held up their hands to the blessed gods, fearing for their own children; they feared; while the others again kept up the battle.
αἳ δὲ μετʼ αὐτοὺς §249Κῆρες κυάνεαι, λευκοὺς ἀραβεῦσαι ὀδόντας, §250δεινωπαὶ βλοσυραί τε δαφοιναί τʼ ἄπληταί τε §251δῆριν ἔχον περὶ πιπτόντων· πᾶσαι δʼ ἄρʼ ἵεντο §252αἷμα μέλαν πιέειν·
And behind them the dark Keres, gnashing their white teeth, grim-faced, terrible, blood-red, and insatiable, held a conflict over those who fell; and they all were eager to drink black blood.
ὃν δὲ πρῶτον μεμάποιεν §253κείμενον ἢ πίπτοντα νεούτατον, ἀμφὶ μὲν αὐτῷ §254βάλλʼ ὄνυχας μεγάλους, ψυχὴ δʼ Ἄιδόσδε κατῇεν §255Τάρταρον ἐς κρυόενθʼ.
Whomever they first caught lying down or falling newly wounded, around him they would cast their great claws, and his soul would go down to Hades, into chilly Tartarus.
αἳ δὲ φρένας εὖτʼ ἀρέσαντο §256αἵματος ἀνδρομέου, τὸν μὲν ῥίπτασκον ὀπίσσω, §257ἂψ δʼ ὅμαδον καὶ μῶλον ἐθύνεον αὖτις ἰοῦσαι.
But when they had satisfied their hearts with human blood, they would cast that one behind them, and rush back again into the tumult and the strife, returning once more.
§258Κλωθὼ καὶ Λάχεσίς σφιν ἐφέστασαν· ἣ μὲν ὑφήσσων §259Ἀτροπος οὔ τι πέλεν μεγάλη θεός, ἀλλʼ ἄρα ἥ γε §260τῶν γε μὲν ἀλλάων προφερής τʼ ἦν πρεσβυτάτη τε.
Clotho and Lachesis stood over them; and Atropos, who was not at all a great goddess, yet she was superior to the others and the eldest of them.
§261πᾶσαι δʼ ἀμφʼ ἑνὶ φωτὶ μάχην δριμεῖαν ἔθεντο.
And they all made a fierce battle around one man.
And they glared terribly at one another, raging with their eyes, and matched their claws and bold hands against each other.
§264πὰρ δʼ Ἀχλὺς εἱστήκει ἐπισμυγερή τε καὶ αἰνή, §265χλωρὴ ἀυσταλέη λιμῷ καταπεπτηυῖα, §266γουνοπαχής, μακροὶ δʼ ὄνυχες χείρεσσιν ὑπῆσαν.
And beside them stood Gloom, mournful and terrible, pale, dry, shrunk with hunger, thick-kneed, and long claws were on her hands.
§267τῆς ἐκ μὲν ῥινῶν μύξαι ῥέον, ἐκ δὲ παρειῶν §268αἷμʼ ἀπελείβετʼ ἔραζʼ· ἣ δʼ ἄπλητον σεσαρυῖα §269εἱστήκει, πολλὴ δὲ κόνις κατενήνοθεν ὤμους, §270δάκρυσι μυδαλέη.
From her nostrils mucus ran, and from her cheeks blood dripped to the ground; and she stood grinning insatiably, and much dust lay upon her shoulders, wet with tears.
παρὰ δʼ εὔπυργος πόλις ἀνδρῶν· §271χρύσειαι δέ μιν εἶχον ὑπερθυρίοις ἀραρυῖαι §272ἑπτὰ πύλαι· τοὶ δʼ ἄνδρες ἐν ἀγλαΐῃς τε χοροῖς τε §273τέρψιν ἔχον·
And beside them was a well-walled city of men; and seven golden gates, fitted to lintels, enclosed it; and the men were finding delight in festivities and dances.
τοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐυσσώτρου ἐπʼ ἀπήνης §274ἤγοντʼ ἀνδρὶ γυναῖκα, πολὺς δʼ ὑμέναιος ὀρώρει· §275τῆλε δʼ ἀπʼ αἰθομένων δαΐδων σέλας εἰλύφαζε §276χερσὶν ἔνι δμῳῶν· ταὶ δʼ ἀγλαΐῃ τεθαλυῖαι §277πρόσθʼ ἔκιον· τῇσιν δὲ χοροὶ παίζοντες ἕποντο.
For some on a well-wheeled carriage were bringing a bride to her husband, and a loud bridal song arose; and far off from the blazing torches the gleam swirled, in the hands of maidservants; and they, blooming in splendor, went on ahead; and playful dancers followed them.
