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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 17, lines 9–10 · Keep the earth steady and the ships swift
17.9
The Orphic Hymns 17.9 · Keep the earth steady and the ships swift
The prayer to Poseidon: keep the ground from shaking, speed the ships, and bring peace, health and prosperity.
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σώζοις1
sṓzois
May you keep safe
the
ἕδρανα2
hédrana
foundationsseats
γῆς3
gês
of the earth
καὶ4
kaì
and
the
εὔδρομον5
eúdromon
swift
ὁρμήν6
hormḗn
course
νηῶν7
nēôn
of ships
, ἄγων8
ágōn
bringing
εἰρήνην9
eirḗnēn
peace
, ὑγίειαν10
hygíeian
health
ἠδʼ11
ēd’
and
ἀμεμφῆ12
amemphê
blameless
ὄλβον13
ólbon
prosperity
. May you keep safe the foundations of the earth and the swift course of ships, bringing peace, health and blameless prosperity.
May you keep safe the foundations of the earth and the swift course of ships, bringing peace, health and blameless prosperity.
Interpretation
Keep safe the foundations of the earth and the swift course of ships, bringing peace, health and blameless prosperity.
The prayer asks the earth-shaker to hold the ground still and the lord of the sea to speed the ships, the two things a people living by the sea most needed from him.
One manuscript has a different hymn to Poseidon in place of this one, and Abel prints it in brackets after the hymn. It borrows lines from this hymn and from the next, and gives Poseidon titles that belong to Zeus, calling him "father of the blessed gods of heaven and of men," who lives on the peaks of Olympus.
18.1
The Orphic Hymns 18.1 · Zeus of the underworld
A hymn to the king of the dead, with no incense named. He is called by his title, Plouton, and as the Zeus who rules below the earth.
· · ·
To Plouton. O you who dwell in the house under the earth, the meadow of Tartarus, deep-shadowed and lightless, strong of spirit, Zeus of the underworld, sceptered, receive these offerings gladly,