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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 29, lines 1–2 · Daughter of great Zeus, come
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Hymn 29 · Persephone
ΥΜΝΟΣ ΦΕΡΣΕΦΟΝΗΣ
A hymn to Persephone
29.1
The Orphic Hymns 29.1 · Daughter of great Zeus, come
The hymn to Persephone has no incense note. It calls her to come and receive the offerings.
· · ·
ΥΜΝΟΣ1
Hýmnos
A hymn
ΦΕΡΣΕΦΟΝΗΣ2
Phersephónēs
to Persephone
. Φερσεφόνη3
Phersephónē
Persephone
, θύγατερ4
thýgater
daughter
μεγάλου5
megálou
of great
Διός6
Diós
Zeus
, ἐλθέ7
elthé
come
, μάκαιρα8
mákaira
blessed one
, μουνογένεια9
mounogéneia
only-begottenonly one of her kind
θεά10
theá
goddess
, δʼ11
d’
and
δέξαι12
déxai
receive
the
κεχαρισμένα13
kecharisména
welcome
ἱερά14
hierá
offeringsholy things
, A hymn to Persephone. Persephone, daughter of great Zeus, come, blessed one, only-begotten goddess, and receive the welcome offerings,
A hymn to Persephone. Persephone, daughter of great Zeus, come, blessed one, only-begotten goddess, and receive the welcome offerings,
Interpretation
A hymn to Persephone. Persephone, daughter of great Zeus, come, blessed one, only-begotten goddess, and receive these welcome offerings,
This hymn has no incense note, only its title. Persephone is mounogeneia, "only-begotten," the one daughter of her parents. Hesiod uses the same word for Hekate, an only child, and the Gospel of John uses it for Christ, "the only-begotten of the Father." Here it marks Persephone as the one child of Zeus and Demeter.
29.3
The Orphic Hymns 29.3 · Queen of those below the earth
She is the wife of Plouton, the keeper of the gates of Hades and queen of the dead, and the mother of the Eumenides, the Furies.
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much-honored wife of Plouton, faithful, giver of life, you who hold the gates of Hades beneath the depths of the earth, Praxidike, lovely-haired, the holy shoot of Deo, mother of the Eumenides, queen of those below the earth,