§426μίγδα κρόκον τʼ ἀγανὸν καὶ ἀγαλλίδας ἠδʼ ὑάκινθον §427καὶ ῥοδέας κάλυκας καὶ λείρια, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι, §428νάρκισσόν θʼ, ὃν ἔφυσʼ ὥς περ κρόκον εὐρεῖα χθών.
mixing therewith sweet crocus and irises and hyacinth, and rosebuds and lilies, a wonder to behold, and the narcissus, which the wide earth produced just like a crocus.
§429αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ δρεπόμην περὶ χάρματι· γαῖα δʼ ἔνερθε §430χώρησεν· τῇ δʼ ἔκθορʼ ἄναξ κρατερὸς Πολυδέγμων·
But while I was gathering them with joy, the earth beneath opened, and from it leaped the strong lord Polydegmon.
And he went carrying me beneath the earth in his golden chariot, though I resisted much; and I cried out with a shrill voice.
§433ταῦτά τοι ἀχνυμένη περ ἀληθέα πάντʼ ἀγορεύω. <milestone type="endquote"/> §434ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ὁμόφρονα θυμὸν ἔχουσαι §435πολλὰ μάλʼ ἀλλήλων κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἴαινον
All these things, though grieving, I tell you as the truth." <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus then, for the whole day, having a single mind, they greatly cheered each other's heart and mind with embraces; and their soul ceased from its griefs.
And they received and gave joys to one another.
And near to them came bright-veiled Hecate, and she many times embraced the holy daughter of Demeter.
§440ἐκ τοῦ οἱ πρόπολος καὶ ὀπάων ἔπλετʼ ἄνασσα.
From that time, the queen became her attendant and companion.
§441ταῖς δὲ μέτʼ ἄγγελον ἧκε βαρύκτυπος εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς §442Ῥείην ἠύκομον, Δημήτερα κυανόπεπλον §443ἀξέμεναι μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν, ὑπέδεκτο δὲ τιμὰς §444δωσέμεν, ἅς κεν ἕλοιτο μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι·
And after them, loud-thundering, far-echoing Zeus sent as a messenger fair-haired Rhea, to bring dark-robed Demeter to the tribes of the gods; and he promised to give her honors which she might choose among the immortal gods.
§445νεῦσε δέ οἱ κούρην ἔτεος περιτελλομένοιο §446τὴν τριτάτην μὲν μοῖραν ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠερόεντα, §447τὰς δὲ δύω παρὰ μητρὶ καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισιν.
And he consented that her daughter, as the year rolled round, should spend a third part of it beneath the murky gloom, and the other two parts with her mother and the other immortals.
§448ὣς ἔφατʼ· οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε θεὰ Διὸς ἀγγελιάων.
Thus he spoke; and the goddess did not disobey the messages of Zeus.
§449ἐσσυμένως δʼ ἤιξε κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων, §450ἐς δʼ ἄρα Ῥάριον ἷξε, φερέσβιον οὖθαρ ἀρούρης §451τὸ πρίν, ἀτὰρ τότε γʼ οὔτι φερέσβιον, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλον §452ἑστήκει πανάφυλλον· ἔκευθε δʼ ἄρα κρῖ λευκὸν §453μήδεσι Δήμητρος καλλισφύρου·
And swiftly she rushed down from the peaks of Olympus, and she came to the Rarian plain, previously life-giving but at that time not at all life-giving, but idle and completely leafless it stood; and it hid the white barley by the counsels of fair-ankled Demeter.
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα §454μέλλεν ἄφαρ ταναοῖσι κομήσειν ἀσταχύεσσιν §455ἦρος ἀεξομένοιο, πέδῳ δʼ ἄρα πίονες ὄγμοι §456βρισέμεν ἀσταχύων, τὰ δʼ ἐν ἐλλεδανοῖσι δεδέσθαι.
But thereafter, it was soon to wave with long ears of corn as spring waxed, and on the ground the rich furrows to be heavy with ears, and some of them to be bound in sheaves.
There she landed first of all from the harvestless air; and gladly they saw each other, and rejoiced in heart.
§459τὴν δʼ ὧδε προσέειπε Ῥέη λιπαροκρήδεμνος· §460<milestone type="startquote"/>δεῦρο τέκος, καλέει σε βαρύκτυπος εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς §461ἐλθέμεναι μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν, ὑπέδεκτο δὲ τιμὰς §462δωσέμεν, ἅς κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι.
And to her Rhea of the bright veil spoke thus: <milestone type="startquote"/>"Hither, my child, loud-thundering, far-echoing Zeus calls you to come to the tribes of the gods; and he promised to give you honors which you might wish among the immortal gods.
