Orphic Hymn to Saturn

by Queenie

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about

The Orphic Hymns are ancient Greek poems that were part of the multi-god worshipping religious practice of Orphism. In 1787, the Orphic Hymns were translated into English by Thomas Taylor. A second edition was published in 1824. There are 87 known Orphic Hymns.

In 2019, I began composing music for the Orphic Hymns. As of the date of this writing, I have composed music for 18 of Taylor's hymns with plans to eventually cover the entire canon.

lyrics

Etherial father, mighty Titan, hear,
Great fire of gods and men, whom all revere:
Endu'd with various council, pure and strong,
to whom perfection and decrease belong.
Consum'd by thee all forms that hourly die,
by thee restor'd, their former place supply;
The world immense in everlasting chains,
strong and ineffable thy pow'r contains
Father of vast eternity, divine,
O mighty Saturn, various speech is thine:
Blossom of earth and of the starry skies,
husband of Rhea, and Prometheus wife.
Obstetric Nature, venerable root,
from which the various forms of being shoot;
No parts peculiar can thy pow'r enclose,
diffus'd thro' all, from which the world arose,
O, best of beings, of a subtle mind,
propitious hear to holy pray'rs inclin'd;
The sacred rites benevolent attend,
and grant a blameless life, a blessed end.

credits

released March 29, 2020
Orphic Hymn translated by Thomas Taylor

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about

Kimberly Steele Chicago, Illinois

Kimberly Steele (Queenie) is a composer, music teacher, and blogger who lives with her husband in the far west suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

queeniesongs.net

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