The Ghost of RubangB on 28 May 2008
The original trilogy:
Link to the Past > Legend of Zelda > Adventure of Link
Ocarina timeline 1:
Ocarina of Time > Majora's Mask > Twilight Princess
Ocarina timeline 2:
Ocarina of Time > Wind Waker > Phantom Hourglass
I just can't which of those timelines leads into the original trilogy.
The only game that transcends all these timelines is Link's Awakening. No Zelda, no triforce, no Ganon. Although it can't be the first, because he goes to Koholint Island after a kickass adventure, so it could be anywhere after Ocarina.
