Hymn to Zeus

Most glorious of Immortals, mighty God,

Κύδιστ᾽ ἀθανάτων, πολυώνυμε, παγκρατὲς ἀεὶ

Invoked by many a name, O sovran King

Ζεῦ, φύσεως ἀρχηγέ, νόμου μέτα πάντα κυβερνῶν,

Of universal Nature, piloting this world in harmony with Law, all hail!

χαῖρε· σὲ γὰρ πάντεσσι θέμις θνητοῖσι προσαυδᾶν.

Thee it is meet that mortals should invoke,

ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ γένος ἐσμέν, ἑνὸς

For we Thine offspring are,

μίμημα λαχόντες

and sole of all created things that live and move on earth

μοῦνον, ὅσα ζώει τε καὶ ἕρπει θνήτ᾽ ἐπὶ γαῖαν.

receive from Thee the image of the One.

τῷ σε καθυμνήσω, καὶ σὺν κράτος αἰὲν ἀείσω.

Therefore I praise Thee,

σοὶ δὴ πᾶς ὅδε κόσμος ἑλισσόμενος περὶ γαῖαν

and shall hymn Thy power unceasingly.

πείθεται, ᾗ κεν ἄγῃς, καὶ ἑκὼν ὑπὸ σεῖο κρατεῖται·

Thee the wide world obeys,

τοῖον ἔχεις ὑποεργὸν ἀνικήτοις ἐνὶ χερσὶν

as onward ever in its course it rolls where'er Thou guidest, and rejoices still beneath Thy sway.

ἀμφήκη, πυρόεντα, ἀειζώοντα κεραυνόν.

So strong a minister is held by Thine unconquerable hands,

τοῦ γὰρ ὑπὸ πληγῆς φύσεως πάντ᾽ ἐρρίγασιν,

that two-edged thunderbolt of living fire

ᾧ σὺ κατευθύνεις κοινὸν λόγον ὃς διὰ πάντων

that never fails.

φοιτᾷ, μιγνύμενος μεγάλους μικροῖς τε φάεσσιν,

Under its dreadful blow all Nature reels;

ὡς τόσσος γεγαὼς, ὕπατος βασιλεὺς διὰ παντός.

therewith Thou dost direct the Universal Reason

οὐδέ τι γίγνεται ἔργον ἐπὶ χθανὶ σοῦ δίχα, δαῖμον,

which, commixt with all the greater and the lesser lights,

οὔτε κατ' αἰθέριον θεῖον πόλον οὔτ᾽ ἐνὶ πόντῳ,

moves through the Universe.

πλὴν ὁπόσα ῥέζουσι κακοὶ σφετέρῃσιν ἀνοίαις.

How great Thou art, the Lord supreme for ever and for aye!

ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ τὰ περισσὰ ἐπίστασαι ἄρτια θεῖναι,

No work is wrought apart from Thee, O God,

καὶ κοσμεῖν τὰ ἄκοσμα, καὶ οὐ φίλα σοὶ φίλα ἐστίν.

or in the world, or in the heaven above,

ὧδε γὰρ εἰς ἕν ἅπαντα συνήρμοκας ἐσθλὰ κακοῖσιν,

or on the deep,

ὥσθ᾽ ἕνα γίγνεσθαι πάντων λόγον αἰὲν ἐόντα,

save only what is done by sinners in their folly.

ὃν φεύγοντες ἐῶσιν ὅσοι θνητῶν κακοί εἰσι

Nay, Thou canst make the rough smooth,

δύσμοροι, οἵ τ᾽ ἀγαθῶν μὲν ἀεὶ κτῆσιν ποθέοντες

bring wondrous order forth from chaos;

οὔτ᾽ ἐσορῶσι θεοῦ κοινὸν νόμον, οὔτε κλύουσιν,

in Thy sight unloveliness seems beautiful;

ᾧ κεν πειθόμενοι σὺν νῷ βίον ἐσθλὸν ἔχοιεν,

for so Thou hast fitted things together,

αὐτοὶ δ᾽ αὖθ᾽ ὁρμῶσιν ἄνευ καλοῦ ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλα.

good and evil,

οἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ δόξης σπουδὴν δυσέριστον ἔχοντες,

that there reigns one everlasting Reason in them all.

οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ κερδοσύνας τετραμμένοι οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ,

The wicked heed not this, but suffer it to slip, to their undoing;

ἄλλοι δ᾽ εἰς ἄνεσιν καὶ σώματος ἡδέα ἔργα,

these are they who, yearning ever to secure the good, mark not nor hear the law of God,

σπεύδοντες μάλα πάμπαν ἐναντία τῶνδε γενέσθαι,

by wise obedience unto which they might attain a nobler life, with Reason harmonized.

ἀλλὰ Ζεῦ πάνδωρε, κελαινεφές, ἀρχικέραυνε,

But now, unbid, they pass on divers paths, each his own way, yet knowing not the truth:

ἀνθρώπους ῥύσιο ἀπειροσύνης ἀπὸ λυγρῆς,

some in unlovely striving for renown,

ἣν σύ, πάτερ, σκέδασον ψυχῆς ἀπο, δὸς δὲ κυρῆσαι

some bent on lawless gains, on pleasure some,

γνώμης, ᾗ πίσυνος σὺ δίκης μέτα πάντα κυβερνᾷς,

working their own undoings self-deceived.

ὄφρ᾽ ἂν τιμηθέντες ἀμειβώμεσθά σε τιμῇ

O Thou most bounteous God that sittest throned in clouds, the Lord of lightning, save mankind from grievous ignorance!

ὑμνοῦντες τὰ σὰ ἔργα διηνεκές, ὡς ἐπέοικε

Oh, scatter it far from their souls, and grant them to achieve true knowledge, on whose might Thou dost rely to govern all the world in righteousness;

θνητὸν ἐόντ᾽, ἐπεὶ οὔτε βροτοῖς γέρας ἄλλο τι μεῖζον,

that so, being honoured, we may Thee requite with honour, chanting without pause Thy deeds, as all men should; since greater guerdon ne'er befalls or man or god than evermore duly to praise the Universal Law.

οὔτε θεοῖς, ἢ κοινὸν ἀεὶ νόμον ἐν δίκῃ ὑμνεῖν.