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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 40, lines 16–17 · Whose forms are many
40.16
The Orphic Hymns 40.16 · Whose forms are many
She is an only child and the mother of many, honored by mortals, and she shows herself in many forms, all of them in flower.
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μουνογενές1
mounogenés
only-born
, θεά2
theá
goddess
πολύτεκνε3
polýtekne
mother of manywith many children
, πολυπότνια4
polypótnia
great queen
θνητοῖς5
thnētoîs
to mortals
, ἧς6
hês
whose
μορφαί7
morphaí
forms
are
πολλαὶ8
pollaì
many
, πολυάνθεμοι9
polyánthemoi
flowery
, ἱεροθηλεῖς10
hierothēleîs
holy-blooming
; only-born, goddess, mother of many, great queen to mortals, whose forms are many, flowery, holy-blooming;
only-born, goddess, mother of many, great queen to mortals, whose forms are many, flowery, holy-blooming;
Interpretation
only-born, goddess and mother of many, great queen to mortals, whose forms are many, full of flowers and of holy bloom;
Mounogenēs meant an only child, and Hesiod gives the word to Hekate. Later writers used it for whatever is the only one of its kind: in the Timaeus Plato calls our heaven monogenēs, and the Gospel of John uses the word of Jesus. Here it stands beside polyteknos, "mother of many", and the next line gives the goddess many forms, all of them in flower.
40.18
The Orphic Hymns 40.18 · Bring peace, good order, wealth and health
The prayer: come laden with the summer harvest, and bring peace, good order, wealth and health.
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come, pure and blessed one, laden with summer fruits, bringing down peace and lovely good order and wealth rich in blessings, and together with them Health the queen.