§1Ἁ Κύπρις τὸν Ἔρωτα τὸν υἱέα μακρὸν ἐβώστρει· §2‘ὅστις ἐνὶ τριόδοισι πλανώμενον εἶδεν Ἔρωτα, §3δραπετίδας ἐμός ἐστιν· ὁ μανύσας γέρας ἑξεῖ·
Cypris was crying aloud for her son Eros: "Whoever has seen Eros wandering at the crossroads, he is my runaway slave; the one who gives information shall have a reward.
§4μισθός τοι τὸ φίλημα τὸ Κύπριδος· ἢν δ’ ἀγάγῃ νιν, §5οὐ γυμνὸν τὸ φίλημα, τὺ δ’ ὦ ξένε καὶ πλέον ἑξεῖς.
Your reward shall be the kiss of Cypris; but if you bring him, the kiss will not be a bare one, and you, stranger, shall have even more.
§6ἔστι δ’ ὁ παῖς περίσαμος· ἐν εἴκοσι παισὶ μάθοις νιν.
The boy is very remarkable; you would recognize him among twenty children.
§7χρῶτα μὲν οὐ λεύκος, πυρὶ δ’ εἴκελος· ὄμματα δ’ αὐτῷ §8δριμύλα καὶ φλογόεντα· κακαὶ φρένες, ἁδὺ λάλημα·
His skin is indeed not white, but like fire; and his eyes are keen and burning; his mind is wicked, but his speech is sweet.
§9οὐ γὰρ ἴσον νοέει καὶ φθέγγεται· ὡς μέλι φωνά, §10ὡς δὲ χολὰ νόος ἐστὶν· ἀνάμερος, ἠπεροπευτάς, §11οὐδὲν ἀλαθεύων, δόλιον βρέφος, ἄγρια παίσδων.
For his thoughts and his speech are not the same; his voice is like honey, but his mind is like gall; he is savage, a deceiver, telling no truth, a deceitful child, playing cruel games.
§12εὐπλόκαμον τὸ κάρανον, ἔχει δ’ ἰταμὸν τὸ μέτωπον.
His head has beautiful locks, but his brow is impudent.
His tiny hands are indeed small, but they shoot far, they shoot even to Acheron and to the realm of Hades.
§15γυμνὸς ὅλος τό γε σῶμα, νόος δέ οἱ εὖ πεπύκασται.
He is entirely naked in body, but his mind is well-clad.
§16καὶ πτερόεις ὡς ὄρνις ἐφίπταται ἄλλον ἐπ’ ἄλλῳ, §17ἀνέρας ἠδὲ γυναῖκας, ἐπὶ σπλάγχνοις δὲ κάθηται.
And winged like a bird, he flies from one to another, men and women, and perches upon their very hearts.
§18τόξον ἔχει μάλα βαιόν, ὑπὲρ τόξω δὲ βέλεμνον, §19τυτθὸν μὲν τὸ βέλεμνον, ἐς αἰθέρα δ’ ἄχρι φορεῖται.
He has a very small bow, and upon his bow is an arrow; tiny indeed is the arrow, yet it flies as far as the upper air.
§20καὶ χρύσεον περὶ νῶτα φαρέτριον, ἔνδοθι δ’ ἐντὶ §21τοὶ πικροὶ κάλαμοι, τοῖς πολλάκι κἀμὲ τιτρώσκει.
And around his back is a golden quiver, and within are those bitter shafts, with which he often wounds even me.
All these things are savage; but far more so is his torch, which, though it is small, burns up the sun itself.
§24ἤν τύ γ’ ἕλῃς τῆνον, δήσας ἄγε μηδ’ ἐλεήσῃς.
If you catch him, bring him bound and do not pity him.
§25κἢν ποτίδῃς κλαίοντα, φυλάσσεο μή σε πλανάσῃ.
Even if you see him weeping, take care lest he deceive you.
§26κἢν γελάῃ, τύ νιν ἕλκε. καὶ ἢν ἐθέλῃ σε φιλῆσαι,
And if he laughs, drag him along.
§27φεῦγε· κακὸν τὸ φίλημα, τὰ χείλεα φάρμακον ἐντί.
And if he wishes to kiss you, flee; his kiss is evil, his lips are poison.