§463νεῦσε δέ σοι κούρην ἔτεος περιτελλομένοιο §464τὴν τριτάτην μὲν μοῖραν ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠερόεντα, §465τὰς δὲ δύω παρὰ σοί τε καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισιν.
And he consented that your daughter, as the year rolled round, should spend a third part of it beneath the murky gloom, and the other two parts with you and the other immortals.
§466ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη τελέεσθαι· ἑῷ δʼ ἐπένευσε κάρητι.
Thus indeed he said it would be accomplished, and nodded with his head.
But go, my child, and obey, and do not at all too excessively rage against the dark-clouded son of Cronos.
§469αἶψα δὲ καρπὸν ἄεξε φερέσβιον ἀνθρώποισιν. <milestone type="endquote"/> §470ὣς ἔφατʼ. οὐδʼ ἀπίθησεν ἐυστέφανος Δημήτηρ·
And swiftly multiply the fruit that gives life to humans." <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus she spoke; and fair-crowned Demeter did not disobey.
§471αἶψα δὲ καρπὸν ἀνῆκεν ἀρουράων ἐριβώλων·
And swiftly she sent up fruit from the fertile fields.
§472πᾶσα δὲ φύλλοισίν τε καὶ ἄνθεσιν εὐρεῖα χθὼν §473ἔβρισʼ· ἣ δὲ κιοῦσα θεμιστοπόλοις βασιλεῦσι §474δεῖξεν Τριπτολέμῳ τε Διοκλεῖ τε πληξίππῳ §475Εὐμόλπου τε βίῃ Κελεῷ θʼ ἡγήτορι λαῶν §476δρησμοσύνην θʼ ἱερῶν καὶ ἐπέφραδεν ὄργια πᾶσι, §477Τριπτολέμῳ τε Πολυξείνῳ, ἐπὶ τοῖς δὲ Διοκλεῖ §478σεμνά, τά τʼ οὔπως ἔστι παρεξίμεν οὔτε πυθέσθαι §479οὔτʼ ἀχέειν· μέγα γάρ τι θεῶν σέβας ἰσχάνει αὐδήν.
And the whole wide earth with leaves and flowers grew heavy; and she went to the law-administering kings, and showed to Triptolemus, and Diocles driver of horses, and the strength of Eumolpus, and Celeus leader of the people, the conduct of her sacred rites, and explained her mysteries to them all, to Triptolemus and Polyxeinus, and besides to Diocles, the solemn rites, which it is in no way possible to transgress, nor to inquire into, nor to utter; for a great reverence for the gods stays the voice.
§480ὄλβιος, ὃς τάδʼ ὄπωπεν ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων· §481ὃς δʼ ἀτελὴς ἱερῶν ὅς τʼ ἄμμορος, οὔποθʼ ὁμοίων §482αἶσαν ἔχει φθίμενός περ ὑπὸ ζόφῳ ἠερόεντι.
Happy is he among men on earth who has seen these things; but he who is uninitiated in the rites, and has no share in them, never has a like lot when dead beneath the murky gloom.
But when the bright goddess had instructed them in everything, they went to Olympus, to the gathering of the other gods.
And there they dwell beside Zeus who delights in thunder, solemn and revered.
μέγʼ ὄλβιος, ὅν τινʼ ἐκεῖναι §487προφρονέως φίλωνται ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων· §488αἶψα δέ οἱ πέμπουσιν ἐφέστιον ἐς μέγα δῶμα §489Πλοῦτον, ὃς ἀνθρώποις ἄφενος θνητοῖσι δίδωσιν.
Greatly happy is he whom they graciously love among men on earth; and swiftly they send to his great house, to his hearth, Plutus, who gives wealth to mortal men.
§490ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ Ἐλευσῖνος θυοέσσης δῆμον ἔχουσα §491καὶ Πάρον ἀμφιρύτην Ἀντρῶνά τε πετρήεντα, §492πότνια, ἀγλαόδωρʼ, ὡρηφόρε, Δηοῖ ἄνασσα, §493αὐτὴ καὶ κούρη περικαλλὴς Περσεφόνεια· §494πρόφρονες ἀντʼ ᾠδῆς βίοτον θυμήρεʼ ὄπαζε.
But come, you who hold the land of fragrant Eleusis, and sea-girt Paros and rocky Antron, lady, giver of splendid gifts, bringer of seasons, queen Deo, you yourself and your beautiful daughter Persephone; graciously, in return for my song, grant a life pleasing to the heart.
§495αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομʼ ἀοιδῆς.
But I shall remember both you and another song.