§368<milestone type="startquote"/> ζεῦ πάτερ, ἦ τοι ἐγώ σοι ἀληθείην καταλέξω· §369νημερτής τε γάρ εἰμι καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ψεύδεσθαι.
<milestone type="startquote"/> 'Father Zeus, surely I will tell you the truth; for I am truthful and do not know how to lie.
He came to our place seeking his shambling cattle today, just as the sun was newly rising.
§372οὐδὲ θεῶν μακάρων ἄγε μάρτυρας οὐδὲ κατόπτας, §373μηνύειν δʼ ἐκέλευεν ἀναγκαίης ὑπὸ πολλῆς, §374πολλὰ δέ μʼ ἠπείλησε βαλεῖν ἐς Τάρταρον εὐρύν, §375οὕνεχʼ ὃ μὲν τέρεν ἄνθος ἔχει φιλοκυδέος ἥβης, §376αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ χθιζὸς γενόμην, τὰ δέ τʼ οἶδε καὶ αὐτός, §377οὔτι βοῶν ἐλατῆρι, κραταιῷ φωτί, ἐοικώς.
And he brought no witnesses or observers of the blessed gods, but commanded me to confess under great compulsion, and repeatedly threatened to cast me into wide Tartarus, because he indeed possesses the tender bloom of glorious youth, whereas I was born but yesterday, as he himself well knows; I am in no way like a driver of cattle, a strong man.
§378πείθεο· καὶ γὰρ ἐμεῖο πατὴρ φίλος εὔχεαι εἶναι, §379ὡς οὐκ οἴκαδʼ ἔλασσα βόας, ὣς ὄλβιος εἴην, §380οὐδʼ ὑπὲρ οὐδὸν ἔβην· τὸ δέ τʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύω.
Believe me—for you claim to be my own dear father— that I did not drive the cattle home, as I hope to be happy, nor did I cross over the threshold; this I tell you truly.
I greatly revere Helios and the other deities, and I love you and stand in awe of this one.
οἶσθα καὶ αὐτός, §383ὡς οὐκ αἴτιός εἰμι· μέγαν δʼ ἐπιδώσομαι ὅρκον· §384οὐ μὰ τάδʼ ἀθανάτων εὐκόσμητα προθύραια.
You yourself know that I am not guilty; and I will swear a great oath: no, by these well-adorned portals of the immortals!
§385καί που ἐγὼ τούτῳ τίσω ποτὲ νηλέα φώρην, §386καὶ κρατερῷ περ ἐόντι· σὺ δʼ ὁπλοτέροισιν ἄρηγε. <milestone type="endquote"/> §387ὣς φάτʼ ἐπιλλίζων Κυλλήνιος Ἀργειφόντης· §388καὶ τὸ σπάργανον εἶχεν ἐπʼ ὠλένῃ οὐδʼ ἀπέβαλλε.
And surely some day I will make him pay for this ruthless search, strong though he is; but do you protect the younger one.' <milestone type="endquote"/> So spoke Cyllenian Argeiphontes, winking his eyes; and he kept his swaddling clothes on his arm and did not cast them off.
And Zeus laughed aloud, seeing the craftily-plotting boy so well and skillfully denying any part in the cattle.
§391ἀμφοτέρους δʼ ἐκέλευσεν ὁμόφρονα θυμὸν ἔχοντας §392ζητεύειν, Ἑρμῆν δὲ διάκτορον ἡγεμονεύειν §393καὶ δεῖξαι τὸν χῶρον ἐπʼ ἀβλαβίῃσι νόοιο, §394ὅππη δὴ αὖτʼ ἀπέκρυψε βοῶν ἴφθιμα κάρηνα.
He ordered them both, having a mind in agreement, to make search, and Hermes the messenger to lead the way and show the place without any guile of mind where he had hidden the strong heads of cattle.
The Son of Cronos nodded, and glorious Hermes obeyed; for the mind of aegis-bearing Zeus easily persuaded him.
§397τὼ δʼ ἄμφω σπεύδοντε Διὸς περικαλλέα τέκνα §398ἐς Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα ἐπʼ Ἀλφειοῦ πόρον ἷξον· §399ἀγροὺς δʼ ἐξίκοντο καὶ αὔλιον ὑψιμέλαθρον, §400ἡχοῦ δὴ τὰ χρήματʼ ἀτάλλετο νυκτὸς ἐν ὥρῃ.
And they both hastened, the two beautiful children of Zeus, and came to sandy Pylos, to the ford of Alpheius; and they reached the fields and the high-roofed fold where the goods had been sheltered in the nighttime.
There Hermes went to the stone cave and drove out the strong heads of cattle into the light.
§403Λητοΐδης δʼ ἀπάτερθεν ἰδὼν ἐνόησε βοείας §404πέτρῃ ἐπʼ ἠλιβάτῳ, τάχα δʼ εἴρετο κύδιμον Ἑρμῆν· §405<milestone type="startquote"/> πῶς ἐδύνω, δολομῆτα, δύω βόε δειροτομῆσαι, §406ὧδε νεογνὸς ἐὼν καὶ νήπιος;
But the Son of Leto, looking aside, noticed the cowhides on a steep rock, and quickly asked glorious Hermes: <milestone type="startquote"/> 'How were you able, you rogue, to slaughter two cows, being so newborn and infant?
