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Orphic Hymns · 108 of 138 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Hymn LXIII. LAW A HYMN

LXIII. TO LAW A HYMN. THE holy king of Gods and men I call, Celestial Law, the righteous seal of all; The seal which stamps whate'er the earth contains, Nature's firm basis, and the liquid plains: Stable, and starry, of harmonious frame, 5 Preserving laws eternally the same: p. 196 Thy all-composing pow'r in heaven appears, Connects its frame, and props the starry spheres; And shakes weak Envy with tremendous sound, Toss'd by thy arm in giddy whirls around. 10 'Tis thine, the life of mortals to defend, And crown existence with a blessed end; For thy command and alone, of all that lives Order and rule to ev'ry dwelling gives: Ever observant of the upright mind, 15 And of just actions the companion kind; Foe to the lawless, with avenging ire, Their steps involving in destruction dire. Come, bless, abundant pow'r, whom all revere, By all desir'd, with favr'ing mind draw near; 20 Give me thro' life, on thee to fix my fight, And ne'er forsake the equal paths of right.
Themes
Asha Cosmic Ordercosmology

Truth as the fundamental structure of reality.

Law is presented as the fundamental structure of truth and reality, though the cultural context is Greek rather than Zoroastrian.

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Correspondencecosmology

The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.

Law is described as stamping the earth while its power appears in heaven, suggesting a reflection between realms.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

A clear opposition is drawn between the righteous Law and the lawless/Envy who face destruction.

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Divine Providencetheology

Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.

The text describes the divine actively preserving laws and defending the life of mortals toward a blessed end.

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Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

The passage implies judgment and dire destruction for those who are lawless or oppose the divine order.

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Logoscosmology

The divine reason, word, or ordering principle through which the universe was created; mediates between the transcendent God and the material world.

Celestial Law functions as the divine ordering principle that connects heaven and earth and sustains the cosmos.

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Maat Cosmic Ordercosmology

The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike.

The hymn describes Law as the righteous seal and firm basis of nature, aligning with the definition's parallel to Greek dike.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The speaker requests the power to fix their sight on the divine Law throughout life.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The hymn invokes 'Celestial Law' as a specific divine name or title carrying power.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] Equity is described with human characteristics such as being a 'maid', having a 'mind', and being 'loquacious'.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] The goddess is addressed directly as a responsive entity who hears and acts upon the prayers of mortals.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

[auto] The text is explicitly a hymn addressed to a divine principle, containing direct petitions and invocations.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

[auto] The text explicitly mentions fumigation from frankincense, which requires fire as the medium for the offering.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

[auto] The passage emphasizes 'judgments pure' and utilizes fumigation, a practice associated with ritual cleansing.

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Related passages · 6 parallels
egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 8 (part 7)
The sacred Form, beloved, terrible and mighty in his two risings (?), the lord of space, the mighty one of the form of Khepera, who came into existence through Khepera, the lord of the form of Khepera; when he came into being nothing existe…”
Both passages describe a divine principle that governs the universe and provides order and light. The Orphic Hymn emphasizes Law as the righteous seal and basis of nature, while the Egyptian text describes the divine creator as the source of light and order, governing the world with eternal power.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXII
LXII. Judgement of the Kings and the Mighty: Blessedness of the Righteous . CHAPTER LXII. 1. And thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted, and those who dwell on the earth, and said: 'Open your eyes and lift up your…”
Both passages emphasize the concept of divine law and righteousness, with a focus on the judgment and reward of the righteous and the punishment of the unrighteous. They share a vision of cosmic order and justice, though they come from different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXIII
LXIII. The unavailing Repentance of the Kings and the Mighty . CHAPTER LXIII. 1. In those days shall the mighty and the kings who possess the earth implore (Him) to grant them a little respite from His angels of punishment to whom they were…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of divine law and righteousness, highlighting the consequences for those who adhere to or disregard these principles. They share a reverence for a higher power that governs the universe and human behavior.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXXXI
LXXXI. The Heavenly Tablets and the Mission of Enoch . CHAPTER LXXXI. 1. And he said unto me: 'Observe, Enoch, these heavenly tablets, And read what is written thereon, And mark every individual fact.' p. 108 2 And I observed the heavenly t…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of divine law and righteousness, highlighting the role of cosmic order and the consequences of adhering to or violating it. They share a theme of moral guidance and the ultimate judgment of actions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXXXIV
CHAPTER LXXXIV. 1. And I lifted up my hands in righteousness and blessed the Holy and Great One, and spake with the breath of my mouth, and with the p. 113 tongue of flesh, which God has made for the children of the flesh of men, that they…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of divine law and righteousness, with the Orphic Hymn focusing on the cosmic order and the Enochian passage on divine judgment and the establishment of righteousness. They share a reverence for divine authority and the moral framework it provides.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 669
Section 30 30. Whether pleasure must enter into the good, so that life in the contemplation of the divine things and especially of their source remains still imperfect, is a question not to be ignored in any enquiry into the nature of the g…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of justice, virtue, and the pursuit of good. Passage A focuses on Equity as a divine power that guides human conduct towards justice and harmony, while Passage B discusses the concept of good and the role of Intellectual-Principle in guiding the soul towards virtue and right action.