Damoetas and Daphnis the cowherd once gathered their herds into one place, O Aratus.
ἦς δʼ ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν §6.3πυρρός, ὁ δʼ ἡμιγένειος· ἐπὶ κράναν δέ τινʼ ἄμφω §6.4ἑζόμενοι θέρεος μέσῳ ἄματι τοιάδʼ ἄειδον.
One of them was ruddy-haired, the other half-bearded; and both sitting down by a spring in the middle of a summer's day, sang such songs.
§6.5πρᾶτος δʼ ἄρξατο Δάφνις, ἐπεὶ καὶ πρᾶτος ἔρισδε.
Daphnis began first, since he was also the first to challenge.
§6.6βάλλει τοι Πολύφαμε τὸ ποίμνιον ἁ Γαλάτεια §6.7μάλοισιν, δυσέρωτα τὸν αἰπόλον ἄνδρα καλεῦσα· §6.8καὶ τύ νιν οὐ ποθόρησθα τάλαν τάλαν, ἀλλὰ κάθησαι §6.9ἁδέα συρίσδων.
"Galatea, O Polyphemus, is pelting your flock with apples, calling you a goatherd luckless in love; and you do not look at her, you wretched, wretched man, but sit there piping sweetly.
πάλιν ἅδʼ ἴδε τὰν κύνα βάλλει, §6.10ἅ τοι τᾶν ὀίων ἕπεται σκοπός· ἁ δὲ βαΰσδει §6.11εἰς ἅλα δερκομένα, τὰ δέ νιν καλὰ κύματα φαίνει §6.12ἅσυχα καχλάζοντα ἐπʼ αἰγιαλοῖο θέοισαν.
See, again she pelts the dog that follows you as a guardian of your sheep; and it barks, looking toward the sea, while the beautiful waves reflect it as it runs on the shore, gently splashing.
Take care lest it leap upon the legs of the girl as she comes out of the sea, and tear her beautiful skin.
§6.15ἁ δὲ καὶ αὐτόθε τοι διαθρύπτεται, ὡς ἀπʼ ἀκάνθας §6.16ταὶ καπυραὶ χαῖται, τὸ καλὸν θέρος ἁνίκα φρύγει· §6.17καὶ φεύγει φιλέοντα καὶ οὐ φιλέοντα διώκει, §6.18καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ γραμμᾶς κινεῖ λίθον· ἦ γὰρ ἔρωτι §6.19πολλάκις ὦ Πολύφαμε τὰ μὴ καλὰ καλὰ πέφανται.
And she, even from right there, plays the coquette to you, like dry chaff from the thistle when the hot summer parches it; and she flees him who loves her, and pursues him who loves her not, and moves even the last stone from the line; for indeed in love, O Polyphemus, often what is not beautiful has seemed beautiful.
§6.20τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ Δαμοίτας ἀνεβάλλετο καὶ τάδʼ ἄειδεν. §6.21εἶδον ναὶ τὸν Πᾶνα, τὸ ποίμνιον ἁνίκʼ ἔβαλλε, §6.22κοὔ μʼ ἔλαθʼ, οὔ, τὸν ἐμὸν ἕνα τὸν γλυκύν, ᾧπερ ὅρημι §6.23ἐς τέλος· αὐτὰρ ὁ μάντις ὁ Τήλεμος ἔχθρʼ ἀγορεύων §6.24ἐχθρὰ φέροι ποτὶ οἶκον, ὅπως τεκέεσσι φυλάσσοι.
After him, Damoetas began to play and sang thus: "I saw her, yes, by Pan, when she was pelting the flock, and she did not escape my notice, no, by my sweet single eye, with which I see to the end; but may the prophet Telemus, who utters hateful things, carry those hateful things to his own home, to keep them for his children.
§6.25ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ κνίζων πάλιν οὐ ποθόρημι, §6.26ἀλλʼ ἄλλαν τινὰ φαμὶ γυναῖκʼ ἔχεν· ἁ δʼ ἀίοισα §6.27ζαλοῖ μʼ ὦ Παιὰν καὶ τάκεται, ἐκ δὲ θαλάσσας §6.28οἰστρεῖ παπταίνοισα ποτʼ ἄντρά τε καὶ ποτὶ ποίμνας.
But I myself, teasing her in turn, do not look back, but say that I have another woman; and she, hearing this, is jealous of me, O Paean, and wastes away, and from the sea she rushes in frenzy, looking wildly toward my caves and my herds.
§6.29σίξα δʼ ὑλακτεῖν νιν καὶ τᾷ κυνί· καὶ γὰρ ὅκʼ ἤρων §6.30αὐτᾶς, ἐκνυζεῖτο ποτʼ ἰσχία ῥύγχος ἔχοισα.
And I hissed to the dog to bark at her too; for when I loved her, it used to whimper, putting its muzzle against her hips.
Seeing me doing these things often, perhaps she will send a messenger.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ κλᾳξῶ θύρας, ἕστέ κʼ ὀμόσσῃ §6.33αὐτά μοι στορεσεῖν καλὰ δέμνια τᾶσδʼ ἐπὶ νάσω.
But I will lock my doors until she herself swears to spread a beautiful bed for me on this island.
§6.34καὶ γάρ θην οὐδʼ εἶδος ἔχω κακόν, ὥς με λέγοντι.
For indeed, I do not even have a bad appearance, as they say of me.
§6.35ἦ γὰρ πρᾶν ἐς πόντον ἐσέβλεπον, ἦς δὲ γαλάνα, §6.36καὶ καλὰ μὲν τὰ γένεια, καλὰ δέ μευ ἁ μία κώρα, §6.37ὡς παρʼ ἐμὶν κέκριται, κατεφαίνετο, τῶν δέ τʼ ὀδόντων §6.38λευκοτέραν αὐγὰν Παρίας ὑπέφαινε λίθοιο.
Indeed, the other day I looked into the sea, when there was a calm, and my beard was beautiful, and my single eye, as it is judged by me, showed beautiful; and it revealed a whiteness of my teeth brighter than Parian stone.
§6.39ὡς μὴ βασκανθῶ δέ, τρὶς εἰς ἐμὸν ἔπτυσα κόλπον· §6.40ταῦτα γὰρ ἁ γραία με Κοτυταρὶς ἐξεδίδαξε. §6.42τόσσʼ εἰπὼν τὸν Δάφνιν ὁ Δαμοίτας ἐφίλησε, §6.43χὡ μὲν τῷ σύριγγʼ, ὁ δὲ τῷ καλὸν αὐλὸν ἔδωκεν.
Lest I be bewitched by the evil eye, I spat thrice into my breast; for the old woman Cotytaris taught me this." Having said this much, Damoetas kissed Daphnis, and the one gave the other a panpipe, and the other gave him a beautiful flute.
Damoetas played the flute, and Daphnis the cowherd piped, and immediately the heifers began to dance in the soft grass.
§6.46νίκη μὰν οὐδάλλος, ἀνήσσατοι δʼ ἐγένοντο.
Neither indeed won the victory, but they remained undefeated.