Golden lyre, joint possession of Apollo and the violet-haired Muses, their common treasure!
τᾶς ἀκούει μὲν βάσις, ἀγλαΐας ἀρχά, §1.3πείθονται δʼ ἀοιδοὶ σάμασιν, §1.4ἁγησιχόρων ὁπόταν προοιμίων ἀμβολὰς τεύχῃς ἐλελιζομένα.
To you the footstep listens, the beginning of splendor, and the singers obey your signs, whenever you, vibrating, fashion the preludes of chorus-leading introductions.
And you quench even the spear-like thunderbolt of ever-flowing fire.
εὕδει δʼ ἀνὰ σκάπτῳ Διὸς αἰετός, ὠκεῖαν πτέρυγʼ ἀμφοτέρωθεν χαλάξαις, §1.7ἀρχὸς οἰωνῶν, κελαινῶπιν δʼ ἐπί οἱ νεφέλαν §1.8ἀγκύλῳ κρατί, γλεφάρων ἁδὺ κλαΐστρον, κατέχευας· ὁ δὲ κνώσσων §1.9ὑγρὸν νῶτον αἰωρεῖ, τεαῖς §1.10ῥιπαῖσι κατασχόμενος.
And on the sceptre of Zeus sleeps the eagle, relaxing his swift wings on either side, king of birds, and over his arched head you have poured a dark-cloud, a sweet shutter for his eyelids; and he, slumbering, ripples his supple back, held fast by your quiverings.
καὶ γὰρ βιατὰς Ἄρης, τραχεῖαν ἄνευθε λιπὼν §1.11ἐγχέων ἀκμάν, ἰαίνει καρδίαν §1.12κώματι, κῆλα δὲ καὶ δαιμόνων θέλγει φρένας, ἀμφί τε Λατοίδα σοφίᾳ βαθυκόλπων τε Μοισᾶν.
For even violent Ares, leaving behind his rough point of spears, warms his heart in deep slumber, and your shafts soothe the minds of even the divinities, through the art of Leto's son and the deep-bosomed Muses.
§1.13ὅσσα δὲ μὴ πεφίληκε Ζεύς, ἀτύζονται βοὰν §1.14Πιερίδων ἀΐοντα, γᾶν τε καὶ πόντον κατʼ ἀμαιμάκετον, §1.15ὅς τʼ ἐν αἰνᾷ Ταρτάρῳ κεῖται, θεῶν πολέμιος, §1.16Τυφὼς ἑκατοντακάρανος· τόν ποτε §1.17Κιλίκιον θρέψεν πολυώνυμον ἄντρον· νῦν γε μὰν §1.18ταί θʼ ὑπὲρ Κύμας ἁλιερκέες ὄχθαι §1.19Σικελία τʼ αὐτοῦ πιέζει στέρνα λαχνάεντα· κίων δʼ οὐρανία συνέχει, §1.20νιφόεσσʼ Αἴτνα, πάνετες χιόνος ὀξείας τιθήνα· §1.21τᾶς ἐρεύγονται μὲν ἀπλάτου πυρὸς ἁγνόταται §1.22ἐκ μυχῶν παγαί· ποταμοὶ δʼ ἁμέραισιν μὲν προχέοντι ῥόον καπνοῦ §1.23αἴθωνʼ· ἀλλʼ ἐν ὄρφναισιν πέτρας §1.24φοίνισσα κυλινδομένα φλὸξ ἐς βαθεῖαν φέρει πόντου πλάκα σὺν πατάγῳ.
But as many things as Zeus has not loved are bewildered when they hear the voice of the Pierides, both on earth and throughout the irresistible sea, and he who lies in dreadful Tartarus, the enemy of the gods, hundred-headed Typhon; whom once the famous Cilician cave reared; yet now both the sea-girt cliffs above Cumae and Sicily press down upon his shaggy chest; and a pillar of heaven holds him fast, snowy Etna, nurse of sharp snow all year round; from whose depths belch forth the purest springs of unapproachable fire; and during the days the rivers pour forth a burning stream of smoke, glowing; but in the darkness of night, a red rolling flame carries rocks into the deep plain of the sea with a roar.
§1.25κεῖνο δʼ Ἁφαίστοιο κρουνοὺς ἑρπετὸν §1.26δεινοτάτους ἀναπέμπει· τέρας μὲν θαυμάσιον προσιδέσθαι, θαῦμα δὲ καὶ παρεόντων ἀκοῦσαι, §1.27οἷον Αἴτνας ἐν μελαμφύλλοις δέδεται κορυφαῖς §1.28καὶ πέδῳ, στρωμνὰ δὲ χαράσσοισʼ ἅπαν νῶτον ποτικεκλιμένον κεντεῖ.
