ARATUS

IN THE BEGINNING

Begin with Zeus, on every man’s lips.
The streets are full of Zeus, and all the marketplaces;
The sea is full of Him, and the harbors:
All of us need Zeus everywhere we go.
For Zeus has fathered us all, and smiles on us,
And shows us his kindness, and sends us off to our work,
Reminding us what must be done.
He tells us when to yoke up oxen,
When to hoe, when to sow seed, and what to plant.
For it was Zeus who gave us the heavens
And divided the sky into stars,
And shaped each star differently,
And then made each star point to a season
So men could read His heavens and understand,
And all things could grow as they should.
We pray to Him first, we pray to Him last:
Hail, Father, wonder-worker, men’s great blessing,
Hail to You and to those who came before You.
And hail, gentle Muses, smiling on men:
Guide my song, help me,
For I bow to you and pray.