§15.1ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
Οὐ πώποτε πομπὴν ἐγὼ μεγαλοπρεπεστέραν εἶδον ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἀφ' οὗ γέ εἰμι καὶ πνέω.
ZEPHYRUS Never have I seen a more magnificent procession in the sea, since I have existed and blown.
σὺ δὲ οὐκ εἶδες, ὦ Νότε;
Did you not see it, Notus?
ΝΟΤΟΣ
Τίνα ταύτην λέγεις, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν πομπήν;
NOTUS What is this procession you speak of, Zephyrus?
ἢ τίνες οἱ πέμποντες ἦσαν;
Or who were those conducting it?
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
Ἡδίστου θεάματος ἀπελείφθης, οἷον οὐκ ἂν ἄλλο ἴδοις ἔτι.
ZEPHYRUS You missed a most delightful spectacle, such as you would never see another.
ΝΟΤΟΣ
Περὶ τὴν ἐρυθρὰν γὰρ θάλασσαν εἰργαζόμην, ἐπέπνευσα δὲ καὶ μέρος τῆς Ἰνδικῆς, ὅσα παράλια τῆς χώρας· οὐδὲν οὖν οἶδα ὧν λέγεις.
NOTUS For I was busy around the Red Sea, and I also blew over part of India, as much as is coastal; so I know nothing of what you say.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
Ἀλλὰ τὸν Σιδώνιόν γε Ἀγήνορα οἶδας;
ZEPHYRUS But you know Agenor of Sidon, don't you?
ΝΟΤΟΣ
Ναί· τὸν τῆς Εὐρώπης πατέρα.
NOTUS Yes, the father of Europa.
τί μήν;
Of course.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
Περὶ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης διηγήσομαί σοι.
ZEPHYRUS It is about that very girl that I will tell you.
ΝΟΤΟΣ
Μῶν ὅτι ὁ Ζεὺς ἐραστὴς τῆς παιδὸς ἐκ πολλοῦ;
NOTUS Is it that Zeus has been a lover of the girl for a long time?
τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ πάλαι ἠπιστάμην.
For I knew that long ago.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
Οὐκοῦν τὸν μὲν ἔρωτα οἶσθα, τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἤδη ἄκουσον.
ZEPHYRUS Well, you know of his love, now hear what happened after that.
§15.2ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
ἡ μὲν Εὐρώπη κατεληλύθει ἐπὶ τὴν ἠϊόνα παίζουσα τὰς ἡλικιώτιδας παραλαβοῦσα, ὁ Ζεὺς δὲ ταύρῳ εἰκάσας ἑαυτὸν συνέπαιζεν αὐταῖς κάλλιστος φαινόμενος· λευκός τε γὰρ ἦν ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὰ κέρατα εὐκαμπὴς καὶ τὸ βλέμμα ἥμερος·
ZEPHYRUS Europa had gone down to the shore to play, taking her companions with her, and Zeus, having made himself like a bull, was playing with them, appearing most beautiful; for he was perfectly white, well-curved in his horns, and gentle in his look.
ἐσκίρτα οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς ἠϊόνος καὶ ἐμυκᾶτο ἥδιστον, ὥστε τὴν Εὐρώπην τολμῆσαι καὶ ἀναβῆναι αὐτόν.
He himself also leaped on the shore and bellowed most sweetly, so that Europa dared even to mount him.
ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, δρομαῖος μὲν ὁ Ζεὺς ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν φέρων αὐτὴν καὶ ἐνήχετο ἐμπεσών, ἡ δὲ πάνυ ἐκπλαγὴς τῷ πράγματι τῇ λαιᾷ μὲν εἴχετο τοῦ κέρατος, ὡς μὴ ἀπολισθάνοι, τῇ ἑτέρᾳ δὲ ἠνεμωμένον τὸν πέπλον συνεῖχεν.
And when this happened, Zeus started running toward the sea at full speed, carrying her, and plunging in, began to swim; while she, utterly terrified by the affair, held onto his horn with her left hand so that she would not slip off, and with the other was holding together her veil blown by the wind.
