In the spirit of this final week of rehearsals, below is my translation of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, a brief prayer-song written (most likely) in the 7th century BC. The Homeric Hymns vary in length and there is a much longer one to Apollo present in the collection, but this seems appropriate for our purposes.
φοῖβε, σὲ μὲν καὶ κύκνος ὑπὸ πτερύγων λίγ᾽ ἀείδει, ὄχθῃ ἐπιθρώσκων ποταμὸν πάρα δινήεντα, Πηνειόν: σὲ δ᾽ ἀοιδὸς ἔχων φόρμιγγα λίγειαν ἡδυεπὴς πρῶτόν τε καὶ ὕστατον αἰὲν ἀείδει. καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε, ἄναξ, ἵλαμαι δέ σ᾽ ἀοιδῇ.
Phoebus, Bright-Shiner, the swan sings for you and of you,
clear and bright in the beating of his wings
as he settles on the riverbank that ever ebbs and flows,
the river Peneus. For you and of you the bard, cradling a pure-toned lyre,
with a sweet voice sings of you always. He sings of you first and last.
And so glory unto you, Lord Apollo! I appeal to you in this my song.
-Emma
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