§22.1Ὑμνέομεν Λήδας τε καὶ αἰγιόχου Διὸς υἱώ, §22.2Κάστορα καὶ φοβερὸν Πολυδεύκεα πὺξ ἐρεθίζειν §22.3χεῖρας ἐπιζεύξαντα μέσας βοέοισιν ἱμᾶσιν.
We sing of the two sons of Leda and aegis-bearing Zeus, Castor, and Polydeuces, fearsome to challenge in boxing, when he has bound ox-hide thongs around the middle of his hands.
§22.4ὑμνέομεν καὶ δὶς καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἄρσενα τέκνα §22.5κούρης Θεστιάδος, Λακεδαιμονίους δύʼ ἀδελφούς, §22.6ἀνθρώπων σωτῆρας ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἤδη ἐόντων, §22.7ἵππων θʼ αἱματόεντα ταρασσομένων καθʼ ὅμιλον, §22.8νηῶν θʼ, αἳ δύνοντα καὶ οὐρανὸν ἐξανύοντα §22.9ἄστρα βιαζόμεναι χαλεποῖς ἐνέκυρσαν ἀήταις.
We sing also a second and a third time of the male children of the daughter of Thestius, the two Lacedaemonian brothers, saviors of men who are already on the razor's edge, and of horses thrown into confusion in the bloody press, and of ships, which, defying the stars that sink and rise in heaven, have encountered grievous gales.
§22.10οἱ δέ σφεων κατὰ πρύμναν ἀείραντες μέγα κῦμα, §22.11ἠὲ καὶ ἐκ πρῴρηθεν, ἢ ὅππῃ θυμὸς ἑκάστου, §22.12ἐς κοίλην ἔρριψαν, ἀνέρρηξαν δʼ ἄρα τοίχους §22.13ἀμφοτέρους· κρέμαται δὲ σὺν ἱστίῳ ἄρμενα πάντα §22.14εἰκῇ ἀποκλασθέντα· πολὺς δʼ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὄμβρος §22.15νυκτὸς ἐφερπούσης· παταγεῖ δʼ εὐρεῖα θάλασσα, §22.16κοπτομένη πνοιαῖς τε καὶ ἀρρήκτοισι χαλάζαις.
And these gales, raising a great wave over the stern, or even from the prow, or wherever each wave's will directs, cast it into the hold, and shatter both the sides of the ship; and all the tackle hangs together with the sail, broken at random; and much rain falls from heaven as night comes on; and the wide sea resounds, beaten by the blasts and by the unbreakable hail.
§22.17ἀλλʼ ἔμπης ὑμεῖς γε καὶ ἐκ βυθοῦ ἕλκετε νῆας §22.18αὐτοῖσιν ναύτῃσιν ὀιομένοις θανέεσθαι· §22.19αἶψα δʼ ἀπολήγοντʼ ἄνεμοι, λιπαρὴ δὲ γαλάνη §22.20ἀμπέλαγος· νεφέλαι δὲ διέδραμον ἄλλυδις ἄλλαι· §22.21ἐκ δʼ ἄρκτοι τʼ ἐφάνησαν, ὄνων τʼ ἀνὰ μέσσον ἀμαυρὴ §22.22φάτνη σημαίνοισα τὰ πρὸς πλόον εὔδια πάντα.
But yet, you drag the ships even from the deep together with the sailors themselves, who thought they would die; and quickly the winds cease, and a sleek calm spreads over the sea; and the clouds run away, some here, some there; and the Bears appear, and in the midst of the Asses the faint Manger, signifying all things fair for sailing.
§22.23ὦ ἄμφω θνητοῖσι βοηθόοι, ὦ φίλοι ἄμφω, §22.24ἱππῆες κιθαρισταί, ἀεθλητῆρες ἀοιδοί· §22.25Κάστορος ἢ πρώτου Πολυδεύκεος ἄρξομʼ ἀείδειν;
O you both, helpers of mortals, O both beloved, horsemen, lyre-players, athletes, singers; Shall I begin to sing of Castor first, or of Polydeuces?
