To the Muses
translated by Catherine Proppe
December 18, 2014
76. Μουσῶν, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To the Muses
Divine connection: libanon (frankincense)
Μνημοσύνης καὶ Ζηνὸς ἐριγδούποιο θύγατρες,
Mnemosyne’s[1] and Zenos’[2] resounding daughters
Μοῦσαι Πιερίδες, μεγαλώνυμοι, ἀγλαόφημοι,
The Muses[3] of Pieria[4], many realmed, gloriously famed,
θνητοῖς, οἷς κε παρῆτε, ποθεινόταται, πολύμορφοι,
Mortals implore with longing in many forms
πάσης παιδείης ἀρετὴν γεννῶσαι ἄμεμπτον,
All education’s noble[5] creations flawlessly
θρέπτειραι ψυχῆς, διανοίας ὀρθοδότειραι,
Nourished by Psyche[6]-directed mind uprightly bestowed
καὶ νόου εὐδυνάτοιο καθηγήτειραι ἄνασσαι,
And mind’s rightly powerful pure generative Queens[7]
αἳ τελετὰς θνητοῖς ἀνεδείξατε μυστιπολεύτους,
Give rise to completion of mortal projects’ mysterious range
Κλειώ τ’ Εὐτέρπη τε Θάλειά τε Μελπομένη τε
From Kleio[8] to Euterpe[9] to Thaleia[10] to Melpomene[11] to
Τερψιχόρη τ’ Ἐρατώ τε Πολύμνιά τ’ Οὐρανίη τε
Terpsichore[12] to Erato[13] to Polyhymnia[14] to Ourania[15] to
Καλλιόπηι σὺν μητρὶ καὶ εὐδυνάτηι θεᾶι Ἁγνηι.
Kalliope[16] with the Mother and powerful Goddesses pure
ἀλλὰ μόλοιτε, θεαί, μύσταις, πολυποίκιλοι, ἁγναί,
Then, make whole, Goddesses, mystae[17] many, various, pure
εὔκλειαν ζῆλόν τ’ ἐρατὸν πολύυμνον ἄγουσαι.
Unlock with zeal passion’s many-hymned dawns.
[1] Mnemosyne is the immortal Goddess of memory: the memory’s (Μνη) + container/house (μοσύν). Note: Thomas Taylor’s translation of this hymn completely eliminates any mention of Mnemosyne. His first line is, “Daughters of Jove, dire-sounding and divine . . .”
[2] Zenos is another name for Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
[3] A Muse is an immortal Goddess who divinely inspires mortals.
[4] Pieria is the coastal region around Mount Olympos, “home” of the Muses.
[5] Arete is the immortal Goddess of virtue, excellence, goodness.
[6] Psyche is the immortal Goddess of the soul.
[7] Anassa means Queen, Lady; addressed to Goddesses.
[8] Kleio (Κλειώ) means key, the Muse who unlocks the divine channel, literally: core (Κ) + loosen/release (λ) + essence (ε) of divine power (ι) + bring forth (ώ).
[9] Euterpe (Εὐτέρπη) means essence of pure (Εὐ) + delight, gladdening, cheer (τέρπη), literally: stretch/extend (τ) + essence (έ) + flow (ρ) + under the same roof (π).
[10] Thaleia (Θάλειά) means young shoot, young branch, bloom, sprout, the “budding” of an idea, literally: divine (Θ) + arising (ά) + loosened/released (λ) + essence of (ε) + divine power (ι).
[11] Melpomene (Μελπομένη) means to take an intense interest in: μέλω=to be an object of care or thought, care for, take an interest in + drink (πῶ) + powerful (μένη). This is the obsessive interest in a subject.
[12] Terpsichore (Τερψιχόρη) means joy, delight in; or, “turning” (Τερψι) + the choral dancers/singers (χόρη). The chorus danced in a circle around the central altar fire (Hestia).
[13] Erato (Ἐρατώ) means the expression of love, “eros.” Erato (Ἐρατώ) is the Pythagorean name for two.
[14] Polyhymnia (Πολύμνιά) means many (Πολ) + hymns (ύμνιά), literally: pure (ύ) + medium (μ).
[15] Ourania (Οὐρανίη) means the sky, particularly the night sky and its constellations, planets, and moon phases.
[16] Kalliope (Καλλιόπηι) means beauty (Καλλι).
