Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets
  • Home
  • The Greek Alphabet Song
  • Free Mini-Poster
  • About the Author
  • Hymns of Orpheus Translations
  • Learn about Alpha: A (1)
  • Learn about Beta: B (2)
  • Learn about Gamma: Γ (3)
  • Learn about Delta: Δ (4)
  • Learn about E Psilon: Ε (5)
  • Learn about Wau: Ϝ (6)
  • Learn about Zeta: Ζ (7)
  • Learn about Heta: Η (8)
  • Learn about Theta: Θ (9)
  • Learn about Iota: Ι (10)
  • Learn about Kappa: Κ (20)
  • Learn about Lambda: Λ (30)
  • Learn about Mu: Μ (40)
  • Learn about Nu: Ν (50)
  • Learn about Ksi: Ξ (60)
  • Learn about O Micron: Ο (70)
  • Learn about Pi: Π (80)
  • Learn about Qoppa: Ϙ (90)
  • Learn about Rho: Ρ (100)
  • Learn about Sigma: Σ (200)
  • Learn about Tau: Τ (300)
  • Learn about U Psilon:Υ (400)
  • Learn about Phi: Φ (500)
  • Learn about Chi: Χ (600)
  • Learn about Psi: Ψ (700)
  • Learn about O Mega: Ω (800)
  • Learn about Parakuisma: ϡ (900)
  • Contact

Buy Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets on Amazon

Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets 
by Catherine R. Proppe

Go to Amazon.com

To the Release of the Lenai  Hymns of Orpheus

11/18/2016

0 Comments

 
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:
 
  • 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.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    This blog is a first-pass attempt to translate the Hymns of Orpheus with the help of the Liddell-Scott Greek-English Lexicon.

    I am a research analyst and a native of Detroit, Michigan.  

    Other Translations of Hymns of Orpheus

    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly