Paeans | To mortals, Peace brings forth great wealth

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by Bacchylides (flourished 5th century BCE)

Translation © by Kairui (Kerry) Zhou

Παιανεσ

Language: Greek (Ελληνικά)

Our translations: ENG

Τικτει δε τε θνατοισιν Ειρηνα μεγαλα  
πλουτον και μελιγλοσσον αοιδαν ανθεα, 
δαιδαλεων τ' επι βωμων θεοισιν αιθεσθαιβοων 
ξανθα φλογι μηρα τανυτριχων τε μηλων, 
γυμνασιων τε νεοισ αυλων τε και κωμων μελειν. 

Εν δε σιδαροδετοισ πορπαξιν αιθαν 
αραχναν ιστοι πελονται 
εγχεα τε λογχωτα ξιφεα τ' αμφακεα δαμναται ευρωσ 
χαλκεαν δ' ουκ εστι σαλπιγγων κτυποσ 
ουδε συλαται μελιφρων υπνοσ απο βλεφαρων, 
αμον οσ θαλπει κεαρ. 

Συμποσιων δ' ερατων βριθοντ' 
αγυιαι παιδικοι θ' υμν οι φλεγονται.

Confirmed with Poetae lyrici graeci, Leipzig: Reichenbach'sche Buchhandlung, 1843, Carminum melicorum et choricorum reliquiae, pages 823 - 824.

Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843

Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

by Bacchylides (flourished 5th century BCE), "Παιανεσ" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Nikolaus A. Ioannidis (b. 1980), "Παιανεσ", published 2002 [ voice and instrumental ensemble ], arrangement; in The Music of Ancient Greeks, Homo Ecumenicus Publishing [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Erhard Christian Eccard (1758 - 1859) , "Auf den Frieden", subtitle: "Nach Bakchylides" ; composed by Hans Georg Nägeli.
Also set in Hungarian (Magyar), a translation by Mihály Babits (1883 - 1941) , "Bacchylides békedala", subtitle: "Görögből" ; composed by Ferenc Farkas.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Kairui (Kerry) Zhou) , "Paeans", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2017-03-17
Line count: 13
Word count: 73

Paeans

Language: English after the Greek (Ελληνικά)

To mortals, Peace brings forth great wealth,
And the honey-tongued song of the Muses.
Upon the altars of skillful gods, it is pleasing,
With golden flames, the thighs of sacrificial oxen,
In gymnasiums, the youthful flutes, and the melodies of revelry.

And within firmly bound girdles of steel,
Spiderwebs are woven in nets,
The thrusting spears and double-edged swords are tamed by the finding of truth.
There is no sound of clanging trumpets,
Nor is the sweet sleep stolen from eyelids,
Unless that which warms the heart.

At banquets laden with beloved ones,
And echoing halls, there are hymns for the youth that blaze forth.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Greek (Ελληνικά) to English copyright © 2023 by Kairui (Kerry) Zhou, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Bacchylides (flourished 5th century BCE), "Παιανεσ"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-09-01
Line count: 13
Word count: 105