The Birth of Pan and His Wandering in the Wilds — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 19 to Pan, lines 1–49, Greek & English

ἀμφί¹ μοι Ἑρμείαο φίλον γόνον ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα,

Tell me, Muse, of the dear son of Hermes,

αἰγιπόδην, δικέρωτα, φιλόκροτον, ὅστ’ ἀνὰ πίση

goat-footed, two-horned, lover of the din, who through the wooded

δενδρήεντ’ ἄμυδις φοιτᾷ χορογηθέσι νύμφαις,

meadows wanders together with the dance-loving nymphs,

αἵ τε κατ’ αἰγίλιπος πέτρης στείβουσι κάρηνα

who tread the peaks of the sheer rock,

Πᾶν’ ἀνακεκλόμεναι, νόμιον θεόν, ἀγλαέθειρον,

calling upon Pan, the pastoral god of the splendid hair,

αὐχμήενθ᾽, ὃς πάντα λόφον νιφόεντα λέλογχε

the unkempt one, who has obtained as his domain every snowy ridge,

καὶ κορυφὰς ὀρέων καὶ πετρήεντα κάρηνα.

and mountain peaks and rocky summits.

φοιτᾷ δ’ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διὰ ῥωπήια πυκνά,

He wanders hither and thither through the thick brushwood,

ἄλλοτε μὲν ῥείθροισιν ἐφελκόμενος μαλακοῖσιν,

sometimes drawn by the gentle streams,

ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖ πέτρῃσιν ἐν ἠλιβάτοισι διοιχνεῖ,

and sometimes again he passes among the sheer cliffs,

ἀκροτάτην κορυφὴν μηλοσκόπον εἰσαναβαίνων.

climbing up to the highest peak that watches over the sheep.

πολλάκι δ’ ἀργινόεντα διέδραμεν οὔρεα μακρά,

Often he runs through the gleaming high mountains,

πολλάκι δ’ ἐν κνημοῖσι διήλασε θῆρας ἐναίρων,

and often he drives through the glens, slaying wild beasts,

ὀξέα δερκόμενος· τότε δ’ ἕσπερος ἔκλαγεν οἶον

looking sharply; and then at evening he cries out alone,

ἄγρης ἐξανιών, δονάκων ὕπο μοῦσαν ἀθύρων

returning from the chase, playing a sweet tune under the reeds,

νήδυμον· οὐκ ἂν τόν γε παραδράμοι² ἐν μελέεσσιν

sweet; not even a bird could surpass him in melody,

ὄρνις, ἥτ’ ἔαρος πολυανθέος ἐν πετάλοισι

the bird which in the leaves of flowery spring,

θρῆνον ἐπιπροχέουσ’ ἀχέει μελίγηρυν ἀοιδήν.

pouring forth her lament, pours out her sweet-sounding song.

σὺν δέ σφιν τότε Νύμφαι ὀρεστιάδες λιγύμολποι

And with them then the clear-singing mountain Nymphs,

φοιτῶσαι πύκα ποσσὶν ἐπὶ κρήνῃ μελανύδρῳ

thronging with swift steps near the dark-watered spring,

μέλπονται· κορυφὴν δὲ περιστένει οὔρεος Ἠχώ·

sing; and Echo moans around the mountain top.

δαίμων δ’ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χορῶν, τοτὲ δ’ ἐς μέσον ἕρπων,

And the god, moving hither and thither in the dances, and sometimes stepping into the middle,

πυκνὰ ποσὶν διέπει, λαῖφος δ’ ἐπὶ νῶτα δαφοινὸν

leads it with swift steps, and on his back a tawny skin

λυγκὸς ἔχει, λιγυρῇσιν ἀγαλλόμενος φρένα μολπαῖς

of a lynx he wears, rejoicing in his heart with clear-sounding songs,

ἐν μαλακῷ λειμῶνι, τόθι κρόκος ἠδ’ ὑάκινθος

in a soft meadow, where crocus and sweet-scented hyacinth

εὐώδης θαλέθων καταμίσγεται ἄκριτα ποίῃ.

blooming, mingle confusedly with the grass.

