Translated by Catherine Proppe, March 14, 2016
11. Πανός, θυμίαμα ποικίλα.
To Pan
Divine connection: various incense
Πᾶνα καλῶ κρατερόν, νόμιον, κόσμοιο τὸ σύμπαν,
Pan[1], I call, mighty nomad of the cosmos, as one with all,
οὐρανὸν ἠδὲ θάλασσαν ἰδὲ χθόνα παμβασίλειαν
Ruling over all: the sky[2] and sea[3] and earth
καὶ πῦρ ἀθάνατον· τάδε γὰρ μέλη ἐστὶ τὰ Πανός.
And eternal fire, too, here given kindly in Hestia[4] through Pan.
ἐλθέ, μάκαρ, σκιρτητά, περίδρομε, σύνθρονε Ὥραις,
Come, blessed one, on your leaping, circling course, enthroned together with the Horai[5],
αἰγομελές, βακχευτά, φιλένθεε, ἀστροδίαιτε,
Goat-limbed[6] Bacchian[7], loving enthusiastically, living under the stars[8],
ἁρμονίαν κόσμοιο κρέκων φιλοπαίγμονι μολπῆι,
Harmonious cosmic strummer, loving playful, solo, song and dance,
φαντασιῶν ἐπαρωγέ, φόβων ἔκπαγλε βροτείων,
Aiding fantasies of excessive phobias[9] in humans.
αἰγονόμοις χαίρων ἀνὰ πίδακας ἠδέ τε βούταις,
Delighting in goatherds’ and ox-herds’ springwater fountains,
εὔσκοπε, θηρητήρ, Ἠχοῦς φίλε, σύγχορε νυμφῶν,
Keen-sighted hunter of Echo’s[10] love and the chorus of Nymphs[11],
παντοφυής, γενέτωρ πάντων, πολυώνυμε δαῖμον,
All-nature’s[12] parent of all, many-named deity,
κοσμοκράτωρ, αὐξητά, φαεσφόρε, κάρπιμε Παιάν,
Cosmos’ ruler, giving rise to enlightening fruitful Paians[13],
ἀντροχαρές, βαρύμηνις, ἀληθὴς Ζεὺς ὁ κεράστης.
Cave-delighting, deepest power, truly Zeus[14] with horns!
σοὶ γὰρ ἀπειρέσιον γαίης πέδον ἐστήρικται,
Thou gives boundless Gaia[15] ground firmly set,
εἴκει δ' ἀκαμάτου πόντου τὸ βαθύρροον ὕδωρ
Giving way to unwearying Pontos’[16] deepflowing water,
Ὠκεανός τε πέριξ ἐν ὕδασι γαῖαν ἑλίσσων,
Oceanos’[17] surrounding waters against Gaia whirling,
ἀέριόν τε μέρισμα τροφῆς, ζωοῖσιν ἔναυσμα,
Aerial too, apportioned nurturing life’s spark,
καὶ κορυφῆς ἐφύπερθεν ἐλαφροτάτου πυρὸς ὄμμα.
And the summit of the highest lightest fire visible,
βαίνει γὰρ τάδε θεῖα πολύκριτα σαῖσιν ἐφετμαῖς
Placing here divine, plenteous, critical, synchronized commands,
ἀλλάσσεις δὲ φύσεις πάντων ταῖς σαῖσι προνοίαις
Exchanging with Phusis all synchronized Forethought[18],
βόσκων ἀνθρώπων γενεὴν κατ' ἀπείρονα κόσμον.
Nourishing human genesis pure, impenetrable, cosmic.
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, βακχευτά, φιλένθεε, βαῖν' ἐπὶ λοιβαῖς
Yet, blessed Bachhian, enthusiastic lover, dance upon these libations[19],
εὐιέροις, ἀγαθὴν δ' ὄπασον βιότοιο τελευτὴν
Send holy goodness with life-extending completion rites,
Πανικὸν ἐκπέμπων οἶστρον ἐπὶ τέρματα γαίης.
Pan, come, dispatch mad frenzy to the ends of the earth.
[1] Pan is the immortal God of “all.” In this hymn, he is described as ruling over all of nature.
Pan is often depicted as part human/part animal (with tail, horns, and hooves), a wandering, randy, free-spirit and patron of shepherds. He is particularly associated with playing the pan-pipes, a bundle of reeds that are played somewhat like a harmonica.
[2] Ouranos is the immortal God of the heavens.
[3] Thalassa is the immortal Goddess of the sea.
