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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 56, lines 1–4 · Maiden and youth
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Hymn 56 · Adonis
ΑΔΩΝΙΔΟΣ, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
Of Adonis · incense: aromatics
56.1
The Orphic Hymns 56.1 · Maiden and youth
A hymn to Adonis, the young lover of Aphrodite, spoken to as a growing plant, a nourisher, and both girl and boy.
· · ·
ΑΔΩΝΙΔΟΣ1
Adṓnidos
Of Adonis
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
ἀρώματα3
arṓmata
aromatics
. Κλῦθί4
Klŷthí
Hear
μευ5
meu
me
εὐχομένου6
euchoménou
as I pray
, πολυώνυμε7
polyṓnyme
many-named
, ἄριστε8
áriste
noblest
δαῖμον9
daîmon
powerdaimon
, ἁβροκόμη10
habrokómē
soft-hairedwith luxuriant leaves
, φιλέρημε11
philérēme
lover of lonely places
, βρύων12
brýōn
teeming
with the
ποθειναῖς13
potheinaîs
longed-for
ὥρῃσι14
hṓrēisi
seasons
, Εὐβουλεῦ15
Eubouleû
Eubouleusgood counselor
, πολύμορφε16
polýmorphe
many-shaped
, ἀρίδηλε17
arídēle
far-seen
τροφὸς18
trophòs
nourisher
πάντων19
pántōn
of all
, κούρη20
koúrē
maiden
καὶ21
kaì
and
κόρε22
kóre
youth
, θάλος23
thálos
saplingyoung shoot
αἰέν24
aién
ever
πασιφαὲς25
pasiphaès
shining on all
, Ἄδωνι26
Ádōni
Adonis
, Of Adonis. Incense: aromatics. Hear me as I pray, many-named, noblest power, soft-haired, lover of lonely places, teeming with the longed-for seasons, Eubouleus, many-shaped, far-seen nourisher of all, maiden and youth, sapling ever shining on all, Adonis,
Of Adonis. Incense: aromatics. Hear me as I pray, many-named, noblest power, soft-haired, lover of lonely places, teeming with the longed-for seasons, Eubouleus, many-shaped, far-seen nourisher of all, maiden and youth, sapling ever shining on all, Adonis,
Interpretation
Of Adonis. Incense: aromatics. Hear me as I pray, many-named, noblest power, soft-haired, lover of lonely places, teeming with the longed-for seasons, Eubouleus, many-shaped, far-seen nourisher of all, maiden and youth, sapling ever shining on all, Adonis,
Adonis is spoken to as a plant as much as a young man: he is a thalos, a young shoot, and he "teems" with the seasons; habrokomēs means "soft-haired," but the same word describes a palm tree "with luxuriant leaves," and both senses suit him. Then comes the strangest title in the hymn, kourē kai kore, "maiden and youth": he is called girl and boy at once. The book gives a double nature to other gods too, and Hymn 42 spells it out as "male and female." Eubouleus, "good counselor," is a name the book also gives to Dionysus (30 and 52).
56.5
The Orphic Hymns 56.5 · Honored with tears
Adonis dies away and shines again with the seasons, the hunter mourned by women, the darling of Aphrodite.
· · ·
dying away and shining in the fair circling seasons, giver of growth, two-horned, much-loved, honored with tears, of beautiful form, delighting in hunting, thick-haired, lovely of soul, sweet sapling of Kypris, offshoot of love,