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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 59, lines 6–10 · Veiled in purple
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.
· · ·
ἔνθεν1
énthen
From there
στείχετε2
steíchete
you go
ἐπὶ3
epì
to
the
δόκιμον4
dókimon
esteemed
βρότεον5
bróteon
mortal
γένος6
génos
race
with
κούφῃ7
koúphēi
light
ἐλπίδι8
elpídi
hope
, καλυψάμεναι9
kalypsámenai
veiled
in
πορφυρέῃσι10
porphyréēisi
purple
ὀθόνῃσι11
othónēisi
linen
, ἐν12
en
on
the
μορσίμῳ13
morsímōi
fated
πεδίῳ14
pedíōi
plain
, ὅθι15
hóthi
where
δόξα16
dóxa
Gloryopinion
διώκει17
diṓkei
drives
her
πάγγεον18
pángeon
earth-wideholding the whole earth
ἅρμα19
hárma
chariot
παρὰ20
parà
past
τέρμα21
térma
the boundsturning-post
δίκης22
díkēs
of justice
καὶ23
kaì
and
ἐλπίδος24
elpídos
of hope
ἠδὲ25
ēdè
and
μεριμνῶν26
merimnôn
of cares
, καὶ27
kaì
and
of
ὠγυγίου28
ōgygíou
primeval
νόμου29
nómou
law
, καὶ30
kaì
and
of
ἀπείρονος31
apeíronos
boundless
εὐνόμου32
eunómou
lawful
ἀρχῆς33
archês
rule
. 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.
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.
Interpretation
from there you go to the esteemed race of mortals with light hope, veiled in purple linen, on the fated plain, where Glory drives her earth-wide chariot past the bounds of justice, of hope and of cares, of primeval law and of boundless lawful rule.
The Fates come to mortals veiled in purple, and the color carries a meaning. In the Iliad, when a warrior falls, "purple death and mighty fate," moira, seize his eyes. The second picture is harder. On the "fated plain" Doxa, a word that can mean glory, reputation or opinion, drives a chariot across the whole earth past the terma, the turning-post of a race, here the bounds set by justice, hope, care and law. The Greek is compressed and hard to construe; the general sense seems to be a race run past its proper limits, and the next lines say that Fate alone sees it all.
59.11
The Orphic Hymns 59.11 · Moira and the mind of Zeus
Of all the gods, only Fate and Zeus see clearly and know everything that happens to mortals.
· · ·
For in life Moira alone, and the perfect eye of Zeus, sees clearly, and not any other of the immortals who hold the summit of snowy Olympus; since whatever happens to us, Moira and the mind of Zeus know all of it, through all time.