[4] Hestia is the immortal Goddess of the altar/hearth fire.
[5] The Horai are the immortal Goddesses of the seasons and the hours, the proper time for events of nature to occur.
[6] Pan is often depicted as a goat-limbed, music-playing shepherd.
[7] Bacchos is the immortal God of wine and its effects.
[8] Living under the stars, in the great outdoors.
[9] The term “panic” is derived from the sense of being surrounded by danger on “all” sides or being afraid of everything at once.
[10] Echo is the immortal Goddess of the echo. Pan is entranced to hear his music played back to him by Echo.
Apuleius, Metamorphosis (renamed The Golden Ass) 5. 25 ff (trans. Walsh):
"The rustic god Pan chanced to be sitting at that moment on the brow of the stream, holding the mountain deity Echo in his arms, and teaching her to repeat after him all kinds of songs."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 45. 174 ff :
"Melodious Pan sat beside herds of goats or sheepcoates playing his tune on the assembled reeds, . . . imitating Echo returned the sounds of his pipes…” http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Pan.html
[11] Nymphs are beautiful young Goddesses who prevail over a particular location in nature. Pan famously chases them amorously.
[12] Phusis is the immortal Goddess of nature.
[13] A paian is a song of triumph or thanksgiving that unites “all” in a community, literally “under the same roof (Π) + give rise to (α) + divine power (ι) + arise and (ά) + prevail (ν).”
[14] Zeus is the immortal God of the spark of fire, spark of life, lightning storms.
[15] Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
[16] Pontos is the primordial immortal God of the sea with this name emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of the ocean, literally “under the same roof (π) + entity (ό) + prevailing (ν) + stretches/extends (του).”
[17] Oceanos is another name for Pontos, the sea or ocean emphasizing the generative aspect of the ocean, literally “bring-forth (Ὠ) + core (κ) + essence (ε) + arising (α) + prevailing (ν) + entity (ό).” The salty sea water is poetically compared to divine semen with the earth its partner, thus the comparison of the sea God Poseidon with horses, that is, “hung like a horse” and the epithet “Gaia’s ox (γαιήοχε).”
[18] Pronoia is the immortal Goddess of forethought or foresight. http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphePronoia.html
[19] Libations are drink offerings.
11. Πανός, θυμίαμα ποικίλα.
To Pan
Divine connection: various incense
Πᾶνα καλῶ κρατερόν, νόμιον, κόσμοιο τὸ σύμπαν,
Pan[1], I call, mighty nomad of the cosmos, as one with all,
οὐρανὸν ἠδὲ θάλασσαν ἰδὲ χθόνα παμβασίλειαν
Ruling over all: the sky[2] and sea[3] and earth
καὶ πῦρ ἀθάνατον· τάδε γὰρ μέλη ἐστὶ τὰ Πανός.
And eternal fire, too, here given kindly in Hestia[4] through Pan.
ἐλθέ, μάκαρ, σκιρτητά, περίδρομε, σύνθρονε Ὥραις,
Come, blessed one, on your leaping, circling course, enthroned together with the Horai[5],
αἰγομελές, βακχευτά, φιλένθεε, ἀστροδίαιτε,
Goat-limbed[6] Bacchian[7], loving enthusiastically, living under the stars[8],
ἁρμονίαν κόσμοιο κρέκων φιλοπαίγμονι μολπῆι,
Harmonious cosmic strummer, loving playful, solo, song and dance,
φαντασιῶν ἐπαρωγέ, φόβων ἔκπαγλε βροτείων,
Aiding fantasies of excessive phobias[9] in humans.
αἰγονόμοις χαίρων ἀνὰ πίδακας ἠδέ τε βούταις,
Delighting in goatherds’ and ox-herds’ springwater fountains,
εὔσκοπε, θηρητήρ, Ἠχοῦς φίλε, σύγχορε νυμφῶν,
Keen-sighted hunter of Echo’s[10] love and the chorus of Nymphs[11],
παντοφυής, γενέτωρ πάντων, πολυώνυμε δαῖμον,
All-nature’s[12] parent of all, many-named deity,
κοσμοκράτωρ, αὐξητά, φαεσφόρε, κάρπιμε Παιάν,
Cosmos’ ruler, giving rise to enlightening fruitful Paians[13],
ἀντροχαρές, βαρύμηνις, ἀληθὴς Ζεὺς ὁ κεράστης.
Cave-delighting, deepest power, truly Zeus[14] with horns!
