Ἶρις
rainbow
Translated by Catharine Roth30 May 2006Vetting: high2 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] the moisture of a cloud made variegated by the impact of the sun, like a bow.1
Or "rays reflected from moist clouds. Or the reflection of a part of the sun or the moon, in a dewy cloud which is hollow and continuous in appearance, as if imaged in a mirror, on the circumference of a circle."2
The green of the rainbow [is] indicative of upper air, the red [is indicative] of winds, and the dark [is indicative] of waters.3
Or "rays reflected from moist clouds. Or the reflection of a part of the sun or the moon, in a dewy cloud which is hollow and continuous in appearance, as if imaged in a mirror, on the circumference of a circle."2
The green of the rainbow [is] indicative of upper air, the red [is indicative] of winds, and the dark [is indicative] of waters.3
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἶρις· νέφους ὑγρότης κατ' ἔμπτωσιν ἡλίου πεποικιλμένου, οἷον τὸ τόξον. ἢ αὐγαὶ ἀφ' ὑγρῶν νεφῶν ἀνακεκλασμέναι. ἢ ἔμφασις ἡλίου τμήματος ἢ σελήνης, ἐν νέφει δεδροσισμένῳ κοίλῳ καὶ συνεχεῖ πρὸς φαντασίαν, ὡς ἐν κατόπτρῳ φανταζομένην, κατὰ κύκλου περιφέρειαν. τῆς Ἴριδος τὸ χλωρὸν ἀέρος σημαντικόν, τὸ πυρρὸν πνευμάτων, τὸ δὲ μελανίζον ὑδάτων.