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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 10, lines 4–7 · Whirling a soundless track
10.4
The Orphic Hymns 10.4 · Whirling a soundless track
Nature rules all things: she is imperishable and first-born, no one can hold her back, and she whirls along a soundless track.
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παντοκράτειρα1
pantokráteira
ruler of allall-mighty
, ἀεί2
aeí
ever
τετιμένʼ3
tetimén’
honored
, πανυπέρτατε4
panypértate
supreme
δαῖμον5
daîmon
power
, ἄφθιτε6
áphthite
imperishable
, πρωτογένεια7
prōtogéneia
first-born
, παλαίφατε8
palaíphate
famed of oldspoken of long ago
, κυδιάνειρα9
kydiáneira
bringing men glory
, ἐννυχίη10
ennychíē
of the night
, πολύπειρε11
polýpeire
of long experience
, σελασφόρε12
selasphóre
bringer of light
, δεινοκάθεκτε13
deinokáthekte
hard to hold back
, εἱλίσσουσα14
heilíssousa
whirling
ἄψοφον15
ápsophon
a soundless
ἴχνος16
íchnos
trackfootprint
ἀστραγάλοισι17
astragáloisi
with the ankles
ποδῶν18
podôn
of your feet
, ruler of all, ever honored, supreme power, imperishable, first-born, famed of old, bringing men glory, of the night, of long experience, bringer of light, hard to hold back, whirling a soundless track with the ankles of your feet,
ruler of all, ever honored, supreme power, imperishable, first-born, famed of old, bringing men glory, of the night, of long experience, bringer of light, hard to hold back, whirling a soundless track with the ankles of your feet,
Interpretation
ruler of all, ever honored, supreme power, imperishable, first-born, famed of old, bringer of glory to men, goddess of the night, rich in experience, bringer of light, hard to hold back, whirling a soundless track with the ankles of your feet,
Nature's step makes no sound. Euripides gives the same picture to a prayer in the Trojan Women: Hecuba calls on Zeus, "whether you are the necessity of nature or the mind of mortals," and says that he goes "along a soundless path" and leads all mortal things by justice. The hymn to Heaven (4) has already joined the same two words, the necessity of nature.
10.8
The Orphic Hymns 10.8 · Common to all, and alone
A run of opposites: Nature is an end that never ends, shared by all things yet alone, her own father and fatherless.
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holy, orderer of the gods, and endless end, common to all, yet alone unshared, your own father, fatherless, bright, delightful, greatest,