My mother, golden-shielded Thebes, your affair I shall place even above my pressing business.
May rocky Delos not be angry with me, in which I have poured myself out.
§1.5τί φίλτερον κεδνῶν τοκέων ἀγαθοῖς;
What is dearer to good men than noble parents?
§1.6εἶξον, Ὠπολλωνιάς· ἀμφοτερᾶν τοι χαρίτων σὺν θεοῖς ζεύξω τέλος, §1.7καὶ τὸν ἀκειρεκόμαν Φοῖβον χορεύων §1.8ἐν Κέῳ ἀμφιρύτᾳ σὺν ποντίοις §1.9ἀνδράσιν, καὶ τὰν ἁλιερκέα, Ἰσθμοῦ §1.10δειράδʼ· ἐπεὶ στεφάνους §1.11ἓξ ὤπασεν Κάδμου στρατῷ ἐξ ἀέθλων, §1.12καλλίνικον πατρίδι κῦδος.
Give way, island of Apollo; with the gods' help I shall yoke the fulfillment of both favors, and celebrating in the dance unshorn Phoebus in sea-girt Keos with its maritime men, and the sea-fenced ridge of the Isthmus; since six crowns he has granted from the games to Cadmus' host, glorious victory and renown for their fatherland.
ἐν ᾇ καὶ τὸν ἀδείμαντον Ἀλκμήνα τέκεν §1.13παῖδα, θρασεῖαι τόν ποτε Γηρυόνα φρῖξαν κύνες.
In which land also Alkmene bore her fearless son, whom once the fierce dogs of Geryon shuddered at.
§1.14ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ Ἡροδότῳ τεύχων τὸ μὲν ἅρματι τεθρίππῳ γέρας, §1.15ἁνία τʼ ἀλλοτρίαις οὐ χερσὶ νωμάσαντʼ ἐθέλω §1.16ἢ Καστορείῳ ἢ Ἰολάου ἐναρμόξαι νιν ὕμνῳ.
But I, fashioning for Herodotos a tribute, on the one hand, for his four-horse chariot, and because he guided the reins with no other hands than his own, desire to join him either to a song of Castor or of Iolaos.
§1.17κεῖνοι γὰρ ἡρώων διφρηλάται Λακεδαίμονι καὶ Θήβαις ἐτέκνωθεν κράτιστοι· §1.18ἔν τʼ ἀέθλοισι θίγον πλείστων ἀγώνων, §1.19καὶ τριπόδεσσιν ἐκόσμησαν δόμον §1.20καὶ λεβήτεσσιν φιάλαισί τε χρυσοῦ, §1.21γευόμενοι στεφάνων §1.22νικαφόρων· λάμπει δὲ σαφὴς ἀρετὰ §1.23ἔν τε γυμνοῖσι σταδίοις σφίσιν ἔν τʼ ἀσπιδοδούποισιν ὁπλίταις δρόμοις, §1.24οἷά τε χερσὶν ἀκοντίζοντες αἰχμαῖς, §1.25καὶ λιθίνοις ὁπότʼ ἐν δίσκοις ἵεν.
For they were born the strongest chariot-drivers of heroes in Lacedaemon and in Thebes; and in the games they engaged in the greatest number of contests, and adorned their home with tripods and cauldrons and bowls of gold, tasting of crowns of victory; and their clear excellence shines out both in the naked footraces for them, and in the shield-clashing races of armed men, both when they hurled spears with their hands, and when they sent forth the stone discus.
For there was no pentathlon, but for each deed a prize was set.
§1.28τῶν ἀθρόοις ἀνδησάμενοι θαμάκις §1.29ἔρνεσιν χαίτας ῥεέθροισί τε Δίρκας ἔφανεν καὶ παρʼ Εὐρώτᾳ πέλας, §1.30Ἰφικλέος μὲν παῖς ὁμόδαμος ἐὼν Σπαρτῶν γένει, §1.31Τυνδαρίδας δʼ ἐν Ἀχαιοῖς ὑψίπεδον Θεράπνας οἰκ έω ν ἕδος.
Crowning their hair many times with many branches, they appeared by the streams of Dirke and near the Eurotas, the son of Iphikles being of the same deme as the race of Sown-men, and the son of Tyndareus dwelling among the Achaians in the high-built seat of Therapne.
§1.32χαίρετʼ.
Farewell.
ἐγὼ δὲ Ποσειδάωνι Ἰσθμῷ τε ζαθέᾳ §1.33Ὀγχηστίαισίν τʼ ἀϊόνεσσιν περιστέλλων ἀοιδὰν §1.34γαρύσομαι τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐν τιμαῖσιν ἀγακλέα τὰν Ἀσωποδώρου πατρὸς αἶσαν §1.35Ὀρχομενοῖό τε πατρῴαν ἄρουραν, §1.36ἅ νιν ἐρειδόμενον ναυαγίαις §1.37ἐξ ἀμετρήτας ἁλὸς ἐν κρυοέσσᾳ §1.38δέξατο συντυχίᾳ·
But I, for Poseidon and the sacred Isthmus and the shores of Onchestos, framing my song, shall voice, amidst the honors of this man, the glorious fortune of his father Asopodoros, and the ancestral soil of Orchomenos, which, when he was shattered by shipwreck from the measureless sea, in chilly fortune, received him.
