§1Μουσάων Ἑλικωνιάδων ἀρχώμεθʼ ἀείδειν, §2αἵθʼ Ἑλικῶνος ἔχουσιν ὄρος μέγα τε ζάθεόν τε §3καί τε περὶ κρήνην ἰοειδέα πόσσʼ ἁπαλοῖσιν §4ὀρχεῦνται καὶ βωμὸν ἐρισθενέος Κρονίωνος.
From the Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mountain of Helicon, and around the violet-colored spring with tender feet dance, and around the altar of the mighty son of Cronos.
§5καί τε λοεσσάμεναι τέρενα χρόα Περμησσοῖο §6ἢ Ἵππου κρήνης ἢ Ὀλμειοῦ ζαθέοιο §7ἀκροτάτῳ Ἑλικῶνι χοροὺς ἐνεποιήσαντο §8καλούς, ἱμερόεντας· ἐπερρώσαντο δὲ ποσσίν.
And having washed their tender skin in Permessus or in the Spring of the Horse, or holy Olmeius, on the topmost Helicon they made their dances, beautiful and lovely; and they moved swiftly with their feet.
§9ἔνθεν ἀπορνύμεναι, κεκαλυμμέναι ἠέρι πολλῇ, §10ἐννύχιαι στεῖχον περικαλλέα ὄσσαν ἱεῖσαι, §11ὑμνεῦσαι Δία τʼ αἰγίοχον καὶ πότνιαν Ἥρην §12Ἀργεΐην, χρυσέοισι πεδίλοις ἐμβεβαυῖαν, §13κούρην τʼ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς γλαυκῶπιν Ἀθήνην §14Φοῖβόν τʼ Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν §15ἠδὲ Ποσειδάωνα γεήοχον, ἐννοσίγαιον, §16καὶ Θέμιν αἰδοίην ἑλικοβλέφαρόν τʼ Ἀφροδίτην §17Ἥβην τε χρυσοστέφανον καλήν τε Διώνην §18Λητώ τʼ Ἰαπετόν τε ἰδὲ Κρόνον ἀγκυλομήτην §19Ἠῶ τʼ Ἠέλιόν τε μέγαν λαμπράν τε Σελήνην §20Γαῖάν τʼ Ὠκεανόν τε μέγαν καὶ Νύκτα μέλαιναν §21ἄλλων τʼ ἀθανάτων ἱερὸν γένος αἰὲν ἐόντων.
Moving thence, veiled in thick mist, by night they walked, sending forth their beautiful voice, hymning aegis-bearing Zeus and queenly Hera of Argos, who walks in golden sandals, and the daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus, flashing-eyed Athena, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon, earth-holder, earth-shaker, and revered Themis, and quick-glancing Aphrodite, and Hebe of the golden crown, and beautiful Dione, and Leto, and Iapetus, and Cronos of crooked counsel, and Eos, and great Helios, and bright Selene, and Gaia, and great Oceanus, and black Night, and the sacred race of the other immortals who exist forever.
These once taught Hesiod beautiful song, as he shepherd-pastured his lambs under holy Helicon.
§24τόνδε δέ με πρώτιστα θεαὶ πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπον, §25Μοῦσαι Ὀλυμπιάδες, κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο· §26ποιμένες ἄγραυλοι, κάκʼ ἐλέγχεα, γαστέρες οἶον, §27ἴδμεν ψεύδεα πολλὰ λέγειν ἐτύμοισιν ὁμοῖα, §28ἴδμεν δʼ, εὖτʼ ἐθέλωμεν, ἀληθέα γηρύσασθαι. §29ὣς ἔφασαν κοῦραι μεγάλου Διὸς ἀρτιέπειαι· §30καί μοι σκῆπτρον ἔδον δάφνης ἐριθηλέος ὄζον §31δρέψασαι, θηητόν· ἐνέπνευσαν δέ μοι αὐδὴν §32θέσπιν, ἵνα κλείοιμι τά τʼ ἐσσόμενα πρό τʼ ἐόντα.
And to me first of all the goddesses spoke this word, the Olympian Muses, daughters of aegis-bearing Zeus: "Shepherds of the fields, evil disgraces, mere bellies, we know how to speak many lies like truth, but we know, when we wish, how to utter true things." So spoke the daughters of great Zeus, ready of speech; and they gave me a sceptre, a branch of flourishing laurel, having plucked it, wondrous to see; and they breathed into me a divine voice, so that I might celebrate things that will be and things that were before.
§33καί μʼ ἐκέλονθʼ ὑμνεῖν μακάρων γένος αἰὲν ἐόντων, §34σφᾶς δʼ αὐτὰς πρῶτόν τε καὶ ὕστατον αἰὲν ἀείδειν.
And they commanded me to hymn the race of the blessed ones who exist forever, and always to sing of themselves both first and last.
§35ἀλλὰ τί ἦ μοι ταῦτα περὶ δρῦν ἢ περὶ πέτρην;
But why is this to me about oak or about rock?
§36τύνη, Μουσάων ἀρχώμεθα, ταὶ Διὶ πατρὶ §37ὑμνεῦσαι τέρπουσι μέγαν νόον ἐντὸς Ὀλύμπου, §38εἰρεῦσαι τά τʼ ἐόντα τά τʼ ἐσσόμενα πρό τʼ ἐόντα, §39φωνῇ ὁμηρεῦσαι· τῶν δʼ ἀκάματος ῥέει αὐδὴ §40ἐκ στομάτων ἡδεῖα· γελᾷ δέ τε δώματα πατρὸς §41Ζηνὸς ἐριγδούποιο θεᾶν ὀπὶ λειριοέσσῃ §42σκιδναμένῃ· ἠχεῖ δὲ κάρη νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου §43δώματά τʼ ἀθανάτων.
