§226αἰνὰ μὲν ἔνθεν ὁδοῖο, τὰ δʼ αἰνότερʼ ἔνθεν ὁδοῖο. <milestone type="endquote"/> §227ὣς εἰπὼν ἤιξεν ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων· §228Κυλλήνης δʼ ἀφίκανεν ὄρος καταείμενον ὕλῃ, §229πέτρης ἐς κευθμῶνα βαθύσκιον, ἔνθα τε νύμφη §230ἀμβροσίη ἐλόχευσε Διὸς παῖδα Κρονίωνος.
<milestone type="startquote"/> "Strange indeed are the tracks on this side of the way, and stranger still on that side of the way." <milestone type="endquote"/> So saying, the lord Apollo, son of Zeus, hastened, and came to the mountain of Cyllene covered with forest, to the deep-shadowed cavern of the rock, where the immortal nymph brought forth the child of Zeus, the son of Cronos.
And a lovely odor spread through the holy mountain, and many long-shanked sheep were grazing on the grass.
There then, hastening, the Far-shooter Apollo himself stepped down the stone threshold into the gloomy cave.
§235Τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε Διὸς καὶ Μαιάδος υἱὸς §236χωόμενον περὶ βουσὶν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα, §237σπάργανʼ ἔσω κατέδυνε θυήεντʼ· ἠύτε πολλὴν §238πρέμνων ἀνθρακιὴν ὕλης σποδὸς ἀμφικαλύπτει, §239ὣς Ἑρμῆς Ἑκάεργον ἰδὼν ἀνέειλεν ἑαυτόν.
Now when the son of Zeus and Maia noticed Far-shooting Apollo angry about his cattle, he huddled down inside his fragrant swaddling clothes; as the ash of wood covers many embers of tree-trunks, so Hermes rolled himself up when he saw the Far-worker.
§240ἐν δʼ ὀλίγῳ συνέλασσε κάρη χεῖράς τε πόδας τε, §241φή ῥα νεόλλουτος, προκαλεύμενος ἥδυμον ὕπνον, §242ἐγρήσσων ἐτεόν γε· χέλυν δʼ ὑπὸ μασχάλῃ εἶχε.
And in a small space he squeezed head and hands and feet, like one newly washed, inviting sweet sleep, though in truth he was wide awake; and he kept his tortoise-shell under his arm.
§243γνῶ δʼ οὐδʼ ἠγνοίησε Διὸς καὶ Λητοῦς υἱὸς §244νύμφην τʼ οὐρείην περικαλλέα καὶ φίλον υἱόν, §245παῖδʼ ὀλίγον, δολίῃς εἰλυμένον ἐντροπίῃσι.
But the son of Zeus and Leto knew, and did not fail to recognize, the beautiful mountain nymph and her dear son, a tiny child, wrapped in crafty wiles.
§246παπτήνας δʼ ἀνὰ πάντα μυχὸν μεγάλοιο δόμοιο §247τρεῖς ἀδύτους ἀνέῳγε λαβὼν κληῖδα φαεινὴν §248νέκταρος ἐμπλείους ἠδʼ ἀμβροσίης ἐρατεινῆς· §249πολλὸς δὲ χρυσός τε καὶ ἄργυρος ἔνδον ἔκειτο, §250πολλὰ δὲ φοινικόεντα καὶ ἄργυφα εἵματα νύμφης, §251οἷα θεῶν μακάρων ἱεροὶ δόμοι ἐντὸς ἔχουσιν·
And looking all around every corner of the great dwelling, he took a shining key and opened three inner chambers full of nectar and lovely ambrosia; and much gold and silver lay within, and many purple and shining garments of the nymph, such as the sacred dwellings of the blessed gods contain within.
§252ἔνθʼ ἐπεὶ ἐξερέεινε μυχοὺς μεγάλοιο δόμοιο §253Λητοΐδης, μύθοισι προσηύδα κύδιμον Ἑρμῆν· §254<milestone type="startquote"/> ὦ παῖ, ὃς ἐν λίκνῳ κατάκειαι, μήνυέ μοι βοῦς
Then, when the son of Leto had searched out the corners of the great dwelling, he addressed glorious Hermes with words: <milestone type="startquote"/> "O child, lying in the cradle, tell me of my cattle quickly; for soon we two shall part in no orderly way.
§255θᾶσσον· ἐπεὶ τάχα νῶι διοισόμεθʼ οὐ κατὰ κόσμον. §256ῥίψω γάρ σε λαβὼν ἐς Τάρταρον ἠερόεντα, §257ἐς ζόφον αἰνόμορον καὶ ἀμήχανον· οὐδέ σε μήτηρ §258ἐς φάος οὐδὲ πατὴρ ἀναλύσεται, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ γαίῃ §259ἐρρήσεις ὀλίγοισι μετʼ ἀνδράσιν ἡγεμονεύων. <milestone type="endquote"/> §260Τὸν δʼ Ἑρμῆς μύθοισιν ἀμείβετο κερδαλέοισι· §261<milestone type="startquote"/> Λητοΐδη, τίνα τοῦτον ἀπηνέα μῦθον ἔειπας;
For I will take you and cast you into gloomy Tartarus, into the awful and helpless darkness; nor shall your mother or your father release you into the light, but you shall ruin under the earth, leading among little men." <milestone type="endquote"/> And Hermes answered him with crafty words: <milestone type="startquote"/> "Son of Leto, what harsh words are these you have spoken?
