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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 10, lines 29–30 · Bring peace and health
10.29
The Orphic Hymns 10.29 · Bring peace and health
After all her titles, the request: peace, health, and growth for all things.
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ἀλλά1
allá
But
θεά2
theá
goddess
, λίτομαί3
lítomaí
I pray
σε4
se
you
ἄγειν5
ágein
to bring
εἰρήνην6
eirḗnēn
peace
, ὑγίειαν7
hygíeian
health
, and the
αὔξησιν8
aúxēsin
growth
ἁπάντων9
hapántōn
of all things
σὺν10
sỳn
together
, ἐν11
en
in
εὐόλβοισιν12
euólboisin
prosperous
ὥραις13
hṓrais
seasons
. But, goddess, I pray you to bring peace, health, and the growth of all things together, in prosperous seasons.
But, goddess, I pray you to bring peace, health, and the growth of all things together, in prosperous seasons.
Interpretation
But, goddess, I pray you to bring peace, health, and the growth of all things together, in prosperous seasons.
After twenty-eight lines of titles the prayer is short and practical. Peace and health are what these hymns ask for again and again, and Health has a hymn of her own later in the book (68). The word for growth, auxēsis, is close to the first sense of physis itself, the growing of things, and the closing words, "in prosperous seasons," end the hymn to Earth (26) as well.
11.1
The Orphic Hymns 11.1 · Pan, the whole of the world
Pan, the goat-legged god of shepherds, is called here the whole universe: sky, sea, earth and fire are his limbs.
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Of Pan. Incense: various. I call mighty Pan, god of shepherds, the whole of the world, sky and sea and earth, queen of all, and immortal fire; for these are the limbs of Pan,