to be immortal and to live all his days; and Zeus nodded assent to her and fulfilled her desire.
Foolish lady! Nor did the queenly Eos perceive in her mind to ask for youth, and to scrape off destructive old age from him.
§225τὸν δʼ ἦ τοι εἵως μὲν ἔχεν πολυήρατος ἥβη, §226Ἠοῖ τερπόμενος χρυσοθρόνῳ, ἠριγενείῃ §227ναῖε παρʼ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοῇς ἐπὶ πείρασι γαίης· §228αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πρῶται πολιαὶ κατέχυντο ἔθειραι §229καλῆς ἐκ κεφαλῆς εὐηγενέος τε γενείου, §230τοῦ δʼ ἦ τοι εὐνῆς μὲν ἀπείχετο πότνια Ἠώς, §231αὐτὸν δʼ αὖτʼ ἀτίταλλεν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔχουσα, §232σίτῳ τʼ ἀμβροσίῃ τε καὶ εἵματα καλὰ διδοῦσα.
Now as long as lovely youth held him, rejoicing in golden-throned Eos, the early-born, he dwelt by the streams of Ocean at the ends of the earth; but when the first gray hairs flowed down from his beautiful head and noble chin, then indeed queenly Eos held aloof from his bed, but she kept him in her halls and nourished him, giving him food and ambrosia and beautiful garments.
§233ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πάμπαν στυγερὸν κατὰ γῆρας ἔπειγεν, §234οὐδέ τι κινῆσαι μελέων δύνατʼ οὐδʼ ἀναεῖραι, §235ἥδε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή· §236ἐν θαλάμῳ κατέθηκε, θύρας δʼ ἐπέθηκε φαεινάς.
But when at last utterly hateful old age pressed hard upon him, and he could not move or lift his limbs at all, then this seemed to her in her heart to be the best counsel: she laid him in a chamber, and put to the shining doors.
§237τοῦ δʼ ἦ τοι φωνὴ ῥέει ἄσπετος, οὐδέ τι κῖκυς §238ἔσθʼ, οἵη πάρος ἔσκεν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσιν.
And his voice indeed flows on endlessly, but there is no strength such as there was before in his supple limbs.
I would not choose that you should be such a one among the immortals, to be immortal and to live all your days.
§241ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν τοιοῦτος ἐὼν εἶδός τε δέμας τε §242ζώοις ἡμέτερός τε πόσις κεκλημένος εἴης, §243οὐκ ἂν ἔπειτά μʼ ἄχος πυκινὰς φρένας ἀμφικαλύπτοι.
But if, being such as you are in appearance and form, you might live and be called my husband, then grief would not enfold my close-knit mind.
§244νῦν δέ σε μὲν τάχα γῆρας ὁμοίιον ἀμφικαλύψει §245νηλειές, τό τʼ ἔπειτα παρίσταται ἀνθρώποισιν, §246οὐλόμενον, καματηρόν, ὅτε στυγέουσι θεοί περ.
But now, right soon common old age will enfold you, pitiless, which thereafter stands by men, destructive, wearisome, which even the gods detest.
§247αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ μέγʼ ὄνειδος ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν §248ἔσσεται ἤματα πάντα διαμπερὲς εἵνεκα σεῖο, §249οἳ πρὶν ἐμοὺς ὀάρους καὶ μήτιας, αἷς ποτε πάντας §250ἀθανάτους συνέμιξα καταθνητῇσι γυναιξί, §251τάρβεσκον· πάντας γὰρ ἐμὸν δάμνασκε νόημα.
But to me there will be great reproach among the immortal gods all my days continuously because of you, who before used to fear my whispers and wiles, with which once I mingled all the immortals with mortal women; for my mind used to subdue them all.
§252νῦν δὲ δὴ οὐκέτι μοι στόμα χείσεται ἐξονομῆναι §253τοῦτο μετʼ ἀθανάτοισιν, ἐπεὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἀάσθην, §254σχέτλιον, οὐκ ὀνοταστόν, ἀπεπλάγχθην δὲ νόοιο, §255παῖδα δʼ ὑπὸ ζώνῃ ἐθέμην βροτῷ εὐνηθεῖσα.
But now indeed my mouth will no longer contain to name this among the immortals, since I have been greatly deluded, miserably, unspeakably, and have gone astray from my mind, and have laid a child under my girdle, having bedded with a mortal man.
§256τὸν μέν, ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτον ἴδῃ φάος ἠελίοιο, §257Νύμφαι μιν θρέψουσιν ὀρεσκῷοι βαθύκολποι, §258αἳ τόδε ναιετάουσιν ὄρος μέγα τε ζάθεόν τε· §259αἵ ῥʼ οὔτε θνητοῖς οὔτʼ ἀθανάτοισιν ἕπονται.
