Orphic Hymn: Phanes Protogonos

This poem owes a great deal to the first sections of the translation of the Orphic Hymns published by Thomas Taylor in London in 1792 which is available on the Net. The pictures are mostly from Wikimedia and the inspired section of film is of course by Leni Riefenstahl. The music is by Carl Nielsen and Richard Wagner.

I should like to dedicate this video to my friend Allan whose videos on You Tube under his pseudonym of erosgodofgays have been an inspiration, especially those referring to Phanes, and I thank him for his help & advice on the making of decent videos.


ORPHIC HYMN: PHANES PROTOGONOS



Mist clears, day dawns, the first day dawns
breaking dim and universal night.
Orpheus sings and singing brings us light.
Across the sky the great and golden egg
hangs like an oblong sun about to burst,
cracking amidst the orisons of those
immortal beings, of living gods the first,
the archetypes, as yet unseen unknown,
that are to come. The high-pitched shuddering gong
through nothingness resounds, primeval word,
creation at the beginning of all worlds.

First-born of time and space Protogonos
only begetter begotten on himself;
double-sexed, a living X, a cross
whose meeting point is undivided, wealth
of proposition and increase. Phanes-
Ericapeus, all powerful, ineffable, occult,
winged glory, through the world you fly. Increase
of joy and wonder, pierce the very vault
of darkest heaven with flashing pinions
formed of glittering sapphire and of gold
interleaved with spangles of the stars
and whirling circles of universal fire.
Priapus dark-eyed splendour thee I sing
bountiful unwearying potent king.

Invincible, prime unity, the One;
good in himself; spawning nothing but good;
the very spirit and image of great God.
Sole breeding ruler of eternity,
Lord, quintessence of infinity;
of Ether and of Chaos father-mother
according to Pythagoras himself.
How could that one unfold, make two, divide?
become corruptible, and multiply, break down?
- First of the secret genera of the divine
says Syrianus. Called by Orpheus,
on the authority of Proclus, Tender Love.

The second king is Night; the third is Heaven;
Saturnus is the fourth and fifth lord Zeus,
ruler of his father; Dionysos sixth
in due progression of the royal line,
emanations from the original divine.
All these kings, these intellectual gods
are born into the world when it is made
upon the breaking of the golden egg
when great Lord Phanes, Beautiful, comes forth
giving birth to everything that lives.

On earth is heaven found; and in the sky
another earth, the wise Egyptian taught.
Each in each is bound; and bye and bye
returns to its beginnning at the end
when universal destructions rend
the plurality of whirling matter.
Phanes lives forever, can never die.
We men are made immortal by his love,
men and women glorified,
here below as there above,
just as before the cracking of the egg.

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[1zangelique]

(Me again!) The swoon continues! On and on....

[brychar66]

Mind how you fall Gary!

[alchemistra]

This is the very voice of the Orphic lyre, an oration, a gift, from great Hermes to you, Charles. A poetic masterpiece of the One, all-begetter, whose love has pierced the resplendent divine darkness, whose Glory is never consumed, nor diminished.

[brychar66]

A gift it certainly is dear soror mystica, as if handed down to me unknowing from a place and persons unknown :) Thank you for your encouragement - Charles

[tHEnOOSEsWING]

This is an excellent video. I been waiting or someone to conceptualize the relationship between the poetical work in context and the picture and moving images here on YouTube, which you and your friend have done here brilliantly. Thank you. Paul.

[brychar66]

Many thanks for that Paul. And I am glad to see your work reestablishing itself here. You have given me many hours of pleasure in the past with many more to come Chas

[kunde503]

SO BEAUTIFUL xoxoxo THANX 4THIS VISION of SPLENDOR

[mondodiamante]

The immortal Thomas Taylor...

[hexngo]

Beautiful, Hail Phanes!

[isalondoner]

Thank you, once again I have enjoyed your reading.

Images, voice, form and substance are brilliant.

My admiration for you, as always. Isabel

[1zangelique]

Once again, magnificent. Thunderous thunderous applause!

[EdgarTibori]

200% CULT

WOW!!!