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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 88, lines 13–17 · Courage to stay at peace
88.13
The Orphic Hymns 88.13 · Courage to stay at peace
The singer asks for mastery of his own anger and, in the end, for the courage to remain at peace, safe from war and violent death.
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καὶ1
kaì
and
ὑπογνάμψαι2
hypognámpsai
to bendbend under
φρεσὶν3
phresìn
with my mind
ἀπατηλὸν4
apatēlòn
the deceitful
ὁρμὴν5
hormḕn
impulse
ψυχῆς6
psychês
of my soul
, τʼ7
t’
and
αὖ8
aû
again
κατισχέμεν9
katischémen
to hold back
ὀξὺ10
oxỳ
the sharp
μένος11
ménos
fury
θυμοῦ12
thymoû
of my heart
, ὅς13
hós
which
ἐρέθῃσι14
eréthēisi
provokes
μʼ15
m’
me
ἐπιβαινέμεν16
epibainémen
to step into
κρυερῆς17
kryerês
chilling
φυλόπιδος18
phylópidos
battlethe din of war
. ἀλλὰ19
allà
But
σὺ20
sỳ
you
, μάκαρ21
mákar
blessed one
, δός22
dós
grant
me
θάρσος23
thársos
courage
, τε24
te
and
μένειν25
ménein
to remain
ἐν26
en
within
ἀπήμοσι27
apḗmosi
the harmless
θεσμοῖς28
thesmoîs
laws
εἰρήνης29
eirḗnēs
of peace
, προφυγόντα30
prophygónta
escaping
μόθον31
móthon
the battle-din
δυσμενέων32
dysmenéōn
of enemies
τε33
te
and
βιαίους34
biaíous
violent
κῆράς35
kêrás
deathsspirits of doom
. and to bend with my mind the deceitful impulse of my soul, and again to hold back the sharp fury of my heart, which provokes me to step into chilling battle. But you, blessed one, grant me courage, and to remain within the harmless laws of peace, escaping the battle-din of enemies and violent deaths.
and to bend with my mind the deceitful impulse of my soul, and again to hold back the sharp fury of my heart, which provokes me to step into chilling battle. But you, blessed one, grant me courage, and to remain within the harmless laws of peace, escaping the battle-din of enemies and violent deaths.
Interpretation
and to bend with my mind the deceitful impulse of my soul, and to hold back the sharp fury of my heart, which provokes me to step into chilling battle. But you, blessed one, give me courage, and let me remain within the harmless laws of peace, escaping the din of battle with enemies and a violent death.
The hymn to the war god ends as a prayer for peace. The singer asks for strength over himself: to bend the deceitful impulse of his soul and to hold back the sharp fury of his thymos, the hot, spirited part of a person that drives him toward the fight. What he wants from Ares is tharsos, courage, and the courage he means is the courage to stay within "the harmless laws of peace," clear of the battle-din and of the kēres, the spirits of violent death. The tone is far from the Orphic hymns, and the editor printed the poem apart from them because, in his words, it is "of a different color."