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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 63, lines 4–7 · Breaking those who tilt the scales
63.4
The Orphic Hymns 63.4 · Breaking those who tilt the scales
Justice judges with a clear conscience and breaks those who will not come under her yoke and cheat with the scales.
· · ·
ἣ1
hḕ
you who
with
καθαραῖς2
katharaîs
pure
γνώμαις3
gnṓmais
judgments
αἰεὶ4
aieì
always
βραβεύεις5
brabeúeis
decideact as umpire over
τὰ6
tà
—
δέοντα7
déonta
what is due
, ἄθραυστος8
áthraustos
unbroken
τὸ9
tò
—
συνειδός10
syneidós
in consciencewhat one knows with oneself
; γὰρ11
gàr
for
you
ἀεὶ12
aeì
always
θραύεις13
thraúeis
break
ἅπαντας14
hápantas
all
ὅσσοι15
hóssoi
who
did
μὴ16
mḕ
not
ἦλθον17
êlthon
come
ὑπὸ18
hypò
under
τὸ19
tò
—
σὸν20
sòn
your
ζυγόν21
zygón
yoke
, ἀλλοπρόσαλλοι22
alloprósalloi
fickle
, παρεγκλίναντες23
parenklínantes
tilting
the
βριαρῇσι24
briarêisi
strong
πλάστιγξι25
plástinxi
scalespans of a balance
ἀπλήστως26
aplḗstōs
greedily
; you who with pure judgments always decide what is due, unbroken in conscience; for you always break all who did not come under your yoke, fickle, tilting the strong scales greedily;
you who with pure judgments always decide what is due, unbroken in conscience; for you always break all who did not come under your yoke, fickle, tilting the strong scales greedily;
Interpretation
you who with pure judgments always decide what is due, unbroken in conscience; for you always break all who did not come under your yoke, the fickle, who greedily tilt the strong scales;
To syneidos, "conscience," is literally "what one knows together with oneself," the inner witness to one's own acts. Justice is athraustos in it, "unbroken," and she breaks, thraueis, those who are not; the play on the two words is in the Greek. The wrongdoers are pictured at a pair of scales, tipping the balance their way and never satisfied. The balance was already an image of judgment in Homer, where Zeus weighs the fates of men on golden scales.
63.8
The Orphic Hymns 63.8 · Delighting in peace and equality
Justice loves peace, festivity and a steady life; she hates greed and delights in equality.
· · ·
free from strife, friend of all, lover of festivity, lovely, delighting in peace, striving for a steady life; for you always hate the larger share, but you delight in equality; for in you wisdom reaches the noble goal of virtue.