αὐτὸς ἐγώ γε §407θαυμαίνω κατόπισθε τὸ σὸν κράτος· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ §408μακρὸν ἀέξεσθαι, Κυλλήνιε, Μαιάδος υἱέ. <milestone type="endquote"/> §409ὣς ἄρ ἔφη καὶ χερσὶ περίστρεφε καρτερὰ δεσμὰ
I myself wonder at your strength hereafter; nor is there any need for you to grow big for long, Cyllenian, son of Maia.' <milestone type="endquote"/> Thus he spoke, and with his hands began to twist strong bonds, [eager to bind Hermes with strong osier bands.
§409a[ἐνδῆσαι μεμαὼς Ἑρμῆν κρατεραῖσι λύγοισι. §409bτὸν δʼ οὐκ ἴσχανε δεσμά, λύγοι δʼ ἀπὸ τηλόσε πῖπτον] §410ἄγνου· ταὶ δʼ ὑπὸ ποσσὶ κατὰ χθονὸς αἶψα φύοντο §411αὐτόθεν, ἐμβολάδην ἐστραμμέναι ἀλλήλῃσι, §412ῥεῖά τε καὶ πάσῃσιν ἐπʼ ἀγραύλοισι βόεσσιν, §413Ἑρμέω βουλῇσι κλεψίφρονος·
But the bonds did not hold him, and the osiers fell far away] of chaste-tree; and they quickly grew up beneath their feet from the ground right there, twisted around one another, easily, and over all the field-dwelling cattle, by the will of guileful-minded Hermes.
αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλων §414θαύμασεν ἀθρήσας.
But Apollo marveled as he watched.
τότε δὴ κρατὺς Ἀργειφόντης §415χῶρον ὑποβλήδην ἐσκέψατο, πῦρ ἀμαρύσσων, §416ἐγκρύψαι μεμαώς· Λητοῦς δʼ ἐρικυδέος υἱὸν §417ῥεῖα μάλʼ ἐπρήυνεν ἑκηβόλον, ὡς ἔθελʼ αὐτός, §418καὶ κρατερόν περ ἐόντα· λαβὼν δʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ χειρὸς §419πλήκτρῳ ἐπειρήτιζε κατὰ μέρος· ἣ δʼ ὑπὸ χειρὸς §420σμερδαλέον κονάβησε·
Then strong Argeiphontes looked askance at the ground, eyes flashing with fire, eager to hide; but the far-darting Son of glorious Leto he calmed very easily, just as he wished, the strong one though he was; taking the lyre in his left hand, he with the plectrum tested it part by part; and under his hand it rang out wondrously.
γέλασσε δὲ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων §421γηθήσας, ἐρατὴ δὲ διὰ φρένας ἤλυθʼ ἰωὴ §422θεσπεσίης ἐνοπῆς καὶ μιν γλυκὺς ἵμερος ᾕρει §423θυμῷ ἀκουάζοντα·
And Phoebus Apollo laughed with joy, and the lovely sound of the divine voice went straight to his heart, and sweet desire seized him as he listened in his soul.
λύρῃ δʼ ἐρατὸν κιθαρίζων §424στῆ ῥʼ ὅ γε θαρσήσας ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ Μαιάδος υἱὸς §425Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος· τάχα δὲ λιγέως κιθαρίζων §426γηρύετʼ ἀμβολάδην — ἐρατὴ δέ οἱ ἕσπετο φωνή — κραίνων §427ἀθανάτους τε θεοὺς καὶ γαῖαν ἐρεμνήν, §428ὡς τὰ πρῶτα γένοντο καὶ ὡς λάχε μοῖραν ἕκαστος.
And playing lovely music on the lyre, the son of Maia took courage and stood on the left of Phoebus Apollo; and soon, playing clearly, he began to sing — and a lovely voice accompanied him — celebrating the immortal gods and the dark earth, how they first came to be and how each obtained his share.
Of the gods, first of all he honored Mnemosyne with song, the mother of the Muses; for she had obtained the son of Maia.
§431τοὺς δὲ κατὰ πρέσβιν τε καὶ ὡς γεγάασιν ἕκαστος §432ἀθανάτους ἐγέραιρε θεοὺς Διὸς ἀγλαὸς υἱός, §433πάντʼ ἐνέπων κατὰ κόσμον, ἐπωλένιον κιθαρίζων.
And then, in order of age and as each was born, the glorious son of Zeus honored the immortal gods, telling everything in order, playing the lyre on his arm.
§434τὸν δʼ ἔρος ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀμήχανος αἴνυτο θυμόν, §435καὶ μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §436<milestone type="startquote"/> βουφόνε, μηχανιῶτα, πονεύμενε, δαιτὸς ἑταῖρε, §437πεντήκοντα βοῶν ἀντάξια ταῦτα μέμηλας.
And irresistible love seized the heart in Apollo's breast, and he spoke and addressed him with winged words: <milestone type="startquote"/> 'Cattle-slayer, schemer, busy worker, companion of the feast, these things you care for are worth fifty cows.
§438ἡσυχίως καὶ ἔπειτα διακρινέεσθαι ὀίω·
I think we shall soon settle our dispute in peace.' <milestone type="endquote"/>