source ⟩ hypertext ⟩ public ⟩ hymns ⟩ ouranos ⟩ en.pug

//- meta
	slug: "hymns/ouranos"
	lang: en
	title: "Orphic Hymn to Ouranos"
	pageCreated: "2026-04-17"

extends ../../../views/hymns/hymnsheet.pug

block navbar
	ul
		li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-left: a(href="/hymns/nyx") #[span.dingbat ☙] #[b(lang="grc") Νυκτος] #[i To Nyx]
		li.nav-current Δʹ · IV
		li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-right: a(href="/hymns/aether") #[i To Æther] #[b(lang="grc") ΑΙΘΕΡΟΣ] #[span.dingbat ❧]

block ancient-pic
	img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/ouranos-ancient.jpg" alt="Ancient statue of Ouranos")

block modern-pic
	img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/ouranos-modern.jpg" alt="Modern painting of Ouranos")

block greek
	h1 Οὐρανοῦ
	div.offering Θυμίαμα λίβανον
	p.hymn-greek
		:format-hymn
			Οὐρανὲ παγγενέτορ, κόσμου μέρος αἰὲν ἀτειρές,
			πρεσβυγένεθλ’, ἀρχὴ πάντων πάντων τε τελευτή,
			κόσμοκράτορ, σφαιρηδὸν ἑλισσόμενος περὶ γαῖαν,
			οἶκε Θεῶν μακάρων, ῥόμβου δίνῃσιν ὁδεύων,
			οὐράνιος χθόνιός τε φύλαξ πάντων περιβληθείς,
			ἐν στέρνοισιν ἔχων φύσεως ἄπλητον ἀνάγκην,
			κυανόχρως, ἀδάμαστε, παναίολος, αἰολόμορφε,
			πανδερκές, Κρονότεκνε, μάκαρ, πανυπέρτατε Δαῖμον,
			κλῦθ’ ἐπάγων ζωὴν ὁσίην μύστῃ νεοφάντῃ.

block english
	h1 To Ouranos
	div.offering The fumigation from frankincense
	p.hymn-english Great Heav’n, whose mighty frame no respite knows,#[br]father of all, from whom the world arose:#[br]hear, bounteous parent, source and end of all,#[br]forever whirling round this earthly ball;#[br]abode of Gods, whose guardian pow’r surrounds#[+sn(1)]#[br]th’ eternal World with ever during bounds;#[br]whose ample bosom and encircling folds#[br]the dire necessity of nature holds.#[br]Ætherial, earthly, whose all-various frame#[+sn(2)]#[br]azure and full of forms, no power can tame.#[br]All-seeing Heav’n, progenitor of Time#[+sn(3)],#[br]forever blessed, Deity sublime,#[br]propitious on a novel mystic shine,#[br]and crown his wishes with a life divine.
	+sn(1)
		p #[i(lang="grc") Ὁ τοῦ Ὀρφέος Οὐρανὸς οὖρος καὶ πάντων φυλὰξ είναι βέλεται.] Damascius #[i(lang="grc") Perí ἀρχῶν], #[i i.e.] “according to Orpheus, #[span.theonym(greek="Ouranos") Heaven] is the inspector and guardian of all things.”
	+sn(2)
		p We have already observed in our Dissertation, that according to the Platonists, subordinate natures are contained in the supreme, and such as are supreme in the subordinate: and this doctrine which is originally Egyptian, is mentioned by Proclus #[i.cite(lang="In Platonis Timæum commentarii, page 292") in Tim. p. 292.] as Orphical. #[i(lang="grc") Ἔσι γὰρ καὶ ἐν γῆ oὐρανὸς καὶ ἐν oὐρανῷ γῆ, καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν ὁ oὐρανὸς χθονίως, εκεῖ δε oὐρανίως ἡ γῆ], #[i i.e.] “heaven is in earth, and earth in heaven; but here heaven subsists in an earthly manner, and there earth in a celestial manner.”
	+sn(3)
		p #[span.theonym(greek="Cronos") Saturn].