§278τοὶ μὲν ὑπὸ λιγυρῶν συρίγγων ἵεσαν αὐδὴν §279ἐξ ἁπαλῶν στομάτων, περὶ δέ σφισιν ἄγνυτο ἠχώ. §280αἳ δʼ ὑπὸ φορμίγγων ἄναγον χορὸν ἱμερόεντα.
The men were sending forth their voice to the shrill pipes from their soft mouths, and the echo was broken around them; and the women led the lovely dance to the lyres.
§281ἔνθεν δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθε νέοι κώμαζον ὑπʼ αὐλοῦ, §282τοί γε μὲν αὖ παίζοντες ὑπʼ ὀρχηθμῷ καὶ ἀοιδῇ §283τοί γε μὲν αὖ γελόωντες ὑπʼ αὐλητῆρι ἕκαστος §284πρόσθʼ ἔκιον· πᾶσαν δὲ πόλιν θαλίαι τε χοροί τε §285ἀγλαΐαι τʼ εἶχον.
And then on the other side young men were reveling to the flute, some playing to dance and song, others laughing to the flute-player, each went on ahead; and festivity, dance, and splendor held the whole city.
τοὶ δʼ αὖ προπάροιθε πόληος §286νῶθʼ ἵππων ἐπιβάντες ἐθύνεον.
And others again, before the city, mounting the backs of horses, were galloping.
And the plowmen were breaking the divine earth, having tucked up their tunics tidy.
αὐτὰρ ἔην βαθὺ λήιον· οἵ γε μὲν ἤμων §289αἰχμῇς ὀξείῃσι κορωνιόωντα πέτηλα, §290βριθόμενα σταχύων, ὡς εἰ Δημήτερος ἀκτήν·
But there was a deep cornfield; and some were reaping with sharp blades the curved stalks, heavy with ears, as if it were Demeter's grain.
§291οἳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν ἐλλεδανοῖσι δέον καὶ ἔπιτνον ἀλωήν,
And others were binding them in straw bands and spreading them on the threshing-floor.
§292οἳ δʼ ἐτρύγων οἴνας δρεπάνας ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες,
And others were gathering the vintage, having sickles in their hands.
§293οἳ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐς ταλάρους ἐφόρευν ὑπὸ τρυγητήρων §294λευκοὺς καὶ μέλανας βότρυας μεγάλων ἀπὸ ὄρχων, §295βριθομένων φύλλοισι καὶ ἀργυρέῃς ἑλίκεσσιν.
And others again were carrying to baskets from the vintagers white and black clusters of grapes from the great rows, heavy with leaves and silver tendrils.
§296οἳ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐς ταλάρους ἐφόρευν.
And others again were carrying them to baskets.
παρὰ δέ σφισιν ὄρχος §297χρύσεος ἦν, κλυτὰ ἔργα περίφρονος Ἡφαίστοιο, §299σειόμενος φύλλοισι καὶ ἀργυρέῃσι κάμαξι, §300βριθόμενος σταφυλῇσι· μελάνθησάν γε μὲν αἵδε.
And beside them was a vineyard of gold, the glorious work of wise Hephaestus, shaking with leaves and silver stakes, heavy with clusters; and these grapes indeed had turned black.
§301οἵ γε μὲν ἐτράπεον, τοὶ δʼ ἤρυον· οἳ δʼ ἐμάχοντο §302πύξ τε καὶ ἑλκηδόν· τοὶ δʼ ὠκύποδας λαγὸς ᾕρευν §303ἄνδρες θηρευταί, καὶ καρχαρόδοντε κύνε πρό, §304ἱέμενοι μαπέειν, οἳ δʼ ἱέμενοι ὑπαλύξαι.
Some were treading the grapes, and others were drawing off the juice; and others were fighting with fists and in wrestling; and others were chasing swift-footed hares, men who were hunters, and two sharp-toothed dogs ahead, eager to catch them, while the hares were eager to escape.
And beside them horsemen were engaged in labor, and over a prize they held conflict and toil.
ἐυπλεκέων δʼ ἐπὶ δίφρων §307ἡνίοχοι βεβαῶτες ἐφίεσαν ὠκέας ἵππους §308ῥυτὰ χαλαίνοντες, τὰ δʼ ἐπικροτέοντα πέτοντο §309ἅρματα κολλήεντʼ, ἐπὶ δὲ πλῆμναι μέγʼ ἀύτευν.
And on well-woven chariots the charioteers standing let loose their swift horses, loosening the reins, and the chariots flew rattling, well-put-together, and the hubs shrieked loudly.