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

//- meta
	slug: "hymns/proem"
	lang: en
	title: "Proem to the Orphic Hymns"
	pageCreated: "2026-04-17"

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

block navbar
	ul
		li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-left: a(href="/hymns") #[span.dingbat ☙] #[b Back to index]
		li.nav-current —
		li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-right: a(href="/hymns/hecate") #[i To Hecate] #[b(lang="grc") Εις Εκατην] #[span.dingbat ❧]

block ancient-pic
	img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/proem-ancient.jpg" alt="Ancient mosaic of Orpheus")

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

block greek
	h1 Προοίμιον
	p.hymn-greek
		:format-hymn
			Μάνθανε δή, Μουσαῖε, θυηπολίην περισέμνην,
			εὐχήν, ἣ δή τοι προφερεστέρη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων.
			Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ καὶ Γαῖα καὶ οὐράνιαι φλόγες ἁγναὶ
			Ἠελίου, Μήνης θ’ ἱερὸν σέλας Ἄστρα τε πάντα,
			καὶ σύ, Ποσείδαον γαιήοχε, κυανοχαῖτα,
			Φερσεφόνη θ’ ἁγνὴ Δημήτηρ τ’ ἀγλαόκαρπε
			Ἄρτεμί τ’ ἰοχέαιρα, κόρη, καὶ ἤιε Φοῖβε,
			ὃς Δελφῶν ναίεις ἱερὸν πέδον· ὅς τε μεγίστας
			τιμὰς ἐν μακάρεσσιν ἔχεις, Διόνυσε χορευτά·
			Ἆρές τ’ ὀμβριμόθυμε καὶ Ἡφαίστου μένος ἁγνὸν
			ἀφρογενής τε θεά, μεγαλώνυμα δῶρα λαχοῦσα·
			καὶ σύ, καταχθονίων βασιλεῦ, μέγ’ ὑπείροχε δαῖμον·
			Ἥβη τ’ Εἰλείθυια καὶ Ἡρακλέος μένος ἠύ,
			καὶ τὸ Δικαιοσύνης τε καὶ Εὐσεβίης μέγ’ ὄνειαρ
			κικλήσκω Νύμφας τε κλυτὰς καὶ Πᾶνα μέγιστον
			Ἥρην τ’, αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς θαλερὴν παράκοιτιν·
			Μνημοσύνην τ’ ἐρατὴν Μούσας τ’ ἐπικέκλομαι ἁγνὰς
			ἐννέα καὶ Χάριτάς τε καὶ Ὥρας ἠδ’ Ἐνιαυτὸν
			Λητώ τ’ εὐπλόκαμον θείην σεμνήν τε Διώνην
			Κουρῆτάς τ’ ἐνόπλους Κορύβαντάς τ’ ἠδὲ Καβείρους
			καὶ μεγάλους Σωτῆρας ὁμοῦ, Διὸς ἄφθιτα τέκνα,
			Ἰδαίους τε θεοὺς ἠδ’ ἄγγελον οὐρανιώνων,
			Ἑρμείαν κήρυκα, Θέμιν θ’, ἱεροσκόπον ἀνδρῶν,
			Νύκτα τε πρεσβίστην καλέω καὶ φωσφόρον Ἦμαρ,
			Πίστιν τ’ ἠδὲ Δίκην καὶ ἀμύμονα Θεσμοδότειραν,
			Ῥείαν τ’ ἠδὲ Κρόνον καὶ Τηθὺα κυανόπεπλον
			Ὠκεανόν τε μέγαν, σύν τ’ Ὠκεανοῖο θύγατρας
			Ἄτλαντός τε καὶ Αἰῶνος μέγ’ ὑπείροχον ἰσχὺν
			καὶ Χρόνον ἀέναον καὶ τὸ Στυγὸς ἀγλαὸν ὕδωρ
			μειλιχίους τε θεούς, ἀγαθήν τ’ ἐπὶ τοῖσι Πρόνοιαν
			Δαίμονά τ’ ἠγάθεον καὶ Δαίμονα πήμονα θνητῶν,
			Δαίμονας οὐρανίους καὶ ἠερίους καὶ ἐνύδρους
			καὶ χθονίους καὶ ὑποχθονίους ἠδ’ ἐμπυριφοίτους,
			καὶ Σεμέλην Βάκχου τε συνευαστῆρας ἅπαντας,
			Ἰνὼ Λευκοθέην τε Παλαίμονά τ’ ὀλβιοδώτην
			Νίκην θ’ ἡδυέπειαν ἰδ’ Ἀδρήστειαν ἄνασσαν
			καὶ βασιλῆα μέγαν Ἀσκληπιὸν ἠπιοδώτην,
			Παλλάδα τ’ ἐγρεμάχην κούρην, Ἀνέμους τε πρόπαντας
			καὶ Βροντὰς Κόσμου τε μέρη τετρακίονος αὐδῶ·
			Μητέρα τ’ ἀθανάτων, Ἄττιν καὶ Μῆνα κικλήσκω
			Οὐρανίην τε θεάν, σύν τ’ ἄμβροτον ἁγνὸν Ἄδωνιν
			Ἀρχήν τ’ ἠδὲ Πέρας, τὸ γὰρ ἔπλετο πᾶσι μέγιστον
			εὐμενέας ἐλθεῖν κεχαρημένον ἦτορ ἔχοντας
			τήνδε θυηπολίην ἱερὴν σπονδήν τ’ ἐπὶ σεμνήν.

