Berlin Papyrus 6870

Specific Text Questions
1

This Papyrus was turned into a song by a Polish orchestra in 2003 found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg3Oj3XYVis&list=PLG-lAdDsEWfIXLtMWiEbdyh2Pfv6KVUFi&index=20

The papyrus has been reconstructed in 2009 here:

https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/server/api/core/bitstreams/361b88cf-3d77-479b-a168-586be1a45e0d/content

but the Polish version is decidedly different. I am not able to find the text of their reconstruction using the Greek alphabet but there is one in the Latin alphabet here:

Paian o paian hair’ onaks horopoios
Ton Dalu terpei tas efgnostu Apolon
Kai dinai Ksantu perikli toi Apolon
Pagai t’ Ismenu Foivai ton mantevonta

Paian os musais ef helikoni kranas
Himnon eksarxeis hadistan taksas fonan
Hos pir bostrihon lamprais de haitas stepsas
Latus te labon hos dikan matros loban
Kledon de klita hos Pitona toksefsas
Toi Zefs (pretty sure Zefs is a typo) daidoxei par’ hameran kat’ agan
Toi gas en bolois ksantoi tiktontai karpoi.

Using Chatgpt, a Greek transliteration was provided but naturally I’m wary of mistakes, especially the transliteration of Ἑλικωνίδος for helikoni.


Παιάν, ὦ Παιάν, χαῖρ’ ὦναξ ὁροποιός
τὸν Δάλου τέρπει τᾶς ἐπιγνώστου Ἀπόλλων,
καὶ δεῖναι Ξανθοῦ περικλὴτῳ Ἀπόλλων
παγαί τ’ Ἰσμηνοῦ Φοῖβαι τὸν μαντευόμενον·

Παιάν, ὃς Μούσαις ἐφ’ Ἑλικωνίδος κράνας
ὕμνων ἐξάρχεις ἁδίστην τάξας φωνάν,
ὃς πῦρ βοστρυχῶν λαμπραῖς δὲ χαίταις στέψας
Λατοῦς τε λαβὼν ὡς δίκαν ματρὸς λώβαν·

κληδὼν δὲ κλίτα ὡς Πίτωνα τοξεύσας,
τῶι Ζεὺς δαιδουχεῖ παρ’ ἡμέραν κατ’ ἄγαν,
τῶι γᾶς ἐν βώλοις ξανθοὶ τίκτονται καρποί.

A chatgpt translation follows and I was wondering if anyone could verify it:

Paean, O Paean, rejoice, O lord who sets boundaries,
Apollo of Delos, delighting in the recognition,
And to the famous Apollo of Xanthos,
And the springs of Ismenus, Phoebus, who gives oracles;

Paean, who with the Muses at the Heliconian springs,
Lead the sweetest voice of hymns,
Who wreaths with bright hair the fire of curls,
And taking Leto as though avenging a mother’s disgrace;

An omen, after shooting the Python,
For whom Zeus bears the torch during the day excessively,
For whom in the clods of earth the yellow fruits are produced.

2

hi

you can see a transcription of the papyrus here. https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/server/api/core/bitstreams/361b88cf-3d77-479b-a168-586be1a45e0d/content

the papyrus itself can be seen here https://berlpap.smb.museum/record/?result=3&Alle=6870&lang=en

The restoration you quote is quite extensive you can read the paper quoting the transcription to see how creative the authors have been. i am not qualified to offer an opinion. MWH our resident papyrologist will be able to offer an expert view.

3

He links that first transcription and reconstruction in the original post. This reconstruction appears to be fairly different from the West reconstruction quoted (and critiqued) there.

4

@Jeidsath, you’re correct. I already have the West reconstruction but I’m in need of the Polish reconstruction. The Polish reconstruction has been transliterated into the Roman alphabet but I need to make sure that the translation from the Roman transliteration into the Greek is correct, plus I need to know of the translation is correct.

5

Some notes:

  1. ef how modern Greeks pronounce ευ

efgnostu = εὐγνώστου
mantevonta = μαντεύοντα
Zefs = Ζεύς

  1. corrections for meter
    horopoios = ὡρώποιος ?? Maybe something from ὧρος/ὥρα
    perikli toi ?? = the first two syllables should be long, ruling out περι- derivatives.
    ef helikoni is what they sing. I dunno. The number of syllables makes sense if the person doing the reconstruction thought that ἐφ᾽ would be long there.

Actually, I think it’s easier to assume that whoever reconstructed this was modern Greek and was not attempting/didn’t know the ancient meter very well.

That’s all I’ve got time for tonight, and I’m not sure I’ve pierced the veil much.

6

Well, any amount helps.