The Delian Festival and Apollo's Ascent to Olympus — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 3 to Apollo, lines 138–208, Greek & English

138

νήσων ἠπείρου τε, φίλησε δὲ κηρόθι μᾶλλον.]

[of islands and mainland, and loved her most deeply in his heart.]

ἤνθησʼ, ὡς ὅτε τε ῥίον οὔρεος ἄνθεσιν ὕλης.

It blossomed as when a mountain peak blossoms with the flowers of the forest.

140

αὐτὸς δʼ, ἀργυρότοξε, ἄναξ ἑκατηβόλʼ Ἄπολλον,

You yourself, O lord of the silver bow, far-shooting Apollo,

ἄλλοτε μέν τʼ ἐπὶ Κύνθου ἐβήσαο παιπαλόεντος,

at one time walked upon rocky Cynthus,

ἄλλοτε δʼ ἂν νήσους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἠλάσκαζες.

and at another time you wandered among the islands and men.

πολλοί τοι νηοί τε καὶ ἄλσεα δενδρήεντα·

Many indeed are your temples and woody groves;

πᾶσαι δὲ σκοπιαί τε φίλαι καὶ πρώονες ἄκροι

and dear are all the lookouts and peak-ridges of high mountains,

145

ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων ποταμοί θʼ ἅλαδε προρέοντες·

and rivers flowing forth to the sea.

ἀλλὰ σὺ Δήλῳ, Φοῖβε, μάλιστʼ ἐπιτέρπεαι ἦτορ,

But in Delos, Phoebus, you most delight your heart,

ἔνθα τοι ἑλκεχίτωνες Ἰάονες ἠγερέθονται

where the long-robed Ionians gather,

αὐτοῖς σὺν παίδεσσι καὶ αἰδοίῃς ἀλόχοισιν.

with their children and revered wives.

οἱ δέ σε πυγμαχίῃ τε καὶ ὀρχηθμῷ καὶ ἀοιδῇ

And they, mindful of you, delight you with boxing and dance and song,

150

μνησάμενοι τέρπουσιν, ὅτʼ ἄν στήσωνται ἀγῶνα.

whenever they ordain a contest.

φαίη κʼ ἀθανάτους καὶ ἀγήρως ἔμμεναι αἰεί,

One would say they are immortal and ever ageless,

ὃς τόθʼ ὑπαντιάσειʼ,¹ ὅτʼ Ἰάονες ἀθρόοι εἶεν·

who should then meet them when the Ionians are gathered together.

πάντων γάρ κεν ἴδοιτο χάριν, τέρψαιτο δὲ θυμὸν

For he would behold the grace of them all, and would delight his heart,

ἄνδρας τʼ εἰσορόων καλλιζώνους τε γυναῖκας

beholding the men and the beautifully-girdled women,

155

νῆάς τʼ ὠκείας ἠδʼ αὐτῶν κτήματα πολλά.

and the swift ships and their many possessions.

πρὸς δὲ τόδε μέγα θαῦμα, ὅου κλέος οὔποτʼ ὀλεῖται,

And besides this, there is a great wonder, whose fame shall never perish,

κοῦραι Δηλιάδες, ἑκατηβελέταο θεράπναι·

the Delian maidens, handmaidens of the Far-shooter;

αἵ τʼ ἐπεὶ ἂρ πρῶτον μὲν Ἀπόλλωνʼ ὑμνήσωσιν,

who, when they have first sung of Apollo,

αὖτις δʼ αὖ Λητώ τε καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν,

and next indeed of Leto and Artemis who pours forth arrows,

160

μνησάμεναι ἀνδρῶν τε παλαιῶν ἠδὲ γυναικῶν

and having remembered the men and women of old,

ὕμνον ἀείδουσιν, θέλγουσι δὲ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων.

they sing a hymn and charm the tribes of men.

