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Hymn to Zeus of the Thunderbolt (www.GreekAlphabeta.com) #HymnsofOrpheus

8/16/2013

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This is a first-pass attempt to translate the Orphic Hymn to Zeus of the Thunderbolt. This hymn gave the special effects crew free rein to pull out all the stops on their sound and lighting effects, with crackling lightning, roaring thunder, and a beautiful rainbow for a grand ending.


19. Κεραυνοῦ - Thunderbolt, Thunder and Lightning

Διός, - Dios, God
θυμίαμα - incense
στύρακα - styrax, storax

Ζεῦ - Zeus

πάτερ, - father 
ὑψίδρομον - coursing above: up/above (ὑψί-) (pure incorporeal divine-power) + running, coursing (δρομον) (directed-trajectory flow)
πυραυγέα - fiery (
πυρ-) bright light (αυγέα) 
κόσμον - of the cosmos
ἐλαύνων, - driver, one who sets in motion, releaser (essence loosened)

στράπτων - light, flash

αἰθερίου - of the aither, of the ether
στεροπῆς - stiff, strong, hard, flash of lightning, dazzling light (play on the word στράπτων, above; also, could be allusion to Zeus' legendary virility)
πανυπέρτατον - extending all around: all (πανυ) + surrounding (πέρ) + stretching/stretched/extending (
τατον) 
αἴγλην, - dazzling, radiant

παμμακάρων - all (
παμ-) + blessed/happy/blissful (μακάρων)
ἕδρανον - seat, abode, dwelling, chair, place, position, stable locale
θείαις - divine
βρονταῖσι - thunder 
τινάσσων, - shaker

νάμασι - flowing water, streaming

παννεφέλοις - all (παν-) + clouds/Nephele (νεφέλ)
στεροπὴν - stiff, strong, hard; dazzling light
φλεγέθουσαν - scorching, burning, blazing, flaring, fiery (φλεγέθ) + divinely synced (θουσαν)
ἀναίθων· - inflamed, blazing

λαίλαπας, - stormy

ὄμβρους, - rain shower
πρηστῆρας - hurricane, swollen in anger, blowing/distended/inflamed
κρατερούς - strong/stout/mighty/fierce
τε - then too
κεραυνούς, - thunderbolt

βάλλων - thrower

ἐς -
ροθίους - rushing/roaring/dashing
φλογερούς, - blazing/flaming/fiery-red
βεφέεσσι - bridging/tunneling essence
καλύπτων - covered/veiled

παμφλέκτους, - all (
παμ) + blazing/burning
κρατερούς, - strong/stout/mighty
φρικώδεας, - shivering/spine-tingling/hair-raising/shuddering
ὀμβριμοθύμους, rain's (ὀμβριμο) + soul/spirit (θύμους)

πτηνὸν - flying/winged/soaring

ὅπλον - weapon, tool, implement
δεινόν, - fearful, terrible, marvelously strong/powerful, exceedingly
κλονοκάρδιον, - heart-stirring: confused motion, turmoil, agitation (
κλονο) (core loosening) + cardio (κάρδιον)
ὀρθοέθειρον, - hair-raising:  straight/upright (
ὀρθοέ) +  hair (έθειρον)

αἰφνίδιον, - sudden

βρονταῖον, - thunder
ἀνίκητον - arising victorious
βέλος - missile, hurled, bolts
ἁγνόν - pure

ῥοίζου - whizzing, rushing sound (may be a stage direction for the s
ound of a bull-roarer (whirling instrument))
ἀπειρεσίου - arising piercing  
δινεύμασι - whirling round, swung round in a circle
παμφάγον - all (παμ) + devourer, voracious, glutton (φάγον)
ὁρμῆι, - rapid motion, onrush, assault, attack, set in motion, point of start

ἄρρηκτον, - arising breaker/renter/burster

βαρύθυμον, - heavily impassioned, heavy in spirit
ἀμαιμάκετον - arising violent rage
πρηστῆρος - hurricane, swollen in anger, blowing, distended, inflamed

οὐράνιον - heavenly

βέλος - hurler, missile, arrow
ὀξὺ - sharp, keen, dazzling, shrill (sound and sight directions)
καταιβάτου - descending, steep downward path
αἰθαλόεντος, - (Lexicon: thick smoke, smoky flame, burning, blazing), but broken down: aither/heavens (αἰθ) + sea (
αλό) + entering/into (εντος)

ὃν - entity prevailing

καὶ - and
γαῖα - Gaia (Goddess of Earth) 
πέφρικε overarching essence + shuddering, shivering (φρικε)
θάλασσά - sea
τε - then too
παμφανόωντα, (Lexicon: bright-shining, radiant): all (παμ) + light, bright (
φανό) + prevailing (ωντα)

καὶ - and

θῆρες - wild beasts
πτήσσουσιν, - crouch, cower in abject fear
ὅταν - whenever
κτύπος -  crash, bang
οὖας - give ear to, hear
ἐσέλθηι· - come, enters one's mind, goes into one's head

μαρμαίρει - flash, sparkle, gleam, darting light

δὲ - of
πρόσωπ' - far off, far away
αὐγαῖς, - light
σμαραγεῖ - crash, roar
δὲ - of
κεραυνὸς - thunder

αἰθέρος - aither/ether

ἐν - in 
γυάλοισι· - hollow, (hollow vessel)
διαρρήξας - break through, having broken, split, broken, torn
δὲ - of
χιτῶνα - tunic, garment

οὐράνιον - heaven's
προκάλυμμα - veil, curtain, covering, screen, cloak
βάλλεις - throw, cast, hurl
ἀργῆτα - bright, glancing, vivid, shining, white
κεραυνόν. - thunder

ἀλλά, - but

μάκαρ, - happily, blessed
θυμὸν - spirit, soul
κύμασι - pregnant, impregnate?
πόντου - sea

ἠδ' - now

ὀρέων - mountains, hills
κορυφαῖσι· - summit, top, peak, crown, corona
τὸ - to
σὸν - together
κράτος - strength, might, power
ἴσμεν - equal
ἅπαντες. - arising all completion

ἀλλὰ - but then

χαρεὶς - rejoice, take pleasure
λοιβαῖσι 
δίδου 
φρεσὶν 
αἴσιμα 
πάντα 

ζωήν 

τ' 
ὀλβιόθυμον, 
ὁμοῦ 
θ' - Goddess
ὑγίειαν - Hygeia 
ἄνασσαν, - queen

εἰρήνην - Eirene (Goddess of Peace, the Rainbow)

τε - then too
θεόν, - divinity; -or- look you! (possibly stage directions for a rainbow to appear, as is common after it rains)
κουροτρόφον, - rearer of children:  children's (κουρο-) + nourisher, nurse, tend to (τρόφον)
ἀγλαότιμον, - splendidly, gloriously (ἀγλαό) + honored (τιμον)

καὶ - and

βίον - life's
εὐθύμοισιν - essence pure + soul, spirit, passion (θύμοισιν)
ἀεὶ - eternally
θάλλοντα - bloom, sprout, grow, thrive
λογισμοῖς. - within reason, as is reasonable (a little joke at the end)


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    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.  

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