Translated by Catherine Proppe December 9, 2016
86. Ὀνείρου, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Oneiros, God of Dreams
Divine medium: aromatics
Κικλήσκω σε, μάκαρ, τανυσίπτερε, οὖλε Ὄνειρε,
I call blessed, broad fluttering Oneire complete,
ἄγγελε μελλόντων, θνητοῖς χρησμωιδὲ μέγιστε·
Angel of the future, mortals’ great prophetic medium.
ἡσυχίαι γὰρ ὕπνου γλυκεροῦ σιγηλὸς ἐπελθών,
Rest brings Sleep’s sweet silent arrival,
προσφωνῶν ψυχαῖς θνητῶν νόον αὐτὸς ἐγείρεις,
Addressing the mortal Soul, mind alone awakens,
καὶ γνώμας μακάρων αὐτὸς καθ’ ὕπνους ὑποπέμπεις,
With blessed autonomous knowledge, with pure Sleep underlying,
σιγῶν σιγώσαις ψυχαῖς μέλλοντα προφαίνων,
Silently, the silent Soul shines a light upon what is to be,
οἷσιν ἐπ’ εὐσεβίηισι θεῶν νόος ἐσθλὸς ὁδεύει,
The fiber upon which revered deities’ noble intentions travel.
ὡς ἂν ἀεὶ τὸ καλὸν μᾶλλον, γνώμηισι προληφθέν,
So that eternally, nobly, and above all, knowledgeably, ruin is forewarned.
τερπωλαῖς ὑπάγηι βίον ἀνθρώπων προχαρέντων,
Delightfully bring the joy of mortal life’s foretold blessings,
τῶν δὲ κακῶν ἀνάπαυλαν, ὅπως θεὸς αὐτὸς ἐνίσπηι
Then, of evil give pause, in such manner as only deities claim.
εὐχωλαῖς θυσίαις τε χόλον λύσαντες ἀνάκτων.
Let these imperfect offerings dissolve the bile of rage’s rule,
εὐσεβέσιν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὸ τέλος γλυκερώτερόν ἐστι,
Venerably bestow eternal, complete, sweet-flowing essence,
τοῖς δὲ κακοῖς οὐδὲν φαίνει μέλλουσαν ἀνάγκην
To be free of evil, bring to light destined Necessity,
ὄψις ὀνειρήεσσα, κακῶν ἐξάγγελος ἔργων,
Appear in dream’s essence, messenger of dreaded tasks,
ὄφρα ἂν εὕρωνται λύσιν ἄλγεος ἐρχομένοιο.
In order that we discover release from grievous suffering, come!
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, λίτομαί σε θεῶν μηνύματα φράζειν,
Yet, with blessed prayers, may thou Deities inform and show the way,
ὡς ἂν ἀεὶ γνώμαις ὀρθαῖς κατὰ πάντα πελάζηις
Bring forth eternal knowledge, upright, pure, for all bring near,
μηδὲν ἐπ’ ἀλλοκότοισι κακῶν σημεῖα προφαίνων.
And for no one, portentous, hateful omens foresee.
NOTES
Oneiros (Ὄνειρος) is the immortal God of dreams: entity (Ὄ) + from the netherworld (νειρος).
Greek literature is replete with Goddesses and Gods giving orders, warnings, prophecies, and insight through dreams, among many examples:
Aggele (ἄγγελε) are angels or birds of augury; indicators of divine intent.
Chrees (χρήσ) is the ancient Greek word for the English term “oracle.” Chreestees (χρήστης) means one who conveys “chrees,” that is, prophecies. Chrees (χρής) is usually translated as “oracle,” likely because of its close similarity to the word “Christ.”
Hypnos is the immortal God of sleep.
Psyche is the immortal Goddess of the soul, literally “incorporeal (ψ) + pure (υ) +foundation (χ) + αῖς.”
Ananke is the immortal Goddess of necessity, of what must be.
[1] Whiston, R. (1870). AE′SCHYLUS (Αἰσχύλος). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 40). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] Schmitz, L. (1870). AESCULA′PIUS (Ἀσκληπιός). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 46). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[3] Schmitz, L. (1870). AGAMEMNON (Ἀγαμέμνων). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 58). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
86. Ὀνείρου, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Oneiros, God of Dreams
Divine medium: aromatics
Κικλήσκω σε, μάκαρ, τανυσίπτερε, οὖλε Ὄνειρε,
I call blessed, broad fluttering Oneire complete,
ἄγγελε μελλόντων, θνητοῖς χρησμωιδὲ μέγιστε·
Angel of the future, mortals’ great prophetic medium.
