§967δῖε Πελασγῶν.
O noble king of the Pelasgians.
And graciously send here our courageous father Danaus, prudent and our counselor.
For his prior wisdom is best on where we should dwell and what place is welcoming.
Everyone is ready to utter blame against foreigners; but may the best things happen.
§975ξύν τ᾽ εὐκλείᾳ καὶ ἀμηνίτῳ §976βάξει λαῶν ἐν χώρῳ §977τάσσεσθε, φίλαι δμωίδες, οὕτως §978ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῃ διεκλήρωσεν §979Δαναὸς θεραποντίδα φερνήν.
With good repute and without anger from the people, arrange yourselves, dear handmaids, in this land, just as Danaus allotted to each of us a maidservant as a dowry.
§980ὦ παῖδες, Ἀργείοισιν εὔχεσθαι χρεών, §981θύειν τε λείβειν θ᾽, ὡς θεοῖς Ὀλυμπίοις, §982σπονδάς, ἐπεὶ σωτῆρες οὐ διχορρόπως.
O children, we must pray to the Argives, and sacrifice and pour libations, as to the Olympian gods, for they have been our saviors without hesitation.
§983καί μου τὰ μὲν πραχθέντα πρὸς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς §984φίλους πικρῶς ἤκουσαν αὐτανεψίοις: §985ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ὀπαδοὺς τούσδε καὶ δορυσσόους §986ἔταξαν, ὡς ἔχοιμι τίμιον γέρας, §987καὶ μὴ ʼξ ἀέλπτων δορικανεῖ μόρῳ θανὼν §988λάθοιμι, χώρᾳ δ᾽ ἄχθος ἀείζων πέλοι.
And although they heard with bitterness from my cousins what had been done to our own kin, they assigned to me these attendants and guards, so that I might have this honorable privilege, and might not die unawares by a sudden death in war, becoming an everlasting burden to this land.
Receiving such favors, we should revere a more honorable gratitude from the bottom of our heart.
§991καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ἅμ᾽ ἐγγράψασθε πρὸς γεγραμμένοις §992πολλοῖσιν ἄλλοις σωφρονίσμασιν πατρός, §993ἀγνῶθ᾽ ὅμιλον ἐξελέγχεσθαι χρόνῳ.
And write down these things along with the many other written precepts of your father, so that an unknown crowd may be proved by time.
For against a resident alien, everyone carries a ready and evil tongue, and it is somehow easy to speak slander.
But I exhort you not to bring shame upon me, having this youthfulness that turns the eyes of mortals.
For ripe fruit is by no means easy to guard; beasts and mortals ravage it, how could they not?
§1000καὶ κνώδαλα πτεροῦντα καὶ πεδοστιβῆ.
Both winged creatures and those that walk the earth.
Cypris heralds the dripping fruit, forbidding desire to plunder it.
§1003καὶ παρθένων χλιδαῖσιν εὐμόρφοις ἔπι §1004πᾶς τις παρελθὼν ὄμματος θελκτήριον §1005τόξευμ᾽ ἔπεμψεν, ἱμέρου νικώμενος.
And upon the beautiful charms of virgins, everyone passing by sends a charming dart of the eye, overcome by desire.
§1006πρὸς ταῦτα μὴ πάθωμεν ὧν πολὺς πόνος §1007πολὺς δὲ πόντος οὕνεκ᾽ ἠρόθη δορί, §1008μηδ᾽ αἶσχος ἡμῖν, ἡδονὴν δ᾽ ἐχθροῖς ἐμοῖς §1009πράξωμεν.
Therefore, let us not suffer those things for which much labor and much sea was ploughed by our ships, nor let us bring shame to ourselves and pleasure to my enemies.
οἴκησις δὲ καὶ διπλῆ πάρα: §1010τὴν μὲν Πελασγός, τὴν δὲ καὶ πόλις διδοῖ, §1011οἰκεῖν λάτρων ἄτερθεν: εὐπετῆ τάδε.
And a double dwelling is available to us: one Pelasgus gives, and the other the city gives, to dwell in without payment; these are easy terms.
Only guard these instructions of your father, honoring modesty more than life itself.
§1014τἄλλ᾽ εὐτυχοῖμεν πρὸς θεῶν Ὀλυμπίων:
As for the rest, may we have good fortune from the Olympian gods.
§1015ἐμῆς δ᾽ ὀπώρας οὕνεκ᾽ εὖ θάρσει, πάτερ.
And as for my youth, father, be of good courage.
