"But though we grieve, we mortals must endure the gifts of the gods by necessity; for indeed a yoke lies upon our neck.
§218νῦν δʼ, ἐπεὶ ἵκεο δεῦρο, παρέσσεται ὅσσα τʼ ἐμοί περ.
But now, since you have come here, as much as I have shall be yours.
§219παῖδα δέ μοι τρέφε τόνδε, τὸν ὀψίγονον καὶ ἄελπτον §220ὤπασαν ἀθάνατοι, πολυάρητος δέ μοί ἐστιν.
Rear this child for me, whom late-born and unexpected the immortals granted to me, and he is much prayed for by me.
§221εἰ τόν γε θρέψαιο καὶ ἥβης μέτρον ἵκοιτο, §222ῥεῖά κέ τίς σε ἰδοῦσα γυναικῶν θηλυτεράων §223ζηλώσαι· τόσα κέν τοι ἀπὸ θρεπτήρια δοίην. <milestone type="endquote"/> §224τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἐυστέφανος Δημήτηρ· §225<milestone type="startquote"/>καὶ σύ, γύναι, μάλα χαῖρε, θεοὶ δέ τοι ἐσθλὰ πόροιεν· §226παῖδα δέ τοι πρόφρων ὑποδέξομαι, ὥς με κελεύεις, §227θρέψω κοὔ μιν, ἔολπα, κακοφραδίῃσι τιθήνης §228οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ἐπηλυσίη δηλήσεται οὔθʼ ὑποτάμνον· §229οἶδα γὰρ ἀντίτομον μέγα φέρτερον ὑλοτόμοιο, §230οἶδα δʼ ἐπηλυσίης πολυπήμονος ἐσθλὸν ἐρυσμόν. <milestone type="endquote"/> §231ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα θυώδεϊ δέξατο κόλπῳ §232χείρεσσʼ ἀθανάτῃσι· γεγήθει δὲ φρένα μήτηρ.
If you should rear him and he should reach the measure of youth, easily any of the women would envy you when she saw you, so many rewards for nourishment I would give you." <milestone type="endquote"/> And lovely-crowned Demeter spoke to her in turn: <milestone type="startquote"/>"And you, woman, greetings indeed, and may the gods grant you good things; and your child I will readily receive, as you command me, I will rear him, and I do not expect that, through the folly of his nurse, either witchcraft or the root-cutting will harm him; for I know an antidote much stronger than the woodcutter, and I know a good protection against much-painful witchcraft." <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus indeed having spoken, she received him to her fragrant bosom with her immortal hands; and the mother rejoiced in her heart.
§233ὣς ἣ μὲν Κελεοῖο δαΐφρονος ἀγλαὸν υἱὸν §234Δημοφόωνθʼ, ὃν ἔτικτεν ἐύζωνος Μετάνειρα, §235ἔτρεφεν ἐν μεγάροις· ὃ δʼ ἀέξετο δαίμονι ἶσος, §236οὔτʼ οὖν σῖτον ἔδων, οὐ θησάμενος γάλα μητρὸς
Thus she, indeed, was rearing the glorious son of wise Celeus, Demophoon, whom deep-girdled Metaneira bore, in the chambers; and he grew like a divinity, eating no food, nor sucking his mother’s milk.
§236aἠματίη μὲν γὰρ καλλιστέφανος Δημήτηρ §237χρίεσκʼ ἀμβροσίῃ ὡσεὶ θεοῦ ἐκγεγαῶτα §238ἡδὺ καταπνείουσα καὶ ἐν κόλποισιν ἔχουσα· §239νύκτας δὲ κρύπτεσκε πυρὸς μένει ἠύτε δαλὸν §240λάθρα φίλων γονέων· τοῖς δὲ μέγα θαῦμʼ ἐτέτυκτο, §241ὡς προθαλὴς τελέθεσκε· θεοῖσι γὰρ ἄντα ἐῴκει.
For by day lovely-crowned Demeter anointed him with ambrosia as if he were born of a god, breathing sweetly upon him and holding him in her bosom; but by night she would hide him like a brand in the strength of fire, secretly from his dear parents; and to them it was a great wonder, how rapidly he grew; for he was like the gods to look upon.
§242καί κέν μιν ποίησεν ἀγήρων τʼ ἀθάνατόν τε, §243εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ἀφραδίῃσιν ἐύζωνος Μετάνειρα §244νύκτʼ ἐπιτηρήσασα θυώδεος ἐκ θαλάμοιο §245σκέψατο· κώκυσεν δὲ καὶ ἄμφω πλήξατο μηρὼ §246δείσασʼ ᾧ περὶ παιδὶ καὶ ἀάσθη μέγα θυμῷ §247καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §248<milestone type="startquote"/>τέκνον Δημοφόων, ξείνη σε πυρὶ ἔνι πολλῷ §249κρύπτει, ἐμοὶ δὲ γόον καὶ κήδεα λυγρὰ τίθησιν. <milestone type="endquote"/>
And she would have made him ageless and immortal, if deep-girdled Metaneira had not, in her folly, watched by night, and from her fragrant chamber spied upon her; and she wailed and struck both her thighs, fearing for her child, and she was greatly blinded in her heart, and lamenting she spoke winged words: <milestone type="startquote"/>"Demophoon, my child, the stranger woman hides you in much fire, and is causing me wailing and bitter sorrows!" <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus she spoke, lamenting; and the goddess of goddesses heard her.
