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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 64, lines 12–13 · Send remembrance of you
64.12
The Orphic Hymns 64.12 · Send remembrance of you
The prayer: with a kindly heart, send remembrance of yourself.
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ἀλλά1
allá
But
, μάκαρ2
mákar
blessed one
, πάντιμε3
pántime
all-honored
, φερόλβιε4
pherólbie
bringer of happiness
, ποθεινέ5
potheiné
longed for
πᾶσι6
pâsi
by all
, ἔχων7
échōn
withhaving
εὐμενὲς8
eumenès
a kindly
ἦτορ9
êtor
heart
πέμπε10
pémpe
send
μνήμην11
mnḗmēn
remembrance
σέο12
séo
of you
, φέριστε13
phériste
noblest one
. But, blessed one, all-honored, bringer of happiness, longed for by all, with a kindly heart send remembrance of you, noblest one.
But, blessed one, all-honored, bringer of happiness, longed for by all, with a kindly heart send remembrance of you, noblest one.
Interpretation
But, blessed one, all-honored, bringer of happiness, longed for by all, with a kindly heart send remembrance of yourself, noblest one.
The request is unusual. Most hymns ask the god to come, to hear, or to give something that can be seen; this one asks Law to send mnēmē, "remembrance" of himself, as if the gift of Law were to be kept in mind. Memory has her own hymn later in the book, to Mnemosyne (77). Pheriste, "noblest," is an old form of address that Homer's heroes use to one another.
65.1
The Orphic Hymns 65.1 · Lord Ares, stormer of walls
The hymn to the god of war opens with a string of his fiercest titles, some of them as old as Homer.
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Of Ares. Incense: frankincense. Unbreakable, strong of spirit, great in strength, mighty power, delighting in arms, untamed, killer of men, stormer of walls, lord Ares, rattling with armor, always spattered with slaughter,