§8.1ΗΡΑ
Ἐξ οὗ τὸ μειράκιον τοῦτο. ὦ Ζεῦ, τὸ Φρύγιον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἴδης ἁρπάσας δεῦρο ἀνήγαγες, ἔλαττόν μοι τὸν νοῦν προσέχεις.
HERA: Since the time you snatched this Phrygian boy from Ida and brought him up here, Zeus, you pay less attention to me.
ΖΕΥΣ
Καὶ τοῦτο γάρ, ὦ Ἥρα, ζηλοτυπεῖς ἤδη ἀφελὲς οὕτω καὶ ἀλυπότατον;
ZEUS: For are you already jealous of this, Hera, which is so simple and harmless?
ἐγὼ δὲ ᾤμην ταῖς γυναιξὶ μόναις χαλεπήν σε εἶναι, ὁπόσαι ἂν ὁμιλήσωσί μοι.
I thought you were only harsh towards those women who have intercourse with me.
§8.2ΗΡΑ
Οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνα μὲν εὖ ποιεῖς οὐδὲ πρέποντα σεαυτῷ ὃς ἁπάντων θεῶν δεσπότης ὢν ἀπολιπὼν ἐμὲ τὴν νόμῳ γαμετὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κάτει μοιχεύσων, χρυσίον ἢ σάτυρος ἢ ταῦρος γενόμενος.
HERA: Nor indeed do you do those other things well, or in a manner worthy of yourself, who, being master of all gods, leave me, your lawful wife, and descend to the earth to commit adultery, turning into gold, or a satyr, or a bull.
πλὴν ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖναι μέν σοι κἂν ἐν γῇ μένουσι, τὸ δὲ τουτὶ Ἰδαῖον παιδίον ἁρπάσας ἀνέπτης, ὦ γενναιότατε ἀετῶν, καὶ συνοικεῖ ἡμῖν ἐπὶ κεφαλήν μοι ἐπαχθέν, οἰνοχοοῦν δὴ τῷ λόγῳ.
However, those women at least remain on earth; but you snatched this boy of Ida and flew up, O most noble of eagles, and he lives with us, brought in to plague me, ostensibly to serve wine.
οὕτως ἠπόρεις οἰνοχόων, καὶ ἀπηγορεύκασιν ἄρα ἥ τε Ἥβη καὶ ὁ Ἥφαιστος διακονούμενοι;
Were you so short of cupbearers, and have Hebe and Hephaestus then given up serving?
σὺ δὲ καὶ τὴν κύλικα οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως λάβοις παρ' αὐτοῦ ἢ φιλήσας πρότερον αὐτὸν ἁπάντων ὁρώντων, καὶ τὸ φίλημά σοι ἥδιον τοῦ νέκταρος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ διψῶν πολλάκις αἰτεῖς πιεῖν· ὁτὲ δὲ καὶ ἀπογευσάμενος μόνον ἔδωκας ἐκείνῳ, καὶ πιόντος ἀπολαβὼν τὴν κύλικα ὅσον ὑπόλοιπον ἐν αὐτῇ πίνεις, ὅθεν καὶ ὁ παῖς ἔπιε καὶ ἔνθα προσήρμοσε τὰ χείλη, ἵνα καὶ πίνῃς ἅμα καὶ φιλῇς·
And you would not even take the cup from him in any other way than by first kissing him in the sight of all; and his kiss is sweeter to you than nectar, and for this reason, even when not thirsty, you often ask to drink; and sometimes, having only tasted it, you give it to him, and when he has drunk, you take back the cup and drink whatever is left in it, from the very place where the boy drank and where he applied his lips, so that you may drink and kiss at the same time.
πρῴην δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἁπάντων πατὴρ ἀποθέμενος τὴν αἰγίδα καὶ τὸν κεραυνὸν ἐκάθησο ἀστραγαλίζων μετ' αὐτοῦ ὁ πώγωνα τηλικοῦτον καθειμένος.
And the other day, you, the king and father of all, having laid aside your aegis and thunderbolt, sat playing at dice with him, you who have let such a great beard grow!
ἅπαντα οὖν ὁρῶ ταῦτα, ὥστε μὴ οἴου λανθάνειν.
I see all these things, so do not think you escape notice.
§8.3ΖΕΥΣ
Καὶ τί δεινόν, ὦ Ἥρα, μειράκιον οὕτω καλὸν μεταξὺ πίνοντα καταφιλεῖν καὶ ἥδεσθαι ἀμφοῖν καὶ τῷ φιλήματι καὶ τῷ νέκταρι;
ZEUS: And what is so terrible, Hera, in kissing such a beautiful boy while drinking, and enjoying both the kiss and the nectar?
ἢν γοῦν ἐπιτρέψω αὐτῷ κἂν ἅπαξ φιλῆσαί σε, οὐκέτι μέμψῃ μοι προτιμότερον τοῦ νέκταρος οἰομένῳ τὸ φίλημα εἶναι.
If, at any rate, I permit him to kiss you even once, you will no longer blame me for thinking the kiss is preferable to nectar.
ΗΡΑ
Παιδεραστῶν οὗτοι λόγοι.
HERA: These are the words of pederasts.
ἐγὼ δὲ μὴ οὕτω μανείην ὡς τὰ χείλη προσενεγκεῖν τῷ μαλθακῷ τούτῳ Φρυγὶ οὕτως ἐκτεθηλυμένῳ.
