§1Ζεύς
Ἑρμῆ, λαβὼν τουτὶ τὸ μῆλον ἄπιθι εἰς τὴν Φρυγίαν παρὰ τὸν Πριάμου παῖδα τὸν βουκόλον — νέμει δὲ τῆς Ἴδης ἐν τῷ Γαργάρῳ — καὶ λέγε πρὸς αὐτόν, ὅτι
σέ, ὦ Πάρι, κελεύει ὁ Ζεύς, ἐπειδὴ καλός τε αὐτὸς εἶ καὶ σοφὸς τὰ ἐρωτικά, δικάσαι ταῖς θεαῖς, ἥτις αὐτῶν ἡ καλλίστη ἐστίν· τοῦ δὲ ἀγῶνος τὸ ἆθλον ἡ νικῶσα λαβέτω τὸ μῆλον. ὥρα δὲ ἤδη καὶ ὑμῖν αὐταῖς ἀπιέναι παρὰ τὸν δικαστήν·
Zeus: Hermes, take this apple and go off to Phrygia to the son of Priam, the herdsman—he is pasturing on Gargarus of Mount Ida—and say to him that: “Paris, Zeus commands you, since you are both handsome yourself and wise in matters of love, to judge for the goddesses, which of them is the most beautiful; and as the prize of the contest, let the victress take the apple.” And it is already time for you yourselves to depart to the judge; for I decline the arbitration because I love you all equally, and if it were possible, I would gladly have seen you all victorious.
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀπωθοῦμαι τὴν δίαιταν ἐπʼ ἴσης τε ὑμᾶς ἀγαπῶν, καὶ εἴ γε οἷόν τε ἦν, ἡδέως ἂν ἁπάσας νενικηκυίας ἰδών. ἄλλως τε καὶ ἀνάγκη, μιᾷ τὸ καλλιστεῖον ἀποδόντα πάντως ἀπεχθάνεσθαι ταῖς πλείοσιν.
And especially, it is necessary that he who awards the prize of beauty to one must by all means incur the hatred of the majority.
διὰ ταῦτα αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐπιτήδειος ὑμῖν δικαστής, ὁ δὲ νεανίας οὗτος ὁ Φρὺξ ἐφʼ ὃν ἄπιτε βασιλικὸς μέν ἐστι καὶ Γανυμήδους τουτουὶ συγγενής, τὰ ἄλλα δὲ ἀφελὴς καὶ ὄρειος, κοὐκ ἄν τις αὐτὸν ἀπαξιώσειε τοιαύτης θέας.
For these reasons, I myself am not a suitable judge for you; but this Phrygian youth to whom you are going is of royal blood and a kinsman of this Ganymede here, though otherwise simple and a mountaineer, and no one would deem him unworthy of such a spectacle.
§2Ἀφροδίτη
ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ Ζεῦ, εἰ καὶ τὸν Μῶμον αὐτὸν ἐπιστήσειας ἡμῖν δικαστήν, θαρροῦσα βαδιοῦμαι πρὸς τὴν ἐπίδειξιν· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ μωμήσαιτό μου;
... [rest of standard English translation with matching structure, but using actual translated lines] Aphrodite: For my part, Zeus, even if you were to set Momus himself as our judge, I shall go with confidence to the exhibition; for what fault could he possibly find with me?
χρὴ δὲ καὶ ταύταις ἀρέσκειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
But this man must also satisfy these ladies.
Ἥρα
οὐδʼ ἡμεῖς, ὦ Ἀφροδίτη, δέδιμεν, οὐδʼ ἂν ὁ Ἄρης ὁ σὸς ἐπιτραπῇ τὴν δίαιταν· ἀλλὰ δεχόμεθα καὶ τοῦτον, ὅστις ἂν ᾖ, τὸν Πάριν.
Hera: Neither do we fear, Aphrodite, even if your Ares should be entrusted with the decision; on the contrary, we accept this Paris, whoever he may be.
Ζεύς
ἦ καὶ σοὶ ταῦτα, ὦ θύγατερ, συνδοκεῖ;
Zeus: Is this your opinion too, my daughter?
τί φής;
What do you say?
ἀποστρέφῃ καὶ ἐρυθριᾷς;
Do you turn away and blush?
ἔστι μὲν ἴδιον τὸ αἰδεῖσθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα ὑμῶν τῶν παρθένων· ἐπινεύεις δʼ ὅμως.
Shyness in such matters is characteristic of you virgins; yet you nod assent.
ἄπιτε οὖν καὶ μὴ χαλεπήνητε τῷ δικαστῇ αἱ νενικημέναι μηδὲ κακὸν ἐντρίψησθε τῷ νεανίσκῳ· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἐπʼ ἴσης πάσας εἶναι καλάς.
Go then, and let not those who are defeated be angry with the judge, nor inflict any harm upon the youth; for it is not possible for all of you to be equally beautiful.
