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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 23, lines 1–3 · The Old Man of the Sea and his fifty daughters
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Hymn 23 · Nereus
ΝΗΡΕΩΣ, θυμίαμα σμύρναν
Of Nereus · incense: myrrh
23.1
The Orphic Hymns 23.1 · The Old Man of the Sea and his fifty daughters
Nereus lives in the depths of the sea and delights in his fifty daughters dancing in the waves.
· · ·
ΝΗΡΕΩΣ1
Nēréōs
Of Nereus
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incensewhat is burned
σμύρναν3
smýrnan
myrrh
. Ὦ4
Ô
O
κατέχων5
katéchōn
you who hold
ῥίζας6
rhízas
the roots
πόντου7
póntou
of the sea
, a
κυαναυγέτιν8
kyanaugétin
dark-gleaming
ἕδρην9
hédrēn
dwelling
, ἀγαλλόμενος10
agallómenos
delighting
in your
πεντήκοντα11
pentḗkonta
fifty
κόρῃσιν12
kórēisin
daughters
κατὰ13
katà
among
κῦμα14
kŷma
the waves
, in the
χοροῖς15
choroîs
dances
καλλιτέκνοισι16
kallitéknoisi
of fair childrenblessed in children
, Νηρεῦ17
Nēreû
Nereus
, μεγαλώνυμε18
megalṓnyme
gloriousgreat-named
δαῖμον19
daîmon
god
, Of Nereus. Incense: myrrh. O you who hold the roots of the sea, a dark-gleaming dwelling, delighting in your fifty daughters among the waves, in the dances of fair children, Nereus, glorious god,
Of Nereus. Incense: myrrh. O you who hold the roots of the sea, a dark-gleaming dwelling, delighting in your fifty daughters among the waves, in the dances of fair children, Nereus, glorious god,
Interpretation
Of Nereus. Incense: myrrh. O you who hold the roots of the sea, your dark-gleaming dwelling, delighting in your fifty daughters and their dances among the waves, a chorus of lovely children, Nereus, glorious god,
Nereus is the Old Man of the Sea. Hesiod calls him the eldest son of Pontos, the sea, "truthful and never lying," and says people call him the Old Man because he is unerring and gentle and never forgets what is right. With Doris, a daughter of Ocean, he fathered fifty daughters, the Nereids, whose hymn comes next. The hymn pictures him at home in the deepest part of the sea while his daughters dance on the waves above.
23.4
The Orphic Hymns 23.4 · Shaker of the earth's foundation
Nereus is the floor of the sea and the boundary of the land, and he shakes the earth when he shuts the winds up underground.
· · ·
floor of the sea, boundary of the earth, beginning of all things, you who shake the holy foundation of Deo, when you shut in the winds driven in the inmost hollows;