§22.26ἀμφοτέρους ὑμνέων Πολυδεύκεα πρῶτον ἀείσω.
Singing of both, I will sing of Polydeuces first.
§22.27Ἡμὲν ἄρα προφυγοῦσα πέτρας εἰς ἓν ξυνιούσας §22.28Ἀργὼ καὶ νιφόεντος ἀταρτηρὸν στόμα Πόντου §22.29Βέβρυκας εἰσαφίκανε θεῶν φίλα τέκνα φέρουσα.
She, then, having escaped the rocks that clash together and the sinister mouth of the snowy Pontus, arrived at the land of the Bebryces, carrying the beloved children of the gods.
There, many men down a single ladder from both sides of the ship of Jason made their descent.
§22.32ἐκβάντες δʼ ἐπὶ θῖνα βαθὺν καὶ ὑπήνεμον ἀκτὴν §22.33εὐνάς τʼ ἐστόρνυντο πυρεῖά τε χερσὶν ἐνώμων.
And having disembarked upon the deep sand and the sheltered shore, they strewed their beds and handled fire-sticks in their hands.
§22.34Κάστωρ δʼ αἰολόπωλος ὅ τʼ οἰνωπὸς Πολυδεύκης §22.35ἄμφω ἐρημάζεσκον ἀποπλαγχθέντες ἑταίρων, §22.36παντοίην ἐν ὄρει θηεύμενοι ἄγριον ὕλην.
And Castor of the swift steeds, and Polydeuces of the dark-wine look, both wandered away together, straying from their companions, marveling at the wild forest of every kind upon the mountain.
§22.37εὗρον δʼ ἀέναον κρήνην ὑπὸ λισσάδι πέτρῃ §22.38ὕδατι πεπληθυῖαν ἀκηράτῳ· αἱ δʼ ὑπένερθεν §22.39λάλλαι κρυστάλλῳ ἠδʼ ἀργύρῳ ἰνδάλλοντο §22.40ἐκ βυθοῦ·
And they found an ever-flowing spring under a smooth rock, filled with pure water; and the pebbles beneath, shone from the depth like crystal and silver.
ὑψηλαὶ δὲ πεφύκεσαν ἀγχόθι πεῦκαι §22.41λεῦκαί τε πλάτανοί τε καὶ ἀκρόκομοι κυπάρισσοι, §22.42ἄνθεά τʼ εὐώδη, λασίαις φίλα ἔργα μελίσσαις, §22.43ὅσσʼ ἔαρος λήγοντος ἐπιβρύει ἀν λειμῶνας.
And nearby grew tall pines, and white poplars, and plane trees, and tufted cypresses, and fragrant flowers, the beloved work-places for hairy bees, as many as bloom abundantly in the meadows at the end of spring.
§22.44ἔνθα δʼ ἀνὴρ ὑπέροπλος ἐνήμενος ἐνδιάασκε, §22.45δεινὸς ἰδεῖν, σκληραῖσι τεθλασμένος οὔατα πυγμαῖς· §22.46στήθεα δʼ ἐσφαίρωτο πελώρια καὶ πλατὺ νῶτον §22.47σαρκὶ σιδηρείῃ, σφυρήλατος οἷα κολοσσός.
And there a monstrous man was sitting, taking the air, terrible to look upon, his ears crushed by hard boxing-blows; and his monstrous breasts and his broad back were rounded with iron flesh, like a colossus wrought of beaten metal.
§22.48ἐν δὲ μύες στερεοῖσι βραχίοσιν ἄκρον ὑπʼ ὦμον §22.49ἕστασαν ἠύτε πέτροι ὁλοίτροχοι, οὕστε κυλίνδων §22.50χειμάρρους ποταμὸς μεγάλαις περιέξεσε δίναις·
And the muscles on his sturdy arms, just under the top of the shoulder, stood out like rounded boulders which a torrent-river, rolling them, has polished in its great eddies.
