Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 25, 2016
59. Μοιρῶν, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To the Moirai, Goddesses of Fate
Divine medium: aromatics
Μοῖραι ἀπειρέσιοι, Νυκτὸς φίλα τέκνα μελαίνης,
Impenetrable Moirai, Night’s beloved dark children,
κλῦτέ μου εὐχομένου, πολυώνυμοι, αἵτ' ἐπὶ λίμνης
Hear these prayers of mine, many-named ones, implored upon marshes,
οὐρανίας, ἵνα λευκὸν ὕδωρ νυχίας ὑπὸ θέρμης
In Ourania’s white liquid, and in Night’s underlying heat,
ῥήγνυται ἐν σκιερῶι λιπαρῶι μυχῶι εὐλίθου ἄντρου,
Bursting forth in shadowy oily innermost stone caves,
ναίουσαι πεπότησθε βροτῶν ἐπ' ἀπείρονα γαῖαν·
Prevailing over ripening mortals upon impervious Gaia.
ἔνθεν ἐπὶ βρότεον δόκιμον γένος ἐλπίδι κοῦφον
And then, upon the esteemed race of mortals, hopes lighten
στείχετε πορφυρέηισι καλυψάμεναι ὀθόνηισι
As they march, purple, covered in fine linens,
μορσίμωι ἐν πεδίωι, ὅθι πάγγεον ἅρμα διώκει
Their destinies on the flat, level plain where all earth’s chariots run,
δόξα δίκης παρὰ τέρμα καὶ ἐλπίδος ἠδὲ μεριμνῶν
Anticipating Dike’s boundaries, expectations, and concerns
καὶ νόμου ὠγυγίου καὶ ἀπείρονος εὐνόμου ἀρχῆς·
And Nomos’ primeval and impenetrable foundational fair laws.
Μοῖρα γὰρ ἐν βιότωι καθορᾶι μόνη, οὐδέ τις ἄλλος
Moira, Fate, then, sustains life, pure-sighted, alone, and none of the other
ἀθανάτων, οἳ ἔχουσι κάρη νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου,
Immortals possessing the peak of snowy Olympos,
καὶ Διὸς ὄμμα τέλειον· ἐπεί γ' ὅσα γίγνεται ἡμῖν,
And Dios’ fulfilling vision implels coming into being halfway.
Μοῖρά τε καὶ Διὸς οἶδε νόος διὰ παντὸς ἅπαντα.
Moira, Fate, then, and Dios’ mind extends through all, above all.
ἀλλά μοι εὐκταῖαι, μαλακόφρονες, ἠπιόθυμοι,
Yet, my prayer, soft, mindful, gentle, passionate:
Ἄτροπε καὶ Λάχεσι, Κλωθώ, μόλετ', εὐπατέρειαι,
Atrope--Life’s End; Lachesi--Life’s Beginning; and Klotho--Life’s Experiences; offspring of a noble family,
ἀέριοι, ἀφανεῖς, ἀμετάτροποι, αἰὲν ἀτειρεῖς,
Aerial, unseen, above sway, eternal, fearless,
παντοδότειραι, ἀφαιρέτιδες, θνητοῖσιν ἀνάγκη·
All-giving, transcending the dark tide of mortal Necessity,
Μοῖραι, ἀκούσατ' ἐμῶν ὁσίων λοιβῶν τε καὶ εὐχῶν,
Moirai, hear! In bringing forth hallowed libations and pure metals,
ἐρχόμεναι μύσταις λυσιπήμονες εὔφρονι βουλῆι.
Set forth mystae, release calamities, Gracious Counselors,
[Μοιράων τέλος ἔλλαβ’ ἀοιδή, ἣν ὕφαν' Ὀρφεύς]
With the Moirai complete the Hellenic odes here now, as composed by Orpheus.
NOTES
The Moirai are the immortal Goddesses who assign each individual’s allotted portion of mortal life: beginning, middle, and end. The closest Englisht translations for Moirai would be “morsel” and “mortal,” as in the “morsel” of eternity that each “mortal” is apportioned for their limited span of life.
Lachesi (Λάχεσι) sets the foundation of one’s fate, depicted as pointing to the point on the horizon of one’s rising horoscope at birth; associated with one’s heritage and beginning circumstances.