As for me, may I never be so mad as to bring my lips to this soft Phrygian, who is so thoroughly effeminate.
ΖΕΥΣ
Μή μοι λοιδοροῦ, ὦ γενναιοτάτη, τοῖς παιδικοῖς· οὑτοσὶ γὰρ ὁ θηλυδρίας, ὁ βάρβαρος, ὁ μαλθακός, ἡδίων ἐμοὶ καὶ ποθεινότερος—οὐ βούλομαι δὲ εἰπεῖν, μή σε παροξύνω ἐπὶ πλέον.
ZEUS: Do not abuse my darling, O most noble wife; for this effeminate, this barbarian, this soft youth, is sweeter to me and more desirable—but I do not wish to say more, lest I provoke you further.
§8.4ΗΡΑ
Εἴθε καὶ γαμήσειας αὐτὸν ἐμοῦ γε οὕνεκα·
HERA: I wish you would even marry him, for all I care!
μέμνησο γοῦν οἷά μοι διὰ τὸν οἰνοχόον τοῦτον ἐμπαροινεῖς.
At least remember what kind of drunken outrages you commit against me because of this cupbearer.
ΖΕΥΣ
Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἥφαιστον ἕδει τὸν σὸν υἱὸν οἰνοχοεῖν ἡμῖν χωλεύοντα, ἐκ τῆς καμίνου ἥκοντα, ἔτι τῶν σπινθήρων ἀνάπλεων, ἄρτι τὴν πυράγραν ἀποτεθειμένον, καὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνων αὐτοῦ τῶν δακτύλων λαμβάνειν ἡμᾶς τὴν κύλικα καὶ ἐπισπασαμένους γε φιλῆσαι μεταξύ, ὃν οὐδ’ ἂν ἡ μήτηρ σὺ ἡδέως φιλήσειας ὑπὸ τῆς ἀσβόλου κατῃθαλωμένον τὸ πρόσωπον.
ZEUS: No, instead Hephaestus, your son, ought to serve us wine, limping, coming from his forge, still covered in sparks, having just laid aside his tongs, and we should receive the cup from those fingers of his, and pulling him toward us, kiss him in between—him whom not even you, his mother, would kiss with pleasure, with his face blackened by soot.
ἡδίω ταῦτα· οὐ γάρ;
This would be far more pleasant, wouldn't it?
καὶ παρὰ πολὺ ὁ οἰνοχόος ἐκεῖνος ἔπρεπε τῷ συμποσίῳ τῶν θεῶν, ὁ Γανυήδης δὲ καταπεμπτέος αὖθις ἐς τὴν Ἴδην· καθάριος γὰρ καὶ ῥοδοδάκτυλος καὶ ἐπισταμένως ὀρέγει τὸ ἔκπωμα, καὶ ὅ σε λυπεῖ μάλιστα, καὶ φιλεῖ ἥδιον τοῦ νέκταρος.
And that cupbearer would be by far more fitting for the banquet of the gods, while Ganymede should be sent down again to Ida; for he is clean, rosy-fingered, and hands the cup skillfully, and—what pains you most—kisses more sweetly than nectar.
§8.5ΗΡΑ
Νῦν καὶ χωλός, ὦ Ζεῦ, ὁ Ἥφαιστος καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι αὐτοῦ ἀνάξιοι τῆς σῆς κύλικος καὶ ἀσβόλου μεστός ἐστι, καὶ ναυτιᾷς ὁρῶν αὐτόν, ἐξ ὅτου τὸν καλὸν κομήτην τοῦτον ἡ Ἴδη ἀνέθρεψε· πάλαι δὲ οὐχ ἑώρας ταῦτα, οὐδ’ οἱ σπινθῆρες οὐδὲ ἡ κάμινος ἀπέτρεπόν σε μὴ οὐχὶ πίνειν παρ' αὐτοῦ.
HERA: Now, Zeus, Hephaestus is limping, and his fingers are unworthy of your cup, and he is full of soot, and you feel sick at the sight of him, ever since Ida reared this beautiful long-haired youth; but formerly you did not see these things, nor did the sparks or the forge prevent you from drinking from his hand.
ΖΕΥΣ
Λυπεῖς, ὦ Ἥρα, σεαυτήν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο, κἀμοὶ ἐπιτείνεις τὸν ἔρωτα ζηλοτυποῦσα·
ZEUS: You only pain yourself, Hera, and nothing else, and by being jealous you only increase my love.
εἰ δὲ ἄχθῃ παρὰ παιδὸς ὡραίου δεχομένη τὸ ἔκπωμα, σοὶ μὲν ὁ υἱὸς οἰνοχοείτω, σὺ δέ, ὦ Γανύμηδες, ἐμοὶ μόνῳ ἀναδίδου τὴν κύλικα καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ δὶς φίλει με καὶ ὅτε πλήρη ὀρέγοις κᾆτα αὖθις ὁπότε παρ' ἐμοῦ ἀπολαμβάνοις.
If you are vexed at receiving the cup from a beautiful boy, let your son pour wine for you; but you, Ganymede, hand the cup to me alone, and kiss me twice on each occasion, both when you offer it full, and then again when you take it back from me.
τί τοῦτο;
What is this?
δακρύεις;
Are you crying?
μὴ δέδιθι· οἰμώξεται γάρ, ἤν τίς σε λυπεῖν θέλῃ.
Do not fear; for anyone who wishes to pain you will regret it.