This poem is found in Paris Lat. 13026 of the ninth century.  It has been
dated to the third and fourth centuries, and belongs somewhere in the
world of thought and practice usually and incorrectly thought of as
"pagan".  It is a prayer.  For similar awe in the presence of the sea and
its powers with a different religious overtone, see Augustine,
<i>Confessions</i> 6.1.1.  Text from Baehrens, Poetae Latini Minores
3.165; for literature, see Herzog-Schmidt, <i>Lateinische Literatur der
Antike</i> vol. 5 (Munich 1989; fr. trans. Turnhout 1993), item 553.1

<h1>ad Oceanum</h1>
<p>
Undarum rector, genitor maris, arbiter orbis,<br>
Oceane o placido conplectens omnia fluctu,<br>
Tu legem terris moderato limite signas,<br>
Tu pelagus quodcumque facis fontesque lacusque.<br>
Flumina quin etiam te norunt omnia patrem,<br>
Te potant nubes ut reddant frugibus imbres;<br>
Cyaneoque sinu caeli tu diceris oras<br>
Partibus ex cunctis inmensas cingere nexu.<br>
Tu fessos Phoebi reficis sub gurgite currus<br>
Exhaustisque die radiis alimenta ministras,<br>
Gentibus ut clarum referat lux aurea solem<br>
Si mare, si terras caelum mundumque gubernas:<br>
Me quoque cunctorum partem, uenerabilis, audi,<br>
Alme parens rerum, supplex precor.  ergo carinam<br>
Conserues, ubicumque tuo committere ponto<br>
Hanc animam, transire fretus et currere cursus<br>
Aequoris horrisoni sortis fera iussa iubebunt:<br>
Tende fauens glaucum per leuia dorsa profundum,<br>
Ac tantum tremulo crispentur caerula motu,<br>
Quantum uela ferant, quantum eximat otia remis;<br>
Sint fluctus, celerem ualeant qui pellere puppem,<br>
Quos numerare libens possim, quos cernere laetus;<br>
Seruet inoffensam laterum par linea libram,<br>
Et sulcante uiam rostro submurmuret unda.<br>
Da pater, ut tute liceat transmittere currum,<br>
Perfer ad optatos securo in litore portus<br>
Me comitesque meos.  quod cum permiseris esse,<br>
Reddam quas potero pleno pro munere grates.