Good Works Translation from Ancient Greek

This page translates Kern fragment 285 from the Astrologica section of Otto Kern's Orphicorum fragmenta. Kern prints the poem under the heading On Earthquakes. Manuscript headings attach the poem variously to Hermes Trismegistus or to Orpheus; Kern includes it in the Orphic fragment collection as a Greek astrological earthquake-omen poem.

Translation

Kern Fr. 285 — On Earthquakes

Notice also this account,
child:

whenever
the dark-haired Earth-Shaker
shakes the earth,

what it signifies
for mortals:

good fortune
or evil.

Aries

When the Sun
comes to the spring equinox
and runs through Aries,

if in that sign
the Earth-Holder
shakes the earth by night,

this is the sign:

a city's revolt,
not a weak one.

But if the earthquake
comes by day,

it signifies griefs
and ruinous bewilderments,

as disaster rushes
upon foreign peoples,

beside their own
calamities and pains.

Taurus

If, while the Sun
goes through Taurus,

an earthquake
rushes on by night,

troubles waste away
behind them;

joy through the city,
and peace in bloom.

But if it comes by day,

it brings the work
of a great war
coming upon the city
from stronger powers.

Keep watch.

Gemini

If, while the Sun
turns in Gemini,

night-wrath
shakes through the earth,

hostile spear-handed mortals
will draw near
your whole land
with pains.

But if the earthquake
comes by day,

then kings
and leaders
will be without honor,

through divine anger
against enemies.

Cancer

If, while the Sun
walks through
the portion of Cancer,

where the summer turning is,

there is an earthquake
by night,

this signifies
heavy evil:

painful poverty
changing place.

But by day
it signifies
trouble for them

and a displacement
that destroys the house.

Leo

If, while the Sun
goes through Leo's portion,

the earth's shaking
is stirred up by night,

then griefs at once,
and weepings,
and groans

will hold
the city
and all the people.

Appearing by day,
it also reveals
these same things.

Virgo

If, while the Sun
goes together with Virgo,

there is an evening earthquake,

then plague
will be upon
all peoples.

But appearing by day,
it will harm
the fruits.

Libra

If the Sun
comes to the autumn equinox,

showing through the claws,

and the earthquake
shakes by night,

it declares destruction
of the fruits
springing up
from the earth.

But in daylight hours,
this signifies
the works
of harsh battle.

Earth will cover
many of them.

Scorpio

If, while the Sun
runs around Scorpio,

the earth's shaking
is stirred up by night,

vain works
will come to men
through the evil counsel
of the mind.

But appearing by day,
then indeed it signifies
that pains will come
to many

from chilling war,

most vain works
through the plans
of great Zeus.

Sagittarius

If, while the Sun
turns in the portion
of Sagittarius,

the dark-haired one
shakes the earth by night,

it will be
a deadly sign
for many men.

But appearing by day,
it signifies
for a city's king

that, leaving behind
great honor
and sceptres,

he will go elsewhere,
fleeing from the land
of his fathers.

Capricorn

If, while the Sun
walks in Capricorn,

where the Sun's
winter turnings are,

the Earth-Shaker
comes by night
to the seat of earth

and shakes the earth
with a furious blast,

then understand:

war and tears
will come to them,
and faction.

But appearing by day,
it will be
fruit-destroying.

Aquarius

If the brightness
of the Sun
passes through Aquarius,

and the earth around
is shaken by night,

then seizures
that destroy the house
will be through
the broad-wayed city:

the people's
evil-minded acts
and outrages.

But if it comes by day,

the people's power
will stand firm.

Pisces

If, while the Sun
turns through Pisces,

an earthquake
comes through swift night,

then there will be
distress
in every city.

But if, at dawn,
the holy plain of earth
is shaken,

then at once
for all well-fed herds
of cattle,

for sheep
and for other
four-footed animals,

there will be destruction
through the towns
and across the lands.

Colophon

This Good Works translation was made from Otto Kern's Orphicorum fragmenta (Berlin: Weidmann, 1922), fr. 285, in the Astrologica section headed "On Earthquakes." Kern's numbering is retained.

The source text translated here is the Greek hexameter poem On Earthquakes as printed by Kern from Vatican, Palatine, Vossian, and Laurentian manuscript witnesses, with earlier editions by Brunck, Jacobs, Abel, Pitra, and Cougny noted in Kern's apparatus.

Source Text

Kern Fr. 285 — On Earthquakes

φράζεο δὴ καὶ τόνδε λόγον, τέκος, ὁππότε κεν δὴ
γαῖαν κινήσῃ Σεισίχθων κυανοχαίτης,
ὅττι βροτοῖς ἐπί τ᾽ εὐτυχίην κακότητά τε φράζει.

ὁππόταν εἰαρινὴν ἐπ᾽ ἰσημερίην ἀφίκηται
ἠέλιος Κριόν τε διεκτρέχῃ, ἐν δ᾽ ἄρα τῷδε
γαῖαν νυκτερινὸς Γαιήοχος ἀμφελελίξῃ,
σῆμα τόδ᾽ ἐστὶ πόληος ἀπόστασις οὐκ ἀλαπαδνῆς·
εἰ δέ κεν ἡμερινός, φράζει τόδε λυγρὰ καὶ ἄτας
πήματος ὁρμήσαντος ἐπ᾽ ἀλλοδαποὺς ἀνθρώπους
ἔσσεσθαι, σφετέραις ἐπὶ πημοσύναις ἰδὲ λύπαις.

