Diotimos Library · Greek Antiquity Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns
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Facing Pages · Branch 99 of 147
LVII. To Chthonic Hermes · Lines 7–12
Ancient Greek
p. 192LVII. ΕΡΜΟΥ ΧΘΟΝΙΟΥ
θυμίαμα στύρακα
ἃς κατάγεις, ὁπότ’ ἂν μοίρης χρόνος εἰσαφίκηται,
εὐιέρῳ ῥάβδῳ θέλγων ὑπνοδώτιδι πάντα,
καὶ πάλιν ὑπνώοντας ἐγείρεις· σοὶ γὰρ ἔδωκε
τιμὴν Φερσεφόνεια θεὰ κατὰ Τάρταρον εὐρὺν
ψυχαῖς αἰνομόροις θνητῶν ὁδὸν ἡγεμονεύειν.
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, πέμποις μύσταις τέλος ἐσθλὸν ἐπ’ ἔργοις.
The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns: LVII. To Chthonic Hermes
p. 193LVII. To Chthonic Hermes
fumigation from storax
which you lead down, whenever fate's own time arrives,
charming all things with your well-hallowed, sleep-giving wand,
and again you wake the sleepers; for she gave to you,
Phersephoneia the goddess, this honour, throughout wide Tartaros,
to lead the way for the grim-fated souls of mortals.
But, blessed one, may you send the initiates a good end upon their works.
Socrates
Reading The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns · LVII. To Chthonic Hermes · LVII. To Chthonic Hermes · Lines 7–12
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.
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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.