ὑμνεῦσιν δὲ θεοὺς μάκαρας καὶ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον·

And they sing of the blessed gods and high Olympus;

οἷόν θ’ Ἑρμείην ἐριούνιον ἔξοχον ἄλλων

and especially they tell of luck-bringing Hermes above others,

ἔννεπον, ὡς³ ὅ γ’ ἅπασι θεοῖς θοὸς ἄγγελός ἐστι,

telling how he is the swift messenger to all the gods,

καί ῥ’ ὅ γ’ ἐς Ἀρκαδίην πολυπίδακα, μητέρα μήλων,

and how he came to Arcadia of many springs, mother of sheep,

ἐξίκετ᾽, ἔνθα τέ οἱ τέμενος Κυλληνίου ἐστίν.

where there is a sanctuary for him as Cyllenian.

ἔνθ’ ὅ γε καὶ θεὸς ὢν ψαφαρότριχα μῆλ’ ἐνόμευεν

There he, though being a god, tended the shaggy-fleeced sheep

ἀνδρὶ πάρα θνητῷ θάλε γὰρ πόθος ὑγρὸς ἐπελθὼν

for a mortal man; for a melting desire came upon him and bloomed

νύμφῃ ἐυπλοκάμῳ Δρύοπος φιλότητι μιγῆναι·

to mingle in love with the fair-tressed daughter of Dryops;

ἐκ δ’ ἐτέλεσσε γάμον θαλερόν. τέκε δ’ ἐν μεγάροισιν

and he accomplished the fruitful marriage. And she bore in the halls

Ἑρμείῃ φίλον υἱόν, ἄφαρ τερατωπὸν ἰδέσθαι,

to Hermes a dear son, straightway monstrous to behold,

αἰγιπόδην, δικέρωτα, φιλόκροτον, ἡδυγέλωτα·

goat-footed, two-horned, lover of the din, sweet-laughing.

φεῦγε δ’ ἀναΐξασα, λίπεν δ’ ἄρα παῖδα τιθήνη

And the nurse sprang up and fled, and left the child,

δεῖσε γάρ, ὡς ἴδεν ὄψιν ἀμείλιχον, ἠυγένειον.

for she was afraid when she saw his ungentle, bearded face.

τὸν δ’ αἶψ’ Ἑρμείας ἐριούνιος εἰς χέρα θῆκε

But luck-bringing Hermes straightway took him in his hands,

δεξάμενος, χαῖρεν δὲ νόῳ περιώσια δαίμων.

receiving him, and the god rejoiced exceedingly in his mind.

ῥίμφα δ’ ἐς ἀθανάτων ἕδρας κίε παῖδα καλύψας

Swiftly he went to the dwellings of the immortals, wrapping the child

δέρμασιν ἐν πυκινοῖσιν ὀρεσκῴοιο λαγωοῦ

in the thick skins of a mountain hare,

πὰρ δὲ Ζηνὶ κάθιζε καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισι,

and he seated him by Zeus and the other immortals,

δεῖξε δὲ κοῦρον ἑόν· πάντες δ’ ἄρα θυμὸν ἔτερφθεν

and showed his boy; and all the immortals were delighted in heart,

ἀθάνατοι, περίαλλα δ’ ὁ Βάκχειος Διόνυσος·

and above all Bacchic Dionysus;

Πᾶνα δέ μιν καλέεσκον, ὅτι φρένα πᾶσιν ἔτερψε.

and they called him Pan, because he delighted the hearts of all.

καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε, ἄναξ, ἵλαμαι δέ σ’ ἀοιδῇ

And so fare thee well, lord, I propitiate thee with song;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ’ ἀοιδῆς.

but I will remember both thee and another song.

Syntax notes3 items

1ἀμφί
The preposition ἀμφί here governs the accusative γόνον (with its modifying adjectives extending into the next lines) meaning 'about' or 'concerning'. The dative pronoun μοι functions as a dative of interest or reference with the imperative verb ἔννεπε ('tell me' or 'sing for me').
16οὐκ ἂν τόν γε παραδράμοι
A potential optative construction consisting of the particle ἄν and the aorist optative παραδράμοι (from παρατρέχω, 'to surpass, outrun'). The subject is ὄρνις (bird) in the following line, expressing a strong potential or conjectural negative: 'not even a bird could surpass him (in song).'
28οἷόν θ’ ... ἔννεπον, ὡς
The verb ἔννεπον ('they sang of') governs both the direct object with the exclamatory/relative pronoun οἷόν θ’ Ἑρμείην ('what kind of Hermes...') and the indirect statement clause introduced by ὡς ('how he is...'). This structure allows the poets to transition from praising Hermes' general character to explaining his specific role.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-18)

2026-10-18 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg019.humanitext-grc2:1-49