Him, as soon as he first sees the light of the sun, the deep-bosomed mountain-dwelling Nymphs shall rear, who inhabit this great and holy mountain; who indeed follow neither mortals nor immortals.
They live long and eat immortal food, and tread the lovely dance among the immortals.
And with them the Sileni and the sharp-sighted Argus-slayer mingle in love in the recess of lovely caves.
§264τῇσι δʼ ἅμʼ ἢ ἐλάται ἠὲ δρύες ὑψικάρηνοι §265γεινομένῃσιν ἔφυσαν ἐπὶ χθονὶ βωτιανείρῃ, §266καλαί, τηλεθάουσαι, ἐν οὔρεσιν ὑψηλοῖσιν.
And at their birth, high-topped firs or oaks grow together with them upon the nourishing earth, beautiful, flourishing, on the high mountains.
§267ἑστᾶσʼ ἠλίβατοι, τεμένη δέ ἑ κικλήσκουσιν §268ἀθανάτων· τὰς δʼ οὔ τι βροτοὶ κείρουσι σιδήρῳ· §269ἀλλʼ ὅτε κεν δὴ μοῖρα παρεστήκῃ θανάτοιο, §270ἀζάνεται μὲν πρῶτον ἐπὶ χθονὶ δένδρεα καλά, §271φλοιὸς δʼ ἀμφιπεριφθινύθει, πίπτουσι δʼ ἄπʼ ὄζοι, §272τῶν δέ θʼ ὁμοῦ ψυχὴ λείπει φάος ἠελίοιο.
They stand towering, and men call them sanctuaries of the immortals; and mortals never cut them with iron; but when the doom of death stands near, first the beautiful trees wither on the earth, and the bark wastes away around them, and the branches fall off, and at the same time the soul of them leaves the light of the sun.
§273αἳ μὲν ἐμὸν θρέψουσι παρὰ σφίσιν υἱὸν ἔχουσαι.
These shall rear my son, keeping him with them.
And when lovely youth first takes hold of him, the goddesses will bring the boy hither to you and show him.
§276σοὶ δʼ ἐγώ, ὄφρα κε ταῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶ πάντα διέλθω, §277ἐς πέμπτον ἔτος αὖτις ἐλεύσομαι υἱὸν ἄγουσα.
And I, that I may go through all these things in my mind, will come again in the fifth year bringing your son.
§278τὸν μὲν ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτον ἴδῃς θάλος ὀφθαλμοῖσι, §279γηθήσεις ὁρόων· μάλα γὰρ θεοείκελος ἔσται· §280ἄξεις δʼ αὐτίκα νιν ποτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν.
And when you first see him, a shoot for your eyes to behold, you will rejoice as you look; for he shall be very like a god; and you shall lead him at once to windy Ilion.
§281ἢν δέ τις εἴρηταί σε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων, §282ἥ τις σοι φίλον υἱὸν ὑπὸ ζώνῃ θέτο μήτηρ, §283τῷ δὲ σὺ μυθεῖσθαι μεμνημένος, ὥς σε κελεύω· §284φάσθαι τοι Νύμφης καλυκώπιδος ἔκγονον εἶναι, §285αἳ τόδε ναιετάουσιν ὄρος καταειμένον ὕλῃ.
And if any mortal man should ask you, who was the mother that laid your dear son under her girdle, remember to tell him as I command you; say that he is the offspring of a flower-faced Nymph, of those who inhabit this mountain clothed with forest.
§286εἰ δέ κεν ἐξείπῃς καὶ ἐπεύξεαι ἄφρονι θυμῷ §287ἐν φιλότητι μιγῆναι ἐυστεφάνῳ Κυθερείῃ, §288Ζεύς σε χολωσάμενος βαλέει ψολόεντι κεραυνῷ.
But if you speak out and boast with foolish heart that you mingled in love with fair-crowned Cytherea, Zeus in his anger will smite you with a smoldering thunderbolt.
§289εἴρηταί τοι πάντα· σὺ δὲ φρεσὶ σῇσι νοήσας, §290ἴσχεο μηδʼ ὀνόμαινε, θεῶν δʼ ἐποπίζεο μῆνιν. <milestone type="endquote"/> §291ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἤιξε πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἠνεμόεντα.
Everything has been told to you; but do you, reflecting in your mind, restrain yourself, and do not name me, but fear the wrath of the gods." Thus having spoken, she hastened to windy heaven.
§292χαῖρε, θεά, Κύπροιο ἐυκτιμένης μεδέουσα·
Hail, goddess, ruler of well-built Cyprus!
§293σεῦ δʼ ἐγὼ ἀρξάμενος μεταβήσομαι ἄλλον ἐς ὕμνον.
Beginning from you, I will pass on to another hymn.