The Pomegranate Seed, Persephone's Return, and Reunion — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter, lines 359–425, Greek & English

359

ἐσσυμένως δʼ ἐκέλευσε δαΐφρονι Περσεφονείῃ·

He eagerly commanded wise Persephone:

360

ἔρχεο, Περσεφόνη, παρὰ μητέρα κυανόπεπλον

”Go, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother,

ἤπιον ἐν στήθεσσι μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἔχουσα,

having a gentle mind and heart in your breast,

μηδέ τι δυσθύμαινε λίην περιώσιον ἄλλων·¹

and do not be at all too despondent, excessively beyond others.

οὔ τοι ἐν ἀθανάτοισιν ἀεικὴς ἔσσομʼ ἀκοίτης,

Indeed, I shall be no unseemly husband for you among the immortals,

αὐτοκασίγνητος πατρὸς Διός· ἔνθα δʼ ἐοῦσα

being the own brother of father Zeus. And being there,

365

δεσπόσσεις πάντων ὁπόσα ζώει τε καὶ ἕρπει,

you shall rule over all things that live and move,

τιμὰς δὲ σχήσησθα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι μεγίστας.

and you shall have the greatest honors among the immortals.

τῶν δʼ ἀδικησάντων τίσις ἔσσεται ἤματα πάντα,

And there shall be vengeance for all days upon those who wrong you,

οἵ κεν μὴ θυσίῃσι τεὸν μένος ἱλάσκωνται

who do not propitiate your power with sacrifices,

εὐαγέως ἔρδοντες, ἐναίσιμα δῶρα τελοῦντες.

performing them piously and paying fitting gifts.”

370

ὣς φάτο· γήθησεν δὲ περίφρων Περσεφόνεια,

Thus he spoke; and wise Persephone rejoiced,

καρπαλίμως δʼ ἀνόρουσʼ ὑπὸ χάρματος· αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ αὐτὸς

and swiftly she leapt up from joy. But he himself

ῥοιῆς κόκκον ἔδωκε φαγεῖν μελιηδέα λάθρῃ,

secretly gave her a sweet pomegranate seed to eat,

ἀμφὶ ἓ νωμήσας,² ἵνα μὴ μένοι ἤματα πάντα

having turned it around himself, so that she might not remain for all days

αὖθι παρʼ αἰδοίῃ Δημήτερι κυανοπέπλῳ.

there with revered, dark-robed Demeter.

375

ἵππους δὲ προπάροιθεν ὑπὸ χρυσέοισιν ὄχεσφιν

And in front of the golden chariot, the horses,

ἔντυεν ἀθανάτους Πολυσημάντωρ Ἀιδωνευς.

immortal ones, many-ruling Aidoneus harnessed.

ἣ δʼ ὀχέων ἐπέβη, πάρα δὲ κρατὺς Ἀργειφόντης

And she mounted the chariot, and beside her strong Argos-slayer,

ἡνία καὶ μάστιγα λαβὼν μετὰ χερσὶ φίλῃσι

having taken the reins and whip in his own hands,

σεῦε διὲκ μεγάρων· τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην.

drove them forth through the halls; and the two horses flew not unwillingly.

380

ῥίμφα δὲ μακρὰ κέλευθα διήνυσαν· οὐδὲ θάλασσα

And swiftly they accomplished the long paths; nor did the sea,

οὔθʼ ὕδωρ ποταμῶν οὔτʼ ἄγκεα ποιήεντα

nor the water of rivers, nor the grassy valleys,

ἵππων ἀθανάτων οὔτʼ ἄκριες ἔσχεθον ὁρμήν,

nor the mountain peaks, hold back the rush of the immortal horses,

ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτάων βαθὺν ἠέρα τέμνον ἰόντες.

but going above them, they cut through the deep air.