That monster sends up most dreadful founts of fire; a wonder marvelous to behold, and a marvel even to hear from those present, how he is bound beneath the dark-leaved peaks of Etna and the plain, and his bedding scratches and goads all his back pressed against it.
§1.29εἴη, Ζεῦ, τὶν εἴη ἁνδάνειν, §1.30ὃς τοῦτʼ ἐφέπεις ὄρος, εὐκάρποιο γαίας μέτωπον, τοῦ μὲν ἐπωνυμίαν §1.31κλεινὸς οἰκιστὴρ ἐκύδανεν πόλιν §1.32γείτονα, Πυθιάδος δʼ ἐν δρόμῳ κάρυξ ἀνέειπέ νιν ἀγγέλλων Ἱέρωνος ὑπὲρ καλλινίκου §1.33ἅρμασι.
May it be, O Zeus, may it be pleasing to you, who rule this mountain, the brow of a fruitful land, whose namesake city the famous founder glorified, and at the Pythian race-course the herald proclaimed it, announcing it on behalf of Hieron, glorious victor with his chariot.
ναυσιφορήτοις δʼ ἀνδράσι πρώτα χάρις §1.34ἐς πλόον ἀρχομένοις πομπαῖον ἐλθεῖν οὖρον· ἐοικότα γὰρ §1.35καὶ τελευτᾷ φερτέρου νόστου τυχεῖν.
For seafaring men, the first favor as they begin their voyage is for a favorable wind to come; for it is likely that at the end too they will achieve a better return home.
ὁ δὲ λόγος §1.36ταύταις ἐπὶ συντυχίαις δόξαν φέρει §1.37λοιπὸν ἔσσεσθαι στεφάνοισί νιν ἵπποις τε κλυτὰν §1.38καὶ σὺν εὐφώνοις θαλίαις ὀνυμαστάν.
And this thought, upon these happy fortunes, brings the belief that hereafter this city will be famous for crowns and horses, and celebrated amid sweet-sounding festivities.
§1.39Λύκιε καὶ Δάλου ἀνάσσων Φοῖβε, Παρνασσοῦ τε κράναν Κασταλίαν φιλέων, §1.40ἐθελήσαις ταῦτα νόῳ τιθέμεν εὔανδρόν τε χώραν.
O Lycian and ruler of Delos, Phoebus, you who love the Castalian spring of Parnassus, may you be willing to lay these things to heart, and to make this land rich in brave men.
§1.41ἐκ θεῶν γὰρ μαχαναὶ πᾶσαι βροτέαις ἀρεταῖς, §1.42καὶ σοφοὶ καὶ χερσὶ βιαταὶ περίγλωσσοί τʼ ἔφυν.
For from the gods come all means for mortal excellences, and by them men are born wise, and strong of hand, and eloquent in speech.
ἄνδρα δʼ ἐγὼ κεῖνον §1.43αἰνῆσαι μενοινῶν ἔλπομαι §1.44μὴ χαλκοπάρᾳον ἄκονθʼ ὡσείτʼ ἀγῶνος βαλεῖν ἔξω παλάμᾳ δονέων, §1.45μακρὰ δὲ ῥίψαις ἀμεύσασθʼ ἀντίους·
But as for that man, yearning to praise him, I hope not to throw the bronze-cheeked javelin outside the course, as it were, while shaking it in my hand, but by a long cast to surpass my rivals.
§1.46εἰ γὰρ ὁ πᾶς χρόνος ὄλβον μὲν οὕτω καὶ κτεάνων δόσιν εὐθύνοι, καμάτων δʼ ἐπίλασιν παράσχοι.
For if only all future time might guide his wealth and the giving of possessions in this way, and provide forgetfulness of his troubles.
§1.47ἦ κεν ἀμνάσειεν, οἵαις ἐν πολέμοισι μάχαις §1.48τλάμονι ψυχᾷ παρέμεινʼ, ἁνίχʼ εὑρίσκοντο θεῶν παλάμαις τιμάν, §1.49οἵαν οὔτις Ἑλλάνων δρέπει, §1.50πλούτου στεφάνωμʼ ἀγέρωχον.
Surely it would remind him in what kind of battle-struggles in war he endured with steadfast soul, when they found honor through the hands of the gods, such as no other of the Hellenes gathers, a proud crown of wealth.
νῦν γε μὰν τὰν Φιλοκτήταο δίκαν ἐφέπων
Yet now, pursuing the manner of Philoctetes,