Translated by Catherine Proppe December 5, 2016
3. Νυκτός, θυμίαμα δαλούς.
To the Goddess Night
Divine medium: torch
Νύκτα θεῶν γενέτειραν ἀείσομαι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
Night, divine eternal Mother of deities and humans,
Νὺξ γένεσις πάντων, ἣν καὶ Κύπριν καλέσωμεν
Night, genesis of all—the Kyprian embodied.
κλῦθι, μάκαιρα θεά, κυαναυγής, ἀστεροφεγγής,
Come, blessed Goddess of the cyan-dawn, star-enflamed,
ἡσυχίῃι χαίρουσα καὶ ἠρεμίῃι πολυύπνωι,
Quiet blessings and restful sleep for all,
εὐφροσύνη, τερπνή, φιλοπάννυχε, μῆτερ ὀνείρων,
Happily delight in love all through the night, Mother of Dreams,
ληθομέριμν' ἀγαθή τε πόνων ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχουσα,
Let good people forget their cares, and give pause to the grip of toil,
ὑπνοδότειρα, φίλη πάντων, ἐλάσιππε, νυχαυγής,
Giver of sleep, loved by all, driving the horses of night’s dawn,
ἡμιτελής, χθονία ἠδ' οὐρανία πάλιν αὐτή,
Completing half the earth and sky, cycling alone,
ἐγκυκλία, παίκτειρα διώγμασιν ἠεροφοίτοις,
Encircling playful Queen of the aereal chase,
ἣ φάος ἐκπέμπεις ὑπὸ νέρτερα καὶ πάλι φεύγεις
Dispatch light beneath the nether realm in its recurring flight
εἰς Ἀίδην δεινὴ γὰρ ἀνάγκη πάντα κρατύνει.
To the power of Aidon and Necessity all-ruling.
νῦν δε, μάκαιρα, (καλ)ῶ, πολυόλβιε, πᾶσι ποθεινή,
Here now, blessed one, bring forth plentiful whole life blessings all desire,
εὐάντητε, κλύουσα ἱκετηρίδα φωνὴν
Accept and hear supplications spoken,
ἔλθοις εὐμενέουσα, φόβους δ' ἀπόπεμπε νυχαυγεῖς.
Come, kindly power, banish fear with night’s dawn.
NOTES
Night (Νύκτα, Νὺξ) is the immortal Goddess of Night.
According to Hesiod, at the very beginning Chaos first emerged, then foundational Gaia (earth), Tartarus (beneath the earth), and Eros (love). Then from Chaos the Goddess Night emerged alongside Erebos (darkness). Night then created Aether (the bright blue sky) and Hemera/Day in union with Erebos. Then Earth gave birth to the rest of the Goddesses and Gods.[1]
The Kyprian is Aphrodite, the immortal Goddess of the urge to merge, passionate love, which is the foundation of procreation. The planet Venus is named for Aphrodite and is called both the morning star and the evening star because it is the first “star” to appear at sunset and the last “star” to disappear at sunrise. Aphrodite is particularly fond of night-time because the darkness provides cover for amorous activities.
Night’s dawn is the dark blue (cyan) sky that arises in the East at sunset.
Hypnos is the immortal God of sleep, common to all, the tipping-point between life and death.
The Oneiroi are the immortal Gods of dreams. Dreams are the gateway to communication with the divine.
The constellations appear to “chase” one another across the sky.
Aidon is Hades/Pluto, the immortal God of the afterlife.
Ananke is the immortal Goddess of necessity, of what is necessary/inevitable.
[1] Hesiod, Theogony (116-124).
3. Νυκτός, θυμίαμα δαλούς.
To the Goddess Night
Divine medium: torch
Νύκτα θεῶν γενέτειραν ἀείσομαι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
Night, divine eternal Mother of deities and humans,
Νὺξ γένεσις πάντων, ἣν καὶ Κύπριν καλέσωμεν
Night, genesis of all—the Kyprian embodied.
κλῦθι, μάκαιρα θεά, κυαναυγής, ἀστεροφεγγής,
Come, blessed Goddess of the cyan-dawn, star-enflamed,
ἡσυχίῃι χαίρουσα καὶ ἠρεμίῃι πολυύπνωι,
Quiet blessings and restful sleep for all,
εὐφροσύνη, τερπνή, φιλοπάννυχε, μῆτερ ὀνείρων,
Happily delight in love all through the night, Mother of Dreams,
ληθομέριμν' ἀγαθή τε πόνων ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχουσα,
Let good people forget their cares, and give pause to the grip of toil,
ὑπνοδότειρα, φίλη πάντων, ἐλάσιππε, νυχαυγής,
Giver of sleep, loved by all, driving the horses of night’s dawn,
ἡμιτελής, χθονία ἠδ' οὐρανία πάλιν αὐτή,
Completing half the earth and sky, cycling alone,
ἐγκυκλία, παίκτειρα διώγμασιν ἠεροφοίτοις,
Encircling playful Queen of the aereal chase,
ἣ φάος ἐκπέμπεις ὑπὸ νέρτερα καὶ πάλι φεύγεις
Dispatch light beneath the nether realm in its recurring flight
εἰς Ἀίδην δεινὴ γὰρ ἀνάγκη πάντα κρατύνει.
To the power of Aidon and Necessity all-ruling.
νῦν δε, μάκαιρα, (καλ)ῶ, πολυόλβιε, πᾶσι ποθεινή,
Here now, blessed one, bring forth plentiful whole life blessings all desire,
εὐάντητε, κλύουσα ἱκετηρίδα φωνὴν
Accept and hear supplications spoken,
ἔλθοις εὐμενέουσα, φόβους δ' ἀπόπεμπε νυχαυγεῖς.
Come, kindly power, banish fear with night’s dawn.
NOTES
Night (Νύκτα, Νὺξ) is the immortal Goddess of Night.
According to Hesiod, at the very beginning Chaos first emerged, then foundational Gaia (earth), Tartarus (beneath the earth), and Eros (love). Then from Chaos the Goddess Night emerged alongside Erebos (darkness). Night then created Aether (the bright blue sky) and Hemera/Day in union with Erebos. Then Earth gave birth to the rest of the Goddesses and Gods.[1]
The Kyprian is Aphrodite, the immortal Goddess of the urge to merge, passionate love, which is the foundation of procreation. The planet Venus is named for Aphrodite and is called both the morning star and the evening star because it is the first “star” to appear at sunset and the last “star” to disappear at sunrise. Aphrodite is particularly fond of night-time because the darkness provides cover for amorous activities.
Night’s dawn is the dark blue (cyan) sky that arises in the East at sunset.
Hypnos is the immortal God of sleep, common to all, the tipping-point between life and death.
The Oneiroi are the immortal Gods of dreams. Dreams are the gateway to communication with the divine.
The constellations appear to “chase” one another across the sky.
Aidon is Hades/Pluto, the immortal God of the afterlife.
Ananke is the immortal Goddess of necessity, of what is necessary/inevitable.
[1] Hesiod, Theogony (116-124).
RSS Feed