§1ὅσσαι λωτροχόοι τᾶς Παλλάδος ἔξιτε πᾶσαι,
All you who are water-bearers for the bath of Pallas, come forth, all of you, come forth!
Just now I heard the sacred horses snorting, and the goddess is ready to come.
§4σοῦσθέ νυν, ὦ ξανθαί, σοῦσθε Πελασγιάδες.
Hasten now, golden-haired daughters of Pelasgus, hasten!
§5οὔποκʼ Ἀθαναία μεγάλως ἀπενίψατο πάχεις §6πρὶν κόνιν ἱππειᾶν ἐξελάσαι λαγόνων, §7οὐδʼ ὅκα δὴ λύθρῳ πεπαλαγμένα πάντα φέροισα §8τεύχεα τῶν ἀδίκων ἦνθʼ ἀπὸ γηγενέων, §9ἀλλὰ πολὺ πράτιστον ὑφʼ ἅρματος αὐχένας ἵππων §10λυσαμένα παγαῖς ἔκλυσεν Ὠκεανῶ §11ἱδρῶ καὶ ῥαθάμιγγας, ἐφοίβασεν δὲ παγέντα §12πάντα χαλινοφάγων ἀφρὸν ἀπὸ στομάτων.
Never did Athena wash her great arms before she drove away the dust from her horses' flanks, not even when, carrying her armor all splattered with gore from the lawless Earthborn, she returned, but far first, loosing the necks of her horses from the chariot, she washed away in the springs of Ocean their sweat and the drops, and cleansed all the clotted foam from their bit-champing mouths.
§13ὦ ἴτʼ Ἀχαιιάδες, καὶ μὴ μύρα μηδʼ ἀλαβάστρως §14συρίγγων ἀίω φθόγγον ὑπαξονίων, §15μὴ μύρα λωτροχόοι τᾷ Παλλάδι μηδʼ ἀλαβάστρως §16(οὐ γὰρ Ἀθαναία χρίματα μεικτὰ φιλεῖ) §17οἴσετε μηδὲ κάτοπτρον·
O come, daughters of Achaea, and bring no perfumes or alabaster flasks (I hear the sound of the axles creaking below), bring no perfumes for Pallas, water-bearers, nor alabaster flasks (for Athena does not love mixed ointments) nor bring a mirror; her face is always beautiful.
ἀεὶ καλὸν ὄμμα τὸ τήνας §18οὐδʼ ὅκα τὰν Ἴδᾳ Φρὺξ ἐδίκαζεν ἔριν, §19οὔτʼ ἐς ὀρείχαλκον μεγάλα θεὸς οὔτε Σιμοῦντος §20ἔβλεψεν δίναν ἐς διαφαινομέναν· §21οὐδʼ Ἥρα·
Even when the Phrygian judged the strife on Ida, the great goddess looked neither into bronze nor into the transparent swirling of Simois; nor did Hera; but Cypris, taking up the bright bronze, often rearranged the same lock of hair twice.
Κύπρις δὲ διαυγέα χαλκὸν ἑλοῖσα §22πολλάκι τὰν αὐτὰν δὶς μετέθηκε κόμαν· §23ἁ δέ, δὶς ἑξήκοντα διαθρέξασα διαύλως, §24οἷα παρʼ Εὐρώτᾳ τοὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι §25ἀστέρες, ἐμπεράμως ἐνετρίψατο λιτὰ λαβοῖσα §26χρίματα, τᾶς ἰδίας ἔκγονα φυταλιᾶς·
But she, having run twice sixty double-courses, like the Lacedaemonian stars by the Eurotas, skillfully rubbed herself, taking simple ointments, the offspring of her own garden.
O maidens, the redness rushed up, like the color which a morning rose or the seed of a pomegranate has.
§29τῶ καὶ νῦν ἄρσεν τι κομίξατε μῶνον ἔλαιον, §30ᾧ Κάστωρ, ᾧ καὶ χρίεται Ἡρακλέης· §31οἴσετε καὶ κτένα οἱ παγχρύσεον, ὡς ἀπὸ χαίταν §32πέξηται, λιπαρὸν σμασαμένα πλόκαμον.
Therefore now also bring only simple olive oil, with which Castor, with which also Heracles anoints himself; bring also for her an all-golden comb, so that she may comb her hair, having smoothed her rich tresses.
§33ἔξιθʼ Ἀθαναία·
Come forth, Athena!
πάρα τοι καταθύμιος ἴλα, §34παρθενικαὶ μεγάλων παῖδες Ἀκεστοριδᾶν
A pleasing band of maidens is present for you, the virgin daughters of the great sons of Acestor.
