πῆξε δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐν μέτροισι ταμὼν δόνακας καλάμοιο
πειρήνας διὰ νῶτα διὰ ῥινοῖο χελώνης.
ἀμφὶ δὲ δέρμα τάνυσσε βοὸς πραπίδεσσιν ἑῇσι
καὶ πήχεις ἐνέθηκ᾽, ἐπὶ δὲ ζυγὸν ἤραρεν ἀμφοῖν,
ἑπτὰ δὲ θηλυτέρων ὀίων ἐτανύσσατο χορδάς.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῦξε, φέρων, ἐρατεινὸν ἄθυρμα,
πλήκτρῳ ἐπειρήτιζε κατὰ μέρος: ἣ δ᾽ ὑπὸ χειρὸς
σμερδαλέον κονάβησε: θεὸς δ᾽ ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄειδεν
ἐξ αὐτοσχεδίης πειρώμενος, ἠύτε κοῦροι
ἡβηταὶ θαλίῃσι παραιβόλα κερτομέουσιν,
47-56 He cut stalks of
reed to measure and fixed them, fastening their ends across the back and
through the shell of the tortoise, and then stretched ox hide all over
it by his skill. Also he put in the horns and fitted a cross-piece upon
the two of them, and stretched seven strings of sheep-gut. But when he
had made it he proved each string in turn with the key, as he held the
lovely thing. At the touch of his hand it sounded marvellously; and, as
he tried it, the god sang sweet random snatches, even as youths bandy
taunts at festivals.
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