Bibliotheca Polyglotta

Κυλλήνης δ᾽ αἶψ᾽ αὖτις ἀφίκετο δῖα κάρηνα
ὄρθριος, οὐδέ τί οἱ δολιχῆς ὁδοῦ ἀντεβόλησεν
οὔτε θεῶν μακάρων οὔτε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,
οὐδὲ κύνες λελάκοντο: Διὸς δ᾽ ἐριούνιος Ἑρμῆς
δοχμωθεὶς μεγάροιο διὰ κλήιθρον ἔδυνεν
αὔρῃ ὀπωρινῇ ἐναλίγκιος, ἠύτ᾽ ὀμίχλη.
ἰθύσας δ᾽ ἄντρου ἐξίκετο πίονα νηὸν
ἦκα ποσὶ προβιβῶν: οὐ γὰρ κτύπεν, ὥσπερ ἐπ᾽ οὔδει.
ἐσσυμένως δ᾽ ἄρα λίκνον ἐπῴχετο κύδιμος Ἑρμῆς:
σπάργανον ἀμφ᾽ ὤμοις εἰλυμένος, ἠύτε τέκνον
νήπιον, ἐν παλάμῃσι περ᾽ ἰγνύσι λαῖφος ἀθύρων
κεῖτο, χέλυν ἐρατὴν ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερὰ χειρὸς ἐέργων.

Hermes sneaks back home to his cradle
142-153 Then the god went straight back again at dawn to the bright
crests of Cyllene, and no one met him on the long journey either of
the blessed gods or mortal men, nor did any dog bark. And luck-bringing
Hermes, the son of Zeus, passed edgeways through the key-hole of the
hall like the autumn breeze, even as mist: straight through the cave he
went and came to the rich inner chamber, walking softly, and making no
noise as one might upon the floor. Then glorious Hermes went hurriedly
to his cradle, wrapping his swaddling clothes about his shoulders as
though he were a feeble babe, and lay playing with the covering about
his knees; but at his left hand he kept close his sweet lyre.

μητέρα δ᾽ οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἔληθε θεὰν θεὸς εἰπέ τε μῦθον:
τίπτε σύ, ποικιλομῆτα, πόθεν τόδε νυκτὸς ἐν ὥρῃ
ἔρχῃ, ἀναιδείην ἐπιειμένε; νῦν σε μάλ᾽ οἴω
ἢ τάχ᾽ ἀμήχανα δεσμὰ περὶ πλευρῇσιν ἔχοντα
Λητοίδου ὑπὸ χερσὶ διὲκ προθύροιο περήσειν
ἣ σὲ φέροντα μεταξὺ κατ᾽ ἄγκεα φηλητεύσειν.
ἔρρε πάλιν: μεγάλην σε πατὴρ ἐφύτευσε μέριμναν
θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποισι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι.

154-161 But the god did not pass unseen by the goddess his mother;
but she said to him: How now, you rogue! Whence come you back so at
night-time, you that wear shamelessness as a garment? And now I surely
believe the son of Leto will soon have you forth out of doors with
unbreakable cords about your ribs, or you will live a rogue’s life in
the glens robbing by whiles. Go to, then; your father got you to be a
great worry to mortal men and deathless gods.

τὴν δ᾽ Ἑρμῆς μύθοισιν ἀμείβετο κερδαλέοισι:
μῆτερ ἐμή, τί με ταῦτα δεδίσκεαι, ἠύτε τέκνον
νήπιον, ὃς μάλα παῦρα μετὰ φρεσὶν αἴσυλα οἶδε,
ταρβαλέον, καὶ μητρὸς ὑπαιδείδοικεν ἐνιπάς;
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τέχνης ἐπιβήσομαι, ἥ τις ἀρίστη,
βουκολέων ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ διαμπερές: οὐδὲ θεοῖσι
νῶι μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀδώρητοι καὶ ἄλιστοι
αὐτοῦ τῇδε μένοντες ἀνεξόμεθ᾽, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις.

162-169 Then Hermes answered her with crafty words: Mother, why
do you seek to frighten me like a feeble child whose heart knows few
words of blame, a fearful babe that fears its mother’s scolding?
Nay, but I will try whatever plan is best, and so feed myself and you
continually. We will not be content to remain here, as you bid, alone
of all the gods unfee’d with offerings and prayers.

βέλτερον ἤματα πάντα μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοις ὀαρίζειν,
πλούσιον, ἀφνειόν, πολυλήιον, ἢ κατὰ δῶμα
ἄντρῳ ἐν ἠερόεντι θαασσέμεν: ἀμφὶ δὲ τιμῆς,
κἀγὼ τῆς ὁσίης ἐπιβήσομαι, ἧς περ Ἀπόλλων.
εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώῃσι πατὴρ ἐμός, ἧ τοι ἔγωγε
πειρήσω, δύναμαι, φηλητέων ὄρχαμος εἶναι.
εἰ δέ μ᾽ ἐρευνήσει Λητοῦς ἐρικυδέος υἱός,
ἄλλο τί οἱ καὶ μεῖζον ὀίομαι ἀντιβολήσειν.
εἶμι γὰρ ἐς Πυθῶνα μέγαν δόμον ἀντιτορήσων:
ἔνθεν ἅλις τρίποδας περικαλλέας ἠδὲ λέβητας
πορθήσω καὶ χρυσόν, ἅλις τ᾽ αἴθωνα σίδηρον
καὶ πολλὴν ἐσθῆτα: σὺ δ᾽ ὄψεαι, αἴ κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσθα.

170-181 Better to live
in fellowship with the deathless gods continually, rich, wealthy, and
enjoying stories of grain, than to sit always in a gloomy cave: and, as
regards honour, I too will enter upon the rite that Apollo has. If
my father will not give it to me, I will seek--and I am able--to be a
prince of robbers. And if Leto’s most glorious son shall seek me out, I
think another and a greater loss will befall him. For I will go to
Pytho to break into his great house, and will plunder therefrom splendid
tripods, and cauldrons, and gold, and plenty of bright iron, and much
apparel; and you shall see it if you will.

ὣς οἳ μέν ῥ᾽ ἐπέεσσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,
υἱός τ᾽ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς καὶ πότνια Μαῖα.

182-183 With such words they spoke together, the son of Zeus who
holds the aegis, and the lady Maia.

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