§1ἀμφί μοι Ἑρμείαο φίλον γόνον ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα, §2αἰγιπόδην, δικέρωτα, φιλόκροτον, ὅστ’ ἀνὰ πίση §3δενδρήεντ’ ἄμυδις φοιτᾷ χορογηθέσι νύμφαις, §4αἵ τε κατ’ αἰγίλιπος πέτρης στείβουσι κάρηνα §5Πᾶν’ ἀνακεκλόμεναι, νόμιον θεόν, ἀγλαέθειρον, §6αὐχμήενθ᾽, ὃς πάντα λόφον νιφόεντα λέλογχε §7καὶ κορυφὰς ὀρέων καὶ πετρήεντα κάρηνα.
Tell me, Muse, of the dear son of Hermes, goat-footed, two-horned, lover of the din, who through the wooded meadows wanders together with the dance-loving nymphs, who tread the peaks of the sheer rock, calling upon Pan, the pastoral god of the splendid hair, the unkempt one, who has obtained as his domain every snowy ridge, and mountain peaks and rocky summits.
§8φοιτᾷ δ’ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διὰ ῥωπήια πυκνά, §9ἄλλοτε μὲν ῥείθροισιν ἐφελκόμενος μαλακοῖσιν, §10ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖ πέτρῃσιν ἐν ἠλιβάτοισι διοιχνεῖ, §11ἀκροτάτην κορυφὴν μηλοσκόπον εἰσαναβαίνων.
He wanders hither and thither through the thick brushwood, sometimes drawn by the gentle streams, and sometimes again he passes among the sheer cliffs, climbing up to the highest peak that watches over the sheep.
§12πολλάκι δ’ ἀργινόεντα διέδραμεν οὔρεα μακρά, §13πολλάκι δ’ ἐν κνημοῖσι διήλασε θῆρας ἐναίρων, §14ὀξέα δερκόμενος· τότε δ’ ἕσπερος ἔκλαγεν οἶον §15ἄγρης ἐξανιών, δονάκων ὕπο μοῦσαν ἀθύρων §16νήδυμον· οὐκ ἂν τόν γε παραδράμοι ἐν μελέεσσιν §17ὄρνις, ἥτ’ ἔαρος πολυανθέος ἐν πετάλοισι §18θρῆνον ἐπιπροχέουσ’ ἀχέει μελίγηρυν ἀοιδήν.
Often he runs through the gleaming high mountains, and often he drives through the glens, slaying wild beasts, looking sharply; and then at evening he cries out alone, returning from the chase, playing a sweet tune under the reeds, sweet; not even a bird could surpass him in melody, the bird which in the leaves of flowery spring, pouring forth her lament, pours out her sweet-sounding song.
§19σὺν δέ σφιν τότε Νύμφαι ὀρεστιάδες λιγύμολποι §20φοιτῶσαι πύκα ποσσὶν ἐπὶ κρήνῃ μελανύδρῳ §21μέλπονται· κορυφὴν δὲ περιστένει οὔρεος Ἠχώ·
And with them then the clear-singing mountain Nymphs, thronging with swift steps near the dark-watered spring, sing; and Echo moans around the mountain top.
§22δαίμων δ’ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χορῶν, τοτὲ δ’ ἐς μέσον ἕρπων, §23πυκνὰ ποσὶν διέπει, λαῖφος δ’ ἐπὶ νῶτα δαφοινὸν §24λυγκὸς ἔχει, λιγυρῇσιν ἀγαλλόμενος φρένα μολπαῖς §25ἐν μαλακῷ λειμῶνι, τόθι κρόκος ἠδ’ ὑάκινθος §26εὐώδης θαλέθων καταμίσγεται ἄκριτα ποίῃ.
And the god, moving hither and thither in the dances, and sometimes stepping into the middle, leads it with swift steps, and on his back a tawny skin of a lynx he wears, rejoicing in his heart with clear-sounding songs, in a soft meadow, where crocus and sweet-scented hyacinth blooming, mingle confusedly with the grass.
§27ὑμνεῦσιν δὲ θεοὺς μάκαρας καὶ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον· §28οἷόν θ’ Ἑρμείην ἐριούνιον ἔξοχον ἄλλων §29ἔννεπον, ὡς ὅ γ’ ἅπασι θεοῖς θοὸς ἄγγελός ἐστι, §30καί ῥ’ ὅ γ’ ἐς Ἀρκαδίην πολυπίδακα, μητέρα μήλων, §31ἐξίκετ᾽, ἔνθα τέ οἱ τέμενος Κυλληνίου ἐστίν.
And they sing of the blessed gods and high Olympus; and especially they tell of luck-bringing Hermes above others, telling how he is the swift messenger to all the gods, and how he came to Arcadia of many springs, mother of sheep, where there is a sanctuary for him as Cyllean.
§32ἔνθ’ ὅ γε καὶ θεὸς ὢν ψαφαρότριχα μῆλ’ ἐνόμευεν §33ἀνδρὶ πάρα θνητῷ θάλε γὰρ πόθος ὑγρὸς ἐπελθὼν §34νύμφῃ ἐυπλοκάμῳ Δρύοπος φιλότητι μιγῆναι· §35ἐκ δ’ ἐτέλεσσε γάμον θαλερόν.
There he, though being a god, tended the shaggy-fleeced sheep for a mortal man; for a melting desire came upon him and bloomed to mingle in love with the fair-tressed daughter of Dryops; and he accomplished the fruitful marriage.
τέκε δ’ ἐν μεγάροισιν §36Ἑρμείῃ φίλον υἱόν, ἄφαρ τερατωπὸν ἰδέσθαι, §37αἰγιπόδην, δικέρωτα, φιλόκροτον, ἡδυγέλωτα·
And she bore in the halls to Hermes a dear son, straightway monstrous to behold, goat-footed, two-horned, lover of the din, sweet-laughing.
And the nurse sprang up and fled, and left the child, for she was afraid when she saw his ungentle, bearded face.
But luck-bringing Hermes straightway took him in his hands, receiving him, and the god rejoiced exceedingly in his mind.
§42ῥίμφα δ’ ἐς ἀθανάτων ἕδρας κίε παῖδα καλύψας §43δέρμασιν ἐν πυκινοῖσιν ὀρεσκῴοιο λαγωοῦ §44πὰρ δὲ Ζηνὶ κάθιζε καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισι, §45δεῖξε δὲ κοῦρον ἑόν· πάντες δ’ ἄρα θυμὸν ἔτερφθεν §46ἀθάνατοι, περίαλλα δ’ ὁ Βάκχειος Διόνυσος· §47Πᾶνα δέ μιν καλέεσκον, ὅτι φρένα πᾶσιν ἔτερψε.
Swiftly he went to the dwellings of the immortals, wrapping the child in the thick skins of a mountain hare, and he seated him by Zeus and the other immortals, and showed his boy; and all the immortals were delighted in heart, and above all Bacchic Dionysus; and they called him Pan, because he delighted the hearts of all.