Orphic hymn to Zeus
“O Zeus, much-honoured, Zeus supremely great, to thee our holy rites we
consecrate, our prayers and expiations, king divine, for all things to
produce with ease through mind is thine. Hence mother earth (gaia) and
mountains swelling high proceed from thee, the deep and all within the
sky. Kronion king, descending from above, magnanimous, commanding,
sceptred Zeus; all-parent, principle and end of all, whose power
almighty shakes this earthly ball; even nature trembles at thy mighty
nod, loud-sounding, armed with lightning, thundering god. Source of
abundance, purifying king, O various-formed, from whom all natures
spring; propitious hear my prayer, give blameless health, with peace
divine, and necessary wealth." - Orphic Hymn 15 to Zeus
Orphic hymn to Zeus
"O Father Zeus, who shak'st with fiery light the world deep-sounding from thy lofty height:
From thee, proceeds th' ætherial lightning's blaze, flashing around intolerable rays.
Thy sacred thunders shake the blest abodes, the shining regions of th' immortal Gods:
Thy pow'r divine, the flaming lightning shrouds, with dark investiture, in fluid clouds.
'Tis thine to brandish thunders strong and dire, to scatter storms, and dreadful darts of fire;
With roaring flames involving all around, and bolts of thunder of tremendous sound.
Thy rapid dart can raise the hair upright, and shake the heart of man with wild afright.
Sudden, unconquer'd, holy, thund'ring God, 'with noise unbounded, flying all abroad;
With all-devouring force, entire and strong, horrid, untam'd, thou roll'st the flames along.
Rapid, ætherial bolt, descending fire, the earth all-parent, trembles at thy ire;
The sea all-shining; and each beast that hears the sound terrific, with dread horror fears:
When Nature's face is bright with flashing fire, and in the heavens resound thy thunders dire.
Thy thunders white, the azure garments tear, and burst the veil of all surrounding air.
O Zeus, all-blessed, may thy wrath severe, hurl'd in the bosom of the deep appear,
And on the tops of mountains be reveal'd, for thy strong arm is not from us conceal'd.
Propitious to these sacred rites incline, and crown my wishes with a life divine:
Add royal health, and gentle peace beside, with equal reason, for my constant guide." - Orphic Hymn 18 to Zeus Keraunos
Orphic hymn to Zeus
"I Call the mighty, holy, splendid light, aerial, dreadful-sounding, fiery-bright;
Flaming, aerial-light, with angry voice, lightning thro' lucid clouds with horrid noise.
Untam'd, to whom resentments dire belong, pure, holy pow'r, all-parent, great and strong:
Come, and benevolent these rites attend, and grant my days a peaceful, blessed end."- Orphic Hymn 19 to Zeus Astrapaios
Orphic hymn to Zeus
“Thee, mighty ruling Daimon dread, I call, mild Zeus, life-giving, and
the source of all: great Zeus, much wandering, terrible and strong, to
whom revenge and tortures dire belong. Mankind from thee in plenteous
wealth abound, when in their dwellings joyful thou art found; or pass
through life afflicted and distressed, the needful means of bliss by
thee suppressed. ‘Tis thine alone, endued with boundless might, to keep
the keys of sorrow and delight. O holy blessed father, hear my prayer,
disperse the seeds of life-consuming care, with favouring mind the
sacred rites attend, and grant to life a glorious blessed end." - Orphic Hymn 73 to the Daemon
To the Son of Kronos, Most High
I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest,
all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of
wisdom to Themis as she sits leaning towards him. Be
gracious, all-seeing Son of Cronos, most excellent and great!" - Homeric Hymn 23
Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus
Most glorious of immortals, Zeus
The many named, almighty evermore,
Nature's great Sovereign, ruling all by law
Hail to thee! On thee 'tis meet and right
That mortals everywhere should call.
From thee was our begetting; ours alone
Of all that live and move upon the earth
The lot to bear God's likeness.
Thee will I ever chant, thy power praise!
For thee this whole vast cosmos, wheeling round
The earth, obeys, and where thou leadest
It follows, ruled willingly by thee.
In thy unconquerable hands thou holdest fast,
Ready prepared, that two-timed flaming blast,
The ever-living thunderbolt:
Nature's own stroke brings all things to their end.
By it thou guidest aright the sense instinct
Which spreads through all things, mingled even
With stars in heaven, the great and small-
Thou who art King supreme for evermore!
Naught upon earth is wrought in thy despite, 0 God.
Nor in the ethereal sphere aloft which ever winds
About its pole, nor in the sea-save only what
The wicked work, in their strange madness,
Yet even so, thou knowest to make the crooked straight.
Prune all excess, give order to the orderless,
For unto thee the unloved still is lovely-
And thus in one all things are harmonized,
The evil with the good, that so one Word
Should be in all things everlastingly.
One Word-which evermore the wicked flee!
Ill-fated, hungering to possess the good
They have no vision of God's universal law,
Nor will they hear, though if obedient in mind
They might obtain a noble life, true wealth.
Instead they rush unthinking after ill:
Some with a shameless zeal for fame,
Others pursuing gain, disorderly;
Still others folly, or pleasures of the flesh.
[But evils are their lot] and other times
Bring other harvests, all unsought-
For all their great desire, its opposite!
But, Zeus, thou giver of every gift,
Who dwellest within the dark clouds, wielding still
The flashing stroke of lightning, save, we pray,
Thy children from this boundless misery.
Scatter, 0 Father, the darkness from their souls,
Grant them to find true understanding
On which relying thou justly rulest all-
While we, thus honoured, in turn will honour thee,
Hymning thy works forever, as is meet
For mortals while no greater right
Belongs even to the gods than evermore
Justly to praise the universal law!