στῆσε δʼ ἄγων, ὅθι μίμνεν ἐυστέφανος Δημήτηρ,

And he brought them and stopped where fair-crowned Demeter was waiting,

385

νηοῖο προπάροιθε θυώδεος· ἣ δὲ ἰδοῦσα

in front of the fragrant temple. But she, seeing her,

ἤιξʼ, ἠύτε μαινὰς ὄρος κάτα δάσκιον ὕλῃ.

rushed, like a maenad down a mountain thick with forest.

Περσεφόνη δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐπεὶ ἴδεν ὄμματα καλὰ

And Persephone, on the other side, when she saw the beautiful eyes

μητρὸς ἑῆς κατʼ ἄρʼ ἥ γʼ ὄχεα προλιποῦσα καὶ ἵππους

of her mother, leaving the chariot and the horses,

ἆλτο θέειν, δειρῇ δέ οἱ ἔμπεσε ἀμφιχυθεῖσα·

leapt to run, and fell upon her neck, throwing her arms around her.

390

τῇ δὲ φίλην ἔτι παῖδα ἑῇς μετὰ χερσὶν ἐχούσῃ³

But to her, while still holding her dear child in her hands,

αἶψα δόλον θυμός τινʼ ὀίσατο, τρέσσε δʼ ἄρʼ αἰνῶς

suddenly her heart suspected some guile, and she trembled terribly,

παυομένη φιλότητος, ἄφαρ δʼ ἐρεείνετο μύθῳ·

ceasing from affection, and immediately she questioned her with speech:

τέκνον, μή ῥά τι μοι σύ γε πάσσαο νέρθεν ἐοῦσα

”Child, did you not perhaps taste any food while being below?

βρώμης; ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθʼ, ἵνα εἴδομεν ἄμφω·

Speak out, do not hide it, so that we both may know.

395

ὣς μὲν γάρ κεν ἐοῦσα παρὰ στυγεροῦ Ἀίδαο

For if indeed you did not, being from loathsome Hades,

καὶ παρʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ πατρὶ κελαινεφέϊ Κρονίωνι

both with me and with your father, dark-clouded son of Cronos,

ναιετάοις⁴ πάντεσσι τετιμένη ἀθανάτοισιν.

you would dwell, honored by all the immortals.

εἰ δʼ ἐπάσω, πάλιν αὖτις ἰοῦσʼ ὑπὸ κεύθεσι γαίης

But if you tasted, going back again beneath the depths of the earth,

οἰκήσεις ὡρέων τρίτατον μέρος εἰς ἐνιαυτόν,

you shall dwell for a third part of the seasons in the year,

400

τὰς δὲ δύω παρʼ ἐμοί τε καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισιν.

and the other two parts with me and the other immortals.

ὁππότε δʼ ἄνθεσι γαῖʼ εὐώδεσιν εἰαρινοῖσι

And whenever the earth with fragrant spring flowers

παντοδαποῖς θάλλῃ, τόθʼ ὑπὸ ζόφου ἠερόεντος

of all kinds blooms, then from the murky gloom

αὖτις ἄνει μέγα θαῦμα θεοῖς θνητοῖς τʼ ἀνθρώποις.

again shall come up, a great wonder to gods and mortal humans.

εἶπε δὲ πῶς σʼ ἥρπαξεν ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠερόεντα

But tell me, how did he snatch you away to the murky gloom,

καὶ τίνι σʼ ἐξαπάτησε δόλῳ κρατερὸς Πολυδέγμων;

and with what guile did strong Polydegmon deceive you?”

405

τὴν δʼ αὖ Περσεφόνη περικαλλὴς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And to her beautiful Persephone spoke in turn:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, μῆτερ, ἐρέω νημερτέα πάντα·

”Therefore indeed, mother, I shall tell you all the truth.

