Dawn

Dawn, like a dark woman, uncovers herself with the ruddy beams of the great, pure light, rich in cows.

And those two blessed goddesses who behold each other in turn — Dawn and Night, quickeners of the moving world — may I, O Earth, with a fresh utterance praise you;

The kindled Agni has stretched his flame to heaven, shining broadly to meet the Dawn.

Hand us over to Dawn entirely guiltless, O Night.

May we be possessed of all heroes, may we be possessed of all wealth, as you shine forth continuously, one Dawn after another.

O Night, O mother, deliver us over to Dawn.

Over the ridge of earth the ruddy rays leapt up freely;

Yoke the ruddy horses today, O Dawn, you who have prize-winning mares.

Let her bring us good things today — shine forth, O daughter of heaven.

And after these Erigeneia bare the star Eosphorus (Dawn-bringer), and the gleaming stars with which heaven is crowned.

And Theia was subject in love to Hyperion and bore great Helius (Sun) and clear Selene (Moon) and Eos (Dawn) who shines upon all that are on earth and upon the deathless Gods who live in the wide heaven.

From the Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the almighty son of Cronos, and, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessus or in the Horse's Spring or Olmeius, make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helicon and move with vigorous feet.

So when rosy-fingered Dawn made love to Orion, you precious gods were all of you furious till Artemis went and killed him in Ortygia.

And now, as Dawn rose from her couch beside Tithonos - harbinger of light alike to mortals and immortals - the gods met in council and with them, Zeus the lord of thunder, who is their king.

When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Odysseus put on his shirt and cloak, while the goddess wore a dress of a light gossamer fabric, very fine and graceful, with a beautiful golden girdle about her waist and a veil to cover her head.

33. And they lay hands on the female deities too, of whom it were fitting to be more in awe than of the male. For now you hear what they say of Demeter and Aphrodite and Eos; and they abstain not even from Athena nor from Artemis; but the one they strip bare for Actaeon, the other they even unite to Hephaestus and make the virgin all but a mother. Knowing these things, then, do you marvel if again …

for white-winged dawn, whose light is dear to man, turned a baleful eye upon our land and watched the ruin of our citadel, though she had within her bridal bower a husband to give her children, from this land, whom once a chariot of gold spangled stars caught up and carried there, great source of hope to his native country;

At length as the Morning Star was beginning to herald the light which saffron-mantled Dawn was soon to suffuse over the sea, the flames fell and the fire began to die.

For Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa, his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos and rich-tressed Selene and tireless Helios who is like the deathless gods.

Now Eos the early born, bringing light to men, was rising from deep-flowing Ocean, when Apollo, as he went, came to Onchestus, the lovely grove and sacred place of the loud-roaring Holder of the Earth.

and Zeus bowed his head to her prayer and fulfilled her desire.

So also golden-throned Eos rapt away Tithonus who was of your race and like the deathless gods.

So while he enjoyed the sweet flower of life he lived rapturously with golden-throned Eos, the early-born, by the streams of Ocean, at the ends of the earth;

So great a passion for the hardships of that expedition and for participation in it took possession not only of the Greeks and the barbarians, but also of the gods, that they did not dissuade even their own children from joining in the struggles around Troy;