σοὶ γὰρ ἀπειρέσιον γαίης πέδον ἐστήρικται,
Thou gives boundless Gaia[15] ground firmly set,
εἴκει δ' ἀκαμάτου πόντου τὸ βαθύρροον ὕδωρ
Giving way to unwearying Pontos’[16] deepflowing water,
Ὠκεανός τε πέριξ ἐν ὕδασι γαῖαν ἑλίσσων,
Oceanos’[17] surrounding waters against Gaia whirling,
ἀέριόν τε μέρισμα τροφῆς, ζωοῖσιν ἔναυσμα,
Aerial too, apportioned nurturing life’s spark,
καὶ κορυφῆς ἐφύπερθεν ἐλαφροτάτου πυρὸς ὄμμα.
And the summit of the highest lightest fire visible,
βαίνει γὰρ τάδε θεῖα πολύκριτα σαῖσιν ἐφετμαῖς
Placing here divine, plenteous, critical, synchronized commands,
ἀλλάσσεις δὲ φύσεις πάντων ταῖς σαῖσι προνοίαις
Exchanging with Phusis all synchronized Forethought[18],
βόσκων ἀνθρώπων γενεὴν κατ' ἀπείρονα κόσμον.
Nourishing human genesis pure, impenetrable, cosmic.
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, βακχευτά, φιλένθεε, βαῖν' ἐπὶ λοιβαῖς
Yet, blessed Bachhian, enthusiastic lover, dance upon these libations[19],
εὐιέροις, ἀγαθὴν δ' ὄπασον βιότοιο τελευτὴν
Send holy goodness with life-extending completion rites,
Πανικὸν ἐκπέμπων οἶστρον ἐπὶ τέρματα γαίης.
Pan, come, dispatch mad frenzy to the ends of the earth.
[1] Pan is the immortal God of “all.” In this hymn, he is described as ruling over all of nature.
Pan is often depicted as part human/part animal (with tail, horns, and hooves), a wandering, randy, free-spirit and patron of shepherds. He is particularly associated with playing the pan-pipes, a bundle of reeds that are played somewhat like a harmonica.
[2] Ouranos is the immortal God of the heavens.
[3] Thalassa is the immortal Goddess of the sea.
[4] Hestia is the immortal Goddess of the altar/hearth fire.
[5] The Horai are the immortal Goddesses of the seasons and the hours, the proper time for events of nature to occur.
[6] Pan is often depicted as a goat-limbed, music-playing shepherd.
[7] Bacchos is the immortal God of wine and its effects.
[8] Living under the stars, in the great outdoors.
[9] The term “panic” is derived from the sense of being surrounded by danger on “all” sides or being afraid of everything at once.
[10] Echo is the immortal Goddess of the echo. Pan is entranced to hear his music played back to him by Echo.
Apuleius, Metamorphosis (renamed The Golden Ass) 5. 25 ff (trans. Walsh):
"The rustic god Pan chanced to be sitting at that moment on the brow of the stream, holding the mountain deity Echo in his arms, and teaching her to repeat after him all kinds of songs."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 45. 174 ff :
"Melodious Pan sat beside herds of goats or sheepcoates playing his tune on the assembled reeds, . . . imitating Echo returned the sounds of his pipes…” http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Pan.html
[11] Nymphs are beautiful young Goddesses who prevail over a particular location in nature. Pan famously chases them amorously.
[12] Phusis is the immortal Goddess of nature.
[13] A paian is a song of triumph or thanksgiving that unites “all” in a community, literally “under the same roof (Π) + give rise to (α) + divine power (ι) + arise and (ά) + prevail (ν).”
[14] Zeus is the immortal God of the spark of fire, spark of life, lightning storms.
[15] Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
[16] Pontos is the primordial immortal God of the sea with this name emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of the ocean, literally “under the same roof (π) + entity (ό) + prevailing (ν) + stretches/extends (του).”
[17] Oceanos is another name for Pontos, the sea or ocean emphasizing the generative aspect of the ocean, literally “bring-forth (Ὠ) + core (κ) + essence (ε) + arising (α) + prevailing (ν) + entity (ό).” The salty sea water is poetically compared to divine semen with the earth its partner, thus the comparison of the sea God Poseidon with horses, that is, “hung like a horse” and the epithet “Gaia’s ox (γαιήοχε).”
[18] Pronoia is the immortal Goddess of forethought or foresight. http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphePronoia.html
[19] Libations are drink offerings.
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