§1Λῇς νύ τί μοι Λυκίδα Σικελὸν μέλος ἁδὺ λιγαίνειν, §2ἱμερόεν γλυκύθυμον ἐρωτικόν, οἷον ὁ Κύκλωψ §3ἄεισεν Πολύφαμος ἐπᾳονίᾳ Γαλατείᾳ;
Will you sing me some sweet Sicilian song, Lycidas, piping beautifully, a lovely, sweet-natured love-song, such as the Cyclops Polyphemus sang to the charmed Galatea?
§4κἠμοὶ συρίσδεν, Μύρσων, φίλον· ἀλλὰ τί μέλψω;
And to me, Myrson, piping is dear; but what shall I sing?
§5Σκύριον ὦ Λυκίδα ζαλώμενον ἁδὺν ἔρωτα, §6λάθρια Πηλείδαο φιλάματα, λάθριον εὐνάν, §7πῶς παῖς ἕσσατο φᾶρος, ὅπως δ’ ἐψεύσατο μορφὰν §8κἠν κώραισιν ὅπως Λυκομηδίσιν ἁπαλέγοισα §9ἠείδη κατὰ παστὸν Ἀχιλλέα Δηϊδάμεια.
Sing, Lycidas, of the sweet love of Scyros that was longed for, of the secret kisses of the son of Peleus, the secret bed, how the boy put on a cloak, and how he disguised his form, and how among the Lycomedian maidens, speaking softly, Deidameia knew Achilles in the bridal chamber.
Once the herdsman carried off Helen, and led her to Ida, a bitter grief to Oenone.
ἐχώσατο δ’ ἁ Λακεδαίμων, §12πάντα δὲ λαὸν ἄγειρεν Ἀχαϊκόν, οὐδέ τις Ἕλλην §13οὔτε Μυκηναίων οὔτ’ Ἤλιδος οὔτε Λακώνων, §14μεῖνεν ἑὸν κατὰ δῶμα φυγὼν δύστανον Ἄρηα.
And Lacedaemon grew angry, and gathered all the Achaean host, nor did any Greek, either of Mycenae or of Elis or of Laconia, remain in his home, fleeing wretched war.
§15λάνθανε δ’ ἐν κώραις Λυκομηδίσι μοῦνος Ἀχιλλεύς, §16εἴρια δ’ ἀνθ’ ὅπλων ἐδιδάσκετο, καὶ χερὶ λευκᾷ §17παρθενικὸν κόπον εἶχεν, ἐφαίνετο δ’ ἠΰτε κώρα·
But Achilles alone lay hidden among the Lycomedian maidens, and was learning the working of wool instead of arms, and with his white hand held a maiden's task, and appeared like a girl.
§18καὶ γὰρ ἴσον τήναις θηλύνετο, καὶ τόσον ἄνθος §19χιονέαις πόρφυρε παρηίσι, καὶ τὸ βάδισμα §20παρθενικῆς ἐβάδιζε, κόμας δ’ ἐπύκαζε καλύπτρᾳ.
For he became as effeminate as they, and as much bloom reddened on his snowy cheeks, and he walked with the step of a maiden, and covered his hair with a veil.
§21θυμὸν δ’ ἀνέρος εἶχε, καὶ ἀνέρος εἶχεν ἔρωτα· §22ἐξ ἀοῦς δ’ ἐπὶ νύκτα παρίζετο Δηϊδαμείᾳ, §23καὶ ποτὲ μὲν τήνας ἐφίλει χέρα, πολλάκι δ’ αὐτᾶς §24στάμονα καλὸν ἄειρε, τὰ δαίδαλα δ’ ἄτρἰ ἐπῄνει·
But he had the soul of a man, and a man's love; and from dawn until night he sat beside Deidameia, and at one time he would kiss her hand, and often he would lift her beautiful warp, and praise her cunningly-woven threads.
And he did not eat with any other companion of his age, and did everything striving for a shared sleep.
ἔλεξέ νυ καὶ λόγον αὐτᾷ· §27ἅλλαι μὲν κνώσσουσι σὺν ἀλλάλαισιν ἀδελφαί, §28αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μώνα, μώνα δὲ σὺ νύμφα καθεύδεις.
And indeed he even spoke a word to her: "Other sisters sleep with one another, but I sleep alone, and you sleep alone, O bride.
We two are maidens of the same age, both of us beautiful; but we sleep alone in our beds.
ἁ δὲ πονηρὰ §31Νυσαία δολία με κακῶς ἀπὸ σεῖο μερίσδει.
And that wicked and deceitful Nysaia cruelly divides me from you.
§32οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ σέο. . .
For I do not..."