Moreover, over his back and neck hung a lion's skin, fastened by its paws.
Him did prize-winning Polydeuces address first: "Hail, stranger, whoever you are!
Who are the mortals whose country this is?" "How should I be well, when I see men whom I have not seen before?" "Be of good courage.
μήτʼ ἀδίκους μήτʼ ἐξ ἀδίκων φάθι λεύσσειν. §22.57θαρσέω, κοὐκ ἐκ σεῦ με διδάσκεσθαι τόδʼ ἔοικεν. §22.58ἄγριος εἶ, πρὸς πάντα παλίγκοτος, ἢ ὑπερόπτης; §22.59τοιόσδʼ οἷον ὁρᾷς· τῆς σῆς γε μὲν οὐκ ἐπιβαίνω. §22.60ἔλθοις, καὶ ξενίων γε τυχὼν πάλιν οἴκαδʼ ἱκάνοις. §22.61μήτε σύ με ξείνιζε, τά τʼ ἐξ ἐμεῦ οὐκ ἐν ἑτοίμῳ. §22.62δαιμόνιʼ, οὐδʼ ἂν τοῦδε πιεῖν ὕδατος σύγε δοίης;
Do not think that you look upon unjust men or sons of the unjust." "I am of good courage, and it is not fitting for me to be taught this by you." "Are you wild, hostile to everything, or merely arrogant?" "I am such as you see; but at least I am not trespassing on your land." "May you come, and having received hospitality, return home again." "Neither do you play the host to me, nor is what comes from me ready for you." "Strange man!
§22.63γνώσεαι, εἴ σευ δῖψος ἀνειμένα χείλεα τέρσει. §22.64ἄργυρος ἢ τίς ὁ μισθός, ἐρεῖς, ᾧ κέν σε πίθοιμεν; §22.65εἷς ἑνὶ χεῖρας ἄειρον ἐναντίος ἀνδρὶ καταστάς. §22.66πυγμάχος, ἢ καὶ ποσσὶ θενὼν σκέλος; §22.66b………ὄμματά γʼ ὀρθὸς §22.67πὺξ διατεινάμενος σφετέρης μὴ φείδεο τέχνης. §22.68τίς γάρ, ὅτῳ χεῖρας καὶ ἐμοὺς συνερείσω ἱμάντας; §22.69ἐγγὺς ὁρᾷς· οὐ γύννις ἐὼν κεκλήσεθʼ ὁ πύκτης. §22.70ἦ καὶ ἄεθλον ἑτοῖμον, ἐφʼ ᾧ δηρισόμεθʼ ἄμφω §22.71σὸς μὲν ἐγώ, σὺ δʼ ἐμὸς κεκλήσεαι, αἴκε κρατήσω. §22.72ὀρνίθων φοινικολόφων τοιοίδε κυδοιμοί. §22.73εἴτʼ οὖν ὀρνίθεσσιν ἐοικότες εἴτε λέουσι §22.74γινόμεθʼ, οὐκ ἄλλῳ γε μαχεσσαίμεσθʼ ἐπʼ ἀέθλῳ. §22.75Ἦ ῥʼ Ἄμυκος, καὶ κόχλον ἑλὼν μυκήσατοκοίλην.
Would you not even grant us to drink of this water?" "You shall know, if thirst parches your open lips." "Is it silver, or what is the prize, tell me, by which we might persuade you?" "One against one, raise your hands, standing opposite me as man to man." "In boxing, or also striking the leg with the foot?" "Keep your eyes straight," "stretching out your fists; do not spare your skill." "And who is he with whom I shall clash my hands and thongs?" "You see him near; the boxer shall not be called a womanish creature." "And is there a prize ready, for which we both shall fight?" "I shall be called yours, and you mine, if I prevail." "Such are the battles of red-crested birds." "Whether then we be like birds or like lions," "we shall fight for no other prize." So Amycus spoke, and taking a hollow shell, he blew it.