Hymn to Aphrodite
by Michael Hornum, 1997
Hail to You, O Aphrodite, lovely haired, foam-born, holy Goddess,
Laughter-loving, revered companion of Bacchos, Ruler of the three Fates.
You delight in the creatures of the deep, as they dance in circles,
And in the sweet songs of the light-winged denizens of the air,
As they flutter from succulent flower to green tree to lofty bluff.
You conquer war, bringing stern Ares to rest in Your hallowed breast.
You triumph over death, bringing myrrh-born Adonis back from the house of Hades.
Daughter of Ouranos, You are the trace of the One throughout all aspects of Being and Becoming,
You are Beauty in all of its manifestations, the Beauty that gives birth to Desire,
And brings together in loving embrace the splendid totality of creatures.
In this way, O revered Goddess of generation, You engender and maintain the entire Kosmos,
And You are the vehicle for the full expression of the selfless giving of the One.
Truly, You alone also can turn Desire toward the goal of Divine Union.