixing-bowl and poured in the nectar, Notos (the South Wind) had the water ready in his jug for the meal, Boreas (the North Wind) brought the ambrosia and set it on the table, Zephyros (the West Wind) fingering the notes of the hoboy made a tune on his reeds of spring-time…”[5]
The Nephelai are the immortal Goddesses of the clouds.
Dios, a generic word for deity, refers here to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
[1] Hesiod, Works and Days 663 ff., trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Dodo Press, Lightning Source, UK, 2011, p. 16.
[2] Ovid, Metamorphoses 1. 262 ff. trans. A.D. Melville, Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 9.
[3] Statius, Thebaid 1. 346 ff (trans. Mozley). http://www.theoi.com/Text/StatiusThebaid1.html
Statius, Thebaid, Achilleid. Translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928.
[4] Statius, Thebaid 5. 705 ff. http://www.theoi.com/Text/StatiusThebaid5.html
[5] Nonnos, Dionysiaca 6. 15 ff, 6.37 ff (trans. Rouse), p. 216-217.
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