Strong-armed Hephaistos, maker of miracles,
creator of the inconceivable, deviser
of clever machines, from your skillful hands
come intricacies undreamt of, gold and jewels
to please a goddess. Artisans and blacksmiths,
craftsmen and wrights of every trade, all look to you
for insight and revelation, all feel your hand
upon their own when in need of inspiration.
Hephaistos, visionary, you see beyond
what is practical, beyond what is beautiful.
In your hands molten metal flows like water,
takes its form like clay, swift and precise, each work
becoming more than what it is, each piece instilled
with the spark of the divine. Deep-hearted god,
Hephaistos, I praise you for the gifts you grant us,
I praise you for the ideal of artistry.