HHA 1: 5.1-33
HHA:  COMMENTS 1
HHA 2: 5.34-67
HHA 3: 5.68-99
HHA 4: 5.100-130
HHA 5: 5.131-167
HHA 6: 5.168-201

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The original text is also available here (at PERSEUS).

 

TEXT

ἦ τοι μὲν ξανθὸν Γανυμήδεα μητίετα Ζεὺς

ἥρπασεν ὃν διὰ κάλλος ἵν’ ἀθανάτοισι μετείη

καί τε Διὸς κατὰ δῶμα θεοῖς ἐπιοινοχοεύοι,

θαῦμα ἰδεῖν, πάντεσσι τετιμένος ἀθανάτοισι,              205

χρυσέου ἐκ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσων νέκταρ ἐρυθρόν.

Τρῶα δὲ πένθος ἄλαστον ἔχε φρένας, οὐδέ τι ᾔδει

ὅππῃ οἱ φίλον υἱὸν ἀνήρπασε θέσπις ἄελλα·

τὸν δὴ ἔπειτα γόασκε διαμπερὲς ἤματα πάντα.

καί μιν Ζεὺς ἐλέησε, δίδου δέ οἱ υἷος ἄποινα              210

ἵππους ἀρσίποδας, τοί τ’ ἀθανάτους φορέουσι.

τούς οἱ δῶρον ἔδωκεν ἔχειν· εἶπεν δὲ ἕκαστα

Ζηνὸς ἐφημοσύνῃσι διάκτορος Ἀργειφόντης,

ὡς ἔοι ἀθάνατος καὶ ἀγήρως ἶσα θεοῖσιν.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ Ζηνὸς ὅ γ’ ἔκλυεν ἀγγελιάων                215

οὐκέτ’ ἔπειτα γόασκε, γεγήθει δὲ φρένας ἔνδον,

γηθόσυνος δ’ ἵπποισιν ἀελλοπόδεσσιν ὀχεῖτο.

ὣς δ’ αὖ Τιθωνὸν χρυσόθρονος ἥρπασεν Ἠὼς

ὑμετέρης γενεῆς ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισι.

βῆ δ’ ἴμεν αἰτήσουσα κελαινεφέα Κρονίωνα                220

ἀθάνατόν τ’ εἶναι καὶ ζώειν ἤματα πάντα·

τῇ δὲ Ζεὺς ἐπένευσε καὶ ἐκρήηνεν ἐέλδωρ.

νηπίη, οὐδ’ ἐνόησε μετὰ φρεσὶ πότνια Ἠὼς

ἥβην αἰτῆσαι, ξῦσαί τ’ ἄπο γῆρας ὀλοιόν.

τὸν δ’ ἦ τοι εἵως μὲν ἔχεν πολυήρατος ἥβη,               225

Ἠοῖ τερπόμενος χρυσοθρόνῳ ἠριγενείῃ

ναῖε παρ’ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοῇς ἐπὶ πείρασι γαίης·

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πρῶται πολιαὶ κατέχυντο ἔθειραι

καλῆς ἐκ κεφαλῆς εὐηγενέος τε γενείου,

τοῦ δ’ ἦ τοι εὐνῆς μὲν ἀπείχετο πότνια Ἠώς,              230

αὐτὸν δ’ αὖτ’ ἀτίταλλεν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔχουσα

σίτῳ τ’ ἀμβροσίῃ τε καὶ εἵματα καλὰ διδοῦσα.

ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ πάμπαν στυγερὸν κατὰ γῆρας ἔπειγεν

οὐδέ τι κινῆσαι μελέων δύνατ’ οὐδ’ ἀναεῖραι,

ἥδε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·             235

ἐν θαλάμῳ κατέθηκε, θύρας δ’ ἐπέθηκε φαεινάς.

TRANSLATION

For example, golden Ganymede counselor Zeus snatched

up because of his beauty so he could be among the

immortals and serve as cupbearer for the gods in the home of

Zeus – a marvel to behold, honored by all the immortals,               205

pouring ruddy nectar from a golden bowl – and insufferable

grief took hold of the heart of his father Tros; in no way did he

know where a divine wind had snatched away his dear son to.

Then he kept keening for his son without stop all his days.

But Zeus took pity on him, and in recompense for his son gave him 210

high-stepping stallions of the kind that carry the immortals.

He gifted him with these gifts to keep.  At the urgings of Zeus

the slayer of Argos, messenger Hermes, told him the details,

that his son was immortal and ageless just like the immortals.

And so when he heard the message from Zeus he no longer            215

kept keening but rejoiced within his heart, and joyfully he

was carried along by his wind-footed stallions.

Again, so too did goldn-throned Dawn snatch up Tithonos,

of your lineage and like to the immortals.  She went straight

to dark-clouded son of Kronos to ask him that Tithonos be             220

immortal and live for all time.  To her Zeus nodded ‘yes’

and he fulfilled her wish – fool that mistress Dawn was, in that

she did not think to ask for youth for Tithonos and that Zeus

scrape ruinous old age off him.  As long as loveliest youth was his   225

he took delight in golden-throned Dawn born in the early morning

and lived by the streams of Ocean at the verges of the earth.

But when the first strands of gray hair poured down his

handsome head and noble cheeks, mistress Dawn began avoiding   230

his bed.  She kept him in her house and took care of him with

food and ambrosial drink, and she gave him beautiful clothing.

But when utterly hateful old age overwhelmed him and

he could not move any limbs or raise himself up,

then in her heart this seemed to her the best plan:                        235

she put him away in a room and shut the shining doors.