Come, let us begin from the Muses, who for father Zeus hymning delight his great mind within Olympus, telling things that are, and things that will be, and things that were before, harmonizing with their voice; and their untiring voice flows sweet from their mouths; and the palace of their father loud-thundering Zeus laughs at the lily-like voice of the goddesses as it spreads; and the peak of snowy Olympus echoes, and the dwellings of the immortals.
αἳ δʼ ἄμβροτον ὄσσαν ἱεῖσαι §44θεῶν γένος αἰδοῖον πρῶτον κλείουσιν ἀοιδῇ §45ἐξ ἀρχῆς, οὓς Γαῖα καὶ Οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ἔτικτεν, §46οἵ τʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐγένοντο θεοί, δωτῆρες ἐάων.
And they, sending forth their immortal voice, first celebrate with song the revered race of the gods from the beginning, whom Gaia and wide Ouranos begot, and the gods who were born from them, givers of good things.
§47δεύτερον αὖτε Ζῆνα, θεῶν πατέρʼ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν, §48ἀρχόμεναί θʼ ὑμνεῦσι καὶ ἐκλήγουσαι ἀοιδῆς, §49ὅσσον φέρτατός ἐστι θεῶν κράτεί τε μέγιστος.
Next again Zeus, father of gods and men, both at the beginning and the end of their song they hymn, how far he is the most excellent of the gods and greatest in might.
§50αὖτις δʼ ἀνθρώπων τε γένος κρατερῶν τε Γιγάντων §51ὑμνεῦσαι τέρπουσι Διὸς νόον ἐντὸς Ὀλύμπου §52Μοῦσαι Ὀλυμπιάδες, κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.
And again the race of men and of the mighty Giants hymning they delight the mind of Zeus within Olympus, the Olympian Muses, daughters of aegis-bearing Zeus.
§53τὰς ἐν Πιερίῃ Κρονίδῃ τέκε πατρὶ μιγεῖσα §54Μνημοσύνη, γουνοῖσιν Ἐλευθῆρος μεδέουσα, §55λησμοσύνην τε κακῶν ἄμπαυμά τε μερμηράων.
These in Pieria did Mnemosyne, who rules the hills of Eleuther, having mingled with the father, the son of Cronos, bear, as a forgetfulness of evils and a rest from cares.
§56ἐννέα γάρ οἱ νυκτὸς ἐμίσγετο μητίετα Ζεὺς §57νόσφιν ἀπʼ ἀθανάτων ἱερὸν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνων· §58ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐνιαυτὸς ἔην, περὶ δʼ ἔτραπον ὧραι §59μηνῶν φθινόντων, περὶ δʼ ἤματα πόλλʼ ἐτελέσθη, §60ἣ δʼ ἔτεκʼ ἐννέα κούρας ὁμόφρονας, ᾗσιν ἀοιδὴ §61μέμβλεται ἐν στήθεσσιν, ἀκηδέα θυμὸν ἐχούσαις, §62τυτθὸν ἀπʼ ἀκροτάτης κορυφῆς νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου.
For nine nights did counseling Zeus mingle with her, going up into her sacred bed far from the immortals; but when indeed a year had passed, and the seasons turned around as the months waned, and many days were completed, she bore nine daughters, like-minded, to whom song is a care in their breasts, having a heart free from sorrow, a little away from the topmost peak of snowy Olympus.
§63ἔνθα σφιν λιπαροί τε χοροὶ καὶ δώματα καλά.
There are their bright dancing-places and beautiful dwellings.
§64πὰρ δʼ αὐτῇς Χάριτές τε καὶ Ἵμερος οἰκίʼ ἔχουσιν §65ἐν θαλίῃς· ἐρατὴν δὲ διὰ στόμα ὄσσαν ἱεῖσαι §66μέλπονται πάντων τε νόμους καὶ ἤθεα κεδνὰ §67ἀθανάτων κλείουσιν, ἐπήρατον ὄσσαν ἱεῖσαι.
And beside them the Graces and Desire have their houses in festivities; and sending forth a lovely voice through their mouths they sing, and the laws of all and the good customs of the immortals they celebrate, sending forth a lovely voice.
§68αἳ τότʼ ἴσαν πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἀγαλλόμεναι ὀπὶ καλῇ, §69ἀμβροσίῃ μολπῇ· περὶ δʼ ἴαχε γαῖα μέλαινα §70ὑμνεύσαις, ἐρατὸς δὲ ποδῶν ὕπο δοῦπος ὀρώρει §71νισσομένων πατέρʼ εἰς ὅν· ὃ δʼ οὐρανῷ ἐμβασιλεύει, §72αὐτὸς ἔχων βροντὴν ἠδʼ αἰθαλόεντα κεραυνόν, §73κάρτει νικήσας πατέρα Κρόνον· εὖ δὲ ἕκαστα §74ἀθανάτοις διέταξεν ὁμῶς καὶ ἐπέφραδε τιμάς.
They then went to Olympus, exulting in their beautiful voice, with immortal song; and around them the black earth echoed as they sang, and a lovely sound arose from under their feet as they went to their father; and he reigns in heaven, himself holding the thunder and the glowing lightning-bolt, having conquered by might his father Cronos; and well did he distribute all things equally to the immortals and declared their honors.
§75ταῦτʼ ἄρα Μοῦσαι ἄειδον, Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχουσαι,
These things then the Muses sang, who hold Olympian dwellings,