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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 9, lines 10–12 · Come, and keep your new suppliants safe
9.10
The Orphic Hymns 9.10 · Come, and keep your new suppliants safe
The Moon, queen of the stars, is asked to come shining and to keep safe the new suppliants who pray to her.
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ἀστράρχη1
astrárchē
queen of the stars
, τανύπεπλʼ2
tanýpepl’
with flowing robe
, ἑλικοδρόμε3
helikodróme
running in curves
, πάνσοφε4
pánsophe
all-wise
κούρη5
koúrē
maiden
, ἐλθέ6
elthé
come
μάκαιρʼ7
mákair’
blessed one
, εὔφρων8
eúphrōn
kindly
, εὐάστερε9
euástere
fair star
, λαμπομένη10
lampoménē
shining
τῷ11
tôi
—
σῷ12
sôi
with your
φέγγεϊ13
phéngeï
light
, σώζουσα14
sṓzousa
savingkeeping safe
σέο15
séo
your
νέους16
néous
new
ἱκέτας17
hikétas
suppliants
, κούρη18
koúrē
maiden
. queen of the stars, with flowing robe, running in curves, all-wise maiden, come, blessed one, kindly, fair star, shining with your light, saving your new suppliants, maiden.
queen of the stars, with flowing robe, running in curves, all-wise maiden, come, blessed one, kindly, fair star, shining with your light, saving your new suppliants, maiden.
Interpretation
queen of the stars, with flowing robe, running in curves, all-wise maiden: come, blessed one, kindly, fair star, shining with your light, and keep your new suppliants safe, maiden.
The "new suppliants," neous hiketas, are most likely people newly initiated, like the new initiate of Hymn 4; the manuscripts have "your suppliants," and "new" is a correction. The Moon is asked to keep them safe. The verb is sōzō, "keep safe, save," from the same family as sōteira, "savior," the title of the goddess of childbirth in Hymn 2.
10.1
The Orphic Hymns 10.1 · Nature, mother of all
The hymn to Physis, Nature, the power by which everything is born and grows. She is the mother of all, a queen, and the one who steers the world.
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Of Nature. Incense: aromatics. O Nature, goddess, mother of all, resourceful mother, heavenly, eldest, power, maker of many things, queen, tamer of all, untamed, helmswoman, all-radiant,