Ancient relief of ProthyræaΟἱ Διαδικτυακοὶ Ὀρφικοὶ Ὕμνοι The Orphic Hymns OnlineModern painting of Diana

Προθυραίας

Θυμίαμα στύρακα

Κλῦθί μοι, ὦ πολύσεμνε Θεά, πολυώνυμε Δαῖμον, Clŷthí mœ, ô polýsemne Theá, polyṓnyme Dæ̂mon, ὠδίνων ἐπαρωγέ, λεχῶν ἡδεῖα πρόσοψι, ōdínōn eparōgé, lechôn hēdeîa prósopsi, θηλειῶν σώτειρα, μόνη φιλόπαις, ἀγανόφρον, thēleiôn sṓteira, mónē philópæs, aganóphron, ὠκυλόχεια, παροῦσα νέαις θνητῶν, Προθυραία, ōcylócheia, paroûsa néæs thnētôn, Prothyrǽa, κλειδοῦχ’, εὐάντητε, φιλοτρόφε, πᾶσι προσηνές, cleidoûch’, euántēte, philotróphe, pâsi prosēnés, ἣ κατέχεις οἴκους πάντων θαλίαις τε γέγηθας, hḕ catécheis œ́cous pántōn thalíæs te gégēthas, λυσίζων’, ἀφανής, ἔργοισι δὲ φαίνῃ ἅπασι, lysízōn’, aphanḗs, érgœsi dè phǽnēi hápasi, συμπάσχεις ὠδῖσι καὶ εὐτοκίῃσι γέγηθας, sympáscheis ōdîsi cæ̀ eutocíēisi gégēthas, Εἰλείθυια, λύουσα πόνους δειναῖς ἐν ἀνάγκαις∙ Eileíthyia, lýousa pónous deinæ̂s en anáncæs∙ μούνην γὰρ σὲ καλοῦσι λεχοί, ψυχῆς ἀνάπαυμα∙ moúnēn gàr sè caloûsi lechœ́, psychês anápauma∙ ἐν γὰρ σοὶ τοκετῶν λαθικηδέες εἰσιν ἀνῖαι. en gàr sœ̀ tocetôn lathicēdées eisin anîæ. Ἄρτεμις Εἰλείθυια, καὶ ἡ σεμνὴ Προθυραία. Ártemis Eileíthyia, cæ̀ hē semnḕ Prothyrǽa. κλῦθι μάκαιρα, δίδου δὲ γονὰς ἐπαρωγὸς ἐοῦσα clŷthi mácæra, dídou dè gonàs eparōgòs eoûsa καὶ σῶζ’, ὥσπερ ἔφυς αἰεὶ σώτειρα προπάντων. cæ̀ sôz’, hṓsper éphys æeì sṓteira propántōn.

To Prothyræa1

The fumigation from storax

O venerable Goddess, hear my pray’r,
for labour pains are Thy peculiar care;
in Thee, when stretch’d upon the bed of grief,
the sex as in a mirror view relief.
Guard of the race, endued with gentle mind,
to helpless youth, benevolent and kind;
benignant nourisher; great Nature’s key
belongs to no divinity but Thee.
Thou dwell’st with all immanifest to sight,
and solemn festivals are Thy delight.
Thine is the talk to loose the virgin’s zone,
and Thou in ev’ry work art seen and known.
With births You sympathize, tho’ pleas’d to see
the numerous offspring of fertility;
when rack’d with nature’s pangs and sore distress’d,
the sex invoke Thee, as the soul’s sure rest;
for Thou alone canst give relief to pain,
which art attempts to ease, but tries in vain;
assisting Goddess, venerable pow’r,
who bring’st relief in labour’s dreadful hour;
hear, blessed Dian, and accept my pray’r,
and make the infant race Thy constant care.