Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 18, 2016
50. Λυσίου Ληναίου.
To the Release of the Lenai
Κλῦθι, μάκαρ, Διὸς υἷ', ἐπιλήνιε Βάκχε, διμάτωρ,
I call the blessed son of Dios upon the lenai, Bacchos, twice-mothered,
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυώνυμε, λύσιε δαῖμον,
Seed of many courtships, liberating power of many names,
κρυψίγονον μακάρων ἱερὸν θάλος, εὔιε Βάκχε,
Concealed at birth, blessed, holy child, Bacchos.
εὐτραφές, εὔκαρπε, πολυγηθέα καρπὸν ἀέξων,
Well-nurtured fair fruit, with Goddess Ge’s many fruits flourishing,
ῥηξίχθων, ληναῖε, μεγασθενές, αἰολόμορφε,
Rending earth’s surface, then to the wine-press, mighty, strong, eternally changing form,
παυσίπονον θνητοῖσι φανεὶς ἄκος, ἱερὸν ἄνθος,
Giving pause to the toil of mortals, enlightening remedy, holy bloom,
χάρμα βροτοῖς φιλάλυπον, ἐπάφιε, καλλιέθειρε,
Joy of humanity, friend of grief, emitting beautiful tendrils,
λύσιε, θυρσομανές, βρόμι', εὔιε, πᾶσιν ἐύφρων,
Unleash a thyrsos-mantic noise, holy child, all-wise.
οἷς ἐθέλεις θνητῶν ἠδ' ἀθανάτων ἐπιφαύσκων
Happily bring enlightenment to mortals and immortals.
νῦν σε καλῶ μύσταισι μολεῖν ἡδύν, φερέκαρπον.
Now, noble mystae, come, bearing sweet fruit.
NOTES
The lenos (ληνός, λᾱνός) is the wine-vat in which the grapes are pressed in the process of making wine. A lenis (ληνίς) is a Bacchante, a follower of Bacchos/Dionysos. Lenai (Λῆναι) are Bacchanal rites. Lenai (ληναῖε) literally means “release (λ) + center (η) + turning point (ν) + transcendant (α) + divine-power (ῖ) + essence (ε).”
The Lenaia (Λήναια) was a festival of Athens and Rhodes held in the month Lenaion (Ληναιών), corresponding to December-January after the winter solstice. The Lenaion (Λήναιον) is the place at Athens where dramatic contests were held as part of the festival.
Famous playrights whose work was performed at the Lenaea include:
Dios is a reference to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
Dionysos/Bacchos is the immortal God of wine and its effects.
Dionysos/Bacchos has two mothers because his gestational mother, the mortal Semele, died in a blaze of Zeus’ lightning. Zeus then sewed the fetus into his own thigh to complete gestation. Legends regarding the infant Dionysos/Bacchos include that he was entrusted to the care of the Nymphs on Mount Nysa or to Ino-Leukothea of Kadmos, the citadel of Thebes.
Ge is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
The tendrils of a grape vine twine around objects and support the vine. http://vintage2014.com/veraison/tendrils
The thyrsos is a fennel stalk wrapped with grape leaves and topped with a pine cone. It is carried by Dionysos/Bacchos and his devotees.
Mystae are initiates into the Mysteries.
[1] Smith, P. (1870). SO′PHOCLES (Σοφοκλῆς). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
50. Λυσίου Ληναίου.
To the Release of the Lenai
Κλῦθι, μάκαρ, Διὸς υἷ', ἐπιλήνιε Βάκχε, διμάτωρ,
I call the blessed son of Dios upon the lenai, Bacchos, twice-mothered,
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυώνυμε, λύσιε δαῖμον,
Seed of many courtships, liberating power of many names,
κρυψίγονον μακάρων ἱερὸν θάλος, εὔιε Βάκχε,
Concealed at birth, blessed, holy child, Bacchos.
εὐτραφές, εὔκαρπε, πολυγηθέα καρπὸν ἀέξων,
Well-nurtured fair fruit, with Goddess Ge’s many fruits flourishing,
ῥηξίχθων, ληναῖε, μεγασθενές, αἰολόμορφε,
Rending earth’s surface, then to the wine-press, mighty, strong, eternally changing form,
παυσίπονον θνητοῖσι φανεὶς ἄκος, ἱερὸν ἄνθος,
Giving pause to the toil of mortals, enlightening remedy, holy bloom,
χάρμα βροτοῖς φιλάλυπον, ἐπάφιε, καλλιέθειρε,
Joy of humanity, friend of grief, emitting beautiful tendrils,
λύσιε, θυρσομανές, βρόμι', εὔιε, πᾶσιν ἐύφρων,
Unleash a thyrsos-mantic noise, holy child, all-wise.
οἷς ἐθέλεις θνητῶν ἠδ' ἀθανάτων ἐπιφαύσκων
Happily bring enlightenment to mortals and immortals.
νῦν σε καλῶ μύσταισι μολεῖν ἡδύν, φερέκαρπον.
Now, noble mystae, come, bearing sweet fruit.
NOTES
The lenos (ληνός, λᾱνός) is the wine-vat in which the grapes are pressed in the process of making wine. A lenis (ληνίς) is a Bacchante, a follower of Bacchos/Dionysos. Lenai (Λῆναι) are Bacchanal rites. Lenai (ληναῖε) literally means “release (λ) + center (η) + turning point (ν) + transcendant (α) + divine-power (ῖ) + essence (ε).”
The Lenaia (Λήναια) was a festival of Athens and Rhodes held in the month Lenaion (Ληναιών), corresponding to December-January after the winter solstice. The Lenaion (Λήναιον) is the place at Athens where dramatic contests were held as part of the festival.
Famous playrights whose work was performed at the Lenaea include:
- Aphareus (Ἀφαρεύς)
- Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης)
- Dionysios the Elder, Tyrant of Syracuse (Διονύσιος), “The Ransom of Hector”
- Eudoxos (Εὔδοξος)
- Eupolis (Εὔπολις)
- Pherekrates (Φερεκράτης)
- Philonides (Φιλωνίδης)
- Sophokles (Σοφοκλῆς).[1]
Dios is a reference to Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
Dionysos/Bacchos is the immortal God of wine and its effects.
Dionysos/Bacchos has two mothers because his gestational mother, the mortal Semele, died in a blaze of Zeus’ lightning. Zeus then sewed the fetus into his own thigh to complete gestation. Legends regarding the infant Dionysos/Bacchos include that he was entrusted to the care of the Nymphs on Mount Nysa or to Ino-Leukothea of Kadmos, the citadel of Thebes.
Ge is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
The tendrils of a grape vine twine around objects and support the vine. http://vintage2014.com/veraison/tendrils
The thyrsos is a fennel stalk wrapped with grape leaves and topped with a pine cone. It is carried by Dionysos/Bacchos and his devotees.
Mystae are initiates into the Mysteries.
[1] Smith, P. (1870). SO′PHOCLES (Σοφοκλῆς). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
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