§13.1ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ
Τί με, ὦ Ζεῦ, δεῖ ποιεῖν;
HEPHAESTUS What must I do, O Zeus?
ἥκω γάρ, ὡς ἐκέλευσας, ἔχων τὸν πέλεκυν ὀξύτατον, εἰ καὶ λίθους δέοι μιᾷ πληγῇ διατεμεῖν.
For I have come, as you ordered, holding my sharpest axe, even if it should be necessary to cleave stones with a single blow.
ΖΕΥΣ
Εὖ γε, ὦ Ἥφαιστε· ἀλλὰ δίελέ μου τὴν κεφαλὴν εἰς δύο κατενεγκών.
ZEUS Well done, Hephaestus; but split my head into two by striking it down.
ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ
Πειρᾷ μου, εἰ μέμηνα;
HEPHAESTUS Are you testing me to see if I am mad?
πρόσταττε δ’ οὖν τἀληθὲς ὅπερ θέλεις σοι γενέσθαι.
Order then what you truly wish to be done for you.
ΖΕΥΣ
Τοῦτο αὐτό, διαιρεθῆναί μοι τὸ κρανίον· εἰ δὲ ἀπειθήσεις, οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ὀργιζομένου πειράσῃ μου.
ZEUS This very thing, that my skull be split; if you disobey, you will experience my anger not for the first time now.
ἀλλὰ χρὴ καθικνεῖσθαι παντὶ τῷ θυμῷ μηδὲ μέλλειν· ἀπόλλυμαι γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων, αἵ μοι τὸν ἐγκέφαλον ἀναστρέφουσιν.
But you must strike with all your heart and not delay; for I am dying from the birth pangs which are turning my brain upside down.
ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ
Ὅρα, ὦ Ζεῦ, μὴ κακόν τι ποιήσωμεν· ὀξὺς γὰρ ὁ πέλεκύς ἐστι καὶ οὐκ ἀναιμωτὶ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν Εἰλήθυιαν μαιώσεταί σε.
HEPHAESTUS Take care, Zeus, lest we do some harm; for the axe is sharp, and it will not deliver you without bloodshed, nor in the manner of Eileithyia.
ΖΕΥΣ
Κατένεγκε μόνον, ὦ Ἥφαιστε, θαρρῶν· οἶδα γὰρ ἐγὼ τὸ σύμφερον.
ZEUS Just strike down, Hephaestus, with courage; for I know what is best.
ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ
Κατοίσω· τί γὰρ χρὴ ποιεῖν σοῦ κελεύοντος;
HEPHAESTUS I will strike down; for what else can I do when you command?...
τί τοῦτο;
What is this?
κόρη ἔνοπλος;
An armed girl?
μέγα, ὦ Ζεῦ, κακὸν εἶχες ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ·
You had a great trouble, Zeus, in your head!
εἰκότως γοῦν ὀξύθυμος ἦσθα τηλικαύτην ὑπὸ τὴν μήνιγγα παρθένον ζωογονῶν καὶ ταῦτα ἔνοπλον·
Naturally then you were quick-tempered, nurturing such a big maiden under your brain-membrane, and that too, armed!
ἦ που στρατόπεδον, οὐ κεφαλὴν ἐλελήθεις ἔχων.
Surely, you had not realized that you were carrying a military camp, not a head.
ἡ δὲ πηδᾷ καὶ πυρριχίζει καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα τινάσσει καὶ τὸ δόρυ πάλλει καὶ ἐνθουσιᾷ καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, καλὴ πάνυ καὶ ἀκμαία γεγένηται δὴ ἐν βραχεῖ·
And she leaps and dances the war dance, and shakes her shield and brandishes her spear and is in a frenzy; and what is most remarkable, she has become very beautiful and fully grown in a short time.
γλαυκῶπις μέν, ἀλλὰ κοσμεῖ τοῦτο ἡ κόρυς.
She is blue-eyed, but the helmet adorns this.
ὥστε, ὦ Ζεῦ, μαίωτρά μοι ἀπόδος ἐγγυήσας ἤδη αὐτήν.
Therefore, Zeus, pay me the midwife's fee by betrothing her to me right now.
ΖΕΥΣ
Ἀδύνατα αἰτεῖς, ὦ Ἥφαιστε· παρθένος γὰρ ἀεὶ ἐθελήσει μένειν.
ZEUS You ask for impossible things, Hephaestus; for she will always wish to remain a virgin.
ἐγὼ δ’ οὖν τό γε ἐπ' ἐμοὶ οὐδὲν ἀντιλέγω.
However, as far as I am concerned, I do not object at all.
ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ
Τοῦτ' ἐβουλόμην· ἐμοὶ μελήσει τὰ λοιπά, καὶ ἤδη συναρπάσω αὐτήν.
HEPHAESTUS This is what I wanted to hear; the rest will be my concern, and I will carry her off right now.
ΖΕΥΣ
Εἴ σοι ῥᾴδιον, οὕτω ποίει· πλὴν οἶδα ὅτι ἀδυνάτων ἐρᾷς.
ZEUS If it is easy for you, do so; only I know that you are in love with impossible things.