§9.1κωμάσομεν παρʼ Ἀπόλλωνος Σικυώνοθε, Μοῖσαι, §9.2τὰν νεοκτίσταν ἐς Αἴτναν, ἔνθʼ ἀναπεπταμέναι ξείνων νενίκανται θύραι, §9.3ὄλβιον ἐς Χρομίου δῶμʼ.
Muses, we shall lead a revel from Apollo's shrine in Sicyon, to newly-founded Aetna, where the wide-opened doors are overcome by the throng of guests, to the prosperous house of Chromius.
ἀλλʼ ἐπέων γλυκὺν ὕμνον πράσσετε.
Come, weave a sweet hymn of verses.
§9.4τὸ κρατήσιππον γὰρ ἐς ἃρμʼ ἀναβαίνων ματέρι καὶ διδύμοις παίδεσσιν αὐδὰν μανύει §9.5Πυθῶνος αἰπεινᾶς ὁμοκλάροις ἐπόπταις.
For, mounting his horse-ruling chariot, he declares his voice to the mother and her twin children, who are the joint guardians of steep Pytho.
§9.6ἔστι δέ τις λόγος ἀνθρώπων, τετελεσμένον ἐσλὸν §9.7μὴ χαμαὶ σιγᾷ καλύψαι· θεσπεσία δʼ ἐπέων καύχαις ἀοιδὰ πρόσφορος.
There is a certain saying among men, that a noble deed accomplished should not be buried on the ground in silence; and a divine song of praise is fitting for glorious deeds.
§9.8ἀλλʼ ἀνὰ μὲν βρομίαν φόρμιγγʼ, ἀνὰ δʼ αὐλὸν ἐπʼ αὐτὰν ὄρσομεν §9.9ἱππίων ἄθλων κορυφάν, ἅτε Φοίβῳ θῆκεν Ἄδραστος ἐπʼ Ἀσωποῦ ῥεέθροις· ὧν ἐγὼ §9.10μνασθεὶς ἐπασκήσω κλυταῖς ἥρωα τιμαῖς, §9.11ὃς τότε μὲν βασιλεύων κεῖθι νέαισί θʼ ἑορταῖς §9.12ἰσχύος τʼ ἀνδρῶν ἁμίλλαις ἅρμασί τε γλαφυροῖς ἄμφαινε κυδαίνων πόλιν.
But let us awaken the sounding lyre, and awaken the flute, to praise the pinnacle of equestrian contests, which Adrastus established for Phoebus by the streams of Asopus; remembering these, I shall adorn the hero with glorious honors, who, reigning there at that time, with new festivals and contests of men's strength and with polished chariots, made the city illustrious and glorified it.
§9.13φεῦγε γὰρ Ἀμφιαρῆ ποτε θρασυμήδεα καὶ δεινὰν στάσιν §9.14πατρῴων οἴκων ἀπό τʼ Ἄργεος· ἀρχοὶ δʼ οὐκ ἔτʼ ἔσαν Ταλαοῦ παῖδες, βιασθέντες λύᾳ.
For he once fled from bold-spirited Amphiaraus and the terrible strife of his ancestral home and from Argos; and the sons of Talaus were no longer rulers, being overcome by faction.
§9.15κρέσσων δὲ καππαύει δίκαν τὰν πρόσθεν ἀνήρ.
But a stronger man puts an end to the previous dispute.
§9.16ἀνδροδάμαντʼ Ἐριφύλαν, ὅρκιον ὡς ὅτε πιστόν, §9.17δόντες Οἰκλείδᾳ γυναῖκα, ξανθοκομᾶν Δαναῶν ἔσσαν μέγιστοι καί ποτε §9.18ἐς λὸν ἐς ἑπταπύλους Θήβας ἄγαγον στρατὸν ἀνδρῶν αἰσιᾶν §9.19οὐ κατʼ ὀρνίχων ὁδόν· οὐδὲ Κρονίων ἀστεροπὰν ἐλελίξαις οἴκοθεν μαργουμένους §9.20στείχειν ἐπώτρυνʼ, ἀλλὰ φείσασθαι κελεύθου.