block english
	h1 Proem
	p.hymn-english Attend, Musæus, to my sacred song,#[br]and learn what rites to sacrifice belong.#[br]#[span.theonym(greek="Zeus") Jove] i invoke, the earth, and solar light,#[br]the Moon’s pure splendor, and the stars of night;#[br]thee #[span.theonym(greek="Poseidon") Neptune], ruler of the sea profound,#[br]dark-hair’d, whose waves begirt the solid ground;#[br]#[span.theonym(greek="Ceres") Demeter] abundant, and of lovely mien,#[br]and #[span.theonym(greek="Persephone") Proserpine] infernal #[span.theonym(greek="Haides’") Pluto’s] queen#[br]the huntress #[span.theonym(greek="Artemis") Dian], and bright #[span.theonym(greek="Phœbos") Phœbus] rays,#[br]far-darting God, the theme of Delphic praise;#[br]and #[span.theonym(greek="Dionysos") Bacchus], honour’d by the heav’nly choir,#[br]and raging #[span.theonym(greek="Ares") Mars], and #[span.theonym(greek="Hephæstos") Vulcan] God of fire;#[br]the mighty pow’r who rose from foam to light,#[br]and #[span.theonym(greek="Haides") Pluto] potent in the realms of night;#[br]with Hebe young, and #[span.theonym(greek="Heracles") Hercules] the strong,#[br]and you to whom the cares of births belong:#[br]Justice and Piety august i call,#[br]and much-fam’d nymphs, and Pan the God of all.#[br]to #[span.theonym(greek="Hera") Juno] sacred, and to Mem’ry fair,#[br]and the chaste Muses i address my pray’r;#[br]the various year, the Graces, and the Hours,#[br]fair-hair’d #[span.theonym(greek="Leto") Latona], and Dione’s pow’rs;#[br]armed Curetes, household Gods i call,#[br]with those who spring from Jove the king of all:#[br]th’ Idæan Gods, the angel of the skies,#[br]and righteous Themis, with sagacious eyes;#[br]with ancient night, and day-light I implore,#[br]and Faith, and Justice dealing right adore;#[br]#[span.theonym(greek="Cronos") Saturn] and Rhea, and great Thetis too,#[br]hid in a veil of bright celestial blue:#[br]i call great Ocean, and the beauteous train#[br]of nymphs, who dwell in chambers of the main;#[br]atlas the strong, and ever in its prime,#[br]vig’rous Eternity, and endless Time;#[br]the Stygian pool, and placid Gods beside,#[br]and various Genii, that o’er men preside;#[br]illustrious Providence, the noble train#[br]of dæmon forms, who fill th’ ætherial plain;#[br]or live in air, in water, earth, or fire,#[br]or deep beneath the solid ground retire.#[br]#[span.theonym(greek="Dionysos") Bacchus] and Semele the friends of all,#[br]and white Leucothea of the sea i call;#[br]Palæmon bounteous, and #[span.theonym(greek="Adrasteia") Adrastria] great,#[br]and sweet-tongu’d #[span.theonym(greek="Nike") Victory], with success elate;#[br]great #[span.theonym(greek="Asclepios") Esculapius], skill’d to cure disease,#[br]and dread #[span.theonym(greek="Athena") Minerva], whom fierce battles please;#[br]thunders and winds in mighty columns pent,#[br]with dreadful roaring struggling hard for vent;#[br]Attis, the mother of the pow’rs on high,#[br]and fair Adonis, never doom’d to die,#[br]end and beginning He is all to all,#[br]these with propitious aid i gently call;#[br]and to my holy sacrifice invite,#[br]the pow’r who reigns in deepest hell and night.