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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 66, lines 1–3 · Tireless fire
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Hymn 66 · Hephaestus
ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΥ, θυμίαμα λιβανομάνναν
Of Hephaestus · incense: frankincense powder
66.1
The Orphic Hymns 66.1 · Tireless fire
Hephaestus, the smith of the gods, is called by the names of fire itself: tireless, flaming, bringing light.
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ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΥ1
Hēphaístou
Of Hephaestus
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
λιβανομάνναν3
libanománnan
frankincense powder
. Ἥφαιστʼ4
Hḗphaist’
Hephaestus
, ὀβριμόθυμε5
obrimóthyme
strong of spirit
, μεγασθενές6
megasthenés
great in strength
, ἀκάματον7
akámaton
tirelessunwearying
πῦρ8
pŷr
fire
, λαμπόμενε9
lampómene
shining
with
φλογεραῖς10
phlogeraîs
flaming
αὐγαῖς11
augaîs
rays
, δαῖμον12
daîmon
power
φαεσίμβροτε13
phaesímbrote
light of mortalsbringing light to mortals
, φωσφόρε14
phōsphóre
light-bringer
, καρτερόχειρ15
karterócheir
strong-handed
, αἰώνιε16
aiṓnie
eternal
, τεχνοδίαιτε17
technodíaite
living by your craftliving in art
, Of Hephaestus. Incense: frankincense powder. Hephaestus, strong of spirit, great in strength, tireless fire, shining with flaming rays, power, light of mortals, light-bringer, strong-handed, eternal, living by your craft,
Of Hephaestus. Incense: frankincense powder. Hephaestus, strong of spirit, great in strength, tireless fire, shining with flaming rays, power, light of mortals, light-bringer, strong-handed, eternal, living by your craft,
Interpretation
Of Hephaestus. Incense: frankincense powder. Hephaestus, strong of spirit, great in strength, tireless fire, shining with flaming rays, power who brings light to mortals, light-bringer, strong-handed, eternal, living by your craft,
In the Iliad Hephaestus is a person, the lame smith of Olympus who forges the shield of Achilles, but his name can also simply mean fire: at a sacrifice in Book 2 the Greeks hold the spitted innards "over Hephaestus." This hymn starts from that second sense. Within its first line it calls him akamaton pyr, "tireless fire," a phrase from Homer, and phaesimbrotos, "bringing light to mortals," is the word Homer gives to the Dawn and to the Sun.
66.4
The Orphic Hymns 66.4 · Ether, sun, stars and moon
Hephaestus is a part of the world itself, an element; the bright sky and its lights are his limbs.
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workman, part of the world, blameless element, all-devouring, all-subduer, highest of all, all-consuming, ether, sun, stars, moon, pure light; for these reveal to mortals the limbs of Hephaestus.