§15.3ΝΟΤΟΣ
Ἡδὺ τοῦτο θέαμα εἶδες, ὦ Ζέφυρε, καὶ ἐρωτικόν, νηχόμενον τὸν Δία καὶ φέροντα τὴν ἀγαπωμένην.
NOTUS A sweet spectacle you saw, Zephyrus, and a passionate one, Zeus swimming and carrying his beloved.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
Καὶ μὴν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡδίω παρὰ πολύ, ὦ Νότε·
ZEPHYRUS And indeed, what happened after that was far sweeter, Notus; for the sea immediately became waveless, and drawing a calm over itself, presented itself smooth.
ἥ τε γὰρ θάλασσα εὐθὺς ἀκύμων ἐγένετο καὶ τὴν γαλήνην ἐπισπασαμένη λείαν παρεῖχεν ἑαυτήν, ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἡσυχίαν ἄγοντες οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ θεαταὶ μόνον τῶν γιγνομένων παρηκολουθοῦμεν, Ἔρωτες δὲ παραπετόμενοι μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τὴν θάλασσαν, ὡς ἐνίοτε ἄκροις τοῖς ποσὶν ἐπιψαύειν τοῦ ὕδατος, ἡμμένας τὰς δᾷδας φέροντες ᾖδον ἅμα τὸν ὑμέναιον, αἱ Νηρεΐδες δὲ ἀναδῦσαι παρίππευον ἐπὶ τῶν δελφίνων ἐπικροτοῦσαι ἡμίγυμνοι τὰ πολλά, τό τε τῶν Τριτώνων γένος καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο μὴ φοβερὸν ἰδεῖν τῶν θαλασσίων ἅπαντα περιεχόρευε τὴν παῖδα·
We all, keeping quiet, followed along as nothing but spectators of what was happening. Loves, flying a little above the sea so as sometimes to touch the water with the tips of their feet, carrying lighted torches, sang the hymeneal song together. The Nereids, having risen, rode alongside on dolphins, clapping their hands, for the most part half-naked. The race of Tritons, and whatever other sea creatures were not fearful to look at, danced around the girl in a body.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ποσειδῶν ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἅρματος, παροχουμένην τὴν Ἀμφιτρίτην ἔχων, προῆγε γεγηθὼς ὁδοποιῶν νηχομένῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ·
Poseidon, mounted on his chariot, having Amphitrite riding beside him, led the way joyfully, clearing the path for his swimming brother.
ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην δύο Τρίτωνες ἔφερον ἐπὶ κόγχης κατακειμένην, ἄνθη παντοῖα ἐπιπάττουσαν τῇ νύμφῃ.
And behind them all, two Tritons carried Aphrodite lying upon a shell, sprinkling all kinds of flowers upon the bride.
§15.4ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ
ταῦτα ἐκ Φοινίκης ἄχρι τῆς Κρήτης ἐγένετο·
ZEPHYRUS These things took place from Phoenicia as far as Crete.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπέβη τῇ νήσῳ ὁ μὲν ταῦρος οὐκέτι ἐφαίνετο, ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς ὁ Ζεὺς ἀπῆγε τὴν Εὐρώπην εἰς τὸ Δικταῖον ἄντρον ἐρυθριῶσαν καὶ κάτω ὁρῶσαν· ἠπίστατο γὰρ ἤδη ἐφ' ὅτῳ ἄγοιτο.
And when he set foot on the island, the bull was no longer to be seen, but Zeus, taking Europa by the hand, led her away to the Dictaean cave, blushing and looking down; for she knew already for what purpose she was being led.
ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐμπεσόντες ἄλλο ἄλλος τοῦ πελάγους μέρος διεκυμαίνομεν.
We, plunging in, stirred up waves in different parts of the sea.
ΝΟΤΟΣ
Ὦ μακάριε Ζέφυρε τῆς θέας·
NOTUS O Zephyrus, blessed in your sight!
ἐγὼ δὲ γρῦπας καὶ ἐλέφαντας καὶ μέλανας ἀνθρώπους ἑώρων.
But I was looking at gryphons, elephants, and black men.