A new translation of the Orphic Hymns for modern worshippers
As most Hellenic polytheists/Dodekatheists are aware, the English translation of the Orphic Hymns currently available online - which most people use - is very old. Over two hundred years old, to be precise, since it was published by Thomas Taylor back in 1792. This means the language is very archaic, hard to understand for non-native English speakers, and isn’t always close to the original text.
It’s bugged me for a while, and after discussing it with several people both inside and outside the polytheistic community, I’ve decided to share my idea: I would like to offer a new, updated translation of the Orphic Hymns which could be published for free online. It wouldn’t be written with a particularly academic purpose in mind, but specifically so as to make these hymns accessible (in every sense) to modern worshippers, while staying as close to the original text as possible. As someone who is both a Hellenic polytheist and an Ancient Greek university student, it would be a pleasure for me to contribute this to the community.
To give a concrete example, here is the beginning of the Orphic Hymn to Sleep, as translated by Thomas Taylor:
Sleep, king of Gods, and men of mortal birth,
Sov'reign of all sustain’d by mother Earth;
For thy dominion is supreme alone,
O'er all extended, and by all things known.
‘Tis thine all bodies with benignant mind
In other bands than those of brass to bind:
Tamer of cares, to weary toil repose,
From whom sweet solace in affliction flows.
Here is my own translation of the same passage:
Sleep, ruler of the Blessed Ones and of all mortal men
and of all life that the wide earth nourishes –
you alone rule over all and come to all
binding our bodies in fetters not made of bronze,
you, disperser of troubles, wearying us into a pleasant rest from labour
and giving us sacred relief from all our suffering.
And for reference, here is the original Greek text:
Ὕπνε, ἄναξ μακάρων πάντων θνητῶν τ’ ἀνθρώπων
καὶ πάντων ζῴων, ὁπόσα τρέφει εὐρεῖα χθών·
πάντων γὰρ κρατέεις μοῦνος καὶ πᾶσι προσέρχῃ
σώματα δεσμεύων ἐν ἀχαλκεύτοισι πέδῃσι,
λυσιμέριμνε, κόπων ἡδεῖαν ἔχων ἀνάπαυσιν
καὶ πάσης λύπης ἱερὸν παραμύθιον ἔρδων.
As you can imagine, this translation would take some time and effort. If I were to do it, I would work on it over the summer and hopefully be able to share the result by September. However, I don’t want to put so much work into something nobody will use, hence my question: do you think such a translation would benefit the community? Would you find it useful for your own practise?
I look forward to hearing your opinions, and of course you’re welcome to share this post :)
jbbartram-illu
pixelskylines
jacobvanloon
turnnoffyourmind
blakekathryn
