Translated by Catherine Proppe, October 5, 2016
20. Διὸς Ἀστραπαίου, θυμίαμα λιβανομάνναν.
To the Deity of Lightning
Medium: Frankincense Porous/Loose
Κικλήσκω μέγαν, ἁγνόν, ἐρισμάραγον, περίφαντον,
I call the great, pure, powerful, crashing, surrounding light.
ἀέριον, φλογόεντα, πυρίδρομον, ἀεροφεγγῆ,
Aerial, flaming, fire-coursing, aerial fire,
ἀστράπτοντα σέλας νεφέων παταγοδρόμωι αὐδῆι,
Astral terror bright, cloud-dwelling, rumble-track sounding,
φρικώδη, βαρύμηνιν, ἀνίκητον θεὸν ἁγνόν,
Shiver-inducing, profound, wrathful, invincible, divine, pure.
ἀστραπαῖον Δία, παγγενέτην, βασιλῆα μέγιστον,
Lightning Goddess, all-parent, majestic Queen,
εὐμενέοντα φέρειν γλυκερὴν βιότοιο τελευτήν.
Kindly power, bearing sweet life to completion.
NOTES
Note that in the second-to-last line Dia (Δία) and Basileea (βασιλῆα) are feminine forms. This is puzzling, because Zeus is the male God of lightning. This is the only instance I've seen referring to lightning as feminine. This may be due to mistranslations reflexively characterizing lightning as male despite feminine forms of the nouns. A bit of research is probably in order.
For the Hellenes (Ἑλληνες), whose name means “torch (ἑλένη),” fire is the essence of life and each living body carries within it a torch, which leaves the body at death. In this sense, fire is the all-parent. The rains of lightning storms fertilize the earth, providing food for all living things, so that fire and lightning are the parent of all.
20. Διὸς Ἀστραπαίου, θυμίαμα λιβανομάνναν.
To the Deity of Lightning
Medium: Frankincense Porous/Loose
Κικλήσκω μέγαν, ἁγνόν, ἐρισμάραγον, περίφαντον,
I call the great, pure, powerful, crashing, surrounding light.
ἀέριον, φλογόεντα, πυρίδρομον, ἀεροφεγγῆ,
Aerial, flaming, fire-coursing, aerial fire,
ἀστράπτοντα σέλας νεφέων παταγοδρόμωι αὐδῆι,
Astral terror bright, cloud-dwelling, rumble-track sounding,
φρικώδη, βαρύμηνιν, ἀνίκητον θεὸν ἁγνόν,
Shiver-inducing, profound, wrathful, invincible, divine, pure.
ἀστραπαῖον Δία, παγγενέτην, βασιλῆα μέγιστον,
Lightning Goddess, all-parent, majestic Queen,
εὐμενέοντα φέρειν γλυκερὴν βιότοιο τελευτήν.
Kindly power, bearing sweet life to completion.
NOTES
Note that in the second-to-last line Dia (Δία) and Basileea (βασιλῆα) are feminine forms. This is puzzling, because Zeus is the male God of lightning. This is the only instance I've seen referring to lightning as feminine. This may be due to mistranslations reflexively characterizing lightning as male despite feminine forms of the nouns. A bit of research is probably in order.
For the Hellenes (Ἑλληνες), whose name means “torch (ἑλένη),” fire is the essence of life and each living body carries within it a torch, which leaves the body at death. In this sense, fire is the all-parent. The rains of lightning storms fertilize the earth, providing food for all living things, so that fire and lightning are the parent of all.
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