§35ὠθάνα, φέρεται δὲ καὶ ἁ Διομήδεος ἀσπίς, §36ὡς ἔθος Ἀργείων τοῦτο παλαιότερον §37Εὐμήδης ἐδίδαξε, τεὶν κεχαρισμένος ἱρεύς· §38ὅς ποκα βωλευτὸν γνοὺς ἐπί οἱ θάνατον §39δᾶμον ἑτοιμάζοντα φυγᾷ τεὸν ἱρὸν ἄγαλμα §40ᾤχετʼ ἔχων, Κρεῖον δʼ εἰς ὄρος ᾠκίσατο· §41κρεῖον ὄρος· σὲ δέ, δαῖμον, ἀπορρώγεσσιν ἔθηκεν §42ἐν πέτραις, αἷς νῦν οὔνομα Παλλατίδες·
O Athena, the shield of Diomedes is also carried, since this is an older custom of the Argives, which Eumedes taught, your favored priest; who once, knowing that a plotted death was prepared for him by the people, went fleeing with your holy image and settled on Mount Kreion; Mount Kreion; and you, goddess, he placed on the sheer rocks, which now are named the Pallatides.
Come forth, Athena, sacker of cities, golden-helmeted, who delight in the din of horses and shields.
§45σάμερον ὑδροφόροι μὴ βάπτετε—σάμερον Ἄργος §46πίνετʼ ἀπὸ κρανᾶν μηδʼ ἀπὸ τῶ ποταμῶ, §47σάμερον αἱ δῶλαι τὰς κάλπιδας ἢ ᾽ς Φυσάδειαν §48ἢ ἐς Ἀμυμώναν οἴσετε τὰν Δαναῶ.
Today, water-bearers, do not dip—today, Argos, drink from the springs and not from the river; today, handmaids, you shall carry your pitchers either to Physadeia or to Amymone, the daughter of Danaus.
§49καὶ γὰρ δὴ χρυδῷ τε καὶ ἄνθεσιν ὕδατα μίξας §50ἡξεῖ φορβαίων Ἴναχος ἐξ ὀρέων §51τἀθάνᾳ τὸ λοετρὸν ἄγων καλόν.
For indeed Inachus, mixing his waters with gold and flowers, will come from the pastoral mountains, bringing the beautiful bath for Athena.
ἀλλά, Πελασγέ, §52φράζεο μὴ οὐκ ἐθέλων τὰν βασίλειαν ἴδῃς.
But, Pelasgian, take care lest you unwillingly see the queen.
Whoever looks upon naked Pallas, the protector of the city, will see this Argos for the very last time.
§55πότνἰ Ἀθαναία τὺ μὲν ἔξιθι· μέσφα δʼ ἐγώ τι
Mistress Athena, come you forth; meanwhile, I shall say something to these girls.
§56ταῖσδʼ ἐρέω. μῦθος δʼ οὐκ ἐμός, ἀλλʼ ἑτέρων.
The story is not mine, but of others.
§57παῖδες, Ἀθαναία νύμφαν μίαν ἔν ποκα Θήβαις §58πουλύ τι καὶ περὶ δὴ φίλατο τᾶν ἑταρᾶν, §59ματέρα Τειρεσίαο, καὶ οὔποκα χωρὶς ἔγεντο· §60ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρχαίων εὖτʼ ἐπὶ Θεσπιέων §61ἢ ʼπὶ Κορωνείας ἢ εἰς Ἁλίαρτον ἐλαύνοι §62ἵππως, Βοιωτῶν ἔργα διερχομένα, §63ἢ ʼπὶ Κορωνείας, ἵνα οἱ τεθυωμένον ἄλσος §64καὶ βωμοὶ ποταμῷ κεῖντʼ ἐπὶ Κωραλίῳ· §65πολλάκις ἁ δαίμων νιν ἑῶ ἐπεβάσατο δίφρω, §66οὐδʼ ὄαροι νυμφᾶν οὐδὲ χοροστασίαι §67ἁδεῖαι τελέθεσκον, ὅκʼ οὐχ ἁγεῖτο Χαρικλώ· §68ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ τήναν δάκρυα πόλλʼ ἔμενεν, §69καίπερ Ἀθαναίᾳ καταθύμιον ἔσσαν ἑταίραν.
Maidens, once in Thebes Athena loved one nymph very much and above all her companions, the mother of Teiresias, and they were never apart; but even when she drove her horses to ancient Thespiae or to Coronea or to Haliartus, passing through the tilled fields of the Boeotians, or to Coronea, where her fragrant grove and altars stand by the river Coralius; often the goddess set her on her own chariot, nor were the chats of nymphs or choral dances sweet to them when Chariclo did not lead; but still, many tears awaited her also, although she was a companion dear to Athena's heart.