Giving Eriphyle, who subdues husbands, as a faithful pledge, as wife to the son of Oecleus, they became the greatest of the golden-haired Danaans, and once led a host of men to seek glory at seven-gated Thebes, with no auspicious signs, not along the path of bird-omens; nor did the son of Cronus, brandishing his lightning, urge them to march from home in their madness, but commanded them to refrain from the journey.
§9.21φαινομέναν δʼ ἄρʼ ἐς ἄταν σπεῦδεν ὅμιλος ἱκέσθαι §9.22χαλκέοις ὅπλοισιν ἱππείοις τε σὺν ἔντεσιν· Ἰσμηνοῦ δʼ ἐπʼ ὄχθαισι γλυκὺν §9.23νόστον ἐρεισάμενοι λευκανθέα σώματʼ ἐπίαναν καπνόν·
Yet the host hastened to encounter manifest destruction, with bronze weapons and equestrian gear; and on the banks of Ismenus, laying aside their sweet return, they fattened the white-flowering smoke with their bodies.
§9.24ἑπτὰ γὰρ δαίσαντο πυραὶ νεογυίους φῶτας· ὁ δʼ Ἀμφιαρῇ σχίσσεν κεραυνῷ παμβίᾳ §9.25Ζεὺς τὰν βαθύστερνον χθόνα, κρύψεν δʼ ἅμʼ ἵπποις, §9.26δουρὶ Περικλυμένου πρὶν νῶτα τυπέντα μαχατὰν §9.27θυμὸν αἰσχυνθῆμεν.
For seven funeral pyres feasted upon the young-limbed men; but for Amphiaraus, Zeus with his all-powerful thunderbolt cleft the deep-bosomed earth, and hid him together with his horses, before his warrior's spirit was shamed by being struck in the back by the spear of Periclymenus.
ἐν γὰρ δαιμονίοισι φόβοις φεύγοντι καὶ παῖδες θεῶν.
For in god-sent panics even the children of gods flee.
§9.28εἰ δυνατόν, Κρονίων, πεῖραν μὲν ἀγάνορα Φοινικοστόλων §9.29ἐγχέων ταύταν θανάτου πέρι καὶ ζωᾶς ἀναβάλλομαι ὡς πόρσιστα, μοῖραν δʼ εὔνομον §9.30αἰτέω σε παισὶν δαρὸν Αἰτναίων ὀπάζειν, §9.31Ζεῦ πάτερ, ἀγλαΐαισιν δʼ ἀστυνόμοις ἐπιμῖξαι §9.32λαόν.
If it is possible, son of Cronus, this proud trial of Carthage-clad spears concerning life and death, I put off as far as possible; and a law-abiding destiny I ask you to grant to the children of the Aetnaeans for a long time, Father Zeus, and to mix the people with city-regulating splendors.
ἐντί τοι φίλιπποί τʼ αὐτόθι καὶ κτεάνων ψυχὰς ἔχοντες κρέσσονας §9.33ἄνδρες.
Truly, there are men there who love horses and have souls superior to wealth.
ἄπιστον ἔειπʼ· αἰδὼς γὰρ ὑπὸ κρύφα κέρδει κλέπτεται, §9.34ἃ φέρει δόξαν.
I have spoken an incredible thing; for shame, which brings glory, is secretly stolen away by gain, which brings glory.
Χρομίῳ κεν ὑπασπίζων παρὰ πεζοβόαις ἵπποις τε ναῶν τʼ ἐν μάχαις §9.35ἔκρινας ἂν κίνδυνον ὀξείας ἀϋτᾶς, §9.36οὕνεκεν ἐν πολέμῳ κείνα θεὸς ἔντυεν αὐτοῦ §9.37θυμὸν αἰχματὰν ἀμύνειν λοιγὸν Ἐνυαλίου.
