From the book
The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns
Attributed to Orpheus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordΦέρω can describe bearing something or bringing it to someone.
- In the Orphic HymnsThe movement of a deity toward worshippers and the benefit accompanying that movement often belong together.
- TranslationMost occurrences are participles agreeing with the deity; φέρειν at XX.6 is an infinitive within a request.
- A place to readArrival and the bringing of a sweet fulfilment coincide.
- English renderings
- bring, bear, carry
Meaning
Φέρω can describe bearing something or bringing it to someone. The hymns frequently make its object an outcome rather than a portable thing: delight, glory, misery or a completion of life. The verb itself does not specify whether what arrives is good.
Use in the book
The movement of a deity toward worshippers and the benefit accompanying that movement often belong together. Leto comes bringing a pleasant fulfilment (XXXV.7); Dionysos brings gladness to all (XLV.7); Adonis brings initiates fruits from the earth (LVI.12). The last object is tangible, but all three constructions present divine arrival as effective, not merely visible. The Nymphs similarly bring χάρις to mortals with Bakchos and Deo (LI.16).
Other objects prevent “bestow a blessing” from becoming a universal translation. Nomos brings heavy misery to the lawless (LXIV.11), and Death brings living creatures an enduring sleep (LXXXVII.5). Within the Nomos hymn the same participle also describes bearing the great heaven (LXIV.5). That cosmic burden differs from bringing an experience upon a recipient: the direct object, not the participial form alone, decides the sense.
Places to read
- Hymn XXXV · Line 7Arrival and the bringing of a sweet fulfilment coincide.
- Hymn LVI · Line 12Fruits provide the concrete object of divine bringing.
- Hymn LXIV · Line 5Bearing heaven contrasts with bringing misery in line 11.
- Hymn LXXXVII · Line 5Death brings the long sleep to living creatures.
Translation
Most occurrences are participles agreeing with the deity; φέρειν at XX.6 is an infinitive within a request. Nike’s φέρῃς in XXXIII.5 is the printed subjunctive in the relative clause with ἄν. The reported φέροις changes the mood, not the basic meaning “bring.” English “end” in the related petitions belongs to τέλος or τελευτή, not to φέρω itself.
Attested forms
φέρειν; φέρῃς; φέρουσα; φέρουσαι; φέρων
Occurrence inventory
9 in total. XX.6; XXXIII.5; XXXV.7; XLV.7; LI.16; LVI.12; LXIV.5; LXIV.11; LXXXVII.5