Sunday 20 October 2019

THE ORPHIC HYMN TO ZEUS

     

Below the English translation,there is a video with the hymn recited in Ancient Greek. You will also find the original ancient Greek lyrics below the video.
This Orphic Hymn to God Zeus was translated from Ancient Greek to English by Thomas Taylor in 1792. Taylor used the Latin version of the name of Zeus in his translation ,which has been changed here to the original Greek name for the sake of proximity to the original. Moreover, some words have been spelled in their modern version for easier reading. 


Oh Zeus much-honored, Zeus supremely great,
To Thee our holy rites we consecrate,
Our prayers and expiations, King Divine,
For all things round Thy head exalted shine.
The earth is Thine, and mountains swelling high,
The sea profound, and all within the sky.
Saturnian 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.





Ζεῦ πολυτίμητε, Ζεῦ ἄφθιτε, τήνδε τοι ἡμεῖς

μαρτυρίαν τιθέμεσθα λυτήριον ἠδὲ πρόσευξιν.
ὦ βασιλεῦ, διὰ σὴν κεφαλὴν ἐφάνη τάδε θεῖα,
γαῖα θεὰ μήτηρ ὀρέων θ' ὑψηχέες ὄχθοι,
καὶ πόντος καὶ πάνθ', ὁπόσ' οὐρανὸς ἐντὸς ἔταξε
Ζεῦ Κρόνιε, σκηπτοῦχε, καταιβάτα, ὀμβριμόθυμε,
παντογένεθλ', ἀρχὴ πάντων, πάντων τε τελευτή,
σεισίχθων, αὐξητά, καθάρσιε, παντοτινάκτα,
ἀστραπαῖε, βρονταῖε, κεραύνιε, φυτάλιε Ζεῦ·
κλῦθί μευ, αἰολόμορφε, δίδου δ' ὑγίειαν ἀμεμφῆ
εἰρήνην τε θεὰν καὶ πλούτου δόξαν ἄμεμπτον.


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