Tethys I call, with eyes cerulean bright,
Hid in a veil obscure from human sight;
Great Ocean's empress, wandering through the deep,
And pleased with gentle gales, the earth to sweep;
Whose blessed waves in swift succession go,
And lash the rocky shore with endless flow:
Delighting in the Sea serene to play,
In ships exulting and the watery way.
Mother of Venus, and of clouds obscure,
Great nurse of beasts, and source of fountains pure.
O venerable Goddess, hear my prayer,
And make benevolent my life thy care;
Send, blessed queen, to ships a prosperous breeze,
And waft them safely over the stormy seas.
Orphic Hymn
(translation by T. Taylor)
(Goddess Tethys: mosaic in the Antakya Museum, Antioch, Turkey)
For more devotions: In Her Name website
