Happy Earth Day
Posted by Erik on April 22, 2009
I’m celebrating by telecommuting (and saving a 60-mile round trip). To help you celebrate, I offer this.
Homeric Hymn XXX
(translation by Hugh Evelyn-White)
To read the original Greek, click here.
TO EARTH THE MOTHER OF ALL
I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, eldest of all beings. She feeds all creatures that are in the world, all that go upon the goodly land, and all that are in the paths of the seas, and all that fly: all these are fed of her store.
Through you, O queen, men are blessed in their children and blessed in their harvests, and to you it belongs to give means of life to mortal men and to take it away. Happy is the man whom you delight to honour! He has all things abundantly: his fruitful land is laden with corn, his pastures are covered with cattle, and his house is filled with good things. Such men rule orderly in their cities of fair women: great riches and wealth follow them: their sons exult with ever-fresh delight, and their daughters in flower-laden bands play and skip merrily over the soft flowers of the field. Thus is it with those whom you honour O holy goddess, bountiful spirit.
Hail, Mother of the gods, wife of starry Heaven; freely bestow upon me for this my song substance that cheers the heart! And now I will remember you and another song also.
And I will remember another song, specifically this one: Tom Chapin’s “This Pretty Planet“.
The Wild Hunt » Earth Day said
[...] “I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, eldest of all beings. She feeds all creatures that are in the world, all that go upon the goodly land, and all that are in the paths of the seas, and all that fly: all these are fed of her store.” – Homer [...]
Hrafnkell said
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing that. I got the chills.
executivepagan said
The Ancients certainly had a way with words…
The Wild Hunt » Earth Day said
[...] Want to get active? Find out where you’re at, reduce your carbon footprint (and your water footprint), support small farms and eat ethically, teach on global climate change as a moral issue, invest green, vote green, and go green. “I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, eldest of all beings. She feeds all creatures that are in the world, all that go upon the goodly land, and all that are in the paths of the seas, and all that fly: all these are fed of her store.” – Homer [...]
A Happy (Pagan) Earth Day to You! said
[...] all that are in the paths of the seas, and all that fly: all these are fed of her store.” – HomerLet’s make every day Earth Day.Filed Under: Paganism, Religion Tagged With: climate change, Earth [...]