§262καὶ βοῦς ἀγραύλους διζήμενος ἐνθάδʼ ἱκάνεις;
And do you come here seeking field-dwelling cattle?
I did not see them, I did not learn of them, I did not hear the word of another; I could not tell, nor could I win the reward for telling.
§265οὐδὲ βοῶν ἐλατῆρι, κραταιῷ φωτί, ἔοικα.
Nor am I like a driver of cattle, a strong man.
§266οὐκ ἐμὸν ἔργον τοῦτο, πάρος δέ μοι ἄλλα μέμηλεν· §267ὕπνος ἐμοί γε μέμηλε καὶ ἡμετέρης γάλα μητρὸς §268σπάργανά τʼ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἔχειν καὶ θερμὰ λοετρά.
This is no task of mine, but other things have been my care before: sleep is my care, and our mother's milk, and to have swaddling clothes about my shoulders and warm baths.
§269μή τις τοῦτο πύθοιτο, πόθεν τόδε νεῖκος ἐτύχθη· §270καί κεν δὴ μέγα θαῦμα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι γένοιτο, §271παῖδα νέον γεγαῶτα διὲκ προθύροιο περῆσαι §272βουσὶν ἐπʼ ἀγραύλοισι· τὸ δʼ ἀπρεπέως ἀγορεύεις.
Let no one know whence this dispute arose; indeed, it would be a great wonder among the immortals that a newborn child should pass through the vestibule after field-dwelling cattle; you speak unbecomingly.
§273χθὲς γενόμην, ἁπαλοὶ δὲ πόδες, τρηχεῖα δʼ ὕπο χθών.
I was born yesterday, and my feet are tender, and the earth beneath is rough.
§274εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις, πατρὸς κεφαλὴν μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμοῦμαι· §275μὴ μὲν ἐγὼ μήτʼ αὐτὸς ὑπίσχομαι αἴτιος εἶναι, §276μήτε τινʼ ἄλλον ὄπωπα βοῶν κλοπὸν ὑμετεράων, §277αἵ τινες αἱ βόες εἰσί· τὸ δὲ κλέος οἶον ἀκούω. <milestone type="endquote"/> §278ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη καὶ πυκνὸν ἀπὸ βλεφάρων ἀμαρύσσων §279ὀφρῦς ῥιπτάζεσκεν ὁρώμενος ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα, §280μάκρʼ ἀποσυρίζων, ἅλιον τὸν μῦθον ἀκούων.
But if you will, I will swear a great oath by my father's head: I promise that I myself am not guilty, nor have I seen any other thief of your cattle, whatever these cattle may be—for I only hear of them by rumor." <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus he spoke, and rapidly blinking his eyes, he kept shifting his brows, looking this way and that, whistling long, hearing the words as empty.
§281τὸν δʼ ἁπαλὸν γελάσας προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων· §282<milestone type="startquote"/> ὦ πέπον, ἠπεροπευτά, δολοφραδές, ἦ σε μάλʼ οἴω §283πολλάκις ἀντιτοροῦντα δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας §284ἔννυχον οὐχ ἕνα μοῦνον ἐπʼ οὔδεϊ φῶτα καθίσσαι, §285σκευάζοντα κατʼ οἶκον ἄτερ ψόφου, οἷʼ ἀγορεύεις· §286πολλοὺς δʼ ἀγραύλους ἀκαχήσεις μηλοβοτῆρας §287οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, ὁπότʼ ἄν κρειῶν ἐρατίζων §288ἀντᾷς βουκολίοισι καὶ εἰροπόκοις ὀίεσσιν.
And laughing softly, Far-working Apollo addressed him: <milestone type="startquote"/> "O rogue, deceiver, crafty-minded, truly I think that you will often break into well-built houses and lay many a man low on the floor of his house in the night, plundering through the house without noise, such things as you speak of; and you will grieve many field-dwelling shepherds in the mountain glens, whenever, desiring meat, you come upon herds of cattle and fleece-bearing sheep.
§289ἀλλʼ ἄγε, μὴ πύματόν τε καὶ ὕστατον ὕπνον ἰαύσῃς, §290ἐκ λίκνου κατάβαινε, μελαίνης νυκτὸς ἑταῖρε.
But come, lest you sleep your last and final sleep, get down from your cradle, comrade of black night.
§291τοῦτο γὰρ οὖν καὶ ἔπειτα μετʼ ἀθανάτοις γέρας ἕξεις. §292ἀρχὸς φηλητέων κεκλήσεαι ἤματα πάντα. <milestone type="endquote"/> §293ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη καὶ παῖδα λαβὼν φέρε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.
For this honor indeed you shall have hereafter among the immortals: you shall be called the captain of robbers forever." <milestone type="endquote"/> So he spoke, and taking the child, Phoebus Apollo carried him.
§294σὺν δʼ ἄρα φρασσάμενος τότε δὴ κρατὺς Ἀργειφόντης §295οἰωνὸν προέηκεν ἀειρόμενος μετὰ χερσί, §296τλήμονα γαστρὸς ἔριθον, ἀτάσθαλον ἀγγελιώτην.
Then indeed, the strong Slayer of Argus, taking thought, let go an omen while being lifted in his arms, a wretched servant of the belly, a reckless messenger.
§297ἐσσυμένως δὲ μετʼ αὐτὸν ἐπέπταρε· τοῖο δʼ Ἀπόλλων
And quickly after it he sneezed; and Apollo...