[17] Mystae are initiates in the Mysteries.
translated by Catherine Proppe
December 18, 2014
76. Μουσῶν, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To the Muses
Divine connection: libanon (frankincense)
Μνημοσύνης καὶ Ζηνὸς ἐριγδούποιο θύγατρες,
Mnemosyne’s[1] and Zenos’[2] resounding daughters
Μοῦσαι Πιερίδες, μεγαλώνυμοι, ἀγλαόφημοι,
The Muses[3] of Pieria[4], many realmed, gloriously famed,
θνητοῖς, οἷς κε παρῆτε, ποθεινόταται, πολύμορφοι,
Mortals implore with longing in many forms
πάσης παιδείης ἀρετὴν γεννῶσαι ἄμεμπτον,
All education’s noble[5] creations flawlessly
θρέπτειραι ψυχῆς, διανοίας ὀρθοδότειραι,
Nourished by Psyche[6]-directed mind uprightly bestowed
καὶ νόου εὐδυνάτοιο καθηγήτειραι ἄνασσαι,
And mind’s rightly powerful pure generative Queens[7]
αἳ τελετὰς θνητοῖς ἀνεδείξατε μυστιπολεύτους,
Give rise to completion of mortal projects’ mysterious range
Κλειώ τ’ Εὐτέρπη τε Θάλειά τε Μελπομένη τε
From Kleio[8] to Euterpe[9] to Thaleia[10] to Melpomene[11] to
Τερψιχόρη τ’ Ἐρατώ τε Πολύμνιά τ’ Οὐρανίη τε
Terpsichore[12] to Erato[13] to Polyhymnia[14] to Ourania[15] to
Καλλιόπηι σὺν μητρὶ καὶ εὐδυνάτηι θεᾶι Ἁγνηι.
Kalliope[16] with the Mother and powerful Goddesses pure
ἀλλὰ μόλοιτε, θεαί, μύσταις, πολυποίκιλοι, ἁγναί,
Then, make whole, Goddesses, mystae[17] many, various, pure
εὔκλειαν ζῆλόν τ’ ἐρατὸν πολύυμνον ἄγουσαι.
Unlock with zeal passion’s many-hymned dawns.
[1] Mnemosyne is the immortal Goddess of memory: the memory’s (Μνη) + container/house (μοσύν). Note: Thomas Taylor’s translation of this hymn completely eliminates any mention of Mnemosyne. His first line is, “Daughters of Jove, dire-sounding and divine . . .”
[2] Zenos is another name for Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
[3] A Muse is an immortal Goddess who divinely inspires mortals.
[4] Pieria is the coastal region around Mount Olympos, “home” of the Muses.
[5] Arete is the immortal Goddess of virtue, excellence, goodness.
[6] Psyche is the immortal Goddess of the soul.
[7] Anassa means Queen, Lady; addressed to Goddesses.
[8] Kleio (Κλειώ) means key, the Muse who unlocks the divine channel, literally: core (Κ) + loosen/release (λ) + essence (ε) of divine power (ι) + bring forth (ώ).
[9] Euterpe (Εὐτέρπη) means essence of pure (Εὐ) + delight, gladdening, cheer (τέρπη), literally: stretch/extend (τ) + essence (έ) + flow (ρ) + under the same roof (π).
[10] Thaleia (Θάλειά) means young shoot, young branch, bloom, sprout, the “budding” of an idea, literally: divine (Θ) + arising (ά) + loosened/released (λ) + essence of (ε) + divine power (ι).
[11] Melpomene (Μελπομένη) means to take an intense interest in: μέλω=to be an object of care or thought, care for, take an interest in + drink (πῶ) + powerful (μένη). This is the obsessive interest in a subject.
[12] Terpsichore (Τερψιχόρη) means joy, delight in; or, “turning” (Τερψι) + the choral dancers/singers (χόρη). The chorus danced in a circle around the central altar fire (Hestia).
[13] Erato (Ἐρατώ) means the expression of love, “eros.” Erato (Ἐρατώ) is the Pythagorean name for two.
[14] Polyhymnia (Πολύμνιά) means many (Πολ) + hymns (ύμνιά), literally: pure (ύ) + medium (μ).
[15] Ourania (Οὐρανίη) means the sky, particularly the night sky and its constellations, planets, and moon phases.
[16] Kalliope (Καλλιόπηι) means beauty (Καλλι).
[17] Mystae are initiates in the Mysteries.
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