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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 15, lines 10–11 · Grant health, peace and wealth
15.10
The Orphic Hymns 15.10 · Grant health, peace and wealth
The prayer to Zeus of many shapes ends with the request these hymns usually make.
· · ·
κλῦθί1
klŷthí
Hear
μευ2
meu
me
, you
αἰολόμορφε3
aiolómorphe
of changing form
, δʼ4
d’
and
δίδου5
dídou
grant
ἀμεμφῆ6
amemphê
perfectblameless
ὑγίειαν7
hygíeian
health
, τε8
te
and
εἰρήνην9
eirḗnēn
Peace
the
θεὰν10
theàn
goddess
, καὶ11
kaì
and
the
ἄμεμπτον12
ámempton
blameless
δόξαν13
dóxan
glory
πλούτου14
ploútou
of wealth
. Hear me, you of changing form, and grant perfect health, and Peace the goddess, and the blameless glory of wealth.
Hear me, you of changing form, and grant perfect health, and Peace the goddess, and the blameless glory of wealth.
Interpretation
Hear me, god of changing form, and grant perfect health, and Peace the goddess, and wealth with a blameless name.
Aiolomorphos joins aiolos, "quick-moving, many-colored," with morphē, form. The stories gave Zeus many shapes: a bull for Europa, a swan for Leda, a shower of gold for Danaë. The request is the usual one of these hymns, health, peace, and wealth that brings no shame.
One manuscript ends this hymn differently. In place of lines 7 to 11 it has a line calling Zeus "self-father, father of the blessed gods and of men," followed by the four lines that close Hymn 19. Abel prints that ending in brackets after the hymn.
16.1
The Orphic Hymns 16.1 · Hera, formed of air
Hera is greeted as the queen of the air, mother of the rains and nurse of the winds.
· · ·
Of Hera. Incense: aromatics. Seated in dark-blue hollows, formed of air, Hera, queen of all, blessed consort of Zeus, giving mortals gentle, life-sustaining breezes, mother of rains, nurse of winds, mother of all;