to Night

I will sing of Night, Mother of gods as well as men,
Night, who gave birth to all, and is as Cypris also known:
Hear, blessed Goddess, dark-gleaming and star-lit,
You who love quietude and deep peaceful sleep,
You who are mirthful and delightsome,
Loving the festivities in the dark, oneirical Mother,
Whose benign hand makes us forget our worries.
You brandish recuperation for our labors,
Giver of Slumber, loved by all beings,
Shining in darkness, You spur your mount aloft.
You are below the earth, half-complete,
And return in a cycle to fill the sky!
You chase the frolicking demons away,
You force light into the netherworld,
Then You to Hades yourself retreat --
For omnipotent Necessity reigns supreme!
Now, Blessed One, I invoke you,
Abundant in bliss, longed for by all, easy to welcome:
Hear my ernest, humble voice
And come, filled with compassion,
To stave off the fears that burn in the night!

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