Wine Blessing I

Bless,
O Agriampelos,
Lenaios, Methusos,
Oinodotēs,
and all the rest,
this rich beverage which you have made.
May it be a joyous medicine against sorrows
for all who drink of it, I pray, and grant
by the invocation of your holy names
that whoever tastes of it may,
from your generosity, sweet Lord,
receive wellness of both body and soul,
leading to inspiration and blessed madness
through the blood of great Dionysos, our Deliverer.

Wine Blessing II

King Bromios, as we drink this wine
let us remember that you are the giver of life,
the one who sets free;
you bring deep peace to our souls,
and your love flows within us like waves of purple.
As we pour out this wine
we see your sacrifice poured out for us.
We are witness to the depth of your grace and goodness,
and the pain you continuously suffer for us.

Wine Blessing III

This, O large-hearted Polygēthes,
is your greatest gift to care-worn mortals,
for it eases our suffering,
and when we are drunk from it
we are filled with joy and a lively spirit.
Without wine there would be no fine banquets,
no festivals, no sacrifices for the Gods,
and love would completely disappear from the world.
But wine is even more precious than that,
for this wine is your blood,
O Mad and Maddening One,
first poured out upon the black Earth
when the Titans set upon you
with their terrible knives.
A part of you dwells in each sip of wine,
and dwells within us when we drink it.
So hail, and thank you, O Bakcheios,
for your splendorous gift.

Wine Blessing IV

Bios. Thanatos. Bios.
It is through your death
and resurrection, Dionysos,
that we have both wine
and the eternal revelry
conferred by initiation.
Thanatos. Bios. Thanatos.
This cup is full
of your blessed mysteries,
and as we drink from it
may the remembrance
of them be awakened
within our hearts
and our minds.
Bios. Thanatos. Bios.

Wine Blessing V

Oh benevolent Bacchus,
most excellent master,
who loves and smiles upon
all his devotees,
our gratitude to you,
maker of the fruit of the vine,
bestower of countless blessings,
deliverer, and loosener of cares,
sacrificed bull whose spirit lives on
in the wine, and when drunk
arouses, excites, maddens,
inspires poetry and beatific visions,
and leads our hearts into deeper
communion with your own holy heart;
may this cup of your precious blood
crown our festivities, and give us a taste
of the joys that await your blessed initiates
on the other side.