§1Δήμητρʼ ἠύκομον, σεμνὴν θεόν, ἄρχομʼ ἀείδειν, §2αὐτὴν ἠδὲ θύγατρα τανύσφυρον, ἣν Ἀιδωνεὺς §3ἥρπαξεν, δῶκεν δὲ βαρύκτυπος εὐρύοπα Ζεύς, §4νόσφιν Δήμητρος χρυσαόρου, ἀγλαοκάρπου, §5παίζουσαν κούρῃσι σὺν Ὠκεανοῦ βαθυκόλποις §6ἄνθεά τʼ αἰνυμένην, ῥόδα καὶ κρόκον ἠδʼ ἴα καλὰ §7λειμῶνʼ ἂμ μαλακὸν καὶ ἀγαλλίδας ἠδʼ ὑάκινθον §8νάρκισσόν θʼ, ὃν φῦσε δόλον καλυκώπιδι κούρῃ §9Γαῖα Διὸς βουλῇσι χαριζομένη Πολυδέκτῃ, §10θαυμαστὸν γανόωντα· σέβας τό γε πᾶσιν ἰδέσθαι
I begin to sing of lovely-haired Demeter, the holy goddess, her and her slender-ankled daughter, whom Aidoneus seized, and heavy-thundering, far-seeing Zeus gave her to him, apart from golden-sworded, bright-fruited Demeter, as she played with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus and gathered flowers—roses, saffron, and beautiful violets, along the soft meadow, and irises, and hyacinth, and the narcissus, which Gaia, by the will of Zeus, grew as a snare for the bud-like maiden, to please the host of many guests, a wondrous, glowing thing, an object of awe to see for all, both immortal gods and mortal men.
§11ἀθανάτοις τε θεοῖς ἠδὲ θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποις· §12τοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ ῥίζης ἑκατὸν κάρα ἐξεπεφύκει· §13κὦζʼ ἥδιστʼ ὀδμή, πᾶς τʼ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθεν §14γαῖά τε πᾶσʼ ἐγελάσσε καὶ ἁλμυρὸν οἶδμα θαλάσσης.
From its root a hundred heads had grown, and with its sweetest scent the whole broad heaven above and the entire earth laughed, as did the salty swell of the sea.
§15ἣ δʼ ἄρα θαμβήσασʼ ὠρέξατο χερσὶν ἅμʼ ἄμφω §16καλὸν ἄθυρμα λαβεῖν· χάνε δὲ χθὼν εὐρυάγυια §17Νύσιον ἂμ πεδίον, τῇ ὄρουσεν ἄναξ Πολυδέγμων
She, amazed, reached out with both her hands to take the beautiful toy; but the wide-wayed earth split open in the Nysian plain, where the lord, host of many guests, rushed out with his immortal horses, the many-named son of Cronus.
§18ἵπποις ἀθανάτοισι, Κρόνου πολυώνυμος υἱός. §19ἁρπάξας δʼ ἀέκουσαν ἐπὶ χρυσέοισιν ὄχοισιν §20ἦγʼ ὀλοφυρομένην· ἰάχησε δʼ ἄρʼ ὄρθια φωνῇ, §21κεκλομένη πατέρα Κρονίδην ὕπατον καὶ ἄριστον.
Seizing her against her will upon his golden chariot, he carried her away weeping; and she screamed with a shrill voice, calling upon her father, the son of Cronus, highest and best.
But none of the immortals or of mortal men heard her voice, nor did the bright-fruited olive trees†.
§24εἰ μὴ Περσαίου θυγάτηρ ἀταλὰ φρονέουσα §25ἄιεν ἐξ ἄντρου, Ἑκάτη λιπαροκρήδεμνος, §26Ἠέλιός τε ἄναξ, Ὑπερίονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός, §27κούρης κεκλομένης πατέρα Κρονίδην·
Save only the daughter of Persaeus, tender-hearted, who heard from her cave, Hecate of the bright veil, and lord Helios, the glorious son of Hyperion, as the maiden called upon her father, the son of Cronus.
But he, apart, sat away from the gods in his temple of many prayers, receiving beautiful sacrifices from mortal men.
§30τὴν δʼ ἀεκαζομένην ἦγεν Διὸς ἐννεσίῃσι §31πατροκασίγνητος, Πολυσημάντωρ Πολυδέγμων, §32ἵπποις ἀθανάτοισι, Κρόνου πολυώνυμος υἱός.
Her, against her will, by the counsels of Zeus, was carrying away her father's brother, the ruler of many, the host of many, with his immortal horses, the many-named son of Cronus.
§33ὄφρα μὲν οὖν γαῖάν τε καὶ οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα §34λεῦσσε θεὰ καὶ πόντον ἀγάρροον ἰχθυόεντα §35αὐγάς τʼ ἠελίου, ἔτι δʼ ἤλπετο μητέρα κεδνὴν §36ὄψεσθαι καὶ φῦλα θεῶν αἰειγενετάων, §37τόφρα οἱ ἐλπὶς ἔθελγε μέγαν νόον ἀχνυμένης περ·
So long indeed as the goddess looked upon the earth and the starry heaven, and the fish-swarming, flowing sea, and the rays of the sun, and still hoped to see her dear mother and the race of the ever-living gods, so long did hope soothe her great mind, grieved though she was.