εὖτέ μοι Ἑρμῆς ἦλθʼ ἐριούνιος ἄγγελος ὠκὺς

When Hermes came to me, the swift, helpful messenger,

πὰρ πατέρος Κρονιδαο καὶ ἄλλων Οὐρανιώνων,

from father, son of Cronos, and the other heavenly ones,

ἐλθεῖν ἐξ Ἐρέβευς, ἵνα ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδοῦσα

to come out of Erebus, so that seeing me with your eyes

410

λήξαις ἀθανάτοισι χόλου καὶ μήνιος αἰνῆς,

you might cease from your anger and terrible wrath against the immortals,

αὐτίκʼ ἐγὼν ἀνόρουσʼ ὑπὸ χάρματος· αὐτὰρ ὃ λάθρῃ

immediately I leapt up from joy; but he secretly

ἔμβαλέ μοι ῥοιῆς κόκκον, μελιηδέʼ ἐδωδήν,

cast into my mouth a pomegranate seed, a sweet food,

ἄκουσαν δὲ βίῃ με προσηνάγκασσε πάσασθαι.

and forced me to taste it against my will by violence.

ὡς δέ μʼ ἀναρπάξας Κρονίδεω πυκινὴν διὰ μῆτιν

And how he snatched me away through the shrewd counsel of the son of Cronos,

415

ᾤχετο πατρὸς ἐμοῖο, φέρων ὑπὸ κεύθεα γαίης,

and went away carrying me beneath the depths of the earth,

ἐξερέω,⁵ καὶ πάντα διίξομαι, ὡς ἐρεείνεις.

I shall speak out, and go through everything, as you ask.

ἡμεῖς μὲν μάλα πᾶσαι ἀνʼ ἱμερτὸν λειμῶνα,

We indeed, all of us, in the lovely meadow,

Λευκίππη Φαινώ τε καὶ Ἠλέκτρη καὶ Ἰάνθη

Leucippe and Phaeno and Electra and Ianthe

καὶ Μελίτη Ἰάχη τε Ῥόδειά τε Καλλιρόη τε

and Melite and Iache and Rhodeia and Callirhoe

420

Μηλόβοσίς τε Τύχη τε καὶ Ὠκυρόη καλυκῶπις

and Melobosis and Tyche and bud-faced Ocyrhoe

Χρυσηίς τʼ Ἰάνειρά τʼ Ἀκάστη τʼ Ἀδμήτη τε

and Chryseis and Ianeira and Acaste and Admete

καὶ Ῥοδόπη Πλουτώ τε καὶ ἱμερόεσσα Καλυψὼ

and Rhodope and Pluto and lovely Calypso

καὶ Στὺξ Οὐρανίη τε Γαλαξαύρη τʼ ἐρατεινὴ

and Styx and heavenly Galaxaura and lovely

Παλλάς τʼ ἐγρεμάχη καὶ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα,

Pallas who rouses to battle and Artemis who pours arrows,

425

παίζομεν ἠδʼ ἄνθεα δρέπομεν χείρεσσʼ ἐρόεντα,

were playing and gathering lovely flowers with our hands,

Syntax notes5 items

362περιώσιον ἄλλων
The adverbial neuter accusative περιώσιον is accompanied by the genitive of comparison ἄλλων, meaning "excessively beyond others."
373ἀμφὶ ἓ νωμήσας
The third-person reflexive pronoun ἓ as the object of the participle νωμήσας refers to Hades himself, meaning "having turned [it/his mind] around himself" or "having managed things around himself."
390τῇ δὲ ... ἐχούσῃ
The dative participle phrase τῇ... ἐχούσῃ functions as a dative of interest (or possession) in relation to the main subject θυμός (heart), meaning "to her, while still holding her child, her heart suspected."
395κεν ... ναιετάοις
The particle κεν with the optative ναιετάοις, introduced by ὡς (meaning "thus"), forms an apodosis of a conditional clause expressing a potential or contrary-to-fact situation ("you would dwell"), with the protasis ("if you had not eaten") being implied.
414ὡς δέ μʼ ἀναρπάξας ... ἐξερέω
The clause introduced by the relative adverb ὡς forms an indirect question acting as the object of the main verb ἐξερέω ("I shall tell"), meaning "and how he snatched me away."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:359-425