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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 6, lines 10–11 · Come rejoicing to the holy rite
6.10
The Orphic Hymns 6.10 · Come rejoicing to the holy rite
The request: come with joy to the rite and to the priests who perform it.
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ἀλλά1
allá
But
μάκαρ2
mákar
blessed one
, πολύμητι3
polýmēti
wise in counselof many counsels
, πολύσπορε4
polýspore
rich in seed
, βαῖνε5
baîne
come
γεγηθὼς6
gegēthṑs
rejoicing
ἐς7
es
to
ἁγίην8
hagíēn
the holy
πολυποίκιλον9
polypoíkilon
many-colored
τελετὴν10
teletḕn
rite
, ὀργιοφάνταις11
orgiophántais
for the priestsrevealers of the rites
. But, blessed one, wise in counsel, rich in seed, come rejoicing to the holy, many-colored rite, for the priests.
But, blessed one, wise in counsel, rich in seed, come rejoicing to the holy, many-colored rite, for the priests.
Interpretation
But, blessed one, wise in counsel, rich in seed, come rejoicing to the holy rite of many colors, for the priests who reveal it.
The priests are orgiophantai, "those who reveal the rites," a word built like hierophantēs (Hymn 4). The verb inside it is again phainō, "show." So the god who brought things to light is asked to come to the people whose task is to show the sacred things. Polysporos, "rich in seed," picks up the seed of line 4.
7.1
The Orphic Hymns 7.1 · The holy light of the heavenly stars
The singer calls on the stars, the holy powers of the sky.
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Of the Stars. Incense: aromatics. I call forth the holy light of the heavenly stars, calling the pure powers with holy voices.