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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 55, lines 15–17 · On Olympus or in Syria, rich in frankincense
55.15
The Orphic Hymns 55.15 · On Olympus or in Syria, rich in frankincense
The call goes out to every place where the goddess might be, beginning with Olympus and Syria.
· · ·
ἔρχεο1
ércheo
Come
, Κυπρογενὲς2
Kyprogenès
Cyprus-born
, θεῖον3
theîon
divine
γένος4
génos
offspring
, εἴτʼ5
eít’
whether
ἐσσί6
essí
you are
ἐνʼ7
en’
on
Ὀλύμπῳ8
Olýmpōi
Olympus
, θεὰ9
theà
goddess
and
βασίλεια10
basíleia
queen
, γήθουσα11
gḗthousa
rejoicing
with your
καλῷ12
kalôi
beautiful
προσώπῳ13
prosṓpōi
face
, εἴτε14
eíte
or
καὶ15
kaì
—
ἀμφιπολεύεις16
amphipoleúeis
you tendbusy yourself about
the
ἕδος17
hédos
seat
Συρίης18
Syríēs
of Syria
, εὐλιβάνου19
eulibánou
rich in frankincense
, Come, Cyprus-born, divine offspring, whether you are on Olympus, goddess and queen, rejoicing with your beautiful face, or you tend the seat of Syria, rich in frankincense,
Come, Cyprus-born, divine offspring, whether you are on Olympus, goddess and queen, rejoicing with your beautiful face, or you tend the seat of Syria, rich in frankincense,
Interpretation
Come, Cyprus-born, divine offspring, whether you are on Olympus, goddess and queen, rejoicing with your lovely face, or you tend your seat in Syria, rich in frankincense,
Now the hymn sends its call to every place where she might be. This is an old habit of Greek prayer: in the Iliad a wounded warrior begins his prayer to Apollo "hear me, lord, who are perhaps in Lycia or in Troy," since a god could be anywhere. Olympus comes first. Then Syria, "rich in frankincense," which suits her well: Herodotus says that her temple at Ascalon in Syria was the oldest of all her temples.
55.18
The Orphic Hymns 55.18 · Or in holy Egypt
The next place on the list is Egypt, where she drives her golden chariots on the plains.
· · ·
or you, with golden chariots, on the plains of holy Egypt, keep the fertile waters,