If you had stood as a shield-bearer for Chromius among foot-soldiers, and horses, and in battles of ships, you would have judged the danger of the sharp battle-cry, because in war that goddess equipped his warrior spirit to ward off the havoc of Enyalius.
παῦροι δὲ βουλεῦσαι φόνου §9.38παρποδίου νεφέλαν τρέψαι ποτὶ δυσμενέων ἀνδρῶν στίχας §9.39χερσὶ καὶ ψυχᾷ δυνατοί·
And few are able, in heart and hand, to turn the cloud of slaughter close at hand against the ranks of hostile men.
λέγεται μὰν Ἕκτορι μὲν κλέος ἀνθῆσαι Σκαμάνδρου χεύμασιν §9.40ἀγχοῦ, βαθυκρήμνοισι δʼ ἀμφʼ ἀκταῖς Ἑλώρου, §9.41ἔνθα Ῥέας πόρον ἄνθρωποι καλέοισι, δέδορκεν §9.42παιδὶ τοῦθʼ Ἁγησιδάμου φέγγος ἐν ἁλικίᾳ πρώτᾳ·
Indeed, it is said that glory bloomed for Hector near the streams of Scamander, but near the steep-cliffed banks of Helorus, where men call it the passage of Rhea, there shone this light upon the son of Hagesidamus in his early youth.
τὰ δʼ ἄλλαις ἁμέραις §9.43πολλὰ μὲν ἐν κονίᾳ χέρσῳ, τὰ δὲ γείτονι πόντῳ φάσομαι.
And on other days, I shall speak of many deeds on the dusty land, and others on the neighboring sea.
§9.44ἐκ πόνων δʼ, οἳ σὺν νεότατι γένωνται σύν τε δίκᾳ, τελέθει πρὸς γῆρας αἰὼν ἁμέρα.
From labors which are done in youth and with justice, there arises a peaceful life towards old age.
§9.45ἴστω λαχὼν πρὸς δαιμόνων θαυμαστὸν ὄλβον.
Let him know that he has obtained wondrous prosperity from the gods.
§9.46εἰ γὰρ ἅμα κτεάνοις πολλοῖς ἐπίδοξον ἄρηται §9.47κῦδος, οὐκ ἔστι πρόσωθεν θνατὸν ἔτι σκοπιᾶς ἄλλας ἐφάψασθαι ποδοῖν.
For if, together with much wealth, one wins glorious renown, it is not possible for a mortal to touch any other further height with his feet.
§9.48ἡσυχία δὲ φιλεῖ μὲν συμπόσιον· νεοθαλὴς δʼ αὔξεται §9.49μαλθακᾷ νικαφορία σὺν ἀοιδᾷ· θαρσαλέα δὲ παρὰ κρητῆρα φωνὰ γίνεται.
Tranquility loves the banquet; and newly-blossomed victory grows with soft song; and the voice becomes bold beside the mixing-bowl.
§9.50ἐγκιρνάτω τίς νιν, γλυκὺν κώμου προφάταν, §9.51ἀργυρέαισι δὲ νωμάτω φιάλαισι βιατὰν §9.52ἀμπέλου παῖδʼ, ἅς ποθʼ ἵπποι κτησάμεναι Χρομίῳ πέμψαν θεμιπλέκτοις ἁμᾷ §9.53Λατοΐδα στεφάνοις ἐκ τᾶς ἱερᾶς Σικυῶνος.
Let someone mix it, the sweet spokesman of the revel, and in silver cups let him distribute the forceful child of the vine, which once the horses won for Chromius and sent to him, together with justly-woven crowns of Leto's son, from sacred Sicyon.
Ζεῦ πάτερ, §9.54εὔχομαι ταύταν ἀρετὰν κελαδῆσαι σὺν Χαρίτεσσιν, ὑπὲρ πολλῶν τε τιμαλφεῖν λόγοις §9.55νίκαν, ἀκοντίζων σκοποῖʼ ἄγχιστα Μοισᾶν.
Father Zeus, I pray to celebrate this virtue with the Graces, and to honor with words, beyond many others, victory, throwing my spear closest to the mark of the Muses.