Klotho (Κλωθώ) weaves the threads of fate to clothe one in one’s experience of life; associated with one’s present circumstances.
Atrope (Ἄτροπε) is the immortal Goddess associated with the span of one’s anticipated future; depicted as ultimately cutting the thread of life. Atrope is depicted variously with a scroll, a wax tablet, a sundial, a pair of scales, or a cutting instrument.
Several sources call the Moirai the unfathered daughters of the Goddess of Night[1]. Other sources say the father of the Moirai is either Zeus (Spark of Life), Erebos (Darkness), Kronos (Time), or Okeanos (Ocean). Some sources say the Moirai’s mother is Themis (Law), Ananke (Necessity), Khaos (First State of the Universe), or Gaia (Generative Earth).
A marsh is an area of swampy, still water in which reeds, grasses, and cattails grow. The waters of Styx are referred to as a marsh.[2] Oaths made on the waters of Styx are unbreakable.
Ourania is the Goddess of astronomy and astrology. Her white liquid is the “Milky Way.”
Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
Dike is the immortal Goddess of justice.
Nomos is the immortal God of established law.
Olympos is a mountain in Greece, the home of the Olympian deities.
Dios is often, but not always, a reference to Zeus. Dios literally means “directing (Δ) + divine-power (ι) + entity (ὸς).”
Eliminating the word breaks and apostrophe from “ἐπεί γ' ὅσα” leaves the word ἐπείγὅσα: to press, urge, impel. Note that original ancient Greek manuscripts had no word breaks or punctuation and were written in all capital letters.
Libations are drink offerings poured on the ground.
“You’re just given so much to work with in a life and you have to do the best you can with what you’ve got. That’s what piecing is. The materials are passed on to you or are all you can afford to buy…That’s just what’s given to you. Your fate. But the way you put them together is your business.” ---Anonymous woman quoted in the The Quilters, 1978
[1] Hesiod Theogony 217, Aeschylus Eumenides 961, and Greek Lyric V Anon 1018.
[2] Virgil, Aeneid 6. 323 ff; Apuleius, Metamorphoses 6. 13 ff; Ovid, Metamorphoses 2. 46 & 201.
59. Μοιρῶν, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To the Moirai, Goddesses of Fate
Divine medium: aromatics
Μοῖραι ἀπειρέσιοι, Νυκτὸς φίλα τέκνα μελαίνης,
Impenetrable Moirai, Night’s beloved dark children,
κλῦτέ μου εὐχομένου, πολυώνυμοι, αἵτ' ἐπὶ λίμνης
Hear these prayers of mine, many-named ones, implored upon marshes,
οὐρανίας, ἵνα λευκὸν ὕδωρ νυχίας ὑπὸ θέρμης
In Ourania’s white liquid, and in Night’s underlying heat,
ῥήγνυται ἐν σκιερῶι λιπαρῶι μυχῶι εὐλίθου ἄντρου,
Bursting forth in shadowy oily innermost stone caves,
ναίουσαι πεπότησθε βροτῶν ἐπ' ἀπείρονα γαῖαν·
Prevailing over ripening mortals upon impervious Gaia.
ἔνθεν ἐπὶ βρότεον δόκιμον γένος ἐλπίδι κοῦφον
And then, upon the esteemed race of mortals, hopes lighten
στείχετε πορφυρέηισι καλυψάμεναι ὀθόνηισι
As they march, purple, covered in fine linens,
μορσίμωι ἐν πεδίωι, ὅθι πάγγεον ἅρμα διώκει
Their destinies on the flat, level plain where all earth’s chariots run,
δόξα δίκης παρὰ τέρμα καὶ ἐλπίδος ἠδὲ μεριμνῶν
Anticipating Dike’s boundaries, expectations, and concerns
καὶ νόμου ὠγυγίου καὶ ἀπείρονος εὐνόμου ἀρχῆς·
And Nomos’ primeval and impenetrable foundational fair laws.
Μοῖρα γὰρ ἐν βιότωι καθορᾶι μόνη, οὐδέ τις ἄλλος
Moira, Fate, then, sustains life, pure-sighted, alone, and none of the other
ἀθανάτων, οἳ ἔχουσι κάρη νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου,
Immortals possessing the peak of snowy Olympos,
καὶ Διὸς ὄμμα τέλειον· ἐπεί γ' ὅσα γίγνεται ἡμῖν,
And Dios’ fulfilling vision implels coming into being halfway.