But the peaks of the mountains and the depths of the sea resounded with her immortal voice, and her queenly mother heard her.
§40ὀξὺ δέ μιν κραδίην ἄχος ἔλλαβεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ χαίταις §41ἀμβροσίαις κρήδεμνα δαΐζετο χερσὶ φίλῃσι, §42κυάνεον δὲ κάλυμμα κατʼ ἀμφοτέρων βάλετʼ ὤμων, §43σεύατο δʼ ὥστʼ οἰωνός, ἐπὶ τραφερήν τε καὶ ὑγρὴν §44μαιομένη·
And sharp grief seized her heart, and about her immortal hair she tore her veil with her own hands, and cast a dark cloak down over both her shoulders, and she rushed like a bird, over land and sea searching.
τῇ δʼ οὔτις ἐτήτυμα μυθήσασθαι §45ἤθελεν οὔτε θεῶν οὔτε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων, §46οὔτʼ οἰωνῶν τις τῇ ἐτήτυμος ἄγγελος ἦλθεν.
But no one was willing to tell her the truth, neither of the gods nor of mortal men, nor did any bird come to her as a truthful messenger.
§47ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἔπειτα κατὰ χθόνα πότνια Δηὼ §48στρωφᾶτʼ αἰθομένας δαΐδας μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσα, §49οὐδέ ποτʼ ἀμβροσίης καὶ νέκταρος ἡδυπότοιο §50πάσσατʼ ἀκηχεμένη, οὐδὲ χρόα βάλλετο λουτροῖς.
For nine days then did queenly Deo wander over the earth holding blazing torches in her hands, nor did she ever taste of ambrosia and sweet-drinking nectar in her grief, nor did she cast water upon her body in baths.
§51ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ δεκάτη οἱ ἐπήλυθε φαινολὶς ἠώς, §52ἤντετό οἱ Ἑκάτη, σέλας ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχουσα §53καί ῥά οἱ ἀγγελέουσα ἔπος φάτο φώνησέν τε· §54<milestone type="startquote"/>πότνια Δημήτηρ, ὡρηφόρε, ἀγλαόδωρε, §55τίς θεῶν οὐρανίων ἠὲ θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων §56ἥρπασε Περσεφόνην καὶ σὸν φίλον ἤκαχε θυμόν;
But when the tenth bright dawn came to her, Hecate met her, holding a light in her hands, and to tell her the news, she spoke and said: <milestone type="startquote"/>"Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons, giver of bright gifts, who of the heavenly gods or of mortal men has carried off Persephone and grieved your dear heart?
For I heard the voice, but did not see with my eyes who it was.
σοὶ δʼ ὦκα λέγω νημερτέα πάντα. <milestone type="endquote"/> §59ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη Ἑκάτη· τὴν δʼ οὐκ ἠμείβετο μύθῳ §60Ῥείης ἠυκόμου θυγάτηρ, ἀλλʼ ὦκα σὺν αὐτῇ §61ἤιξʼ αἰθομένας δαΐδας μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσα.
To you quickly I tell all the truth."<milestone type="endquote"/> So indeed Hecate spoke; and the daughter of lovely-haired Rhea did not answer her with words, but quickly with her she rushed, holding blazing torches in her hands.
§62Ἠέλιον δʼ ἵκοντο, θεῶν σκοπὸν ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν, §63στὰν δʼ ἵππων προπάροιθε καὶ εἴρετο δῖα θεάων· §64<milestone type="startquote"/>ἠέλιʼ, αἴδεσσαί με θεὰν σύ περ, εἴ ποτε δή σευ §65ἢ ἔπει ἢ ἔργῳ κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἴηνα·
And they came to Helios, the watcher of gods and men, and they stood before his horses, and the noble goddess questioned him: <milestone type="startquote"/>"Helios, have respect for me, goddess as I am, if ever indeed by word or by deed I warmed your heart and mind.
§66κούρην τὴν ἔτεκον, γλυκερὸν θάλος, εἴδεϊ κυδρήν, §67τῆς ἀδινὴν ὄπʼ ἄκουσα διʼ αἰθέρος ἀτρυγέτοιο §68ὥστε βιαζομένης, ἀτὰρ οὐκ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν.
The daughter whom I bore, a sweet branch, glorious in her form, her shrill voice I heard through the unharvested air as though she were being forced, but I did not see her with my eyes.
§69ἀλλά, σὺ γὰρ δὴ πᾶσαν ἐπὶ χθόνα καὶ κατὰ πόντον §70αἰθέρος ἐκ δίης καταδέρκεαι ἀκτίνεσσι, §71νημερτέως μοι ἔνισπε φίλον τέκος, εἴ που ὄπωπας, §72ὅστις νόσφιν ἐμεῖο λαβὼν ἀέκουσαν ἀνάγκῃ §73οἴχεται ἠὲ θεῶν ἢ καὶ θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων. <milestone type="endquote"/>
But you, for indeed you look down upon all the earth and the sea from the bright air with your rays, tell me truly of my dear child, if anywhere you have seen her, who it is that has seized her apart from me, against her will by force, and is gone, whether of the gods or of mortal men."<milestone type="endquote"/>