For unless some new plan has been decreed by the gods, I shall not turn aside from my former path of mind.
§1018ἴτε μὰν ἀστυάνακτας §1019μάκαρας θεοὺς γανόοντες πολιούχους §1020τε καὶ οἳ χεῦμ᾽ Ἐρασίνου §1021περιναίουσιν παλαιόν.
Go now, glorifying the blessed gods who rule the city and protect the town, and those who dwell around the ancient stream of Erasinus.
§1022ὑποδέξασθε <δ᾽> ὀπαδοὶ §1023μέλος: αἶνος δὲ πόλιν τάνδε Πελασγῶν §1024ἐχέτω, μηδ᾽ ἔτι Νείλου §1025προχοὰς σέβωμεν ὕμνοις:
And receive, attendants, the song; and let praise hold this city of Pelasgians, and let us no longer revere the mouths of the Nile with hymns.
§1026ποταμοὺς δ᾽ οἳ διὰ χώρας §1027θελεμὸν πῶμα χέουσιν πολύτεκνοι, §1028λιπαροῖς χεύμασι γαίας §1029τόδε μειλίσσοντες οὖδας.
But the rivers that through the land pour their gentle drink, nurturing many children, softening this soil of the earth with their rich streams.
§1030ἐπίδοι δ᾽ Ἄρτεμις ἁγνὰ §1031στόλον οἰκτιζομένα, μηδ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνάγκας §1032γάμος ἔλθοι Κυθερείας: §1033στυγερῶν πέλοι τόδ᾽ ἆθλον.
And may pure Artemis look upon our band with pity, and may no marriage from Cythereia come by force; may that prize belong to our haters.
§1034Κύπριδος <δ᾽> οὐκ ἀμελεῖ θεσμὸς ὅδ᾽ εὔφρων.
But this friendly ordinance of Cypris is not neglected.
For she has power closest to Zeus along with Hera; and the goddess of cunning mind is honored for her solemn deeds.
§1038μετάκοινοι δὲ φίλᾳ ματρὶ πάρεισιν §1039Πόθος <ᾇ> τ᾽ οὐδὲν ἄπαρνον §1040τελέθει θέλκτορι Πειθοῖ.
And as companions to their dear mother are present Desire, and she to whom nothing is denied, enchanting Persuasion.
And to Harmony is given a portion of Aphrodite, and the whispering paths of Loves.
But for us fugitives, I fear blasts of wind and evil sufferings and bloody wars.
Why indeed did they make a prosperous voyage in their swift pursuit?
§1047ὅ τί τοι μόρσιμόν ἐστιν, τὸ γένοιτ᾽ ἄν.
Whatever is fated, that indeed must happen.
The great, infinite mind of Zeus is not to be bypassed.
And with many marriages, may this end be as it was for former women.
§1052ὁ μέγας Ζεὺς ἀπαλέξαι §1053γάμον Αἰγυπτογενῆ μοι. — §1054τὸ μὲν ἂν βέλτατον εἴη: §1055σὺ δὲ θέλγοις ἂν ἄθελκτον. — §1056σὺ δέ γ᾽ οὐκ οἶσθα τὸ μέλλον.
May great Zeus ward off the Egyptian marriage from me.— That would indeed be best; but you would try to soothe the unsoothable.— But you indeed do not know the future.
And why should I try to see into the mind of Zeus, a fathomless vision?— Pray now for a moderate word.
What proper measure do you teach me?— Not to offend the gods in anything.
§1062Ζεὺς ἄναξ ἀποστεροί- §1063η γάμον δυσάνορα §1064δάιον, ὅσπερ Ἰὼ §1065πημονᾶς ἐλύσατ᾽ εὖ §1066χειρὶ παιωνίᾳ κατασχεθών, §1067εὐμενεῖ βίᾳ κτίσας.
May King Zeus ward off the hostile, ill-mated marriage, he who freed Io from her suffering, holding her with his healing hand, restoring her with kindly force.
§1068καὶ κράτος νέμοι γυναι- §1069ξίν: τὸ βέλτερον κακοῦ §1070καὶ τὸ δίμοιρον αἰνῶ, §1071καὶ δίκᾳ δίκας ἕπε- §1072σθαι, ξὺν εὐχαῖς ἐμαῖς, λυτηρίοις §1073μαχαναῖς θεοῦ πάρα.
And may he grant victory to the women; I praise that which is better than evil, and the double portion, and that justice should follow justice, with my prayers, by freeing means from the god.