§74ὣς φάτο· τὴν δʼ Ὑπεριονίδης ἠμείβετο μύθῳ· §75<milestone type="startquote"/>Ῥείης ἠυκόμου θύγατερ, Δήμητερ ἄνασσα, §76εἰδήσεις· δὴ γὰρ μέγα σʼ ἅζομαι ἠδʼ ἐλεαίρω §77ἀχνυμένην περὶ παιδὶ τανυσφύρῳ·
Thus he spoke; and the son of Hyperion answered her with words: "Daughter of lovely-haired Rhea, Queen Demeter, you shall know; for indeed I greatly respect you and pity you as you grieve for your slim-ankled child.
οὐδέ τις ἄλλος §78αἴτιος ἀθανάτων, εἰ μὴ νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς, §79ὅς μιν ἔδωκʼ Ἀίδῃ θαλερὴν κεκλῆσθαι ἄκοιτιν
No other of the immortals is responsible, except cloud-gathering Zeus, who gave her to Hades, his own brother, to be called his fruitful wife.
And he snatched her away and carried her off on his horses beneath the murky darkness, as she shrieked aloud.
But, goddess, cease your great lament; you must not keep a vain, insatiable anger in this way.
Surely, not unfitting as a son-in-law among the immortals is Hades, Ruler over Many, your own brother and born of the same seed.
ἀμφὶ δὲ τιμὴν §86ἔλλαχεν ὡς τὰ πρῶτα διάτριχα δασμὸς ἐτύχθη, §87τοῖς μεταναιετάειν, τῶν ἔλλαχε κοίρανος εἶναι. <milestone type="endquote"/> §88ὣς εἰπὼν ἵπποισιν ἐκέκλετο· τοὶ δʼ ὑπʼ ὀμοκλῆς §89ῥίμφα φέρον θοὸν ἅρμα τανύπτεροι ὥστʼ οἰωνοί.
And as for honor, he received his share when the division was first made in threefold, to dwell among those over whom he was allotted to be lord." Having spoken thus, he called to his horses; and at his command they swiftly carried the fleet chariot, like long-winged birds.
§90Τὴν δʼ ἄχος αἰνότερον καὶ κύντερον ἵκετο θυμόν· §91χωσαμένη δὴ ἔπειτα κελαινεφέι Κρονίωνι §92νοσφισθεῖσα θεῶν ἀγορὴν καὶ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον §93ᾤχετʼ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπων πόλιας καὶ πίονα ἔργα §94εἶδος ἀμαλδύνουσα πολὺν χρόνον·
But a more dreadful and more bitter grief came upon her heart; and thereafter, raging against the dark-clouded son of Cronos, she kept apart from the assembly of the gods and high Olympus, and went to the cities of men and their rich fields, wasting her form for a long time.
οὐδέ τις ἀνδρῶν §95εἰσορόων γίγνωσκε βαθυζώνων τε γυναικῶν, §96πρίν γʼ ὅτε δὴ Κελεοῖο δαΐφρονος ἵκετο δῶμα, §97ὃς τότʼ Ἐλευσῖνος θυοέσσης κοίρανος ἦεν.
Nor did any of the men, nor of the deep-girdled women, recognize her when they looked at her, until indeed she came to the house of wise Celeus, who was then the ruler of fragrant Eleusis.
§98ἕζετο δʼ ἐγγὺς ὁδοῖο φίλον τετιημένη ἦτορ, §99Παρθενίῳ φρέατι, ὅθεν ὑδρεύοντο πολῖται, §100ἐν σκιῇ, αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε πεφύκει θάμνος ἐλαίης,
She sat near the wayside, grieved in her dear heart, at the Maiden's Well, from which the citizens drew water, in the shade, and above it grew a thicket of olive.
§101γρηὶ παλαιγενέι ἐναλίγκιος, ἥτε τόκοιο §102εἴργηται δώρων τε φιλοστεφάνου Ἀφροδίτης, §103οἷαί τε τροφοί εἰσι θεμιστοπόλων βασιλήων §104παίδων καὶ ταμίαι κατὰ δώματα ἠχήεντα.
She was like an old-born crone, who is barred from child-bearing and from the gifts of wreath-loving Aphrodite, such as are the nurses for the children of law-ruling kings, and the housekeepers throughout their resounding halls.
§105τὴν δὲ ἴδον Κελεοῖο Ἐλευσινίδαο θύγατρες §106ἐρχόμεναι μεθʼ ὕδωρ εὐήρυτον, ὄφρα φέροιεν §107κάλπισι χαλκείῃσι φίλα πρὸς δώματα πατρός, §108τέσσαρες, ὥστε θεαί, κουρήιον ἄνθος ἔχουσαι, §109Καλλιδίκη καὶ Κλεισιδίκη Δημώ τʼ ἐρόεσσα §110Καλλιθόη θʼ, ἣ τῶν προγενεστάτη ἦεν ἁπασῶν·
And the daughters of Celeus of Eleusis saw her as they came for the easily-drawn water, so that they might carry it in bronze pitchers to the dear house of their father— four of them, like goddesses, holding the flower of maidenhood, Callidice and Cleisidice and lovely Demo and Callithoe, who was the eldest of them all.