Μοῖρά τε καὶ Διὸς οἶδε νόος διὰ παντὸς ἅπαντα.
Moira, Fate, then, and Dios’ mind extends through all, above all.
ἀλλά μοι εὐκταῖαι, μαλακόφρονες, ἠπιόθυμοι,
Yet, my prayer, soft, mindful, gentle, passionate:
Ἄτροπε καὶ Λάχεσι, Κλωθώ, μόλετ', εὐπατέρειαι,
Atrope--Life’s End; Lachesi--Life’s Beginning; and Klotho--Life’s Experiences; offspring of a noble family,
ἀέριοι, ἀφανεῖς, ἀμετάτροποι, αἰὲν ἀτειρεῖς,
Aerial, unseen, above sway, eternal, fearless,
παντοδότειραι, ἀφαιρέτιδες, θνητοῖσιν ἀνάγκη·
All-giving, transcending the dark tide of mortal Necessity,
Μοῖραι, ἀκούσατ' ἐμῶν ὁσίων λοιβῶν τε καὶ εὐχῶν,
Moirai, hear! In bringing forth hallowed libations and pure metals,
ἐρχόμεναι μύσταις λυσιπήμονες εὔφρονι βουλῆι.
Set forth mystae, release calamities, Gracious Counselors,
[Μοιράων τέλος ἔλλαβ’ ἀοιδή, ἣν ὕφαν' Ὀρφεύς]
With the Moirai complete the Hellenic odes here now, as composed by Orpheus.
NOTES
The Moirai are the immortal Goddesses who assign each individual’s allotted portion of mortal life: beginning, middle, and end. The closest Englisht translations for Moirai would be “morsel” and “mortal,” as in the “morsel” of eternity that each “mortal” is apportioned for their limited span of life.
Lachesi (Λάχεσι) sets the foundation of one’s fate, depicted as pointing to the point on the horizon of one’s rising horoscope at birth; associated with one’s heritage and beginning circumstances.
Klotho (Κλωθώ) weaves the threads of fate to clothe one in one’s experience of life; associated with one’s present circumstances.
Atrope (Ἄτροπε) is the immortal Goddess associated with the span of one’s anticipated future; depicted as ultimately cutting the thread of life. Atrope is depicted variously with a scroll, a wax tablet, a sundial, a pair of scales, or a cutting instrument.
Several sources call the Moirai the unfathered daughters of the Goddess of Night[1]. Other sources say the father of the Moirai is either Zeus (Spark of Life), Erebos (Darkness), Kronos (Time), or Okeanos (Ocean). Some sources say the Moirai’s mother is Themis (Law), Ananke (Necessity), Khaos (First State of the Universe), or Gaia (Generative Earth).
A marsh is an area of swampy, still water in which reeds, grasses, and cattails grow. The waters of Styx are referred to as a marsh.[2] Oaths made on the waters of Styx are unbreakable.
Ourania is the Goddess of astronomy and astrology. Her white liquid is the “Milky Way.”
Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
Dike is the immortal Goddess of justice.
Nomos is the immortal God of established law.
Olympos is a mountain in Greece, the home of the Olympian deities.
Dios is often, but not always, a reference to Zeus. Dios literally means “directing (Δ) + divine-power (ι) + entity (ὸς).”
Eliminating the word breaks and apostrophe from “ἐπεί γ' ὅσα” leaves the word ἐπείγὅσα: to press, urge, impel. Note that original ancient Greek manuscripts had no word breaks or punctuation and were written in all capital letters.
Libations are drink offerings poured on the ground.
“You’re just given so much to work with in a life and you have to do the best you can with what you’ve got. That’s what piecing is. The materials are passed on to you or are all you can afford to buy…That’s just what’s given to you. Your fate. But the way you put them together is your business.” ---Anonymous woman quoted in the The Quilters, 1978
[1] Hesiod Theogony 217, Aeschylus Eumenides 961, and Greek Lyric V Anon 1018.
[2] Virgil, Aeneid 6. 323 ff; Apuleius, Metamorphoses 6. 13 ff; Ovid, Metamorphoses 2. 46 & 201.
RSS Feed