§1Ἑρμῆν ὕμνει, Μοῦσα, Διὸς καὶ Μαιάδος υἱόν, §2Κυλλήνης μεδέοντα καὶ Ἀρκαδίης πολυμήλου, §3ἄγγελον ἀθανάτων ἐριούνιον, ὃν τέκε Μαῖα, §4νύμφη ἐυπλόκαμος, Διὸς ἐν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα, §5αἰδοίη· μακάρων δὲ θεῶν ἠλεύαθʼ ὅμιλον, §6ἄντρον ἔσω ναίουσα παλίσκιον, ἔνθα Κρονίων §7νύμφῃ ἐυπλοκάμῳ μισγέσκετο νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ, §8ὄφρα κατὰ γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἔχοι λευκώλενον Ἥρην, §9λήθων ἀθανάτους τε θεοὺς θνητούς τʼ ἀνθρώπους.
Sing, Muse, of Hermes, the son of Zeus and Maia, lord of Cyllene and Arcadia rich in sheep, the helpful messenger of the immortals, whom Maia bore, the rich-tressed nymph, when she was joined in love with Zeus, she, the modest one; for she avoided the company of the blessed gods, dwelling within a deep-shadowed cave, where the son of Cronos used to join with the rich-tressed nymph in the dark of night, while sweet sleep held white-armed Hera fast, escaping the notice of both immortal gods and mortal men.
§10ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ μεγάλοιο Διὸς νόος ἐξετελεῖτο, §11τῇ δʼ ἤδη δέκατος μεὶς οὐρανῷ ἐστήρικτο, §12εἴς τε φόως ἄγαγεν ἀρίσημά τε ἔργα τέτυκτο·
But when the counsel of great Zeus was being fulfilled, and already the tenth month was fixed in heaven for her, he brought him forth to the light, and wondrous deeds were done.
§13καὶ τότʼ ἐγείνατο παῖδα πολύτροπον, αἱμυλομήτην, §14ληιστῆρʼ, ἐλατῆρα βοῶν, ἡγήτορʼ ὀνείρων, §15νυκτὸς ὀπωπητῆρα, πυληδόκον, ὃς τάχʼ ἔμελλεν §16ἀμφανέειν κλυτὰ ἔργα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν.
And then she bore a child of many turns, wily-minded, a robber, a driver of cattle, a guide of dreams, a watcher of the night, a warden of gates, who was soon to show forth glorious deeds among the immortal gods.
§17ἠῷος γεγονὼς μέσῳ ἤματι ἐγκιθάριζεν, §18ἑσπέριος βοῦς κλέψεν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος §19τετράδι τῇ προτέρῃ, τῇ μιν τέκε πότνια Μαῖα.
Born in the morning, by midday he was playing the lyre, and in the evening he stole the cattle of far-shooting Apollo, on the fourth day of the month, on which queen Maia bore him.
§20ὃς καί, ἐπειδὴ μητρὸς ἀπʼ ἀθανάτων θόρε γυίων, §21οὐκέτι δηρὸν ἔκειτο μένων ἱερῷ ἐνὶ λίκνῳ, §22ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἀναΐξας ζήτει βόας Ἀπόλλωνος §23οὐδὸν ὑπερβαίνων ὑψηρεφέος ἄντροιο.
He, when he had leaped forth from his mother's immortal limbs, did not lie long waiting in his sacred cradle, but sprang up and sought the cattle of Apollo, stepping over the threshold of the high-roofed cave.
§24ἔνθα χέλυν εὑρὼν ἐκτήσατο μυρίον ὄλβον· §25Ἑρμῆς τοι πρώτιστα χέλυν τεκτήνατʼ ἀοιδόν· §26ἥ ῥά οἱ ἀντεβόλησεν ἐπʼ αὐλείῃσι θύρῃσι §27βοσκομένη προπάροιθε δόμων ἐριθηλέα ποίην, §28σαῦλα ποσὶν βαίνουσα·
There he found a tortoise and won infinite wealth; for Hermes was the very first to make a singer of a tortoise, which met him at the courtyard gates, feeding on the rich grass before the dwelling, waddling along on its feet.
Διὸς δʼ ἐριούνιος υἱὸς §29ἀθρήσας ἐγέλασσε καὶ αὐτίκα μῦθον ἔειπε· §30<milestone type="startquote"/>σύμβολον ἤδη μοι μέγʼ ὀνήσιμον· οὐκ ὀνοτάζω.
The helpful son of Zeus, beholding it, laughed and straightway spoke to it: "A very useful omen for me already; I do not slight it.
Hail, lovely in form, striker of the dance, companion of the feast, welcome appearance!
πόθεν τόδε καλὸν ἄθυρμα §33αἰόλον ὄστρακον ἕσσο χέλυς ὄρεσι ζώουσα;
Whence came this beautiful toy, a speckled shell, a mountain-dwelling tortoise?
But I will take you and carry you into the house; you will be of some help to me, nor will I slight you; and you shall profit me first of all.
§36οἴκοι βέλτερον εἶναι, ἐπεὶ βλαβερὸν τὸ θύρηφιν· §37ἦ γὰρ ἐπηλυσίης πολυπήμονος ἔσσεαι ἔχμα §38ζώουσʼ· ἢν δὲ θάνῃς, τότε κεν μάλα καλὸν ἀείδοις. <milestone type="endquote"/> §39ὣς ἂρʼ ἔφη· καὶ χερσὶν ἅμʼ ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἀείρας §40ἂψ εἴσω κίε δῶμα φέρων ἐρατεινὸν ἄθυρμα.