§111οὐδʼ ἔγνον· χαλεποὶ δὲ θεοὶ θνητοῖσιν ὁρᾶσθαι.
Nor did they recognize her; for the gods are hard for mortals to see.
§112ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱστάμεναι ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδων· §113<milestone type="startquote"/>τίς πόθεν ἐσσί, γρῆυ, παλαιγενέων ἀνθρώπων;
Standing near, they addressed her with winged words: "Who and from where are you, old woman of ancient-born people?
Why have you gone away apart from the city, and do not approach the houses?
ἔνθα γυναῖκες ἀνὰ μέγαρα σκιόεντα §116τηλίκαι, ὡς σύ περ ὧδε καὶ ὁπλότεραι γεγάασιν, §117αἵ κέ σε φίλωνται ἠμὲν ἔπει ἠδὲ καὶ ἔργῳ. <milestone type="endquote"/> §118ὣς ἔφαν· ἣ δʼ ἐπέεσσιν ἀμείβετο πότνα θεάων· §119<milestone type="startquote"/>τέκνα φίλʼ, αἵ τινές ἐστε γυναικῶν θηλυτεράων,
There, in the shadowy halls, are women of your age, and younger ones as well, who would welcome you both in word and in deed." Thus they spoke; and she, the queen of goddesses, answered with words: "Dear children, whoever you are of women, greetings; and I will tell you.
Indeed, it is not unfitting to tell the truth to you who ask.
§122Δωσὼ ἐμοί γʼ ὄνομʼ ἐστί· τὸ γὰρ θέτο πότνια μήτηρ.
Doso is my name; for my lady mother gave it to me.
§123νῦν αὖτε Κρήτηθεν ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης §124ἤλυθον οὐκ ἐθέλουσα, βίῃ δʼ ἀέκουσαν ἀνάγκῃ §125ἄνδρες ληιστῆρες ἀπήγαγον.
Now indeed I have come from Crete over the broad back of the sea against my will; by force and against my desire, by necessity, pirate men carried me away.
οἳ μὲν ἔπειτα §126νηὶ θοῇ Θόρικόνδε κατέσχεθον, ἔνθα γυναῖκες §127ἠπείρου ἐπέβησαν ἀολλέες ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτοί, §128δεῖπνόν τʼ ἐπηρτύνοντο παρὰ πρυμνήσια νηός·
They then put in at Thoricus with their swift ship, where the women went ashore in a body, and they themselves did too, and prepared their supper by the stern-cables of the ship.
§129ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ οὐ δόρποιο μελίφρονος ἤρατο θυμός· §130λάθρη δʼ ὁρμηθεῖσα διʼ ἠπείροιο μελαίνης §131φεῦγον ὑπερφιάλους σημάντορας, ὄφρα κε μή με §132ἀπριάτην περάσαντες ἐμῆς ἀποναίατο τιμῆς.
But my mind did not desire the sweet-hearted supper; and slipping away secretly through the dark mainland, I fled the arrogant masters, so that they might not sell me unpaid and profit from my worth.
Thus I came here, wandering, and I know nothing of what land this is and who dwell in it.
§135ἀλλʼ ὑμῖν μὲν πάντες Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες §136δοῖεν κουριδίους ἄνδρας, καὶ τέκνα τεκέσθαι, §137ὡς ἐθέλουσι τοκῆες· ἐμὲ δʼ αὖτʼ οἰκτείρατε, κοῦραι.
But to you may all those who have Olympian homes grant wedded husbands, and to bear children, as parents desire; but pity me, maidens.
§137aτοῦτο δέ μοι σαφέως ὑποθήκατε, ὄφρα πύθωμαι, §138προφρονέως, φίλα τέκνα, τέων πρὸς δώμαθʼ ἵκωμαι §139ἀνέρος ἠδὲ γυναικός, ἵνα σφίσιν ἐργάζωμαι §140πρόφρων, οἷα γυναικὸς ἀφήλικος ἔργα τέτυκται·
And suggest this to me clearly, so that I may learn kindly, dear children, to whose house I may go, of man or woman, so that I may work for them willingly, doing such tasks as belong to an elderly woman.
§141καὶ κεν παῖδα νεογνὸν ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσιν ἔχουσα §142καλὰ τιθηνοίμην καὶ δώματα τηρήσαιμι §143καί κε λέχος στορέσαιμι μυχῷ θαλάμων εὐπήκτων §144δεσπόσυνον καί κʼ ἔργα διδασκήσαιμι γυναῖκας. <milestone type="endquote"/> §145φῆ ῥα θεά· τὴν δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο παρθένος ἀδμής,
I could hold a newborn child in my arms and nurse it well, and keep the house, and spread the master's bed in the innermost part of well-built chambers, and teach the women their tasks." So spoke the goddess; and immediately the unwedded maiden answered her: