June 5 – Hymn to Thetis and Neoptolemus by Heliodorus
Of Thetis, the golden-haired, we sing.
She who from Nereus erst did spring,
The Venus of our fatherland.
To Peleus wed, at Jove’s command,
Her — of the thunderbolt of war,
Famed for his beamy spear afar,
Achilles — Greece the mother saw
Wedded to whom did Pyrrha bear,
Great Neoptolemus his heir,
Of Grecian land the boast and joy,
The destined scourge of lofty Troy.
Thou who in Delphic land dost rest,
Hero, by thee may we be blest;
Accept our strains, and oh, by thee,
May every ill averted be!
Thetis the golden-haired we sing,
She who from Peleus erst did spring.
From The Greek romances of Heliodorus, Longus, and Achilles Tatius : comprising the Ethiopics: or, Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea ; The pastoral amours of Daphnis and Chloe; and The loves of Clitopho and Leucippe, 1889. Translation by the Rev. Rowland Smith, M.A., formerly of St. John’s College, Oxford. George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden, Publishers.
Ταν θετιν άείδω, χÏυιοεθεφα θÎτιν,
ÎηÏÎος άθανάταν εϊναλίοιο χόÏαν,
Ταν Διός Ιννίσίϊ ΙΙηλÎÏŠ γημαμÎναν,
ταν αλός άγλαίαν, άμετÎÏαν Παφίην.
Α τον δουÏιμβνη, τον δ’ “ΑÏεα πτολÎμω,
‘Ελλάδος άατεÏοπαν Îςίτεχεν λαγόνων
δίον ‘Αχιλλτα, τον χλÎος οÏÏάνιον.
τω δπο Î Ï…Ï Ï Î± Ï„Îχεν παÎδα Îίοπτόλεμον,
πεÏφÎπολιν ΤÏωών, ÏΊχζίπολιν Δαναών.
‘Ίληχοις Ïως άμμι Îεοπτόλεμε,
“Ολβιε, Πυθιάδι νυν θονι χευβόμενε.
δε νυσο δ’ εÏμενεων τάνδε Ουηπολίην,
παν δ’ άπεÏυχε δÎος άμετÎÏας πολιός.
Ταν θÎτιν άείδω χÏυσοίΟειÏο θετιν.
The Greek original from Epigrammatum anthologia Palatina cum planudeis et appendice nova epigrammatum veterum ex libris et marmoribus ductorum By Joh. F. Duebner, Hugo Grotius, Edme Cougny, Maximus Planudes
Any errors in the transcription are mine. “It’s all Greek to me…”