HAIL! Great King! Father of the Gods!
Thou who hast many names but who art One, Sole, Omnipotent Virtue!
Zeus! Author of Nature! who governest all things by thy wisdom,
Grant to us mortals, to call upon thee!
For all that exist are thy offspring, images of thy being, echoes of thy eternal voice.
I will sing to thee, and exalt thy power without end.
The whole Universe moves by thy influence;
The infinite variety of souls that inhabit earth, sea, and the ethereal spheres, are subject to thy control.
The lightnings are thy ministers; they flash from thy hand and all nature trembles.
Thus thunder-armed, thou guidest creation by unerring law,
And through the present admixture of evil thou bringest all to good.
Thou curbest all excess, and thou wilt cause all confusion to result in universal and eternal order.
Unhappy are mortals who are ignorant of thy law, which, if they obeyed would lead them to a virtuous and happy life.
In blind frenzy they stray from the chief good, tempted by thirst of glory, by shameless avarice or voluptuous pleasures.
But, O Great Zeus! Giver of all good!
Who dwellest with the lightnings in the clouds of heaven,
Save mankind from these dreadful errors.
Remove all shadows from our minds, and enable us to understand thy pure and righteous laws.
Thus honored with a knowledge of thee,
We shall be fitted to return the gift in praises of thy mighty works;
And neither mortal nor immortal beings can be more blest in singing thy Immutable.
Universal Law, with everlasting hymns.
FOOTNOTES:
1. "Translation given in "Progress of Religious Ideas," by Lydia Maria Child. (return to text)