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Hymn to the Muses

Ὑμνέομεν, μερόπων ἀναγώγιον ὑμνέομεν φῶς, (1)
ἐννέα θυγατέρας μεγάλου Διὸς ἀγλαοφώνους,
αἳ ψυχὰς κατὰ βένθος ἀλωομένας βιότοιο
ἀχράντοις τελετῇσιν ἐγερσινόων ἀπὸ βίβλων
γηγενέων ῥύσαντο δυσαντήτων ὀδυνάων (5)
καὶ σπεύδειν ἐδίδαξαν ὑπὲρ βαθυχεύμονα λήθην
ἴχνος ἔχειν, καθαρὰς δὲ μολεῖν ποτὶ σύννομον ἄστρον,
ἔνθεν ἀπεπλάγχθησαν, ὅτ’ ἐς γενεθλήιον ἀκτὴν
κάππεσον, ὑλοτραφέσσι περὶ κλήροισι μανεῖσαι.

ἀλλά, θεαί, καὶ ἐμεῖο πολυπτοίητον ἐρωὴν (10)
παύσατε καὶ νοεροῖς με σοφῶν βακχεύσατε μύθοις·
μηδέ μ’ ἀποπλάγξειεν ἀδεισιθέων γένος ἀνδρῶν
ἀτραπιτοῦ ζαθέης, ἐριφεγγέος, ἀγλαοκάρπου,
αἰεὶ δ’ ἐξ ὁμάδοιο πολυπλάγκτοιο γενέθλης
ἕλκετ’ ἐμὴν ψυχὴν παναλήμονα πρὸς φάος ἁγνόν, (15)
ὑμετέρων βρίθουσαν ἀεξινόων ἀπὸ σίμβλων
καὶ κλέος εὐεπίης φρενοθελγέος αἰὲν ἔχουσαν.

We hymn, we hymn the light that raises man aloft,
on the nine daughters of great Zeus with splendid voices,
who have rescued from the agony of this world, so hard to bear,
the souls who were wandering in the depth of life
through immaculate rites from intellect-awaking books,
and have taught them to strive eagerly to follow the track leading
beyond the deep gulf of forgetfulness, and to go pure to their kindred star
from which they strayed away, when once they fell
into the headland of birth, mad about material lots.

But, goddesses, put an end to my much-agitated desire too
and throw me into ecstasy through the noeric words of the wise.
That the race of men without fear for the gods may not lead me
astray from the most divine and brilliant path with its splendid fruit;
Always draw my all-roving soul towards the holy light,
away from the hubbub of the much wandering race
heavy laden from your intellect-strengthening beehives,
and everlasting glory from its mind-charming eloquence.

Source

Text and translation from Van den Berg, R.M. (2001), The Hymns of Proclus (Leiden, Brill), 201.

Funerary Epigram

Πρόκλος ἐγὼ γενόμην Λύκιος γένος, ὃν Συριανὸς
Ἐνθάδ‘ ἀμοιβὸν ἑῆς θρέψε διδασκαλίης·
Ξυνὸς δ‘ ἀμφοτέρων ὅδε σώματα δέξατο τύμβος·
Αἴθε δὲ καὶ ψυχὰς χῶρος ἑεὶς λελάχοι

Proclus I was, by race a man of Lycia, whom Syrianus
Fostered here to become the successor to his own school.
This is the common tomb which received the bodies of both men;
Oh may a single Place be a portion of both their souls

Source

Marin., Procl. 36. English translation from Edwards, M. (2000), Neoplatonic Saints. The life of Plotinus and Proclus by their Students (Liverpool, Liverpool University Press), p. 113.