source ⟩ hypertext ⟩ public ⟩ hymns ⟩ nyx ⟩ en.pug

//- meta
	slug: "hymns/nyx"
	lang: en
	title: "Orphic Hymn to Nyx"
	pageCreated: "2026-04-17"

extends ../../../views/hymns/hymnsheet.pug

block navbar
	ul
		li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-left: a(href="/hymns/prothyraea") #[span.dingbat ☙] #[b(lang="grc") Προθυραιας] #[i To Prothyræa]
		li.nav-current Γʹ · III
		li: a(href="/hymns/ouranos") #[i To Ouranos] #[b(lang="grc") Ουρανου] #[span.dingbat ❧]

block ancient-pic
	img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/nyx-ancient.jpg" alt="Ancient statue of Nyx")

block modern-pic
	img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/nyx-modern.jpg" alt="Modern painting of Nyx")

block greek
	h1 Νυκτός
	div.offering Θυμίαμα δαλούς
	p.hymn-greek
		:format-hymn
			Νύκτα Θεῶν γενέτειραν ἀείσομαι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
			Νὺξ γένεσις πάντων, ἣν καὶ Κύπριν καλέσωμεν.
			κλῦθι, μάκαιρα Θεά, κυαναυγής, ἀστεροφεγγές,
			ἡσυχίῃ χαίρουσα καὶ ἠρεμίῃ πολυύπνῳ,
			εὐφροσύνη, τερπνή, φιλοπάννυχε, μῆτερ ὀνείρων,
			ληθομέριμν’, ἀγαθή τε πόνων ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχουσα,
			ὑπνοδότειρα, φίλη πάντων, ἐλάσιππε, νυχαυγές,
			ἡμιτελές, χθονία ἠδ’ οὐρανία πάλιν αὐτή,
			ἐγκυκλίη, παίκτειρα διώγμασιν ἠεροφοίτοις,
			ἣ φάος ἐκπέμπεις ὑπὸ νέρτερα καὶ πάλι φεύγεις
			εἰς Ἀΐδην∙ δεινὴ γὰρ ἀνάγκη πάντα κρατύνει.
			νῦν δέ, μάκαιρ’ ὦ Νύξ, πολυόλβιε, πᾶσι ποθεινή,
			εὐάντητε, κλύουσα ἱκετηρίδα φωνὴν
			ἔλθοις εὐμενέουσα, φόβους δ’ ἀπόπεμπε νυχαυγεῖς.

block english
	h1 To Nyx
	div.offering The fumigation with torches
	p.hymn-english Night, parent Goddess, source of sweet repose,#[br]from whom at first both Gods and men arose,#[br]hear, blessed #[span.theonym(greek="Cypris") Venus], deck’d with starry light,#[+sn(1)]#[br]in sleep’s deep silence dwelling ebon night!#[br]Dreams and soft case attend Thy dusky train,#[br]pleas’d with the length’ned gloom and feastful strain.#[br]Dissolving anxious care, the friend of Mirth,#[br]with darkling coursers riding round the earth.#[br]Goddess of phantoms and of shadowy play,#[br]whose drowsy pow’r divides the nat’ral day:#[br]by Fate’s decree You constant send the light#[br]to deepest hell, remote from mortal sight#[br]for dire Necessity which nought withstands,#[br]invests the world with adamantine bands.#[br]Be present, Goddess, to Thy suppliant’s pray’r,#[br]desir’d by all, whom all alike revere,#[br]blessed, benevolent, with friendly aid#[br]dispell the fears of Twilight’s dreadful shade.
	+sn(1)
		p See the reason why Night is called #[span.theonym(greek="Aphrodite") Venus] [#[i a.k.a. Cypris —Ed.]], in the notes to #[a(href="/hymns/protogonos") Hymn #[+sc("VI")] to #[span.theonym(greek="Protogonos") Protogonus]].