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 Kronos, most excellent and great!
source: HOMERIC HYMNS 5 – 33, TRANSLATED BY H. G. EVELYN-WHITE
I always thought this was elegantly and beautifully writtn hymn that was short and to the point. The Orphic hymns are quite different in that regard. Thanks to Theoi Project I can easily acces them as well.
TO JUPITER [ZEUS]
The Fumigation from Storax.
O Jove much-honor’d, Jove [Zeus] supremely great, to thee our holy rites we consecrate,
Our pray’rs 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 [Kronion] king, descending from above, magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Jove [Zeus];
All-parent, principle and end of all, whose pow’r almighty, shakes this earthly ball;
Ev’n Nature trembles at thy mighty nod, loud-sounding, arm’d with light’ning, thund’ring God.
Source of abundance, purifying king, O various-form’d from whom all natures spring;
Propitious hear my prayer, give blameless health, with peace divine, and necessary wealth.
TO THUNDRING JOVE [ZEUS KERAUNOS]
The Fumigation from Storax.
O Father Jove [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 Jove [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.
To JOVE, as the AUTHOR of LIGHTNING [ZEUS ASTRAPAIOS]
The Fumigation from Frankincense and Manna.
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.
TO THE CLOUDS [NEPHELAI]
The Fumigation from Myrrh.
Ærial clouds, thro’ heav’n’s resplendent plains who wander, parents of prolific rains;
Who nourish fruits, whose water’y frames are hurl’d, by winds impetuous, round the mighty world;
All-thund’ring, lion-roaring, flashing fire, in Air’s wide bosom, bearing thunders dire
Impell’d by ev’ry stormy, sounding gale, with rapid course, along the skies ye fail.
With blowing winds your wat’ry frames I call, on mother Earth with fruitful show’rs to fall.
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