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Diotimos Library · Greek Antiquity Collection · Bilingual Edition

Attributed to Orpheus

The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns

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The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The HymnsVIII. To Helios · Lines 11–20

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VIII. To Helios · Lines 11–20

Ancient Greek

p. 40

VIII. ΗΛΙΟΥ

θυμίαμα λιβανομάνναν

κοσμοκράτορ, συρικτά, πυρίδρομε, κυκλοέλικτε,

φωσφόρος, αἰολόμικτε, φερέσβιε, κάρπιμε, Παιάν,

αἰθαλής, ἀμίαντε, χρόνου πάτερ, ἀθάνατε Ζεῦ,

εὔδιε, πασιφαές, κόσμου τὸ περίδρομον ὄμμα,

σβεννύμενος λάμπων τε καλαῖς ἀκτῖσι φαειναῖς,

δεῖκτα δικαιοσύνης, φιλονάματε, δέσποτα κόσμου,

πιστοφύλαξ, αἰεὶ πανυπέρτατε, πᾶσιν ἀρωγέ,

ὄμμα δικαιοσύνης, ζωῆς φῶς· ὦ ἐλάσιππε,

μάστιγι λιγυρῇ τετράορον ἅρμα διώκων·

κλῦθι λόγων, ἡδὺν δὲ βίον μύστῃσι πρόφαινε.

40

The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns: VIII. To Helios

p. 41

VIII. To Helios

fumigation from frankincense-manna

world-ruler, piper, fire-coursing, wheeling in spirals,

light-bearer, of shifting blend, life-bringing, fruitful, Paian,

blazing, undefiled, father of time, immortal Zeus,

of fair weather, all-shining, the circling eye of the kosmos,

quenched and shining again with fair bright rays,

shower of justice, lover of streams, master of the kosmos,

guardian of good faith, ever most high, helper to all,

eye of justice, light of life; O driver of horses,

urging the four-horse chariot with the shrill whip;

hear these words, and show forth a sweet life to the initiates.

41

About This Reading Edition

The eighty-eight Orphic Hymns and the Prayer to Musaeus, in Ancient Greek and English, with the supplied critical apparatus, explanatory notes, introduction, glossary and editorial matter.

Historical Text and Translation

Orphic Hymns, attributed to Orpheus. Greek text after Eugenius Abel, Orphica (Leipzig and Prague, 1885), pages 57–102.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The ancient Greek source and the 1885 Abel edition are public-domain material. The supplied new English translation and editorial matter are published with the site owner’s authorization. Both supplied original files remain unchanged.