Good Works Translation from Ancient Greek

This page translates Kern fragment 127 from the Orphic Sacred Discourses in Twenty-Four Rhapsodies. Proclus preserves the Orphic account of Aphrodite's birth from the foam around Heaven's generative parts after they are cast into the sea. The fragment also names Year, Rivalry, and Deception at her first emergence.

Translation

Kern Fr. 127 — Aphrodite Born from Heaven's Foam

Proclus says:

Heaven brings her forth from the foam of his own generative parts after they are hurled into the sea, as Orpheus says:

His genitals fell from above into the open sea,

and around them, as they floated, white foam curled from every side.

In the circling seasons, Year gave birth

to a reverend maiden, whom, at her first coming-to-be,

Rivalry and Deception together received in their hands.

Colophon

This Good Works translation was made from Otto Kern's Orphicorum fragmenta (Berlin: Weidmann, 1922), fr. 127, in the section headed "Hieroi logoi en rhapsodiais ka'." Kern's numbering is retained.

The source witness translated here is Proclus as printed by Kern.

Source Text

Kern Fr. 127 — Proclus

Proclus, on Plato's Cratylus:

παράγει οὖν αὐτὴν ὁ Οὐρανὸς ἐκ τοῦ ἀφροῦ τῶν γονίμων ἑαυτοῦ μορίων ῥιφέντων εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ὡς φησὶν Ὀρφεύς·

μήδεα δ᾽ εἰς πέλαγος πέσεν ὑψόθεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ τοῖσι

λευκὸς ἐπιπλώουσιν ἑλίσσετο πάντοθεν ἀφρός·

ἐν δὲ περιπλομέναις ὥραις Ἐνιαυτὸς ἔτικτε

παρθένον αἰδοίην, ἣν δὴ παλάμαις ὑπέδεκτο

γεινομένην τὸ πρῶτον ὁμοῦ Ζῆλός τ᾽ Ἀπάτη τε.