πάντων δʼ ἀνθρώπων φωνὰς καὶ βαμβαλιαστὺν

And they know how to imitate the voices and clattering tongues of all men;

μιμεῖσθʼ ἴσασιν·² φαίη δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος

each man indeed would say that he himself

φθέγγεσθʼ· οὕτω σφιν καλὴ συνάρηρεν ἀοιδή.

were speaking; so beautifully is their sweet song fitted together.

165

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ἱλήκοι μὲν Ἀπόλλων Ἀρτέμιδι ξύν,

But come now, may Apollo with Artemis be propitious,

χαίρετε δʼ ὑμεῖς πᾶσαι· ἐμεῖο δὲ καὶ μετόπισθεν

and farewell to you all. And remember me also in aftertimes,

μνήσασθʼ, ὁππότε κέν τις ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων

whenever any of earth-dwelling men,

ἐνθάδ’ ἀνείρηται ξεῖνος ταλαπείριος ἐλθών·

a stranger who has suffered much, comes here and asks:

ὦ κοῦραι, τίς δʼ ὔμμιν ἀνὴρ ἥδιστος ἀοιδῶν

”O maidens, who is the sweetest of singers to you

170

ἐνθάδε πωλεῖται, καὶ τέῳ τέρπεσθε μάλιστα;

who comes here, and in whom do you most delight?”

ὑμεῖς δʼ εὖ μάλα πᾶσαι ὑποκρίνασθαι³ ἀφήμως·

And do you all reply, with one voice, right well:

τυφλὸς ἀνήρ, οἰκεῖ δὲ Χίῳ ἔνι παιπαλοέσσῃ

”A blind man, and he dwells in rocky Chios,

τοῦ πᾶσαι μετόπισθεν ἀριστεύσουσιν ἀοιδαί.

all of whose songs will remain supreme in aftertimes.”

ἡμεῖς δʼ ὑμέτερον κλέος οἴσομεν, ὅσσον ἐπʼ αἶαν

And we will carry your fame, as far as we roam

175

ἀνθρώπων στρεφόμεσθα πόλεις εὖ ναιεταώσας·

over the earth among the well-populated cities of men;

οἳ δʼ ἐπὶ δὴ πείσονται, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐτήτυμόν ἐστιν.

and they indeed will believe it, since it is truly so.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν οὐ λήξω ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα

But I will never cease from hymning far-shooting Apollo

ὑμνέων ἀργυρότοξον, ὃν ἠύκομος τέκε Λητώ.

of the silver bow, whom beautiful-haired Leto bore.

ὦ ἄνα, καὶ Λυκίην καὶ Μῃονίην ἐρατεινὴν

O lord, you hold Lycia and lovely Maeonia

180

καὶ Μίλητον ἔχεις, ἔναλον πόλιν ἱμερόεσσαν,

and Miletus, the charming city by the sea,

αὐτὸς δʼ αὖ Δήλοιο περικλύστοιο μέγʼ ἀνάσσεις.

and you yourself also rule greatly over sea-washed Delos.

εἶσι δὲ φορμίζων Λητοῦς ἐρικυδέος υἱὸς

And the glorious son of Leto goes playing his lyre,

φόρμιγγι γλαφυρῇ πρὸς Πυθὼ πετρήεσσαν,

with his hollow lyre, towards rocky Pytho,

ἄμβροτα εἵματʼ ἔχων τεθυωμένα· τοῖο δὲ φόρμιγξ

wearing immortal garments, fragrant; and his lyre

185

χρυσέου ὑπὸ πλήκτρου καναχὴν ἔχει ἱμερόεσσαν.

has a lovely sound beneath his golden plectrum.

ἔνθεν δὲ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἀπὸ χθονός, ὥστε νόημα,

Thence from the earth to Olympus, swift as a thought,

εἶσι Διὸς πρὸς δῶμα θεῶν μεθʼ ὁμήγυριν ἄλλων.

he goes to the house of Zeus, to the assembly of the other gods.

