⸻ · ⸻
The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 34, lines 10–12 · You look upon the boundless aether
34.10
The Orphic Hymns 34.10 · You look upon the boundless aether
The prayer: hear me as I pray for the people, for you see the whole sky and the earth, by day and through the night.
· · ·
κλῦθί1
klŷthí
Hear
μευ2
meu
me
εὐχομένου3
euchoménou
as I pray
ὕπερ4
hýper
for
λαῶν5
laôn
the people
, with a
εὔφρονι6
eúphroni
kindly
θυμῷ7
thymôi
heart
; γὰρ8
gàr
for
σὺ9
sỳ
you
λεύσσεις10
leússeis
look upon
τόνδε11
tónde
this
πάντα12
pánta
whole
τὸν13
tòn
—
ἀπείριτον14
apeíriton
boundless
αἰθέρα15
aithéra
aetherthe bright upper air
τʼ16
t’
and
the
ὀλβιόμοιρον17
olbiómoiron
blessed
γαῖαν18
gaîan
earth
ὑπʼ19
hyp’
beneath
αἰθέρι20
aithéri
the aether
, καὶ21
kaì
and
διʼ22
di’
through
ἀμολγοῦ23
amolgoû
the dead of night
; Hear me as I pray for the people, with a kindly heart; for you look upon this whole boundless aether and the blessed earth beneath the aether, and through the dead of night;
Hear me as I pray for the people, with a kindly heart; for you look upon this whole boundless aether and the blessed earth beneath the aether, and through the dead of night;
Interpretation
hear me as I pray for the people, with a kindly heart; for you look upon this whole boundless aether, and on the blessed earth beneath it, and through the dead of night;
Apollo can hear the prayer because he sees everything. These are words usually said of the Sun: in the Iliad oaths call on Helios, "who sees all things and hears all things." By the time of these hymns Apollo and the Sun were often taken as one god, and the hymn sends his gaze through the whole aithēr, the bright upper air above the clouds, down to the earth beneath it, and on through the dead of night.
34.13
The Orphic Hymns 34.13 · Beginning and end are yours
His sight reaches the roots of the world below, and he holds the limits of everything.
· · ·
in the stillness of the night, under the star-eyed darkness, you see the roots below, and you hold the limits of the whole world; and beginning and end are a concern to you.