§250ὣς φάτʼ ὀδυρομένη· τῆς δʼ ἄιε δῖα θεάων. §251τῇ δὲ χολωσαμένη καλλιστέφανος Δημήτηρ §252παῖδα φίλον, τὸν ἄελπτον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔτικτε, §253χείρεσσʼ ἀθανάτῃσιν ἀπὸ ἕθεν ἧκε πέδονδε, §254ἐξανελοῦσα πυρός, θυμῷ κοτέσασα μάλʼ αἰνῶς, §255καί ῥʼ ἄμυδις προσέειπεν ἐύζωνον Μετάνειραν· §256<milestone type="startquote"/>νήιδες ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἀφράδμονες οὔτʼ ἀγαθοῖο §257αἶσαν ἐπερχομένου προγνώμεναι οὔτε κακοῖο· §258καὶ σὺ γὰρ ἀφραδίῃσι τεῇς νήκεστον ἀάσθης.
And lovely-crowned Demeter, growing angry with her, cast her dear son—whom she had unexpectedly borne in the chambers— away from herself to the floor, taking him out of the fire, raging very terribly in her heart, and at the same time she addressed deep-girdled Metaneira: <milestone type="startquote"/>"Ignorant and foolish men, who cannot foresee the portion of good that is coming, nor of evil; for you too in your folly have committed a ruinous, incurable mistake.
§259ἴστω γὰρ θεῶν ὅρκος, ἀμείλικτον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, §260ἀθάνατόν κέν τοι καὶ ἀγήραον ἤματα πάντα §261παῖδα φίλον ποίησα καὶ ἄφθιτον ὤπασα τιμήν· §262νῦν δʼ οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὥς κεν θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξαι· §263τιμὴ δʼ ἄφθιτος αἰὲν ἐπέσσεται, οὕνεκα γούνων §264ἡμετέρων ἐπέβη καὶ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσιν ἴαυσεν.
For let the oath of the gods, the relentless water of Styx, be witness: I would have made your dear son immortal and ageless for all days, and would have granted him imperishable honor; but now there is no way for him to escape death and fates; yet imperishable honor will always be his, because upon our knees he climbed and slept in our arms.
§265ὥρῃσιν δʼ ἄρα τῷ γε περιπλομένων ἐνιαυτῶν §266παῖδες Ἐλευσινίων πόλεμον καὶ φύλοπιν αἰνὴν §267αἰὲν ἐν ἀλλήλοισιν συνάξουσʼ ἤματα πάντα.
But when the seasons of the revolving years roll around, the sons of the Eleusinians will always join battle and dread strife among one another for all days.
I am Demeter, the holder of honor, who am the greatest help and joy to immortals and mortals.
§270ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι νηόν τε μέγαν καὶ βωμὸν ὑπʼ αὐτῷ §271τευχόντων πᾶς δῆμος ὑπαὶ πόλιν αἰπύ τε τεῖχος §272Καλλιχόρου καθύπερθεν ἐπὶ προὔχοντι κολωνῷ.
But come, let all the people build for me a great temple and an altar under it beneath the city and its steep wall, above Kallichoron, upon the rising hill.
§273ὄργια δʼ αὐτὴ ἐγὼν ὑποθήσομαι, ὡς ἂν ἔπειτα §274εὐαγέως ἔρδοντες ἐμὸν νόον ἱλάσκοισθε. <milestone type="endquote"/> §275ὣς εἰποῦσα θεὰ μέγεθος καὶ εἶδος ἄμειψε §276γῆρας ἀπωσαμένη· περί τʼ ἀμφί τε κάλλος ἄητο· §277ὀδμὴ δʼ ἱμερόεσσα θυηέντων ἀπὸ πέπλων §278σκίδνατο, τῆλε δὲ φέγγος ἀπὸ χροὸς ἀθανάτοιο §279λάμπε θεᾶς, ξανθαὶ δὲ κόμαι κατενήνοθεν ὤμους, §280αὐγῆς δʼ ἐπλήσθη πυκινὸς δόμος ἀστεροπῆς ὥς· §281βῆ δὲ διὲκ μεγάρων·
And I myself will suggest the rites, so that hereafter by performing them holily you may appease my mind." <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus having spoken, the goddess changed her size and appearance, casting off old age; and beauty breathed around and about her; a lovely odor was scattered from her fragrant garments, and a light shone far from the immortal skin of the goddess, and her golden hair flowed down over her shoulders, and the sturdy house was filled with brightness like lightning; and she went out through the chambers.