αὐτίκα δʼ ἀθανάτοισι μέλει κίθαρις καὶ ἀοιδή·

And immediately lyre and song are the care of the immortals;

Μοῦσαι μέν θʼ ἅμα πᾶσαι ἀμειβόμεναι ὀπὶ καλῇ

and the Muses all together, replying with sweet voice,

190

ὑμνεῦσίν ῥα θεῶν δῶρʼ ἄμβροτα ἠδʼ ἀνθρώπων

hymn the immortal gifts of the gods, and the sufferings

τλημοσύνας, ὅσʼ ἔχοντες ὑπʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι

of men, which they, having under the immortal gods,

ζώουσʼ ἀφραδέες καὶ ἀμήχανοι, οὐδὲ δύνανται

live, witless and helpless, nor are they able

εὑρέμεναι θανάτοιό τʼ ἄκος καὶ γήραος ἄλκαρ·

to find a cure for death or a defense against old age.

αὐτὰρ ἐυπλόκαμοι Χάριτες καὶ ἐύφρονες Ὧραι

But the fair-tressed Graces and cheerful Hours

195

Ἁρμονίη θʼ Ἥβη τε Διὸς θυγάτηρ τʼ Ἀφροδίτη

and Harmonia and Hebe and Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus,

ὀρχεῦντʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔχουσαι·

dance, holding one another by the wrist.

τῇσι μὲν οὔτʼ αἰσχρὴ μεταμέλπεται οὔτʼ ἐλάχεια,

And among them sings one who is neither plain nor small,

ἀλλὰ μάλα μεγάλη τε ἰδεῖν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητή,

but is very tall to look upon and wondrous in form,

Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα ὁμότροφος Ἀπόλλωνι.

Artemis who pours forth arrows, reared with Apollo.

200

ἐν δʼ αὖ τῇσιν Ἄρης καὶ ἐύσκοπος Ἀργειφόντης

And again among them Ares and the keen-sighted Slayer of Argus

παίζουσʼ· αὐτὰρ ὁ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων ἐγκιθαρίζει

play; while Phoebus Apollo plays his lyre,

καλὰ καὶ ὕψι βιβάς· αἴγλη δέ μιν ἀμφιφαείνει

stepping beautifully and high; and a radiance shines around him,

μαρμαρυγαί τε ποδῶν καὶ ἐυκλώστοιο χιτῶνος.

the flashing of his feet and his well-spun chiton.

οἳ δʼ ἐπιτέρπονται θυμὸν μέγαν εἰσορόωντες

And they delight their great heart, beholding them,

205

Λητώ τε χρυσοπλόκαμος καὶ μητίετα Ζεὺς

golden-tressed Leto and wise Zeus,

υἷα φίλον παίζοντα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι.

beholding their dear son playing among the immortal gods.

πῶς τʼ ἄρ σʼ ὑμνήσω⁴ πάντως εὔυμνον ἐόντα;

How then shall I hymn you, who are in every way well-worthy of song?

ἠέ σʼ ἐνὶ μνηστῆρσιν ἀείδω καὶ φιλότητι,

Shall I sing of you among suitors and in love-making,

Syntax notes4 items

151φαίη κʼ... ὃς τόθʼ ὑπαντιάσειʼ
The optative with κε (φαίη κʼ, potential optative "one would say") combined with the optative ὑπαντιάσειε in the relative clause expresses a hypothetical condition ("if someone should meet them..., they would say...").
163μιμεῖσθʼ ἴσασιν
ἴσασι (third-person plural of οἶδα) with the infinitive μιμεῖσθαι (present infinitive of μιμέομαι) expresses knowing how to do something, i.e., "they know how to imitate.’
171ὑποκρίνασθαι
The aorist infinitive ὑποκρίνασθαι is used with the second-person pronoun ὑμεῖς to express a command in an independent clause (infinitive for imperative).
207πῶς τʼ ἄρ σʼ ὑμνήσω
Although ὑμνήσω resembles a future indicative, it is an aorist subjunctive used deliberatively with the interrogative πῶς to express a self-question: "how then shall I hymn you?"

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

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:138-208