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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 59, lines 1–5 · Children of black Night
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Hymn 59 · The Fates
ΜΟΙΡΩΝ, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
Of the Fates · incense: aromatics
59.1
The Orphic Hymns 59.1 · Children of black Night
A hymn to the Moirai, the Fates, daughters of Night, who live in a cave by a dark lake and fly over the whole earth.
· · ·
ΜΟΙΡΩΝ1
Moirôn
Of the Fatesthe portions
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
ἀρώματα3
arṓmata
aromatics
. ἀπειρέσιοι4
apeirésioi
Boundless
Μοῖραι5
Moîrai
Fates
, φίλα6
phíla
dear
τέκνα7
tékna
children
of
μελαίνης8
melaínēs
black
Νυκτὸς9
Nyktòs
Night
, κλῦτέ10
klŷté
hear
μευ11
meu
me
εὐχομένου12
euchoménou
as I pray
, πολυώνυμοι13
polyṓnymoi
many-named
, αἵτʼ14
haít’
you who
, ναίουσαι15
naíousai
dwelling
ἐπὶ16
epì
on
the
ὀρφναίης17
orphnaíēs
dark
λίμνης18
límnēs
lake
, ἵνα19
hína
where
the
λυγρὸν20
lygròn
baneful
ὕδωρ21
hýdōr
water
ῥήγνυται22
rhḗgnytai
breaks forthbursts
ὑπὸ23
hypò
under
the
νυχίης24
nychíēs
nightly
θέρμης25
thérmēs
heat
ἐν26
en
in
the
σκιερῷ27
skierôi
shadowy
μυχῷ28
mychôi
recessinnermost corner
of a
λιπαροῦ29
liparoû
gleaming
ἄντρου30
ántrou
cave
εὐλίθου31
eulíthou
of fair stone
, πεπότησθε32
pepótēsthe
fly
ἐπʼ33
ep’
over
ἀπείρονα34
apeírona
the boundless
γαῖαν35
gaîan
earth
βροτῶν36
brotôn
of mortals
; Of the Fates. Incense: aromatics. Boundless Fates, dear children of black Night, hear me as I pray, many-named, you who, dwelling on the dark lake, where the baneful water breaks forth under the nightly heat in the shadowy recess of a gleaming cave of fair stone, fly over the boundless earth of mortals;
Of the Fates. Incense: aromatics. Boundless Fates, dear children of black Night, hear me as I pray, many-named, you who, dwelling on the dark lake, where the baneful water breaks forth under the nightly heat in the shadowy recess of a gleaming cave of fair stone, fly over the boundless earth of mortals;
Interpretation
Of the Fates. Incense: aromatics. Boundless Fates, dear children of black Night, hear me as I pray, many-named, you who dwell on the dark lake where the baneful water breaks forth under the heat of night, in the shadowy recess of a gleaming cave of fair stone, and fly over the boundless earth of mortals;
Moira means a share or portion, and the Moirai are the powers who hand each person a share of life. Hesiod gives them two parentages: in one passage of the Theogony they are daughters of Night, as here, and later in the same poem daughters of Zeus and Themis. Their home in this hymn is a cave by a lake whose water bursts up under the heat of night. That is the text as Abel prints it, from a later editor's corrections; the manuscripts speak of a "heavenly" lake and "white" water, a very different place, and the reading is not certain.
59.6
The Orphic Hymns 59.6 · Veiled in purple
The Fates go out to mortals veiled in purple, onto the plain of fate, where Glory drives her chariot past every limit.
· · ·
From there you go to the esteemed mortal race with light hope, veiled in purple linen, on the fated plain, where Glory drives her earth-wide chariot past the bounds of justice and of hope and of cares, and of primeval law, and of boundless lawful rule.