But now once more his family fortune has set him upon his ancient prosperity.
ὁ πονήσαις δὲ νόῳ καὶ προμάθειαν φέρει·
He who has suffered also gains foresight in his mind.
§1.41εἰ δʼ ἀρετᾷ κατάκειται πᾶσαν ὀργάν, §1.42ἀμφότερον δαπάναις τε καὶ πόνοις, §1.43χρή νιν εὑρόντεσσιν ἀγάνορα κόμπον §1.44μὴ φθονεραῖσι φέρειν §1.45γνώμαις.
If someone devotes his whole mind to excellence, both through expense and toil, one must yield proud praise to those who have found it, and not bear it with grudging minds.
ἐπεὶ κούφα δόσις ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ §1.46ἀντὶ μόχθων παντοδαπῶν ἔπος εἰπόντʼ ἀγαθὸν ξυνὸν ὀρθῶσαι καλόν.
For it is a light gift for a wise man, in return for various labors, to speak a good word and set upright a common glory.
§1.47μισθὸς γὰρ ἄλλοις ἄλλος ἐφʼ ἔργμασιν ἀνθρώποις γλυκύς, §1.48μηλοβότᾳ τʼ ἀρότᾳ τʼ ὀρνιχολόχῳ τε καὶ ὃν πόντος τρέφει·
For different rewards are sweet to different men for their deeds, to the shepherd, the plowman, the bird-catcher, and him whom the sea nurtures.
§1.49γαστρὶ δὲ πᾶς τις ἀμύνων λιμὸν αἰανῆ τέταται·
Everyone exerts himself to ward off dismal hunger from his belly.
§1.50ὃς δʼ ἀμφʼ ἀέθλοις ἢ πολεμίζων ἄρηται κῦδος ἁβρόν, §1.51εὐαγορηθεὶς κέρδος ὕψιστον δέκεται, πολιατᾶν καὶ ξένων γλώσσας ἄωτον.
But whoever wins splendid glory in the games or in war, by being well-spoken of receives the highest gain, the choice flower of the tongues of citizens and strangers.
§1.52ἄμμι δʼ ἔοικε Κρόνου σεισίχθονʼ υἱὸν §1.53γείτονʼ ἀμειβομένοις εὐεργέταν §1.54ἁρμάτων ἱπποδρόμιον κελαδῆσαι, §1.55καὶ σέθεν, Ἀμφιτρύων, §1.56παῖδας προσειπεῖν, τὸν Μινύα τε μυχὸν §1.57καὶ τὸ Δάματρος κλυτὸν ἄλσος Ἐλευσῖνα καὶ Εὔβοιαν ἐν γναμπτοῖς δρόμοις· §1.58Πρωτεσίλα, τὸ τεὸν δʼ ἀνδρῶν Ἀχαιῶν §1.59ἐν Φυλάκᾳ τέμενος συμβάλλομαι.
But for us it is fitting to celebrate the earth-shaking son of Kronos, paying return to him as our neighbor and benefactor, the lord of chariot-racing, and to address your sons, and the valley of Minyas, and the glorious grove of Demeter, Eleusis, and Euboea, in the curved racecourses; and, Protesilaos, I join in your sacred precinct at Phylake of Achaian men.
§1.60πάντα δʼ ἐξειπεῖν, ὅσʼ ἀγώνιος Ἑρμᾶς §1.61Ἡροδότῳ ἔπορεν §1.62ἵπποις, ἀφαιρεῖται βραχὺ μέτρον ἔχων §1.63ὕμνος.
But to tell of everything that Hermes, lord of the games, has bestowed on Herodotos with his horses—this the hymn, with its brief measure, prevents.
ἦ μὰν πολλάκι καὶ τὸ σεσωπαμένον εὐθυμίαν μείζω φέρει.
Indeed, often even what is kept silent brings greater joy.
§1.64εἴη νιν εὐφώνων πτερύγεσσιν ἀερθέντʼ ἀγλααῖς §1.65Πιερίδων ἔτι καὶ Πυθῶθεν Ὀλυμπιάδων τʼ ἐξαιρέτοις §1.66Ἀλφεοῦ ἔρνεσι φράξαι χεῖρα τιμὰν ἑπταπύλοις §1.67Θήβαισι τεύχοντʼ.
May he, raised on the splendid wings of the sweet-voiced Pierides, yet also from Pytho and the outstanding crowns of Alpheos, fill his hand, thus bringing honor to seven-gated Thebes.
εἰ δέ τις ἔνδον νέμει πλοῦτον κρυφαῖον, §1.68ἄλλοισι δʼ ἐμπίπτων γελᾷ, ψυχὰν Ἀΐδᾳ τελέων οὐ φράζεται δόξας ἄνευθεν.
But if someone nurses hidden wealth at home, and laughs as he falls upon others, he does not realize that he is paying his soul to Hades without glory.