εἰ δ᾽ ἀνὰ Ταῦρον ἰόντος, ἐφορμήσει διὰ νύκτα
σεισμός, πήματα μέν τε καταφθινύθουσιν ὀπίσσω,
εὐφροσύνη δ᾽ ἀνὰ ἄστυ καὶ εἰρήνη τεθαλυῖα·
ἡμερινὸς δὲ φέρει πολέμου μεγάλοιο πόληι
ἔργον ἐπερχομένου τοῖς κρείττοσιν· ἀλλὰ φυλάσσου.

εἰ δέ κεν, ἐν Διδύμοις στρωφωμένου ἠελίοιο,
νυκτερινὴ μῆνις ἐλελίζηται κατὰ γαῖαν,
<σημαίνει ὅτι> δυσμενέες βροτοὶ ἐγχεσίχειρες
ὑμετέρην πελάσουσιν ἐπ᾽ ἄλγεσι γαῖαν ἅπασαν·
εἰ δέ κεν ἡμερινή, τότε κεν βασιλῆες ἄτιμοι
ἔσσονθ᾽ ἡγεμόνες τε θεῶν διομηνίῃ ἐχθρῶν.

εἰ δ᾽, ἀνὰ τὴν μοίρην τοῦ Καρκίνου ἠελίοιο
στείχοντος, ὅθι δὴ θερινὴ τροπή, ἔννυχος ἔσται
γῆς ἔνοσις, τοῦτο φράζει κακότητα βαρεῖαν
ἀργαλέην πενίην ἀλλαξέμεν· ἡμερινὸς δὲ
φράζει πῆμ᾽ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀνάστασιν ὠλεσίοικον.

εἰ δέ κεν, ἠελίοιο Λέοντος μοῖραν ἰόντος,
νύκτερος ὁρμηθῇ γαίης σάλος, αὐτίκα πένθη,
κλαυθμοί τε στοναχαί τε πόλιν καὶ λαὸν ἅπαντα
ἕξουσ᾽· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς καὶ ταῦτα πιφαύσκει.

εἰ δέ κεν, ἠελίου σὺν Παρθένῳ ἐρχομένοιο,
ἑσπερινὸς σεισμός, λαοῖς τότε λοιμὸς ἅπασιν
ἔσσεται· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς καρποὺς καταβλάψει.

εἰ δ᾽ ἂν ἐπὶ φθινόπωρον ἰσημερίην ἀφίκηται
ἠέλιος, χηλαῖς διαφαίνων, νυκτερινὸς δὲ
κινήσῃ, καρπῶν δηλοῖ φθόρον ἐξαναφύντων
γαίης· ὥραις δ᾽ ἡμεριναῖς, χαλεπῆς τόδε φράζει
ἔργα μάχης· πολλοὺς δ᾽ αὐτῶν κατὰ γαῖα καλύψει.

εἰ δέ κεν, ἠελίου τὸν Σκορπίον ἀμφιθέοντος,
νύκτερος ὁρμηθῇ γαίης σάλος, ἔργα μάταια
ἀνδράσιν ἔσσονται κακοφραδμοσύνῃσι νόοιο·
ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς τότε δὴ τότε ἄλγεα φράζει
ἔσσεσθαι πολέεσσιν ἀπὸ πτολέμου κρυεροῖο,
ἔργα ματαιότατα Ζηνὸς μεγάλου διὰ βουλάς.

εἰ δέ κεν ἐν μοίρῃ τοῦ Τοξότου ἠελίοιο
στρωφῶντος γαῖαν κινήσῃ Κυανοχαίτης
νυκτερινός, σημεῖον ὀλέθριον ἔσσεται ἀνδρῶν
πολλῶν· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς πόλεων βασιλῆϊ
σημαίνει μεγάλην τιμὴν καὶ σκῆπτρα λιπόντι
ἄλλῃ ἐποίχεσθαι φεύγοντ᾽ ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης.

εἰ δέ κ᾽ ἐν Αἰγοκέρωτι, ὅθι τροπαὶ ἠελίοιο
χειμεριναί, στείχοντος, ἕδος χθονὸς ἔννυχος ἐλθὼν
Σεισίχθων γαῖαν κινήσῃ πνεύματι λάβρῳ,
φράζεο δὴ πόλεμον καὶ δάκρυα τοῖσι γενέσθαι
καὶ στάσιν· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς καρποφθόρος ἔσται.

εἰ δέ κ᾽ ἐν Ὑδροχόῳ διανίσσεται ἠελίοιο
φέγγος, νυκτερινὴ δ᾽ ἐλελιχθῇ γαῖα περίχθων,
ἁρπαγαὶ ὠλεσίοικοι ἀνὰ πτόλιν εὐρυάγυιαν
ἔσσονται δήμου τε κακοφροσύναι τε καὶ ὕβρεις·
εἰ δέ κεν ἡμερινή, δήμου κράτος ἔμπεδον ἔσται.

εἰ δ᾽ ἀνὰ τοὺς Ἰχθῦς στρωφωμένου ἠελίοιο,
γῆς ἔνοσις γίνοιτο θοὴν διὰ νύκτα, τότ᾽ ἔσται
πάσαις ἐν πολίεσσι περίστασις· εἰ δέ κεν ἠοῖ
γῆς κινηθείη πέδον ἱερόν, αὐτίκα πάσαις
εὐφόρβοισι βοῶν ἀγέλαις, οἰῶν τε καὶ ἄλλων
τετραπόδων φθόρος ἔσται ἀν᾽ ἄστεα καὶ κατὰ χώρας.