ἡσυχίαι γὰρ ὕπνου γλυκεροῦ σιγηλὸς ἐπελθών,
Rest brings Sleep’s sweet silent arrival,
προσφωνῶν ψυχαῖς θνητῶν νόον αὐτὸς ἐγείρεις,
Addressing the mortal Soul, mind alone awakens,
καὶ γνώμας μακάρων αὐτὸς καθ’ ὕπνους ὑποπέμπεις,
With blessed autonomous knowledge, with pure Sleep underlying,
σιγῶν σιγώσαις ψυχαῖς μέλλοντα προφαίνων,
Silently, the silent Soul shines a light upon what is to be,
οἷσιν ἐπ’ εὐσεβίηισι θεῶν νόος ἐσθλὸς ὁδεύει,
The fiber upon which revered deities’ noble intentions travel.
ὡς ἂν ἀεὶ τὸ καλὸν μᾶλλον, γνώμηισι προληφθέν,
So that eternally, nobly, and above all, knowledgeably, ruin is forewarned.
τερπωλαῖς ὑπάγηι βίον ἀνθρώπων προχαρέντων,
Delightfully bring the joy of mortal life’s foretold blessings,
τῶν δὲ κακῶν ἀνάπαυλαν, ὅπως θεὸς αὐτὸς ἐνίσπηι
Then, of evil give pause, in such manner as only deities claim.
εὐχωλαῖς θυσίαις τε χόλον λύσαντες ἀνάκτων.
Let these imperfect offerings dissolve the bile of rage’s rule,
εὐσεβέσιν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὸ τέλος γλυκερώτερόν ἐστι,
Venerably bestow eternal, complete, sweet-flowing essence,
τοῖς δὲ κακοῖς οὐδὲν φαίνει μέλλουσαν ἀνάγκην
To be free of evil, bring to light destined Necessity,
ὄψις ὀνειρήεσσα, κακῶν ἐξάγγελος ἔργων,
Appear in dream’s essence, messenger of dreaded tasks,
ὄφρα ἂν εὕρωνται λύσιν ἄλγεος ἐρχομένοιο.
In order that we discover release from grievous suffering, come!
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, λίτομαί σε θεῶν μηνύματα φράζειν,
Yet, with blessed prayers, may thou Deities inform and show the way,
ὡς ἂν ἀεὶ γνώμαις ὀρθαῖς κατὰ πάντα πελάζηις
Bring forth eternal knowledge, upright, pure, for all bring near,
μηδὲν ἐπ’ ἀλλοκότοισι κακῶν σημεῖα προφαίνων.
And for no one, portentous, hateful omens foresee.
NOTES
Oneiros (Ὄνειρος) is the immortal God of dreams: entity (Ὄ) + from the netherworld (νειρος).
Greek literature is replete with Goddesses and Gods giving orders, warnings, prophecies, and insight through dreams, among many examples:
- Dionysos appeared in a dream to the the award-winning playright Aeschylus of Eleusis (525-456 BCE) and ordered him to write tragedies.[1]
- The God Aesculapius (Ἀσκληπιός) revealed the remedies for disease in the dreams of those who slept in his sanctuary.[2]
- “Zeus sent a dream to Agamemnon to persuade him to lead the Greeks to battle against the Trojans.”[3]
Aggele (ἄγγελε) are angels or birds of augury; indicators of divine intent.
Chrees (χρήσ) is the ancient Greek word for the English term “oracle.” Chreestees (χρήστης) means one who conveys “chrees,” that is, prophecies. Chrees (χρής) is usually translated as “oracle,” likely because of its close similarity to the word “Christ.”
Hypnos is the immortal God of sleep.
Psyche is the immortal Goddess of the soul, literally “incorporeal (ψ) + pure (υ) +foundation (χ) + αῖς.”
Ananke is the immortal Goddess of necessity, of what must be.
[1] Whiston, R. (1870). AE′SCHYLUS (Αἰσχύλος). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 40). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] Schmitz, L. (1870). AESCULA′PIUS (Ἀσκληπιός). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 46). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[3] Schmitz, L. (1870). AGAMEMNON (Ἀγαμέμνων). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 58). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
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