Better to be at home, since the outdoors is harmful; for you will be a protection against troublesome witchcraft while you live; but if you die, then indeed you might sing very sweetly." So he spoke, and lifting it with both hands, he went back into the house, carrying the lovely toy.
There, scooping out with a gouge of grey iron, he bored out the life of the mountain tortoise.
§43ὡς δʼ ὁπότʼ ὠκὺ νόημα διὰ στέρνοιο περήσῃ §44ἀνέρος, ὅν τε θαμειαὶ ἐπιστρωφῶσι μέριμναι, §45ἢ ὅτε δινηθῶσιν ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν ἀμαρυγαί, §46ὣς ἅμʼ ἔπος τε καὶ ἔργον ἐμήδετο κύδιμος Ἑρμῆς.
As when a swift thought darts through the breast of a man whom thick-thronging cares beset, or when bright glances spin from the eyes, so glorious Hermes planned word and deed at once.
He cut stalks of reed to measure and fixed them, piercing them through the back, through the shell of the tortoise.
§49ἀμφὶ δὲ δέρμα τάνυσσε βοὸς πραπίδεσσιν ἑῇσι §50καὶ πήχεις ἐνέθηκʼ, ἐπὶ δὲ ζυγὸν ἤραρεν ἀμφοῖν, §51ἑπτὰ δὲ θηλυτέρων ὀίων ἐτανύσσατο χορδάς.
Around it he stretched the hide of an ox by his wisdom, and fitted the arms, and joined a bridge to both, and stretched seven strings of female sheep.
§52αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῦξε, φέρων, ἐρατεινὸν ἄθυρμα, §53πλήκτρῳ ἐπειρήτιζε κατὰ μέρος· ἣ δʼ ὑπὸ χειρὸς §54σμερδαλέον κονάβησε·
But when he had made the lovely toy, he tested it with the plectrum, string by string; and under his hand it rang out wondrously.
θεὸς δʼ ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄειδεν §55ἐξ αὐτοσχεδίης πειρώμενος, ἠύτε κοῦροι §56ἡβηταὶ θαλίῃσι παραιβόλα κερτομέουσιν, §57ἀμφὶ Δία Κρονίδην καὶ Μαιάδα καλλιπέδιλον, §58ὡς πάρος ὠρίζεσκον ἑταιρείῃ φιλότητι, §59ἥν τʼ αὐτοῦ γενεὴν ὀνομακλυτὸν ἐξονομάζων· §60ἀμφιπόλους τε γέραιρε καὶ ἀγλαὰ δώματα νύμφης §61καὶ τρίποδας κατὰ οἶκον ἐπηετανούς τε λέβητας.
And the god sang sweetly to it, trying impromptu strains, just as young men at feasts bandy taunts back and forth, about Zeus the son of Cronos and Maia of the beautiful sandals, how they used to converse in friendly love before, proclaiming his own glorious lineage; and he honored the handmaidens and the splendid home of the nymph, and the tripods in the house and the abundant cauldrons.
§62καὶ τὰ μὲν οὖν ἤειδε, τὰ δὲ φρεσὶν ἄλλα μενοίνα.
These things he sang indeed, but his heart was planning other things.
§63καὶ τὴν μὲν κατέθηκε φέρων ἱερῷ ἐνὶ λίκνῳ, §64φόρμιγγα γλαφυρήν· ὃ δʼ ἄρα κρειῶν ἐρατίζων §65ἆλτο κατὰ σκοπιὴν εὐώδεος ἐκ μεγάροιο §66ὁρμαίνων δόλον αἰπὺν ἐνὶ φρεσίν, οἶά τε φῶτες §67φηληταὶ διέπουσι μελαίνης νυκτὸς ἐν ὥρῃ.
And he carried and laid the hollow lyre in the sacred cradle, but he, longing for meat, leaped forth from the fragrant hall to a lookout place, pondering steep guile in his heart, such as men who are thieves practice in the time of dark night.
§68ἠέλιος μὲν ἔδυνε κατὰ χθονὸς Ὠκεανόνδε §69αὐτοῖσίν θʼ ἵπποισι καὶ ἅρμασιν· αὐτὰρ ἄρʼ Ἑρμῆς §70Πιερίης ἀφίκανε θέων ὄρεα σκιόεντα, §71ἔνθα θεῶν μακάρων βόες ἄμβροτοι αὖλιν ἔχεσκον §72βοσκόμεναι λειμῶνας ἀκηρασίους, ἐρατεινούς.
The sun was going down beneath the earth toward Oceanus with his horses and chariot; but Hermes arrived running at the shady mountains of Pieria, where the immortal cattle of the blessed gods had their stalls, feeding on uncropped, lovely meadows.
Of these the son of Maia, the sharp-sighted Argeiphontes, cut off fifty loud-lowing cattle from the herd.
§75πλανοδίας δʼ ἤλαυνε διὰ ψαμαθώδεα χῶρον §76ἴχνιʼ ἀποστρέψας· δολίης δʼ οὐ λήθετο τέχνης §77ἀντία ποιήσας ὁπλάς, τὰς πρόσθεν ὄπισθεν, §78τὰς δʼ ὄπιθεν πρόσθεν· κατὰ δʼ ἔμπαλιν αὐτὸς ἔβαινε.
And he drove them wandering through the sandy place, turning their tracks backward; nor did he forget his crafty art, making their hoofs reverse, those in front behind, and those behind in front; and he himself walked backward.
§79σάνδαλα δʼ αὐτίκα ῥιψὶν ἐπὶ ψαμάθοις ἁλίῃσιν,
And straightway he bound sandals of wickerwork upon the sea-sands,