§3Ἑρμῆς
προΐωμεν εὐθὺ τῆς Φρυγίας, ἐγὼ μὲν ἡγούμενος, ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ βραδέως ἀκολουθεῖτέ μοι καὶ θαρρεῖτε.
Hermes: Let us proceed straight to Phrygia, with me leading the way, and do you follow me without delay and keep your spirits up.
οἶδα ἐγὼ τὸν Πάριν.
I know Paris.
νεανίας ἐστὶ καλὸς καὶ τἄλλα ἐρωτικὸς καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα κρίνειν ἱκανώτατος.
He is a handsome youth, and in other respects amorous, and highly capable of judging such matters.
οὐκ ἂν ἐκεῖνος δικάσειεν κακῶς.
He would not judge badly.
Ἀφροδίτη
τοῦτο μὲν ἅπαν ἀγαθὸν καὶ πρὸς ἐμοῦ λέγεις, τὸ δίκαιον ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸν δικαστήν· πότερα δὲ ἄγαμός ἐστιν οὗτος ἢ καὶ γυνή τις αὐτῷ σύνεστιν;
Aphrodite: This is all very good and in my favor, that the judge is fair to us; but is he unmarried, or is there some woman living with him?
Ἑρμῆς
οὐ παντελῶς ἄγαμος, ὦ Ἀφροδίτη.
Hermes: Not entirely unmarried, Aphrodite.
Ἀφροδίτη
πῶς λέγεις;
Aphrodite: How do you mean?
Ἑρμῆς
δοκεῖ τις αὐτῷ συνοικεῖν Ἰδαία γυνή, ἱκανὴ μέν, ἀγροῖκος δὲ καὶ δεινῶς ὄρειος, ἀλλʼ οὐ σφόδρα προσέχειν αὐτῇ ἔοικε.
Hermes: Some Idaean woman seems to live with him, decent enough, but rustic and terribly wild; however, he does not seem to pay much attention to her.
τίνος δʼ οὖν ἕνεκα ταῦτα ἐρωτᾷς;
But why on earth do you ask this?
Ἀφροδίτη
ἄλλως ἠρόμην.
Aphrodite: I just asked for no particular reason.
§4Ἀθήνα
παραπρεσβεύεις, ὦ οὗτος, ἰδίᾳ πάλαι ταύτῃ κοινολογούμενος.
Athena: You are violating your embassy, sir, by long whispering in private with this one.
Ἑρμῆς
οὐδέν, ὦ Ἀθηνᾶ, δεινὸν οὐδὲ καθʼ ὑμῶν, ἀλλʼ ἤρετό με εἰ ἄγαμος ὁ Πάρις ἐστίν.
Hermes: It is nothing terrible, Athena, nor is it against you; she only asked me if Paris is unmarried.
Ἀθήνα
ὡς δὴ τί τοῦτο πολυπραγμονοῦσα;
Athena: Why on earth was she prying into that?
Ἑρμῆς
οὐκ οἶδα· φησὶ δʼ οὖν ὅτι ἄλλως ἐπελθόν, οὐκ ἐξεπίτηδες ἤρετο.
Hermes: I do not know; at any rate, she says she asked because it just occurred to her, not on purpose.
Ἀθήνα
τί οὖν;
Athena: Well then?
ἄγαμός ἐστιν;
Is he unmarried?
Ἑρμῆς
οὐ δοκεῖ.
Hermes: Apparently not.
Ἀθήνα
τί δέ;
Athena: And what about him?
τῶν πολεμικῶν ἐστιν αὐτῷ ἐπιθυμία καὶ φιλόδοξός τις, ἢ τὸ πᾶν βουκόλος;
Has he a desire for military matters and is he ambitious, or is he entirely a herdsman?
Ἑρμῆς
τὸ μὲν ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, εἰκάζειν δὲ χρὴ νέον ὄντα καὶ τούτων ὀρέγεσθαι τυχεῖν καὶ βούλεσθαι ἂν πρῶτον αὐτὸν εἶναι κατὰ τὰς μάχας.
Hermes: I cannot tell you the exact truth, but since he is young, one must guess that he desires to attain these things too, and would wish to be the foremost in battles.
Ἀφροδίτη
ὁρᾷς, οὐδὲν ἐγὼ μέμφομαι οὐδὲ ἐγκαλῶ σοι τὸ πρὸς ταύτην ἰδίᾳ λαλεῖν· μεμψιμοίρων γὰρ καὶ οὐκ Ἀφροδίτης τὰ τοιαῦτα.
Aphrodite: You see, I do not blame you at all or find fault with your speaking in private with her; for such behavior belongs to those who complain, and not to Aphrodite.
Ἑρμῆς
καὶ αὕτη σχεδὸν τὰ αὐτά με ἤρετο· διὸ μὴ χαλεπῶς ἔχε μηδʼ οἴου μειονεκτεῖν, εἴ τι καὶ ταύτῃ κατὰ τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἀπεκρινάμην.
Hermes: She too asked me pretty much the same things; therefore, do not be angry or think you are at a disadvantage, if I answered her also in all simplicity.