§12.1Ἤλυθες ὦ φίλε κοῦρε τρίτῃ σὺν νυκτὶ καὶ ἀοῖ;
Have you come, O beloved youth, with the third night and morning?
§12.2ἤλυθες· οἱ δὲ ποθεῦντες ἐν ἤματι γηράσκουσιν.
You have come; and those who long for another grow old in a single day.
§12.3ὅσσον ἔαρ χειμῶνος, ὅσον μᾶλον βραβίλοιο §12.4ἅδιον, ὅσσον ὄις σφετέρας λασιωτέρα ἀρνός, §12.5ὅσσον παρθενικὴ προφέρει τριγάμοιο γυναικός, §12.6ὅσσον ἐλαφροτέρη μόσχου νεβρός, ὅσσον ἀηδὼν §12.7συμπάντων λιγύφωνος ἀοιδοτάτη πετεηνῶν, §12.8τόσσον ἔμʼ εὔφρανας τὺ φανείς, σκιερὰν δʼ ὑπὸ φαγὸν §12.9ἀελίου φρύγοντος ὁδοιπόρος ἔδραμον ὥς τις.
As much as spring is sweeter than winter, as much as an apple than a sloe, as much as a sheep is shaggier than her lamb, as much as a maiden excels a thrice-married woman, as much as a fawn is nimbler than a heifer, as much as the nightingale is the most songful of all clear-voiced winged creatures, so much did you gladden me by appearing, and I ran beneath a shady oak like some traveler when the sun is scorching.
§12.10εἴθʼ ὁμαλοὶ πνεύσειαν ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν Ἔρωτες §12.11νῶιν, ἐπεσσομένοις δὲ γενοίμεθα πᾶσιν ἀοιδά.
Would that equal Loves might blow upon us both, and that we might become a song for all future generations.
§12.12θείω δή τινε τώδε μετὰ προτέροισι γενέσθην §12.13φῶθʼ, ὁ μὲν εἴσπνηλος, φαίη χʼ ὡμυκλαϊάσδων, §12.14τὸν δʼ ἕτερον πάλιν ὥς κεν ὁ Θεσσαλὸς εἴποι ἀίταν. §12.15ἀλλήλους δʼ ἐφίλησαν ἴσῳ ζυγῷ.
Indeed, there were two such divine men among those of old: one was the “inhaler,” as an Amyclaean would say, and the other again, as a Thessalian would call him, the “beloved.” And they loved each other with an equal yoke.
ἦ ῥα τότʼ ἦσαν §12.16χρύσειοι πάλιν ἄνδρες, ὃ κἀντεφίλησʼ ὁ φιληθείς.
Surely then there were golden men again, when the beloved loved in return.
§12.17εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο πάτερ Κρονίδα πέλοι, εἰ γὰρ ἀγήρῳ §12.18ἀθάνατοι, γενεαῖς δὲ διηκοσίαισιν ἔπειτα §12.19ἀγγείλειεν ἐμοί τις ἀνέξοδον εἰς Ἀχέροντα· §12.20ἡ σὴ νῦν φιλότης καὶ τοῦ χαρίεντος ἀίτεω §12.21πᾶσι διὰ στόματος, μετὰ δʼ ἠιθέοισι μάλιστα. §12.22ἀλλʼ ἤτοι τούτων μὲν ὑπέρτεροι Οὐρανίωνες §12.23ἔσσονθʼ ὡς ἐθέλοντι.
For would that this might be, O Father Cronides, and would that in immortal youth the immortals would let someone, after two hundred generations, bring word to me in Acheron, from which there is no return: ‘Your love now and that of your graceful beloved is on everyone's lips, and especially among the youths.’ But indeed, over these things the heavenly gods will decide as they will.
ἐγὼ δέ σε τὸν καλὸν αἰνέων §12.24ψεύδεα ῥινὸς ὕπερθεν ἀραιᾶς οὐκ ἀναφύσω.
But I, in praising you who are beautiful, will not raise up falsehoods upon the tip of my slender nose.
§12.25ἢν γὰρ καί τι δάκῃς, τὸ μὲν ἀβλαβὲς εὐθὺς ἔθηκας, §12.26διπλάσιον δʼ ὤνασας, ἔχων δʼ ἐπίμετρον ἀπῆνθον.
For even if you bite me in something, you straightway make it harmless, and you benefit me twofold, and I go away with a measure running over.
§12.27Νισαῖοι Μεγαρῆες ἀριστεύοντες ἐρετμοῖς, §12.28ὄλβιοι οἰκείοιτε, τὸν Ἀττικὸν ὡς περίαλλα §12.29ξεῖνον ἐτιμήσασθε Διοκλέα τὸν φιλόπαιδα.
O Megarians of Nisa, excelling in oars, may you dwell in happiness, since exceedingly beyond others you honored the Attic stranger Diocles, the lover of boys.
Always around his tomb, thronging in early spring, the boys contend to carry off the prize of the kiss.
§12.32ὃς δέ κε προσμάξῃ γλυκερώτερα χείλεσι χείλη, §12.33βριθόμενος στεφάνοισιν ἑὰν ἐς μητέρʼ ἀπῆνθεν.
And whoever presses lips most sweetly to lips, goes back to his mother laden with wreaths.
§12.34ὄλβιος, ὅστις παισὶ φιλήματα κεῖνα διαιτᾷ.
Happy is he who judges those kisses for the boys.
§12.35ἦ που τὸν χαροπὸν Γανυμήδεα πόλλʼ ἐπιβωτᾷ §12.36Λυδίῃ ἶσον ἔχειν πέτρῃ στόμα, χρυσὸν ὁποίῃ §12.37πεύθονται μὴ φαῦλος ἐτήτυμω ἀργυραμοιβοί.
Surely he calls much upon the bright-eyed Ganymede to have a mouth equal to the Lydian stone, with which money-changers test gold, whether it be genuine and not base.