Translated by Catherine Proppe, February 7, 2017
72. Τύχης, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To Tyche, Goddess of Fortune
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
Δεῦρο, Τύχη· καλέω σ’, ἀγαθὴν κράντειραν, ἐπ’ εὐχαῖς,
Come, come to this place, Tyche, I call, good fortune’s ruler, I pray,
μειλιχίαν, ἐνοδῖτιν, ἐπ’ εὐόλβοις κτεάτεσσιν,
Sweetly pave the way for prosperous wealth,
Ἄρτεμιν ἡγεμόνην, μεγαλώνυμον, Εὐβουλῆος
Artemisian’ leader, majestically-named Good Counselor,
αἵματος ἐκγεγαῶσαν, ἀπρόσμαχον εὖχος ἔχουσαν,
Let this blood offering give birth to irresistible prayers that take hold.
τυμβιδίαν, πολύπλαγκτον, ἀοίδιμον ἀνθρώποισιν.
From the funeral wide-ranging songs of humanity,
ἐν σοὶ γὰρ βίοτος θνητῶν παμποίκιλός ἐστιν·
Let thou bring forth life, mortality’s all-variable essence.
οἷς μὲν γὰρ τεύχεις κτεάνων πλῆθος πολύολβον,
Indeed, build prosperity in abundance, and plentiful wealth,
οἷς δὲ κακὴν πενίην θυμῶι χόλον ὁρμαίνουσα.
And not hateful poverty, passionate wrath, or circuitous worry.
ἀλλά, θεά, λίτομαί σε μολεῖν βίωι εὐμενέουσαν,
Yea, Goddess, I pray your arrival in this life brings steadfast
ὄλβοισι πλήθουσαν ἐπ’ εὐόλβοις κτεάτεσσιν.
Blessings, plentiful wellness: bestow upon us prosperous wealth.
NOTES
Tyche (Τύχη) is the Goddess of fortune and misfortune, good and bad luck. Interestingly, Tyche is the Pythagorean name for the number 7, a lucky number in Western culture.
Tyche (Τύχη) and the Charites (Χάριτες) bestow blessings.
Pindar in Olympian Ode 12. 1 ff (trans. Conway) invokes Tyche’s benevolence:
“Fortune [Tyche] our saviour [G]oddess,
I pray your guardian care for Himera,
And prosper her city's strength. For your hand steers
The ships of ocean on their flying course,
And rules on land the march of savage wars,
And the assemblies of wise counsellors."
Artemis is the immortal Goddess of independence. She is invoked during parturition.
72. Τύχης, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To Tyche, Goddess of Fortune
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
Δεῦρο, Τύχη· καλέω σ’, ἀγαθὴν κράντειραν, ἐπ’ εὐχαῖς,
Come, come to this place, Tyche, I call, good fortune’s ruler, I pray,
μειλιχίαν, ἐνοδῖτιν, ἐπ’ εὐόλβοις κτεάτεσσιν,
Sweetly pave the way for prosperous wealth,
Ἄρτεμιν ἡγεμόνην, μεγαλώνυμον, Εὐβουλῆος
Artemisian’ leader, majestically-named Good Counselor,
αἵματος ἐκγεγαῶσαν, ἀπρόσμαχον εὖχος ἔχουσαν,
Let this blood offering give birth to irresistible prayers that take hold.
τυμβιδίαν, πολύπλαγκτον, ἀοίδιμον ἀνθρώποισιν.
From the funeral wide-ranging songs of humanity,
ἐν σοὶ γὰρ βίοτος θνητῶν παμποίκιλός ἐστιν·
Let thou bring forth life, mortality’s all-variable essence.
οἷς μὲν γὰρ τεύχεις κτεάνων πλῆθος πολύολβον,
Indeed, build prosperity in abundance, and plentiful wealth,
οἷς δὲ κακὴν πενίην θυμῶι χόλον ὁρμαίνουσα.
And not hateful poverty, passionate wrath, or circuitous worry.
ἀλλά, θεά, λίτομαί σε μολεῖν βίωι εὐμενέουσαν,
Yea, Goddess, I pray your arrival in this life brings steadfast
ὄλβοισι πλήθουσαν ἐπ’ εὐόλβοις κτεάτεσσιν.
Blessings, plentiful wellness: bestow upon us prosperous wealth.
NOTES
Tyche (Τύχη) is the Goddess of fortune and misfortune, good and bad luck. Interestingly, Tyche is the Pythagorean name for the number 7, a lucky number in Western culture.
Tyche (Τύχη) and the Charites (Χάριτες) bestow blessings.
Pindar in Olympian Ode 12. 1 ff (trans. Conway) invokes Tyche’s benevolence:
“Fortune [Tyche] our saviour [G]oddess,
I pray your guardian care for Himera,
And prosper her city's strength. For your hand steers
The ships of ocean on their flying course,
And rules on land the march of savage wars,
And the assemblies of wise counsellors."
Artemis is the immortal Goddess of independence. She is invoked during parturition.
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